Master of the World, let us merit to welcome properly the holiness of Shabbat. May I merit to fulfill the commandment of eating three meals every single Shabbat and to fulfill properly the commandment of delight on Shabbat, to eat, drink and have plenty of delights for the sake of Shabbat. You know how great is the virtue of the preciousness of eating on Shabbat. Grant us merit to fulfill perfectly that which is written about eating on Shabbat: “…eat it today for today is a Shabbaot for the Lord; today you will not find it in the field.” From this the Sages learnt that a person must eat three meals on Shabbat for “today” is written three times. Let me merit to eat the Shabbat meals with great holiness and may I have in mind at every meal that now I am not eating for the delight (pleasure) of the body, nor as I eat during the weekdays, when it is the usual custom of people to eat not for the sake of a commandment but, rather, to stave off hunger, for these are meals we are permitted (but not commanded) to eat. Sometimes one eats because one is hungry from the day before and sometimes one eats so as not to be hungry the following day, but on Shabbat let me have in mind at every meal that I am eating only for the sake of the honour of the day, for the honour of Shabbat, which is an aspect of “eat it today, for today is a Shabbat of the Lord”. By this, may the days of the week have no hold or control over the holiness of eating on Shabbat, for then I eat only for the sake of Shabbat to fulfill the commandment of eating a Shabbat meal and not because I want to prevent being hungry on weekdays. May I have many good foods and drinks for the honour of Shabbat and may I know and believe with complete faith that eating on Shabbat is something else entirely from eating during the weekdays. Outside forces (outside the realm of holiness) have no hold whatsoever over our eating on Shabbat, for eating on Shabbat is all divine, all holy, as You informed us by Your holy Sages, may their memories be blessed. May I merit to draw holiness from the holiness of eating on Shabbat to my eating during the weekdays, as the Rabbis said of the sage Shamai, who used to eat for the sake of Shabbat every day, all throughout his entire life. May I also grasp the attribute of the sage Hillel, who used to say, “Blessed is the Lord every day”.
Let me not think or worry from one day to another at all and let me merit to really feel in my heart the pleasantness (sweetness and delight) of the holiness of Shabbat, and to feel the holiness of the extra soul that comes to a person every Shabbat. May I welcome the extra soul of Shabbat immediately upon the entry of Shabbat and to feel in my heart the pleasantness of its holiness such that I immediately begin to long for and feel sorrow about the loss of the extra soul (after the end of Shabbat). May I merit by this to connect myself so much to the holiness of Shabbat and the holiness of the extra soul which comes on Shabbat that, during the weekdays also, there will remain with me a great impression of its holiness. By this, may I also serve You sincerely during the weekdays and draw upon myself every time the holiness of Shabbat, and may I long for and desire very much to welcome the holiness of Shabbat, which comes with extra radiance and extra holiness, until I merit by this to really welcome every single Shabbat with extra holiness and the most tremendous radiance. May I welcome the extra soul, spirit and higher soul every single Shabbat in the greatest possible spiritual level and may I merit to come close to real tzaddikim who are themselves the aspect of Shabbat, as the Sages said. May I feel the pleasantness of their holiness, until, at all times (for many days and years), I will have in mind great sorrow and great longing because of my separation from them after they pass away, just like the group of students of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai used to say when bemoaning the time when he would pass away. Let me merit to think about this and to attach myself so much to the pleasantness of their holiness during their lifetime that, by this I receive from them every time a great and true radiance in my mind, in my heart, in my soul, spirit and higher soul, even after they pass away; for tzaddikim after their death are called “alive”. Even more so, tzaddikim are greater after their death than when they were alive!
Let me merit to hear Torah from the mouth of true tzaddikim and let me really feel the greatness of the wonder and awe of their new Torah insights such that I cannot stop myself from praising them in their presence. By this, may I merit to have revealed to me more wonderful and awesome new Torah insights. So also with the holiness of Shabbat. May I say many praises and sings songs of praise of Shabbat with great happiness, with wonderful desire and great yearning, such that by this I merit to receive, even more so every time, the pleasantness of the holiness of Shabbat. Fulfill in me the verse which says: “If you turn away your foot from (violating) Shabbat” etc. “and call the Shabbat a delight, the holy of the Lord and honoured……. Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord and I will cause you to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken”.
127.
A Jew's clothes should always be without blemish and not torn. The clothes themselves act as a prosecuting counsel against him if he isn't careful to guard them and honour them properly and doesn't keep them clean.
128.
There are people who are a little kosher; because such a person cares about fear of G-d, he lowers his eyes a little and doesn't look at women. Nevertheless he steals a sideways glance. This is like the Sages said about the evil urge, "they put out his eyes" (Yoma,69B); he blinds the eyes of the evil urge by preventing himself from staring. And even so, the evil urge remains, for he looks out from the side of his eye.
(Prayer 127-128)
Master of the Universe merit me to always wear new clothing that is complete and untorn for You have taught us that clothes are the secret of ‘chashmal’ a protective barrier. However, when clothes are torn this spoils the protection. Merit us to guard our clothes and to honour them properly, keeping them clean.
Please protect me so that I will not look at anything that can damage my eyes even if it is only a moments glance out of the side of the eye. Merit me to fulfill the verses: “Do not follow after your heart and after you eyes” and “ I have mad a covenant with my eyes”.