By Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn
R’ Dovid Leibowitz, founder of Yeshivah Chofetz Chaim in New York, was molded in the Slabodka tradition of mussar. In one of his early mussar shmuessen, R’ Dovid depicted a scene that could occur in any Jewish home on any Friday night:
“Imagine a father and his children coming home from shul on Friday night. They walk into their home where they are greeted by the rest of the family. The table is bedecked with the glowing Shabbos candles and the sparkling wine which will soon be used for Kiddush. Everyone gathers around the table, ready to sing Shalom Aleichem.
However, as the father takes his place, he notices that the decorative challah cover is lying flat on the table before him. Someone – either his wife or one of the children – had forgotten to put out the challos! The father gets angry. ‘Who was supposed to bring the challos to the table?’ he snaps.
He then goes on to admonish sarcastically, ‘Is this the first time we have made Shabbos in this house?’ His wife is embarrassed, the children feel humiliated, and any guests present squirm in their places. But what the father does not realize is that the challah cover is beckoning to him with a message of great significance. The Mishnah Berurah (written by the Chofetz Chaim, who was R’ Dovid’s uncle) notes that we cover the challos שלא יראה הפת בשתו, so that the bread (challah) does not see its humiliation. Customarily, when one is about to eat a meal which will include both wine and bread, the blessing on the bread is made first. This is because in the Torah’s listing of the Seven Species, wheat is mentioned before grapes.
At the Shabbos table, though, because of the significance of making Kiddush on wine, the blessing on wine takes precedence over the blessing on challah. The challah, therefore, is covered so that ‘it does not observe its shame’ of being bypassed for the moment.
But in reality, does challah actually have sensitivities? Does it have feelings? Of course not! Yet Chazal instructed us to behave in a manner that conveys consideration and sensitivity to the challos. How much more important is it for us to show sensitivity to human beings who have feelings! Thus, the inconsiderate man, in denigrating his family members in the presence of the challah cover, is actually blind to what lies right in front of his eyes.”
The yahrzeit of R’ Dovid Leibowitz zt”l is on 15 Kislev (1941). May his merit protect us. (In the Footsteps of the Maggid)
Reprinted from the Parshas Vayishlach 5784 email of The Weekly Vort.
