Turn Friday into Erev Shabbos #260 - Wash Off the Weekday
Jun 5, 2026 · 0 min · 5 segments
- Speakers
Efrem GoldbergHost
- Top entities
- Shabbat×19Rabbi×2JudaismChayei AdamGod
Jun 5, 2026 · 0 min · 5 segments
Efrem GoldbergHost
Or alternatively, it could be understood to just be describing the preparations for Shabbos altogether.
The Zohar HaKadosh is assuming that when a person is engaged in a weekday, the pursuit, the work, the accumulation, the amassing, the ambition, the aspiration, the v'kibshua, the conquering of the world, that weekday version of us, it leaves a residue, and therefore it needs to be washed off, it needs to be rinsed, it needs to be cleansed.
"Bigin d'vachol ruach acharina azla veshata veshara al ama" Because during the week there's a, a ruach, there's an energy, there's a spirit that wanders, and it settles on the people.
"V'kad bai ba'nash l'nafka min hahu rucha" And when a person wants to depart or elevate or, or remove themselves from that energy or from that spirit, "ula ala barucha achar-achara kadisha ila" and instead to enter some elevated, holier spirit, what do you need to do? How do you do it? "Bai lehislach gar meiu lemisha ala hu rucha ila kadisha" You have to wash yourself, so the holy, elevated spirit can rest upon him.
Some understand the Zohar as endorsing the minhag that many have, to go to the mikveh on Erev Shabbos.
Many men go to the mikveh in order to prepare, in order to cleanse, in order to purify, to come into Shabbos born anew.
The way the mikveh works is a person is, uh, completely, completely, uh, without clothing, no barrier whatsoever to the water.
They're like the day they were born, and that water, which is natural water or connected to natural water, has the status of embryonic fluid.
And when a person goes under that water, they can't breathe, they suspend their life.
They're in the fetal position, and they're back in what they were wearing in the womb.
They take that fir-first breath, and they're born, they're born afresh, they're born anew.
And so there is a minhag on Erev Shabbos to go to the mikveh to prepare, to get ready, to purify, to elevate, and maybe this Zohar is a description of it.
But others understand that no, maybe what it means to wash is to spiritually cleanse ourselves.
It means that whatever was stuck on us, a person looked at the wrong thing, said the wrong thing, did the wrong thing, a person collected the residue, a person has, has a, a stickiness, a, a zuama of, of weekday on them, we cleanse ourselves in the preparation for Shabbos.
And if your minhag is not to go to the mikveh on Erev Shabbos, it's not practical or it's not your minhag, you can still fulfill this mentality and this attitude.
Or alternatively, it could be understood to just be describing the preparations for Shabbos altogether.
The Zohar HaKadosh is assuming that when a person is engaged in a weekday, the pursuit, the work, the accumulation, the amassing, the ambition, the aspiration, the v'kibshua, the conquering of the world, that weekday version of us, it leaves a residue, and therefore it needs to be washed off, it needs to be rinsed, it needs to be cleansed.
"Bigin d'vachol ruach acharina azla veshata veshara al ama" Because during the week there's a, a ruach, there's an energy, there's a spirit that wanders, and it settles on the people.
"V'kad bai ba'nash l'nafka min hahu rucha" And when a person wants to depart or elevate or, or remove themselves from that energy or from that spirit, "ula ala barucha achar-achara kadisha ila" and instead to enter some elevated, holier spirit, what do you need to do? How do you do it? "Bai lehislach gar meiu lemisha ala hu rucha ila kadisha" You have to wash yourself, so the holy, elevated spirit can rest upon him.
Some understand the Zohar as endorsing the minhag that many have, to go to the mikveh on Erev Shabbos.
Many men go to the mikveh in order to prepare, in order to cleanse, in order to purify, to come into Shabbos born anew.
The way the mikveh works is a person is, uh, completely, completely, uh, without clothing, no barrier whatsoever to the water.
They're like the day they were born, and that water, which is natural water or connected to natural water, has the status of embryonic fluid.
And when a person goes under that water, they can't breathe, they suspend their life.
They're in the fetal position, and they're back in what they were wearing in the womb.
They take that fir-first breath, and they're born, they're born afresh, they're born anew.
And so there is a minhag on Erev Shabbos to go to the mikveh to prepare, to get ready, to purify, to elevate, and maybe this Zohar is a description of it.
But others understand that no, maybe what it means to wash is to spiritually cleanse ourselves.
It means that whatever was stuck on us, a person looked at the wrong thing, said the wrong thing, did the wrong thing, a person collected the residue, a person has, has a, a stickiness, a, a zuama of, of weekday on them, we cleanse ourselves in the preparation for Shabbos.
And if your minhag is not to go to the mikveh on Erev Shabbos, it's not practical or it's not your minhag, you can still fulfill this mentality and this attitude.
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