Essential Question (to think about as you are studying this source sheet): What can we do to differentiate sacred time from ordinary time?
(יג) אִם־תָּשִׁ֤יב מִשַּׁבָּת֙ רַגְלֶ֔ךָ עֲשׂ֥וֹת חֲפָצֶ֖יךָ בְּי֣וֹם קָדְשִׁ֑י וְקָרָ֨אתָ לַשַּׁבָּ֜ת עֹ֗נֶג לִקְד֤וֹשׁ יְהוָה֙ מְכֻבָּ֔ד וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ֙ מֵעֲשׂ֣וֹת דְּרָכֶ֔יךָ מִמְּצ֥וֹא חֶפְצְךָ֖ וְדַבֵּ֥ר דָּבָֽר׃ (יד) אָ֗ז תִּתְעַנַּג֙ עַל־יְהוָ֔ה וְהִרְכַּבְתִּ֖יךָ עַל־בָּ֣מֳותֵי אָ֑רֶץ וְהַאֲכַלְתִּ֗יךָ נַחֲלַת֙ יַעֲקֹ֣ב אָבִ֔יךָ כִּ֛י פִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר׃ (ס)
(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 can seek the favor of 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.
(ישעיהו נח, יג) "וכבדתו מעשות דרכיך": "וכבדתו"- שלא יהא מלבושך של שבת כמלבושך של חול.
וכי הא דרבי יוחנן קרי למאניה "מכבדותי".
"מעשות דרכיך"- שלא יהא הילוכך של שבת כהילוכך של חול.
"ממצוא חפצך" חפציך אסורין חפצי שמים מותרין.
"ודבר דבר"-
"And honor it and go not your ways" (Isaiah 58:13): "And honor it"--that your Shabbat clothes should not be like your weekday clothes.
This is like Rabbi Yochanan, who called his clothes "that which honors me."
"And go not your ways"--that you should not walk on Shabbat like you do during the week.
"Nor look to your affairs"--your affairs are prohibited, but affairs for heaven are permitted.
"VeDaber Davar" (JPS-nor strike bargains)--
The following source is a continuation of the previous one:
שלא יהא דבורך של שבת כדבורך של חול.
That your speech (dibburkha) on Shabbat should not be like your speech during the week.
Questions:
1. According to the Gemara Shabbat, how do we honor Shabbat?
2. What does the Gemara derive from the phrase in Isaiah "and go not your ways"?
3. How do the answers to the above questions serve to distinguish Shabbat from the other days of the week?
ממצוא חפצך--לא יטייל אדם לסוף שדהו בשבת לידע מה היא צריכה [אחר השבת]:
חפצי שמים מותרים - כגון פוסקים צדקה ומשדכין על התינוקות ליארס (לקמן קנ.):
"Nor look to your affairs"--A person should not walk to the end of his field on Shabbat in order to know what he will have to do after Shabbat.
"Affairs of heaven are permitted"--like deciding how charity should be divided and making matches for one's offspring that they should become engaged.
Questions:
4. According to Rashi's explanation of the Gemara, which types of affairs are prohibited and which are permitted?
5. What do you think is the reasoning behind this distinction?
שלא יהא דבורך של שבת כדבורך של חול - כגון מקח וממכר וחשבונות:
"That your speech on Shabbat should not be like your speech during the week"--like conducting business and making monetary calculations.
Question:
6. Why would we want to prohibit monetary calculations on Shabbat?
7. How do all of the prohibitions mentioned by Rashi serve to set Shabbat apart from the rest of the week?
"וקראת לשבת עונג"- הוי אומר זה עונג שבת.
במה מענגו? רב יהודה בריה דרב שמואל בר שילת משמי' דרב אמר: בתבשיל של תרדין ודגים גדולים וראשי שומין.
רב חייא בר אשי אמר רב: אפי' דבר מועט ולכבוד שבת עשאו הרי זה עונג.
מאי היא? א"ר פפא: כסא דהרסנא.
