Torah on Shabbos
Rebbe Yehoshua of Belz zt’l traveled to Vienna for medical purposes. His son, Rebbe Yissacher Dov of Belz zt'l, accompanied him. They stayed in Vienna for a few weeks. Reb Yissacher Dov was impressed by a certain bachur in Vienna who was studying Torah with hasmadah throughout Shabbos. Rebbe Yissachar Dov spoke with this bachur, and the bachur told him his story:
“I was drafted into the army and had to work on Shabbos. I asked my commander to let me take off on Shabbos, and in exchange, I would work extra during the weekdays. Miraculously, he agreed! I realized this was a miracle, so I made a kabbalah to dedicate Shabbos to studying Torah.”
Reb Yissacher Dov quipped, “Who knows whether this bachur isn’t holding up the coming of Moshiach. Hashem has so much nachas ruach from his mesirus nefesh for Torah, and this nachas ruach won't be there when Moshiach comes...”
In the Aseres HaDibros, keeping Shabbos is written next to the mitzvah of honoring parents. The Chida explains that the two mitzvos are juxtaposed because a primary time for kibud av v'em is Shabbos. The Zohar states that the chidushei Torah one creates on Shabbos become a crown for one’s parents in Gan Eden, so one can honor his parents through Shabbos.
Ben Ish Chai writes, “One accomplishes a thousand times more with his studies on Shabbos than on a weekday.”
Reb Elyah Roth zt’l said, “A daf Gemara on Shabbos is equivalent to five hundred pages of Gemara on a weekday. One chapter of Tehillim on Shabbos is equivalent to five hundred chapters on a weekday.”
The Chazon Ish zt’l said that if a non-Jew knew the pleasure Yidden have when they study a daf Gemara Shabbos morning before Shacharis, they would convert just for that pleasure.
The Beis Aharon zt’l (p.144) says, “Studying a page of Gemara before daybreak on a weekday is התחתון עדן גן (the lower Gan Eden) and to study a page of Gemara before daybreak on Shabbos is העליון עדן גן (the upper Gan Eden). The Beis Aharon concluded, “If you learn a daf Gemara with iyun (in-depth) before Shacharis, you will say חי כל נשמת differently.”
Reb Yechezkel Abramsky zt’l would say Tehillim chapter ט"קי on Shabbos morning before Shacharis and translate many of the pasukim into Yiddish. For example, he would repeat many times, למדני חוקיך הארץ מלאה 'ה חסדך, “The earth is full of Your kindness; teach me Your Torah.” And in Yiddish, he would say, “Hashem, the world is filled with Your chesed. There are so many pleasures in the world. But I do not ask for any of them. All I ask is that You teach me Torah.”
It states (Tehillim ט"קיi) היום כל תורתיך אהבתי מה שיחתי היא, “How I love Your Torah! All day it is my conversation.” The Chida says that היום means Shabbos. Dovid HaMelech is saying...
