“The Shabbat Zemirot Bring Joy and Vitality to the Entire Week” – Rabbi Eliezer Berland Shlit”a on Parashat Vayishlach

“AND HE CAMPED IN FRONT OF THE CITY” DURING THE SIX DAYS OF THE WEEK, YOU LEARNED, WORKED, AND TRAVELLED TO BRING OTHERS BACK IN REPENTANCE?  NOW SHABBAT HAS ARRIVED.  DON’T DO ANYTHING, JUST SING TO HASHEM.  AND THIS IS THE MEANING OF “AND HE CAMPED,” THAT YAAKOV MADE FOR THEM A PLACE TO STOP.  HE TAUGHT THEM NOT TO LEAVE THEIR HOUSES ON SHABBAT: “STAY IN PLACE ON SHABBAT, SING ON SHABBAT!” A person is given one day a week to sing to Hashem.  Shabbat has arrived – sit with the children, sing with the children, learn with them, so that the children will see what is oneg Shabbat (the delight of Shabbat).  It will make such a kiddush Hashem (sanctification of God’s Name) in the world, in all the worlds, in all the Sefirot (Divine emanations).  If a person sings Shabbat songs, it is heard all over the world, in all the countries, and this arouses the souls to return in repentance.  [Even if] a person sits in a completely concealed place and sings songs to Hashem, all the souls hear his zemirot (holy songs), his niggunim (melodies). “AND YOU SHALL RETURN TO HASHEM YOUR GOD” – SIT AT HOME AND SING SHABBAT SONGS.  YOU WILL SEE THAT THE ENTIRE WORLD WILL RETURN IN REPENTANCE JUST FROM THE SONGS OF SHABBAT.  FROM THE NIGGUNIM OF SHABBAT, PEOPLE WILL RETURN IN REPENTANCE. On Shabbat, a person sits and sings Shabbat songs – this is the time that the children receive fear of Heaven.  They see their father sitting peacefully, singing and chanting, it is so good for their hearts, such serenity.  This is all their vitality; this is all their joy.  Through this, they will not be interested in what is in the streets.  They will not be interested in the vanities that are in the street.  What does a child need other than this?  He needs to see his father smile, calm, father singing, father making melodies.  Sit at least two hours at the Shabbat table and sing.  This is the vitality of the child for the entire week. Start being a simple Jew.  The minimum for a Jew is zemirot Shabbat.  Without this, one doesn’t even begin to be a Jew.  The child sees that his father doesn’t sing on Shabbat, doesn’t learn with him.  He doesn’t have anything to do at home, and in the end, he falls into degeneracy, God forbid.  He doesn’t absorb holiness.  He doesn’t absorb purity. A person does not know what are zemirot of Shabbat.  With the zemirot of Shabbat, it’s possible to resurrect the dead, as is related about Rabbi Mordechai, who composed the song, “Mah Yafit, U’Mah Na’amt, Ahava BeTa’anugim.”  His son passed away on Shabbat night, after candle lighting.  Rabbi Mordechai asked for the child to be placed on the couch in the living room so that he would hear the zemirot.  He began to sing, “Chai Zekof Mach” and the boy came back to life!  When Shabbat arrives and a person sings all the zemirot, he revives everyone.  Everyone is resurrected, everyone is joyful, everyone is happy, because the zemirot of Shabbat bring joy and vitality to the entire week.