24 May BECHUKOSAI

Shabbos

Together with observing the laws of Shabbos, it’s important to tap into the joy and the spirituality of Shabbos. Those who experience the joy of Shabbos, enjoy a taste of Gan Eden every week! When they daven, study Torah,5 and conduct the Shabbos meals, they feel inspired and invigorated, because they are rejoicing with the holiness of Shabbos. In the zemiros of Shabbos, we say, “kol mekadesh shabbat k’rauy lo”. Rebbe Henoch of Alexander zy’a explains that this refers to the people who keep Shabbos with joy, k’rauy lo, as it is appropriate to do, in honor of Shabbos. The zemiros continues, “all those who keep Shabbos according to its laws, so they don’t desecrate it.” This verse refers to the people who keep the laws of Shabbos, but haven’t tapped into the joy of Shabbos. The zemiros guarantees that also for them, “The reward will be very great.” However, ideal and better is when Shabbos is observed “k’rauy lo”, when joy is part and parcel of the Shabbos experience. Reb Moshe Leib Sassover zy’a related the following mashal: Someone wanted to invite a very important person to his home. In honor of this guest, he ordered good food, hired talented musicians and comedians… Cleaned… Increased the lighting… Everything was perfect… But then he forgot to invite the guest. This describes the people who clean the house, cook good food, light the candles, all in honor of Shabbos, but they forget to rejoice with the Shabbos. Everything is ready, only they forgot to invite Shabbos into their homes. Reb Moshe Leib explains that this is the meaning of the passuk, “v’karata l’shabbat”. Call Shabbos. Invite Shabbos. Don’t forget the guest of honor. Reb Chaim Brim zt’l tells that he knew a Yerushalmi Yid who prayed the following tefillah: “Ribono Shel Olam, You gave me challos for lechem mishnah, wine for Kiddush and Havdalah, and all the other food that I need for Shabbos. Now I request, give me Shabbos for Shabbos.” He wanted to experience the joy and holiness of Shabbos as well. To tap into the joy of Shabbos, one should prepare himself spiritually before Shabbos arrives. Friday, in particular, is a day of spiritual preparation. The Gemara says, “When Rebbe was ill [before his demise] Reb Chiya came to visit him, and found Rebbe crying. Reb Chiya asked, ‘Rebbe, why are you crying? We learned that if one dies amidst laughter, it is a good omen for him. If he dies amidst crying, it is a bad sign. If he dies, with his face upwards it is a good omen. If he faces down it is a bad omen. If his face is towards people it is a good sign. If he faces the wall, it is a bad omen. If his face is green it is a bad sign. If his face is ruddy it is a good sign. If he dies on erev Shabbos, it is a good sign (because he will immediately find his rest in heaven – Rashi), but if he dies on motzei Shabbos it is a bad sign. If he dies on Erev Yom Kippur it is a bad sign (because he didn’t yet have the atonement of Yom Kippur – Rashi). If he dies on motzei Yom Kippur, it is a good sign. If he died from a stomach ailment it is a good sign, because most tzaddikim die from stomach problems.”7 Reb Chiya wanted to know why Rebbe was crying, since it isn’t a good omen to die in this manner. Rebbe replied that he was crying over the Torah and mitzvos that he wouldn’t be able to do anymore. Crying in this context is a positive thing, and not a bad omen. The Baal Shem Tov zy’a discusses this Gemara, and asks: A person can plan to be facing people at the time of his demise. And he can perhaps plan to die amidst good feelings, and not amidst tears. Some of the other things mentioned are within a person’s power to control and plan ahead. But a person can’t plan to die on a Friday. He dies, when Hashem takes his neshamah, not when he plans it. So why does the Gemara tell us that it’s a good sign if he dies on a Friday, if there is no practical application? The Baal Shem Tov answered that dying on a Friday doesn’t mean literal death. It means that on the Fridays of his lifetime, he would pretend as though he were dead. He didn’t engage in business, just as a dead person doesn’t. He sat in beis medresh, and was busy with Torah and tefillah the entire day, in order to welcome the Shabbos in the proper spirit. For someone who lives like that, it is a good omen. Most people aren’t able to dedicate the entire Friday to preparing for Shabbos. However, it’s praiseworthy to make part of Friday holy, so he can prepare himself to receive the Shabbos with joy.

