tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66874154087396237322024-03-13T01:59:55.037-05:00Savor a Sabbath Experience...Happy Sabbath / Shabbat Shalom / Gut Shabbos!Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-73198437938869084642023-03-21T13:41:00.001-05:002023-03-21T13:41:39.669-05:00How My Wife and I Took Back Our Sundays<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/02/remote-work-wfh-weekend-five-day-week/673206/">We have an agreement: One day a week, we do absolutely nothing. In a society obsessed with productivity, this is harder than it should be—but it’s worth it.</a>
By Jason HellerMelvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-37283119479648206502021-12-16T16:20:00.003-06:002021-12-16T16:20:39.122-06:00Rabbinic Reflections: My Jewish Christmas<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> <a href="https://chaddsfordlive.com/2021/12/12/rabbinic-reflections-my-jewish-christmas/" style="background-color: #fcff01;">https://chaddsfordlive.com/2021/12/12/rabbinic-reflections-my-jewish-christmas/</a></span></b></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">It’s been 11 years since Christmas last fell on a Saturday. It is the longest stretch in a cycle of Christmases on Saturday, falling every six years, then five years, then six years, then 11 years. It is little wonder then that this year is throwing me for a loop.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">Like many American Jews, I have inherited traditions to make the most of Christmas. My family spent Christmas Eve eating at Chinese restaurants and Christmas Day at the movie theater. We are more likely to do Chinese takeout these days, and the new COVID spike will keep us home from a theater. That being said, Friday night and Saturday pose a different problem: Shabbat. How do I do my American Jewish Christmas traditions on Shabbat? ...</p>Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-31269349603892723922020-02-27T08:20:00.001-06:002020-02-27T08:20:03.660-06:00Three Benefits of Celebrating Shabbathttps://www.aish.com/sh/t/rai/Three-Benefits-of-Celebrating-Shabbat.htmlMelvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-78894085170411960552019-08-07T23:12:00.001-05:002019-08-07T23:12:02.114-05:00Let go of the illusion!<p dir="ltr">https://ravjill.com/shabbat-is-the-day-we-let-go-of-the-illusion/</p>
Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-34785761753893305552019-01-11T17:47:00.001-06:002019-01-11T17:49:00.320-06:00Love Wawa®? Love Shabbat? You’ll love Brian Feldman’s newest project!<p dir="ltr">http://phindie.com/love-wawa-love-shabbat-youll-love-brian-feldman/</p>
<p dir="ltr">Phindie: What does Shabbat mean to you?<br>
Brian Feldman: For me, it’s a much needed weekly opportunity to slow down and reflect on the profundities of life through a Jewish lens. Some of my fondest memories from childhood were around the dinner table during my family’s Friday night dinners, and whenever I see the lighting of Shabbat candles, it takes me back to those simpler times. It may not be surprising to say that I was raised extremely reform. And yet, I’m now the most religiously observant member of my family, even attending the D.C. synagogue I live across the street from! Although, to be fair, I don’t go every single week. Since February 2, 2018, it’s also meant… Wawa!</p>
Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-86032643063922862732018-12-04T12:16:00.000-06:002018-12-04T12:16:12.520-06:00Observing Shabbat: My weekly day of rest<em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></em><br />
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A student reflects on her traditional observance of the weekly Jewish holiday.</div>
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Six days of the week, I navigate college life at full speed, balancing work, classes and extracurriculars. </div>
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I say six days because on Saturday I take a complete day of rest. </div>
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I choose to observe Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, for a full day each week. As a senior at Temple University, I’d be lying if I said has always been easy. </div>
<a href="https://temple-news.com/a-day-of-rest-my-experience-of-shabbat/">https://temple-news.com/a-day-of-rest-my-experience-of-shabbat/</a>Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-48312223064495080852018-09-26T17:51:00.003-05:002018-09-26T17:51:14.213-05:00The Case for Shabbat as an Antidote to Modern Life<a href="http://jewishjournal.com/newsroom/judaism/case-shabbat-antidote-modern-life/">http://jewishjournal.com/newsroom/judaism/case-shabbat-antidote-modern-life/</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #232323; font-family: mrs-eaves-xl-serif-narrow, serif; font-size: 24px; letter-spacing: -0.7px;">The fourth commandment presents a God who, rather than demanding ever more work, insists on rest. The weekly Sabbath placed a hard limit on how much work could be done and suggested that this was perfectly all right; enough work was done in the other six days. And whereas the pharaoh relaxed while his people toiled, the Lord insisted that the people rest as He rested: “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.””</span>Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-83868860321978812742018-09-11T23:02:00.001-05:002018-09-11T23:02:57.689-05:00Unique Intimate Experience of Jessica Bellamy Shabbat Dinner<p dir="ltr">https://www.broadwayworld.com/sydney/article/BWW-REVIEW-The-Unique-Intimate-Experience-of-Jessica-Bellamys-SHABBAT-DINNER-Enthrals-And-Educates-20180911</p>
Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-24953524768561687292018-05-04T12:15:00.000-05:002018-05-04T12:15:00.962-05:00"Remember the Day of Shabbat" - The Commandment of Kiddush<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">By </span><a href="https://www.chabad.org/search/keyword_cdo/kid/21831/jewish/Klein-Yisroel-Dovid.htm" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Arial; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Browse more articles by Klein, Yisroel Dovid">Yisroel Dovid Klein</a><br />
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<b style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4013873/jewish/Remember-the-Day-of-Shabbat-The-Commandment-of-Kiddush.htm">What is the significance of reciting <span class="glossary_item" glossary_item="17018" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("/images/1/global/glossary_underline.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: center bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: initial; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">kiddush</span> on <span class="glossary_item" glossary_item="17210" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("/images/1/global/glossary_underline.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: center bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: initial; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">Shabbat</span>? Is the friday night kiddush or the Shabbat day kiddush more important? Is the wine a biblical obligation or a rabbinic one? Is there a relationship between kiddush and <span class="glossary_item" glossary_item="16286" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("/images/1/global/glossary_underline.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: center bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: initial; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">havdalah</span>?</a></b><br />
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<a href="https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4013873/jewish/Remember-the-Day-of-Shabbat-The-Commandment-of-Kiddush.htm"><span style="font-size: small;">The Source and Significance of the <span class="glossary_item" glossary_item="17163" style="background: url("/images/1/global/glossary_underline.gif") center bottom repeat-x; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">Mitzvah</span></span></a></h2>
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<a href="https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4013873/jewish/Remember-the-Day-of-Shabbat-The-Commandment-of-Kiddush.htm">The mitzvah to observe the Shabbat is repeated numerous times in the <span class="glossary_item" glossary_item="18863" style="background: url("/images/1/global/glossary_underline.gif") center bottom repeat-x; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">Torah</span>. Most notably this is one of the Ten Commandments, which are repeated twice in the Torah, first in <span class="glossary_item" glossary_item="17454" style="background: url("/images/1/global/glossary_underline.gif") center bottom repeat-x; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">Parshat</span> <span class="glossary_item" glossary_item="19572" style="background: url("/images/1/global/glossary_underline.gif") center bottom repeat-x; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">Yitro</span> and again in Parshat Vaetchanan with several minor variations. One of the differences is that while in Parshat Yitro we are commanded to “remember” the Shabbat (<i style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span class="glossary_item" glossary_item="18669" style="background: url("/images/1/global/glossary_underline.gif") center bottom repeat-x; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">zachor</span></i>),1the<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 0;"><sup> verse in Parshat Vaetchanan commands us to “guard” the Shabbat (</sup></span></span><i style="box-sizing: inherit;">shamor</i>).<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 0;"><sup>2</sup></span></span> The <span class="glossary_item" glossary_item="18508" style="background: url("/images/1/global/glossary_underline.gif") center bottom repeat-x; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">Talmud</span> explains that <span class="glossary_item" glossary_item="20333" style="background: url("/images/1/global/glossary_underline.gif") center bottom repeat-x; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">G‑d</span> actually said both words, <i style="box-sizing: inherit;">zachor and shamor, </i>in one utterance.<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 0;"><sup>3</sup></span></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4013873/jewish/Remember-the-Day-of-Shabbat-The-Commandment-of-Kiddush.htm">This double statement in a single utterance is understood to constitute two seperate commandments: The verse in Parshat Vaetchanan, which uses the word<i style="box-sizing: inherit;"> shamor</i>—guard, requires us to abstain from various kinds of “work” (<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">melachah</i>) on Shabbat. The verse in Parshat Yitro, which uses the word <i style="box-sizing: inherit;">zachor</i>—remember, requires us to actively remember the holiness of Shabbat, and not merely desist from work activities.</a></div>
Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-15745564029177237732018-04-12T12:18:00.001-05:002018-04-12T12:18:25.652-05:00Finding The Off Switch: Four Reasons I Observe Shabbatby <a _ngcontent-c27="" data-ga-track="contrib block byline" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhimmelman/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: Avenir, "Noto Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Corbel, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17.8891px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none;">Peter Himmelman </a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17.6px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">With the pace of technology and its demand for our attention increasing month-to-month, comes the challenge of occasionally leaving it behind. I’ve found some answers in my over thirty-year observance of Shabbat, (the Jewish Sabbath), a time when the use of technology is prohibited. While I don’t believe that the strict tenets of this observance are appropriate for all people, I am strongly convinced that many of its ideas would be helpful if they were incorporated on some level.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhimmelman/2018/04/08/finding-the-off-switch-four-reasons-i-observe-shabbat/#5d3bb10760e8">https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhimmelman/2018/04/08/finding-the-off-switch-four-reasons-i-observe-shabbat/#5d3bb10760e8</a>Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-37847693745194194152018-03-09T16:22:00.004-06:002018-03-09T16:22:57.689-06:00Resist lighting the fires of bickering on Shabbat<a href="http://www.jewishaz.com/religiouslife/resist-lighting-the-fires-of-bickering-on-shabbat/article_e9841d70-22e8-11e8-9b20-cf655a056944.html">http://www.jewishaz.com/religiouslife/resist-lighting-the-fires-of-bickering-on-shabbat/article_e9841d70-22e8-11e8-9b20-cf655a056944.html</a><br />
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One of the most beautiful and important aspects of Shabbat is that by its very nature it forces us to put aside our work, our electronic gadgets and our ultra-busy schedules, and focus on what is truly important — our relationships with both G-d and family.</div>
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The problem we so often face, however, is that it is precisely this aspect of Shabbat that can cause us so much grief. The opportunity to finally spend so many waking hours in such close proximity to one another can seem to result in nothing more than squabbles! So important is it for us to address this matter that the Torah in this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Vayakhel-Pikudei, discusses it front and center.</div>
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In just the third verse of the parsha the Torah states, “Do not ignite a fire in your dwellings on the day of Shabbat.” The Zohar, in a novel understanding of this verse, understands “fire” here to mean destructive arguments and bickering. Whereas water symbolizes a degree of calmness and serenity, as water merely takes the shape of its container, fire on the other hand is destructive, consuming its container, much like needless arguments can grow and destroy. Thus, the verse is warning us not to have destructive arguments with each other on Shabbat.</div>
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Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-64639675827649451932018-03-02T12:39:00.002-06:002018-03-02T12:40:02.735-06:00My Husband, the Shabbat King<span style="background-color: white; color: #6f6f6f; font-family: "roboto slab"; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 1.18px; text-transform: uppercase;">BY </span><a href="http://jewishjournal.com/author/kyliel/" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2c4e7c; font-family: "Roboto Slab"; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 1.18px; text-transform: uppercase;">KYLIE ORA LOBELL</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6f6f6f; font-family: "roboto slab"; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 1.18px; text-transform: uppercase;"> | </span><span class="timestamp" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6f6f6f; font-family: "roboto slab"; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 1.18px; text-transform: uppercase;">PUBLISHED FEB 28, 2018</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6f6f6f; font-family: "roboto slab"; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 1.18px; text-transform: uppercase;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "roboto"; font-size: 18px;">At the end of the first exhausting week of work, I came home on Friday afternoon to a clean house, a delicious-smelling stew in the slow cooker, all the appropriate lights duct-taped for Shabbat and a table set for the two of us. A beautiful bouquet of flowers sat in the middle. As soon as I saw Danny, who was adjusting his tie in the mirror, getting ready to watch me light the candles, I hugged him and nearly cried. “You did it,” I whispered.</span><br />
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<a href="http://jewishjournal.com/opinion/231344/husband-shabbat-king/" style="background-color: yellow;">http://jewishjournal.com/opinion/231344/husband-shabbat-king/</a>Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-27502826507826507612018-02-23T07:45:00.001-06:002018-02-28T10:56:45.157-06:00How the Shabbat Dinner is Becoming Trendy<span style="font-size: large;">How the Shabbat Dinner is Becoming Trendy</span><br />
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Shabbat, that traditionally religious, meditative bookend of the working week, seems to be undergoing something of a renaissance.</div>
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“The concept of spending quality time with friends and family while taking a break from scrolling on Instagram—is for everyone,” Ariel Okin wrote in a <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/how-to-host-friday-shabbat-dinner" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0098db; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2017 Vogue article</a>, ‘How To Host A Shabbat Dinner And Why You Should – Even If You Aren’t Celebrating’. “It is an ancient antidote to our modern ailments.”</div>
