#192: Machshavah

Rav Chaim Palaggi writes in his Kaf HaChaim about the importance of eating the Melaveh Malkah meal on Motza’ei Shabbat: “The fourth meal [eaten] after Havdalah is hidden and exalted and it saves a person from the “beating of the grave” (a Kabbalistic idea that a person atones for his sins after death by being beaten by the angels) .... Some of the blessing from the holiness of Shabbat should remain for the meals during the week.”

Based on these words of Rav Palaggi, it seems that Melaveh Malkah serves as a type of bridge between the Shabbat meals, which are filled with joy and holiness, and the rest of the meals one eats during the week. If one fulfills the mitzvah of Melaveh Malkah to the best of his ability, then one will thereby extend the special blessing of Shabbat to the meals of the rest of the week as well. This protects one from suffering after death as well. May we merit to fulfill the mitzva of Melaveh Malkah properly and successfully extend the holiness of Shabbat into the rest of the week and merit blessing both in this world as well as the next.

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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.