“And it shall be if you hearken to Me”, says the Lord, “not to bring any burden into the gates of this city on the Sabbath day and to hallow the Sabbath day not to perform any labor thereon. Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on David's throne, riding in chariots and with horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city shall be inhabited forever. And they shall come from the cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem and from the land of Benjamin and from the lowland and from the mountain and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices and meal-offerings and frankincense, and those bringing thanksgiving offerings to the house of the Lord.”
“And if you will not hearken to Me to hallow the Sabbath day and not to carry burdens and to come into the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath, I will kindle a fire in her gates, and it will consume the palaces of Jerusalem, and it will not be quenched.”
Strengthening Shabbat observance is a protection against fires. This does not mean necessarily that the people who suffered from the fires raging around Israel desecrated the Shabbat. We all suffered, Shabbat observers and desecrators together! What it does mean, though, is that, as a nation, we should all strengthen our observance of Shabbat. Perhaps we can hasten the redemption and have the “House of David” rule again, as Jeremiah promised in the name of G-d.
