Title: The Song of Shabbos
By Rabbi Yitzchol Alster
Published by Mosaica Press
Hardcover, 231 pages
The Song of Shabbos fills an important function. Every Yom Tov has its own spiritual preparation. On Pesach we prepare the Haggadah, Shavuos has sefira, the Yomim Tovim of Tishrei have Elul. But Shabbos, which is the “the first of the Yomim Tovim,” as we say in Kiddush, seems to be lacking such preparation. Of course, we prepare the house and our Shabbos meals, but how do we make our spiritual preparations? As the Ramban famously says, the more kadosh something, the more that it is destroyed and made materialistic. For many, our preparations for Shabbos are about the chulent and the clothes. Where is the ruchniyus?
The present volume, by Rabbi Yitzchok Alster, is built to help us restore that ruchniyus. Starting from a discussion of what erev Shabbos is, it goes through the various mitzvos and minhagim of Shabbos, and even the unique Shabbasos of the year, and gives us an opportunity to delve into them, and perform them with greater depth.
That alone would be a reason to read this sefer. But there is an added bonus.
One of the great gedolim who opened up the yeshiva world to the discipline of Jewish machshava was the rosh yeshiva of Chaim Berlin, the author of the Pachad Yitzchok, Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt”l. His ability to bring out the important points of each Yom Tov and the associated mitzvos and minhagim was eye-opening in the post-war world. His Yomim Tovim maamarim, given over with the atmosphere of the festival, together with his talmidim, brought a new understanding and emotion to the Yom Tov. He even said that when his sefarim were written, they were only a pale imitation of the actual maamarim, since the printed word lacked the togetherness of the yeshiva atmosphere.
Being too young, I did not have this opportunity. Once, I stood outside the yeshiva on Purim and watched from the outside. Fortunately, I learned from some of his talmidim, which gave me a taste of this experience.
The author, Rav Yitzchok Alster, Shlit”a, had this opportunity. His entire sefer is suffused with the feel and flavor the Shabbos of Rav Hutner. Learning this sefer will bring the Torah of Rav Hutner to your Shabbos. Each part of Shabbos, whether it is how to prepare for Shabbos, what Kiddush is, or how to make Havdala, is enhanced by delving into The Song of Shabbos.
Of the many side points, probably the most interesting is Rav Hutner’s synthesis of the Vilna Gaon and the Baal Shem Tov. Rav Hutner himself came from a Warsaw Chassidish family, studied in the uniquely Litvish Mussar Yeshiva of Slobodka, and had a close relationship with Rav Kook in Eretz Yisroel, with whom he studied the inner dimension of the Torah. When Rav Moshe Soloveitchik traveled to America and temporarily left his young son, Aaron, he chose Rav Hutner to tutor his son in Warsaw. Rav Hutner later gave his disciple a position as a rosh yeshiva in Chaim Berlin. But rather than emphasize the difference between the various parts of Klal Yisroel, he shows us how they are facets of the same diamond.
Throughout this sefer the insight of the Vilna Gaon is joined with the Torah of R’ Tzadok and the Ramchal. All unite together to explain the words of Chazal to bring out the meaning and depth of the various aspects of Shabbos.
Here’s an example of one piece that highlights this breadth of vision:
The author quotes Rav Hutner as saying that from the time of the two greats of the Litvish and Chasidic worlds, the emphasis of our Torah switched from emphasizing the kedusha of Hashem to emphasizing the holiness of Klal Yisroel’s ability to bring out that holiness of Hashem. This is a major thesis, which the author then develops, based on his study under Rav Hutner. For this alone the sefer is worth reading.
The same idea is heard from a confidant of Rav Hutner. When asked about the proper way to learn halacha and agadata, he said the following: In halacha we highlight the difference between the ketzos and the nesivos. In agadata we find the point of convergence between the Maharsha and the Maharal. As this gadol would say, this idea is found in the Talmidim of the GRA (Vilna Gaon), the followers of the BESHT, and the chochomim of Eidot HaMizrach. Convergence rather than divergence is the way to learn agadata.
Since the name of the sefer is The Song of Shabbos, special attention is paid to the zemiros of Shabbos. Shabbos begins with a Mizmor Shir, a double song. Many parts of zemiros are inscrutable. Some are in Aramaic. And most are sung as filler between the fish and soup. But by understanding them, many important concepts of Shabbos are better understood.
In a footnote, Rabbi Alster elucidates a point that many will sing right past. In the song Baruch Kel Elyon, we say that for whoever keeps Shabbos it is like bringing a mincha offering in a pan. Why of all the korbanos is that the one mentioned? The answer will be found when you learn the sefer with all its footnotes. And for that, too, alone it is worthwhile.
After studying this sefer (I am loath to say “reading”) you will be able to infuse your entire Shabbos experience with the depth of Torah and a fullness of emotion that a Shabbos is supposed to be. And along the journey you will be introduced to the world of Rav Hutner and his students as they grew and lived under Rav Hutner’s tutelage.