343: Calling the Sabbath a delight

Isaiah 58:13-14 is the primary source for the concepts of "delight" (oneg) and "honor" (kavod) we'll discuss today. What do you think is the simple sense of these verses?

ישעיהו נ״ח:י״ג-י״ד

(יג) אִם־תָּשִׁ֤יב מִשַּׁבָּת֙ רַגְלֶ֔ךָ עֲשׂ֥וֹת חֲפָצֶ֖ךָ בְּי֣וֹם קׇדְשִׁ֑י וְקָרָ֨אתָ לַשַּׁבָּ֜ת עֹ֗נֶג לִקְד֤וֹשׁ ה' מְכֻבָּ֔ד וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ֙ מֵעֲשׂ֣וֹת דְּרָכֶ֔יךָ מִמְּצ֥וֹא חֶפְצְךָ֖ וְדַבֵּ֥ר דָּבָֽר׃ (יד) אָ֗ז תִּתְעַנַּג֙ עַל־ה' וְהִרְכַּבְתִּ֖יךָ עַל־[בָּ֣מֳתֵי] (במותי) אָ֑רֶץ וְהַאֲכַלְתִּ֗יךָ נַחֲלַת֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֣ב אָבִ֔יךָ כִּ֛י פִּ֥י ה' דִּבֵּֽר׃ {פ}

Isaiah 58:13-14

(13) If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, From pursuing your affairs on My holy day; If you call the sabbath “delight,” The LORD’s holy day “honored”; And if you honor it and go not your ways, nor look to your affairs, nor strike bargains— (14) Then you will delight in the LORD. I will set you astride the heights of the earth, And let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

ביצה ט״ז א:ד׳-ה׳

תַּנְיָא: אָמְרוּ עָלָיו עַל שַׁמַּאי הַזָּקֵן, כׇּל יָמָיו הָיָה אוֹכֵל לִכְבוֹד שַׁבָּת. מָצָא בְּהֵמָה נָאָה, אוֹמֵר: זוֹ לַשַּׁבָּת. מָצָא אַחֶרֶת נָאָה הֵימֶנָּה — מַנִּיחַ אֶת הַשְּׁנִיָּה וְאוֹכֵל אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה.

אֲבָל הִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן — מִדָּה אַחֶרֶת הָיְתָה לוֹ, שֶׁכׇּל מַעֲשָׂיו לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״בָּרוּךְ ה׳ יוֹם יוֹם״, תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים: מֵחַד שַׁבָּיךְ לְשַׁבְּתָיךְ, ובֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים: ״בָּרוּךְ ה׳ יוֹם יוֹם״.

Beitzah 16a:4-5

It is taught in a baraita [a source purported to be from the Mishnaic era]: They said about Shammai the Elder that all his days he would eat in honor of Shabbat. How so? If he found a choice animal, he would say: This is for Shabbat. If he subsequently found another one choicer than it, he would set aside the second for Shabbat and eat the first.

However, Hillel the Elder had a different trait, that all his actions, including those on a weekday, were for the sake of Heaven, as it is stated: “Blessed be the Lord, day by day” (Psalms 68:20), meaning that God gives a blessing for each and every day. That is also taught in a baraita in more general terms: The school of Shammai say: From the first day of the week, Sunday, start preparing already for your Shabbat. And the school of Hillel say: “Blessed be the Lord, day by day.”

שבת קי״ט א:ב׳

רבי חנינא מיעטף וקאי אפניא דמעלי שבתא אמר בואו ונצא לקראת שבת המלכה רבי ינאי לביש מאניה מעלי שבת ואמר בואי כלה בואי כלה

רבה בר רב הונא איקלע לבי רבה בר רב נחמן קריבו ליה תלת סאוי טחיי א"ל מי הוה ידעיתון דאתינא אמרו ליה מי עדיפת לן מינה

Shabbat 119a:2

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.

שבת קי״ט א:ג׳

רבי אבא זבן בתליסר אסתירי פשיטי בישרא מתליסר טבחי ומשלים להו אצינורא דדשא ואמר להו אשור הייא אשור הייא ר' אבהו הוה יתיב אתכתקא דשינא ומושיף נורא רב ענן לביש גונדא דתנא דבי רבי ישמעאל בגדים שבישל בהן קדירה לרבו אל ימזוג בהן כוס לרבו

Shabbat 119a:3

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.

