Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Serebryanski, Dean and Rosh Kollel
Rabbi Yaakov Klass, Dean and Rav Kollel

 

Bamidbar – Shabbat

In honor of the proclamation for USA 250 by the President of the United States of America that people should keep the Shabbat from Friday evening May 15 till Saturday evening May 16, we are sharing the following insights.

We are busy all week and do not have adequate time to focus on our individuality. Thus, G-d gave us the Shabbat so that we have time for ourselves. 

(Numbers 1:52; 2:2) “The Children of Israel shall rest, each man at his camp and each man at his flag … with a sign of his father’s house.” (Song of Songs 2:4) “His banner on me is love.” The tribes and banners helped them feel that each person has a purpose for being in this existence. They were counted (numbers 1:2) “According to their families, their father’s house, number of their names,” reflecting that each person counts. Similarly, we find (Psalms 147:4) “He counts the number of stars, He gives a name to each of them.” 

(Genesis 2:3) “G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” A person who wishes to become holy must start by keeping the Shabbat. As part of the blessing (kiddush) Friday night we say, “His holy Shabbat He inherited to us with love and desire, it is a reminder of creation (that was complete on the seventh day) first of the holy callings, a memory of our exodus from bondage.” 

The revelation at Mount Sinai was on the Shabbat. The Jewish nation had to prepare themselves to receive the holiness of the revelation of G-d that came with the holiness of the Shabbat. 

(Isaiah 56:6-7) “The foreigners who join G-d to serve Him and to love the name of G-d, to become servants to Him, all who guard the Shabbat from desecration and hold onto my covenant. I will bring them to My holy mountain, and I will have them rejoice in My house of prayer; their offerings are desirable on my altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” 

We light a candle to welcome the Shabbat. In Hebrew the word for “candle” is “ner”, which has a numerical value of 250. The flickering of the candle reflects our soul that wishes to be restored to its full connection with its source. (Proverbs 20:27) “The candle of G-d is the soul of man.” 

May America be restored to its beginning with the belief in G-d and our G-d given responsibilities. To build a country and world with love and kindness, so that it is prepared to receive a revelation of G-d that will restore all mankind to its original balance in the Garden of Eden.