Torah · Halacha YomitLaws of Shabbat Preparations - Part 2Rabbi Uri Nahum · August 15, 2022 · Shabbat Preparations 2-15Play+30Position0:00—Save⌄ShareA Shabbat halacha class with Rabbi Uri Nahum.Recorded by BSD Productions.Transcript0:00Welcome everybody to another segment of Halacha Hour here on JRoot Radio and0:07JRootRadio.com. Remember, if you have any questions, call us in at0:13718-683-5858. You can also text us at0:19347-927-8398. The rabbi will be taking questions, be'ezrat Hashem, when he has time,0:23so just hold on the line if you hear that it's a little busy.0:27Thank you very much, and now the rabbi.0:29Thank you very much, Avnavid, and we are continuing in our halachot of Shabbat preparations.0:35Like we do every week, we work off the Ben Ish Chai, the book, the Ben Ish Chai, in the second year,0:40where he talks about the halachot Shabbat in the first couple0:44parashiyot. We are in parashat Lech Lecha, and here we are in the middle of the0:49parasha. We're up to halacha yud-bet, and be'ezrat Hashem, we hope to finish all the halachot of Shabbat preparations today0:56so the next week already we can move on to the next parasha, parashat0:59Vayera, which speaks about Kabbalat Shabbat and very important subjects.1:02And just to give you a little bit of a heads up,1:04and we hope, be'ezrat Hashem, be'ezrat Hashem, that this week is Rosh Chodesh Adar, Mishenichnas Adar1:10marbim b'simcha, but Hashem gave us an extra Adar this year,1:13and we hope that within the first month of Adar we'll finish all the halachot that are needed for Kabbalat Shabbat1:19so we can jump into the halachot of Purim.1:22I know it sounds like a little bit far away, but it's really not so much,1:25about five, six weeks we're away from Purim,1:28and be'ezrat Hashem we'll go into the holiday segments already then.1:32We'll do the halachot of Purim, and from there we will go on to halachot Pesach,1:35which are, be'ezrat Hashem, right after halachot Purim.1:39Anyway, let's jump back to where we were.1:41Last week we discussed the importance of preparation of Shabbat,1:45that a person has to personally prepare for Shabbat Kodesh.1:48It shouldn't be something— Done by a1:52shliach, anything, but somebody has to do something.1:54Each person has to do something that he personally1:58should welcome in Shabbat Kodesh.2:00Like we explained, many poskim bring down2:02that the preparation of Shabbat is chovat haguf, like putting on tefillin,2:06where you can't send2:08a shliach; you cannot make somebody a messenger to do it for you.2:10You personally have to do it.2:12The extent, the amount that you want to2:15prepare, that is up to you to2:17decide, but everybody has to do something.2:18We're up to2:20Halacha Yud Bet, and this2:23halacha, the Ben Ish Chai discusses something a little bit Kabbalistic,2:25but a very important concept.2:27And let's first give you an2:29introduction. The Mekubalim explain2:31that we all know, as a human being,2:34this is at least, if you listen to this part of2:36the show or you're listening to this show of2:38halacha, I don't have to sit here and prove to you all the different things.2:41Baruch Hashem, there's enough, Baruch Hashem, out2:43there. There's enough people out2:44there. There's enough classes out2:46there that explain the human being,2:49the2:50neshama, that there is an afterlife2:51and all the different proofs of the Torah.2:54We don't have to discuss it over here.2:55You can listen to Rabbi Mizrahi every Tuesday.2:57Baruch Hashem, he has plenty of material3:01that he could give,3:02Baruch Hashem, very, very wonderfully as he does.3:04Over here, you already know that you already have a3:07soul. But the3:08Mekubalim, what some people may not know3:09is that the Mekubalim explain,3:11based on the Arizal,3:12that the soul that we have3:14is divided into five different parts.3:16And there's a very, very holy book.3:18The book is called Nefesh3:20HaChaim, written by the son of the Gra.3:21And over there, he speaks at length,3:24three of the parts of the3:26neshama: the nefesh, ruach, and the3:30neshama. So what we know as a soul in English3:32is really five different parts of3:35it, and each one has a different function.3:36The Mekubalim explain there's really five of them.3:39Besides the nefesh, ruach, and3:41neshama, there's also another two called chaya and3:44yechida. Here the Ben Ish Chai tells us3:46that a person has to prepare himself3:48to receive those extra parts of the3:51neshama throughout the week.3:52We know the Gemara says as follows.3:54The Gemara says, Ki bayom hashvi'i Shabbat vayinafash. The pasuk says,3:57On the seventh day Hashem rested.4:02And really, the word Shabbat means4:04he stopped his work, vayinafash, and he rested.4:06And the Gemara makes a4:08derashah on the word4:10vayinafash, and the Gemara says like this:4:11you can split up the word4:13vayinafash into two words,4:14vav yud and then nefesh,4:15which can be read, vai nefesh.4:17Vai is like oy.4:19Seems like the person making the4:21derashah was Ashkenazi, right?4:23Vai nefesh,4:23woe to the4:24soul. What soul is the Gemara—well, the Gemara says, what are you talking about? What soul are you saying woe to?4:28Says the Gemara,4:29the soul that leaves us on Motzaei Shabbat.4:31Because every Shabbat, a person gets4:33a4:35neshama yetera; he gets that extra soul.4:36And as the Gemara explains,4:40that's what gives the flavor of Shabbat.4:43The food tastes different on Shabbat.4:45The atmosphere feels different on Shabbat.4:47The tefillot feel different.4:48The person feels different.4:49And on Motzaei Shabbat4:51and on Sunday,4:51a person feels the4:53difference. He feels how it left him.4:55So the mekubalim bring down4:56that you have to prepare4:57to receive that extra4:58neshama, but not just the5:00neshama, but rather the different parts of the5:02neshama throughout the week.5:02And that's what the Ben Ish Chai discusses5:04in this halacha.5:05Pay attention,5:07and bezrat Hashem we will learn together5:09this halacha5:10inside the5:11Ben Ish Chai, and we'll see5:12how to prepare ourselves5:13for receiving those parts of the5:15soul. Says the5:19Ben Ish Chai, Last week we ended off5:20by talking about5:21saying, reading5:22the men at least,5:23at least the men;5:24women can do it also,5:25why not?5:27Shnayim mikra veechad targum, or reading5:27from the5:29Chok LeYisrael every single day.5:30So that's the preparation.5:32That person prepares himself5:33through words.5:34We discussed preparing yourself5:35through action,5:36and that is5:37by showering,5:38by cutting your nails.5:39We'll talk about that later on,5:41actually today,5:41but preparing for the actual Shabbat day5:43with food and everything else.5:45Here, then we spoke about5:47words,5:47preparing yourself with words,5:48which is5:49the reading of the5:51Chok LeYisrael or the5:53shnayim mikra. And now we'll talk about5:56the hachanah shel hamachshavah. We'll talk about preparing oneself5:58in thought.5:59You have to prepare also your mind.6:00How is that so?6:04A person has to prepare in his mind6:07that he has to receive6:08the additional—6:10Spiritual light that comes on Shabbat.6:15Uvchen yeh bichlal vitkadishtem vitem kedoshim. And this is where you include6:16in what the chachamim bring,6:18that you make yourself holy.6:19How do you make yourself holy?6:20Because you're6:21designating. The word kadosh6:22doesn't just mean holy.6:24That's the simple translation.6:25The real translation of the word kadosh6:27is designation,6:28like we find under the chuppah,6:30the husband tells his