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Read more: <a href="https://forward.com/life/faith/394854/how-the-shabbat-dinner-is-becoming-trendy/" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0098db; text-decoration-line: none;">https://forward.com/life/faith/394854/how-the-shabbat-dinner-is-becoming-trendy/</a></div>
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<a href="https://forward.com/life/faith/394854/how-the-shabbat-dinner-is-becoming-trendy/">https://forward.com/life/faith/394854/how-the-shabbat-dinner-is-becoming-trendy/</a>Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-51568764340265285772018-02-21T22:49:00.001-06:002018-02-28T11:00:23.078-06:00Jewish seniors fight isolation with a fast food community in ‘Wendy’s Shabbat’<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 18px;">Forget gefilte fish, roast chicken and brisket. Burgers, French fries and chicken nuggets are the preferred fare of senior citizens in Palm Springs, California. They gather on Friday evenings to welcome the Jewish Sabbath at their local Wendy’s fast food franchise.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: "PT Serif", serif;">Instead of staying by their lonesomes in their homes in the Sun City retirement community, the seniors head to Wendy’s, bringing along candles, challah and grape juice. Seated at a long table set up for them by the young staff, they recite the traditional blessings welcoming Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath. Then they tuck into their chili and chicken wraps and schmooze for a couple of hours.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-seniors-fight-isolation-with-a-fast-food-community-in-wendys-shabbat/"><span style="font-size: large;">https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-seniors-fight-isolation-with-a-fast-food-community-in-wendys-shabbat/</span></a>Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-65811988495470464642018-01-19T13:49:00.002-06:002018-01-19T13:49:21.427-06:002018: Let’s Get Back a Shabbat<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/2018-lets-get-back-a-shabbat_us_5a5396a1e4b0ee59d41c0ca9">https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/2018-lets-get-back-a-shabbat_us_5a5396a1e4b0ee59d41c0ca9</a><br />
<span style="font-family: ProximaNova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Once upon a time people worked during the week and rested on the weekend. Most businesses closed. Holidays were dedicated to worship, family, friends, and, for some, culture. Sociologists, especially communitarians like myself, saw a great importance in maintaining a work- and commerce-free space. They pointed out that during the week we stray from the moral codes and values that guide our lives. We are trying to get work done, make deals, move ahead. These activities tempt us to cut corners, to put self-interest above concern for others and the common good. Weekends and holidays are supposed to be the occasions when we rededicate ourselves to what is right, and when we reconnect with each other as full-fledged human beings rather than as dealmakers or bosses and employees—an essential element of human flourishing. This is what happens in places of worship, family gatherings, and community activities.</span>Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-56414603210851729472018-01-05T11:06:00.000-06:002018-02-28T15:13:29.405-06:00Shabbat Is an Underrated Way to Destress<a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kzgb7e/shabbat-is-an-underrated-way-to-destress-stressweek2017">Shabbat Is an Underrated Way to Destress</a><br />
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Wine, weed, and unplugging—your ancient Jewish guide to modern-day stress relief.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , "trebuchet ms" , "tazuganegothic" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">... I came to appreciate Shabbat not only as an ancient Jewish tradition but as a contemporary, therapeutic practice of being present and unplugging.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , "trebuchet ms" , "tazuganegothic" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kzgb7e/shabbat-is-an-underrated-way-to-destress-stressweek2017">https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kzgb7e/shabbat-is-an-underrated-way-to-destress-stressweek2017</a></span></div>
Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-81515295752716957252017-11-27T21:21:00.001-06:002018-02-28T11:02:44.913-06:00A comfortable Shabbat<span style="color: #5f5f5f; font-family: RobotoCondensed-regular-webfont; font-size: 20px;">Yes, the world has changed and the place of the Jewish people in their homeland has created a new set of circumstances. Yet what does this have to do with keeping the laws of Shabbat? I am national-religious, and for me and many others I know, our desire to observe the Sabbath is just as strong now as it was for our ancestors. Moreover, the technological innovations that are so characteristic of our times have made such observance easier and, in most cases, allowed for the integration of family, work and security in a much more palpable fashion.</span><br />
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<a href="http://m.jpost.com/Opinion/November-28-2017-A-comfortable-Shabbat-515349"><span style="font-size: large;">http://m.jpost.com/Opinion/November-28-2017-A-comfortable-Shabbat-515349</span></a>Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-21504454800795484212017-10-22T10:01:00.001-05:002018-02-28T15:16:13.981-06:00One Shabbat can be life-transforming<a href="https://www.thejc.com/comment/columnists/one-shabbat-can-be-life-transforming-1.446232">https://www.thejc.com/comment/columnists/one-shabbat-can-be-life-transforming-1.446232</a><br />
