Ki Tisa: Practical Application of Delighting in the Shabbos

"And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying, Speak thou also unto the Bnei Yisroel, saying, Verily My Shabbatot ye shall be shomer over; for it is an ot (sign) between Me and you throughout your dorot; that ye may have da'as that I am Hashem Who doth set thee apart as kodesh. Ye shall be shomer Shabbos therefore; for it is kodesh unto you; every one that is chillul Shabbos (desecrates Shabbos) shall surely be put to death; for whosoever doeth any work therein, that nefesh shall be cut off from among his people. Sheshet yamim may work be done; but in the Yom HaShevi'i is Shabbos HaShabbaton, kodesh to Hashem; whosoever doeth any work in the Yom HaShabbos, he shall surely be put to death.  Wherefore the Bnei Yisroel shall be shomer Shabbos, to observe Shabbos throughout their dorot, for a brit olam. It is an ot between Me and the Bnei Yisroel l'olam; for in sheshet yamim Hashem made Shomayim and HaAretz, and on Yom HaShevi'i He rested (shavat, ceased working), and was refreshed."
(Exodus 31:12-17; The Orthodox Jewish Bible) 

Oh the Shabbos, a popular part of conversation in the faiths associated with the Lapid Jewish faith.  Each and every teacher in the Hebrew Roots faith and the Messianic faith have a copy and paste sermon you have heard over 1,000 times as to “when is the Sabbath”.  Have you noticed however the actual application of the Shabbos is rarely discussed?  

Yeah many may cite that, one is not to do any work, nor is one supposed to buy or sell.  But what exactly is the Shabbos?  Does “rest” really mean binging on Netflix from sundown Friday to sundown on Saturday?  Does it mean to be a lazy putz?  Does it mean to go to schul then come home and be a lazy putz?  Why does the pasek tell us to not start a fire on the Shabbos?  Does this mean to not cook to not have electricity, to call up your Shabbos goy to turn on your reruns of Matlock?  What does the pasek mean?  

“Ye shall kindle no eish throughout your habitations upon Yom HaShabbos.”
(Exodus 35:3)

The word for fire is אֵשׁ considering it speaking of you inhabitants we must then take the words associated with those within the inhabitance.  So, the word for man is אִישׁ and the word for woman is אִשָׁה.  These two words are important to understand what בית or inhabitance is.  In Judaism peace in the home and marital bliss are the same thing, this is why the pasek says “in your inhabitance”.  Notice anything in terms of the three Hebrew words mentioned?  

Both contain a א and a ש which make up the word for fire.  The word for man (ish) has a י while the word for woman (isha) has a ה.  These two letter name up one of the 72 names for G-d which is יה.  The י represents the humility one must have for his wife.  The ה represents the vitality and honor of the woman.  When a man is not representing the י which feeds her honor and vitality, his י is taken and her ה is taken.  Which cause them both to become an all consuming אש (fire).  

This is why when you go into an Orthodox home you hear zero argument on the Shabbos.  Because it is known and understood, Shabbos is not going to the schul, Shabbos is not lounging, it is not a day off really.  What it is instead is a change of focus and it is an investment to merit the י and the ה to dwell among those within your home and to sanctify and edify your family.  For G-d to recharge the spiritual batteries.  It is the collection of instances of positivity that allow changes to come into one’s situation with marital problems or problems associated with coworkers or friends.  This is a time when halakha is magnified and the חי (life) is brought into the world because of the maintaining of שלום (peace). 

What does it mean to delight in the Shabbos?  Well our sages have much to say on this one. 

"Rab Judah said in Rab's name: He who delights in the Sabbath is granted his heart's desires, for it is said, Delight thyself also in the Lord; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Now, I do not know what this 'delight' refers to; but when it is said, and thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight, you must say that it refers to the delight of the Sabbath.

Wherewith does one show his delight therein? — Rab Judah son of R. Samuel b. Shilath said in Rab's name: With a dish of beets, large fish, and heads of garlic. R. Hiyya b. Ashi said in Rab's name: Even a trifle, if it is prepared in honor of the Sabbath, is delight. What is it [the trifle]? — Said R. Papa: A pie of fish-hash.

R. Hiyya b. Abba said in R. Johanan's name: He who observes the Sabbath according to its laws, even if he practises idolatry like the generation of Enosh, is forgiven, for it is said, Blessed is Enosh that doeth this … [that keepeth the Sabbath mehallelo from profaning it]: read not mehallelo but mahul lo [he is forgiven].
Rab Judah said in Rab's name: Had Israel kept the first Sabbath, no nation or tongue would have enjoyed dominion over them, for it is said, And it came to pass on the seventh day, that there went out some of the people for to gather; which is followed by, Then came Amalek. R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: If Israel were to keep two Sabbaths according to the laws thereof, they would be redeemed immediately, for it is said, Thus saith the Lord of the eunuch that keep my Sabbaths, which is followed by, even them will I bring to my holy mountain, etc.
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R. Jose said: May my portion be of those who eat three meals on the Sabbath. R. Jose [also] said: May my portion be of those who recite the entire Hallel every day. But that is not so, for a Master said: He who reads Hallel every day blasphemes and reproaches [the Divine Name]? — We refer to the 'Verses of Song'.
R. Jose said: May my portion be of those who pray with the red glow of the sun. R. Hiyya b. Abba said in R. Johanan's name: It is virtuous to pray with the red glow of the sun. R. Zera observed: What verse [intimates this]? They shall revere thee with [i.e., at the time of the sun [rise], and before the moon [shines],throughout all generations."
(Shabbat 118b)

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