בס"ד Shabbat

Friday 6th Nov 2020 — 19th Cheshvan 5781 Parshat Vayeira — Light candles at 4:08pm unlocked Unlocking the Beauty of Shabbat during the Covid Lockdown

Dear friend, meal, he’d tell them of G-d’s infinite Lockdown is upon us. And with it, our greatness and encourage them to give assurance to you that we’re here for thanks and praise to G-d for the meal you. If you’re struggling, we are legally they’d just eaten. allowed to have you pop in to the And what if someone refused his House for a cuppa. request? Then he’d give them a hefty We’re all facing the daunting idea of bill for the meal. “Where in the middle how to face lockdown. In fact, this of the desert would you be able to dine week Molly Leckerman, University of on fresh bread, fine meat and choice Sussex, asked: wine?!”. Religious coercion? Or no such thing as a free dinner? “What advice would you give to students to stay productive during Chassidism teaches that Abraham lockdown?” recognised the difference between what his guests would like to do, and To which I respond with a question. what they knew deep down they really (Isn’t that what always do?!). should do. He wasn’t forcing them to “What is your definition of a productive do something they didn’t want to do. day?!”. In fact quite the opposite. Through his Let’s take this further. If we were to shock tactic, he was urging them to dig ask ourselves what the most ideal day deeper, and ask themselves what they should look like, would the reply be really want to do. sitting on a beach in Eilat or perhaps a Let’s view this lockdown as a full day in Westfield Mall, with productivity shock-tactic. What do we unlimited spending? Or would we have really want to do? For myself, for my the courage to dig deep and honestly community and for the world. What ask ourselves what we really want? can we add each day that will make us In connection with this week’s look back at this lockdown with portion, the tells us something gratitude, at the opportunities it has about Abraham, which at first glance offered us, and how we’ve grown seems really unsettling. We know that through it. he was extremely hospitable, with an With warmest wishes for a Shabbat open tent door to one and all, Shalom and a wonderful week ahead. providing free food, drink and lodging. When his guests had finished their () Zalman & Shterna and family This week’s Bartenura winner is Esme Hood University of Sussex

Reserve your Shabbat package before Thu 2pm and enter a raffle for a free bottle of Bartenura, to enhance your Shabbat table! ChabadSussex.org/ShabbatDinner

My Jewish experience: My Jewish experience: “Now that the second lockdown is “My uni housemates have all been approaching I have decided to grow making an effort to say my name out my Jewfro again! Watch as I correctly, with many attempts descend into meshuggas” and many successes!”

Ben Griffin Michal Wolf University of Sussex Greater Brighton MET

Happy 12th Birthday to 12 Shmulik We’ve given you cupcakes to join his party

This week with Chabad… Did you know? How does Pizza n Parsha happen during lockdown?! You wouldn’t believe it, but we’ll be offering a Chabad stocks frozen limited number of students to have Shterna’s Kosher chicken for sale homemade pizza delivered to their door, which you to students can then enjoy while joining the class on zoom! ChabadSussex.org Website updated every Sunday Shterna’s Updates also at www.facebook.com/ChabadSECoastUniversities Shabbat Secrets

The substitute If you are struggling during lockdown, we are legally for eggs in vegan allowed to have you come to Chabad for one-to-one Kugel is support. Don’t suffer. Give a shout. courgette Laughter Question Corner Therapy Mariola Bonnici, University of Sussex, and former JSOC I won a fancy Pres asks: dress competition How have Jewish leaders dealt with stressful situations? dressed as a (When they are given a task without formal support) spreadsheet. Like Adam and Eve? Sly-snake tempts them and G-d is MIA? Like Abraham? “Sacrifice your beloved son Isaac”? Like I excelled myself. Jacob? A household of 4 wives, 12 sons and a daughter, and a stingy, swindler of a father-in-law/boss, who changes the Submitted by Louis Myers job description on a whim? And on, and on, and on. University of Brighton What I love about your wording is the correct presumption that Jewish leaders also face stressful situations. A fundamental principle in Chabad philosophy is “Tracht Gut vet Zeihn Gut—Think Good and it will Be Good!”. If Turn your room great Jewish leaders told us the value of positive thinking, into a Jewish one can safely assume that they themselves used that tool Home! to manage their own stresses. Get in touch to To be sure, there were giants of the past, and perhaps still get your own a few around today, who live with such strong faith, and Mezuzah! confidence that all is from G-d, that for them stress is never a factor. Subsidised cost £10 Like the Talmudic story of the famous 1st century Rabbi Akiva, who once found himself in a pretty stressful situation, stranded alone outside an inhospitable town. He camped out for the night, hoping to study Torah by candlelight, only for the wind to blow out the candle. Then wild animals turned up, killed his donkey and devoured his rooster (read: alarm clock). Sounds more than just pretty stressful; perhaps quite frightening. His calm reaction “everything Hashem does is for the good.” It would be a good idea to spend a couple of moments each day in mindful contemplation of these 2 phrases. “Think Good and it will Be Good!” “Everything Hashem does is for the good.” But don’t stress about the way you manage stress! It may well be a sign that you’re a healthy, ambitious person, with positive motivation to achieve success. Don’t stifle that wonderful part of your identity! Be part of your student community. Your submission can be featured here next week. Submit via the Shabbat package order form. ChabadSussex.org/584407

