We say in birkas hamazon ציון בנחמת אלקינו 'ה והראנו מנוחתנו ביום ואנחה ויגון ודאגה צרה תהא שלא, "There shall be no distress and worries on the day of our rest. Hashem shall show us the consolement of Yerushalayim..." The Tiferes Shlomo explains that this means that when we keep Shabbos with joy, it is like we saw the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash.
The Gemara (Shabbos 119.) states, "In what merit do people in galus become wealthy? It is because they honor the Shabbos." The Gemara relates that Reb Chiya bar Abba was at a wealthy man's home and was stunned by his vast wealth. The heavy table, which required sixteen people to carry, was made of gold; sixteen silver chains were attached, and all types of foods and incenses were on it. Reb Chiya bar Aba asked him, 'My son, how did you merit this?' He replied, 'I was a butcher. Every good animal that I had, I decided to keep for Shabbos.'
Reb Menachem Mendel of Patilch zt’l (a grandson of Rebbe Uri of Strelisk zy'a) discusses the dates of the four fast days. They are the 17th (of Tamuz), the 9th (of Av), the 10th (of Teves), and the 3rd (of Tishrei). These dates are gematria 39, the same gematria as אחד ה"הוי. These fasts are to reestablish our emunah in אחד ה"הוי, and in the zechus of our emunah, the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt.
Shabbos in Galus
The Tiferes Shlomo zt'l writes, "It is explained in the writings of the Arizal that in our times, although the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, and we don't have the avodah and the korbanos, nevertheless, nothing is lacking on Shabbos. Shabbos brings us back to the time of Adam HaRishon before his sin. This is the meaning of the pasuk (Vayira 26:2), תיראו ומקדשי תשמרו שבתותי את, 'You shall keep My Shabbos and fear My Mikdash.' This tells us that when you keep Shabbos, it is as if you are in the rebuilt Beis HaMikdash. Shabbos in galus is even greater [than Shabbos during the days of the Beis HaMikdash]... The love is more perfect... When we accept Shabbos properly and with joy, it is considered as though we saw the rebuilding of Yerushalayim. In galus, the Shabbosim are greater than when the Beis HaMikdash stood. This is the intention of the pasuk: אז, in galus, שבתותיה הארץ תרצה, the Shabbosim will be desired... השמה ימי כל, all the days when we are in the desolation of galus..."
In particular, the Shabbosim of the Three Weeks are very lofty and joyous times. The Tiferes Shlomo (Devarim, Shabbos Chazon בחקותי 'בפ ה"ד) writes that this is alluded to in the words (Lecha Dodi) הבכא בעמק שבת לך רב, which can be translated as, "How great is Shabbos in the Valley of Weeping." He writes, "The days of bein hametzarim between the 17th of Tamuz until Tisha b'Av, are the הבכא עמק, 'Valley of Weeping,' and it is then that שבת לך רב, that the Shabbosim are so high, even greater than the Shabbosim of the entire year. This is because during the weekdays there is so much tzaar, so on Shabbos, there is much more joy in heaven. Our tzaar should be that the Shechinah is in galus. However, on Shabbos kodesh, the Shechinah is happy, so we should also be happy. And when we are happy on Shabbos, this causes even greater joy to Hashem yisborach."
The highest point of Shabbos is in the afternoon, at Shalosh-seudos time. This is because, generally, afternoons are a time of din (harsh judgment), and Shabbos turns this time into rachamim (compassion). Whenever din turns into rachamim, it’s an exceptional time. The Yid HaKadosh zy'a taught that in the Three Weeks, all twenty-four hours of the day are a time of din, and the Shabbos turns the din into rachamim. Therefore, during the Three Weeks, the entire Shabbos is a special and sacred time, similar to Shalash seudos time.
