04 Feb PARASHAT BESHALAH: THE PRICELESS GIFT OF SHABBAT

The first place Beneh
Yisrael came to after
crossing through the
sea, as we read in
Parashat Beshalah,
was a place called Marah. The Torah
tells us that during the time Beneh
Yisrael were in Marah, they were given
a number of laws (15:25). Rashi lists
the laws which they received at that
point, one of which was Shabbat.
Later in this parashah, we read of the
manna, the heavenly food which began
falling each morning to feed Beneh
Yisrael as they traveled through the
desert.
Each year on Pesach, at the seder,
we sing the song of Dayenu, which
includes the following statement: “If He
had given us the manna, but not given
us Shabbat, it would have been enough
for us.” This line seems to present the
events in the reverse order – implying

that we first received the manna, and
only then received the command of
Shabbat. If Beneh Yisrael were given
the mitzvah of Shabbat before being
given the manna, then why does the
Haggadah imply the opposite – that the
manna came first, before Shabbat?
Some commentators answer by
explaining that there are two aspects of
Shabbat – the law of Shabbat, and the
gift of Shabbat.
Shabbat is both an obligation that we
bear, as well as a precious gift. The
command of Shabbat was given to
our ancestors at Marah, but the gift of
Shabbat was given later.
Of course, we must approach Shabbat
as, first and foremost, a religious
obligation. But that is not all Shabbat is.
Once we get used to observing the law
of Shabbat, we enjoy the unique gift of
Shabbat.

Personally speaking, I observe Shabbat
for myself, just as much as I observe
it for Hashem. I thoroughly enjoy it.
Having the time and peace of mind to
focus on my family is the greatest gift
in the world.
Some people might ask, “But do you
know what my Shabbat table looks
like?! The kids fight and make a mess
– it’s chaos!”
My response is a story told of the
Hazon Ish, who once gave his student
the following blessing: “You should
have a lot of children, and your table
should be upside-down!”
The student asked the Rabbi what he

meant by “your table should be upside-
down.” What kind of blessing is that?

The Hazon Ish explained that if a
person has a lot of children and his table
is not “upside-down,” then his children
are not normal, G-d forbid. Normal

children turn the table “upside-down.”
Shabbat is a precious gift even if the
Shabbat table gets chaotic. Leaving
all our pressures behind, forgetting
about the stresses of the workweek,
and focusing on the children is such
a wonderful opportunity – even if the
house is “upside-down.”
Let us not just observe Shabbat, but
strive to appreciate this precious gift,
and take full advantage of this golden
opportunity to strengthen our bonds
with the most important people in our
lives – our children.