שבת קי״ט א:ד׳

רב ספרא מחריך רישא רבא מלח שיבוטא רב הונא מדליק שרגי רב פפא גדיל פתילתא רב חסדא פרים סילקא רבה ורב יוסף מצלחי ציבי ר' זירא מצתת צתותי רב נחמן בר יצחק מכתף ועייל מכתף ונפיק אמר אילו מקלעין לי ר' אמי ור' אסי מי לא מכתיפנא קמייהו ואיכא דאמרי ר' אמי ורבי אסי מכתפי ועיילי מכתפי ונפקי אמרי אילו איקלע לן רבי יוחנן מי לא מכתפינן קמיה

Shabbat 119a:4

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?

שבת קי״ג א:י״ד

״וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ מֵעֲשׂוֹת דְּרָכֶיךָ״. ״וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ״ — שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא מַלְבּוּשְׁךָ שֶׁל שַׁבָּת כְּמַלְבּוּשְׁךָ שֶׁל חוֹל,

וְכִי הָא דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן קָרֵי לְמָאנֵיהּ

״מְכַבְּדוֹתַי״. ״מֵעֲשׂוֹת דְּרָכֶיךָ״ — שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא הִילּוּכְךָ שֶׁל שַׁבָּת כְּהִילּוּכְךָ שֶׁל חוֹל.

״מִמְּצוֹא חֶפְצְךָ״ — חֲפָצֶיךָ אֲסוּרִין, חֶפְצֵי שָׁמַיִם מוּתָּרִין.

״וְדַבֵּר דָּבָר" שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא דִּבּוּרְךָ שֶׁל שַׁבָּת כְּדִבּוּרְךָ שֶׁל חוֹל. דִּבּוּר אָסוּר, הִרְהוּר — מוּתָּר.

Shabbat 113a:14

“If you honor it [Shabbat] by not going your own way” (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.

The words “going your own way” mean that your walking on Shabbat should not be like your walking during the week.

“From attending to your affairs” means it is prohibited to deal with your weekday affairs and to speak about them on Shabbat. However, affairs of Heaven, i.e., those pertaining to mitzvot, are permitted.

“And speaking idle words” means that your speech on Shabbat should not be like your speech during the week, i.e., one should not discuss his weekday affairs on Shabbat. However, it is only speech that they said is prohibited, whereas merely contemplating weekday affairs is permitted

שבת קי״ח ב:ב׳

רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר: נִיצּוֹל מִשִּׁעְבּוּד גָּלִיּוֹת. כְּתִיב הָכָא: ״וְהִרְכַּבְתִּיךְ עַל בׇּמֳתֵי אָרֶץ״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״וְאַתָּה עַל בָּמוֹתֵימוֹ תִדְרוֹךְ״.

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: כׇּל הַמְעַנֵּג אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת נוֹתְנִין לוֹ מִשְׁאֲלוֹת לִבּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהִתְעַנַּג עַל ה׳ וְיִתֶּן לְךָ מִשְׁאֲלוֹת לִבֶּךָ״. עוֹנֶג זֶה אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מַהוּ. כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר ״וְקָרָאתָ לַשַּׁבָּת עוֹנֶג״ — הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר זֶה עוֹנֶג שַׁבָּת.

בַּמֶּה מְעַנְּגוֹ? רַב יְהוּדָה בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר שִׁילַת מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַב אָמַר: בְּתַבְשִׁיל שֶׁל תְּרָדִין וְדָגִים גְּדוֹלִים וְרָאשֵׁי שׁוּמִין. רַב חִיָּיא בַּר אָשֵׁי אָמַר רַב: אֲפִילּוּ דָּבָר מוּעָט, וְלִכְבוֹד שַׁבָּת עֲשָׂאוֹ — הֲרֵי זֶה עוֹנֶג. מַאי הִיא? אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: כָּסָא דְהַרְסָנָא.

Shabbat 118b:2

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: One who delights in Shabbat is rescued from the oppression of exile. He derives it by means of a verbal analogy. It is written here, with regard to Shabbat: “And I will cause you to ride on the heights [bamotei] of the world” (Isaiah 58:14), and it is written there: “You are fortunate Israel, who is like you? A nation redeemed by God, the shield that aids you and the sword of your triumph. Your enemies will try to defeat you and you will trample their high places [bamoteimo]” (Deuteronomy 33:29).

Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: Anyone who delights in the Shabbat, God grants him his heart’s desires, as it is stated: “And you shall delight in God and He will grant you your heart’s desires” (Psalms 37:4). This 'delight': 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 and one prepared it in deference to Shabbat, it is a delight. The Gemara asks: What is the small item mentioned? Rav Pappa said: Small fried fish.