A Tzaddik’s Repentance A story for your Shabbat Table Rabbi Saadiah Gaon (882–942), a leading sage pupils had been searching for me, and several of Babylonian Jewry, had many hundreds of hours after I left the inn they appeared, hot on pupils, and all of them had a great thirst to learn. my trail. ‘Did you see Rabbi Saadiah Gaon?’ Even a casual movement or word from their they asked him. ‘We have reason to believe that revered teacher provided them a lesson for life. he was here.’ One winter morning, two of his pupils “‘Saadiah Gaon?’ replied the bewildered old happened to be walking in the mountains when Jew. ‘What would the great Rav Saadiah be they heard a strange sound on the other side of doing in a place like mine? Rav Saadiah Gaon a hill. When they approached the summit they in my inn? No. . . I’m sure that you are very saw, to their great surprise, their master sitting mistaken! There was no Rav Saadiah Gaon here!’ on the snow-covered ground, weeping, praying “But when the young men described me to him and engaging in other acts of penitence. What and explained about my exile and ‘disguise,’ could a tzaddik (perfectly righteous person) the old Jew grabbed his head and cried: such as their teacher possibly need to repent ‘Oy! Rav Saadiah! Rav Saadiah was here! You for? Could he have committed some are right! Oy, Oy!’ and he ran outside, jumped sin, G‑d forbid? They hurriedly departed from into his wagon and began urging his horse to go that place. But later that day, they could no as fast as possible in the direction I had taken. longer restrain themselves and asked their “After a short time he caught up to me, jumped teacher what the scene they had witnessed had from his carriage and fell at my feet, weeping: been about. ‘Please forgive me, Rav Saadiah. Please forgive “I do that every day,” he said to them. “Every day me. I didn’t know that it was you!’ I repent and plead with G‑d to forgive my “I made him stand up and brush himself off, shortcomings and failings in my service of Him.” and then said to him: ‘But my dear friend, you “Your failings?” they asked. “Of what failings treated me very well, you were very kind and does the Gaon speak?” hospitable. Why are you so sorry? You have “Let me tell you a story,” said Rabbi Saadiah. nothing to apologize for.’ “Something that happened to me a while ago.” “‘No, no, Rabbi,’ he replied. ‘If I would have “At one point in my life, I decided that all the known who you are, I would have served honor and attention I was receiving from you completely differently!’ everyone around me was interfering with my “Suddenly I realized that this man was teaching service of the Creator. G‑d must be served with me a very important lesson in the service of G‑d, joy, and without complete humility, joy is and that the purpose of my exile had been impossible. So I decided that I would spend fulfilled. I thanked and blessed him, and returned several months in a place where no one home. recognized me. “Since then, every evening when I say the “I dressed in simple garments and began my prayer before sleeping, I go over in my mind self-imposed exile, wandering from town to how I served G‑d that day. Then I think of that town. One night I was in a small inn run by an old innkeeper, and say to myself: ‘Oy! If I had old Jew. He was a very kind and simple man, known about G‑d in the beginning of the day and we spoke for a while before I went to sleep. what I know now, I would have served Him Early the next morning, after I had completely differently!’ prayed shacharit (the morning prayer), I bade “And that is what I was repenting for this him farewell and was again on my way. morning.” “What I didn’t know was that several of my Retold by Rabbi Tuvia Bolton, for Chabad.org