A Gift of Value
When I was once traveling by train to Lyon, an irreligious man sat down next to me. Seeing my Jewish appearance, he asked whether I knew Rabbi Pinto, to which I answered yes, without letting on that I was he. When he heard my answer, he began cursing out Rabbi Pinto with all the venom he could muster. He blasphemed my name forever after.
I sat in shock. When I asked why he spoke like that, he replied that it was all the Rav’s fault that his son would not come on Shabbat to help him in his business. He also would not eat together with him, claiming the food was not kosher enough.
Once I knew where he was coming from, I felt I was in a position to explain and clarify. I described the greatness of Shabbat and our singular privilege of observing it. I added that Shabbat is one of those mitzvot which a person enjoys while yet in this world, aside from the reward awaiting him in the World to Come.
The longer I spoke, the more I noticed the man’s former expression of ire begin to soften. I saw understanding slowly dawning on his face. Finally, he said that he wanted to apologize to Rabbi Pinto for his original vilification.
“You can ask his forgiveness right now,” I remarked. “He is seated beside you.”
When a person bestows a gift on someone, he wants his friend to appreciate its worth so that he can get maximum pleasure from it. Hashem gave us Shabbat and wants us to enjoy it. The Gemara states (Shabbat 10b), “Hashem told Moshe: I have a good gift in My treasure-house, called Shabbat. I wish to confer it upon Bnei Yisrael.” But in order to enjoy it and cherish it, we must appreciate its tremendous value.
This man did not recognize the virtues of Shabbat and therefore was angry about his son keeping it. But after he heard about it, he became enlightened to its true worth and understood that it is a special gift given to Am Yisrael by their loving Father.
