If you found out on Sunday that Monday was actually a stat holiday, would you be disappointed in the extra time off? If you were waiting in a long line to get into an amusement park, would you be sad if the manager came out and had you skip the line so you could get in sooner?
On the other hand, you might well get annoyed if your flight is delayed and you are stuck in an airport for an extra hour.
In this week’s Torah portion, Vayakel, it says:
Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day, it shall be holy, a Shabbos to Hashem…
Shemos 35:2
The word “Shabbos” is preceded by the word “holy”. The holy comes before to tell us that we should start sanctifying Shabbos even before the designated beginning of Shabbos. That we should light candles before sunset so that we add to Shabbos.
Elsewhere in the Torah it says:
So he said to them, that is what Hashem said, “Tomorrow is a rest day, a Shabbos holy to Hashem…”
Shemos 15: 23
There, the word “holy” is after the word “Shabbos”, to tell us that we should extend the holiness of Shabbos until after the official time. That we should wait until at least a few minutes after three stars appear in the sky to take Shabbos out. Adding to Shabbos at the end, like we did at the beginning.
The things that we love, we are excited to have more of. The things that we don’t, we are eager to move on from. Shabbos is a beautiful holiday and vacation that we get every week. Cherish every minute.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi A and the JET Team
