Delight in Shabbat in Shabbat 119a Temple Shalom Lunch and Learn 5779

Rabbi Ḥanina would wrap himself and stand at nightfall on Shabbat eve 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 Rabba bar Rav Huna happened to the house of Rabba bar Rav Naḥman they brought him three se’a of oiled biscuits said to them did you know I was coming they said to him are you important to us than Rabbi Abba bought thirteen plain staters [astirei peshitei] of meat from thirteen butchers and he would place at the door hinge and said to hurry and prepare it hurry and prepare it Rabbi Abbahu would sit on an ivory chair [takhteka] and fan the fire Rav Anan would don a black garment as the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught garments in which he cooked a pot for his master one should not dilute a cup of wine for his master Rav Safra roast the head Rava salted a shibuta Rav Huna kindled lamps Rav Pappa spun the wicks Rav Ḥisda cut the beets Rabba and Rav Yosef cut wood Rabbi Zeira prepared thin sticks Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak load on his shoulder and enter load on his shoulder and exit he said if Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi happened to me would I not load on my shoulder before them and some say Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi load on their shoulders and enter load on their shoulders and exit they said if Rabbi Yoḥanan happened to us would we not load on our shoulders before him Yosef who cherishes Shabbat there was a gentile in his neighborhood whose property was extremely plentiful the astrologers said to all his property Yosef who cherishes Shabbat will consume it went and sold all of his property he bought a pearl placed it in his hat when he was crossing a river a ferry the wind blew and cast it into the water a fish swallowed it was removed it was brought nightfall on Shabbat eve said who buys like this said to go bring it to Yosef who cherishes Shabbat, as he regularly purchases they brought it to him he purchased it he ripped found a pearl inside it. He sold it for thirteen vessels filled with golden dinars this elderly man encountered him and said one who lends Shabbat Shabbat repays him

The Gemara now returns to the issue of delight in and deference to Shabbat.

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.

The Gemara relates: Rabba bar Rav Huna happened to come to the house of Rabba bar Rav Naḥman. They brought before him three se’a of oiled biscuits.

He said to them: Did you know I was coming and prepared all of this in my honor?

They said to him: Are you more important to us than Shabbat? The biscuits were prepared in deference to Shabbat.

wrap himself--in nice clothes

What is meant by honor?

The sages explained this by declaring that each person should wash his face, hands and feet with hot water on Friday in honor of the Sabbath, and then enwrap himself in a fringed garment and be seated with dignity in expectation of the Sabbath, receiving it as if he were coming out to meet the king.

The ancient sages used to assemble their disciples on Friday, put on their best clothes, and say: "Come, let us go out to meet King Sabbath."

And one should prepare her table and make beds and arrange all of the matters of the home in order that it will all be found arranged and orderly when everyone comes home from synagogue.

Rabbi Yose Bar Yehuda said: two ministering angels escort a person on Erev Shabbat from the synagogue to her home, one good and one evil.

When she comes home, she will find a lit candle, the table set, and a made bed. The Good angel says, “May it be God’s will that it will be like this next Shabbat.”

And the Evil angel must answer, “amen” because the angel has no choice (but to say amen).

And he should make an effort to wear nice things for Shabbat as it is said in Torah: “its honor.”

And we explain this to mean that one should not be dressed for Shabbat like one is dressed on the weekday.

And if he does not have other clothes, he should allow his clothes at least to hang low in an honorable way. And she should wear nice clothes and have happy Shabbat sex like one would accept a king, or a bride and groom as it is said in the Talmud in Shabbat: “Rabbi Hanina would wrap himself in a nice garment and would face evening on Friday and say, ‘come and lets go out to meet accept the Shabbat queen.’

Rabbi Yanai would say, ‘come bride, come bride.’”

And one should eat a lot of meat and drink wine and sweets as much as she can. And anyone who can increase their honor of Shabbat in body, clothes, or eating, or drinking, she should be praised.

(3)One should wear nice clothes and celebrate the arrival of Shabbat like the greeting of the king or the greeting of bride and groom.

Rabbi Hanina would shroud himself in his garment and stand waiting on the evening approaching Shabbat and say "Come and go out to greet the Shabbat queen" and Rebbe Yannai would say "Come bride, Come bride."

