BH
Reb Shlomo Carlebach z'l
Tasting The All
Imagine my baby made a little drawing, and I will show it to somebody subjectively, they will say “that's a drawing? Looks stupid to me.” But I will look at it and say “this is the sweetest thing I ever saw.” Why so? Because I am tasting my baby in that drawing. I don't see the drawing, I see my baby.
That's what you see, this is what you taste.
Now imagine I am at a wedding and a holy beggar walks out and I ask him 'how was the wedding'? And he can't even talk. 'It was ... just so high'. He runs off into the forest. I follow him, and he is sitting under the tree and says 'Ribbono Shel Olam, Master of The World... thank you so much that they got married, thank you so much.' Then he says 'thank you so much that there is such a thing as weddings, thank you that there is such a thing as man and woman. Ribbono shel Olam, thank you so much'. You know what he tasted? Not only did he taste this wedding, but in this one wedding he tasted all the weddings of the world. Wherever there was a love between a man and a woman, he tasted at this one wedding. Can you imagine where he is connected? He is connected not only to this one wedding, he is connected to the roots of the roots. Then another holy beggar comes out of the wedding, and he is absolutely the highest. I want to talk to him, but he is just too high... I run after him. So this holy beggar mamesh goes to the forest and says 'Gevalt, Ribbono Shel Olam, thank you for the wedding, thank you that there is such a thing as weddings, thank you G-d that there is such a thing as joy in the world.' You know what this holy beggar is tasting? Not only is he tasting all the weddings of the world, not only all the love of the world, but he is also tasting a taste of all the joy there ever was and there ever will be. Can you imagine how this person is plugged in? Can't be higher than that.
Tasting Shabbos means to be plugged in to the all of everything. When I eat on fish on Shabbos, what am I tasting? I'm not tasting the fish, I am tasting that G-d created heaven and earth. I eat a little bit of soup, am I tasting the soup? I am tasting that G-d created heaven and earth. I am tasting everything there is in heaven and everything there is on earth. You know what I am tasting when I make kiddush? I am testifying that G-d created heaven and earth. When I make kiddush I am standing before G-d, being a witness. Kiddush isn't just about knocking off some wine, kiddush is that I am bearing witness that G-d created heaven and earth. Some people taste the wine and all night long they discuss if they like manishevitz or kedem wine. You ever been invited to one of those Friday nights where people are just talking the whole night about which grape juice or wine they like they most. Sadly enough, I have been at those homes. Baruch Hashem, I don’t go there anymore. I would rather stay in my hotel with my gefilte fish. But then there are those yiddelach who are mamesh tasting kiddush. But can you imagine if someone could taste the taste of all the yiddelach before us and after us who bear witness that G-d created heaven and earth? Can you imagine what a kiddush it would be?
If a yidele could only taste his own jewishness, it's a very high level to taste my own soul. Some of us have never tasted the flavor of their own soul. Now imagine I If I can taste somebody else's soul. Imagine if I could taste the taste of all the souls of my generation? The taste of all the neshamas, all the souls from creation until Mashiach is coming... twhat Shabbos is all about.
