The Secret of the Hidden Spring: The Shechinah is Never in Exile on Shabbos
Lesson No. 25 | Lesson 1 - Tuesday Morning, Parshas Pinchas, 13 Tammuz 5755 at the Yeshiva
From the inferno of the death march from Auschwitz, a miracle is revealed of living waters bursting forth from the mud. Through this chilling event, the immense spiritual level of Shabbos Chazon is explained, when the Shechinah (Divine Presence) leaves exile and dances in the Garden of Eden, even in the darkest of situations.
The Death March and the Terrible Thirst
After the great conflagration in Auschwitz and Treblinka, the surviving remnant was taken out on a death march. Along the entire way, they were not given a single drop of water to drink. People began to faint from thirst, and whoever fainted—the Nazis would run them over with motorcycles and shoot them. Five thousand people set out on the journey, and so, time after time, another ten and another ten dropped away.
The cruelty was incomprehensible. Once, they arrived near a river, and the wicked ones told them to rest on its banks, knowing that people would jump into the water out of sheer thirst. Whoever jumped was immediately shot, and in mockery, they told the survivors: "Do you know why we shot them? We were afraid they would drown; we are protecting you." To increase the torture, they gave them salty things to eat until the thirst burned within them and people fainted. Whoever fainted was killed immediately.
Living Waters from the Mud
Out of overwhelming thirst, people began to lick mud from the ground and suck the moisture from their clothes, and as a result, they suffered from poisoning. Once, they were allowed to rest in a field full of mud, and they lay down in it. Then, one of them stood up and warned everyone: "No one should suck a single drop of water! The water here is rotten and poisoned. Even if you are going to die—do not put a single drop into your mouth!"
When darkness fell and the SS guards fell asleep around them, that same Jew told them: "Now, start digging." They began to dig and remove the mud, ten centimeters and another ten centimeters. Suddenly, a spring was revealed. He instructed them to continue digging to a depth of thirty and forty centimeters, and suddenly, a mighty stream of living waters burst forth. One must always know: wherever there is mud and swamp, if you dig deep enough—you can find pure water.
The Miracle of Salvation Facing the Rifle Barrels
The hundreds of people who remained alive began to drink with excitement. The water leaped to a great height. Suddenly, due to the commotion, one of the SS guards woke up. He saw the leaping water and woke the rest of the guards. They aimed their rifles to eliminate everyone for drinking without permission, and for the "theft" from the soil of Poland and Germany.
But then an open miracle occurred: Suddenly, a terrible shame fell upon the wicked ones. Even though they would always shoot anyone who drank water along the way, this time they turned a blind eye, turned around, and went back to sleep. The Jews drank water until the morning, and in the morning, they continued on their way.
Shabbos Chazon: The Shechinah Goes Out in Dances
This story was told by that same Jew during a sermon on Shabbos Chazon. He brought the words of the Apter Rav (the Ohev Yisrael of Apta), who revealed a tremendous secret about the essence of this Shabbos:
"Shabbos Chazon is the greatest Shabbos of the year. Especially when Tisha B'Av falls on Shabbos, then the Holy Temple is literally built. The entire Shabbos is songs and dances, as it is written that Hashem goes out to dance in the Garden of Eden with the tzaddikim."
Throughout the entire week, the Shechinah (Divine Presence) is in exile, but when the holy Shabbos arrives—the Shechinah dances in the Garden of Eden. Hashem and the Shechinah go out in dances, and now we too must leave our exile. Even if we are broken and crushed, even when we are left as a mere few after our friends were killed before our eyes strange and unnatural deaths—the Shechinah is never in exile on the holy Shabbos!
Whether it is in Auschwitz or on the death march to Dachau, on the holy Shabbos the Shechinah dances and is not connected to all the destruction happening down here. Therefore, we all must elevate ourselves. On the holy Shabbos, there is no exile for the Shechinah; all the worlds rejoice and dance, and Hashem Himself dances with the tzaddikim. How much more so must we fill the Shabbos with songs, dances, and rejoicing. May Hashem help that in the merit of the dancing and singing, the Geulah (Redemption) will come speedily in our days, Amen.
Part 1 of 2 — Lesson No. 25
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