future wife,6:34Harei at mekudeshet li. You're designated to me.6:37You designate an animal as a korban,6:38you designate the animal.6:40And this week's6:41parashah, Parashat Terumah, talks about6:43hekdesh,6:43designating money6:44for the sake of the building6:45of the Mishkan.6:46That's all in the word hekdesh.6:48So too,6:48when we prepare ourselves6:50to receive that extra soul on Shabbat,6:53that's called6:54being kadosh.6:55And how does it begin?6:59Techilat hachanah hu miyom Revi'i bashavua. Believe it or7:00not, it doesn't begin on Shabbat.7:01It doesn't begin even on Friday,7:02but it7:03begins on Wednesday of the week,7:05the fourth day of the week,7:06which is today.7:12Sheyachin atzmo bemachshavto sheyeha raui umuchan lekabel tosefet hanefesh miShabbat habaah. You have to prepare yourself7:14as if you're ready to receive7:16the soul,7:18but in which part of the soul?7:19The part of the7:20soul that's called the nefesh7:21from the next week.7:27Ubeyom Chamishi yechaven lehachin atzmo sheyeha raui lekabel tosefet ruach. On Thursday,7:28you prepare yourself to7:30receive the ruach,7:31the7:31spirit. See, it's hard to7:33translate. I don't want to translate these words,7:36nefesh, ruach, neshama. Just bear with me.7:37There's three parts of the7:39neshama: nefesh, ruach, neshama, and we have to prepare ourselves7:42to receive all these parts.7:43To translate in English7:44is really7:45lo kedai, you know, it's not worth the time.7:47Then you have,7:48we say,7:49Ubeyom HaShishi, and on Friday,7:54yechaven lehachin atzmo sheyeha raui umuchan lekabel tosefet neshama miShabbat habaah. And then on Friday,7:56prepare yourself7:57to receive the7:58neshama. Now, the actual time when the—8:00Come in, the Ben Ish Chai will explain in Parashat Vayera,8:03when exactly do they come in, especially in the tefillah of Shabbat.8:06But our job is that we have to prepare ourselves8:10to allow these parts of the soul to come in.8:14You want to hear something very interesting?8:15The Ben Ish Chai here comes—let me just finish this8:17part—and he says like this.8:19He says, by preparing yourself,8:22you're able to receive those parts of the soul properly,8:26and then you're able to feel the kedushah much more on Shabbat Kodesh.8:30And he says not only that,8:32on the days afterwards, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday after Shabbat,8:36a person also has to prepare8:39himself—not prepare himself, but to think that he still retains part of these8:43three parts of the soul, the nefesh, ruach, and8:45neshama, meaning that the nefesh goes away from the person.8:52He says the parts start to leave the person on beginning Motzaei Shabbat,8:57but not everything leaves right away.8:59The part of the nefesh will stay with the person all the way till Tuesday.9:04The neshama will leave by Sunday,9:07and the ruach will leave by Monday.9:10So therefore, a person has to have that in mind as well.9:13You start to begin to prepare yourself to receive them from today, Wednesday,9:18and then tomorrow you prepare yourself for the ruach,9:21and on Friday you prepare yourself to receive the9:23neshama. On Shabbat you get all these three parts,9:25and on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday you're already preparing yourself9:29that it's leaving you. Those parts of the soul from last week are leaving you9:33until the next Wednesday again,9:35where you prepare yourself to receive the new parts of the soul for the following week.9:38It's interesting, I only mention this because it happens to be connected to this week's parashah.9:41In this week's parashah, the Torah tells us,9:44in Parashat Terumah, it tells us about the making of the9:47menorah. The menorah, not like the one that we light on Hanukkah.9:49On Hanukkah we light eight candles,9:51so most menorah that we have in our houses,9:53we're familiar with eight sticks on the candle,9:56on the menorah—that's what it's called.9:59In the one in the Beit HaMikdash, you'll notice there's seven.10:03Look at the ones in the shul, you look in the pictures,10:05pay attention, there's only seven:10:06three sticks on the right,10:09three sticking— Poles sticking out on the left10:12and one in the center.10:13The Mekubalim explain that this represents the days of the week.10:18The middle stick, where the middle pole, which has the candle over there,10:22that one represents Shabbat.10:24And three coming out from the right represents the three days before Shabbat,10:28and the three sticks coming out from the left represent the three days after Shabbat.10:32According to Mekubalim, the week really begins from Wednesday10:36and it finishes on Tuesday.10:38And the three days before and the three days after Shabbat are all part of the Shabbat.10:41And each part, each day, you prepare yourself really for the sake of Shabbat in that way.10:47Meaning, like we just explained,10:49Wednesday you prepare yourself for the nefesh,10:52and that's why it's brought down that really10:54hachanot of Shabbat, preparations of Shabbat on Wednesday should be something with action,10:57because nefesh, according to Mekubalim, represents the physical part of the person.11:02Therefore, you should prepare yourself with anything11:04like inviting guests or buying food for Shabbat.11:07Not all the food, like we said, that's really better to do on Friday,11:10but any sort of physical preparation you should start to do on Wednesday.11:15On Thursday, a person's avodah should be with11:17mitzvot that have to do with dibur, because that's a part of the ruach,11:20which is in the area of speech,11:23and therefore we find that we read the Torah on Thursday.11:26Friday, a person should already, within the11:28neshama, a person already gets all the Shabbat preparations done,11:31and he has extra time. He should work also on musar,11:34which prepares a person's mind,11:37and that machshava represents the11:40neshama, which a person receives on Friday.11:41And of course, Shabbat already11:42you come into Shabbat prepared to receive all these three parts.11:45When you leave Shabbat,11:48Sunday. And Monday and Tuesday these parts start to leave you.11:51The neshama already starts to leave on Sunday,11:55because that's the holiest part already starts to leave.11:58Monday, the ruach starts to leave,11:59and that's why on Monday we also read the Sefer Torah,12:01because ruach represents speech.12:03And finally on Tuesday,12:06the last part of last week's Shabbat, which is the nefesh,12:09leaves us, and then we prepare ourselves again Wednesday12:12for the fresh new three parts of the soul:12:14nefesh, ruach, neshama, reshei teivot Naran.12:17This is what the Ben Ish Chai brings down over here,12:19and that, based on the way the Mekubalim also explain.12:22And this is why he explains,12:24this is why we find the halacha says12:26that if a person forgets to make havdalah motzaei Shabbat,12:29you have up till Tuesday to make it,12:32because once Tuesday night comes,12:33it's already part of Wednesday,12:35and that's already part of the next week.12:37How come the Chachamim decide by Tuesday?12:38And he explains based on this,12:40because really the week, or the parts of the soul12:43from last week, depart on Tuesday.12:46That is halacha yud bet.12:49Halacha yud gimel, which speaks about12:51removing the spider webs from the house,12:53we discussed it last week, we're just going to skip it.12:55Now we get to halacha yud dalet,12:57where the Ben Ish Chai talks about taking haircuts12:59and cutting your nails on Friday.13:02This is going to be a