The Shabbos Storm

דמינו אלקים חסדך בקרב היכלך
We hoped, O God, for Your kindness in the midst of Your sanctuary. (Tehillim 48:10)

A few weeks ago, a ferocious storm swept through the area and knocked out the power for over a million people. Aside from the Shabbos candles burning in the dining room, our house was pitch black. My family and I quickly made our way down to the cool basement because of the intensity of the lightning and violently howling wind outside.

The next morning, the power remained out as well. Without air conditioning, the temperature inside slowly started creeping up degree by degree. Yet it was Shabbos, and the fact that we wouldn't have electricity and air conditioning on a hot summer day did not mean that Shabbos would be cancelled that week.

We put on our Shabbos clothes and walked to shul. We immediately noticed that even though the shuls in the neighborhood did not have power, they were all full as if nothing happened. Sitting in the darkness listening to the Haftara being chanted, I couldn't help but think that Hashem must be getting so much nachas from His people on this day. While the rest of the world was out in search of gasoline and stocking up on food supplies at the grocery store, His people were in shul davening as they always did on Shabbos.

That Shabbos showed me that no power in the world can come between the Jewish people and their Father in Heaven. I may even venture to say that we may have accomplished more on that Shabbos than what we accomplish davening for a whole day on Yom Kippur.