Parshas Emor 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
שבת הוא לה' בכל מושבתיכם ... (כג-ג)
MASHAL: A Chassidic rebbe was known for the joy he felt sharing Shabbos meals with his disciples. All week they toiled at their work, but with Shabbos they were transformed, their inner holiness emerging. The atmosphere shifted most deeply during the third meal late Shabbos afternoon. As the sun dipped low, the melodies grew somber and the weight of the coming week returned. In those moments, the Rebbe would lift his eyes heavenward and plead, “How long, dear Father? Can’t You redeem us now?”
During one particular third meal, the rebbe’s eyes animated with a strange glow. He banged on the table: “I have it, my beloved disciples! We shall force Hashem’s hand and wage a rebellion against Heaven. The plan is incredibly simple: we will not recite Havdala! If we do not officially conclude the Shabbos, we will never have to return to the weekday world.”
The Chassidim danced and sang joyous tunes long past the appearance of three stars. But soon, their wives began looking for them and one by one, the disciples embarrassedly slipped away to their families. Ultimately, even the Rebbetzin entered the Beis Medrash, reminding the Rebbe that there was necessary work to do and the week had to begin.
NIMSHAL: With tears coursing down his cheeks, the defeated lone revolutionary poured the wine and made Havdala. A voice then echoed from Heaven: “Redemption shall come, and the world will experience a never-ending Shabbos. But this cannot occur until Bnei Yisroel works to be redeemed; until every Jew internalizes the message of the Shabbos and carries its peace into the mundane week, elevating each ordinary day!”