Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ...... XVII Preface: Why This Book Was Written ...... 1 CHAPTER 1 Food That Is Out of This World! Preparing the Food on Erev Shabbos . . .5 CHAPTER 2 I’m Perfect: Showering on Erev Shabbos ...... 9 CHAPTER 3 The Holy Costume Designer: Shabbos Clothing ...... 14 CHAPTER 4 Let There Be Light: Shabbos Candles ...... 18 CHAPTER 5 Hashem Melech: Kabbalas Shabbos, Part I ...... 21 CHAPTER 6 Who’s on the Guest List? Kabbalas Shabbos, Part II ...... 25 CHAPTER 7 Hashem Is Just: Kabbalas Shabbos, Part III ...... 27 CHAPTER 8 We Keep Shabbos and Shabbos Keeps Us: The Berachos in Friday Night Maariv ...... 29

XIII XIV 39 Things You Can Do on Shabbos

CHAPTER 9 Did You Get It? Maariv Shemoneh Esreh ...... 32 CHAPTER 10 Permanent Report Cards and Self-Improvement: Shalom Aleichem . .36 CHAPTER 11 Learn from the Lady! Eishes Chayil ...... 39 CHAPTER 12 A Battery-Powered Universe: Making ...... 43 CHAPTER 13 Satanic Sabbaticals: Birkas Habanim ...... 46 CHAPTER 14 Don’t Do Anything! Lechem Mishneh ...... 50 CHAPTER 15 Live It Up! The Shabbos Meals ...... 53 CHAPTER 16 Let’s Get Together: Shabbos Guests ...... 56 CHAPTER 17 Wake Up and Eat a Blessing: Eating Fish ...... 58 CHAPTER 18 L’Takein Olam: The Retzeh Tefillah ...... 61 CHAPTER 19 The Soul Purpose of Shabbos: The Day of Torah ...... 65 CHAPTER 20 Playing with the Scepter: Shabbos as a Day of Teshuvah ...... 70 CHAPTER 21 The World Stands on You: Shacharis Shemoneh Esreh ...... 73 Table of Contents XV

CHAPTER 22 I Need a Drink: K’rias HaTorah ...... 77 CHAPTER 23 Know Your Stuff: Maavir Sidrah ...... 79 CHAPTER 24 REALLY Know Your Stuff: D’var Torah ...... 81 CHAPTER 25 The Biggest Dowry: Davening Musaf ...... 83 CHAPTER 26 When Are You Going to Make Something of Yourself? Kiddush Over Wine ...... 86 CHAPTER 27 You’re Awesome! Spending Time with Family and Friends ...... 88 CHAPTER 28 I Didn’t Mean It Literally! ...... 91 CHAPTER 29 He’s Got Your Back: Taking a Nap ...... 94 CHAPTER 30 Party in the House: Shabbos Party ...... 97 CHAPTER 31 Who Made It All? The Shabbos Walk...... 100 CHAPTER 32 We’re Both One of a Kind: The Extras in Shabbos Minchah ...... 102 CHAPTER 33 Mazel Tov! It’s a Match! Minchah Shemoneh Esreh ...... 107 CHAPTER 34 Pruning the Soul: Singing Zemiros ...... 110 XVI 39 Things You Can Do on Shabbos

CHAPTER 35 Strength for the Weak Week: — Yayin ...... 113 CHAPTER 36 Spiritual Preservatives: Havdalah — Besamim ...... 116 CHAPTER 37 Hashem Loves You but Zeus Does Not: Havdalah — Ner ...... 120 CHAPTER 38 Knowing the Difference: Hamavdil and Atah Chonantanu ...... 123 CHAPTER 39 Forever and Ever: Melaveh Malkah ...... 129

Conclusion ...... 140 Appendix: Why Are There So Many Don’ts on Shabbos? ...... 142 Glossary ...... 146 1 Food That Is Out of This World! PREPARING THE FOOD ON EREV SHABBOS

Before we even start thinking about what we can and should do on Shabbos, we first need to understand what we can and should do for Shabbos before it actually begins. The Gemara, as well as many halachah sefarim, include lists of activities one is supposed to engage in on Erev Shabbos — all named under the umbrella word hachanah (preparation). The list includes, but is not limited to, showering, nail cutting, house cleaning, and more. However, for the purposes of this chapter, let’s focus on one particular Erev Shabbos — cooking and preparing food for the Shabbos meals. This mandate is expressed in the Torah in Shemos.1 We find there that Moshe tells the Jewish People that they should prepare the double por- tion of manna that fell on Erev Shabbos so that they would have food to eat on Shabbos: “Tomorrow is a rest day, a holy Shabbos to Hashem. That which you will [want to] bake, bake [today, enough for two days],

1 Shemos 16:23. 5 6 39 Things You Can Do on Shabbos and that which you will [want to] cook, cook [today, enough for two days], etc.” Implicit in the verse is the idea that it is necessary to prepare the Shabbos food before Shabbos, because once Shabbos begins, it is no longer permissible to do so. This idea is also expressed in the Gemara: “He who toils on Erev Shabbos will eat on Shabbos.”2 Again, this is be- cause of the simple reasoning that on Shabbos, it will be too late to cook. On a simple level, we already have a positive thing to do for Shabbos — prepare the Shabbos food in advance. However, we can delve further and pull out an even deeper message from this Erev Shabbos activity. There is a phrase in tefillas Musaf which might help us in our quest. The Shemoneh Esrei states: “M’angeha l’olam kavod yinchalu — The m’an- geha of Shabbos will inherit honor l’olam.” The reason we left the two words m’angeha and l’olam transliterated, as opposed to translating them into English, is so that we can analyze them. • Let’s start with the easier word — l’olam. This word simply means “forever” or “eternally.” Therefore, the above phrase would mean “The m’angeha of Shabbos will inherit eternal honor.” Although later in this chapter we will provide an alternative translation for l’olam, let’s stick with this one for the moment. • Now let’s turn to the other transliterated word. Who are the m’angeha of Shabbos who will inherit eternal honor? Loosely, it means those who engage in oneg Shabbos, the mitzvah to make Shabbos a pleasure. Indeed, primary in the fulfillment of this mitzvah is the consumption of three delicious meals over the course of Shabbos, amongst other physical pleasures. Essentially, m’angeha are those who fulfill the verse in Yeshayah (58: 13) which mandates “vekarasa la’Shabbos oneg — proclaim Shabbos a day of pleasurable delight.”

2 Avodah Zarah 3a. Food That Is Out of This World! 7

Based on this, the quote from Musaf can be translated as follows “M’angeha l’olam kavod yinchalu — Those who delight in Shabbos will inherit eternal honor.” However, if we would turn to the Bnei Yissaschar, we might find a deeper explanation of this phrase and of the mitzvah of hachanah.3 The Bnei Yissaschar quotes his predecessors who explain the meaning be- hind the word oneg in the following way. The Hebrew letters that spell the word oneg are ayin, nun, and gimmel. This stands for Eden, nahar, and gan. In Kabbalistic terminology, these three terms all refer to the reward of the World to Come. The reason why the word oneg alludes to the World to Come is very simply because the World to Come is the only place of true oneg — pleasurable delight. While in this world we are enjoined to work hard to study Hashem’s Torah and fulfill His mitzvos, the great pleasurable reward for doing so will only fully be found in the World to Come. Nevertheless, the Bnei Yissaschar continues, our Sages teach that there is one time that we can find a hint to the World to Come while yet living on this world: on Shabbos. Our Sages teach that Shabbos is “m’ein Olam Haba — something similar to the Next World.” This is why the prophet told us “v’karasa l’Shabbos oneg — to proclaim Shabbos a day of oneg.” It’s because although oneg will only be found in its fullest form in the Next World, a fraction of it4 can still be found in this world — on Shabbos. Based on this understanding, the Bnei Yissaschar derives the follow- ing beautiful insight into the mitzvah of hachanah. We know that the only place we can study Torah and do mitzvos is in this world. Once we get to the next world, it will be too late. Our Sages teach us: “Ha’yom la’asosam u’machar l’kabeil scharam —Today is for doing and tomorrow is for receiving reward.”5 Today (i.e., in this world) we can do mitzvos, but tomorrow (i.e., when we reach the Next World) it will be too late. The mitzvah of preparing the food for Shabbos on Erev Shabbos brings this point home so clearly: It is clear that we absolutely must prepare

