Personal Stories
Five Minutes Early: The Shabbat Decision That Changed Everything
After years of waiting for a child, one couple made a small but powerful change and began welcoming Shabbat five minutes early. Their miracle arrived not long after.
- Naama Green
- פורסם ג' כסלו התשפ"ה
(Photo: shutterstock) #VALUE!
A Painful Wait, A Powerful Prayer
It was the Fast of Esther, 2020. A man stood at the gravesite of the revered Chazon Ish in Bnei Brak, his heart heavy with longing. He and his wife had been praying for years for a child, enduring heartbreak after heartbreak. Still, no salvation seemed in sight.
As he prayed with tearful intensity, he noticed one of the great Torah sages of the generation arrive at the site. Seizing the moment, he approached the rabbi and asked for a blessing. The sage offered him a suggestion instead: accept two small commitments that could open the gates of blessing.
The first: to recite the entire book of Psalms on Purim night.
The second: to begin Shabbat five minutes before the official candlelighting time, together with his wife.
An Impossible Change and an Unimaginable Result
The first commitment was simple. But the second seemed nearly impossible. Like many Jewish homes, this couple had always welcomed Shabbat at the last possible minute. Shifting their entire routine to be ready five minutes earlier every single week felt like a monumental task.
Still, the couple decided to try. Those first few weeks were tough and involved changing habits, cooking earlier, preparing in advance, and resisting the urge to leave things for Friday. All for five extra minutes of Shabbat.
But those five minutes changed everything.
On Friday night, Parshat Vayeira 5782 (2021), exactly five minutes before candlelighting time, their firstborn son was born. Yes, during those very five minutes they had committed to honoring Shabbat with extra care. The same five minutes that had once felt impossible became the moment their long-awaited miracle arrived.
A Timeless Blessing for Those Who Welcome Her Early
This story, shared by Rabbi Asher Kovalsky in P’ninei Parshat HaShavua and attributed to Rabbi Elimelech Biderman, closes with a powerful reminder:
“Those who extend Shabbat deepen their connection to Divine blessing. Those who add time to Shabbat receive added blessing from Heaven. When even just a few more minutes belong to the Shabbat Queen, she showers those moments with grace and goodness.”
The message is clear: even a few extra minutes of honor for Shabbat can bring about a lifetime of blessing.
