In the city of Tsfat in the 15th and 16th centuries, every Erev Shabbat, Friday night, the mystics would gather out in a field and sing love songs, like Lecha Dodi. They believed that Shabbat, the day of rest, was also a day of wholeness, both in our world and in the heavenly realm. They treated Erev Shabbat as a cosmic wedding, and they celebrated the unity which is God. Tradition also teaches that every Jew receives a neshema yetera, a “second soul” on the Sabbath, so that on this day we become complete.

Los Angeles is not like that mountaintop city of mystics, however every Friday night at 6:15, we gather together in joy and in love, each of us striving toward a sense of wholeness. Whether or not we receive a second soul, one thing is certain: our spirits become full. Our stresses peal away and our souls expand as we are embraced with music, poetry, meditations and teachings of Torah.

Click here to learn more about our New 4th Friday Shabbat Experience!