"The Shabbat Zemiros Provide the Joy and Vitality for the Entire Week"

"And he encamped before the city" (Genesis 33:18)

"During the six days of the week you studied, worked, traveled to bring people back in teshuvah (repentance)? Now Shabbat has arrived—do nothing but sing to Hashem. This is the explanation of 'Vayichan' (and he encamped)—that Yaakov made a parking stop for them. He taught them not to go out of the houses on Shabbat: 'Sit on Shabbat, sing on Shabbat!'"

A person is given one day a week to sing to Hashem. Shabbat has arrived—sit with the children, sing with the children, learn with them. Let the children see what Oneg Shabbat (Shabbat delight) is. This will create such a Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of God's Name) in the world, in all the worlds, in all the Sefiros. A person sings Shabbat songs, and it is heard in the whole world, in all countries, and this awakens the souls to return in teshuvah. A person sits in his inner chambers and sings songs to Hashem, and all the souls hear his Zemiros (songs), his melodies."

"'And you shall return to Hashem your God' (Deuteronomy 30:2)—sit at home and sing Shabbat songs. You will see that the whole world returns in teshuvah just from the songs of Shabbat; from the melodies of Shabbat, people will return in teshuvah.

A person sits on Shabbat and sings Shabbat songs—this is the time the children receive Yirat Shamayim (fear of Heaven). They see the father sitting calmly, singing and chanting. It makes them feel so good in their heart, such calmness. This is their whole vitality, this is their whole joy. Through this, what is in the street doesn't interest them, the vanities in the street don't interest them. What does a child need more than this? He needs to see a smiling father, calm, a father singing, a father playing melodies. You sit for at least two hours at the Shabbat table and sing—this is the vitality of the child for the whole week.

Start being a simple Jew. The minimum of a Jew is Shabbat Zemiros. Without this, he doesn't start being a Jew. The child sees that the father doesn't sing on Shabbat, doesn't learn with him, he has nothing to do at home—in the end, he will go out to bad culture, ch"v (Heaven forbid). He doesn't absorb holiness, he doesn't absorb purity.

A person doesn't know what Shabbat Zemiros are. With Shabbat Zemiros, one can revive the dead, as is told about Rabbi Mordechai who composed the Piyut (liturgical poem) 'Mah Yafit U'mah Na'amt Ahavah B'ta'anugim'. His son passed away on Friday night after candle lighting. Reb Mordechai asked to put the child in the living room on the sofa so he would hear the Zemiros, and he started singing 'Chai Zakuf Mach' [a stanza from the song meaning 'The Living One raises the humble'], and the son woke up to life! When Shabbat arrives and a person sings all the Zemiros, he revives everyone. Everyone is revived, everyone is happy, everyone is blissful, because the Shabbat Zemiros give the joy and vitality for the whole week."