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...a strong case can be made for the argument that Shabbat observance is a positive keystone habit for life itself. It propels a greater awareness of and sensitivity towards many other values that underpin not only a positive Jewish life but positive living in general.</div>
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And here’s the really interesting bit. Traditional Shabbat observance involves many of the same activities as those identified by Duhigg as keystone habits in the context of nurturing emotional well-being and developing a positive lifestyle.</div>
Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-40036492388918316442017-10-22T09:59:00.001-05:002018-02-28T15:18:52.105-06:00Shabbat can unite a divided nation<a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/opinion/fl-jjps-goch-1025-20171020-story.html">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/opinion/fl-jjps-goch-1025-20171020-story.html</a><br />
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The weekly ritual of observing <em>Shabbat</em> might just be the remedy that unites a divided nation.</div>
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One need not be observant to aspire to incorporate more spirituality and Jewish practices into daily life, and celebrating <em>Shabbat</em> together affords us that opportunity.</div>
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We traditionally light two <em>Shabbat</em> candles for a reason. With one candle we stand alone; with two we unite many.</div>
Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-40868143143487169252017-10-22T09:57:00.001-05:002018-02-28T15:20:14.137-06:00Watch new rendition of 'Shabbat Hayom'<a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/237015">http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/237015</a><br />
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"If I only had the strength, I would go out to the market, I would stand and declare to all, that today is Shabbat. Yes, today is Shabbat, for Hashem."</div>
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The late Rabbi Yehoshua Yagel, legendary head of the Midrashiat Noam yeshiva high school in Pardes Hana, would walk around singing the song "Shabbat Hayom" at the end of the Kabbalat Shabbat Friday night prayers, mezmerizing students with his devotion. Yair Peleg pays tribute to the charismatic and G-d fearing mentor in his own rendition of the song written by the "Admor Hachalutz".</div>
Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-54030548278296096162017-10-22T09:51:00.001-05:002018-02-28T15:26:01.683-06:00A Shabbat Dinner for Wine Country Survivors<a href="http://lubavitch.com/news/article/2076667/A-Shabbat-Dinner-for-Wine-Country-Survivors.html#.WeywTVRpqi8.blogger">A Shabbat Dinner for Wine Country Survivors</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana"; text-transform: uppercase;">OCTOBER 19, 2017 </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">With California’s wine country reeling from this week’s horrific wildfires—the most destructive of their type in California’s history—Chabad of Sonoma County is rallying the forces to bring comfort and unity to a community ravaged by disaster.</span><br />
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A Friday night, Shabbat dinner seemed a good idea to many of the people struggling in the face of this disaster. Dubbed “Shabbat of Comfort & Unity,” more than 200 have already RSVPd.</div>
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“We’re all going to be supporting each other and this will bring a sense of comfort,” he says. Multiple vendors are contributing to Chabad’s efforts by sponsoring goods for the dinner, which is free of charge. The Flamingo Resort Hotel in Santa Rosa has offered a venue, and other businesses are sponsoring grape juice, hummus, flowers and more. “Everyone is pitching in,” the rabbi says gratefully. “There’s a lot of special energy.”</div>
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The dinner will provide an opportunity to memorialize the people who’ve died in this tragedy and also acknowledge the generosity of those who’ve stepped up to help bring relief and aid to a traumatized community.</div>
Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-74234898079323807682017-10-06T19:13:00.001-05:002018-02-28T15:25:27.320-06:00Refuge in Sabbath<a href="http://redemptionsbeauty.com/2014/09/17/refuge-in-sabbath-kris-camealy/">http://redemptionsbeauty.com/2014/09/17/refuge-in-sabbath-kris-camealy/</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #383838; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: 0.28px;">Lately, I’ve been wondering how I managed before I began actively embracing the Sabbath. I work hard day after day, juggling kids and schooling, writing, activities, mentoring meetings, cooking, cleaning, and other various typical tasks. For years I did this seven days a week with virtually no real rest. I never thought about what Dr. Matthew Sleeth calls, “building a refuge in the Sabbath.” I knew there was work to be done and so I kept on going, day after day, ignoring the commandment to honor the Sabbath.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #383838; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: 0.28px;">In observing God’s commandment to honor the Sabbath, I am discovering a deeper friendship with the Lord. I’ve come to see the time spent in retreat is not wasted, but rather, it enriches my faith and deepens my own love for God. In his book </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #383838; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: 0.28px;">24/6,</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #383838; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: 0.28px;"> Sleeth points out that “you need quality and quantity to make intimacy happen. Fortunately God designed our schedules to accommodate both”. Sabbath presents itself as a designated space in my busy life to move closer to God, apart from the nagging to-do’s of my usual schedule. Sabbath is where I remember that “God is the source of my life.” Sabbath reminds me that the world will spin even if I do not.</span>Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-23618377859762237872017-09-29T20:32:00.001-05:002018-02-28T15:31:32.545-06:00Taking Back the Sabbath<a href="https://www.countrywifechronicles.com/taking-back-the-sabbath/"><span style="font-size: large;">Taking Back the Sabbath</span></a><br />
