On one of his journeys, the saintly Rav Yehoshua David of Belz, zt”l, traveled to the great capital city of Vienna. There, he conducted his Shabbos among a gathered assembly of the community, who came together to bask in the sanctity of his presence.
On Shabbos night, the tzaddik conducted his holy tish in the presence of a large assembly. The tish extended into the early hours of the morning, radiating sanctity with reverence and love. The gathering was a profound sanctification of Hashem’s name, as is the way of the righteous.
After the tish, the attendees dispersed, each to his home or lodging, to rest in keeping with the principle that “sleep on Shabbos is a delight,” taking advantage of the few remaining hours before the Shabbos morning davening at Vienna’s great shul.
The saintly Rebbe also returned to his adjacent residence. However, as is the custom of the righteous, rather than going to sleep he immersed himself in the Torah with sweetness and reverence, in line with the teaching that shomer Shabbos indicates that one should not sleep while watching (shomer) over the holy day.
Outside, all was quiet. The tranquility of Shabbos enveloped the world while the tzaddik paced his room, engrossed in supreme devotion to Hashem, His Torah, and the sanctity of Shabbos. Suddenly, through the windows of the nearby beis midrash, he heard a melodious sound: the tune of Torah learning, a voice chanting Gemara with joy, and song. The sound of study continued unceasingly deep into the Shabbos night. It was evident that the learner was entirely absorbed in his Torah, exhibiting remarkable zeal, vitality, fervor, longing, and thirst.
As the Midrash states (Bereishis Rabbah 97:3): “Just as fish grow in water, and when a single drop falls from above, they eagerly receive it as if they had never tasted water in their lives, so too are Yisrael who grow in the waters of Torah. When they hear a new word of Torah, they eagerly absorb it as though they had never heard Torah in their lives.”
The holy Rebbe left his inner sanctum and entered the main hall of the shul to witness this extraordinary scene firsthand. To his great surprise, he found, in the corner of the beis midrash, a Jewish soldier clad in an Austrian army uniform. The soldier swayed fervently over the Gemara open before him, utterly oblivious to his surroundings. His entire being was immersed in the holy text, as is said regarding the word Gemara—that it is derived from the term gumrei (embers)—indicating that one should learn the Gemara with the intensity of a burning fire.
The Rebbe approached the man, greeted him warmly, and inquired about his lodging and provisions, asking if perhaps he lacked a place to stay. The Rebbe offered to host him in his home, providing food and drink in honor of Shabbos and a place to rest.
The soldier responded cheerfully, expressing his gratitude for the Rebbe’s invitation. However, he explained he did not need food or sleep, saying that he was stationed at a camp near Vienna after being drafted into the army.
“Because I fulfilled all my duties as one of the most distinguished soldiers in the unit, I found favor with the commander. I requested that, as a Jew obligated to observe Shabbos, I be excused from work and allowed to come into the city on Shabbos night to study Torah,” he said. “Through Heavenly kindness, the commander granted my request. Since I cannot manage to study much during the week, I need to make up for my learning on Friday night here in the beis midrash.”
The holy Rebbe was profoundly moved by the young soldier’s response and remarked, “Who knows if the coming of the Mashiach is being delayed for the sake of soldiers like this? His exceptional learning brings great nachas to the upper worlds, and every Shabbos, during his study, there is immense joy in the Heavenly beis din! After the redemption, such joy will no longer exist above, as the nations will no longer be able to issue decrees of conscription upon the young men of Yisrael, and this incredible sight will no longer be seen.”
Regarding him and those like him, it is stated in Tanna D’vei Eliyahu (Rabbah, chapter 1):
“The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Yisrael: ‘My children, did I not write in My Torah (Yehoshua 1:8): This Sefer Torah shall not depart from your mouth? Even though you engage in work all six days, the Shabbos day should be entirely devoted to Torah. Hence it was said: A person should always rise early and learn on Shabbos, go to the shul and the beis midrash, read from the Torah, study the Nevi’im, and afterward go home to eat and drink, fulfilling what is written (Kohelles 9:7): Go, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a glad heart. For the Holy One, blessed be He, has no rest except with those who engage in Torah.’”
