Q:
What should you have in mind when you eat melaveh malkah?
A:
At the melaveh malkah, one of the things we do is we regret that Shabbos is over. And we think: Did we utilize the Shabbos properly? When we sat down to eat, were we thinking of that great principle of briyas ha’olam yesh me’ayin. That’s the great principle, the yesod hayesodos of this world. There’s nothing in the world except the dvar Hashem.
While you were eating the Shabbos seudah did you think about the possuk, בדבר ה’ שמים נעשו וברוח פיו כל צבאם – With the word of Hashem the world was created. Or the possuk, כי הוא צוה ויעמוד – He commanded, and it came into being.
While you were chewing on the challah do you think about the possuk, לעולם שמך דברך ניצב בשמים – Your word ‘Yehi,’ is in the skies. The whole world is nothing but ‘Yehi.’ Hashem could take back His word and the world would collapse into nothing. The whole world is dvar Hashem. Do you think about that on Shabbos? Briyas ha’olam yesh me’ayin!
Or did you think about עולם חסד יבנה, that this world was made for kindliness? מזמור שיר ליום השבת טוב להודות להשם. The song of Shabbos means you have to thank Hashem. What are you thanking Him for? For this world! You’re thanking Hashem for giving us a world. כי שמחתני ה’ בפעלך – You made me happy with Your work. מה גדלו מעשך ה’ מאד עמקו מחשבתך – how deep are Your plans, how great is Your kindliness. במעשי ידיך ארנן – I will sing to You about Your handiwork.
So the second thought as you’re eating the melaveh malkah is, did you think during Shabbos about the chesed Hashem, that the world is full of kindliness, that גדלו וטובו מלא עולם?
Did you think a third thought, that Shabbos is the declaration of the greatness of the Am Yisroel, ביני ובין בני ישראל? The nation that chose to serve Hashem, they came forward and now retroactively we understand that the world was made for them. The world was made for the Am Yisroel that would step forward and choose to be avdei Hashem. A tremendous lesson! The world is made for those who serve Hashem. ביני ובין בני ישראל אות היא לעולם – Shabbos is a sign between Me and you. אתם עידי – you’re My testimony in this world.
So did you think about those things on Shabbos? Oh, it’s a pity! You didn’t utilize the Shabbos properly. So he’s sitting at the melaveh malkah and he says, “Oy, I wasted the opportunity of Shabbos. Next week I’ll make it my business when I sit down to eat, to think about those three things; one, briyas ha’olam yeish mei’ayin. Two, olam chesed yibaneh, and three, beini u’vein Bnei Yisroel.
That’s only the beginning. There’s much more to think about. But at least these three things. And therefore at the melaveh malkah we say to Hakodosh Boruch Hu, “We thank you for the great gift of Shabbos! We’re so sorry it went away! And next time we’re going to make use of the Shabbos even more than now.”
That’s one of the ideas of melavah malkah.
TAPE # E-183
