לז”נ יוסף מנחם מנדל בן אברהם הלוי
Being that Eretz Yisroel is one parsha ahead of chutz la’aretz, I wanted to wait until this week to share a Shabbos song that was inspired by a midrash on Parshas Beha’aloscha. {For those who would like to read a Musical Note related to Parshas Shelach, an Eretz Yisroeldik’e write-up on “Yerushalayim” from Journeys III awaits you on this website – please feel free to indulge.}
To be sure that everyone who reads these, sometimes unreasonably lengthy posts, comes away with at least A LITTLE enjoyment, I have included another of our famous bonus quizzes at the end of today’s edition. The winner will be notified Sunday night, iy’H. Hatzlacha!
And now onto today’s post!
In Sefer Maggid Meisharim, a collection of deep and insightful thoughts that was told over to the heilige Beis Yosef, Rabbeinu Yosef Cairo zt’l, by his celestial mentor, there is a proof mentioned to dispute and disprove a claim of the Tzeddukim. They argue that the Torah never commanded the mitzvah of hadlakas ner Shabbos, since fire is specifically prohibited in the Jewish home on Shabbos, even if it was lit before Shabbos began. This is ridiculous, cites the Maggid, since the passuk clearly states (Vayikra 35:3): You shall not kindle a fire in all your dwelling places on the day of Shabbos. By virtue of the fact that it says “on the day of Shabbos,” we know that lighting beforehand is both permitted and necessary.
As a result, aside from the well-known explanation given in the Gemara (Shabbos 23b) for the mitzvah of lighting the ner Shabbos for the sake of shalom bayis, we now have a further reason: to counteract and disprove the nonsensical notion of those who wish to distort the words of the Torah by claiming that any form of fire, whether for heat, illumination or enjoyment, is forbidden in a Jewish home on this holy day. Not only are they wrong, but they have totally missed the point of Shabbos, our exalted day of rest!
The following remarkable story gives us an inkling into the splendor and importance that the mitzvah of ner Shabbos has for us Yidden, and even the reverence and respect that the mitzvah receives from non-Jews across the globe:
Approximately 30 years ago, a Jewish advertising executive in New York came up with a brilliant idea. There are so many Jews – religious, and non-religious – who are particular about the commandment to light candles each Friday evening. For some, this is one of the few connections they still maintain to their Yiddishkeit! If he could get The New York Times, considered by many to be one of the world’s most prestigious newspapers, to print the licht bentchen times each week, what a Kiddush Hashem that would be! Imagine the Jewish awareness and honor that would result from such a prominent mention of this Jewish custom each week, not to mention the thousands of women who would now know the exact time to light Shabbos candles.
After speaking to a wealthy patron who loved the idea and agreed to pay close to $2,000 a week for the small notice in the paper, the simple idea came to fruition. For the next five years, Jews around the world would see a short line in the Friday edition of The New York Times that read: “Jewish Women/Girls light Shabbat candles today 18 minutes before sunset….” Unfortunately, the philanthropist was fiscally unable to keep up the weekly advertisements, and in June of 1999, the little notice stopped appearing in the newspaper. After that last week, it never ran again.
However, that’s not the end of the story.
On January 1, 2000, in honor of Y2K, The New York Times ran a Millennium Edition – a special issue that featured three front pages. The first had the news from January 1, 1900. The second contained the actual news of that day, January 1, 2000. The third of these pages was futuristic and fictional, featuring the projected headlines of January 1, 2100. It included items like a welcome to Cuba as the 51st state, a list of issues being handled by a virtual congress, a news piece on the official misuse of weather controlling satellites, and an article regarding miniature pet dinosaurs created by biogenesis. There was also an editorial discussing whether or not robots (think AI), who at this point were actively demanding equality, should be allowed to vote.
But almost lost in the sea of startling, yet, fascinating headlines, the front page contained one more item. Tucked away on the bottom left-hand corner of the spread – in the spot that it occupied for nearly five years – was a familiar caption: “Jewish Women/Girls light Shabbat candles today 18 minutes before sunset….”
Nobody paid for it. It was just there, put in by the Times.
The production manager of The New York Times, an Irish Catholic, was asked about it, and his answer was astoundingly simple, while at the same time a profound revelation of the secret of Jewish continuity. He said, “Look, we don’t know what will happen in the year 2100. It’s impossible to predict the future. But of one thing we can be certain: In the year 2100, Jewish women will still be lighting Shabbat candles on Friday afternoon!”
In a world in which the only constant is change, the paper of note found it obvious that no matter what will be in a century from now, the Shabbos lecht will remain an eternal beacon of warmth and light in the Yiddish’e home.
My friends, there’s a beautiful promise that goes along with this timeless practice, a promise that helped inspire today’s song:
Says the Yalkut Shimoni (Bamidbar 8, remez 719): Hashem tells us, אם (אתם) משמרים נרות של שבת אני מראה לכם נרות של ציון – so dear is the mitzvah of hadlakas neiros to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, that as long as we honor Him by lighting our neiros Shabbos, Hashem guarantees that we will witness His glorious light emanating from a rebuilt Yerushalayim, may it be speedily in our days.
Musician, producer, composer and lyricist Chayala Neuhaus has quietly made her name known in the world of Jewish Music. Credited with close to three dozen songs and with writing lyrics for dozens more, one of her very first compositions, Neiros Shabbos, was written while she was still in high school! This swelling melody, with its uplifting English lyrics, was widely sung in girls’ camps, during school plays, and on Shabbatons. It would be recorded for the first time by the wonderful Yisroel Williger on his 2007 album called Hakadosh Baruch Hu…Chesed, and even featured the brilliant, budding vocals of two of his sons, Moishe & Mordechai, as well.
And as long as כלל ישראל keeps the שבת
Very soon Hashem will also keep His promise
And on that day His candles cast their glow
We’ll be on our way back home to ירושלים
Wishing all of you a radiant Shabbos!
🚨 BONUS! Answer correctly and be entered to win a $15 Gift Card to Mostly Music! 🚨
Besides the various other tunes composed for the aforementioned Midrash, can you name another song that takes its lyrics from the Yalkut of R’ Shimon Ashkenazi HaDarshan of Frankfurt?
For a firsthand account of today’s tale, see “100 Light Years” as told by Mrs. Esther Sternberg, the driving force behind the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s NeSheK (Neiros Shabbos Kodesh) Campaign.

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