Who carried the Jewish tradition from generation to generation? Whose unwritten wisdom maintains it? Our unthinking first response might be “the rabbis.” A more thorough, more thoughtful answer would the “the women.”
The indescribable aspects of tradition — the feel of it, the smells of a home, the part that cannot be captured in words, that remain unwritten but deep-rooted — were for generations the domain of Jewish women. Their wisdom has constantly molded the character of Jewish life.
Everybody knows about the holiness of the great rabbis, but no one talks so much about their wives. These holy women, like their husbands, were the always engaged in holiness in thought as well as in action.
There was once a holy rabbi who was very, very poor. Things got so bad that one Friday afternoon, the holy rabbi’s wife had just enough money to buy wine for kiddush, challah, and some fish. She also needed to candles for Shabbos lights, and each candle cost a copper coin. She searched the whole house – once, twice, and three times – hoping to find a copper coin or two that might have fallen on the floor or rolled under a piece of furniture. Sadly, the holy rabbi’s wife found nothing. She was beside herself and she began to cry:
“Ribbono shel Olam, Master of the Universe, how can there be Shabbos without my Shabbos lights? Please, you have to help me – I need just a little help. Please send me money to buy candles for the holy Shabbos.”
The holy rabbi’s wife waited anxiously all Friday afternoon, praying that help would come… Nothing happened. Finally, she couldn’t stand being in the house any longer. She ran outside and stood on a street corner, crying bitter tears: “G-tt in Himmel – G-d in Heaven, it’s almost Shabbos. What am I going to do?”
Suddenly a large carriage pulled by eight strong sturdy horses came racing down the street. When he reached the corner where the holy rabbi’s wife was standing, the driver pulled the reins very hard, and the horses came to a stop. The holy rabbi’s wife recognized the driver immediately, he was one of the wealthiest Jewish people in the whole city, a very handsome young man who was known as a real pleasure seeker. The rich man didn’t know the holy rabbi’s wife. Still he leaned down from his seat high on the carriage and said:
“My dear lady, what’s wrong? Why are you crying so much? I can’t bear to see someone such pain. Please, let me help you.”
The holy rabbi’s wife saw that this man with all of his money, with all of his fine clothes and his reputation for being a pleasure seeker had a heart filled with compassion and love. She said, wiping away her tears: “kind sir, thank you so much for stopping. I really hate to ask you, but do you think you can spare me two copper coins, so I can buy two candles for the holy Shabbos?”
The rich man, began to laugh, “just two copper coins? You know, that I am very, very wealthy. Let me give you more, here’s ten silver coins.”
The holy rabbi’s wife shook her head, “no – I mean, it’s really very good of you, but I cannot accept more than two copper coins. I wouldn’t even ask you for that. Except that it’s l’koved Shabbos, for the honor Shabbos….”
“Well, if you’re sure…” The wealthy man said, and handed her two copper coins.
The holy rabbi’s wife looked at him for a long moment, and then said, “you’ll never know how much this means to me, and I can never thank you enough. One thing I can do for you though, I bless you with the light of Shabbos, and the World to Come. It should shine into your heart for the rest of your life.”
The rich man touched his cap respectfully, bid the holy rabbi’s wife farewell, and continued on his way. The holy rabbi’s wife hurried to buy her two candles and rushed back to her home. She carefully placed them in the special Shabbos brass candleholders, lit the candles waved the holy light toward her and said the blessing over the candles. She stared at the two flames and allowed them to touch her heart and soul and began a personal prayer:
On that Shabbos, the house of the holy rabbi glowed with holy light.
That night, the holy rabbi went to shul to daven. Now, most people are doing well if we can just pray the whole evening service with kavannah, with real concentration. The holy rabbi was different, when he prayed, his soul literally took off and went straight up to the upper realms. This particular Shabbos, when he got to the upper world, he saw that the Heavenly Court was in an uproar. As soon as he appeared, the head of the court called out to him:
“There you are, holy rabbi. We’ve been waiting for you. You know, we’re used to you making trouble for us by blessing all who come to you, many of them are absolutely not worthy of blessing. This time however its your wife, she’s following your example. You know what she’s done? She’s, blessed this pleasure seeker -this do-nothing pleasure seeker- with the light of Shabbos! Now you tell us, does he deserve such an honor? Just look at him now, see what he’s doing…”
The holy rabbi looked down toward the Earth. He saw the rich man driving fast along the road in his carriage. He had an appointment with one of his fancy ladies, and he was already very late.
“Do you see?” The head of the court shouted. “He’s driving on Shabbos! And can you imagine where he’s probably going on this the holiest day of days? You know very well that ‘one who willingly and flagrantly does not keep Shabbos is no longer part of the Jewish community. (Yoreh Deah 2:5)’ “
“I have to admit you’re absolutely right,” the holy rabbi replied. “Let me ask you this, why do you think he lives like he does? It’s because he doesn’t know any better. He’s never tasted the beauty of Torah, he’s never felt the light of Shabbos. Here, I have an idea. Bless him with the Shabbos light for just one hour, and let’s see what he does”
The heavenly court reluctantly agreed.
So heaven opened up all the gates for the rich man. Suddenly, the pleasure seeker felt something new come into his heart, something high and exalted. All at once, the world seemed so beautiful, so special, life itself seems so meaningful, so holy. He looked at himself, and his lifestyle, and it was as if he really saw himself for the very first time. “Ribbono shel Olam,” he cried. What have I been doing with my time? I’ve totally wasted my life!”
The rich man reined in his horse and sat still for a moment, confused. He was clear that he wanted his life to change, but he didn’t know how to begin. Then he thought, “I know where to go.” He turned his carriage around and drove back to the street corner where he had met the holy rabbi’s wife, saying to himself, “it’s time that I learned how to keep Shabbos. And what better place to begin the house where my Shabbos candles are burning…”
Nobody knows the man’s name, but he became a student of the holy rabbi and eventually a great leader in the Jewish community. The holiness of his Shabbos light still fills the world with warmth, love and spiritual awakening.
May your Shabbos lights burn bright and
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)