(In memory of Chaim Barukh Yehudah ben Dovid Tzvi zl)
There’s a lot coming our way about Shabbos (Friday) night. And that’s before we get to the Friday night seudah (meal)!
Hellfire Rests on Shabbat
See this! With your mind and your faith. When Shabbos begins and that unholy ball of fire is buried in the Sinkhole of the Great Deep all harsh fires of judgment of the River Dinur and even of Hell are buried and quashed, burning nothing. The guilty in Hell have some respite (if they kept Shabbos in this world). In fact, all worlds, above and below have respite.
When Shabbos ends and Jews make the blessing on fire in Havdalah, each of the buried fires returns to its place.
One reason we are forbidden to kindle fire on Shabbat—”Wherever you live, do not light a fire on Shabbat”—is to not fan those flames.
Why then was the fire on the mizbeach, Altar, in the Beit HaMikdash? The origin of that fire is different and so it keeps the negative forces away (Zohar 2:208a).
At the beginning of Shabbos an announcement is made in all the Heavens: Cavalry and camps be prepared and ready to greet your Master! When they do, they are absorbed into the Shekhinah’s light and become part of her jewelry.
With that comes a wind out of the South, a wind of kindness to cloak these holy camps. This wind is called the gorgeous Shabbat clothing. The Shabbat tables of Jewish homes are placed in a special Heavenly chamber. You and your family are fortunate when your Shabbat table is properly set. You won’t suffer embarrassment if your table is set to the best of your ability.
Zohar 2:203b–204a
Shabbos is Special! Don’t Disrespect Her!
If, God forbid, we break the Shabbos laws we disrespect her. It’s like we’re telling the Shekhinah we don’t care about her. Here the Shekhinah crowns us with an extra neshamah and we sort of fling it off our heads!
So we have to watch ourselves and not use our mouths to say anything unfitting to Shabbos; or our hands to do any prohibited weekday activity; or our feet to walk beyond the Shabbos boundary. Don’t diss Shabbos!
Zohar 2:207a
Extra Holiness! Handle with Care!
Shabbos night (Friday) the Shekhinah spreads her wings and her light over the entire world. The weekday staff that operates the world is removed. The Shekhinah’s staff takes their place in order to shelter the Jews with peace.
When the Shekhinah asserts her authority, a cleaner atmosphere prevails in the world. Each Jew then receives the neshamah yeteirah (additional soul). Depression and anger are forgotten, replaced by joy in the heavenly worlds above and in our world below.
This additional neshamah is so refined that before she can descend to our world she has to bathe in the fragrance of the Garden of Eden. Then she rests herself on a Jew.
When that neshamah leaves for the Garden, she doesn’t leave by herself. She’s accompanied by 60 “chariots.” They head for the six palaces in the Garden (east, west, north, south, up, down), crowning all the souls that are there. An announcement is made:
“How fortunate are you Jews, the holy nation! Your Master desires you even before you do anything for Him!”
If you’re familiar with “wisdom” {i.e., Kabbalah} there’s a deep secret here waiting to be discovered. The Jewish people are extremely fortunate when the breath of the nefesh, ruach and neshamah (levels of the soul) expands to encompass the earth and fill the air. This is the Shabbos-spirit that rests on every Jew.
Not only Shabbos, Hashem’s Kingdom needs protection, but the Shabbos-spirit that fills the world as well. This is why we are told (Exodus 31:17), “Protect es the Shabbos” (instead of just “protect the Shabbos”).
That spirit fills you. Be careful to keep Shabbos. Driving Shabbos out of the world drives it out of a person.
Zohar 2:204
© Copyright 2014 148west.com/O. Bergman
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