Welcome to Embrace Shabbat.
In his sefer Yafei LaLev, Rav Yitzchak Palagi teaches that on Shabbat, a person receives an infusion of דעת. The Ramban explains that דעת is not just knowledge; it is the ability to connect to someone else. When Adam was intimate with Chava, the passuk says וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ, Adam “knew” his wife. דעת is all about connection.
When speaking about Betzalel, Hashem says וָאֲמַלֵּ֥א אֹת֖וֹ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּחׇכְמָ֛ה בִּתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת, I am going to fill him with the spirit of G-d and skill, ability, and knowledge. On Shabbat, due to our neshama yetaira, we get a surge of דעת. What does it do?
דעת fills a person with rachamim for others. The passuk says: אַ֥ךְ אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כִּי֩ א֨וֹת הִ֜וא בֵּינִ֤י וּבֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם לָדַ֕עַת כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י ה’ מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃, You must keep My Shabbats because it's a sign between Me and you throughout the ages, that you may know that I, Hashem, have made you holy. When a person has דעת, they connect themselves to Hashem- ‘אֲנִ֥י ה- Who is a merachem. Then, המרחם על הבריות מרחמים עליו מן השמים, when a person has rachamim on others, Hashem has rachamim on them.
The Midrash teaches: הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּגַּנִּים חֲבֵרִים מַקְשִׁיבִים לְקוֹלֵךְ, you sit in the gardens, and your companions listen to your voice. On Shabbat, we sit together in shul and HaKadosh Baruch Hu tells us to lift up our voices and daven together with achdut. וּתְנוּ דַּעְתְּכֶם שֶׁלֹא תִשְׂנְאוּ זֶה אֶת זֶה, apply your דעת that you shouldn’t hate each other.
The term דעת is also used when Moshe goes out to the Jewish people to feel their pain in Mitzrayim. Rashi elaborates that Moshe set his eyes and his heart to see the suffering of the Jewish people. Consequently, G-d, in kind, also placed His eyes and heart on the Jewish suffering. When we apply our דעת to our brothers, it arouses G-d’s דעת above.
This all starts on Shabbat, which gives us the power of דעת, bringing about our rachamim and connection.
At this time of the year, we always make our annual drive for Lev Chana, which provides clothing cards to families in need. We are counting on you to use your דעת to help us out. Imagine if the holidays were coming and you, your child, or your spouse still needed the clothing to fit in with everyone else; you wouldn’t want to feel out of place. To put yourself in someone else’s situation, you need דעת, which arouses the appropriate rachamim. Without דעת, a person cannot understand another’s situation or have mercy on them. A great person doesn’t just use their דעת for themselves, they apply it for others.
You can send an email to rabbisutton@gmail.com with your pledge, send a check made out to Lev Chana to 1059 East 10th Street, or Zelle/Quickpay rabbisutton@gmail.com.
Have a wonderful day and a Shabbat Shalom.