He gives a parable. Everybody loves to hear parables. Well, it’s your lucky day. Here’s the parable of the Minchat Ani. He says there was a man, and the king put him on death row for whatever crime he committed. The man’s wife happened to be connected in the government. She had new friends, the judges, the people. So she said to her husband, “My dear husband, will you allow me to go to the king’s court and petition on your behalf?” He said, “Please, I wish you would do so. I wish you would do so. It’s a matter of hours.” His wife went in front of the king’s court, the majesty’s, and all the princes, and said, “Please, my husband is a good man. He made a mistake. Please, other people have committed worse crimes, and you give them suspension of sentence. You have to do such a...” They saw that she was genuine and had such love for her husband, and therefore they had mercy and said, “You know what? In honor of your wife’s claims and your wife’s begging for mercy, we will acquiesce.” Pardon. They gave a royal pardon.
There was another guy who was also on death row. He saw how easy it was. He said, “Your wife cries a little, crocodile tears, and they let her go.” The problem was, the second guy wasn’t so good to his wife. He was actually a terrible husband to her, to the extent that he was abusive to her, and she had marks on her face and bruises all over her body. But she said, “Listen, that’s my husband, is the life I have. I still go. I have to defend my husband.” So she went to the king’s court and said, “My husband, he’s a good man.” The king said, “Why is your eye all black? Who did that to you? You must say, my husband.” He said, “You defend the one that abuses you? We do not accept such a defense.”
Rabbi Ettlinger said, “We’re married. You know, we’re married too. We’re married to Shabbat, and on Rosh Hashanah we’re being judged. So Shabbat comes to us and says, ‘My dear spouse, should I go to the court? I know the judge. I know everybody. I could, I could.’ Please go. But God forbid, if you don’t keep Shabbat, then Shabbat comes in front of God all bruised up. And God says to Shabbat, ‘Who did this to you?’ The people. They don’t keep me. They carry. They use their phones. They vape. They phone, telephone. Everything they do. You’re going to defend such people? We don’t accept such a defense.’ Only if the bride is kept pristine can the bride defend the husband.” So Rabbi Ettlinger said, “If the Jewish people commit themselves to keep Shabbat correctly, then Shabbat’s claims in court will be accepted. But God forbid, if the Jewish people are not keeping Shabbat correctly, then how do you expect Shabbat to defend you? God is going to say, ‘We do not accept the claim of an abusive wife that’s trying to protect her husband.’ And therefore Shabbat is dismissed from the courts.”
That all depends on us. It means this year we need Shabbat more than anything. Therefore, our contemplation before this high holiday season is to perfect our Shabbat observance. Now, it’s impossible to perfect it to the ultimate degree. There are many laws. But our focus should be, at least we’re making nice to the bride, at least we’re making nice to the spouse, we’re trying to make a reconciliation with Shabbat. But if we don’t reconcile with Shabbat, we don’t have the shofar (ram’s horn), and we don’t have Shabbat. Now what are we left with? We’re left with Satan (the adversary). And Satan, God forbid, once he starts to open his mouth, nobody comes out. Nobody comes out squeaky clean.
Finally, finally. So it’s Shabbat that’s going to protect us. There was a great rabbi. He said, if you look at the language of the Gemara, the Gemara says, “Yom Tov shel Rosh Hashanah shechal lihyot b'Shabbat (Yom Tov of Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat).” He says, “Why does it have to say Yom Tov? Just say Rosh Hashanah shechal lihyot b'Shabbat (Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat).” He says, “No, you don’t get what I’m saying? It’s a Yom Tov. It’s a great day when Rosh Hashanah falls out on Shabbat. It’s a Yom Tov. It’s a great day. But it’s great if you’re able to use the power of Shabbat to defend us.”