3 Maamar 7, “Tefillos Shabbos,” os 15. 4 One-sixtieth worth, to be precise. 5 Eruvin 22a. 8 39 Things You Can Do on Shabbos the Shabbos food before Shabbos. We won’t be able to have any of the oneg that we are supposed to have on Shabbos if we don’t prepare be- forehand, because on Shabbos we are precluded from doing any creative labor (including cooking). So too, if we don’t prepare in this world for the Next World, we won’t have any way to enjoy the oneg of the Next World, because in that world we are precluded from earning any further reward. In other words, this world is like the days of the week.6 In this world we are able to work and prepare. If we prepare, we will enjoy the time of oneg. But if we are derelict here and now, by the time we get to the next stage, it will be too late. With this understanding, we should go back and re-read the phrase from Musaf we quoted earlier. “M’angeha l’olam kavod yinchalu.” According to the Bnei Yissaschar, this can be translated as follows: Those who prepare on Erev Shabbos (referring to the day of Friday as well as to this world) to ensure that Shabbos (referring to both the seventh day and also to the Next World) is a time of oneg, will surely inherit honor l’olam — for the eternal duration of the World to Come.

We now have something we can do for Shabbos — hachanah. We prepare for Shabbos before it begins with the thoughts that we need to work now while we are still able to. If we do, we will have all the oneg that Hashem has in store for us in the time that is indeed allocated for it — be it in this world or the World to Come.

6 The scholar might find it interesting to note other times we find the pattern of six followed by seven. We know the week is six days long and Shabbos is the seventh day of rest. Similarly, we are taught (Avodah Zarah 9a) that this world will be here for six millennia, followed by the seventh millennium of rest, which brings us to Olam Haba. Similarly, the agricultural work-cycle is six years, followed by shemittah — the seventh year in which the land must rest and lie fallow. 2 I’m Perfect SHOWERING ON EREV SHABBOS

Let’s discuss the mitzvah of showering on Friday afternoon, which is, indeed, an actual mitzvah.1 Simply, this act gives honor to Shabbos as we prepare to greet it with cleanliness and purity. However, all mitzvos have a simple understanding and a deeper understanding. Let’s jump into an analysis of this mitzvah and see if we can gain a more profound appreciation for this holy deed. The source with which we will begin is a Gemara in Maseches Shabbos.2 The Gemara there teaches that one should always be as patient and tol- erant as the great sage Hillel. The Gemara brings out the level expected of us with a humorous story about two fellows, one of whom bet his friend (to the tune of four hundred silver coins!) that he would be able to anger Hillel. Hillel was known for his calm and patient nature, so it was certain that one would have to work quite hard to win the grand sum of four hundred zuz.

1 O.C. 260:1. 2 31a. 9 10 39 Things You Can Do on Shabbos

The Gemara writes:

That day was Erev Shabbos and Hillel was washing his head (i.e., showering). The fellow went and passed by Hillel’s door and [rudely] called out, “Is there anyone here named Hillel? Is there anyone here named Hillel?” Hillel wrapped himself up and went out to greet him. Hillel said, “What do you seek, my son?” He responded, “I have a question to ask.” Hillel responded “Ask, my son, ask.” He asked, “Why do the Babylonians have misshapen heads?” Hillel answered, “You have asked a great question, my son. It’s because they do not have skilled midwives.” [The man left] and then returned a bit later. He went and passed by Hillel’s door and [rudely] called out, “Is there anyone here named Hillel? Is there anyone here named Hillel?” Hillel wrapped himself up and went out to greet him. Hillel said, “What do you seek, my son?” He responded, “I have a question to ask.” Hillel responded, “Ask, my son, ask.” He asked, “Why do the Tarmudeans have slanted eyes?” Hillel answered “You have asked a great question, my son. It’s because they live by the sand.” [The man left] and then returned a bit later. He went and passed by Hillel’s door and [rudely] called out, “Is there anyone here named Hillel? Is there anyone here named Hillel?” Hillel wrapped himself up and went out to greet him. Hillel said, “What do you seek, my son?” He responded, “I have a question to ask.” Hillel responded, “Ask, my son, ask.” He asked,“Why do the Africans have broad feet?” I’m Perfect 11

Hillel answered, “You have asked a great question, my son. It’s because they live by the marshes.” Seeing that he had failed, the man exclaimed, “May there not be more like you! Because of you I lost four hundred zuz!”

