From the opening scene of a wealthy man and a beggar standing on either side of a doorway, through 157 daf detailing the law and spirit of Shabbos, to the curious conclusion of an Amora measuring his bath water, Mesechta Shabbos has been a comforting companion for hundreds of thousands of Jews through this perplexing half-a-year.

On Monday, 20 Av, 5780, August 10, 2020, the Jewish world will recite Hadran Alach on this extraordinary Mesechta.

But can we sum up the Mesechta? Can we articulate its core message? It’s Neshama? What is the soul of Mesechta Shabbos?

In celebration of this monumental occasion, world-renowned teacher Rabbi YY Jacobson is delivering a two-part Shiur on the overarching theme and the soul of Meseches Shabbos.

Taking place at 8:00 pm on Wednesday and then Thursday evening, the series is based on a Hadran delivered by the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l in the summer of 1962. It will be streaming live at TheYeshiva.net/Shabbos

In the talk, the Lubavitcher Rebbe fixates on the conclusion of the Meseches which discusses the laws of tying and measuring on Shabbos, and its famous opening which the laws of transferring objects between public and private domains.

An intricate analysis of the legal definitions of these melachos follows, which leads to an innovative approach to solving some classic conundrums of Mesechta Shabbos.

Part One of the series on Wednesday is dedicated to exploring this fascinating halachic discussion.
On Thursday, the legal realm gives way to the soul of the Mesechta.

What is the essence of Shabbos for a Jew? What is the underlying meaning of the actions of sealing, measuring, and tying and of transferring between domains? What is the deeper message in the opening and closing of Tractate Shabbos?

From the surface of laws and definitions, the Rebbe reveals a world of spiritual depth and psychological insight. What can we learn from the conclusion of the Mesechta about addiction and recovery? About confronting stress and anxiety? About finding harmony and serenity in our lives?

Every Jew, layman or scholar, who has labored through the dense and rewarding pages of Meseches Shabbos, or anyone who wants to elevate their Shabbos awareness and experience,  will be intellectually and spiritually moved by the Rebbe’s insightful exploration of the body and soul of Shabbos.

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