Machshava:

Shabbat 

Collections: Rabbi Weinberger: Vayoshet Hamelech

Description

All physical things in this world that distract us from Hashem are called midbar (desert). Idle speech is termed midbar. Smoke results when opposites, like fire and water, meet. Shabbos 'rises from the weekday' like smoke from the desert. Every Jew is called a virgin because only Hashem, the King, has access to his internal nature. Every virgin taken to the king had to be steeped in spices , including the bitter one 'mor', for six months. We must first taste the bitterness of the physical in order to sanctify it.