It’s wild to me to think how some folks don’t know the true weekly epicness that is Shabbat. But like much in life, so much of its preciousness remains concealed until each person pushes through their own perceptions to reveal the truth that awaits. So, how do we elevate the sacred moments and tap into the beauty and joy that lies within? It’s always a mix of action and education– educating oneself on what the ritual entails and taking action to follow the rituals so that we can access the potent power of feeling that comes with being grounded and unified with oneself, with each other, and most importantly with our Source, Hashem. 
This week we are commanded to keep the Shabbat - there is no more elevated bridge between this world & the next; it’s the finite time & space where our soul feels tapped into the infinite. Its splendor is ineffable. Hashem created the world in six days, & on the seventh He rested. We spend our days emulating Hashem in creating, in trying to conquer nature, to mold it into our desires, but on the seventh, on Shabbat, we are told to stop, to take a break, to meditate on being created & abstain from creating. We take a pause from trying to rise above what is natural & meditate on nature itself, on receiving in full faith that Hashem provides & is fully in charge & that no matter how hard we work, in the end, it is all in the hands of Hashem. 
Shabbat, is a taste of the infinite, but it’s still bound in time & space. It’s a gift from God that we even get that taste, as it is stated in Talmud, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe, I have a precious gift in My treasure house, & it is called the Shabbat.”
So much so that when I am in it, it is hard to let it go, feeling the anxiety of getting back to the regular week, of turning my phone & computer back on & what might await. Now more than ever, it seems essential to take this time to truly unplug once a week, to center oneself without the constant distraction of modernity, shifting focus to community, prayer, meditation & truly being present.
וְשָׁמְר֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת לַעֲשׂ֧וֹת אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֛ת לְדֹרֹתָ֖ם בְּרִ֥ית עוֹלָֽם
The Jewish people must observe Shabbat, making it an eternal covenant throughout their generations
Rebbe Nachman writes that in this verse, LeDoRotam (throughout the generations), alludes to DiRah (dwelling), teaching that we have to draw Shabbat into our dwelling so that our physical spaces will feel the spiritual light that is Shabbat. The next verse we read the famous “For in the Six Days God made”  (‘כִּי־שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֗ים עָשָׂ֤ה הֹ). Rabbeinu teaches that it can also be read as “For God made Six Days,” meaning Hashem created time & the six days that concentrically encircle the inner focal point of creation which is Shabbat. Each day that is closer to Shabbat in time is also spiritually closer, which is also why human beings were created last, as we have the ability to elevate time & draw down the Infinite Light.
 As Ahad Ha’am said, “More than Jews have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews.” It’s the power of this commandment that it has preserved the people tasked to shine a perpetual light & elevate the fallen sparks in a world of darkness.

**** Photo of me at my Savta’s house in Ramat Gan at my Yemenite henna ceremony.

*** THIS WAS JUST A SNIPPET / READ THE DVAR/ARTICLE IN FULL @  https://lightofinfinite.com/meditate-on-being-created/ 

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Thanks for listening/reading.
Much love, Erez Safar

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when to abstain from creating and meditate on being created (ki tisa)

Light of Infinite is a blog, a podcast, a festival and a soon to be released book series, where Erez Safar acts as Your Spiritual DJ, curating insights into the weekly Torah portion and the infinite light of Kabbalah.

The project began on the Yartzeit (yearly memorial) of my ex wife’s mother’s passing, and it’s inspired by both her (Yehudis Chava bat Yakov Dov) and my mother (Frida Levona bat Shalom), who passed the same year. When I think of these women, I think of tzedaka and chesed, words that are hard to translate because they capture the real depths of words like ‘generous’, ‘giving’, ‘loving’, and ‘kindness’. These two women embodied and exemplified these qualities to an angelic degree: so full of life, love, warmth, and light, at every turn, every single moment. Being around them inspired me to be more loving, more giving, more full of a zest for each moment in life.

My goal with this ongoing project is to spread that inspiration and Light that I received and still receive from them. Using each week’s Torah portion, delving deep into the text, the commentaries, and the Kabbalah connected to it, I’ll share insights that bring that inspiration and Light to life for me, and will hopefully do the same for you.

As DJ Shadow sampled on his seminal record, Entroducing, “It’s not me that’s coming through– the music’s coming through me”. With that said, I do not take any recognition for any part of the material except the writing style. The recognition is meant for the Holy One, Blessed Be He, and the Giants of Torah that reveal the the Light of Infinite in a way that only they can. So, I would like to give thanks to some of the Chassidic Masters and Rabbis that I draw the most inspiration from, whose wisdom I’m attempting to bring down and make accessible. These include Reb Nachman & Reb Nosson Mi’Breslov, The Arizal, The Ba’al Shem Tov, R’Menachem Mendel Schneerson (the Rebbe), Carlebach, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Abraham Joshua Heschel, and so many others.

I hope that these words inspire you to delve deeper into the Torah and kabbalisitc texts, and, as Chaim Vital says, “One can go deeper and deeper, as far as the human mind can delve, and it will always yield new treasures.”

Light of Infinite is an upcoming book series where I act as your spiritual DJ, curating insights into the weekly Torah portion and the infinite light of Kabbalah. The sefer (book) will include newly edited, and in some cases, expanded text on the weekly parashah. There will also be a section on key concepts of Kabbalah as well as a section that includes stories and info on some of my favorite Rebbe’s.

when to abstain from creating and meditate on being created (ki tisa)

light of infinite