Episode 60 - Gefilte Fish And Shabbos

The Gemara relates with regard to Yosef who cherishes Shabbat: There was a gentile in his neighborhood whose property was extremely plentiful. The astrologers said to the gentile with regard to all his property: Yosef who cherishes Shabbat will consume it. The gentile went and sold all of his property, and with the money he received he bought a pearl, and he placed it in his hat. When he was crossing a river in a ferry, the wind blew his hat and cast it into the water, and a fish swallowed it. The fish was caught and removed from the water and it was brought to shore adjacent to nightfall on Shabbat eve. The fishermen said: Who buys fish at a time like this? The townspeople said to the fishermen: Go bring it to Yosef who cherishes Shabbat, as he regularly purchases delicacies in deference to Shabbat. They brought it to him and he purchased it. He ripped the fish open and found a pearl inside it. He sold it for thirteen vessels filled with golden dinars (Tosafot). This elderly man who encountered him and said: One who lends to Shabbat, Shabbat repays him.

The essence of the mitzvah of delight in Shabbat is explained to us by the prophets, as it says: “and you shall call the Sabbath a delight,” and there are authorities who believe that the essence is from the Torah, for Shabbat is part of the times that are called holyas it says “and on the seventh day there shall be a Shabbos of complete rest, a holy occasion” (Leviticus 23:3), and the words "a holy occasion" are explained in the Sifra that it is to sanctify it and honor with clean clothing and enjoy it with the pleasure of eating and drinking. And our rabbis spoke highly of the importance of this mitzvah (in Shabbat 118), and they said that anyone who delights in the Shabbat, is given an inheritance with no bounds, is saved from oppression of the nations, and merits wealth through this. See there for several more statements in this regard. And behold, regarding the parameters of this commandment, there are three applicable statements of our Sages of Blessed Memory: 1) That which they said that a person must delight in it through large fish, heads of garlic, and cooked beets, for those were esteemed dishes in their days. And similarly in every location, one should delight in Shabbat according to the custom, with food and drink that is considered delight for them. And since in general, most people get their delight from meat and wine and sweets, therefore it is brought in Chapter 250, Section 2 that one should have a lot of meat and wine and sweets according to one’s abilities. 2) That which the Sages said that a person fulfills the commandment of delighting in the Shabbat even through a small thing that he does for the honor of Shabbat, and even kasa d'hars'na (which are small fish fried in their own oils [a relatively inexpensive way of enhancing the Shabbat meal beyond the absolute basics]). 3) That which Rabbi Akiva said, "Make your Shabbat like a weekday rather than be dependent on the charity of others." And the differences between these statements can be understood in the following manner: Someone who has the means is required to honor the Shabbat according to his ability, while someone in dire straits - namely, that he only has enough food for two meals for this Shabbat - in regard to him Rabbi Akiva said, "Make your Shabbat like a weekday rather than be dependent on the charity of others." This person would not be obligated to have the Third Meal nor the kasa d'hars'na (fried fish). But if someone does have enough money to buy food for three meals and a bit more, he is obligated to spend that money for Shabbat in order to fulfill the three meals and the fried fish. Likewise, for someone who has nothing at all and is entirely dependent on charity, the charity directors are required to give him at least enough for three meals and fried fish. (And for a distinguished individual who has become impoverished, he must be provided for in accordance with the dignity to which he is accustomed, as is clarified in Yoreh Deah, Chapter 253). And we don't say in this regard, "Make your Shabbat like a weekday rather than be dependent on charity," for we only say this about someone who still does not need to take charity. However, for someone who has already arrived at this condition where he he must reach out his hand and take charity, we give him everything as mentioned. (And in places where the charity directors are accustomed to disburse to the poor only two meals and not the Third Meal, they are not behaving properly, and at the very least they must beware of this during the summer time [when the days are long]). And for this the Shulchan Aruch comes to say that if he has some small means for himself, he must exert himself to honor and delight in the Shabbat properly since it is possible for him and he has the means to spend on this. And it is not sufficient merely to spend enough money for fried fish [if he can manage to spend more]. And to this end the Shulchan Aruch concludes that a person should be frugal during the rest of the week so that he will have the remaining means to honor the Shabbat. And see the Ta"Z, Tosafot Shabbat, and other late halachic decisors who wrote that even someone who is in dire straits who is legally exempt from having to partake of the Third Meal and fried fish should nevertheless strive to at least be in the middle category, namely through fulfilling the three meals and fried fish.

(2) To honor the Shabbat - It is good to be careful to not have less than two dishes (for a meal). It is also good to eat fish in each meal of the three meal, if fish is not unpleasant to you according to your nature or as long as you don't hate fish, since Shabbat is given for pleasure and not for suffering, as we say above in Siman 288. If the fish-sellers raise the price, it is appropriate to make a reparative legal decree (Takanah) that people should not buy fish for some number of shabbatot until they reduce the price to what it was before. Behold, in the Be'er Heitev, he brings that this takanah should only be made if the prices are hiked up by more than 1/3 of what it was before. But, Eliyah Rabbah and the P'ri Megadim wrote that even a price-hike of less that a third of the value is grounds for issuing a takanah for the sake of poor people. Further, it is written there that we have no concern in this case about nullifying the mitzvah of Oneg Shabbos, since we can bring pleasure with other foods. If the rabbis made a decree forbidding eating fish for several shabbatot, but one bought fish beforehand, it is permitted to eat them.

(22) God blessed them, saying, “Be fertile and increase, fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”

(28) God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.”

(3) And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because on it God ceased from all the work of creation that He had done.