A Day that Transforms Me

Shabbat, for me, is...
…A source of blessing, abundance, and peace. It’s a pause from the race of life; a time to receive an extra soul. On Shabbat, I feel like a different person, thanks to the festive clothing, my mother and wife’s delicious food, the Shabbat table, the singing (which I love deeply), and the weekly Torah insights from my father and teacher.

My Shabbat schedule...
It begins, of course, at the synagogue with Kabbalat Shabbat, the soulful singing of Lecha Dodi, and the evening prayer. Then I joyfully walk home, accompanied (as tradition says) by two ministering angels who escort every Jew on Shabbat. At home we make kiddush, sing, share words of Torah, and strengthen our family bond. The next day includes my regular Torah learning and the best afternoon nap of the week. As they say, the Hebrew acronym for Shabbat stands for “Shaina B’Shabbat Ta’anug”—“Sleeping on Shabbat is a delight.”

My synagogue...
I pray at Beit Midrash Ner Rachamim, led by the righteous Rabbi Moshe Ben Moshe, who is also my teacher and guide. It’s where I feel closest to Hashem. It's a place where I can open my heart completely.

My reading material...
Mainly consists of the prayers themselves. To be honest, I don’t have much time these days to read books, so if I do read, it’s usually a siddur (prayer book), the book of Psalms, or a page of Talmud, each filled with deep wisdom.

With my extended family...
We’re seven siblings, each one different, with unique opinions and life experiences. Shabbat is the time we come together and share everything with one another. It’s also when I feel the honor of being an uncle, surrounded by my nieces and nephews.

When Shabbat ends, the first thing I do is...
Make havdalah (the ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat) to mark the separation between the holy and the ordinary. Before the blessing over the wine, I say special prayers for a successful week. It’s a powerful time for prayer. After that, I smile and sing because I want the whole week to carry that same joy. My mother always taught me that the energy of Saturday night influences the entire week, so I try to fill it with only positive things.