"Divrei Avodah"
I would like to offer a suggestion.
Let's begin speaking divrei avodah instead of (or if would make you more comfortable, perhaps "in addition to") divrei Torah at the Shabbos table.
How does one speak divrei avodah?
Simply by relating how an event or interaction with another person made a positive impact on your avodas Hashem and caused you to do something you previously did not.
When speaking divrei avodah you do not need to know how Rashi, Ramban, or the Abarbanel commented on a particular verse. You do not need to give a summary overview of the events in the parsha or ask questions about the parsha's details. You may not need to even mention the parsha at all!
You do, however, need to be aware of all the messages that Hashem sends you during the course of the week in order to try to internalize them and share them with the people sitting around your Shabbos table.
It will be these personal divrei avodah that your guests take with them when other divrei Torah are long forgotten. Perhaps they will even become seeds that others plant and nurture in gardens of their own.
Let's begin speaking divrei avodah instead of (or if would make you more comfortable, perhaps "in addition to") divrei Torah at the Shabbos table.
How does one speak divrei avodah?
Simply by relating how an event or interaction with another person made a positive impact on your avodas Hashem and caused you to do something you previously did not.
When speaking divrei avodah you do not need to know how Rashi, Ramban, or the Abarbanel commented on a particular verse. You do not need to give a summary overview of the events in the parsha or ask questions about the parsha's details. You may not need to even mention the parsha at all!
You do, however, need to be aware of all the messages that Hashem sends you during the course of the week in order to try to internalize them and share them with the people sitting around your Shabbos table.
It will be these personal divrei avodah that your guests take with them when other divrei Torah are long forgotten. Perhaps they will even become seeds that others plant and nurture in gardens of their own.
5 Comments:
great idea! I really like it.. I'll start thinking of how to implement it in my own life.. (of course i can start by mentioning this post and how it introduced me to the idea.)
i'd still suggest mentioning "divrei torah" simply because Chabad, Breslov, and many other teachings point out that Torah is fuel for our avodah. (and that avodah is chayyei sha'ah while torah is chayyei olam) ..
but i think your highlighting of the difference between divrei avodah and divrei torah (especially their accessibility) is really important in today's world.
Here's a start: My friend and I went to get pans for our chicken before Shabbos. When we discovered they were $2 a piece we let it be known that we were going to bite the aluminum bullet. A random woman in the same isle commented that they're wayy too expensive at Key Foods. She said she gets them much cheaper in Monsey, and then told us to meet her at a corner where she gave us 8 pans for free "B'kavod Shabbos." Mi K'Amcha Yisrael!
I really like it as well!
Yashar Koach!
Great idea. Please let us know how it goes!
surThe Alter Rebbe said we need to live with the times. Meaning that the week's Torah portion is not just a story but a message for how to live that week of your life.
The beauty of Chassidus is that Divrei Avodah and Divrei Torah are one in the same.
The tachlis of a Jew's general mission in this world is to reveal G-dliness and make a dwelling place for him in this lowly world. Chassidus Chabad and Chassidus Chagas both do this.
So I think the real challange is to speak of Divrei Avodah through your Divrei Torah.
Lubavitcher Rebbe's 2nd Sicha in Chelek Gimmel Parshas Yisro does this by explaining why the Ten Commandments begin with "Anochi" which is an Egyptian word. the Sicha transforms a Divrei Torah into Divrei Avodah.
May we merit the coming of Moshiach before Shabbos!
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