How Shuli Rand Quit Smoking on Shabbat – The Power of Emotion Over Habit

Actor and singer Shuli Rand once shared how he stopped smoking on Shabbat.

He was invited for Shabbat to the home of an ultra-Orthodox family and at some point, he went looking for a lighter. When he couldn’t find one, he remembered a group of friends whom he was absolutely sure would have one. But when he asked them for a light, they looked at him with disgust and said, “Shame on you. How can you smoke on Shabbat?”

From that Shabbat onward, he never smoked another cigarette.

Was that questions in fact a good reason to quit? On its own, it may not be a valid reason. However, our lives are guided by feelings.

Our desire to smoke, for instance, often stems from a feeling. When I hold a cigarette, it gives me a certain sensation. I believe I can’t reach that feeling without the cigarette.

Similar to buying orange juice instead of squeezing it at home. Sure, squeezing your own juice might be cheaper, healthier, and tastier, but buying it gives you the feeling of: "I’m someone who deserves to walk into my home with it already done." It feels like luxury. That feeling is what sells the product.

The wise among us learn to channel their feelings into positive directions, such as choosing to stop smoking on Shabbat.

Those who haven’t yet gained that wisdom let their emotions drag them downward. Their feelings lead them into difficult situations and sometimes even to dangerous substances. This is because those substances create a false sense of pleasure and ease.

Deep down, you know it’s not real and you're not actually happy. It’s the illusion created by the substance- and that illusion is what destroys lives.

Once we understand that our lives are driven by feelings, half the battle is already won. From that point forward, we can learn to redirect our emotions toward healthier choices. We can remember that the same feeling can either give life, or take it away.