You might think that as a rabbi, I never violate Shabbat. But that is not the case.
A few weeks ago, I woke up on Shabbat morning and noticed that the light in our bathroom was off. Since we can’t turn lights on or off over Shabbat, we always turn it on before Shabbat and leave it on for the 25-hour duration. Always.
"That's strange," I said to my wife. "Maybe one of the kids came into our bathroom in the middle of the night and turned it off."
"No, they didn't," she said.
"How do you know?"
"If one of the kids came to our room in the middle of the night, I would know. You sleep like a log, but I wake up. Nobody came in. I’m sure of it."
"So how did the light go off? Did you switch it off?"
"I didn't."
Which left only one suspect: Me.
I knew I had woken up in the middle of the night and gone to the bathroom. So there is only one possible explanation. Half asleep, not realizing it was Shabbat, I must have flipped the switch.
Oy gevalt! That is a major sin!
Yes, it was a mistake, and I don’t even remember doing it, but even a mistake can still be a sin.
A couple of weeks later, it happened again. This time there was no doubt at all.
It was Sukkot. On Chol HaMoed, the intermediate days of the holiday, I wear my Shabbat clothes. So I had been wearing my Shabbat pants during the week, which I never usually do.
Friday night, as I'm walking home from shul, I realize there’s something in my pockets: My credit cards. A couple of dollar bills. My driver's license.
On Shabbat, we aren’t allowed to carry things outside, but there I was, walking down the street with all of it! A clear violation of Shabbat, no question about it.
Two episodes within just a few weeks of each other! I was a little rattled. What could it mean?
When a person violates a mitzvah by accident—such as Shabbat or kosher—what is usually recommended as part of doing teshuvah is to review the relevant laws and encourage others to keep them as well. So I hope that by sharing this, others will take steps towards keeping Shabbat!
So go ahead and give it a try. Turn your phone off for 25 hours. Come to shul. Have a beautiful Friday night dinner with your family. Invite some friends to join you. You’ll love it.
And before you leave the house, check your pockets. Trust me.