How can we truly stand before the King if we don’t know the King’s protocol? Shabbos is not just another mitzvah—it is an entirely different reality, a world with its own rules. While many mitzvos can be kept by absorbing family tradition and school learning, Hilchos Shabbos demands far more. The details are vast and intricate, stretching from the thirty-nine melachos to countless rabbinic safeguards like muktzah and eruvin. Without careful learning, it is nearly impossible to avoid stumbling. Why is this mitzvah different from all the rest? Because every action on Shabbos is part of standing in Hashem’s presence. Just as the avodah in the Beis HaMikdash required precise adherence to every halachic detail, so too Shabbos requires us to know how to act before the King.

Through the story of Reb Yisrael Diskin and the czar, we see how misunderstanding royal protocol can lead to disaster. If this is true of a human ruler, how much more must we prepare ourselves before the Ribono Shel Olam? Shabbos is the weekly moment when the Shechinah enters our lives—“Bo’i kallah, Bo’i kallah.” The halachos are not technical burdens but the dignity of the palace itself, the way we honor Hashem’s presence in every movement and word. The practical takeaway is clear: we must commit to learning Hilchos Shabbos continuously, at whatever level we can—whether through daily study, kitzur sefarim, or deeper halachic works. By doing so, we elevate Shabbos from habit into conscious avodah, transforming our homes into sanctuaries where the King Himself dwells.

Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Real Judaism series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our daily lessons and timeless Torah insights!

If the King were in the room, would you move differently? Speak differently? Touch things more carefully?

In this stirring episode, Rabbi Klapper takes us deeper into the reality of Shabbos as a royal encounter. Building on the image of standing lifnei haMelech, we explore why even seemingly minor halachic infractions on Shabbos—like tearing a hangnail or tying a simple knot—are treated with extreme gravity. But the goal isn’t fear—it’s awareness. With vivid mashalim from the Persian court, historical anecdotes, and a moving story about a presidential visit, we learn how kavod (honor) for a human king demands restraint, precision, and presence. So how much more so when we're standing in the home of Hashem?

Shabbos isn’t just “a day off.” It’s a kingdom. The palace gates open, and every step we take—from how we dress to how we move our hands—is part of the protocol. The drapes come down, distractions are removed, and we are called to give Hashem our full attention.

Because when the King is here, there’s no such thing as “small.”

Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Real Judaism series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our daily lessons and timeless Torah insights!

Ep. 56 – Extreme Sensitivity

What if the most dangerous thing about Shabbos isn’t what you do—but what you ignore? How do we train ourselves to treat Shabbos like we're truly standing before the King?

In this urgent and emotionally charged episode, Rabbi Klapper explores the concept of poshe'a—spiritual negligence—and why even unintentional mistakes on Shabbos must be taken seriously. From forgotten Eruv Tavshilin to casually fiddling with muxa, he makes the case that small habits reflect deeper attitudes. Shabbos isn’t just a set of rules; it’s standing lifnei haMelech. Just as a soldier in the king’s guard is judged by the shine of his buttons, we too are judged by our awareness, our preparation, and the kavod we bring into Shabbos. Through halachic sources and striking analogies—like a driver who blames his broken glasses for an accident—Rabbi Klapper teaches us that forgetting isn’t innocent when it becomes a lifestyle.

This episode invites you to rethink how seriously you take the “small things”—because when the King is present, nothing is small. Whether it’s how you dress, how you speak, or how you act in private, Shabbos demands our full awareness. And with it, the chance to become who we were meant to be.

Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Real Judaism series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our daily lessons and timeless Torah insights!

If Hashem is always everywhere, what makes Shabbos different? Why is it that the same actions done on Friday feel mundane, yet on Shabbos they carry such weight, depth, and holiness?

In this rich and powerful episode, Rabbi Klapper deepens our understanding of Shabbos by comparing it to the royal palace of a king. Just as entering the king’s inner court demands heightened reverence, precision, and presence, so too does entering into Shabbos. Drawing from Chazal, halacha, and the physical reality of the Beis HaMikdash, we uncover the core idea: Shabbos is the space where Hashem’s malchus is revealed b’gilu. Not just in theory—but in experience. Rabbi Klapper explains how even if we can’t always feel this, we can act our way into awareness. Clothing, behavior, speech—these aren't empty rituals, they're ways to train ourselves to feel the awe of being in Hashem’s presence. Just as the Beis HaMikdash reshaped the people who entered it, Shabbos can reshape us—if we let it.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make Shabbos feel holy—not just look holy—this episode gives you the roadmap. It's not about changing Shabbos. It's about letting Shabbos change you.

Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Real Judaism series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our daily lessons and timeless Torah insights!

Is Shabbos just a day off—or is it a different world? What if the change from weekday to Shabbos isn't just a shift in schedule, but a total shift in identity, in reality, in malchus?

In this eye-opening episode, Rabbi Klapper lays the foundation for a deeper understanding of what it means to live under Hashem's kingship. Drawing parallels between how nations function—with flags, language, clothing, and values—and how Shabbos creates a “spiritual country” of its own, we come to see that Shabbos isn’t one mitzvah among many. It’s a world, with its own culture, rhythm, and leadership. Just as the Jewish people have always maintained their uniqueness—through exile, pressure, and even persecution—Shabbos becomes our weekly declaration: we live in the King's palace. The kedusha of Shabbos isn’t just felt inside; it transforms the streets, the meals, the very air of a Jewish home.

This episode invites you to see yourself not just as a Jew who keeps Shabbos—but as a citizen of Shabbos. And once you live in that world, everything looks different—even Monday.

Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Real Judaism series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our daily lessons and timeless Torah insights!

What if the holiest moments are the ones you can’t describe? What if the real entrance to Shabbos isn’t spoken—but sung?

The moment Shabbos begins isn’t something you can schedule. It doesn’t arrive when the candles are lit or the seudah is served. It crashes into your world like a wave—silent, sudden, and impossible to prepare for. Rabbi Klapper uncovers why the Torah calls it Mizmor Shir L’yom HaShabbos, beginning with the wordless melody (zimra) before allowing in words (shira). That’s not poetic—it’s halachic reality. The Shechinah enters like the moment of death or the day of judgment: sudden, total, and transformative. No matter how much we prepare, the actual experience of Shabbos is always more than we’re ready for.

And yet—we are called to respond. To sing. Not just to float on inspiration, but to translate it into awareness, into action, into change. The song of Shabbos begins where words end, but it cannot stay there. Through rich minhagim, layered metaphors, and the startling honesty of spiritual growth, this episode invites you to enter Shabbos not just as a break from the week—but as a taste of Olam Haba, demanding more from your heart, your voice, and your life.

Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Real Judaism series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our daily lessons and timeless Torah insights!

What happens when you feel something so deeply, you can’t even say it out loud? Can a niggun express what words cannot?

Some moments of connection to Hashem are so deep, so raw, they escape language. In this episode, Rabbi Klapper opens the gates to Zimra—the wordless tune—and Shira—the articulated song—and shows how both are essential for true avodas Hashem. We explore why Shabbos is the day of song more than any other: each tefillah, each seudah, each moment carries a unique melody, a unique way of expressing something that can’t be said directly. But music alone is not enough. Like a seed that never gets planted, pure emotion without translation into words or actions can fade quickly. It must be rooted in Shira—in words, in thought, in details—if we want it to become real.

Drawing from Tehillim, halacha, and a moving analogy from Rav Pinkus, we learn why Shabbos songs matter so much and why they must go beyond performance. They’re not background—they’re transformation. When we sing with kavana, both with and without words, we carry the depth of Shabbos into the rest of our lives.

Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Real Judaism series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our daily lessons and timeless Torah insights!

Why do we sing on Shabbos? What does music express that words alone never could?

In this stirring and soulful episode, Rabbi Klapper opens the door to the world of shira and zimra—two different kinds of song, each with its own power. Shira uses words to praise Hashem, while zimra bypasses speech altogether, expressing a heart so full that no words will do. Through examples from the Beis HaMikdash, the Avodah of the Leviim, and the structure of the Torah itself, we discover that music is not just an accessory to holiness—it’s a gateway. Like a niggun that lifts the soul or a trop that unlocks hidden meaning in the Torah, song connects us to Hashem in a way that reaches beyond thought and straight into the heart.

Shabbos, the day when the Shechinah rests in our homes, is also the day of song—because only through melody can we truly express the joy, the gratitude, and the awe of standing in the King’s presence. This episode invites you to listen more deeply—to the words, the notes, and the silence between them.

Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Real Judaism series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our daily lessons and timeless Torah insights!