Transcript
קול ה' על המים אל הכבוד הרעים ה' על מים רבים המעביר בניו בין גזרי ים סוף Turn Friday into *Erev Shabbos*! המעביר בניו בין גזרי ים סוף The music is back! *Shoyn oy* המעביר בניו בין גזרי ים סוף Our music is back as we're turning our Friday into *Erev Shabbos*. Today is not Friday, it is *Erev Shabbos*. And I want to thank our generous sponsors, Mendy and Sipora Fischman, לזכות ולחיי רבקה בת צפורה פרידה, in memory of her beloved Jonathan Sacks, רב יעקב בן דוד אריה, and in memory of Mendy's father רב יהושע חיים בן שמואל. This Turn Friday is sponsored by P4P Team, Professionals for Positions. To find out more, email Mark with a C, MARC at P4P.team, p4p.team. Thank you for your generosity. The music is back, and what a difference it makes. The power of music. *Lag BaOmer* is now behind us, we're back to listening to music and it has a powerful influence in helping us prepare. One of the ways I try to turn Friday into *Erev Shabbos* is having a special *Shabbos* mix and playing *Shabbos* songs on Friday transforms the home. If you wake up to that music, if you walk into your office, in your car, to your workout, and you're listening to *Shabbos*, *Erev Shabbos* music, oh, the sweet flavors, the tastes, there's an element of a *Tosefet Shabbos*. You're starting *Shabbos* early. So consider making an *Erev Shabbos* playlist and play it, different than the other days of the week. Part of the way you turn Friday into *Erev Shabbos* is not only the sights, the flavors, but it's also the sounds. It's the smells, it's the food cooking for *Shabbos*. It's the scene, it's the table being set for *Erev Shabbos*, but it's also the sounds. It's the music that's playing, not the typical, but the music of *Erev Shabbos*. So wonderful to have it back. Nothing holier than *Ke'echsof*, the Karliner, *Baruch Hashem*, *Baruch Hashem*. Our *Parsha* at the very end has a *Pasuk* את שבתותי תשמורו ומקדשי תיראו אני ה'. Observe my *Shabboses* and have awe and reverence for my *Mikdash*. *Shabbos* and *Mikdash* always go together, they represent sanctity and holiness, one in time and one in space. They represent our ways to connect to *Hashem*. *Reb Avrum Shor*, זאל זיין געזונט און שטארק, *refuah shleimah* and be well. In his wonderful *sefer*, *Nezer HaParsha*, he says another connection between the two, *Shabbos* and *Mikdash*, is *avodat middat habitachon*. Both are incubators, laboratories, platforms, places we work on *bitachon*, our relationship, our trust in *Hashem*. The *Mikdash* is a place of revelation. The *Beis HaMikdash* is a place of certainty, of confidence. The ten miracles that happened there daily. You saw, you felt, you connected to *Hakadosh Baruch Hu*. *Shabbos* we enter, we go in, and it's also a place we leave our doubt behind. We walk in with confidence, with certainty, with conviction. We see the revelation, we feel the presence of *Hashem*. *Shabbos* is to time what *Mikdash* is to space, and we feel a sense of *bitachon*. That's our *avoda*, that's our work, that's our effort, that's what we are trying to transform ourselves to be. *Kohen* is in *gematria* *bitachon*. ההורות כי עבודתו להיות לגמרי בוטח בה'. The work of the *Kohen* in the *Beis HaMikdash* is *bitachon*. The same *gematria* because the work, the example, the model, the inspiration is to show *bitachon*. Whatever's happening in my life, whatever's happening around me, in this place called *Mikdash*, *Hashem* is in charge, He's in complete control. I'm not nervous, I'm not anxious, I'm not worried, but I rest entirely on Him and in His hand. וכל עבודתו היא משולחן גבוה כזכו. And the *avoda* of the *Kohanim* is וכל עבודתו היא משולחן גבוה כזכו. The *Sefer* *Ruach Chaim*, *korbanos* are *bechinat man* שלא יהיה בהם פסולות. The *korbanos* were the recreation of the *man*, the holy *man* that fell from *Shamayim*. The *korbanos* were to recreate, the *Kohen* worked and he ate from the *mida* of *bitachon*. In this place, there is no doubt. There is no confusion. There is no tension. It's all *Hashem*. *Ein od milvado*. He's in charge, He's in control, and therefore everything by definition is good. I have what I need, and therefore there are challenges in life and they'll be waiting there for me, but they're not random and they're not chance, they're all from *Hashem*. And that's the *avoda*. He writes וכן עבודת השבת וביטחון. As the *Mechilta* in *Parshas Yisro* writes כאילו כל מלאכתך עשויה. *Shabbos*, as we go into *Shabbos*, and this is what we're meant to do today, turn our Friday into *Erev Shabbos* by feeling כאילו כל מלאכתך עשויה. All of our work is done. I, but it's not done, I'm not at inbox zero. You know how many emails, WhatsApp messages, phone calls? Do you know my checklist, my to-do list? How many things I didn't get done? Do you know what's waiting for me? Do you know how many bills there are to pay? How could you say כאילו כל מלאכתך עשויה? Because that's *Shabbos*. *Shabbos* is a *mida* of *bitachon*. I leave it at the doorway of *Shabbos*. After *Havdalah*, it'll be waiting. I'll pick up where I left off. But I go into *Shabbos* *middat habitachon*. *Bitachon*. *Zeh inyan haparsha*. זה עניין הפרשה מתחילתה ועד סופה. That's what Parshas Behar is all about, from beginning to end, Shmita to Shabbos at the end. That's what it's all about. And everything in between, the laws of ona'ah and the laws of ribbis, we should be scrupulous with integrity in business practices because when you trust in Hashem, when you have bitachon, when you know He's in charge, He's in control, He gives us what we need, then you have no reason to cut corners, you have no reason to compromise or be corrupt, you have no reason to extort or charge interest because you know Hashem is in charge and in control. It's what the entire parsha is about, it's what Shabbos is about. So that's what turning our Friday into Erev Shabbos is about. Turning our Friday into Erev Shabbos is working our bitachon. When you light those candles, when you go to shul, is to take a moment to take some deep breaths to meditate and to realize I'm leaving it all at the door of Shabbos. Whatever to-do list, whatever tasks, whatever's in my inbox, how much work there is still to do, no, kol melachtcha asuyah. My attitude, my mentality, my feeling is that all my work is done, and now Shabbos. Shabbos is menucha, Shabbos is rest, a real rest, the rest of the feeling that I'm good, I'm done, I can rest, there's nothing more to do, I'm just experiencing the pleasure of being with Hashem, my family and friends, and myself. I can rest because all my work is done. How can I ever feel all my work is done when it isn't? Because of bitachon, with the midah of bitachon. So let us succeed in turning our Friday into Erev Shabbos, first of all with some beautiful music, and not only with the beautiful music, but by transforming ourselves to feel all of our work is done, to grow our midas habitachon, have a restful Shabbos, a truly authentically restful Shabbos, have a happy, holy, and healthy Shabbos.
