Rabbi Nechemia Wilhelm Brings You "Sweet Shabbat Treat" from Bangkok, Thailand

"Travelers in Thailand know they must keep a close eye on their wallet because there are many pickpockets here. Unfortunately, once every week or two, a traveler comes to me saying their passport and money have been stolen, and we try to help. Usually, when the traveler enters my office, I can tell right away from their expression what happened.

"One day, a traveler came into my office, smiling broadly and said to me: 'I was at the market, and my bag with everything in it was stolen.' I asked her: 'So why are you smiling?' and she replied: 'When I realized that my bag was missing, I felt a stab in the heart and started crying. But then I stood up and told myself: they managed to steal my passport, my traveler's checks, my credit card, the cash - but I am not letting them steal my spirit!'...

"In her case, we managed to arrange all the documents much faster than usual."

This surprising and endearing story appears at the beginning of a light and pleasant interpretation of one of the weekly Torah portions from the Book of Genesis, in one of the most delightful books I've read recently: "Sweet Shabbat Treat," written by Rabbi Nechemia Wilhelm, Chabad envoy in Bangkok, Thailand. In the introduction to the book, Rabbi Wilhelm shares that in his mission there, he meets many different people who come to Thailand for various purposes, from tourism to business. While in Israel everyone finds their own community, in Thailand – every Jew eventually finds their way to the Chabad House. On Shabbat, Rabbi Wilhelm hosts dozens of people at his Chabad House, from religious business people to young travelers after military service. They all sit down for the Shabbat meal and eagerly await his words. How do you find a Torah teaching for the weekly portion that suits everyone?

Rabbi Wilhelm finds the answer in storytelling. He discovered that stories speak to every person's heart, bringing everyone into the Shabbat and weekly portion's atmosphere. From there, it's easier to connect each person to the Torah themes and convey messages. Naturally, most of the messages that Rabbi Wilhelm imparts in his sermons are about the unity of the Jewish people.

Over the years, Rabbi Wilhelm and his wife, Nechami, began collecting the stories and interpretations he shared on Shabbat in Bangkok and compiled them into a book.

The book, "Sweet Shabbat Treat," is exactly that – a real treat. As soon as I saw it on the shelf, my hand almost automatically reached for it. What more do you need? A light interpretation for Shabbat, refreshing illustrations by Shai Charka, stories from distant Bangkok, Thailand – is there anything sweeter?

The book dedicates one or two essays to each weekly portion, with several additional ones for the Jewish holidays. The clear division into books, the pleasant illustrations, and the strong quotes at the beginning of each section, along with the amusing, touching, and fascinating stories, make this book a... well, as we said, treat. But there's truly no other word. This is a book suitable for everyone: for in-depth adults who want lighter reading material, for people taking their first steps in the world of Torah, and even for young children who love stories and adventures. My son, who is 9 years old, devoured it in an hour of continuous reading and just wanted to know if "there's more like this in the series"...

For the coming year's Shabbat, we are all set. We have a wonderful sweet Shabbat treat.

To purchase the book at Hidabroot Shops, click here.