All right, so we now know this funny story. But one could ask the following question: Why does the Gemara need to record the seemingly ridiculous questions that the man asked? Chazal only write that which has a purpose for us to hear. Wouldn’t the lesson have been sufficiently taught by simply saying that the man had asked three bothersome questions without specifying what they were? I found the following beautiful answer to this question in a sefer by Rav Daniel Yaakov Travis.3 To fully understand the conversation in this Gemara, we need to consider a midrash in Vayikra Rabbah (34:3). The midrash there describes the following exchange between Hillel and his students:

They said to him, “, where are you going?” Hillel responded, “To go do a mitzvah.” They asked, “Which mitzvah are you going to do?” He said, “To shower in the bathhouse.” They asked, “Is that really a mitzvah?” Hillel answered, “Surely! Think of the statues and busts of the kings that they erect in the public theaters and circuses. The one appointed to wash and clean them is provided for and honored amongst the nobility. I, who was created with tzelem and demus (i.e., in the image of G-d, as it were), all the more so [is it a mitzvah to wash my body]!”

Now that we know this philosophy of Hillel’s — that it is a mitzvah to wash and care for the body since it was created in the image of G-d — let’s backtrack and explain the conversation above between the

3 Shabbos: Tasting Eternity, p. 72. I have taken the liberty herein of elaborating on his con- cise words. 12 39 Things You Can Do on Shabbos one who made the wager and Hillel. The nudnik wasn’t simply asking ridiculous questions, explains Rabbi Travis, and he didn’t show up while Hillel was showering simply because that was a convenient time to in- convenience Hillel. Rather, the nudnik was challenging Hillel regarding the premise on which Hillel based his reason to shower in the first place. The fellow was asking Hillel as follows: “You teach your students that it is appropriate to wash the body because it is the epitome of per- fection — as it was created by G-d. But the body is not perfect! After all, the Babylonians have misshapen heads, the Tarmudeans have slanted eyes, and the Africans have broad feet!” Hillel understood the underly- ing question and responded in kind. His response was that in reality, Hashem’s creation is perfect. However, people and circumstances can negatively impact the inherent perfection. Hillel was telling this fellow that unskilled midwives, or the place one lives, can indeed result in an external cause of imperfection in the body — but Hashem’s handiwork has no inherent deficiencies. Therefore, it is indeed appropriate to shower and care for the body Hashem gave us. We have now learned Rabbi Travis’s beautiful explanation of the story in Maseches Shabbos. But what we still don’t know is, what does this have to do with the mitzvah of showering on Erev Shabbos? The timing of the incidents — Erev Shabbos — gives us a clue to understanding the answer. Both the Gemara (in the story about the wager), and the Radal on the midrash (about Hillel and his students) explicitly tell us that the stories took place on Erev Shabbos. Why is it a mitzvah to shower on Erev Shabbos more than on any other day of the week? I would like to suggest the following answer. We know that Shabbos is known in the parlance of the Torah as zecher l’maaseh bereishis — a re- minder of the creation of the world. Shabbos is the time when we recall and testify that Hashem created the world. Part of this testimony is the fact that if an omnipotent Being created the world, then the creation must have been created in the very best way possible — without errors or needless imperfections.4 Therefore, Erev Shabbos is the very best

4 This is because an omnipotent Being doesn’t make mistakes. I’m Perfect 13 time to shower and clean the body! After all, when Shabbos comes, we remember that Hashem created our body, our tzelem Elokim. Our body was created without any needless imperfections, and it remains that way unless we do something to mess it up. Both Shabbos and showering testify that Hashem created the world, and that He did so in the very best way possible. That’s why we shower specifically on Erev Shabbos.

Getting clean for Shabbos is not just a nice idea. It’s a mitzvah. We prepare to greet Shabbos with cleanliness and purity while simultaneously caring for the beautifully crafted body that Hashem gave us. 3 The Holy Costume Designer SHABBOS CLOTHING

There is a ubiquitous custom amongst the Jewish People to dress up in our finest outfits on Shabbos. This mitzvah is so special to the Jewish People that most Torah-observant Jews divide their wardrobe into two parts: weekday clothing and Shabbos clothing. This phenomenon is in direct contrast to the prevailing custom in the world today when it comes to days off. Many people in the world dress down on their day of rest; they just want to relax! (Are we not all familiar with the classic scene of a man in his shorts and sleeveless undershirt sitting on the couch watching football on Sunday afternoon?) But let’s ask ourselves — why do most people spend their day off in their pjs? Presumably, the answer is that pajamas are the most comfortable set of clothing in one’s ward- robe. It seems to make sense! So why do Jews act differently on Shabbos? Why do we specifically dress up on our day off? To answer this question, let’s turn to a verse in Yeshayah: “Refrain from accomplishing your own needs on My holy day … proclaim Shabbos

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