Embrace Shabbat

Shabbat Shuva

Published: September 30, 2022
Duration: 04:03

Welcome to a special Shabbat Shuva edition of Embrace Shabbat.

A close friend of over 20 years related the following story about how he became Shomer Shabbat:

This man had a very successful retail store and, while he was religious at heart, he struggled with the nisayon of closing his store on Shabbat. During the busy season, he would pray at the first minyan, go to work, and then return to shul for mincha. However, this man was makpid to not accept an aliyah on a Shabbat that he was later going to work. How could he stand by the sefer Torah if he was going to be mechalel Shabbat later that day? He truly had a relationship with G-d and said to himself, “If I am messing up today, I cannot get an aliyah.”

One Shabbat Shuva, the gabbai came over to him in shul to give him an aliyah. This man refused, explaining that he was going to work later that day. The Gabbai responded that he could not refuse an aliyah! The man finally gave in and accepted. When he got up to the sefer Torah, he started to cry. How could he go to work now if he was getting an aliyah?! And so, he didn’t go to work that Shabbat. Or any Shabbat afterwards.

We cannot judge those people. Halevai, we should feel a relationship with G-d like this man, despite keeping his store open on Shabbat.

Part of the process of doing Teshuva is trying to fix one’s sin. Sometimes the rectification is easy. For example, if a person stole money, he just needs to pay it back. But sometimes it is much harder. What happens if a person used faulty scales in his store and charged everyone a little more than he should. How can he pay everyone back?

There was a grocer who had this problem. He went to Rav Elyashiv, who told him to donate toilet paper in shuls all around Yerushalayim. When a person is stuck without toilet paper, he would pay a lot to get out of his situation! By donating toilet paper, the man would be able to pay back the masses for what he took from them.

How does a person do teshuva for being mechalel Shabbat and causing a lack of Shabbat in the world?

By enhancing Shabbat for others. Last week, we made a pitch about giving out books on Shabbat to children and adults. I was very impressed when a man who watched the video took me up on the offer and emailed me that he wanted to place an order for his grandchildren’s schools. He is sponsoring for each family in the school to receive a Living Shabbat for Kids, Volume I and Volume II, and each staff member to receive a Living Shabbat and Embrace Shabbat for Adults.

This man enhanced the Shabbat of so many families! You can do that too! You can either send me an email at rabbisutton@gmail.com or send money via Zelle to rabbisutton@gmail.com and leave a note that it is for the Shabbat Project. What a great way to fix a lack of Shabbat in the world, by helping other people increase their enjoyment of Shabbat.

Be’ezrat Hashem, we should all be zoche to a happy and healthy year. תזכו לשנים רבות. The zechut of Shabbat should stand for us all- כִּי אֶשְׁמְרָה שַׁבָּת קל יִשְׁמְרֵנִי.