Thursday, September 20, 2012

Rosh Hashana 31a: May-ain Olam Haba

 It has been taught: ‘R. Judah said in the name of R. Akiba: On the first day [of the week] what [psalm] did they [the Levites] say? [The one commencing] The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, because He took possession and gave possession and was [sole] ruler in His universe.

 

On the second day what did they say? [The one commencing], Great is the Lord and highly to be praised, because he divided His works and reigned over them like a king.

 

On the third day they said, God stands in the congregation of God, because He revealed the earth in His wisdom and established the world for His community.

 

On the fourth day they said, O Lord, Thou God, to whom vengeance belongs, because He created the sun and the moon and will one day punish those who serve them.

 

On the fifth day they said, Sing aloud to the God of our strength, because He created
fish and birds to praise His name.

 

On the sixth day they said, The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty, because He completed His work and reigned over His creatures.

 

On the seventh day they said, A psalm a song for the Shabbos day, to wit, for the day which will be all Shabbos.

 

Rashi explains on the words "for the day which will be all Shabbos" -  ליום שכולו שבת - שעתיד העולם להיות חרב ואין אדם, וכל המלאכות שובתות על אותו יום אומרים שיר של שבחו עכ"ל .

 

In the future the world will be destroyed and there will be no man and all of the melachos will be suspended. About that day we say a song of praise.

 

The Braisa continues: Said Rav Nechemiah: What grounds had the Sages for making a difference between these sections [the psalms for the first six days, all of which they take to refer to the past, and that for the seventh day, which they take to refer to the future]? No. On the first day [the reason for the psalm said is] because He took possession and gave possession and was [sole] ruler in His world; on the second day because He divided and ruled over them; on the third day because He revealed the earth in His wisdom and established the world for His community;on the fourth day, because He created the sun and the moon and will one day punish those who serve them; on the fifth day because He created birds and fishes to praise His name; on the sixth day because He completed His work and reigned over His creatures; on the seventh day, because He rested.

 

We see from this gemara that Shabbos has a dual theme. It is both in memory of the creation of the world [and yetzias mitzraim as we say in Kiddush] and the future Shabbos at the end of days. We have to understand how one day encompasses two seemingly different aspects.

Maran HaRav Hutner discussed this in numerous places. The source that Shabbos is may-ain olam haba is in the medrash on the pasuk "Es Shabsosai  tishmoru etc. Ani Hashem mekadeshchem"  - The medrash says "Mahu mekadeshchem – li-olam haba". Explained Rav Hutner that the word "shabsosai" in the pasuk is plural. The gemara in Shabbos learns from the plural "shabsosai" that if the Jews keep two Shabbosos they  will be immediately redeemed. This is the source of the medrash that "mekadeshchem" is referring to olam haba – those two Shabbosos that bring us to olam haba.

 

Rav Hutner also noted that the gemara is not talking about reward and punishment, that if we keep two Shabbosos we will be rewarded with redemption because if that were the case it would have said "mayvee geulah la-olam" or something to that effect. Rather it says "mee-yad hayn nigaleen" which implies that the inevitable outcome of keeping two shabossos would be geula.

 

We must understand these two shabboses and how they bring geula.

 

When we thank Hashem for the world on Shabbos we appreciate not only what we see but also all of the wonders of creation that we do not yet see. As the world develops we appreciate more and more of what Hashem created. Example: For many, many years in order to go overseas you needed to travel by boat. Then we discovered a koach in the briya where if you put some pieces of metal together [and a few more things] you can literally fly. That discovery is "may-ain olam haba" a greater appreciation of Hashem's greatness and all of the wonders we find in His creation. This machine I am using right now didn't exist when I was a child [at least not in its present developed form] where I can press a button here and all over the world people can instantaneously read what I write. So all along we thanked Hashem for these wonders but when they were revealed it was a taste of olam haba and a heightened appreciation of Hashem's wonders.

 

Every Shabbos we thank Hashem for all that is and all that will be in the future but the next Shabbos we taste a little more of that future because of what was revealed during the week.

 

Now we understand the two Shabbasos and what they have to do with olam haba.

[Based on Marbeh Zikaron Vol. 3 page 61 from Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Homnick Shlita]