Introducing L'Kadsho
לקדשו: Learning Shabbos, Living Shabbos was conceived at quieter times, as we recognized it is both an opportunity and a responsibility.
An opportunity, because the OU weekly “Shabbat Shalom” newsletter is sent to tens of thousands of Jews every Thursday night, sharing Torah thoughts on the Parsha. Couldn’t this outstanding platform also provide a variety of valuable learning tools that would help people make their Shabbos more sacred through enhancing our knowledge of its complex Halachos?
A responsibility, because this Rosh Hashana and Succos we put aside the vital observances of Shofar and Lulav as an expression of our extreme caution regarding possible inadvertent Shabbos violation. That caution that took away these Mitzvos needs to be reflected in our treatment of every Shabbos, and there is no greater way to enhance our treatment of Shabbos than to make ourselves more knowledgeable of its Halachos.
Today, we bring this project forward with a third dimension. כי אשמרה שבת א-ל ישמרני. This is an extraordinarily difficult moment. Individual Jews need Hashem’s protection as does our Nation as a whole. We believe firmly that every Mitzvah we do, every enhancement of our service of Hashem, will provide greater strength and safety for Klal Yisrael and its members. This is certainly true regarding Shabbos, a central pillar of our Torah observance.
Please join this effort, using one of the tools we provide or any tool of your own. Let us make our Shabbos even more sacred by making ourselves more knowledgeable and therefore more observant. And may each and every Jew and our precious Eretz Yisrael merit Hashem’s visible protection.
Moshe Hauer