Shabbos Chazon 2
By: Rabbi Price
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this Shiur Shabbos Chazon-2
I recently saw a Torah sheet called,”Maatamim LeShulchan Shabbos,” that brings a beautiful story from Rav Shalom Shwadron, ztl. They quote the sefer, “Lehagid, Chumash Hamagidim.”
Rav Shalom brings the verse in the Haftora which is in Yeshaya [1:3].
“éãò ùåø ÷ðäå åçîåø àáåñ áòìéå éùøàì ìà éãò òîé ìà äúáåðï-An ox knows his owner and a donkey his master’s trough;
Hashem is complaining that the ox and donkey know their master, but the Jews don’t know Hashem.
Rav Shalom asks, “Did the ox and donkey learn in University to recognize their master? This is their nature that they were born with.
If so, what does Hashem want from us, and what fault is it of ours? Animals know through their nature their owner. However, by us it involves learning and contemplation, so why are we considered worse than the ox and donkey?”
The answer is that Hashem is telling us that we also have been created and implanted with a holy nature to recognize our Master-Hashem!
Just look at even the alienated Jews in the Inquisition and the Ghetttos who when they were being taken to die or be burned for being Jewish, they died with Shema Yisroel… on their lips.
Rav Shlomo Wolbe, ztl, related that when he was in the hospital in
She said that there was not one Jew- be it the most estranged Jew- who didn’t say the verse,“Shema Yisroel…Hashem is One,” when they entered the gas chambers. Tens of thousands of apostates and lawless Jews all recognized their Master and died in the sanctification of Hashem’s Name. may Hashem Avenge their blood!
So we see that even in this lowly generation there existed the holy nature to recognize our Master.
So why is it that there are many that don’t recognize their Master?
The answer lies in the verse-“ òîé ìà äúáåðï- My people does not perceive.”
If a person would reflect and contemplate then he would recognize his Master, but without reflecting he is worse than the ox. With true contemplation a person will reach Loving Hashem, even if he is far from fulfilling Torah and Mitzvahs.
He concludes with a moving story that took place with Rav Chaim Kaniefsky, Shlita.
A father and son came to ask Rav Chaim to be the sandek [the one who holds the baby during he Bris-Circumcision] for the grandson-son. The son was a repentant Jew but the father did not yet keep Torah and Mitzvahs.
Rav Chaim pointed to the Grandfather and said, “You be the Sandek!”
The Grandfather wondered, “ What? Am I worthy of being the Sandek!?
“Yes, I see holiness on your face. You be the Sandek!” responded Rav Chaim.
And so it was. The Grandfather was the Sandek.
After the bris, the Grandfather contemplated about what Rav Chaim had said. He wondered, “Why did the Rav say that he saw on me holiness? Am I holy?
He reflected on the events of his life and remembered something that might explain the Rav’s words.
This is the story that the Grandfather told.
“It was tens of years ago when I was getting ready to get married on the [irreligious] Kibbutz.
Before the wedding, my bride, [the Mother of his son and Grandmother of the recently circumcised child] took me to the outskirts of the Kibbutz and told me the following story.
“You know that I am a holocaust survivor. How was I saved? We were on the train to
I was thrown out and survived and have reached this stage of marriage. A few days ago I asked the secretary of the Kibbutz what Jewish Family Purity is and she said in anger, ‘Oh, it’s nothing!’
Specifically from her anger, I realized that I should clarify the issue. I went to the city and spoke to a Rabbi and he gave me specific instructions how to fulfill this mitzvah. So, now if you agree that we should keep my Mother’s will, then fine. But if not, then I won’t marry you!”
[The Grandfather continued,] “After three days, I gave my consent and we got married. And it seems that because of this, Rav Chaim saw a little holiness in me. Also this is the merit that I was privileged to have children and grandchildren who are keeping Torah and Mitzvahs.
And I am now proclaiming that I have also decided to repent, to keep Shabbos and the other Mitzvahs.”
Here we have the strength of the holy nature of a Jew to recognize his Master.
May Hashem help us to contemplate and reflect on our own life and allow our holy nature to recognize our Master.
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