A Torah Scholar Is Like Shabbos

The gemara in Brachos [47b] has a STRANGE exchange. Rav Ami [no relation to the great Rav Ami of our times] two [people] and Shabbos can combine to make a zimmun. Rav Nachman then wondered, Is Shabbos a person?! Rav Ami explained that what he meant was that two Torah Scholars who sharpen each other in halacha combine to make a zimmun.

What was Rav Ami thinking? Did he not know that Shabbos is not a person?!

Rav Yosef Engel, the late great Poylishe Gaon: Rav Nachman misunderstood Rav Ami and took him literally. But what Rav Ami meant all along what what he said at the end, namely that two Torah Scholars combine for a zimmun. So why did he mention Shabbos? The answer is that he was alluding to the statement of the Zohar in numerous places that a Torah Scholar is called Shabbos.

Rav Sofer [Kerem Yaakov P. 122] adds pilei plaos: The gemara in Shabbos [119a] says that Rav Nachman would carry heavy packages and say, "If Rav Ami and Rav Assi would come, wouldn't I honor them in such a way". The Messilas Yesharim explains [Ch. 19] that Rav Nachman would honor Shabbos as he would honor a Torah Scholar.

Maybe this happened after the gemara in Brachos where he learned from Rav Ami that a Torah Scholar is like Shabbos.

Shabbos is called by the Zohar the day of the neshama [yoma di'nishmisin]. A Torah Scholar learns Torah and adds a lot to his neshama.

May we all be zocheh to be like Shabbos.

GOOD SHABBOS SWEETEST FRIENDS!!