halacha that we'll go a little bit more in detail,13:05because it's probably very, very practical13:07and very interesting as well.13:09He says like this:13:12הגם דמן הדין מסתפרין כל היום, even though according to13:13halacha you're really allowed to take a haircut the whole day,13:17ואפילו מסתפר ישראל, even though if you could get a haircut13:19even from a Jewish person the whole day,13:22טוב יותר להסתפר קודם חצות, it's still preferable that a person should take a haircut13:26before midday.13:27Midday means, according to,13:30it will be either around twelve o'clock or13:32one o'clock, depends on the summer or the winter,13:34חצות. Why?13:39כי רבנו האריזל היה מקפיד להסתפר קודם חצות, בין בחול בין בערב שבת קודש. We find that the students of the Arizal said about him13:42that he was very careful13:44to make sure to take a haircut13:47before Chatzot, before midday.13:48So that's why we should also prepare ourselves13:51to take a haircut.13:51If a person needs to take a haircut,13:57he should try to take it before13:58Chatzot. The question is, why did the Arizal take a haircut before Chatzot? How come he didn't want to do it after13:59Chatzot? Here we have a machloket in understanding14:02why the Arizal did what he did.14:04Some explain14:06that the reason why the Arizal14:07didn't take a haircut after14:10Chatzot, on a Kabbalistic reason.14:12What is that?14:13The hair, according to the14:15Mekubalim, represents14:16midat hadin. It represents din, and that's why14:18you're not supposed to keep your hair long,14:19because if you keep your hair long,14:21it's like feeding the other side,14:24the evil side,14:25the side of din.14:27So that's why, if you look,14:29a lot of people who have many customs14:31based on14:31Kabbalah, they cut their hair very, very, very, very short,14:34you know, one or minus one, whatever it is.14:40The Mekubalim also explain14:42that after14:44Chatzot, already when the time of Mincha starts to come in,14:46then in the world14:47there's usually midat hadin that's around in the world,14:49and it's a zman of din.14:51And therefore,14:52when you're cutting the hair,14:53which represents the din,14:54you don't want to do it in the time14:56where there's din in the world,14:58and that's why you should take a haircut15:00before15:01Chatzot. That's how some explain the15:03Arizal, and that's why it has nothing to do15:04specifically with Erev Shabbat.15:06Any day throughout the week,15:07a person should never take a haircut15:09after15:09Chatzot. That's one explanation of the15:11Arizal. However,15:12many, many other Acharonim explain15:14that the reason of the15:16Arizal was very simple,15:17because the Gemara says15:18a person shouldn't take a haircut15:19before praying15:20Mincha. Although there's a15:22machloket which Mincha we're talking about,15:23is it the earlier15:24Mincha, which is called15:25Mincha Gedolah, or is it the later15:28Mincha, Mincha Ketanah? In any case,15:29the Arizal was very15:30machmir, and after15:31Chatzot, which already is close enough15:33to the time of— Getting a haircut,15:35the Arizal was careful15:36not to take a haircut.15:38Why?15:38Because he didn't pray Mincha yet.15:40So it's very simple,15:41and it's known that the15:41Arizal used to pray15:43Mincha right before sunset.15:44He would not pray before that;15:46he would pray right before sunset,15:48and therefore15:49that's his reason of15:50hakpadah. It has nothing to do with Kabbalah.15:52What's the difference?15:53The difference will be15:54throughout the week,15:55any time a person wants to take a haircut,15:58should he wait till after Chatzot or not?16:00It's going to be based on these two reasons.16:01HaChacham Ovadia brings many, many, many Acharonim that say16:04that the reason not taking a haircut lailah has nothing to do with Kabbalah.16:07It is just because of16:09minhag. So therefore, throughout the week,16:10if a person prayed Mincha already,16:12you can take a haircut afterwards.16:13There's no problem, al pi Kabbalah, according to16:16Chacham Ovadia, to take a haircut after Chatzot,16:20not only on Friday but even throughout the week.16:22And therefore, if a person wants to be16:24machmir, it could be machmir, but16:26there's no obligation for a person to be16:29machmir. That's the halacha by haircuts.16:32We move on now to the next part of the halacha:16:35cutting one's nails.16:36Says the16:38Ben Ish Chai, Yizaher likrotz tzipornei yadav v'raglav b'chol erev Shabbat.16:42Listen to the words of the16:44Ben Ish Chai. You should be careful to cut your nails,16:46your fingernails and your toenails every Friday.16:49V'im lo yuchal b'chol erev Shabbat16:55mipnei shehoheg gedulam, and if you can't do it every Friday16:56because, you know, some people's nails don't grow so fast.17:00For those who grow so fast, okay,17:01but those who don't grow so fast,17:03so he says what should you do?17:06Yizaher likrotz kol sheteisha Shabbatot. Then at least do it every two weeks on Friday.17:10On that point, we'll come back over here17:13and let's talk about cutting one's nails17:15on the same day or a different day.17:17You should know there's a lot of things that are brought down17:19regarding cutting one's nails,17:21and I don't want to go into all the details17:23of the cutting one's17:25nails. We'll spend the whole class just on cutting one's nails,17:27but I know it's very, very interesting.17:28I'm going to bring you a few things now17:29that are brought down in the poskim and17:38the halacha regarding... Okay,17:39so I'm going to bring you a few points over here17:41regarding the cutting one's nails,17:44and we'll tell you exactly17:47Ashkenazim, Sefardim, a little bit of a difference between each custom,17:49each minhag.17:50There are things—it's definitely brought down.17:52I'll tell you what I saw brought down,17:53what I did not see brought down,17:55what people, you know, think.17:57Let's start like this.18:01According to18:01Mekubalim, a person should cut his nails specifically on Friday,18:05not any other day of the week, on Friday.18:07What's the reason?18:08Two reasons.18:09Number one is that this shows18:11that you're preparing yourself for Shabbat.18:12If you cut it earlier, before Friday,18:13it doesn't look like you're preparing yourself for Shabbat.18:15It looks like you're just doing it out of convenience.18:17So if you have a choice to cut your nails,18:19you should do it on Friday.18:20Does this mean it's asur beforehand?18:22It's not asur.18:23All these things are very, very nice.18:25Like we said in last week's class,18:26it's very good,18:27you get a mitzvah for doing it,18:28but you don't get an aveirah if you don't do it.18:30A person should try to do it on Friday.18:32What about on Thursday?18:34There are different people,18:35and they explain different things.18:36If you cut on Thursday,18:37they begin to grow,18:39so it depends how fast your nails grow.18:40So since your nails start to grow already on Friday,18:43so it doesn't look so clean18:45if you cut it on Thursday.18:46That's some people bring down.18:48But really,18:49me'ikar hadin, again,18:49there's nothing really asur to cut on18:52Thursday, but it's preferable to do it on Friday.18:54Now, we saw in the18:56Ben Ish Hai, he says that you should cut your nails,18:58your toenails and your fingernails on the same day.19:00Actually, this19:02a lot of Ashkenazim are makpid on it,19:04that they do not cut their nails,19:06their toenails and their fingernails on the same day.19:09If they19:09ever—now, we know that the fingernails grow much faster19:12than