"And call the Sabbath a delight" (Isaiah 58:13)--This refers to enjoying the Sabbath [oneg Shabbat].
How do we enjoy it? Rav Yehudah the son of Rav Shmuel the son of Shilat said in the name of Rav: through beet dishes, large fish, and heads of garlic.
Rav Chiya the son of Ashi said in the name of Rav: Even a small thing done to honor Shabbat is considered "enjoying."
Like what? Rabbi Pappa said: a pie of fish hash and flour.
Question:
7. Based on the above passage, what are some ways we might enjoy Shabbat nowadays?
Supplemental Sources
(ז) אֵיזֶהוּ עֹנֶג זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְתַקֵּן תַּבְשִׁיל שָׁמֵן בְּיוֹתֵר וּמַשְׁקֶה מְבֻשָּׂם לְשַׁבָּת הַכּל לְפִי מָמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה בְּהוֹצָאַת שַׁבָּת וּבְתִקּוּן מַאֲכָלִים רַבִּים וְטוֹבִים הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח. וְאִם אֵין יָדוֹ מַשֶּׂגֶת אֲפִלּוּ לֹא עָשָׂה אֶלָּא שֶׁלֶק וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם כְּבוֹד שַׁבָּת הֲרֵי זֶה עֹנֶג שַׁבָּת.
(7) What is "enjoyment"? This is what the Sages said that one should prepare a fatty cooked dish and spiced drinks for the Shabbat, according to ones financial ability. Anyone who increases in his Shabbat expenditures and in preparing many good foods is worthy of praise. If one is unable to afford (these expenditures), even if one only makes fried vegetables or something similar in honor of the Shabbat, this is considered fulfillment of enjoyment of the Shabbat.
(א) יֵשׁ דְּבָרִים שֶׁהֵן אְסוּרִין בְּשַׁבָּת אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָם דּוֹמִין לִמְלָאכָה וְאֵינָם מְבִיאִין לִידֵי מְלָאכָה. וּמִפְּנֵי מָה נֶאֶסְרוּ מִשּׁוּם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נח יג) "אִם תָּשִׁיב מִשַּׁבָּת רַגְלֶךָ עֲשׂוֹת חֲפָצֶיךָ בְּיוֹם קָדְשִׁי" וְנֶאֱמַר (ישעיה נח יג) "וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ מֵעֲשׂוֹת דְּרָכֶיךָ מִמְּצוֹא חֶפְצְךָ וְדַבֵּר דָּבָר". לְפִיכָךְ אָסוּר לְאָדָם לְהַלֵּךְ בַּחֲפָצָיו בְּשַׁבָּת וַאֲפִלּוּ לְדַבֵּר בָּהֶן כְּגוֹן שֶׁיְּדַבֵּר עִם שֻׁתָּפוֹ מַה יִּמְכֹּר לְמָחָר אוֹ מַה יִּקְנֶה אוֹ הֵיאַךְ יִבְנֶה בַּיִת זֶה וּבְאֵי זֶה סְחוֹרָה יֵלֵךְ לְמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי. כָּל זֶה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ אָסוּר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְדַבֵּר דָּבָר דִּבּוּר אָסוּר הִרְהוּר מֻתָּר:
(1) There are things that are forbidden on the Sabbath even though they are not similar to creative labor and they do not bring [one] [to doing] creative labor. And because of what were [they] forbidden? Because it was said "If because of the Sabbath you refrain your feet from acting on your concerns on My holy day" (Isaiah 58:13) and it was said, "And you shall honor it, [refraining] from doing your ways, from finding your desires and from speaking about a matter" (Isaiah 58:13). Therefore it is forbidden for a person to go [after] one's concerns on the Sabbath, and even to speak about them. For example, if one would speak with one's business partner [about] what he will sell the following day or what he will buy or how he will build this house or regarding which merchandise will go to a certain person's place. All of this and similar cases are forbidden, as it says: "speaking about a matter" - speaking is forbidden; thinking is permitted.