How do you make Shabbat special? TB Shabbat 140

Sometimes the sages make a fence around the Torah in order to distance a person from transgressing a Torah based commandment. Muktzeh is a good example of this type of rabbinical ordinance. Sometimes the rabbis forbid something in order to make Shabbat different from the weekday. Today’s daf Shabbat 140 provides us of this kind of prohibition.

“MISHNA: One may not soak asafoetida in lukewarm water to prepare a medicinal drink from it; however, one may place it into vinegar like a standard spice…GEMARA Abaye said: It is prohibited by rabbinic decree, so that one will not conduct himself on Shabbat in the manner in which he conducts himself during the week.” (Sefaria.org translation) Other examples of this kind of prohibition are found in our chapter. (See TB Shabbat 137b-138a, Rashi on TB Shabbat 139 ד''ה מערים אדם על המשמרת ביום טוב)

 The prophet Isaiah teaches us that we have to do more than just make Shabbat different than the weekday. We must make it a delightful day. “If you refrain from trampling the Sabbath, from pursuing your affairs in my holy day; if you call the Sabbath ‘delight (עוֹנֶג),’ the Lord’s holy day ‘honored (מְכֻבָּד);’ –“ (58:13, NJPS translation) In other words Shabbat is more than just all those prohibitions. It’s about making the day special and wonderful.

 To make Shabbat a delight people around the Shabbat table will share divrei Torah and sing Shabbat songs. One such song is Yom zeh mekhubad- יום זה מְכֻבָּד. It teaches us how we can begin to make Shabbat different and special. Here are just two verses.

 Eat choice food, drink sweet wine,

For God will give to those who cleave to Him

Clothes to wear, due portions of bread,

Meat and fish, and all tasty foods.

                This day is honored above all others,

                for on it he who formed worlds found rest.

In it you shall lack nothing-so eat,

Be satisfied and bless

The Lord, whom you love,

For He has blessed you from all peoples. (Koren Siddur translation)

 During the week were so busy we hardly sit down together around the dining room table. Quick and easy meals are served. Sometimes I don’t even feel like cooking so I have a bowl of cereal for supper. Shabbat is different. I plan a special meal from soup to nuts. We can make Shabbat special by the food we serve to one another. Everybody has different tastes so what is special to you may be different to others. You can make Shabbat special by having something you especially love to eat. We can make Shabbat special by the clothes that we wear. We don’t need to wear formal dinner attire to accomplish this goal, but a clean and pressed shirt can do the trick.

 How would you make Shabbat different, special, and honored?

 To listen to at least 17 different melodies of Yom zeh mekhubad- יום זה מְכֻבָּד follow this link” https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=yom+zeh+mechubad+lyrics

For baby boomers, you might especially like Lenny Solomon and Schlock Rocks version.