This Shabbos we discussed parsha Bashalach, including
commentary by Rav Yeager. We also
discussed halakhah and customs related to Shabbos meals. I would like to thank Norm for hosting the Kiddush and Learning this Shabbos.
We discussed how the 3 Shabbos meals, known as Seudah, are
very important mitzvah. For these meals
we make a special effort to have our best food.
This is especially important for the Shabbos day meal, considered the most important meal, which ideally should be held before mid day. The model we follow with an early minyan ensures that we fully carry out this mitzvah!
We discussed that if our very best food will lose its freshness, we can have it for the Shabbos night meal. The last meal, Seudah Shlishit is also very important. We should try to save some room for this and have a little something. All 3 Shabbos meals are important.
One of the concepts we discussed related to this is that
mitzvahs can be pleasurable and do not necessarily have to involve effort and work. Having a Kiddush with cholent, potato
kugel, herring, salami, and our favorite beverages can be a very pleasurable thing! But it is very important to understand why we
are doing this. We enjoy the physical pleasure Hashem and our friends provide us. But we have a mitzvah to apply spirituality, especially on Shabbos. That's why it is very important to wash, bench, remember Hashem who is the ultimate source, and learn some Torah as well as eat and drink. The physical pleasures should be used to enhance the spirituality of the day.
We discussed the idea that the mitzvah of having
meals on Shabbos is so important, that it reduces the likelihood and/or
experience of Gehinnom. It order to maximize these benefits, it is necessary to apply spirituality to the meals. David shared
thoughts from his father, Dr. Rav George Schlesinger, on how our concept of
Gehinnom differs from the concept of other religions. We believe Gehinnom to involve a cleansing process, rather
than punishment. It is not
necessarily pleasant, so we should be motivated to avoid it, but it is not
cruel and indefinite either.
We discussed how Purim can actually be the hardest holiday
for us. We discussed how fasting can
certainly be a challenge on Yom Kippur, but it is not that difficult to figure
out what we have to do. However Purim
can be a challenge, as we are heavily engaged in physical pursuits and it is
easy to get lost and forget the purpose of it all. It is very easy to just have fun dancing and partying, and forget the spiritual meaning and apply spirituality.
This Shabbos we discussed parsha Beshalach. We discussed how our redemption from Egypt was sudden. Usually in life changes involve a process and
come about slowly. However, in this case
Hashem did not see us being freed from Egypt with a slow process, and helped us get out in a sudden way.
We discussed how, although we could not leave Egypt as part
of a process, when we make change gradually it is more sustainable. This is certainly true in our personal
life. At least that is my experience, as
a Baal Teshuva. I gradually met people,
participated in events, and became more observant. This process is still continuing with me, and with everyone as we gradually grow spiritually. On the
other hand, there has been times during my life I’ve been a “slave” and was redeemed suddenly, thanks to Hashem and my friends who helped me. So although it may be more sustainable to
make gradual change through our own efforts, it is often necessary for Hashem to
intervene with change that comes about suddenly.
We discussed how after we left Egypt, our journey to receive
the Torah was gradual. This is in contrast
to our leaving which was sudden. In fact
Hashem said he was not going to take us on a quicker route because it was
shorter. Hashem knew that gradual change
would be more sustainable for us, and wanted us to get ready to receive the
Torah gradually. A longer journey to Mt.
Sinai would give us more time.
We discussed how our leaving Egypt was just the
beginning, and how later in our history we will experience the ultimate
redemption if we do our part. It is believed that the
ultimate redemption will include what is known as the messianic era, a time in
which we are fully accepted as Jews, everyone lives in connection with, and
belief in Hashem, and the world no longer contains the types of conflict that currently exist. In our personal life, we can all experience
an ultimate redemption as well. Unlike
some of the earlier redemptions in our life, the ultimate redemption comes about gradually
and involves our own efforts as well as that of Hashem.
This is a summary of what we discussed. No halachic rulings are intended or should be inferred.
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