Additionally, even though the extra neshama leaves after Shabbos, the Arizal tells us that it does not completely leave until after we eat melavah malkah. This meal, the only one a person is obligated to eat on a regular weekday, serves as the bridge between the lofty status of Shabbos and the regular days of the week. Therefore, it brings the blessing of Shabbos to the entire week.
A Worthwhile Investment
Let us return to the Luz. The Ramchal tells us that when Hashem will resurrect the dead, the body will be recreated in a newer, more spiritual version, in order to give us the ability to receive the spiritual reward of Olam Haba together with our physical body. Until then, the body is so soiled that it almost completely hides the presence of the neshama. The new version of the body will be so pure that we will barely see the body. We can compare this to a crystal vase with an extremely bright light inside. In our present bodies the glass is so filthy that we can barely see the light inside. But once the body is purified, it will be so clear that it will barely be visible because of the bright light shining through it.
This explains why the luz only gets nourishment from melavah malka, whose main purpose is not pleasure, but rather just to escort the Shabbos queen. Since this bone is destined for the task of recreating the body into a more spiritual entity, it can only get nourishment from a meal that has almost no physical aspect to it. The Chazon Ish once commented that one who is not careful to eat a k’zayis of bread every motzei Shabbos is going to really regret it one day. Who does not want to merit the great reward of t’chiyas hameisim!
Now we understand how eating melavah malkah gets rid of those feelings of emptiness that many feel on motzei Shabbos. First, when we give our neshama the nourishment of this lofty, holy meal which helps us prepare for the eternal reward of Olam Haba, the neshama will feel less pain from the departure of Shabbos. Second, this meal helps us realize that we did not lose Shabbos – we greatly benefited from the time spent with the King, and we are taking that with us into the rest of the week. This meal should be eaten with joy, as we escort the King!
Now that we see the importance of melavah malkah, let us make sure that it will accomplish what it is supposed to. No matter what or where we eat – we should ensure that melavah malkah is consumed in a respectable manner as one who is escorting the King. We should also remember that with this meal we are investing in our future – through this we will merit t’chiyas hameisim and the eternal reward of Olam Haba!
