May the Force help you make it by Skiya: On the meaning of הכנה in Hilchot Shabbat - a shiur in memory of my mother Deanna Radin Lubin דינה חנה בת רפאל מאיר ומינט ז״ל

Even regarding someone who depends on others for his livelihood, if he has [even just] some [food] of his own, he must make an effort to honor the Shabbat. The halakhic decisors [poskim] who said, "make your Shabbat as a weekday so that you not rely on others," only said it regarding one in a time of dire need. Therefore [a person who has a bit of their own food, i.e., the initial situation discussed,] must practice restraint during the week so that he can honor the Shabbat. This is based on the decree of Ezra, that people should wash clothes on Thursday (i.e., prepare during the week) for the honor of Shabbat. RAMA: We customarily knead a quantity of dough that is sufficient to become obligated in the mitzvah of challah in the home. With these, we bake breads that we will then break on Shabbat and holidays. This is one of the [many ways] in which we honor Shabbat and holidays, and one must not deviate from this custom. Some write that in a few places they are accustomed to eat mulitha, also known as pashtida, on the night of Shabbat as a remembrance to the manna, which was covered above and below. [Source: Maharil; Rama comments: I don’t see that one should be concerned to follow this.

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.

On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a sabbath of complete rest, a sacred occasion. You shall do no work; it shall be a sabbath of ה' throughout your settlements.

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

Then you can seek GOD’s favor.
I will set you astride the heights of the earth,
And let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob—
For GOD’s mouth has spoken.

4) (Vayikra 23:35) "On the first day is a holy calling" — Sanctify it and (Vayikra 23:36) "On the eighth day is a holy calling" — Sanctify it. How do you sanctify it? With (special) food and drink and with fresh clothing.

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.

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 Gemara returns to the previous issue: Rav Taḥlifa, brother of Ravnai Ḥoza’a, taught:

A person’s entire livelihood is allocated to him during the period from Rosh HaShana to Yom Kippur. During that time, as each individual is judged, it is decreed exactly how much money he will earn for all his expenditures of the coming year, except for expenditures for Shabbatot, and expenditures for Festivals, and expenditures for the school fees of his sons’ Torah study. In these areas, no exact amount is determined at the beginning of the year; rather, if he reduced the amount he spends for these purposes, his income is reduced and he earns that much less money in that year, and if he increased his expenditures in these areas, his income is increased to ensure that he can cover the expense. Therefore, one may borrow for these purposes, since he is guaranteed to have enough income to cover whatever he spends for them.

The Gemara explains: From where may it be inferred that this word “statute [ḥok]” is a term relating to food? As it is written: “And they ate their allotment [ḥukkam], which Pharaoh gave them” (Genesis 47:22). Mar Zutra said: One can learn that ḥok is referring to food from here: “Feed me with my allotted [ḥukki] bread” (Proverbs 30:8).

The Gemara asks: What is the reason that the Sages instituted this ordinance in particular to ensure that Shabbat would not be overlooked? Rava said: The Sages did so in deference to Shabbat, and they instituted an eiruv so that one will select a choice portion for Shabbat and a choice portion for the Festival. If one fails to prepare a dish specifically for Shabbat before the Festival, it could lead to failure to show the appropriate deference to Shabbat.