Shabbos is a day when we can be alone with Hashem

“Remember the day of Shabbos to sanctify it.” (Shemos 20:8)

On Friday night when we sit down to our Shabbos meal, the first thing we do is welcome the angels, the holy guests that Hashem has sent into our home, singing “Shalom aleichem! Malachei hashareis.” We also ask them to bless us. But after a few short moments we say, “Tzeis’chem l’shalom!” and bid them farewell, the Slonimer Rebbe notes. Why don’t we beg them to stay? (Rabbi Yaacov Haber, TorahLab)

If this past year of uncertainty has taught me anything, it’s to seize the moment. So when my daughter called to tell me that a friend was going away and had asked if we wanted to stay in her home in the moshav of Beit Chilkiya for Shabbos, I jumped at the opportunity.

It was predicting to be a long winter with multiple lockdowns looming, and the change of scenery sounded good. Even though I’d had to cook and pack all the food, I was in high spirits as we pulled into the winding country road that led to the charming stucco home where we’d be staying.

The house sat at the far edge of the moshav. It was small but boasted a double-story, enormous picture window framed by a curving window seat. From that gorgeous vantage point we could see acres of plowed fields that seemed to stretch beyond the horizon. I felt a peace settle into in my crowded brain.

I bentshed licht to the accompanying music of hundreds of birds serenading the setting sun. Closing my eyes, I thanked Hashem for this haven of peace.

The Slonimer Rebbe answers: Imagine a chassan and kallah at the end of their wedding. They wish a heartfelt farewell to all their guests. They appreciated that they joined in their celebration, but now the bride and groom wish to spend time together alone.

So too with our guests, the angels. They’ve honored us by visiting our home, but now is the time we want to be alone with Hashem on Shabbos.

The men went off on the curving path to shul, and we explored. To the side of the house were grapefruit and lemon trees, their scents mingling with mint and jasmine. The back boasted a hammock, swing, and armchairs, all set under a banana grove. I sank onto a reclining lawn chair, pulled Shloime onto my lap, and together we sang softly, welcoming the Shabbos Queen. The scent of ripe bananas lent an exotic feel to the scene, and the huge expanse of land and sky made us feel like the only ones in the vast universe.

Friday night a huge thunderstorm hit, but watching it from our large picture window, we enjoyed the excitement of seeing lightning streak across the black sky. The power of the thunder rocked the house, adding to our feeling of being safely tucked away.

Why do we greet Shabbos with “Lechu neranenah l’Hashem — Come! Let us sing to G-d”? Is Hashem here more today than He was yesterday? Obviously not, but on Shabbos we can tune in and enjoy the presence of His Shechinah. We can experience a new level of light, holiness, spirituality, and peace. As Shabbos enters, we offer a special welcome to Hashem in our lives. Shabbos is a day of rest, a day of faith, a family day, and a day of celebrating Hashem’s creation of the world. Yet more than that, Shabbos is a day when we can be alone with Hashem.

Life is busy, the world is complicated — there’s always so much to do. Hashem said, Let us have a time that we spend to maintain our relationship, alone, together.

Shabbos day dawned clear and beautiful. We lingered at the Shabbos table, singing zemiros as the bright breeze blew through the windows. In the afternoon we took walks and played with the kids in the many small gardens and paths we found.

Later, I sat once again under the bananas saying Tehillim after Minchah. Breathing in the fresh air, I sent up a silent prayer, thanking Hashem for this oasis of peace and tranquility. And I resolved to take it with me, to seize the moment, the potential every week, when Shabbos peace descends upon my busy household.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 729)