Does anyone have a davar Torah on parshat Shelach?

Answer 1

Shelach

The Gemara (Shabbat 118b) relates that if all the Jews kept the laws of Shabbat for 2 weeks in a row then mashiach would come.

In this weeks parsha we came very close...

"The Children of Israel were in the wilderness and they found a man gathering wood on the Shabbat day" (Bamidbar, 15;32). (Note: Rabbi Akiva believes that this man was Tzelofechad, though Rabbi Yehuda maintains that we are not meant to know who he was--Gemara, Shabbat 96b.)

Rashi (15;32) says, "They kept only the first Shabbat, and on the second one this one came and desecrated it." (Note: He either broke Shabbat by plucking, heaping or carrying 4-cubits' distance in a public domain--Gemara, Shabbat 96b.)

Amazing. We came THAT close to bringing Mashiach.

The Gemara (Sanhedrin, 41a) relates that the man was warned to stop breaking Shabbat but he continued. Many commentators note that the man actually had positive intentions. How could this be? What were his intentions? The commentators explain that he wanted to show the nation of Israel the severity of breaking Shabbat, for one who breaks Shabbat is punished with the death sentence. In fact, the man broke Shabbat by performing an action in which he didn't need the outcome for (he didn't need the wood)--which is only forbidden by the Rabbi's, not the Torah. However, he purposely kept his intentions secret so that he would be killed.

Going back, what is the basis behind the guarantee of the coming of Mashiach if all the Jews keep 2 Shabbat's in a row? To answer this question, let's first take a look at the greatness of Shabbat...

The Gemara (Shabbat 118b) relates the rewards once receives for keeping the laws of Shabbat. Anyone who has 3 meals on Shabbat will be saved from the 3 harsh days: 1) birth pangs of Mashiach (which is compared to a woman in labor), 2) judgment in hell, 3) war of Gog & Magog (the war before the coming of Mashiach). Additionally, anyone who makes Shabbat a delight receives an inheritance without boundaries. Furthermore, he is given his heart's desires...etc (see Gemara for full details). Lastly, Rashi (Bamidbar, 15;41) relates that Shabbat is as important as all of the other commandments combined.

Shabbat actually isn't the only mitzvah which is equal to all the other mitzvot combined. Rashi later (Bamidbar, 15;41) states that the mitzvah of tzizis is also equal to all the other mitzvot. Additionally, the Gemara (Peah, 1;1) states that the study of Torah is equal to all the other mitzvot. Furthermore, the Gemara (Bava Batra, 9a) states that the mitzva of tzedaka is equal to all the other mitzvot. Moreover, the Tosefta (Avodah Zarah, 5;2) learns out that the mitzvah of living in Israel is equal to all the other mitzvot. Even further, the Gemara (Nedarim, 32a) states that the mitzvah of bris milah is equal to all the other mitzvot in the Torah. Lastly, many commentators learn out from the Gemara (Avodah Zarah, 3a-3b) that the mitzvot of Sukkah is equal to all the other mitzvot as well.

We therefore have 7 mitzvot which are equal to all the other commandments in the Torah: 1) Shabbat, 2) Tzizus, 3) Torah Study, 4) Tzedaka, 5) Living in Israel, 6) Bris Milah, 7) Sukkah. Now, why are these 7 mitzvot greater than all the other mitzvot in the Torah?

I think we could answer that these 7 mitzvot all have one special thing in common: They all bring unity.

So, why is it that if all the Jews keep the laws of Shabbat for 2 weeks in a row that the Mashiach would come?

I think we could answer as follows: Before Yaakov Avinu died he was about to tell his sons when Mashiach would come. However, as Rashi (Bereishis, 49;1) relates, the divine providence left him and he forgot. The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah, 98;2), however, relates that Yaakov told his sons "Though it is not known when the Day of Judgment will be, I do tell you that the hour you gather and assemble together you shall be redeemed." Therefore, I think we can explain that if all the Jews kept Shabbat for 2 weeks in a row then the Mashiach would come because Shabbat is our day of connection with Hashem, and if all the Jews would unite and connect with Hashem, this would constitute enough to bring the Mashiach.

If ever we could learn the importance of unity, I think we should learn it out from here. The one and only prerequisite for the coming of Mashiach is that the entire nation of Israel be united. Additionally, the factor of unity could be the basis behind 7 mitzvot being as important as all the other mitzvot combined.

Summary: The mitzvah of Shabbat (along with 6 other mitzvot) is so great that it's equal to all the other commandments in the Torah and one who violates it deserves death. Additionally, the mitzvah of Shabbat has the power to bring Mashiach, if all Jews observe all the laws for 2 weeks in a row, for in order for Mashiach to come there must be unity, which is the symbolism of Shabbat between us and Hashem.