It takes two TB Shabbat 117

There are all sorts of ways we make Shabbat special. We learned in the last chapter on daf TB Shabbat 113a that our Shabbat clothes should be different from our weekday outfits. “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.” (Sefaria.org translation) Today’s daf TB Shabbat 117 offers two more ways how we make the Shabbat special. Preparation is key and the bread we break is important.

“Rav Ḥisda said: A person should always rise early on Friday in order to prepare all of the expenditures for Shabbat, as it is written with regard to the collection of the manna: “And it shall be on the sixth day, and they will prepare that which they have brought” (Exodus 16:5), indicating that the children of Israel would begin preparing the food for Shabbat immediately upon collecting the manna in the morning. Apropos manna, the Gemara mentions other matters derived from it. Rabbi Abba said: On Shabbat a person is obligated to break bread in his meal over two loaves of bread, as it is written: “And it happened on the sixth day, they collected double the bread, two omer for each one” (Exodus 16:22). (Sefaria.org translation)

Besides rising early to prepare all your Shabbat meals, I would add all your other preparations that make Shabbat special like cleaning the house, setting your table with your good dishes, and making sure you’re Shabbat clothes are clean. Perhaps you did not know the reason why we make the blessing motzi over two challot (plural of challah) until we studied this page. Every day the Israelites would go out and gather enough manna for that day. If people took more than they needed, the extra manna would turn foul and be full of maggots. No manna appeared on Shabbat; consequently, they needed to harvest a double portion on Friday. The two loaves of bread, challot, reminds us of the double portion of manna.

Who doesn’t want to double the opportunity to observe mitzvot?! The Gemara goes on to tell us how two rabbis used one challah for two different mitzvot. “Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi, when the bread from the eiruv would happen to become available to them, they would begin and recite the blessing over it. They said in explanation: Since one mitzva was performed with it, let an additional mitzva be performed with it.” (Sefaria.org translation)

As long as we’re learning about the number two, let me share why we minimally light two candles on Erev Shabbat and Yom Tov (holidays). There are two different recensions of the 10 Commandments in the Torah, one in Exodus and one and Deuteronomy. In the book of Exodus the fourth commandment is “Remember (זָכוֹר) the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” (20:8) In the book of Deuteronomy the fourth commandment is “Observe (שָׁמוֹר) the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” One candle represents “Remember” and the other represents “Observe.”

How did tradition explain away the discrepancy of the two different wording of the fourth commandment? “According to the sages, both were uttered at the same time. ‘Observe’ refers to the negative commandments of Shabbat, the prohibition against work, while ‘Remember’ refers to the positive commandments, to sanctify it in word and deed. The idea that both were spoken simultaneously teaches that the negative and positive aspects of holy time are inseparable. The prohibition against work create space for rest and joy.” (Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks’ commentary on the prayer Lecha Dodi in the Koren Siddur, page 318)

The 16th century Safed mystic composer Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz used this idea that both “Observe” and “Remember” was said simultaneously in the first stanza in our prayer Lecha Dodi.

שָׁמוֹר וְזָכוֹר בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד, הִשְמִיעָֽנוּ אֵל הַמְּיֻחָד, יְיָ אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד, לְשֵׁם וּלְתִפְאֶֽרֶת וְלִתְהִלָּה.

“Observe” and “remember” were uttered as one by our Creator, beyond comparison. Adonai is One and His name is One, reflected in glory, in fame, and in praise.