the toenails.19:14Maybe there's exceptions,19:14I don't know,19:15I haven't done a study,19:16but in general,19:17fingernails and the toenails of a person19:19grow differently.19:20Maybe I read somewhere,19:22I think it's under a Snapple bottle,19:23cap bottle, bottle cap,19:25so I don't know if that qualifies19:27for a real statistic or not,19:28but I think it says over there19:29that your fingernails grow to four to seven times faster19:33than your toenails.19:34Okay,19:34you want to believe Snapple,19:36believe Snapple.19:36In any case,19:37we know for sure19:38that the fingernails grow faster.19:40So it'll come up only once in a while,19:41maybe once a month,19:43once in a month and a half,19:44that you'll have to cut your toenails as well.19:47The Ashkenazim are makpid, are very careful19:49that they don't cut their toenails19:51and fingernails on the same day.19:53So when such a thing happens,19:55they cut their toenails on Thursday19:57and their fingernails on— Friday.20:01That's what I saw brought down.20:04The Sefardim are not20:05makpid; Chacham Ben Tzion brings down20:06that Arizal was not20:08makpid. Some might seem to say20:10you can't learn from the Arizal.20:11The Arizal was very holy;20:11therefore these things didn't affect him.20:16But the Sefardim seem to learn from the20:18Arizal, and they say that20:21you could cut your nails and toenails,20:24fingernails and toenails, on the same day20:25without a problem.20:27However, we do find from the20:28Ashkenazim, the Chidushei Harim personally himself20:30used to cut his toenails and fingernails20:31on the same day20:33when it was Erev Shavuot,20:35because he compared it to a lady going to the mikveh.20:37And that's why I want to point out also,20:39if a lady has to go to the mikveh20:41and she hasn't cut her toenails yet,20:42she could cut on the same day without any problem.20:45Any time that you need to cut your20:46nails for the sake of a mitzvah,20:47there's no problem.20:48We're going to learn later on20:49that the men also go to the mikveh on Fridays,20:52and they should try to go.20:54Therefore, they should really, lechatchila, cut their nails20:57on Thursday20:58and their fingernails on Friday.21:00This is21:01Ashkenazim. But if they haven't done so,21:03and especially that they're going to the mikveh,21:05then they should cut it on the same day.21:07Another thing that's brought down21:09is that—this we discussed in Teshabe Av,21:12in21:14Halachot Teshabe Av—is that when your toenails or fingernails21:15grow above the skin,21:17that is no good according to the21:19Mekubalim. That's like putting out a table of food21:24for the evil side,21:25for the Sitra21:26Achra. This is where they eat from.21:27I know it sounds a little spooky.21:28I don't want to spook anybody out.21:30I'm just telling you what they say.21:31If you get spooked out,21:32just turn off the radio for a second,21:34come back in two minutes.21:35Anyway, that's what they bring down,21:36that if you grow your nails above the skin,21:38it's no good.21:39So therefore, it's brought down21:40that you should cut your nails21:42any time that they go above the skin,21:44and don't let them grow too much.21:47The exception is obviously a mourner and a21:49aveil; that's a different21:50halacha, a different discussion.21:51But over here it will be the same thing.21:52If you see that your toenails or fingernails21:54are above your skin,21:56even on the same day21:57you could cut it, even if you're Ashkenazi,21:58not a problem.22:00Another point when cutting the nails,22:02also the Ashkenazim are makpid on it,22:04and I personally do it22:05because I learned about it originally22:08before I saw that the Sefardim are not makpid on it.22:10But it doesn't make a difference.22:11You could do it.22:12There's no issur to not do it or not,22:14and that is cutting your nails out of order.22:17That's brought down by the Rama.22:19He says that you should cut your nails out of order.22:21What does that mean?22:22Well, if you look at your hand,22:23you have the thumb,22:23then you have the index,22:25the middle, the finger,22:26the ring finger,22:27and then you have the pinky.22:29And all these five fingers,22:33you should not cut them in the order that I just said,22:35which is thumb, index, middle.22:38Don't do that.22:39Cut them out of order.22:40There is a specific order that's brought down,22:42but really a lot of Acharonim bring that22:44you don't have to be makpid on that specific order22:47as long as you don't cut them in order,22:49which means you skip.22:50For example, you start with the ring finger,22:53then you jump to the index,22:54and then you go to the pinky,22:56and then you go to the middle,22:56and then you go to the thumb.22:58That you could do without—23:00that's the23:01hakpadah, that's the Ashkenazim are makpid on it.23:03Again, the Arizal was not makpid on it.23:05In fact, the Arizal used to kind of like laugh about it,23:09and he was not makpid on cutting his nails in such a way.23:13And the Sefardim also don't have a minhag23:15and don't have an obligation to skip23:16when they cut their fingernails.23:18But if you want to do it,23:20there's nothing wrong with it.23:21It's not23:22assur. It's okay. It's fine. You can do it.23:24I personally do it.23:25I told you because that's how I got used to cutting my nails,23:27and therefore I continue cutting my nails in the same way.23:31Another23:32halacha, another thing that's brought down also,23:34Ashkenazim are makpid again,23:35and Sefardim are not,23:36and that is cutting your nails on Rosh23:40Chodesh. When it's Rosh Chodesh on Fridays,23:43so here we have a tzava'ah from23:46Rabbi Yehuda Chasid, who says not to take haircuts on Fridays.23:49So a lot of people learn that this applies also not to Friday alone,23:52but also applies to—23:56Um, excuse me, sorry.23:58He talks about the review.24:00Here he talks about cutting your hair on Rosh Chodesh, that it should not be done,24:04and a lot of people learn that this applies also to cutting your nails.24:08So we tell you the same thing again.24:10Sefardim were not makpid, as the Chacham Ovadia brings down;24:12it's a whole discussion.24:13But if a person wants to be makpid, he could be24:16makpid, and therefore, when you cut your nails,24:19again the same point is, we're pointing out the same thing.24:22When you cut your nails on Friday, which is Rosh Chodesh,24:26you have those who are matir.24:27But if you don't want to, you want to be makpid to do it earlier than that,24:31you could also do it earlier on Thursday.24:34Ashkenazim are makpid, but Sefardim are not makpid on all these things,24:40and therefore, I'm just pointing out, if you want to do it, you could do it.24:43The next point in the Ben Ish Chai, and that is regarding the nails.24:48In fact, we're getting a text at the same moment that I'm about to say it.24:52What about the nails?24:53What do you do when you cut your24:55nails? What do you do with your nails afterwards?24:58So let me tell you what the Gemara says like this.25:00The Gemara says as following.25:02I think the Gemara says25:04shosham midot in cutting one's nails.25:06I'm going to read you the words of the Gemara:25:12Hasoref sipornav chasid. A person who cuts, who burns his nails is considered a25:16chasid. He is more than a tzaddik; he's a25:19chasid. Kovran, if you bury them, he's a tzaddik.25:22Zorkan, but a person who just disposes of them,25:24he throws them anywhere, he's a rasha.25:27Why?25:28Shema25:31ta'avor aleihen ishah me'uberes v'tapil. Maybe a woman who is pregnant