The Final Two Shabbatot of the Year: Why They Matter So Much

This coming Shabbat (August 29) and the following Shabbat (September 5) are especially significant, as they are the final two Shabbatot of the year. Observing these two Shabbatot with particular care, and adding extra stringencies or enhancements to their observance, can serve as a special merit as we approach the Day of Judgment, praying to be inscribed for a good and blessed year.

The Special Power of Two Shabbatot

Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein, one of the great masters of Mussar in recent generations, frequently emphasized the importance of strengthening one’s Shabbat observance during the final two Shabbatot of the year.

“During the final two Shabbatot, it is fitting to strengthen oneself especially in the observance of Shabbat Kodesh, in all its details and halachic requirements. One should even adopt additional stringencies that one does not ordinarily observe throughout the year, and resolve to elevate one’s Shabbat observance throughout the coming year. Through this, one can merit redemption and a favorable judgment during the Days of Awe,” Rabbi Levenstein wrote.

The basis for Rabbi Levenstein’s teaching is found in the Gemara in Tractate Shabbat. The Gemara states: “If only the Jewish people would observe two Shabbatot, they would immediately be redeemed.” In other words, the observance of two Shabbatot by the Jewish people has the power to bring redemption.

Rabbi Levenstein applied this teaching to the individual as well. “If the observance of two Shabbatot by the entire Jewish people can bring redemption to all of Israel,” he explained, “then an individual’s exceptional observance of two Shabbatot can likewise have the power to save and redeem him, enabling him to merit a good and sweet year.”

A Special Merit Before the Day of Judgment

Rabbi Levenstein therefore encouraged people to invest special effort in the final two Shabbatot of the year, allowing them to become a powerful preparation for the approaching High Holidays.

By paying greater attention to the details of Shabbat, taking on an additional enhancement in its observance, and resolving to bring greater holiness into our Shabbatot throughout the coming year, we can transform these final two Shabbatot into a source of merit.

As the year draws to a close and the Day of Judgment approaches, these two precious Shabbatot offer an opportunity to strengthen our connection to Hashem and pray that they serve as advocates on our behalf, helping us merit a good, sweet, and blessed new year.