RAMA: and one should dress himself in Shabbat garments immediately after he bathes himself and this is an honor for Shabbat, and because of this, one should only bathe close to the evening [approaching Shabbat] so that he may dress himself immediately.

Come in peace, O crown of your husband; also in gladness and in joy.

Amid the faithful to you of your treasured people, come O bride! Come O bride!

The Gemara relates:

Rabba bar Rav Huna visited the house of Rabba bar Rav Naḥman and dined with him on Shabbat. They brought before him three se’a of fine bread that had been kneaded in oil and honey.

Rabba bar Rav Huna said to the members of Rabba bar Rav Naḥman’s household: Did you know that I was coming, that you prepared such superior food?

They said to him: Are you more distinguished than Shabbat, as it is written with regard to Shabbat: “If you proclaim Shabbat a delight, the sacred day of God honored” (Isaiah 58:13).

If you refrain from trampling the Sabbath, From pursuing your affairs on My holy day; If you call the Sabbath “delight,” Adonai’s holy day “honored”; And if you honor it and go not your ways Nor look to your affairs, nor strike bargains.

Rabbi Abba bought thirteen plain staters [astirei peshitei] worth half a zuz of meat from thirteen butchers in deference to Shabbat, so that he would have various types of fine meat. And he would place the meats at the door hinge at the entrance to his house to hurry to bring another type of meat. And he said to the cooks, in order to rush them: Hurry and prepare it, hurry and prepare it.

The Gemara also relates: Rabbi Abbahu would sit on an ivory chair [takhteka] and fan the fire cooking the food for Shabbat, in order to play a role in preparations for Shabbat.

Rav Anan would don a simple black garment for the Shabbat preparations, as the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: While wearing the garments in which he cooked a pot of food for his master, one should not dilute a cup of wine for his Master. One should wear a garment appropriate for the task at hand.

מתליסר טבחי: To taste Shabbat from the finest.

The Gemara now explains the baraita in detail.

The Master said in the baraita:

The words: Other garments, teach that they are to be of lower quality than the garments worn during the removal of the ashes.

This is in accordance with what was taught in the school of Rabbi Yishmael, as it was taught in the school of Rabbi Yishmael: Clothes worn by a servant as he was cooking food for his master that became soiled in the process should not be worn by him when he pours a cup for his master, which is a task that calls for the servant to present a dignified appearance.

Similarly, one who performs the dirtying task of carrying out the ashes should not wear the same fine clothes worn to perform other services.

Rav Safra would roast the head of an animal to prepare it for Shabbat.

Rava salted a shibuta fish in deference to Shabbat.

Rav Huna kindled lamps in deference to Shabbat.

Rav Pappa spun the wicks for the Shabbat lamp.

Rav Ḥisda cut the beets in preparation for Shabbat.

Rabba and Rav Yosef cut wood.

Rabbi Zeira prepared thin sticks for kindling.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak would load objects on his shoulder and enter, load objects on his shoulder and exit. He said: If Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi happened to visit me, would I not load objects on my shoulder before them? So too, it is fitting to do so in deference to Shabbat.

And some say that Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi would load objects on their shoulders and enter, load objects on their shoulders and exit. They said: If Rabbi Yoḥanan happened to come to visit us, would we not load objects on our shoulders before him?

Even a person of high rank, who does not as a rule buy things at the market or engage in household chores, should himself perform what is necessary for the Sabbath, for this is his way of showing respect.

Some of the ancient sages used to chop wood for the cooking; others used to cook or salt meat or twine wicks or light lamps; others used to go out and buy food and drinks for the Sabbath, although none of them would usually do such things on weekdays.

The more anyone honors the Sabbath in this manner, the more praise he deserves.

A person should be arise on Friday early to prepare for Shabbat; even if he has many servants to serve him he should find something small to do.

We see this with Rav Hisda who would cut vegetables finely; Rabah and Rav Yosef, who would chop wood; Rabbi Zeira who would light the flame; And Rav Nachman, who would clean the house and replace the weekday cutlery with cutlery designated for Shabbat.

We can emulate these people and one should not say: "It is unbecoming of me," for this is the honor of shabbat.

RAMA: Additionally one should sharpen his knife to ease eating.

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.

מוקר שבי--he respects Shabbat