Mah Yedidut Unpacked

A psalm.
(2) How lovely is your dwelling-place, divine-breath of hosts.
(3) I long, I yearn for the courts of the divine breath; my body and soul shout for joy to the living God. (4) Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself in which to set her young, near your altar, O divine breath of hosts, my sovereign, my divinity. (5) Happy are those who dwell in your house; they forever praise you. Selah.

(13) Divine breath of hosts, happy is the human who trusts in you.

Geniva (a certain rabbi) [said regarding the creation of the world in six days and its completion on the seventh:]

This is like a king who made for himself a marriage-canopy, with all its structure and its furnishings, and what was missing?
A bride to dwell within it!
Thus too - what was the world missing? Shabbat.

(8) Why did God bless Shabbat?

Rabbi Berekiah says: "Because it [he] has no [male] partner. The first day of the week has the second, the third has the fourth, the fifth has the sixth, but Shabbat [she] has no [male] partner." ...

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught: Shabbat, she pleaded with the Holy One, Blessed be He saying: "Everyone else has a partner, but I have nothing!"

God answered her saying: "The community of Israel - she will be your [male] partner." And when Israel stood before Sinai, God said to them:

"Remember what I said to Shabbat, that the community of Israel, she is your [male] partner, which is why I now tell you [in the words of the 10 commandments] "Remember the day of Shabbat and make [him] holy." (Exodus 20:8) [remember kiddushin also means to marry].

Rabbi Ḥanina would wrap himself in his garment and stand at nightfall on Shabbat eve, and say: 'Come and we will go out to greet Shabbat the queen!'

Rabbi Yannai put on his garment on Shabbat eve and said:

Enter, O bride. Enter, O bride. [Bo'i challah, bo'i challah].

First verse also used as refrain:
Come my Beloved Friend to greet the Bride;

Let us receive the face of Shabbat.

10th and final stanza: The chazzan and congregation turn to face the entrance while reciting this verse. While saying the words בּוֹאִי כַלָּה , Come Bride bow and turn back, to signify that the Sabbath is entering.

Come in peace, crown of her husband,

come with song, and good cheer;

Amidst the faithful of the treasured people.

Come Bride, come Bride, come Bride, Shabbos Queen!

(83) Refrain:

(84) Come my Beloved Friend to greet the bride,

(85) let us welcome the Sabbath.

Rav Huna said: If one has new garments into which he could change on Shabbat, he will change into those garments; and if one does not have garments into which he could change, he lets his garments hang down before Shabbat to beautify himself in deference to Shabbat as it used to be the custom of wealthy people to wear their clothes loosely. ...

On a related note, the Gemara cites what we learned with regard to the following passage: “If you keep your feet from breaking, from pursuing your affairs on My holy day, and you call Shabbat a delight, the Lord’s holy day honorable, and you honor it by not going your own way, from attending to your affairs and speaking idle words” (Isaiah 58:13). The Rabbis derived from the words “and you honor it” that your dress on Shabbat should not be like your dress during the week, as Rabbi Yoḥanan would refer to his clothing as 'my honor,' indicating that appropriate clothing is a form of deference.

With what may one light the Shabbat lamp, and with what may one not light it? With regard to types of prohibited wicks, one may light neither with cedar bast [lekhesh], nor with uncombed flax [ḥosen], nor with raw silk [kalakh], nor with willow bast [petilat ha’idan], nor with desert weed [petilat hamidbar], nor with green moss that is on the surface of the water. With regard to types of prohibited oils, one may light neither with pitch [zefet], nor with wax [sha’ava], nor with castor oil [shemen kik], nor with burnt oil [shemen sereifa], nor with fat from a sheep’s tail [alya], nor with tallow [ḥelev]. Naḥum the Mede says: One may light with boiled tallow. And the Rabbis say: Both tallow that was boiled and tallow that was not boiled, one may not light with them.

We learned in the mishna that Rabbi Yishmael says that kindling a lamp on Shabbat with tar is prohibited. The Gemara asks: What is the reason for this? Rava said: Because its odor is bad the Sages issued a decree prohibiting the use of tar, lest one forsake the light and leave. Abaye said to him: And let him leave. What obligation is there to sit next to the light? Rava said to him: Because I say that kindling Shabbat lights is an obligation, and one is required to eat specifically by that light in deference to Shabbat. As Rav Naḥman bar Rav Zavda said, and others say that it was Rav Naḥman bar Rava who said that Rav said: Kindling the Shabbat lamps is an obligation, whereas washing one’s hands and feet with hot water in the evening prior to Shabbat is merely optional. And I say: Washing is not merely optional; it is a mitzva even though it is not an obligation.

(8) Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. (9) Six days you shall labor and do all your work, (10) but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God: you shall not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, or your cattle, or the stranger who is within your settlements. (11) For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.

(12) Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. (13) Six days you shall labor and do all your work, (14) but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your ox or your ass, or any of your cattle, or the stranger in your settlements, so that your male and female slave may rest as you do. (15) Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the LORD your God freed you from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the sabbath day.