Ahavas Yisroel

The Gemara (Bava Metzia 62) discusses the following scenario: Two people are lost in a desert, and one of them has water, but only enough for one person. Who should drink it? Should the owner of the water drink it and survive, or should he share it, and then both will die? Perhaps he should give all of it away, so his friend will live. The Gemara says that the owner should drink the water because, your life takes precedence. The Chidushei HaRim zt’l discusses this Gemara, and says that it appears from the Gemara that one should desire to give all the water away to save his fellow man. This isn’t permitted, as the Gemara says, “Your life comes first” but one should at least want to give everything away so his fellow man can have. This should be our desire, because of our love to our fellow man. A father and son came to a rav. Their problem was that they only had one coat for both of them. The father said, “I’m old, and I suffer from the cold weather. So I should be the one using the coat.” The son said, “I work outdoors, and I need it to keep warm. My father stays indoors all the time.” The rav said he needs a day to think it over. The next day, the father and son returned, but this time they had the opposite claim. The son said, “I think my father should have it, because he’s old and he suffers in cold weather.” The father said, “I think my son should have it, since he works outdoors and needs to keep warm.” The rav excused himself, and left the room. He returned with a coat, and said, “This is extra. You can have it.” They were overjoyed with the solution. They asked, “If you had an extra coat, why didn’t you give it to us yesterday?” The Rav replied, “Yesterday, I heard both of you saying you want the coat for yourselves. So I also wanted my coat for myself. But today, you were both telling me that you want to share and to give, so I also wanted to give.” We should strive to develop this nature of giving, sometimes even when you stand to lose. There are times when it’s not permitted to do so, because “chayecha Kodmin”, but at least this should be your deepest desire. The following story is an example of altruistic giving: It’s about two bachurim, Mordechai Greenfeld and Moshe Engel, who were in a displaced persons camp after the war. They were friends since their youth, and went through the horrors of the Holocaust together. Now they were in the camp, hoping to receive a visa to Canada. Greenfeld received a visa, but Engel’s request was denied. He had typhus when he applied for his visa and failed to secure a bill of good health. When Mordechai Greenfeld was ready to leave to Canada, Moshe Engel came to say goodbye. Engel burst into tears, “I’m happy you’re leaving, but what will be with me? I’m afraid that even after I recuperate, no country will accept me, since I had typhus. I fear that I will never build a bayis ne’eman b’Yisrael.” Greenfeld pushed his visa into Engel’s hands, “Your name isn’t Engel anymore. From now on, you’re a Greenfeld. Go and save your life,” and Reb Mordechai stayed behind in the transit camp. It took a while, but eventually, Reb Mordechai received another visa to Canada. Someone by the name of Weinberger was niftar before he had a chance to use his visa, and Reb Mordechai acquired it and immigrated to Canada. From then on he was known as Reb Mordechai Weinberger. He lived in Montreal (until a couple of years ago, when he was niftar) and Hashem blessed him with financial success. He was zoche to have Torah and gedulah (wealth and Torah) on his table. Reb Mordechai Weinberger once asked his Rebbe, the Imrei Chaim of Viznitz zy’a, whether he should revert to his previous family name, Greenfeld. The Rebbe replied, “Whenever someone says ‘Reb Mordechai Weinberger’ it arouses the memory of how you were moser nefesh for another Yid, in heaven. Why would you want to lose this?” One morning, before Shacharis, Reb Daniel Frish zt’l was learning in the Pshevorsk beis medresh in Antwerp. Rebbe Yankele zt’l (who later became the Pshevorsker Rebbe) went around the beis medresh, from guest to guest, offering a cup of coffee, tea, or anything else they needed. He came to Reb Daniel Frish, and said, “Reb Yid. Do you want a cup of coffee?” “It isn’t proper to speak before Shacharis,” Reb Daniel told him. Rebbe Yankele replied, “Yungerman, the Arizal teaches that before Shacharis one should say, ‘I accept on myself the mitzvah to love my friend like myself.’ Do you think it’s just a mantra, something we just say? One must do it. One must love his friend like himself, and act with ahavas Yisrael.” Years later, Reb Daniel Frish said that this lesson changed him entirely. It reminded him that the ideal of ahavas Yisrael should be translated into deeds, by helping one’s fellow man. Similarly, Rebbe Elozor Mendel of Lelov zt’l said, the best preparation for Shacharis is to help your wife with the children. Because ahavas Yisrael means to act with loving kindness, to help others. Reb Shayela Kerestirer was very active in hachnasas orchim, giving food to Yidden. A great rav once asked him, “Wouldn’t it be better to study Kabalah, rather than to spend hours and hours serving food for Yidden.” Reb Shayela asked him, “What are you studying these days?” “I am learning Shiur Komah” (a kabalistic subject). “I am also learning shiur komah. I’m studying how to erect (komah) and uplift the morale of downtrodden Yidden.” Reb Yaakov Landau zt’l, the Rav of Bnei Brak zt’l, said that in his youth, he was a close chassid to the Resha’b (Rebbe Shalom Ber of Lubavitz) zt’l. During World War One, when the Resha’b went to exile to Rostov, Russia, Reb Landau went together with him. On Shabbos, Reb Landau was the only guest at the Rebbe’s table. Reb Yaakov Landau noticed that one of the Rebbe’s children was looking at him, and smiling. Reb Yaakov didn’t understand what the child found humorous, but then he looked at the Rebbe, and saw that the Rebbe was pretending to eat soup even though his bowl was already empty. He did this so Reb Yaakov would feel comfortable to finish his portion. Rebbe Zusha of Honipoli told the following story to a talmid chacham, who didn’t excel in the mitzvah ahavas Yisrael and other mitzvos towards one’s fellow man: There was a wealthy person who bought an expensive suit. The entire town complimented him for it, and he received a lot of attention. A pauper saw this, and decided that he would also buy such a suit. He sold his house and saved his pennies, and bought the suit. He wanted people to admire him, as they did the wealthy man. But when the pauper came to town wearing the new suit, people were laughing. He didn’t understand. Why did they make a big fuss about the wealthy man when he bought the same suit, and why do they laugh at him? A friend explained to him that the suit is only beautiful when your other clothing is also beautiful. “Your hat is bent out of shape, and your shoes are torn at the toes. The suit looks like a joke on you.” Rebbe Zusha explained to the scholar that it is the same in regards to Torah knowledge. It’s beautiful to be an expert in Torah, but the beauty is only when the person is dressed in ahavas yisrael and good middos of “ben adam l’chaveiro” as well. Otherwise, it can be compared to an expensive suit worn by a pauper in tattered shoes and a battered hat. Rebbe Zusha added that this is learned in the following Mishnah (that we say each morning). The final words, “Talmud torah k’neged kulam” indicate that Torah is only valuable when it is kneged kulam, when one does all the other mitzvos stated before it, such as: honoring parents, doing loving-kindness, hospitality, visiting the sick ill, etc. But if you aren’t keeping these mitzvos, the Torah doesn’t look beautiful on you.