In a small shtetl in Europe, it was Friday night, and as everyone was leaving the Shabbes services, the Rebbe of that town announced:  Shabbes will continue until I say that it will stop.

 

Everyone was quite happy about this, but by Sunday morning people were worried.  The reason they were worried was that with all the halokhes [Shabbes commandments] if you want to sustain a family, not starve, earn a living, be able to carry things around, mail letters, go visit a friend bringing something you want to read with them, that is impossible on Shabbes.

 

There was a small boy in the town that was quite happy about Shabbes continuing.  He didn’t have to go to school, he didn’t have to write anything down, all he had to do was play.

 

It was Monday and it was still Shabbes, it was Tuesday and it was still Shabbes, it was Wednesday and it was still Shabbes, it was Thursday and it was still Shabbes, and every night they would make havdalah in the shul and they would make a “bein kodesh l’kodesh” [between holy and holy] and start Shabbes over again.

 

Friday came and it was still Shabbes.  They had havdalah in the shul as usual, but this time the Rebbe made a “bein kodesh l’chol” [between holy and ordinary days] instead of a “bein kodesh l’kodesh” and everyone was very surprised and happy.   Except for the little boy, who was very sad, because the little boy did not want Shabbes to end.  And as you know after Friday it would be the regular Shabbes.

 

So when the Rebbe saw that the little boy was crying, he was very happy because he saw that the little boy remembered Shabbes and knew that it should be that night and the next day.  And so the Rebbe announced that Shabbes would continue for one more day, and this Shabbes would be a Shabbes of all Shabbeses.  He invited everyone to his house and they had great feasting, and the Rebbe announced that this little boy would be the Rebbe after him. 

 

And ever since, in that little shtetl, people have told this story.

 

 

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This story was inspired by a different story that I didn’t remember all of that involves continuing Shabbes.  I was thinking about it because I was grumpy and sitting on a chair grumpily and thinking.  I think it’s amazing how much being grumpy can do for you.