(22) On the sixth day they gathered double the amount of food, two omers for each; and when all the chieftains of the community came and told Moses, (23) he said to them, “This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy sabbath of the LORD. Bake what you would bake and boil what you would boil; and all that is left put aside to be kept until morning.” (24) So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered; and it did not turn foul, and there were no maggots in it. (25) Then Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath of the LORD; you will not find it today on the plain. (26) Six days you shall gather it; on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none.” (27) Yet some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found nothing. (28) And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you men refuse to obey My commandments and My teachings? (29) Mark that the LORD has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you two days’ food on the sixth day. Let everyone remain where he is: let no one leave his place on the seventh day.” (30) So the people remained inactive on the seventh day.

(2) On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a sabbath of complete rest [shabbat shabbaton], holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. (3) You shall kindle no fire throughout your settlements on the sabbath day.

(13) If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, From pursuing your affairs on My holy day; v'karata la'shabbat oneg If you call the sabbath “delight,” The LORD’s holy day “honored”; And if you give it the honor of not going your usual ways, seeking out your desires, strikings bargains,

(14) az titanag al-HASHEM Then you can seek the favor of the LORD / then will you be delicious to the LORD. I will set you astride the heights of the earth, And feed you the heritage of your father Jacob— For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: With regard to anyone who delights [me'aneg] in the Shabbat, God grants him his heart’s desires, as it is stated: “And you shall delight in God [hitanag al H'] and He will grant you your heart’s desires” (Psalms 37:4). This 'delight' in God, which is mentioned in the verse, I do not know what it is.

When it says: “And you shall call the Shabbat delight,” one must say: It is the delight of Shabbat.

The Gemara asks: With what does one delight in the day of Shabbat?

Rav Yehuda, son of Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat, said in the name of Rav: With a dish of beets, and large fish, and heads of garlic.

Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi said that Rav said: Even with regard to a small item that one prepared in deference to Shabbat, it is a delight.

The Gemara asks: What is the small item mentioned?

Rav Pappa said: Small fried fish.

(4) ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me. (5) Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be **My treasured possession** among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine, (6) but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

(3) Your navel is like a round goblet— Let mixed wine not be lacking!— Your belly like a heap of wheat Hedged about with lilies.

...

(11) I am my beloved’s, And his desire is for me.

(12) Come, my beloved, Let us go into the open; Let us lodge among the henna shrubs. (13) Let us go early to the vineyards; Let us see if the vine has flowered, If its blossoms have opened, If the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give my love to you. (14) The mandrakes yield their fragrance, At our doors are all choice fruits; Both freshly picked and long-stored Have I kept, my beloved, for you.

MISHNA: A person may not hire workers on Shabbat to work for him after Shabbat because even speaking about weekday matters is prohibited on Shabbat. Similarly, a person may not tell another on Shabbat to hire workers for him...

[A discussion on this topic and other forms of business prohibited on Shabbat follows for a few paragraphs].

But Rav Ḥisda and Rav Hamnuna both said:

It is permitted to make calculations pertaining to a mitzva on Shabbat, and Rabbi Elazar said that this means that one may apportion charity for the poor on Shabbat.

And Rabbi Ya’akov bar Idi said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One may attend to activities necessary for saving a life or for communal needs on Shabbat, and one may go to a synagogue to attend to communal affairs on Shabbat.

And Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One may go to theaters [tarteiot], and circus performances [kirkesaot], and courthouses [basilkaot] to attend to communal affairs on Shabbat.

And one of the Sages in the school of Menashe taught: One may make the necessary arrangements to arrange a match for young people so that they will be betrothed on Shabbat, and one may likewise make arrangements for a child by finding someone to teach him how to read books and to teach him a craft. If speaking about monetary matters is prohibited on Shabbat, how is it possible to participate in all these activities? The Gemara answers that although speaking about similar things is generally prohibited on Shabbat, it is permitted in these cases because the verse said: “Nor pursuing your business, nor speaking of it” (Isaiah 58:13), which indicates that your business matters are prohibited to speak of on Shabbat, but the business of Heaven, matters which have religious significance, is permitted to speak of. Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: With regard to calculations of: What is it to you, [mallakh], calculations that are in no way relevant to the person making them, and of: What significance does it have [ma bekhakh], calculations that do not have any practical significance, it is permitted to make them on Shabbat. This was also taught in the Tosefta: Calculations with regard to matters that have passed or that will be in the future may not be calculated on Shabbat. However, with regard to calculations of: What is it to you,

Three matters are microcosms of the World-to-Come, and they are: Sabbath, the sun and usage. ...

The Gemara says: There are five matters in our world which are one-sixtieth of their most extreme manifestations. They are: Fire, honey, Shabbat, sleep, and a dream. The Gemara elaborates: Our fire is one-sixtieth of the fire of Gehenna; honey is one-sixtieth of manna; Shabbat is one-sixtieth of the World-to-Come; sleep is one-sixtieth of death; and a dream is one-sixtieth of prophecy.

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said in the name of bar Kappara: Anyone who fulfills the obligation to eat three meals on Shabbat is rescued from three punishments: From the pangs of the Messiah, i.e., the suffering that precedes the advent of Messiah, and from the judgment of Gehenna, and from the war of Gog and Magog.