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Biography of Yehuda Katz | Archives | This Week's Parsha

BAALOTICHA

"The sons of Aaron......shall sound the trumpets, and it shall be an eternal decree for all generations" (10:8)

Two silver trumpets were blown in the Temple at various times. On Friday afternoon 3 sounds were blown before the onset of the Sabbath to remind the people to stop working. Tractate Shabbos 35b explains the following regarding these blasts: The first blast signaled the stoppage of work in the fields, upon which, the field workers would return to the city. The second blast was a signal for all the shops to close, and the third signaled the people to remove all the boiling pots from the fire in preparation for the Sabbath.

We can , Bezrat Hashem, learn a tremendously deep lesson from these blasts. This is an original Torah thought. Each person has areas in his or her service to Hashem in which they are weaker or stronger. A person might be stronger in the giving of charity, while at the same time needs improvement in setting aside more time for Torah learning. This is readily apparent. The blasts on Friday before the Sabbath can perhaps teach us this concept in a symbolic manner. How so? The field worker represents the very aspects of our lives that needs more improvement because this worker is further from his home than anyone else. He must first enter the city and then proceed to his home. Therefore, when the first blast is blown it reminds us to atleast try to improve the very areas that need the most work. The second blast represents the store keeper that's already situated in the city, yet still needs to return home. This represents the areas in which we have already begun to fix, yet still require additional improvement. The third blast represents the the person that's already home , yet he needs to also make additional preparations for the Sabbath. This represents the areas in which a person has already made tremendous strides in his service to Hashem, but as long as he is alive improvements can be further made even in those areas . A person should never be complacent and comfortable...........The 3 blasts are a wake up call in all areas of our lives .........strong or weak. These ideas can be readily found in the following statement found in Avoda Zarah 3a: " He who has prepared on the eve of Sabbath (this world), will have what to eat on the Sabbath (the world to come)." This means that a person should always strive to improve himself. The blasts help to remind us of this never ending task........Have a good shabbos

 


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