might walk on them25:34and, chas v'shalom, she could have a miscarriage.25:37So that's brought down in the Gemara.25:38It's not a heebie-jeebie thing.25:39It's a Gemara, brings25:40it, seems to be a makpid on it.25:41And not only that, the halacha, the poskim bring it down as well.25:45A person who cuts his nails has to be careful to dispose of them properly,25:49that women, especially women who are pregnant,25:52should not walk on top of them,25:53chas v'shalom, that they shouldn't miscarry.25:55That's brought down in the Gemara.25:57The halacha brings down if you know for sure that there's an area26:00that a woman will not step into,26:02like let's say a men's bathroom in a yeshiva or places,26:07you know, today in the beit midrash also you have people,26:09you know, sometimes women come in, there's a simcha or something.26:12So in a place where you for sure don't have an issue that women will walk by,26:16then not a hakpadah; people are not careful with it.26:19In any case, although a person is not considered a rasha,26:23but he's also not a tzaddik or a26:26chasid. It seems to be even in the Gemara,26:27and that's the way it's brought down also by poskim.26:30The best thing you could do is to burn your nails.26:32Not so practical nowadays.26:34You know, we don't want you to cause a fire,26:36and some people get very excited around fire,26:38and I don't know. Be careful with it.26:40That's all I could tell you.26:41Make sure the fire department doesn't come after you,26:43and you don't send the police after me because I told you to burn them.26:47I'm telling you what the Gemara says: to burn them is a26:49katela. What you could do is become a tzaddik, bury your26:52nails. How do you bury your nails? You flush them down the toilet.26:55That's burying them, because that's considered26:58disposing of them where nobody is going to step on them.27:01The other way that if you cut them and they fall,27:03sometimes when you try to cut your nails by the bathroom in the toilet,27:07that means you'll see that the nails are27:10not—they don't listen to you all the time.27:11They like to fly, they like to jump around,27:13and they don't stay in one place.27:14So in such a case, when your nails flew all over the27:19place, you should know the Gemara says that they only are harmful27:24when they are in the place where they landed after you cut them.27:28You cut your nails, and a nail landed, let's say,27:31on the floor right next to you, right next to the toilet.27:34That spot over there, if it stays there and somebody steps on it,27:37that's when they have the power, that's when they have an effect.27:39However, if you move them even just a little bit from their spot where they landed,27:43they lost their power.27:46So therefore, if a person is cutting his27:48nails, lechatchila he should try to get rid of them.27:50If you try to get rid of them but you saw some of them flew around,27:54then what you do is you dust around the place.27:56You dust, you move the items around,28:00just make sure that things move from their spot,28:03and this way you won't have a problem of the nails harming anybody.28:07And that's always a good idea.28:09You never know if they flew, if all of them were able to be collected by you,28:12so that's always a good idea.28:14After you cut your nails, around where you cut,28:16always dust just a little bit to make sure that things,28:20if they landed there, should move and everybody should be safe.28:23The Be'er Heitev brings an interesting explanation.28:25He says, how come the nails harm pregnant women?28:29And he explains that based on the Midrash,28:31that Adam Harishon, before the sin of28:34chet hadaat, his whole body was full of nails, was all nails.28:38It was like instead of his skin, basically28:40he had nails covering his whole body.28:41That's what protected him.28:43After the sin of28:46etz hadaat, the nails were reduced to what we see on the edge of our fingers,28:49of our fingernails and our toenails.28:51So he says— Being that the nails, every time we cut our nails,28:56which used to be our protection,28:57now we're getting rid of it because we're feeding the sitra29:00achra. Every time we're cutting it,29:01that nail is a reminder of the sin of29:04eitz hadaat, and therefore a woman who is pregnant,29:07because she also became pregnant because of the sin of29:10eitz hadaat, but she's the one who started the sin, the aveirah of29:13eitz hadaat. It's a reminder of that sin,29:15and therefore it could affect her more than anybody else.29:18That's how the Be'er Heitev explains29:20the reason why they're able to have power and effect.29:23So again, like we tell you, be careful with cutting one's nails,29:27and if you see people cutting their nails,29:28by the way it's brought down,29:29this is only true by Jews.29:37This is only true by Jews cutting their29:40nails. Non-Jewish nails, brought down,29:42it doesn't have an effect like the way Jewish nails have an effect.29:47So a person shouldn't get too nervous around non-Jews or whatever,29:51but around Jews, like we said,29:53if you're nervous that somebody maybe cut their nails around,29:56then what you should do is dust around,29:58or right before you come,29:59it doesn't have to be your specific30:00nails, just dust around. This way nobody steps on it.30:03That's, I think, enough about nails.30:05We'll move on now to the next halacha,30:07which is bathing oneself before Shabbat Kodesh,30:14and this is actually from the Gemara.30:17It's a halacha, Ben Ish Chai writes over here:30:19mitzvah lerchotz panav, yadav vraglav b'mayim chamim bechol erev Shabbat.30:23There's a mitzvah, there's a special mitzvah30:26that a person should wash at least his head, his face,30:31his hands, and his feet with hot water every Friday.30:34And when you wash, you want to have good kavanot,30:38have the following:30:43Yehi ratzon... Have in mind that you're getting rid of the klipah,30:45like we mentioned, on the edge of the body.30:49The two ends of the body are the fingernails,30:53or the fingers, and your toes.30:55Those are the two ends of the body.30:56And mekubalim always bring down that at those places31:00you have the klipah, you have like the evil side.31:03That's where they linger. That's where they hang around.31:05Even if you're able to push them completely away,31:07but they're still able to attach themselves to the edge of the body.31:10So therefore, when you're washing yourself on hot water31:13on Erev Shabbat, on Fridays,31:17you should have in mind that you're pushing away those klipot31:19from the fingers and from the toes.31:21You're getting rid of them of your body.31:23And the Ben Ish Chai brings somewhere else31:26that that power they're able to get rid of them from your feet31:28is only applicable on Erev Shabbat, like the Kohanim.31:31The Kohanim, if you look in the,31:34you'll see in Parashah coming up, I think next week,31:38Tetzaveh, it says over there that the Kohanim,31:40before they work in the Beit HaMikdash,31:42they have to wash their hands and their feet.31:43We know we usually wash our hands. We wake up in the morning,31:45we have ruach ra'ah, we wash our hands.31:47How come we don't wash our feet?31:48Says the Ben Ish Chai, because we don't have the power31:50to push away that ruach ra'ah from our toes.31:53They're very strong down there, spiritually that is.31:55You're not going to see it.31:56If you do see it, come show me.31:58Anyway, so you—32:00Wash them away. The only time you have the ability to push them away is on Friday.32:06Why? Because