שבת ב

Psalm 16 · פרק טז

1 מִכְתָּם לְדָוִד שָׁמְרֵנִי א-ל כִּי-חָסִיתִי בָךְ And behold, according to what is stated there, one can well understand the reason for the prohibition of the thirty-nine melachos [categories of creative labor] on Shabbos. For on Shabbos there is the revelation of the root of the Ratzon [Divine Will] — from the Metzach HaRatzon [Forehead of Will] — which is revealed on Shabbos at Minchah [the afternoon prayer], for that is when the histalkus [passing/elevation] of Moshe took place. And since the Ratzon is revealed at that time, from this yirah is produced — and this is the aspect of yareh Shabbos, for on Shabbos yirah is produced through the revelation of the Ratzon, as mentioned above. And through the yirah, chesed [lovingkindness] is bestowed. And then one does not need to perform any melachah, for the world is sustained through His chesed. And therefore it is forbidden to perform any melachah on Shabbos, for doing so damages the honor of Shabbos, when great chesed is being bestowed and the world is sustained without any is'arusah d'l'satah [arousal from below] at all. It emerges that just as at the creation of the world, when Hashem, blessed be He, created the world — He created in the six days of activity, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed — so too now, in the sustaining of the world, we perform melachos during the six days of activity, which is the aspect of is'arusah d'l'satah — sustaining the world — but on Shabbos it is forbidden for us to perform melachah, for then the chesed is bestowed and there is no need for is'arusah d'l'satah at all for the sustaining of the world, for the world is sustained through His chesed. And therefore one is obligated to eat three meals on Shabbos, for these three meals correspond to the three Yamim Tovim [festivals], which are the aspect of the revelation of the Ratzon, as explained there. For it is stated that the three meals of Shabbos correspond to the three Patriarchs. And likewise the three Yamim Tovim also correspond to the three Patriarchs — Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. For all the Yamim Tovim receive from Shabbos, and because of this Shabbos is called "the first of the holy convocations" (Leviticus 23:2, as expounded in the liturgy), for Shabbos is the head and beginning of all the mikrah'ay kodesh [holy convocations], and they all receive from Shabbos. For the Yamim Tovim are the aspect of the revelation of the Ratzon, as explained there, and Shabbos is the aspect of the Ratzon within all the Ratzonos [the Will within all Wills] — the root of the Ratzon, where all the ratzonos are bound together, as explained there. It emerges that all the Yamim Tovim, which are the aspect of mikrah'ay kodesh — because they call forth the Ratzon [a play on the word mikra (מִקְרָא), meaning "calling"] — receive from Shabbos, which is the aspect of the root of the Ratzon, as mentioned above. And this is [the meaning of] Shabbos being called "the first of the holy convocations" — "of the holy convocations," specifically — for the Yamim Tovim are called mikrah'ay kodesh because they call forth the Ratzon, as explained there, and Shabbos is the first of the mikrah'ay kodesh, for the revelation of the Ratzon — which is the aspect of mikra kodesh — needs to receive its power from Shabbos, which is the root of the Ratzon, as mentioned above. It emerges that all three Yamim Tovim receive from Shabbos. And therefore, also on Shabbos itself, we observe three meals corresponding to the three aforementioned Yamim Tovim, for the three meals of Shabbos are the aspect of the revelation of the Ratzon. For the three meals are derived from the verse "eat it today" (Exodus 16:25) etc., which was stated regarding the mahn. It emerges that eating on Shabbos is a commemoration of the mahn, from which we derive the three meals. And as stated in the Shulchan Aruch, it is fitting to make a remembrance of the mahn at the Shabbos meals — for example, to eat mulyasah [a stuffed dish], and to place the bread between two cloths, like the mahn [which was covered by layers of dew]. It emerges that when we eat on Shabbos, we are testifying that Yisrael ate the mahn, in which there were awesome signs — that it fell during the six days and on Shabbos it did not fall. And therefore, through eating on Shabbos, the Ratzon is revealed — that everything is according to His will, blessed be He. For the essence of the sanctity of Shabbos is the eating of Shabbos, as brought in the words of Rabbeinu, may his light shine, and Shabbos is the revelation of the Ratzon, as mentioned above. For Shabbos testifies to the creation of the world — that Hashem, blessed be He, created the world as He willed, as is known. It emerges that through eating on Shabbos — which is the essence of the honor of Shabbos (for through the mere cessation of melachah alone, the honor of Shabbos is not so apparent, through [the passive stance of] "sit and do not act"; rather, through the honor of Shabbos, that is, the three meals of Shabbos) — through this, the honor of the sanctity of Shabbos is revealed, which testifies to the creation of the world, for it is a commemoration of the mahn, in which there were awesome signs. It emerges that through this, the Ratzon is revealed — that everything is according to His will, blessed be He, for He, blessed be He, created the world with His will, and does in it as He wills, as mentioned above. And therefore there are three meals corresponding to the three Yamim Tovim, which are the revelation of the Ratzon, and they all receive from Shabbos, as mentioned above. This halacha, based on Likutay Moharan II, 4, explains the prohibition of the thirty-nine melachos on Shabbos and the obligation to eat three meals. On Shabbos the root of the Divine Will (Ratzon) is revealed — especially at Minchah time, connected to the passing of Moshe Rabbeinu. This revelation produces yirah, which in turn causes an outpouring of chesed. When G-d's lovingkindness sustains the world directly, no is'arusah d'l'satah (arousal from below — i.e. human labor) is needed. Hence, melachah is forbidden. The three meals parallel the three Yamim Tovim and the three Patriarchs. All festivals receive their spiritual power from Shabbos, which is the root-Will encompassing all individual expressions of Ratzon. This is why Shabbos is called "the first of the holy convocations." A key play on words: mikrah'ay kodesh — the festivals are so called because they "call forth" (korim) the Divine Will. Crucially, it is the eating on Shabbos — not merely refraining from work — that reveals the honor and sanctity of Shabbos. The meals serve as a remembrance of the mahn, whose miraculous behavior (falling six days, not on Shabbos) testified to creation and G-d's sovereign will over nature.