Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv the "Alter" of Kelm
I will start with a "light" question?
How much do I weigh???
[A heavy question would be how much weight so many of us gained after all of the food consumed in the Yom Tov rich month of Tishrei?]. No really. Stop joking!!! This is SERIOUS!!!!!
Here goes: What is the purpose of creation????
The world was created by Someone. Houses don't build themselves, books don't write themselves, meals don't cook themselves - and worlds don't create themselves!!!!! Someone is behind this incredibly-unbelievably-mind-bogglingly-complex-universe.
So what are we DOING here? What is the POINT of it all?
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
The 64 thou$$$$$$$$$$and dollar question.
The answer is worth 64 BILLION dollar$$$$$$$$$$.
No.
PRICELESS!!!!
Here is the answer [checks should be made out to ....
] We say every Friday night "אתה קדשת את יום השביעי לשמך תכלית מעשה שמים וארץ" - You sanctified the seventh day, the Tachlis [purpose] of the creation of the heavens and earth.
The pasuk says "ויכולו השמים והארץ" - The Tachlis [ויכולו] is Shabbos.
So it's all about SHABBOS!!! SHABBAT!!! SABBATH!!! All three!!!!!
Why is that? All of creation for Saturday? Saturdays are nice but let us keep proportion!!!
Let us explain: What is Shabbos? A day of ........ rest!! שבת שבת יום מנוחה שבת שבת קודש
Hashem created the world for Menucha - rest!! We should be CALM. At peace. Serene. That is what it is all about. That is the goal. Chazal say
מה היה העולם חסר? מנוחה!!! באה שבת באה מנוחה.
The world lacked MENUCHA so that after everything was created and put in place, Menucha - Shabbos was created so that everything should serve that purpose.
What does that MEAN? We are in this world to sit on the couch and chill? To sleep a lot? CHAS VI-CHOLENT!!!!!!
Menucha means INTERNAL calm. מנוחת הנפש!!! Peace of mind. How does one achieve that? One basic way: A person lives with Hashem, knows that everything that happens is for a purpose, knows that Hashem loves him/her, knows that everything will be OK - he/she is at peace. THAT is the Menucha we are discussing. On Shabbos we rest b/c, as Chazal say, we see all of our work as if it is done [כאילו כל מלאכתך עשויה]. NO WORRIES!!!!
. We should live that way ALL WEEK!!! Shabbos is the pinnacle but all week should be Shabbos-dik in that sense. That is why there is a mitzva to say היום ראשון לשבת שני לשבת etc. always remembering Shabbos. We add Shabbos to the weekday by bringing in Shabbos early and letting it out a bit late.
וַיִּקַּח יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן עֵדֶן לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ - Hashem placed Adam in Gan Eden. ויניחהו from the word "מנוחה". For rest.
The plan of creation failed. Man and animal were sinning left and right. Bad stuff. Illicit relationships, stealing and general G-dlessness. So a Mabul was necessary. But fortunately the world went on. Based on whom?
NOACH!!! What does that word mean? REST!!!!! The new world once again was predicated on Menucha-Noach. The Zohar Hakadosh tells us that Noach was Shabbos. [The Sfas Emes and Shem MiShmuel and many other Sfarim discuss this at length.] The world needs NOACH!! THAT is what it is all about. Revolving around Noach we see the root "נח" numerous times. ותנח-ניחוח-וינחם-ניחמתי-מנוח-חן.
Statistics are SCARY!!! About 20 percent of American adults suffer from severe anxiety. Millions upon millions!!!!! The other 80 percent suffer from mild anxiety.... So much ANXIETY, STRESS, TENSION, NERVOUSNESS etc. etc.!!! So little Menucha!!!!
There are many factors that contribute to this. One is that people walk around with their devices 24/7 and the emails, whatsapps etc. etc. come in at frightening speed and frequency. So much NOISE in the world!! So much talk about how bad things are which makes people more nervous than they already are. The Chazon Ish says that we find Hashem when we have QUIET and time to reflect. Hard to do that in our world.
Young people often live in the future - not now. Old people often live in the past - not now. Middle aged people [like me - next week if I am lucky enough to be alive I will hit the big Five Oh!!!!
] spend part of the time living in the past, and the other part in the future, but so rarely being in the NOW. So sad!!! This year is Shemittah year. A whole YEAR of Shabbos. Complete serenity. Nothing to worry about. The Bracha will come!!!! וצויתי את ברכתי!!!!
BELOVED FRIENDS!!!! Whatta GREAT Avoda!!!! Working on our internal CALM!!!! It will transform our lives!!!!
Have a Shabbos of calm, serenity and TRUE MENUCHA!!!!! Followed by the rest of the year and the rest of your lifetimes!!!!!
Much love and blessings!!!!!
