Shabbat Hazon

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. On this Shabbat before Tisha B’av, it is important to recognize the strong connection between Shabbat and the Beit HaMikdash. Every Friday night, we welcome in Shabbat with the singing of Lecha Dodi, written by Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz: מִקְדַּש מֶלֶךְ עִיר מְלוּכָה. קוּמִי צְאִי מִתּוךְ הַהֲפֵכָה רַב לָךְ שבֶת בְּעֵמֶק הַבָּכָא. וְהוּא יַחֲמול עָלַיִךְ חֶמְלָה Beit HaMikdash, the city of G-d’s Kingdom, stand up from the overturned building. It is too long that you are sitting in the deep valley and G-d should have mercy on you. The continuing verses also talk about the Beit HaMikdash and the Geula. What is the connection between Shabbat and the Geula? Rav Shmuel Auerbach z”l quotes the passuk: אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֣י תִּשְׁמֹ֔רוּ וּמִקְדָּשִׁ֖י תִּירָ֑או ּ, you should guard my Shabbat and fear my Beit HaMikdash. The Gemara in Masechet Yevamot (6b) comments that the same term of fear applies to both the Beit HaMikdash and Shabbat. However, the “fear” should not be of Shabbat or the Beit HaMikdash themselves. Rather, just a person does not fear Shabbat, but the One Who commanded us to keep Shabbat, so too, a person should not fear the Beit HaMikdash itself, but the One Who dwells in the Beit HaMikdash. Shabbat and the Beit HaMikdash both have the shechina dwelling inside of them. There is a special fear and happiness that comes upon a person as Shabbat enters, and that same feeling should fill a person as they walk into the Beit HaMikdash. (Today, the Rishonim say that our shuls have the same status as a “mini-Beit HaMikdash” and therefore this sense of fear should fill a person as they walk into a shul). אימת שבת על עם הארץ - even an ignorant man has a sense of fear on Shabbat . Therefore, as Shabbat enters each week, a person should channel that special feeling to remembering the Beit HaMikdash, as a sense of the Beit HaMikdash comes into this world. While this, of course, applies to every Shabbat, it is especially relevant this week, the Shabbat before Tisha B’av. There is disagreement amongst the Rabbis with regard to our Minhagim on the Shabbat of the Nine Days. The Minhag Ashkenaz was not to wear Bigdei Shabbat on the Shabbat of the Nine Days. The Mekubalim, on the other hand, did wear special Shabbat clothing. Similarly, the Gaon of Vilna also said that one should wear Shabbat clothing. Today, the majority of people follow the custom of the Mekubalim and the Gaon of Vilna and wear Shabbat clothing. The Chatam Sofer established the German custom not to wear Bigdei Shabbat. He explained that the Mekubalim truly internalized the feeling of the Churban Beit HaMikdash during the week. Therefore, when the “mini-Beit HaMikdash” came down on Shabbat, they were sensitive to the extra feeling of Kedusha and became uplifted. Therefore, they did not have to show the external mourning through their weekday clothing on Shabbat. However, according to the Chatam Sofer, most people are NOT truly sensitive to the Chorban Beit HaMikdash during the week. Therefore, if a regular person would wear bigdei Shabbat , it would send the message that they felt the mourning during the week, but stopped mourning on Shabbat, which was simply not true. Therefore, they acted in a truthful manner and wore clothing on Shabbat, genuinely admitting that they were not fully in touch with the mourning of the Beit HaMikdash. Today, Sefardim mostly follow the custom of the Mekubalim and Ashkenazim are impacted by the minhag of the Vilna Gaon. We wear Bigdei Shabbat because in truth, we will not fully feel the intensity of the aveilut , even if we wear our weekday clothing on Shabbat. As a result, we instead focus on our observance of Shabbat and tapping into the feeling of its Kedusha. Therefore, this Shabbat is more important than ever to work on feeling the Kedushat Shabbat. Let us take advantage of this special Shabbat of the Nine Days, when we overlook the rules of mourning in order to be more sensitive to the holiness of Shabbat. Let us dedicate ourselves to being extra cognizant to this kedusha , perhaps even tapping into the holiness of the Mekubalim who felt the Beit HaMikdash being “rebuilt” every Shabbat. Tap into the true meaning of Shabbat and the Beit HaMikdash, a place where we could more potently recognize G-d, feel closer to Him, and learn His Torah. Have a Shabbat Shalom.