Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 113a-b
If you turn back your foot from the sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own business, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth . . . (Isa. 58:13-14)
讬讙 讗执诐 转旨指砖讈执讬讘 诪执砖旨讈址讘旨指转 专址讙职诇侄讱指 注植砖讉讜止转 讞植驻指爪侄讬讱指 讘旨职讬讜止诐 拽指讚职砖讈执讬 讜职拽指专指讗转指 诇址砖旨讈址讘旨指转 注止谞侄讙 诇执拽职讚讜止砖讈 讬职讛止讜指讛 诪职讻只讘旨指讚 讜职讻执讘旨址讚职转旨讜止 诪值注植砖讉讜止转 讚旨职专指讻侄讬讱指 诪执诪旨职爪讜止讗 讞侄驻职爪职讱指 讜职讚址讘旨值专 讚旨指讘指专:
讬讚 讗指讝 转旨执转职注址谞旨址讙 注址诇 讬职讛止讜指讛 讜职讛执专职讻旨址讘职转旨执讬讱指 注址诇 讘旨指诪殖转值讬 (讻转讬讘 讘旨指诪殖讜转值讬) 讗指专侄抓 讜职讛址讗植讻址诇职转旨执讬讱指 谞址讞植诇址转 讬址注植拽止讘 讗指讘执讬讱指 讻旨执讬 驻旨执讬 讬职讛止讜指讛 讚旨执讘旨值专:
“If you honor it, not going your own ways . . . “: [this means that] your Shabbat garments should not be like your weekday garments, indeed, R. Yohanan called his garments ‘My honorers.’ ‘Not going your own ways . . . ‘: that your walking on the Sabbath should not be like your walking on weekdays.‘Or seeking your own business’: your business is forbidden, the business of Heaven is permitted.‘Talking idly . . . ‘ that your speech on the Sabbath should not be like your speech on weekdays. (Babylonian Talmud 113a-b)
讜讻讘讚 转讜 诪注砖讜转 讚专讻讬讱 鈥� 讜讻讘讚转讜 砖诇讗 讬讛讗 诪诇讘讜砖讱 砖诇 砖讘转 讻诪诇讘讜砖讱 砖诇 讞讜诇. 讜讻讬 讛讗 讚专讘讬 讬讜转谞谉 拽专讬 诇诪讗谞讬讛 诪讻讘讚讜转讬. 诪注砖讜转 讚专讻讬讱 鈥� 砖诇讗 讬讛讗 讛讬诇讜讻讱 砖诇 砖讘转 讻讛讬诇讜讻讱 砖诇 讞讜诇. 诪诪爪讜讗 讞驻爪讱 鈥� 讞驻爪讬讱 讗住讜专讬谉, 讞驻爪讬 砖诪讬诐 诪讜转专讬谉. 讜讚讘专 讚讘专 鈥� 砖诇讗 讬讛讗 讚讘讜专讱 砖诇 砖讘转 讻讚讜讘专讱 砖诇 讞讜诇.
A third type of Rabbinic prohibition on Shabbat is designed to prevent behaviors that interfere with the spirit of the day. The Torah, the Prophets, the Elders of the Writings, and our Talmudic Sages all had an aesthetic religious vision of what Shabbat should properly be. They all felt that the day should have an utterly different character than the other days of the week. The most eloquent description of this idea is contained in the book of Isaiah, in the passage quoted above. The prophet presents a powerful conception of the religious experience of Shabbat. It is to be a day when mundane human concerns of business, transport, and even the idle gossip of daily life are put to the side.
But how to implement policies that achieve this goal? Our sages use the phrases of the passage in Isaiah to make an active and comprehensive policy toward creating the character of the Shabbat we know today. One must wear beautiful clothes, one must walk at a more relaxed pace, one must not pursue business concerns, and one must direct his or her speech toward higher, soul-fulfilling things. In the days to come, may we all be able to adopt this powerful vision of a day for the care of our divine selves and our God-given souls.
Questions
- How should our speech and our walking be different on Shabbat today? Can you think of some specific examples?
- What do you think the “business of heaven” is?
