11 Feb THE BRACHA

I recently heard a true life story that spoke
volumes.
It was in the mid-70s. A young successful
entrepreneur went to the Lubavitcher Rebbe
zt”l for a bracha. A bracha for continued
success. For good health and happiness. For
tranquility at home and peace of mind. For an
all-in-all good life.
The Rebbe listened and gazed intently into
the young man’s eyes. “You want HaShem’s
blessings, but what are doing for HaShem. Do
you keep kosher?” The young man lowered his
eyes and quietly answered no. “Do you keep
Shabbos?” Another no.
The Rebbe continued. “If I ask you to do just
one thing – will you commit?”
He wanted the bracha. Badly. One thing,
that I could handle, he reasoned. He looked
up, and answered in the affirmative. Like the
Jewish people at Sinai, who answered na’aseh
v’nishma, we will do and will listen, he too,
committed to doing before even knowing what
the one thing was. It was his personal na’aseh
v’nishma moment.
The Rebbe told the “bracha seeker” to make

Friday night, Shabbos. To bring Shabbos to
his table. To light candles and make Kiddush.
To stay home and make family time. To make
time for HaShem.
The Rebbe gave him a bracha for hatzlacha,
good health, happiness and nachas.
Together with his wife, they brought Shabbos
into their lives. Every Friday night. Whether
he was home or away. Nothing got in the way.
No business meetings. No sporting events. No
social engagements.
One Friday night led to another, and he began
to see the realization of the Rebbe’s brachos.
His children grew up knowing that Friday
night was special. It was sacred. Reserved for
a spiritual connection to HaShem.
How sagacious the Rebbe was. To start this
man on his journey with just one thing to do.
A one thing that held the family together, and
tethered them to HaShem and His Torah.
The bracha seeker realized that as his children
grew older, they would be living their own
lives. If not for the Rebbe’s advice, their Friday
nights would mean hanging out with friends,
running to the mall, or going out to movies or
restaurants. How happy he was to have brought
Shabbos into his – and their – lives.

The Talmud (Shabbos 118b) teaches,
“Kol ha’me’aneg es ha’Shabbos,
Whoever delights in the Shabbos, nosnin
lo mish’alos leebo, is granted his hearts
wishes.” The Gemara is quick to cite a
verse from Tehillim (37:4), that delighting
in Shabbos refers to taking delight in
HaShem.
This Shabbos, we read Parshas Yisro.
HaShem’s giving of the Aseres HaDibros
to Klal Yisroel at Sinai. A monumental
moment in time, never to be repeated in
the annals of history. A moment for all
eternity.
The fourth commandment is the mitzva
of Shabbos. “Zochor es yom HaShabbos
l’kadsho, Remember the Shabbos Day
and keep it holy.” (Shemos 20:8) Zachor,
to remember. Rashi comments, “T’nu lev,
lizkor tamid, Set your heart to remember it
constantly.” Rashi further explains that we
should keep Shabbos in mind as we go about
our daily routine. We should try to emulate
Shammai the Elder, who whenever he spotted
something special during the week, would
purchase it and set it aside for Shabbos.
Erev Shabbos is a time for Shabbos prep.
As the rabbis teach, “Mi shetarach b’erev
Shabbos yochal b’Shabbos, one who exerts
effort on Friday, shall eat on Shabbos.” Rabbi
Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev explains that by
spending time preparing for a mitzva, one
shows how precious the mitzva is to him, the
importance he affords it, his eagerness to fulfill
it the right way. Preparing for Shabbos is one
such example.
Preparing for Shabbos, even doing mundane
acts, should never be considered beneath one’s
dignity. On the contrary, it brings a person
honor. We learn that even if one has household
help, it is a mitzva to personally prepare
something for Shabbos. The Shulchan Aruch
tells us about great sages who engaged in
various chores in preparation for Shabbos. Rav
Chida would cut up vegetables. Rabbah and
Rav Yosef chopped wood. Rav Zeira would
light the fire. Rav Nachman would clean the
house and bring out the Shabbos dishes, while
putting away the weekday utensils.
It was not only gedolim of yesteryear, but
today’s leaders as well. There is a heartwarming
clip of Rav Dovid Feinstein zt”l, as an elderly
man, shopping for Shabbos. It shows him
picking up each fruit, to see if it is up to par
for Shabbos.
Rav Shimshon Pincus zt”l, teaches that
we prepare for Shabbos as if it was a “real
person”. While we don’t say I’m shopping
for Monday, I’m cooking for Tuesday, we do
say I’m shopping for Shabbos, I’m cooking for
Shabbos. Rav Pincus explains that when we
ready our homes for Shabbos, we are inviting
in the Shechina, the spirit of HaShem. Every

Shabbos comes with the opportunity to grow
spiritually, to become closer to HaShem. A
time not just for us to eat and drink, but a time
to elevate and nourish the neshama.
The Gemara relates that HaShem told Moshe
“Mattana tova yesh li b’veis g’nazai, v’Shabbos
shemoh, I have a wonderful gift in My treasure
house, and Shabbos is it’s name.” (Shabbos
10b). My mother, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis
a”h, wrote in her book, The Committed Life,
“If we embrace the Shabbos, if we allow the
Shabbos to take hold of our lives, then G-d lifts
us up and invites us into His private chambers.
And so, every Shabbos that is truly observed
is a taste of the World to Come.”
The war of October 7 began on Shabbos. Even
the secular day, October “7”, hints to Shabbos.
HaShem is sending us messages. To strengthen
ourselves through observing Shabbos. So
many have understood this, and have newly
committed, or enhanced their commitment, to
Shabbos. We derive strength from the words of
Dovid HaMelech in Tehillim, Mizmor l’Dovid,
which we sing every Shabbos, “Even though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil, for You are with
me.” (Tehillim 23)
This past week, on 6 Shevat, was the yahrtzeit
of my paternal grandfather, HaRav Asher
Anshil ben HaRav Moshe Nosson Nota
HaLevi zt”l, the zeide I never had the z’chus
of knowing. My zeide was born on Shabbos
and was niftar on Shabbos. His connection to
Shabbos was the legacy he left behind. A sefer
he authored, Zochor v’Shomor, an anthology
of divrei Torah, connecting each parsha to the
mitzva of Shabbos. Let this week’s dvar Torah
on Shabbos be an aliya for his neshama.