STRENGTHENING THE WEEK DAYS

“Laasot to observe [lit. to make] the Shabbat” (Ex.31.16)

The Shechinah – divine presence, never departs from Israel on the days of Shabbat, even on the Shabbat of the Hol – weekday. (Zohar)

The secular and profane days of the week exclude Shabbat, so what makes Shabbat on a weekday possible?

It is our practice to take on the Shabbat before sunset on Friday evening, and to extend this holy day until after the appearance of small to middle sized stars on Saturday evening. These additions are incorporated and carry the sanctity of the day. They are the Shabbat of the Hol. (Yismah Moshe)

The spiritual upsurge that comes with the sense of the Shechinah on Shabbat spills over into the days that follow. It may give oomph to Sunday, energise Monday and leave a little zest for Tuesday. On Wednesday we perk up in the knowledge that another Shabbat is in the offing. On Thursday we are uplifted in anticipation and on Friday we are involved practically in ‘making’ the day ahead special.

Every morning we introduce the Psalm of the day with the statement:- ‘Today is the -1st,2nd, 3rd etc - day of the Shabbat’. From this we learn that the week as a whole is a Shabbat because there is Shabbat on every day of the week.