HOW TO ACQUIRE THE PLEASANT SHABBAT SCENT OF THE WORLD TO COME

Shabbat is an incredibly holy time, in fact, the holiest day of the Jewish Year. Yet, as the old saying goes “familiarity breeds contempt”. Now, while people in general don’t particularly dislike Shabbat, they simply don’t make the most out of it. And that’s because they don’t know the great elevation of Shabbat.

How so?

We’ll explain it in this article a few deep ideas on the quality of Shabbat and some of its customs.

First off, there’s a Kabbalistic custom from the Ari z’l to take two bundles of myrtles (Haddasim), hold them together and say Zachor Ushamor Bedibur Echad Neemar, before doing Kiddush. Then, one says the Beracha of Atzei Besamim and smell them.

Once, I was hosted by someone during Sukkot. This friend of mine kept his haddasim through the whole year and I find it a very beautiful custom. It’s important nonetheless to have myrtles which are not too dry or too old so you can say the bracha on the scent permissibly.

So, this is the order: first you say the bracha “Boreh Atzei Besamim”, then you go round the table a second time towards the right side. In the end, we have two circles around the table; one time with the haddasim and a second time without the haddasim.

The reason we’re going around the table is because that symbolizes the surrounding light (Ohr Makif) we are receiving from a higher plane, specifically ChaBa”D (Chokhmah, Bina and Da’at) of Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Bina on Shabbat. Just as we are surrounding the table so is God surrounding us.

And obviously, we want we want to bring this protective Light around us. This is all part of the revelation of Kabbalah as taught by the holy Ari z’l...