Shabbat, the day we have ‘extra soul’, is a day dedicated to personal growth. We rededicate ourselves to actualising our God-given potential. And we usher out Shabbat with spices – a comfort for losing our extra soul, and a reminder to continue walking the upward path towards our best selves.

When we rush through life we can lose our spiritual eyesight. Shabbat slows us down so that we can see the world with fresh eyes, acutely aware of the beauty around us, appreciating everything as a gift from God. Living with appreciation, savouring our blessings, feeling grateful for everything we have – that is the secret to happiness.

Now is our chance to seize the gift that is Shabbat.

Here’s your “homework” for the week of Parashat BeShalach and for Shabbat Shira

This year, on the Shabbat of parshat Vayeira, let us begin a journey to a brighter Jewish future, let us model our homes on the home of Abraham and Sarah. Let each of us make our home a sanctuary, a spiritual safe-haven, a place of kindness and warmth, faith and connection, filled with the light and joy of Shabbat.

When we are faced with dark times in a dark world, we have two choices: we can curse the darkness or we can bring light into the darkness.

As Shabbat approaches, we create a place for the additional neshamah by discarding much of the weekday matter we have accumulated.

Senator Joe Lieberman writes: 'Flowers on Friday afternoon is as much a gesture of respect and love for Shabbat as it is one of respect and love for my wife.'

One need not be pious to accept the cherished principle of Shabbat. One merely needs to be a proud Jew,' said Menachem Begin, when he called for El Al to cease operations on Shabbat.

The digital revolution has blurred the lines between time on and time off, and time off is disappearing.

As good as we are at Shabbat compliance, there seems to be one component we can’t shut off, even on the Sabbath: the voices in our heads.

In the unfamiliar world of Shabbat, we are human beings rather than human doings, and what is important is not what we accomplish, but who we are.