The first Shabbat of the year is about to start. Last night I had the privilege of speaking on a Zoom preparation session organized by "Nefesh Yehudi" for students from across the country, in preparation for this special Shabbat.
On the Zoom call, Orly Gilboa also spoke - mother of Daniella Gilboa who returned from captivity in Gaza. She told how her and Ran's (Daniella's father) observance of Shabbat gave them strength during the difficult days of captivity, and shared how simultaneously, Shabbat also strengthened Daniella in Gaza, serving as a source of light against darkness, holiness against impurity.
Then Rabbi Roni Karbitz spoke - as practical as they come. He explained what we do on Shabbat, what we don't do, and how to prepare in order to bring more Shabbat into our lives. Many requested this file. Here's a screenshot I took, as an example.
And all this happens, unfortunately, from within brokenness - one of the students studying in this program is Adi, widow of Major Shachar Buzaglo of blessed memory who fell in Gaza, and her absence from the Zoom was deeply felt. Our learning was dedicated in his memory.
The first Shabbat of the year is at the threshold. You're invited to think about how it will look for you. May it be a peaceful Shabbat, a Shabbat of comfort.
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* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
“Who wants to spend the first Shabbat of the year in a hotel in Jerusalem?”.
This was the ad posted by the organization “Kesher Yehudi”. Within 48 hours, 250 Israelis had registered for this program, most of whom would be observing Shabbat for the first time in their lives. “We could have easily registered 1,000 people,” the organizers told me, “We were swamped!”.
I was priveleged to spend Shabbat with this special group of people, to speak to them, but mostly to listen. On Friday night after candle lighting, Osnat from Tel Aviv told me that she had been panicking every few minutes, thinking that she had lost her cell phone. Then she remembered that she left it in her room; it’s the first time they have ever been apart.
On Shabbat morning, Osnat reported that she had never had a morning like this one before. When she woke up, she felt calm and serene, filled with gratitude and inner peace, without being disturbed by notifications or updates.
Rav Yisrael Goldwasser, who accompanied this group over Shabbat, said to them: “I’m jealous of you. I don’t share the same experience of renewal—which is the essential work of these days, the Ten Days of Repentance, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Everyone, regardless of their circumstances or level of commitment, must discover new strengths within themselves, improve, and move forward.”
In other words, it’s not only Osnat, but all of us who need to strive to change. Some people might take this idea to the extreme (one of the participants said that he had been married to a non-Jewish woman abroad, but had recently left her and returned to Israel), and there are those who will take upon themselves a tiny change that is not even visible on the outside. The main point is to move forward. This is the time.
