Thank you, Stories to Inspire, for arranging this event. Start keeping Shabbat. Shabbat is the greatest protection. As much as we keep Shabbat, Shabbat protects us. Shabbat is one of the greatest gifts that God gave us, the Jewish people.
I just saw an interview with a woman who survived the horrible massacre on October 7th, a month ago. She said on national TV that she wants people to advertise the miracle that happened to her through Shabbat. She said that on October 7th, Shabbat morning, she woke up to all her WhatsApp messages making so much noise. People were warning her: “There are horrible devil terrorists—the names should be erased—in our village. Go to safety. Make sure you're safe.” She got out of bed and took all her children to the kitchen. She gave every single one of them a knife and told them, “Just in case, God forbid, the terrorists get inside the house, the most we can do is try to stab them. That's all we can have.”
She tried explaining to her children, “This is not your regular terrorist attack. This is scarier than usual.” As she heard the terrorists on her front lawn, she went to the door and listened. She saw them and listened to the Arabic words back and forth. She said that she turned to Shamayim, she turned to the heaven. She told the Kadosh Baruch Hu from inside her heart, and she really meant it. She prayed. She said, “Hashem, I'm going to take upon myself for the rest of my life to keep Shabbat, to keep the Sabbath. I am taking upon myself. I am taking upon myself from now on to keep Shabbat.” And she said, as soon as she put her head down, she looked through the door, through that hole by the door, and saw that those terrorists, those devils—the name should be erased—had suddenly left her lawn and totally skipped her house.
Rabotai (my masters), this story is 100% true; it was told by the survivor herself on national TV. This is an open miracle. She took upon herself to keep Shabbat, and Shabbat protected her. As much as we keep Shabbat, Shabbat protects us. As much as we keep Shabbat, Shabbat protects us.
And don't forget, the most enjoyable day of the week is Shabbat. You get to spend time with your family. You get to put your phone down and actually focus on your life. You get to learn Torah. You get to actually enjoy your food without being distracted. You get to pray. You get close to your family members, to friends. Shabbat is the greatest gift.
If you haven't yet started keeping Shabbat, first of all, we love you. But have a consider. Because of the situation in Israel, by keeping Shabbat, you will bring blessings to the world. And I mean it, yes, you. You will bring salvation to the world. Try to take upon yourself to keep the whole Shabbat. If you can't start with the whole Shabbat, start with Friday night. Light the candles for Shabbat. You will make a huge difference to the world. Every single Jew, you make a huge difference.