I love being mandated to turn off my phone for 25 hours at the end of each week. It’s a pleasure and a relief to take a break from the incessant onslaught of news, email, texts, and social media. As much as we like to think we would be able to disconnect on our own, without Shabbat I can’t imagine we actually would.
Our triplets have recently become enamored with the Naki radio, which comes pre-programmed with a huge selection of Jewish music and stories that they can play themselves. They turn on the music and jump and dance together for hours, as they play song after song.
So when I turned off the phones for Shabbat, I turned off the Naki radio too, but my daughter started to protest, “One more song, one more dance, please!” But it was time to light candles and that was that.
Shabbat afternoon, I went out for Mincha and there was no minyan. So I prayed by myself and then came home. Seeing me back home, my 7-year-old daughter asked, “Is Shabbat over?” and I said “No, not yet.”
Either she heard incorrectly or she really wanted it to be, but the next thing I knew I was sitting on the couch with the music blaring and the whole gang dancing!
She had asked one of the triplets to climb up onto the counter and turn the radio on. I guess she figured in case it was still Shabbat, better to let him sin instead of her!
I blurted out, “Shabbos!” then quickly added, “No, don’t turn it off because that would be another violation.” So we spent the last 10 minutes of Shabbat with beautiful music blaring through the house.
We read every day in our prayers "Serve G-d with joy" To be happy and joyful is something that the Torah demands. No matter what life may throw at us, we need to be happy. There does not exist a human being on earth that does not have tremendous trials and tribulations but we are commanded to face these hurdles with passion and joy. Even when we have sinned, we still need to repent and return to G-d with joy and happiness!
So if we had to violate the Shabbat, at least it was with pleasure and music!
May we all observe Shabbat with happiness and joy, this week and every week!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Uriel Vigler