You Will Consume All Nations

Translated from Rabbi Arush’s feature article in the weekly Chut shel Chessed newsletter. The articles focus on his main message: “Loving others as yourself” and emuna.

You know what the hardest thing is? The hardest thing is to believe in the easiest things. People think that great things must be hard and complicated, and they find it difficult to understand the tremendous power inherent in the simple and easy things.  

Rabbi Nachman speaks about this in connection with the Tikkun Klali that he established, which is merely saying ten psalms, something that takes ten minutes or so and is a great tikkun (rectification). Rabbi Nachman says that it will be very difficult for people to do so, precisely because it is so simple and easy, and the world will wonder very much how it is possible to correct such a big and severe sin by doing something so easy. 

Says the Mesillat Yesharim: “Most people imagine that chassidut (meaning, perfect service of the Creator) depends on the reciting of many psalms, making very long confessions, undertaking difficult fasts, and performing ablutions in ice and snow, all of which are incompatible with intellect and reason.”  

If someone would tell you that there is a holy tried-and-true segula (auspicious act) to bring about the downfall of the Jews’ enemies, wouldn’t you embrace it? You would even be willing to make an effort to do so, right? You would be willing to fast for a day or more or devote many hours to saying Selichot and Tehillim (psalms), to take challa (separate part of a dough and consecrate it), to write a sefer Torah. All these are certainly good and important, but none is the main thing. 

Conversely, if someone told you that the greatest segula is to eat a good meal, you would probably belittle such a segula, because it doesn’t seem to involve any sacrifice and it is not a strange and unusual act. 

You Wouldn’t Have Thought of This Yourself 

So I have a surprise for you! A holy Jew, whom you’ve all heard of, who knew a thing or two about sacrifice and devotion, revealed to us before his death a great secret: 

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, was a tanna (Sage from the time of the Mishna) who lived in a cave for thirteen years buried in the sand, who learned Torah all his life with great devotion and reached the highest levels and the apex of human perfection, and all Jews rely on him because “It is good to depend on Rabbi Shimon in a time of need.” 

Rabbi Shimon’s final hours are described in the Idra Zuta Kadisha, the reading of which is a huge segula in itself, but let’s listen to what’s written there (in translation): 

“I can testify for myself… that all my life I never refrained from the mitzvah of three meals on Shabbat, and therefore I do not need any fast day, because whoever eats those three meals merits complete emuna (faith) and a revealing of ratzon (good will) that makes all the dinim (harsh judgments) submit at their root.” 

Do you understand what it says here? Is that all that Rabbi Shimon had to take pride on in his last hour on earth? This is a great shock for our way of thinking. There are many who, sadly, grade mitzvahs and think that one mitzvah is big and the other little, one important and one less important. Rabbi Shimon revealed to us the awesome kedusha of eating on Shabbat. 

If a soldier would call us from the front and ask what he should work on improving to merit protection and success and victory over the enemies, I think I may assume that no one would think to tell this dear soldier that he should be particular about eating three meals on Shabbat…. 

You Eat and Are Saved 

Therefore, this is the time to urge the Jewish people particularly regarding something so easy and so simple. Most Jews eat two meals on Shabbat anyway, and all one needs to add is one more meal so as to merit great promises and such great things – and all this is within our reach. 

Especially now, when we feel that the times are times of chevlei Mashiach, close to the coming of Mashiach, and our holy Chazal teach us that the segula of the first se’uda (meal) of Shabbat is that one will be saved from the suffering before the coming of the Mashiach; the segula of the second se’uda is to be saved from the judgment of Gehinom, and the segula  of the third se’uda is to be saved from the War of Gog and Magog.  

Please note that anyone who exerts himself to eat the Third Meal affects not only himself, but also all the boys and girls at the front lines, because we are all guarantors for one another, and every act of ours effects the entire world, and certainly our brethren. 

It is clear to me that everyone would be willing to do a lot for the sake of the safety of our brethren, and certainly such a simple and easy thing.  

Practically speaking, this means to make the blessing of hamotzi at all three meals – in other words to eat bread or a pita or challa at all of them. This includes men and women, married or unmarried.  

Yes, yes! You are just eating, and by your eating you are gaining merits and giving them to others as well. Because it might be very easy, but it is not a small thing! If Rabbi Shimon prides himself in it, that means it’s a great thing. If there are such promises attached to it, it means it’s a tremendous thing. 

Knock Out Their Teeth! 

In Likutei Halachot Rabbi Natan says something amazing: 

When enemies start up with Jews, it is called “eating”: “Yisrael is holy to Hashem, His choice harvest – all who eat of him will be held to account. “It is also called teeth gnashing: “The wicked scheme against the righteous, gnashing their teeth at them.” And, accordingly, what symbolizes the fall of the wicked is their having their teeth broken – “You have broken the teeth of the wicked.” 

Rabbi Natan explains according to the words of Rabbi Nachman in Likutei Moharan: “For the main aspect of the holiness of Shabbat is the eating, because eating on Shabbat is completely G-dly, completely holy.” Rabbi Natan explains that when a Jew eats, his act of chewing is not the same as of animals; rather it is what connects the material with the spiritual, and that is why we have 32 teeth, because eating enlivens the heart (לב – lev = 32) and brings upon the person the 32 ways of wisdom. 

And therefore, particularly on our holiest day, which is Shabbat, the sign of the covenant between us and the Holy One, Blessed be He, the root of all our holiness – we are commanded to eat three meals. Here are Rabbi Natan’s amazing words: 

The midrash says like this: “There are three holy things: The holiness of the name of the Holy One, Blessed Be He… and the holiness of Shabbat… and the holiness of Yisrael… From this it was learned that in the future, in the days of the Mashiach the teeth of those who consume Yisrael will be twenty-four amot (cubits) long.” This is a very strange midrash. What is the connection between the three holy things and the enemies of the Jews, and why will they be punished with their teeth? 

Rabbi Natan explains the deep meaning of this at great length, as is his way, and we will bring here the relevant points: 

“Because precisely by eating three meals that are parallel to the three holy things, because precisely by the eating on Shabbat, the 32 ways of wisdom are brought upon the person and the 32 teeth chew the Shabbat foods in great holiness… Then the bloods in the heart, which is the aspect of annulling the klipa of Amalek, which is the sum total of all the wicked, are rectified… That is why the fall of the wicked by way of their teeth particular fits in with the greatness of Shabbat, because all those who stand against Yisrael to eat them and swallow them, as it says, ‘They whistle and gnash their teeth’, their downfall will be caused by the holiness of Shabbat… and all those who disagree with this, who are the klipa of Amalek, their teeth will jut out, for that will be their main downfall by way of the holiness of Shabbat, for the main point of its holiness is the eating, for which teeth are used.” 

It is known that all blessing comes from Shabbat, and especially from the Shabbat meals, as brought in the holy Zohar, that eating on Shabbat brings the blessing to the six weekdays. 

According to this, it is understandable why, when Yitzchak wished to bless his son, he wanted to do it especially by way of eating and delicacies, because the eating of Jews is a great secret, and particularly eating on Shabbat, and the tzaddik is like the Shabbat; all his eating has the aspect of Shabbat eating, and our eating on Shabbat is what protects us from all our enemies and haters and ill-wishers, to protect us from all evil, and it is that that brings about all the blessings and all the salvations. 

Watch this two minute clip by Rabbi Arush about the powerful protection one has from Shabbat: