PARSHAS TERUMAH 5777

“RABBI’S MUSINGS (&
AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh
Parshas Terumah
5 Adar 5777/ March 3,
2017
A colleague once
suggested that whenever an opportunity arises to discuss hashkafa (Jewish
philosophical outlook) with students, I should grab the chance. Last week the
gemara we are learning in class (perek Hakonais) mentioned the concept of
melachos Shabbos, the categories of forbidden labors on Shabbos, so I used that
as a springboard to discuss some Shabbos laws.
During the
discussion one boy made a reference to playing basketball on Shabbos. I replied
that playing an intense game of basketball was inappropriate on Shabbos. Even
if there is no concern of carrying (because there is an eiruv) and therefore no
problem of actual chilul Shabbos (outright desecration of Shabbos), it
still is zilzul Shabbos, “cheapening” the sanctity of Shabbos.   
When I said that,
one of my students muttered loudly “It’s forbidden, like everything else on
Shabbos. So exactly what are we supposed to do?”
It was a strong
comment, and it made me rethink how to present the concept to twenty-first
century American kids. After a moment’s thought I related the following:
On Friday night
after Shemoneh Esrei, in the paragraph that begins Magen Avos, we state,
“Before Him we will serve with fear and trepidation.” It seems strange that on
a day of “Ahava V’ratzon – Love and Favor” we mention feeling fearful
and awestruck.
I continued: “In
a few years, with the help of Hashem, when you get engaged, you will visit the
home of your kallah for Shabbos for the first time. Your future in-laws will
bend over backwards to treat you royally, and there will be a general feeling
of great excitement in the home. They will roll out the proverbial red carpet
and honor you in any way they can. You too will be extremely excited and will
revel in the honor being accorded to you. And yet, you will also feel a measure
of apprehension and nervousness. You will be wary not to tarnish the elite
image they have of you, and you will want to make sure that their joy in
welcoming you to the family is well-founded.
“Although you
will feel somewhat inhibited since you have to act more nobly than you would
otherwise, it will be well-worth the sacrifice, to have the opportunity to
spend Shabbos with your kallah, and to be welcomed in to her family with open
arms. 
“Every Shabbos,
we are elevated and united in the embrace of the Divine, as it were. It is a
day filled with love and closeness. If one can realize that, it is inevitable
that he will also feel a sense of awe and trepidation so as not to desecrate
that holy atmosphere.”
I then added one
more point: “When you are courting your kallah, you will hardly be able to do
enough to honor her and to express your excitement to be marrying her. You will
want to know her favorite restaurants and foods, and exactly how she likes
them. You will want to know her hobbies and what she enjoys, and then you will
seek to capitalize on that knowledge in ways that appeal uniquely to her. You
will not be able to stop thinking about her no matter what you are doing, and
you will hardly be able to do enough to profess your complete devotion to her.
“If you
understand that Shabbos is like our kallah, excitedly awaiting each week for us
to lovingly welcome her in, keeping the myriad halachos has a different
connotation. The laws and restrictions are no longer what we have to do,
but what we want to do.”
I suggested to
my students that they purchase one of the sets of hilchos Shabbos in English,
so that when they have a question regarding hilchos Shabbos, they can look up
the halacha for themselves, and understand some of the background behind the
halacha.   
Psychologists
say that when parents are setting rules in their home, it is best to involve
the children in the parameters of the those rules. This is accomplished when
parents sit down with their children and ask questions like, “When do you think
is a fair bedtime?” or “Which chores would you like to contribute to the
family?” Although, ultimately the parents have the final say and at times must
exercise that parental authority, the more the child feels part of the process
the more he/she will respect the rules.  
In regards to
halacha too, when one understands the basis and logic of the restriction, it is
far easier to adhere to it, and want to adhere to it, than if it is simply
presented as just another prohibition.
I concluded by
telling my student that if Shabbos is so overbearing for him that he will c’v
hate it, then he is better off playing basketball. However, he should at least
be aware that doing so is not ideal. He should aspire for a deeper appreciation
of the great day, when he will realize on his own that playing an intense game
is incongruous with the sanctity of Shabbos.
In general, we
should not be satisfied with just going through the motions and doing what we must
do. Such observance is monotonous, at best. The goal is for us to feel
connected and elevated through every facet of Avodas Hashem.
When Haman sought
to convince Achashveirosh of the detriment of the Jewish nation, he began his
diatribe by saying, “Yeshno am echad– there is one nation”.
The Gemarah (Megillah
13b) explains that “Yeshno” means “Yeshinim – sleeping”. Haman was
alluding to the fact that the Jews were sleeping in their performance of
mitzvos.
Kesav Sofer explains
that although the nation surely observed the mitzvos, they were doing so lethargically
and unemotionally, as if half- asleep. They weren’t derelict in their actual
observance, but they were remiss in the manner and attitude with which they
approached it.
The salvation of
Purim occurred when they ‘woke up’ and reignited the spark of passionate
devotion in every aspect of their observance – (Esther 9:16) “Light, joy,
gladness, and preciousness.”
That is why the
holiday of Purim is such an incredibly joyous and emotionally-charged day. It
commemorates a time of national revitalization, when we ‘came back to life’,
and rediscovered our inner fire, which continues to burn strongly within every
one of us.
Shabbat Shalom
& Good Shabbos,

            R’ Dani and Chani Staum       

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