("Let's table the discussion" is a new Adath Israel Shul initiative where a story or thought is presented in order to stimulate exciting and constructive discussion around our Shabbos table or among friends and children.)
A customer walks into the cell phone store and waits on the line for customer service. After what seems to be an extraordinary amount of time (or what we, who have waited on such lines have come to know as “normal”), she gets to the front and is called upon.
“What seems to be the problem?” the customer service representative asks.
“My cell phone takes way too long to charge,” the customer answers. “I can plug it in for 4 hours and it still only makes it to the 80% point. There must be something wrong with the battery.”
The customer service rep went through the standard initiations and then get a look at the battery of the cell phone. He tested the battery and in all battery function tests, the battery seems to be fully functional.
“Ma’am,” he tells the woman, “There is nothing wrong with the battery. Have you done anything strange with it?”
“Absolutely not,” she responded somewhat frustrated, “After a long day where my phone does play a role, I will plug in the phone for the night. If I get an early start on the day, the next day the battery registers at 60%. Why is that? What is wrong with the phone?”
“Nothing,” explained the customer service rep, “Let me ask you, do you turn off your phone when you recharge it?”
“No,” came the almost obvious reply.
“That’s why your phone is not fully charging,” explained the rep. “For the phone to fully recharge in an efficient manner, you need to turn it off.”
Harav Mordechai Feuerstein Shlita noted that the cell phone story might also help us explain why we seem so concerned with Menucha (rest) on Shabbos. Throughout the Shabbos we ask Hashem “Ritzei B’Minuchaseinu (be pleased with our rest). At Mincha we even try to redefine the Menucha we try to achieve. Why is Menucha such an elusive concept in regard to Shabbos?
Rav Feuerstein explains that when we rest but keep one foot involved in the mundane, run of the mill focus of the rest of our week, then we are not achieving or experiencing the full extent of Minuchas Shabbos. When we understand that the source of Menucha is “Ki MeItcha He Minuchasam” that our Shabbos rest is really in the rendezvous with Hashem and the total break from the rest of the week, we can come out of Shabbos feeling fully refreshed and spiritually recharged.
What can YOU do to enhance your Menuchas Shabbos?
How can YOU recharge?
Let’s “table” the discussion – by discussing it with our children, spouses, families and guests and open an exciting discussion into our homes and community.
