HaRav Yerucham Levovitz zt"l
"I have seen in several upstanding communities, organizations formed called Mazhirei Shabbos where members are sent out to circulate in the streets and markets to encourage Jewish residents to light Shabbos candles on time. How great is their merit in reminding people of the sanctity of this mitzvah. Surely, the merit of Shabbos will stand them in good stead to protect them from all evil and enable them to embrace the pleasantness of Hashem. These people should be congratulated and appreciated for occupying themselves in this holy endeavor." These words were written by the Chofetz Chaim himself.
The late Mashgiach of Mir, HaRav Yeruchom, discussed this in a Shiur Chumash in the yeshiva noting that when a person sets out on a journey, he should make sure that Hashem is accompanying him.
He gave a personal example: "When I was living in Atonet, a city near Kelm, 25 kilometers away, ensconced throughout in the beis medrash, I never set out for my home on Erev Shabbos, knowing full well how many delays can come up when traveling on Erev Shabbos. One time, however, I had an urgent reason to travel to my home. Nonetheless. I set out early enough, much before candlelighting time. Nevertheless, I found myself almost stranded on the road, shortly before Shabbos, arriving home almost just in time for candlelighting. All kinds of possible delays and mishaps confronted me, be it the rudder of my bicycle, later, a wheel itself, and many other deterrents imaginable, hour by hour. However, I saw, time after time, that Hashem was by my side all along. From then on, I resolved never to set out on a journey on a Friday."
In a public address, the Posek Hador, HaRav Nissim Karelitz zt"l, said the following: "Whoever is setting out on a trip by car, assured that his Shabbos meals are being prepared for him, should be certain that he reaches his destiny before Shabbos while taking into account that he may encounter all kinds of setbacks.
"They tell of a renowned talmid chochom who set out by bus shortly before Shabbos. The bus was involved in an accident in which he, and other passengers, were injured. The Chazon Ish observed that the fact that the merit of his Torah study did not protect him is not a question, since it can happen that such a meritorious person can be deserving such a punishment. The question remains why the merit of his Torah study did not protect the other passengers. It should be determined that such a trip should not have been made on Erev Shabbos to begin with, in which event his Torah merit could not have saved them in any case."
HaRav Nissim continued: "Those who travel by car on Erev Shabbos, arriving after the warning siren, are breaching the defensive wall of Shabbos observance and exhibiting a disparagement of the honor of Shabbos, showing that they are not ready and anticipating its coming."
They tell about the Steipler in connection to the funeral of the philanthropist, Rav Yechiel Lederman, the famous man who built the Lederman shul, a story which we wished to confirm by his grandson, HaRav Yitzchok Kolodetsky. He said:
"First of all, I have heard, several times, from my master and father-in-law, HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, strongly urging many revered rabbonim and dayonim of the need to arouse the public in this vital matter, saying that the Shabbos stands up in defense of its very honor. Chazal teach that fires erupt due to the desecration of Shabbos, G-d forbid.
"I recall an event that occurred some fifty years ago, when the founder of the Lederman shul in the Chazon Ish neighborhood, Rav Yechiel Lederman, a rich man close to the Steipler, passed away on a Friday. The funeral took place on the 26th of Sivan, and was called for nine in the morning from his shul. To be sure, the Steipler wished to pay his final respects to this fine man who so generously appreciated and revered Torah. He was advanced in age already and weak, unable to stride by foot, but followed the funeral procession from behind by taxi, from the Lederman shul until Rechov Rashbam, where a bus awaited those who wished to continue on to the actual burial on Har Hamenuchos in Yerushalayim.
"The driver, who was well aware of the Steipler's closeness with the deceased and his gratitude towards him. suggested that he join the bus to Yerushalayim. The Steipler refused, saying, 'Were today not Erev Shabbos, I would surely show my deep gratitude by accompanying his remains to Yerushalayim. After all, he was the one who built our shul, but can one make such a trip on Erev Shabbos?
"This greatly surprised me. It was only nine o'clock in the morning in the summer month of Sivan, with Shabbos being ushered in at seven. But the Steipler, with the piety which burned within him, was afraid to travel. He was simply unable to even imagine leaving the city on a Friday!
"Later, I couldn't help thinking: one who anticipates a very critical meeting with a prestigious businessman, a meeting which could result in a profit of tens of thousands of dollars, might set out at nine in the morning. Apparently, this was not so. Not even when the meeting is only called for seven that evening. It would not pay for him take any chances.
"Nu, isn't Shabbos worth tens of thousands of dollars? So what is the big wonder?"
