Michalel Erev Shabbos

Last week I was michalel Erev Shabbos. I had to get on a conference call at 3 p.m. that was supposed to last until 4:30. That would have been bad enough but the call, on a tax related matter, went on for another hour. I didn't get home until 6:45 p.m. Even though Shabbos started around 7:40, we always daven at 7 during the summer so I had 15 minutes to shower, dress and get to shul. I was about 5 minutes late for mincha.

I try very hard to get home at least two hours before Shabbos, especially during the Summer. Unless one has the time to mentally prepare, it is very hard to make the transition from yemai hachol (the days of the week) to Shabbos.

In Eretz Yisrael, Erev Shabbos has its own mitsius; everything shuts down early and a calm takes over in the afternoon. In America, especially in the MO world, the chashivus (importance) of Erev Shabbos has largely been lost.

I am lucky to daven in a shul where the Kabbolas Shabbos is so intense that in spite of my lack of preparation last week, I was swept into Shabbos by Lecha Dodi.

I plan on being home well before Shabbos today. I will avoid telephone calls from tax lawyers today.