" If all the seas were ink, and all the trees were pens, there would not be enough to fully describe the gift of Shabbos...Its sanctity, its holiness, its meaning.

The secret * about the Shabbos candles & the fifteen facts* every woman should know about the candles.

 

🔹️Secret 

🔹️Fifteen facts 

 

To truly appreciate the holiness of Shabbos, we have to follow a important explanation of Shabbos itself. There are 39 melachos that are not permitted on Shabbos,  with these 39 melachos we used to build the Mishkan.

 

🔹️39 Melachos

🔹️Mishkan 

 

As Shabbos is a sanctuary in time, we needed the 39 melachos to create a holy place. Unlike creating the Mishkan it is not necessay to create Shabbos, which is fundamental to the creation of the world.

When Shabbos begins, after we put some coins in our tzedakah box, we light our candles at 18 minutes before sunset, we enter a sanctuary in time, before this we must prepare ourselves acordingly by purifying ourselves and dressing with dignity. As long as we are in this sacred time, we enjoy of wat we merit every week, and we must use every minute to take in  the Kedushah of the day.

Shabbos is a 25- hour period, when we are meant to stop working and focus on HaShem. The holiest time is Shabbos Kodesh as we sing the beautiful Lecha Dodi on friday night.

Shabbos is a day of music and song. Every moment of Shabbos, we are living in מזמור שיר ליום השבת  A Tehillim, a song for the Shabbos day. Yet, in order to hear the music, we must make ourselves into a vessel that can pick up the sound and remove all the static of the week. Only then can we truly feel the inner sanctity and holiness of Shabbos Kodesh.

This wonderful Mitzvah is given to us by HaShem and should be treasured and expressed with gratitude.

 

Keeping Shabbos

 

Most of us are observing the Shabbos, its special and a holy day. A day of rest given to us by HaShem.

But why do we observe Shabbos? According to Halacha, with observing  Shabbos we commit ourselves to HaShem and to His Torah.

And as this day, is a day of rest, the Torah forbids activities, which is more than not using electricity and the use of modern technology, many still think this is enough to observe Shabbos.

In reality The Torah forbids 39 Melachos in 6 categories which built the Mishkan.

Lighting the candles and saying the Bracha for Shabbos and the Challah and before our meal recite the Kiddush, its Shabbos.

The Sages outline a number of Aliyos for basic Torah reading, three in total, which are given to the Kohen, the Levi and the Yisrael, this on a regular monday and thursday, as well Mincha and Shabbos, there are three Aliyos as not to burden the community as people has to go to work. On Rosh Chodesh and Chol Hamoed which are holier in the sense of musaf offering was brought to the Holy Temple, we add a Aliyah, as four people are called up to the Torah.

 

Havdalah

 

Friday night we sanctify Shabbos with Kiddush, after 25 hours we take leave of Shabbos with Havdalah. Havdalah which means separation is a ceremony of rituals, of blessings, just like with Shabbos. We make rituals over speech, smells, sight, hearing and also taste to separate the Holy and the mundane.

 

🔹️ Havdalah

🔹️Motzei Shabbos

 

Havdalah is performed after nightfall on saturday evening( Motzei Shabbos ) when it is dark enough to see the 3 stars become visible, also important not to do Havdalah earlier as it is forbidden lighting and putting out flames untill after Shabbos. 

During the Bris the child will be officially named, the person holding the child during the circumcision is a Sandek, and it is a honor. At the bris a Minyan is in favor, this is including the father and the Mohel, this is to intensify the observance of this Mitzvah and it will bring more joy, but it is not necessary, there could circumstaces where a Minyan can't be presence, then the Bris will be performed by the Mohel only in presence of the father.

The Bris as a religious ceremony, will be a happy time and celebrated with a festive meal as a Seudah Mitzvah.

 

Just as the father gives his son a name, he also names his daughter. This usually happens the first Shabbos after the birth. When the father is away from home, the daughter should not be given a name until he returns.

The father gives his daughter a name when he called up to the Torah.

Giving a name as to be done with great care, the name has to be pronounced correctly as the name will appear in the Torah.

After the the baby girl is been named, a party follows for family and friends.

Bar Mitzvah  👨‍💼

                      

When a boy turns 13, he becomes Bar Mitzvah and has all the rights of a Jewish adult, this includes the Mitzvot. From this day he will wear Tefillin every day, which means coming closer to HaShem, doing this Mitzvah because this is what He wants. Visiting Shul services and takes a place in the community.

 

Most of the time the Bar Mitzvah is celebrated in Shul, wearing his Tefillin. The Bar Mitzvah is called to the Torah, leads the service and holds a speech, preparations are been made in advance.

 

Even without a special ceremony the Bar Mitzvah is automatically a fact, but because becoming Bar Mitzvah is a huge turning point in a boys life, we do make a point of celebrating this event with family and friends.

A Journey of a Soul, A Bar Mitzvah at the Ohel in New York.

 

The Rebbe on becoming a Bar Mitzvah / Bas Mitzvah 

 

 

Bas Mitzvah 👩‍💼

 

                     

When a Jewish girl turns 12, she is Bat Mitzvah and from this day she has all the rights and responsbilities of a adult, this is including the Mitzvot, the girl takes place in the Jewish community, but it is not all about the do's and the dont's, it is also about celebrating becoming Bat Mitzvah with a party with family and friends. But even without celebrating this day, she still becomes Bat Mitzvah.

Up to the day of Bat Mitzvah, it is a good time to start learning about Mitzvahs, and why we are doing them. This is also the time to start your very own personal relationship with HaShem. You can also prepare and just find a Mitzvah that is meaningful to you, for example keeping Kosher, or Chessed, Tzedakah, maybe dressing Tznius, or if you never lit the Shabbos candles you can start with this beautiful Mitzvah, which means so much more than just lighting candles.

Just choose the most powerful Mitzvah for you 🤎

Bas Mitzvah video