The difference in the levels of holiness on Shabbat is revealed to us through the variation of wording in the three times we pray the shemoneh esrei on Shabbat. For example, on Shabbat evening, we say, Ata kidashta, during morning shacharit we say, Yismach Moshe, and during afternoon mincha, we say, Ata Echad, etc. This is not the case during chag, when each shemoneh esrai has the same wording.
According to the Holy Arizal, the difference in the level of holiness between Shabbat evening and Shabbat day, is like the difference between the level of holiness during the week and Shabbat evening. During mincha on Shabbat, the Jewish people receive a tremendous surge of blessing, called shefa, from the holiness of Shabbat. During Shabbat, this specific time during mincha is called in Aramaic, ra'ava d'raavin, "desire of desires." Yet during the week, this same hour during mincha is termed dina takifa shalta bey, a time when harsh judgments rule.
God helps a Jew enter from the six weekdays into the holiness of Shabbat evening, with all of its profound holiness and restrictions. Afterwards, he receives the holiness of Shabbat day through shacharit, kriat haTorah, mussaf, as well as all of the Shabbat meals. The force of the holiness of Shabbat then reaches its peak during mincha, the time of ra'ava d'raavin, "desire of desires."
The question is, how is it possible that a person can then go on to pray maariv on motzei Shabbat on the same spiritual level as before Shabbat, and then begin the week with the same feeling he had the week before, or two weeks before, etc.? What happened to the surge of all the different levels of holiness he absorbed during Shabbat? To where did it all disappear?
May HaShem grant us the ability to renew ourselves to retain and ascend with the holiness of Shabbat each week.
[Rav Ephraim Kenig, shlita, speaking this past Shabbat in Cedarhurst, New York]
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