This week’s Torah portion, Re’eh, רְאֵה, “See,” begins with a choice: “See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God… and the curse, if you do not obey…” (Deuteronomy 11:26–28)
The message is clear: our choices have consequences. The way we live shapes not only this moment, but what follows.
In Kabbalistic and Chassidic thought, Re’eh, “See,” means more than simply looking with our eyes. It suggests a deeper perception, seeing so clearly that the path before us becomes almost self-evident.
The commandment to keep Shabbat is itself a blessing.
For six days we rush, trying to accomplish a million things. Shabbat does not ask us to do more. It asks us to stop. To put the week aside for a day and make room for rest, reflection, and prayer.
There is something calming about getting ready for services and stepping out into the quiet of a Shabbat morning. The pace changes. Holiness in the air. The noise of the week fades, and there is space to see more clearly what truly matters.
For me, this is the gift of Shabbat: gratitude for being alive and for all the blessiings already here.
