To the working individual, winter early Shabbos is almost like saying take Fridays off. Sure you can get work done, but you feel like you need to leave work about 30 minutes after you get there. It’s pretty much like a shopping spree on a timer. Plus, if you live more than 30 minutes from work, it means you need to leave around 2 or 3pm, especially if you need to prepare the Shabbos meals!
For someone who’s at a level where they are trying to keep Shabbos, having to keep Friday also, makes it even more challenging. It is true that early Shabbos means ‘Early after Shabbos’, which as a kid meant I can finally watch the end of a college football game, but undoubtedly, most people would rather have a late Shabbos start than an early Shabbos end.
For newer observers of early Shabbos, it’s best to speak to a veteran to find out the tips and tricks of making early Shabbos more manageable and less hectic. Some people have it down to a science that for them, early Shabbos has become easier than a regular ‘late Shabbos’.
No matter how you slice it, Jewish observance takes work, and is challenging when you live in a predominantly non-Jewish society. But showing that we stand by our moral and spiritual code is a testament to who we are. It shows our peers what integrity is all about, whether they are religiously inclined or not. It shows them as well as ourselves that we live by standards, and that answering to a Higher Authority means way more than a catch phrase on a hot dog company. Furthermore, when we put effort into something, it helps us appreciate its true value.
It’s always important to remind ourselves why we devote ourselves to areas of observance. Negative feelings of devotion (loss of work, money, agitation, anger, etc…) prevent spiritual blessings from reaching our lives.
Therefore, when we are faced with a challenge in religious observance, we must feel that the choice we are making is infused with a sense of pride, appreciation and accomplishment. Once you get accustomed to being devoted and feeling good about it, it all comes much easier.
Gotta go, Shabbos is almost here!
Have a Great Shabbos.
Rabbi Nachi Klein