Shabbat is compared to the Beit HaMikdash.32:08Beit HaMikdash is a kedusha in place. Shabbat is a kedusha in time.32:14Every single Shabbat, we have an experience of the Beit HaMikdash,32:18of course, in each person in his own level.32:21And therefore, erev Shabbat, we're like the Kohanim preparing ourselves to work in the Beit HaMikdash,32:26and therefore we have to wash our hands and feet at least.32:30Now why am I saying this?32:31Once upon a time, you can tell me, okay, maybe the guy didn't have enough water.32:34I remember as a boy, it's going to sound funny,32:36my kids were laughing at me over Shabbat,32:37but as a boy, I went to visit my aunt in a certain city, in the poorer cities of Syria,32:45and back then we didn't have hot water.32:48We would take cold water in a big pot and boil it, and then take a little bit of the hot water,32:54mix it with the cold water, and wash ourselves.32:55So yes, once upon a time, hot water was very, very scarce, or very little,33:00and you had to do, you know, that way.33:02Today you put on the hot shower. It's very hard to only wash your head and feet and hands.33:06So the reason why I tell you this, sometimes things come up,33:09and a person is rushing into Shabbat, and before he knows it, it's almost33:14sheki'ah, and therefore he doesn't have time to really jump into the shower.33:17So at least put on the hot water, wash your face.33:20Your hands are already being washed, obviously if you're washing your face,33:22and wet your feet with hot water at least before Shabbat Kodesh comes in.33:27And this way you prepare yourselves at least.33:30The Gemara says, I think one rabbi was, a rabbi before he passed away, he wanted to take a hot shower on Friday.33:37Why? He says, I'm coming to do a mitzvah.33:39To wash yourself on Friday with hot water is very, very chashuv. It's very, very important.33:43I believe you have a question.33:45No, we don't have a33:47question. Okay, let's move on33:54to Halacha, Tetzayin. So the question was asked, is it tzniut for young girls to have long hair or not long hair?34:05That's more of a hashkafa question.34:07I don't like to say hashkafa in public like this on the radio.34:11And also, you have to know this class is open to everybody,34:15and there are many people on different levels.34:19Hashkafa depends on the person.34:21There's certain things that are black and white that could go across the board to everybody,34:25and there are certain things that are applicable to—depends on the person,34:28what level they're on, what level their children are on.34:31And it's not a, you know, it's not like a cookie cutter.34:33It's not one thing question to everybody.34:35So therefore, I can't answer that question on the radio.34:39You have to know who the person is.34:40Ask your local rav exactly what is proper, what is proper tzniut or not for that.34:47I don't want to bring even Kabbalistic things.34:48We have a question, another question.34:50Rabbi, we have another question on the air for you.34:53There you go.34:58Hello?35:00Hello?35:01Hello, you're on the air.35:03Yes.35:06How are you?35:07Baruch Hashem. What do I hear, echo?35:09I'm sorry?35:10No, no, I'm talking to our technician.35:12Okay, go ahead.35:13Okay, I want to know, you mentioned about cutting the nails,35:17that non-Jews, you don't have to be aware of it,35:21right?35:23When a lady goes into the nail salon and they—35:27I cannot hear you.35:28Just one second.35:30Go ahead again.35:32Okay, I'm sorry.35:33Can you hear me?35:34Yeah, go ahead.35:35Okay, you mentioned about the nails,35:38cutting the nails, and non-Jewish is not so, not so much.35:44Hello.35:46I'm sorry, something happened.35:48Okay, I apologize.35:50Sorry, something from the inside. Yeah,35:52maybe try to call back later.35:53The best, if you could text it, then we'll see it on the air.35:55I mean on the text message.35:57What are we up to now?36:02Halachat Tet Zayin. Halachah tet zayin, the Ben Ish Chai talks about going to the mikveh.36:04I'm not gonna go into it and read the whole thing,36:07but I'm gonna tell you outside, because we're running out of time.36:10I really want to finish this parashah this week.36:12Mikveh for men on Erev Shabbat is very, very holy.36:16It's very, very important.36:17Ben Ish Chai talks about how important it is.36:19I'm gonna bring you a quote from three old36:22sefarim, about three to four hundred years ago,36:24and some even five hundred years ago,36:25about the importance of the mikveh.36:27I'm gonna say it in English.36:27I'm not about to say it in Hebrew.36:29We're running out of time.36:30First of all, from the36:32Reishit Chochmah. The Reishit Chochmah, which is a book,36:34a very holy book on musar36:36and a very scary book.36:38They have yet to translate it in English for a reason.36:40Anyway, the Reishit Chochmah says like this:36:41The main thing that a person must do36:43in order to get his neshamah yeterah36:45is to dip on Friday,36:48to remove his weekday clothing36:51and to adorn his Shabbat clothing,36:53the Shabbat spirit, the ruach of Shabbat.36:55And how does that come?36:57By dipping in the mikveh.36:58That's one already.37:00That's the37:01Reishit Chochmah. And we're talking, by the way,37:03these rabbis spoke37:05about—not because they didn't have showers back37:07then—they're talking about specific mikveh.37:08Even if you shower, even if you prepare yourself,37:10that's great, that's wonderful, and you should do it.37:12We're telling you here,37:14additional, add it to the showering37:16and preparing yourself physically,37:18spiritually, to dip in the mikveh.37:20Next, the37:23Shlah HaKadosh, Shnei Luchot HaBrit, it was a rabbi of37:25Prague from about five hundred years ago.37:26He says that anyone who dips on Fridays37:29is called a kadosh.37:30Kadosh37:31ye'amer lo. If you dip on Friday,37:32you're considered a holy person.37:34Dehayeh adam,37:35who was around the time of the Gaon of Vilna,37:37about two hundred fifty years ago,37:39he says that one—37:41Who has the proper midot and proper traits37:43and dips on Fridays,37:45you could feel the37:47neshama yeteira right after you dip.37:48And when you feel the neshama come to you,37:51you'll start burning with the love of Hashem37:53and the fear of Hashem.37:54And he says at the end of his words,37:56beautiful words, he37:58says, Baduk u'menusah, which means this has been tested and proven.38:01You hear that?38:02By dipping on Fridays38:04and you prepare38:05yourself—it doesn't come to just anybody.38:07You got to be a little bit of a person38:09with proper midot and things,38:11and you come and you dip on Friday,38:13you will see, like38:16the—what's the38:17name—like he says,38:18like the Chayei Adam says,38:20you'll feel the neshama yeteira coming38:22and you'll feel the love of Hashem.38:26Ben Ish Chai also talks about38:27that a person should try to dip38:30in the mikveh on Shabbat.38:32Now here it's a little bit more complicated.38:35Once upon a time38:36there was no heat in the mikveh.38:37Today, anybody who goes to the mikveh38:38knows that there's heat in the mikveh itself,38:41and the water is38:43cooked—you want to say it's38:44cooked—but it's warmed up in the mikveh itself.38:47Back then it wasn't like that.38:48So the Ben Ish Chai talks about38:50dipping in the mikveh.38:50You have to know,38:51he's talking about in his times.38:52Today, to dip in the mikveh on Shabbat,38:54I'm not saying it's38:55assur; it's mutar.38:56You just have to be careful38:57with a few issues.38:59It's not the right time to go into it,39:01but