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The world tells us more, more, more when what we really need is less, less, less. Take a step back from what the world is saying and you will find renewal, I promise you, I’ve experienced it. When I made the concerted effort to slow down, starting with taking back the Sabbath, I felt a deeper faith connection, refreshed and rejuvenated spiritually, mentally, and physically.</div>
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Now, if I am completely honest with you—this overwhelming sense of contentment and joy probably won’t happen after observing your first Sabbath. Nor will it happen after a few attempts at slowing down. But it does happen, with time, patience, and a determination to make the change to your lifestyle.</div>
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After several years of choosing less over more, I can confidently say that I am in a different mindset than I once was, that my default is now a much slower pace. But I won’t lie; there are times I still struggle with shutting off and removing stress. There are so many things I thoroughly love about being able to work from home, but it has been an adjustment to create boundaries that keep my work/home balance in check.</div>
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Taking back the Sabbath is one of those boundaries.</div>
Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-13926876848733393252017-09-28T14:53:00.003-05:002017-09-28T14:53:45.411-05:00When Yom Kippur Is On ShabbatBy <a href="http://www.jewishpress.com/author/raphael-grunfeld/">Raphael Grunfeld</a> 9 Tishri 5778 – September 28, 2017<div>
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The deeper reason for requiring us to fast on <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shabbat</em>/Yom Kippur may lie in the essential difference between <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shabbat</em> and Yom Kippur. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shabbat</em> is God’s day of rest. Yom Kippur is <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">our</em> day of rest. On <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shabbat</em> we remain in this world and enjoy the earthly pleasures God created. That is how we acknowledge Him as Creator. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shabbat</em> in this sense is a day of physical rest.</div>
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On Yom Kippur, we leave the physical world. We take a day off from the inherent tension caused by the fusion of body and soul. We become pure souls. Yom Kippur is the dress rehearsal of our own <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">yahrzeit</em>. We wear the shrouds in which we will ultimately face Him, and we discard the shoes we will no longer need. By neither eating nor drinking, we celebrate the day like the angels we become. If <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shabbat</em> is God’s day off and Yom Kippur is ours, on <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shabbat</em>/Yom Kippur God and His people celebrate a day off together.</div>
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<a href="http://www.jewishpress.com/in-print/when-yom-kippur-is-on-shabbat/2017/09/28/">http://www.jewishpress.com/in-print/when-yom-kippur-is-on-shabbat/2017/09/28/</a><br />
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Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687415408739623732.post-59011875445325709652017-09-26T14:17:00.001-05:002018-02-28T15:27:06.791-06:00How Morley Safer’s Jewish Upbringing Inspired His Quest for Decency and JusticeBy Benjamin Ivry - May 19th, 2016<br />
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<span style="color: #111c24; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif;">The Canadian Jewish broadcast journalist Morley Safer, who died at age 84 on May 19th, 2016, was as much preoccupied with ethics and the arts as reporting during his more than a half-century with CBS News, 46 of them with the program “60 Minutes.” He told Abigail Pogrebin, author of </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stars-David-Prominent-About-Jewish/dp/0767916131/?tag=thefor03-20" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0098db;" target="_blank">“Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk About Being Jewish,”</a><span style="color: #111c24; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif;">: “I think that a Jewish background does give you a very, very strong sense of doing the right thing.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Read More: <a href="http://forward.com/culture/341091/how-morley-safers-jewish-upbringing-inspired-his-quest-for-decency-and-just/" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0098db;">http://forward.com/culture/341091/how-morley-safers-jewish-upbringing-inspired-his-quest-for-decency-and-just/</a></span></div>
Melvyn Douglasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956936440794196405noreply@blogger.com0