Lighting Up Shabbat -- Daily Chizzuk by Rabbi Eliezer Berland Shlit"a

THE DAILY CHIZZUK BY MOREINU HARAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT"A -- "TO FEEL THE LIGHT OF SHABBAT THROUGH JOY AND DANCING"

THE BEGINNING OF MOREINU HARAV'S WORDS ARE BASED ON THE STORY OF THE FAMOUS NIGGUN (MELODY), "OZ V'HADAR LEVUSHA, V'TISCHAK L'YOM ACHARON" (MISHLEI 31:25):

On the eve of her wedding, the daughter of Rabbi Meir Leib Blecher -- one of the great disciples of Rabbi Natan -- approached her father and requested money for a garment.  Her father, who was very poor but a great musician, said to her: "I don't have any money to give to you, but I can give you a niggun."  He composed this niggun for the words (from "Eishet Hayil"), "Oz V'Hadar Levusha, V'Tischak L'Yom Acharon."

THURSDAY, 5 NISAN 5785 -- "LIGHTING UP SHABBAT AND SWEETENING DECREES"

These are his holy words:

Rabbi Meir Leib Blecher [the composer of the niggun "Oz V'Hadar"] did not have a dress for his daughter's wedding.  On the last day, mamash a few hours before the chuppah, someone brought him a wedding dress.

The song that we sing -- Oz V'Hadar -- was composed by Rabbi Leib Blecher.  It is customary to sing it before Kiddush, to sing it for five, ten minutes with the children, to dance with them, to give them a [positive] experience, so that they will feel the light of Shabbat, the light of the niggunim, of "Eshet Chayil (A Woman of Valour)."

A child waits for his father to sing with him, to dance with him.  It isn't enough for you to just keep Shabbat.  Shabbat is extremely boring [for a child who doesn't feel the joy of singing and dancing].

[Without singing and niggunim,] it's terribly boring on Shabbat -- the telephone is forbidden, the iPhone is forbidden, the internet is forbidden.  Pashut, they're crucifying him, putting him in jail.

For a person [who doesn't feel the joy], Shabbat is prison.  He doesn't know that you should dance and sing, pray Maariv for three hours, beginning Maariv at 6:30 and finishing at 9:30 -- three hours.

Afterwards is Sefirat HaOmer.  Rabbi Natan says that Sefirat HaOmer of every day is greater than the day before it.

Today, there are decrees every moment.  This is a government of evildoers, of  Amalekites.  This is the seed of Amalek, Nazis, and one needs to sweeten it.

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