you should know39:02that some39:03mikvaot are not necessarily run39:05by39:07talmidei chachamim. You know, there could be the rabbi of the shul,39:09but he may not know exactly39:11what's going on in the mikveh,39:12not because he doesn't know.39:14He just maybe is not on top of it,39:15or the person, the attendant of the mikveh,39:18sometimes may do things39:19and he doesn't realize39:20if it's according to halacha or not.39:22The main issue is39:23water cannot be cooked on Shabbat.39:27It doesn't mean cooked on Shabbat;39:27it means water to bathe in.39:29You cannot bathe in hot water on Shabbat39:30or warm water.39:32So a person has to be careful39:33before you walk into the mikveh,39:35make sure it's not39:36yetzaledet—it's not even39:37yetzaledet, excuse39:38me—it's not above 98 degree temperature,39:40and that's very hard to figure out, really.39:42So you have to be on top of it.39:44Just make sure it's not too warm.39:45That's issue number one.39:46Number two is,39:48I've39:49seen—I do go to mikveh also on39:51Shabbat—but I've seen sometimes39:52people come into the mikveh39:53and they take hot showers.39:55They mean well,39:56because it says in the sign,39:57it says,39:57Do not go into the mikveh before showering.39:58But you should know, on Shabbat...40:00It's an issue to take a hot shower on Shabbat.40:03When you put on hot water, that immediately creates a chilul Shabbat.40:07Again, it's not the time to go into it,40:09but a person has to be careful not to take hot showers on Shabbat,40:12even for the sake of the mikveh.40:14The other thing a person has to be careful with is drying yourself after the mikveh.40:18The issue is40:20sechitah. What does that mean?40:21To press from the hair, wherever there's a concentrated amount of hair,40:27that you should press to squeeze out the water.40:29So then that will be an issue on Shabbat,40:34although it's derabbanan, but still an issue,40:35and therefore a person has to be careful when drying himself on Shabbat.40:38Like Rabbi Chaim brings down, just pat it.40:40We'll get to these halachot later,40:42im yirtzeh Hashem. Also, let's brought down a poskim.40:44I don't know if people do this or not. I haven't seen it,40:47but sometimes in the mikveh, the people take the towel40:50and they squeeze the water out of the towel.40:53I don't know, I've never seen it,40:54but if it happens, I'm just mentioning it.40:56A person should be careful with it.40:57The last thing is, although it's not so applicable over here41:00as much as it is in41:02Eretz Yisrael, in Eretz Yisrael everybody goes to the mikveh with their own towels.41:04Here they provide you with towels,41:05at least in most41:06mikvaot. So if you're going to the mikveh,41:08make sure that you don't go carrying your towel,41:11because to carry the towel regularly,41:14that might be a problem of carrying.41:16And again, I'm just highlighting certain issues that could be41:20for a person to take in the mikveh.41:21That means that's suited. You just have to know how to do it in the proper way.41:31Okay, so here's the question regarding the nails.41:35What about if a lady goes to a salon,41:37and over there they have Jews and non-Jews cutting their nails?41:39How she should be careful?41:41That's a good question. That's a good point.41:44You never know where it is.41:46Listen, the Gemara seems to speak, you know, harshly about this,41:50about cutting nails and leaving them41:52to the point that calls a person a41:54rasha. So what I'd recommend is,41:56you're paying for the, you know, to the salon,41:59you're paying for a manicure or pedicure, whatever it is.42:02So I recommend that the lady, before you come in,42:03you say,42:04Could you please, you know, sweep around?42:06I get very disgusted.42:07You know, I don't understand.42:08You get disgusted, people will clean up for you.42:10When you come to a restaurant, you say,42:11Could you move this?42:12I don't know.42:12I've never been to a manicure or pedicure.42:14I don't know what goes on.42:15Could you request that they should sweep,42:17if you could request? Ask them just to sweep.42:19Once they sweep, already things move out of the way,42:21that's fine.42:22Or to clean the chair,42:23then you don't have an issue.42:24To sweep around where you're going to step,42:26then you for sure don't have an issue.42:27Even if still they didn't sweep up everything on the floor,42:30but once they moved it,42:31already takes you out of harm's way.42:35Okay, here's another question.42:37What about filing one's nails?42:40Do the shaving have the same laws of disposal as regular42:44clippings, since there is no concern about a lady miscarrying her child?42:46That's a very interesting question.42:48What about if a person files their nails?42:50I don't know how you're able to really get rid of, you know, the dust of the nail.42:56You know, you're going to collect it, you're going to put it away.42:57Usually it just stays on your finger,42:59you blow it and it goes away.43:00And most of the time it's going to get moved.43:02Like we said, it's only harmful43:04right after they leave your finger43:06and where they land first.43:08Once you file your nails,43:10they left your finger and they landed on your finger,43:12so you're blowing them away.43:14They're already moving from their regular place,43:16unless the thing directly falls on the floor.43:18But I believe in that case anyway they move around.43:22Interesting. I don't have an exact answer,43:24but I would say it's probably not an issue.43:26This is just off the top of my head.43:27I'll research a little bit more.43:29Next,43:31Halacha yud-zayin. We already discussed it,43:33drying oneself after the mikveh.43:34Like we said, a person has to be careful43:36wherever there's concentrated amount of hair,43:38which is, let's say, on his head, on his beard,43:41or any part of his body,43:42he should be careful not to— Press on the towel and to dry it,43:47that has its own issue on Shabbat.43:50Halacha Yud Chet. I see we're running out of time.43:52I don't know if we're going to be able to read this inside.43:56Halacha Yud Chet, I'll just read the first line,43:57and from there we'll go on.44:00Quote, the Ben Ish Chai says,44:05Yizaher leyached begadim nekiyim vetovim lichvod Shabbat. A person should be careful44:07to designate clean and good clothing44:10in honor of Shabbat.44:17Vehaolam lo nahagu bekach leyached leShabbat tachaluk lahem chnesayim. And although people are not noheg44:20to designate, in the times of44:23the Ben Ish Chai, undergarments were,44:24you know, pants and shirt were like more undergarments.44:27If you ever look at the old way,44:28the way the men dressed in the Middle East,44:30they wore like almost like an overcoat,44:34or you want to call it an overcoat,44:36like a robe, basically.44:38Yeah, that's what they wore back then.44:39So the undergarments, he says,44:41people in his time were not noheg to44:44be meyached, to designate these type of clothing for Shabbat,44:46only what you see on the outside,44:48like today.44:49Although today people have Shabbat clothing today,44:52I don't know if people have undergarments44:54that are designated just for the sake of Shabbat.44:57He said, no, it's brought down44:58that it's very, very important to be45:00meyached as much as you can everything.45:01Mitzad halacha,45:03the Gemara says,45:04the Gemara says45:05mefurash, vechibadto, you have to honor Shabbat.45:06How do you honor Shabbat?45:07You have special clothing for Shabbat.45:10As the Gemara45:11explains, Rabbi Yochanan45:12would