What is so special about Shabbos?Shabbos is a day in which you can reach great spiritual heights. If you use the day correctly, you can come so much closer to Hashem.
Shabbos is a reminder to each and every one of us that Hashem created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. All week we are busy with so many things-school, work, family and we are distracted by all the things around us - cell phones, computers, music and so once a week Hashem says, I want you to stop with all those distractions and focus on me! Take the time to think about how you can connect to me on a deeper level! Put away your cell phone, turn off your computer and come, let us spend some time together!
On Shabbos, we stop doing all those things we are busy with during the week and use the time we have to get to know Hashem better. It is a day when we sit around the table, learn about the parsha, sing beautiful and uplifting songs, spend family time and connect to Hashem. It is a day we use to strengthen our emunah in Him.
Hashem created the world and continues to watch over each and every one of us. Don't you think He can also solve every one of your problems, no matter how big or small they may seem?
R' Shimshon Pincus zt"l says that the relationship between Hashem and bnei yisroel is like a husband and wife. Shabbos is like the honeymoon. Imagine if a husband and wife both work full time and all week they are too busy to spend time together but once a week they go to a hotel. They walk into their hotel room and all of a sudden the husband's cell phone rings. The wife says, "Put away your cell phone! I want to spend time with you!!" This is shabbos. Hashem says, on this special day, I want to be with YOU so get rid of your distractions so we can spend time together.
Reading things on Shabbos that you should not be reading is like the husband picking up his cell phone when he is in the hotel - about to spend special time with his wife! Hashem says to all of His children, today is a special day! It is our day so let us use our time together to the fullest!! We are on our honeymoon now!!
When Shabbos begins, Hashem gives each of His children a kiss. It says in shir hashirim - yishakeinu mineshikos pihu - I am giving you a kiss. A kiss is something that can only be given to one person at a time. A hug - you can hug a few friends at once (remember in high school, those group hugs?!) but a kiss is something personal. A parent cannot kiss two children at the same time. A kiss represents that special relationship of one-on-one. On Shabbos Hashem tells us - you are my only child and I want to have a personal connection to you - a connection that no one else in the world is part of because I want it to be just me and you!! This is how we enter Shabbos - we start with a kiss from Hashem!! What could be more delicious than that?!
Shabbos is a day where we are in the shechina's embrace! It is a day where you can connect to Hashem on the most special levels. The first thing that you have to do is remember and acknowledge that today is Shabbos. Because if you don't know that Shabbos is here then how could you treat it properly?
Imagine if your parents were coming to visit you for a few days. When they knock on your door, you should greet them with a hug and sit down with them so you could spend time together. So imagine if when they were to walk in, you would tell them to sit down and make themselves comfortable while you finish baking the cake you want to serve them. Your parents would say, "Please, stop baking the cake and come sit down with us! I didn't come here to eat, I came to spend time with you. If you wanted to serve some cake, you should have had it ready for when we walked in the door! Now that we are here already, forget the cake and come sit with us in the living room and tell us how you've been!! We want to spend time with you!!"
This is what Hashem says to us. When Shabbos comes, Hashem is here to "visit" us and spend time with us. We should try to be ready for Him! The two minutes before shabbos should be spent waiting for our special guest - the Shabbos Queen, the Shechina - that's who is coming to our house!
Let's try to think about Who our special guest is and remember that when we have such a special visitor, we should try to prepare and be ready for when that guest arrives!!
