The Butcher’s Secret
The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (119a) tells that Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba once spent Shabbat in the home of a wealthy man in a town called Ludkiya. When Shabbat began, he related, a magnificent golden table was brought into the room. It was so large and ornate that 16 people were needed to carry it. It had 16 silver chains attached to it, and it had scores of beautiful utensils – bowls, cups, dishes and pitchers – and all different types of delicacies.
When the table was brought, the people there recited the verse, לה' הארץ ומלואה – “The earth and its fill are G-d’s” (Tehillim 24:1). Later, when they removed this table, they announced the verse, השמיים שמיים לה' והארץ נתן לבני אדם – “The heavens, the heavens are G-d’s, but the earth He has given to people” (Tehillim 115:16). (The Maharsha explains that after everybody took their food from this large table, it was removed, and people ate on smaller tables.)
Rabbi Hiyya marveled at this man’s opulence, and he turned to him and asked in what merit he earned such luxury. The man replied that he was a butcher, and whenever he saw an especially high-quality animal, he designated it for Shabbat.
Rabbi Hiyya said, “Fortunate are you for earning this privilege, and blessed is the Almighty who granted you such a privilege.”
The Gemara tells this story to provide proof for a statement which the Gemara had cited earlier regarding wealthy Jews in the Diaspora. Outside Eretz Yisrael, Jews do not have the merit provided by the mitzvot of tithing (תרומות ומעשרות), which are rewarded with wealth, but they have other mitzvot which they can perform through which to earn material blessing. One such mitzva is giving honor to Shabbat, as evidenced by this beautiful story of the butcher of Ludkiya.
Additionally, however, there is a deeper lesson conveyed by this story.
The work Shomreh Shabbat (by Rav Nachman Zev Orbach) offers a profound approach to understanding Rav Hiyya’s experiences in this man’s home, explaining that the golden table symbolizes Torah. The Hebrew word for “gold” –זהב – consists of the letters ז,ה,ב, which correspond to the numbers 7, 5, and 2, which represent the three days of the week when the Torah is read: Shabbat (the seventh day), Thursday (the fifth day), and Monday (the second day). This table was carried by 16 people and had 16 chains to symbolize the 16 aliyot that are read from the Torah each week (3 on Monday, 3 on Thursday, 7 Shabbat morning, and 3 Shabbat afternoon). When Shabbat began, Torah was brought to this butcher’s home. All week long, he worked hard to earn a living and support his family. On Shabbat, he finally had the opportunity to learn Torah, sing zemirot and devote time to his relationship with Hashem. And thus the people announced, לה' הארץ ומלואה – expressing the fact that the Shechinah, the Divine Presence which fills the earth, was now entering this man’s home, as he would be devoting his Shabbat to Torah. The Shomreh Shabbat explained that the table was taken away at the end of Shabbat, when the man again needed to tend to his butcher shop so he could earn a living. At this point, we would expect the Shechinah to depart from his home. But instead, the people announced, השמיים שמיים לה' – expressing the fact that the Shechinah would be remaining with this man even during the week.
Rabbi Hiyya therefore turned to the man and asked, “How did you earn this?” He wondered how the butcher earned this special privilege of having G-d’s presence remain with him even after Shabbat, throughout the workweek, when he devoted his time to his business, rather than to Torah.
The man explained that he earned this blessing by having Shabbat in mind throughout the week. He was always thinking about Shabbat, eagerly anticipating his weekly break from his mundane affairs, and the opportunity to devote his time to Torah and prayer. During the week, he occasionally turned to G-d and prayed that G-d bless him with success so that he could enjoy true peace of mind and serenity on Shabbat and devote the day to Torah. This is how he was able to extend the great blessing of Shabbat into the entire workweek. As he thought about and looked forward to Shabbat throughout the week, he lived with the Shechinah even as he tended to his worldly affairs during the week.
We all need and long for Hashem’s presence, assistance and guidance throughout our lives. This story teaches us that we earn His presence by having Shabbat in mind even during the week, by living all week in eager anticipation of Shabbat, longingly awaiting the opportunity to devote ourselves to Torah. If Shabbat is on our minds during the week, then its special sanctity and blessing will be with us during the week, as well, and we will be worthy of Hashem’s special assistance. This is the great secret of the butcher of Ludkia – a secret that we are all well-advised to learn from and make good use of.