call the clothing45:14mechubadai, because the clothing is what gives the person honor.45:17Meaning, if you as a man would wear a suit,45:20or if you wear shorts,45:21you'll be treated differently.45:22People respect you differently.45:24If you come in,45:25even if you're a person who is not so45:26chashuv, but you wear a suit,45:28all of a sudden you'll see that people45:29will respect you differently.45:30And you could be the most important45:33dignified person.45:33If you come in wearing shorts,45:35people will treat you like,45:36you know,45:37you're coming off from the beach.45:38They treat you like a regular guy.45:39It all depends on the way you dress.45:41So for the honor of Shabbat,45:43clothing45:45which calls out for the person's kavod,45:48for the honor of Shabbat,45:49a person should have special clothing45:50for Shabbat kodesh.45:51There is a beautiful story,45:53I just have to mention this.45:54I know I'm running out of time,45:55but I'm45:56going to... Could we go overtime maybe?45:58Yeah, maybe we'll sacrifice on the song.46:00Okay,46:01so there is a story about a certain46:05rebbi whose talmidim wanted to figure out,46:08they wanted to see46:09if they could feel Shabbat Kodesh46:11throughout the weekday.46:13Maybe they felt, you know,46:13maybe the whole reason46:15why we feel so spiritual and holy on Shabbat46:17is because, you know,46:19we shower ourselves,46:19we prepare ourselves,46:20we eat delicious46:21foods. So what they decided is46:22that on one of the days of the week,46:24let's say Monday or Tuesday,46:25they went,46:26they went to the mikveh,46:27they showered,46:28they put on the Shabbat clothing,46:30they made the same46:30foods that they would make on Shabbat,46:32and lo and behold,46:33they felt the holiness of Shabbat46:35even on Monday.46:36So then they were very, very disappointed.46:38It seems like Shabbat has nothing special.46:40They're feeling it the same way46:41during the weekday.46:42It must be it's all the way46:43we prepare ourselves.46:44So they came to their46:45rebbi, and the rebbi told them,46:46You put on your Shabbat clothing?46:48And they said, Yes.46:49He says, Aha.46:50So because you put on your Shabbat clothing,46:52that's why you felt the kedushah.46:54The kedushah remains with your clothing.46:56And it's brought down,46:58one of the47:00Slonimer Rebbes, that one time47:02he felt on Shabbat47:04a little bit something missing.47:05Something was wrong on Shabbat Kodesh.47:07And then after examining and thinking47:09what could be wrong,47:11he realized that he was wearing47:13the socks of his weekday,47:15not his Shabbat socks,47:16regular weekday socks.47:17And that's why47:18there was like a little bit of47:20interruption with the kedushah.47:21So these are people47:22who are very, very close to the47:24neshama, and they were very sensitive to the47:26neshama. That's why they were able to feel47:27what they were able to feel.47:29But that doesn't take away,47:30it is there.47:31We just have to be able to47:36become more sensitive,47:37but we can definitely feel it.47:38So therefore,47:39the mekubalim bring down47:40that if a person could,47:42he should wear four garments white.47:45These should not be a suit.47:47Although the mekubalim bring down,47:49and they speak very, very much47:50about wearing white on Shabbat,47:52and that's Ben Ish Chai also brings down,47:54but a person should not wear white47:57where the custom of even Bnei Torah47:59is that everybody wears...48:00wears black. Meaning, today all the roshei yeshivot, all the Bnei Torah, they all wear black suits.48:06If you walk around with a white suit, as the Gemara says, it will be like a chatan amongst the48:11aveilim. You're sticking out. Besides that, it looks very weird,48:15and to yohara, and it looks like you're showing off. A person should not do such a thing,48:18but you can still wear four white garments.48:21You have an undershirt, an underwear. Tzitzit is also white,48:24and if you wear a white shirt, that's already four white garments48:26corresponding to the four letters of Havayah.48:28You don't have to wear something white on the outside in order to be.48:31You can wear white in many different ways without people having to see,48:36and you48:38can be yotzei dei chovah demekubalim of having four white garments on Shabbat.48:40Bring you just another interesting story.48:43There was once about teshuvah in a baal teshuvah yeshiva, American yeshiva,48:49and one day his rosh yeshiva sees him,48:52he's wearing two pairs of tzitzit.48:54He says, What are you doing? Why are you wearing two pairs of tzitzit?48:58He says, Rebbe, you know I'm chozeh b'teshuvah. I want to catch up on the days I've missed.49:03He says, But you look weird. You know, you can't look weird. You cannot be weird.49:07He says, No, I don't care. You know, I'm wearing it.49:10So the rabbi and the student were having a whole argument for weeks.49:14The student refused to take off the second pair. He wanted to wear two pairs of tzitzit.49:18So finally the rabbi said, You know what? Let's go ask any49:21gadol. They lived in Israel, they lived in49:23Yerushalayim. He said, Let's go to any gadol you want. Me and you will go ask any rabbi that you want,49:27and we'll ask him. We'll see what they say.49:29You ready to go? He says, Yeah, but I choose49:32a gadol. He says, Okay, fine. Choose. Who do you want to choose?49:33He says, Let's go to Rav49:35Shachberg. We all know Rav Shachberg zatzal used to wear a hundred pairs of tzitzit.49:39Okay, so he figured Rav Shachberg's there. Given the heter, they go to Rav49:43Shachberg. The rabbi says what he has to say. The talmid says what he has to say.49:47So Rav Shachberg, if you know Rav Shachberg, he was a man of little words,49:50but they had a lot of depth to his words.49:52He turns to the talmid, he grabs his hand, and he looks at him with his very soft eyes49:57and he tells him. Be normal. Take off your tzitzit.50:02This is Rav50:03Scheinberg. You cannot stick out. You cannot walk around50:06and, you know, because you're drawing attention to yourself. That's not the way of Judaism.50:09Try to do whatever you can do b'tzniut without publicizing to everybody.50:13I'm looking at the time. We're very, very late.50:16Just we'll end off with this last point, with this last question.50:19Does one need to designate special shoes for Shabbat?50:23Although, mehalacha, the Ben Ish Chai, not here in Raphaelim, and Chacham Ovadia say50:29that you don't need to designate shoes for Shabbat.50:32However, if a person could do it,50:35tabo alav berachah, you get a special berachah from the Ben Ish Chai and50:38Chacham Ovadia. But as far as an obligation, there is no obligation.50:40Although I believe today the minhag is anyway most people do have Shabbat shoes,50:44baruch Hashem, it's wonderful, it's50:45great. But מצד הדין, you don't have to have special shoes for Shabbat.50:50Okay, we'll end off with this.50:52Be'ezrat Hashem, we'll meet next week.50:53We'll finish up these halachot, we'll answer the questions that we didn't get to,50:57and be'ezrat Hashem we'll move on already to Parashat Vayera,51:00which talks about Kabbalat Shabbat.51:01Until then, I want to thank JRoot Radio and Rav David Levine taking all the phone calls.51:06I appreciate it very much, and thank you very, very much for listening.51:09We'll see you here next week, two to three o'clock, and if you want to hear this again,51:12you can listen either on JRoot Radio or next Tuesday evening at 1051:19p.m. Have a wonderful week and a wonderful Shabbat.