Once, a young man was traveling home from out of town, trying to arrive in time for Shabbos. He passed through Radin on Erev Shabbos and realized that he would not make it home in time for Shabbos. He decided to stay in Radin for Shabbos, and merited to stay at the house of a relative of his, the Chofetz Chaim.
The young man was exhausted from his travels and decided to take a quick nap before Shabbos started. When he woke up, he saw that it was already very dark outside. The Chofetz Chaim noticed that he was up and greeted him with a warm ‘Gut Shabbos!’ He told him to daven Kabalas Shabbos and Ma’ariv, and then they would have the Seudah.
After he finished davening, the Chofetz Chaim said Kiddush and they washed and had the meal. The young man wondered where the rest of the family was, but thought it was impolite to ask. After Bentching, the Chofetz Chaim wished him a Gut Shabbos again, and left to go to sleep. The young man was not tired, so he walked around the house a little. He was shocked when he saw the clock in the kitchen read 4:00 in the morning!
He thought to himself that the clock must be wrong, it can’t be that late! He went to his room and went to sleep. In the morning, he asked the Rebbetzen if the clock in the kitchen was accurate, and she said it was.
He asked her what happened when Shabbos started and she told him, “You were sleeping so soundly when Shabbos began that the Chofetz Chaim didn’t want to wake you. He also refused to start the Seudah without you, so I made Kiddush for the rest of the family. We ate and then we went to sleep. The Chofetz Chaim stayed up and learned while he waited for you to get up and have the Shabbos Seudah together with you!”
Reprinted from the Parshas Nitzavim 5785 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U Tefilah.
