Shabbos
There are only two more Shabbosim left in the year. Reb Yechezkel Levinstein zt'l would tell his students every year that if we keep these Shabbosim well, we will be saved from all problems. Chazal say, שמרו אלמלא נגאלין מיד שבתות שתי ישראל, "If Yidden will keep two Shabbosim, they will immediately be redeemed." Reb Yechezkel Levinstein explained that redemption is also for the individual. When a Yid keeps two Shabbosim properly, he will be saved from all of his tzaros. (The Chidushei HaRim zt'l also explains this Gemara similarly.)
Reb Yechezkel Levinstein would say this vort every year before Shabbos parashas Ki Savo, and at the last Shabbos of his lifetime, he couldn't come to the yeshiva due to his weakness and illness, so he sent his son-in-law to tell this vort to the yeshiva.
Reb Shimon Amshinover zt'l said that just as we prepare on the sixth day of the week (erev Shabbos) for the seventh day, for Shabbos, so, too, Elul, which is the sixth month of the year, prepares for the seventh month, for Tishrei.
The Beis Yisrael zt'l compared Elul to tosfos Shabbos, when one adds on from the sixth day to the seventh day. Similarly, Elul, the sixth month, we add on and attach it to the seventh month of Tishrei. This means Elul is mesugal for parnassah, as tosfos Shabbos is mesugal for parnassah.
The Unique Praise of Shabbos
It states in this week's parashah (26:17-18) היום האמירך 'וה ...היום האמרת 'ה את. The words האמרת and האמירך are difficult to translate. Rashi writes that these words (in such a context) aren't found anywhere else in Tanach.
The Or Zarua (Hilchos Shabbos 42) says that האמרת means praise and היום refers to Shabbos. היום האמרת 'ה את means we praise Hashem on Shabbos Kodesh. היום האמירך 'ה means that HaKadosh Baruch Hu enjoys our praise more than He desires the praise of the malachei hashares.
We quote: "The pesukei d'Zimra of Shabbos is longer than of a weekday because on Shabbos, HaKadosh Baruch Hu doesn't want the praise of the malachim. He only wants to hear praise from the Jewish nation. The Midrash states on the pasuk (Yeshaya 6:2) לאחד כנפים שש לאחד כנפים שש, 'Six wings to one, six wings to one,' that the malachim sing during the six days of the week, each day they sing with another wing. On Shabbos, the malachim say to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, 'Ribono Shel Olam, we do not have a wing to sing before You! Give us another wing so we can sing.' HaKadosh Baruch Hu replied, 'I have a wing on earth that sings before me on this day, as it states (Yeshaya 24:16) מכנף שמענו זמירות הארץ, 'From the wing of the earth we heard songs.' I think that this is the intention of היום האמרת 'ה, that on this special day, which is Shabbos [we praise Hashem]. היום האמירך 'וה, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants this praise more than the praise of malachim" (see also Tosfos Sanhedrin 37: who quotes the teshuvos hageonim).
Rebbe Tzvi Hirsh of Ziditchov zt'l says that שבת is gematriya נפש בכל אהבה ,לב בכל אהבה מאד בכל אהבה, "Love with the entire heart, love with the entire soul, love with the entire strength." So, we can explain the pasuk, היום הזה, by keeping Shabbos, you will merit to keep the Torah נפשך ובכל לבבך בכל, with all your heart and soul.
