AM Inspiration

there is something that i have noticed among people since I have been here. It probably exists everywhere i just didn't  notice, It might be that i myself am lacking in this area and the mirror is reflecting my own deeds.  I have noticed an indifference towards judasim. People just do not care anymore about the sanctity of Shabbat. It is a well known reality in my program that many people in my class study on shabbat. I could never bring myself to do that. Besides, I asked my rav and he said no. Recently, I was talking to a guy in my class and he casually mentioned that he studies during davening. He gathers notes, he highlights. He has no problem with this. All this came out after I was going down on him for not learning on shabbat instead of studying.  Today I came into school and told my friend, its gonna be a long day! I woke up hungry and that is never good on a fast day. She looked at me funny "oh, your fasting day?" like it was a surprise. O...

I love Friday. I love the feeling that Shabbat is coming. Shabbos is a day like no other.. and that means that erev Shabbat is by association just as special. About a year and a half a go...maybe longer...I started buying flowers " lekavod shabbat kodesh!"  In seminary, Rabbi Geisler told us something that really stuck with me. He said that he does not buy his wife flowers on Friday. He and his wife go and buy flowers for Shabbat together. Rav Shimshon Pincus, in his sefer on Shabbat, also talks about flowers. He says that he went to the store to buy flowers for Shabbat. He went to the roses. Only the best for Shabbat. Only the best for the Queen. But he couldn't decide how many to get. A dozen. two dozen..there is no value for Shabbat. Maybe he should just buy them all? In the end he bought three roses; one for each of the avot, which in turn correspond to the three meals of Shabbat. The greatness of Shabbat is often ignored, trampled on. R'Pincus explains tha...