Reb Moshe Leib Sassover zy'a told the following mashal: Someone wanted to invite a king to his home, so he ordered the best food, professional musicians, comedians, etc. Everything was perfect, but he forgot to invite the guest of honor. He failed to invite the king.
Rebbe Moshe Leib said that this can occur on Shabbos. Before Shabbos arrives, everyone is busy preparing for the holy day. Everyone wants Shabbos to be unique. They cook and clean, wear their best clothes, and prepare divrei Torah to tell the family, and they will be immensely rewarded for their efforts. However, when Shabbos arrives, they forget to be happy. It is like forgetting to invite the guest of honor, Shabbos itself. Reb Moshe Leib added that this is hinted at in the pasuk, ukarasa l’Shabbos oneg. Invite the Shabbos as well. Don't forget the guest of honor.
Reb Chaim Brim zt'l heard a Yerushalmi Yid say, "Ribono Shel Olam, You gave me challos for lechem mishnah, wine for Kiddush, and food for the meals. Now, I request that You give me Shabbos for Shabbos." He was saying, "Everything is ready. You gave me everything for Shabbos. Now enable me to experience the joy and holiness of Shabbos."
There is a kabbalistic concept that when one performs a mitzvah, he can merit that a tzaddik from heaven, who in his lifetime excelled in that particular mitzvah, will come to the Yid and help him perform the mitzvah.
The following story is an example of this principle:
Reb Shmuel Azida (a student of the Arizal and author of Midrash Shmuel on Pirkei Avos) once came to the Arizal, and the Arizal stood up for him. Reb Chaim Vital zt’l asked the Arizal why he stood up for his student. The Arizal replied, "I didn't stand up for him. I stood up for the Tana Reb Pinchas ben Yair, who entered with him. Reb Shmuel did a mitzvah today and merited a connection with Reb Pinchas ben Yair."
Intrigued, when Reb Shmuel Azida left, Reb Chaim Vital went out after him and asked him which special mitzvah he performed that day that he had merited this honor. The Midrash Shmuel replied that early that morning, as he was walking to shul for Shacharis, he heard cries coming from a house. Inside the house, he found a distraught family that was robbed that night. The thieves stole their money and clothing. "I gave the head of the household my clothes so he could have something to wear. This is the reason you see me dressed in my Shabbos clothing. I gave away my weekday clothes to that poor family."
Reb Chaim Vital returned to the Arizal and told him what he had heard. The Arizal confirmed that this is why Reb Pinchas ben Yair came to him. The Arizal explained, "Reb Pinchas ben Yair excelled in helping the poor. Therefore, when Reb Shmuel helped this poor family, Reb Pinchas ben Yair came down from heaven to help him perform the mitzvah in the best way."
The Kabbalah sefarim explain that this connection of the souls is for the benefit of the person performing the mitzvah and the neshamah in heaven. The person performing the mitzvah benefits from this connection because it helps him complete the mitzvah in the best possible way. The tzaddik in heaven also gains from it because the tzaddik receives an opportunity to perform another mitzvah in this world. The place for performing mitzvos is this world; therefore, tzaddikim in heaven yearn to help a Yid perform a mitzvah.
Based on these ideas, the Chidushei HaRim teaches the following: Hashem keeps Shabbos as it states, "On the seventh day, Hashem rested." When one observes a mitzvah, he can receive a connection with a tzaddik's soul from heaven who excelled in this mitzvah. Hashem keeps Shabbos. So, when a Yid keeps Shabbos, he can merit that Hashem Himself will help him keep Shabbos properly!
