Tosfos Shabbos
It is always the right time to discuss Shabbos, but we add that there is a special indication to Shabbos in this week's parashah. One of the songs of Shabbos is מנוח בו מצאה יונה, "The dove found rest on Shabbos." Some explain that the dove is the Jewish nation (who are compared to a dove), and some say that the song alludes to the dove that Noach sent out of the teivah. On Shabbos, it found solace and rest.
We learn from last week’s parashah that the weekdays were cursed, and Shabbos was blessed. The week was cursed as it states לחם תאכל אפך בזעת "by the sweat of your face, you will eat bread." In contrast, Shabbos is blessed, as it states, השביעי יום את אלוקים ויברך אותו ויקדש, "Hashem blessed the seventh day, and He sanctified it."
The Chofetz Chaim zt'l says that the wise will bring in Shabbos early and leave Shabbos late, so they can have more blessing and less curse.
Reb Zalman Sorotzkin zt’l taught, that when a guest asks for another portion, you know that the guest enjoyed the meal. Similarly, when one takes in Shabbos early and leaves it late, tosfos Shabbos, it demonstrates that he loves the Shabbos and wants more of it.
The Rema writes, "The custom is to say רחום והוא and ברכו with a long and pleasant tune [on the Maariv of motzei Shabbos] to add from Shabbos onto the weekday." By drawing out these words, he holds onto Shabbos for a few extra moments. The source is from Rav Hai Gaon, and he promises that those who do so will have immense hatzlachah throughout the week. “This is ומנוסה בדוק, proven and true” (see Shaarei Teshuvah 293:2). He is only adding on a few moments to Shabbos, because how long can a person stretch out these words? Nevertheless, he will be blessed with immense hatzlachah throughout the week, and this is proven to be true! We learn from this that even just a few seconds of tosfos Shabbos are very precious to Hashem and will grant him many brachos.
The Rebbe of Lechovitz zy'a said, "If people would listen to me, they would keep tosfos Shabbos, and they wouldn’t lack anything throughout the week."
Rebbe Noach of Lechovitz zy'a explained that Shabbos is entirely spiritual, and one cannot earn material benefits from Shabbos. Parnassah comes specifically from tosfos Shabbos.
The Sidduro Shel Shabbos (1:4:11) writes that when Yidden are careful with tosfos Shabbos, "They should add the thought...that they are showing Hashem how much they love the Shabbos, and therefore, they add on to the Shabbos... It states (Shemos 16:5), ביום והיה יביאו אשר את והכינו השישי, 'On Friday they will prepare [for Shabbos].' והיה is an expression of joy (see Bereishis Rabba 42:3). This means Hakadosh Baruch Hu has immense joy when we make tosfos Shabbos..."
It states (Shemos 31:16) השבת את ישראל בני ושמרו השבת את לעשות, "Bnei Yisrael kept the Shabbos to make the Shabbos." The Or HaChaim asks about the expression, השבת את לעשות, "to make the Shabbos." How does one make Shabbos? Hashem makes Shabbos, and not us! In one explanation, the Or HaChaim answers, "The [minutes and hours] that one adds from the weekdays to Shabbos, Hashem agrees to call it Shabbos. So, this person made Shabbos – literally. Bnei Yisrael turns a part of Friday afternoon and motzei Shabbos – which are weekdays – into Shabbos."
The Source and Power of Tosfos Shabbos
The primary source is the pasuk (Vayikra 23:32), לחדש בתשעה נפשותיכם את ועניתם, "You shall fast on the 9th [of Tishrei]." Yom Kippur, we know, is on the 10th of Tishrei. Why does the pasuk tell us to fast on the 9th? The Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 9) explains, קדש על מחול שמוסיפין מלמד יום מבעוד ומתענה מתחיל כיצד הא, "The pasuk teaches us to begin fasting when it is still daytime." He should begin fasting on the 9th of Tishrei, to add a few moments onto Yom Kippur. And the Gemara adds that this obligation applies to Shabbos and yom tov, at its beginning and end.
It is remarkable that a human being has this ability. The holy Shabbos belongs to Hashem. How can we create it? But the Torah says that every Yid can. He can turn the weekday into Shabbos.
Chazal (Shabbos 118:) say, ישראל משמרין אלמלי נגאלין מיד שבתות שתי, "If all Yidden keep two Shabbosim, they will be redeemed, immediately." The Yeitav Panim (Shabbos HaGadol 2) says שבתות שתי, "two Shabbosim" refers to the very same Shabbos. Because Shabbos has two parts: the Shabbos that Hashem makes, and the Shabbos that Klal Yisrael creates (with tosfos Shabbos). When Yidden will keep both aspects of Shabbos (שבתות שתי), Moshiach will come.
In other words, this means tosfos Shabbos is mesugal for bringing the geulah. Why? The Yeitav Panim explains: When we make tosfos Shabbos we bring in Shabbos before its time. Hashem acts with us, middah keneged middah. Just as we make Shabbos before its time, Hashem will also bring us the Shabbos of the future – שכולו יום שבת, the era of Moshiach – before its set time.
The Benefits in This World for Tosfos Shabbos
Chazal (Kiddushin 39:) tell us, בהאי מצוה שכר ליכא עלמא, "There are no rewards for the mitzvos in this world." But there are exceptions to this rule. Some good deeds are rewarded in this world, too. One example is tosfos Shabbos. The reward is in this world. The Yeitav Panim writes that when one goes beyond his limited obligation (like when one makes tosfos Shabbos) he is rewarded in this world, too.
One can earn ומזוני חיי בני, children, health and longevity, parnassah, and more from keeping tosfos Shabbos.
Banim, Children
The Arizal would tell those who don’t have children to be careful with tosfos Shabbos at its beginning and at its end and to teach others to do the same because this is mesugal for bearing children (Segulas Yisrael, Banim).
Someone told the Pnei Menachem zt'l that his son went off the derech, r'l. The Pnei Menachem replied, "My father, the Imrei Emes, zt'l, would say that tosfos Shabbos is mesugal for all types of yeshuos. Therefore, I recommend that you, your wife, and your children should make tosfos Shabbos, and use that time to say Tehillim. You will see wonders."
The man says it took just a few days, and his son returned home and did teshuvah sheleimah.
One of the harsh gezeiros that the Yidden in exile had to deal with was the Cantonists, when young Jewish children were forcefully consigned into the Czarist army, and, as a result, were estranged from Yiddishkeit. A committee of Lithuanian Rabbanim sent a letter to Rebbe Mordechai of Lechovitz zt'l regarding the Cantonists decree. The messenger who delivered the letter was Reb Meir of Mir, a student of Rebbe Mordechai of Lechovitz zt'l. When Reb Meir arrived, the Lechovitzer was pacing in his room, saying Tehillim, as he held the Tehillim that he inherited from Rebbe Shlomo Karliner zt'l. After some time, the Lechovitzer said to Reb Meir, "Tell the Rabbanim that if the Lithuanian Yidden will accept Shabbos two...
