The third level is that Shabbos is a gift as our Sages of blessed memory state: “I have one good gift in My treasure house and Shabbos is its name”.
Generally, these three levels of Shabbos are associated to three different periods of time during Shabbos. These are; Friday night, Shabbos day and Shabbos late afternoon referred to as ‘Raavah de’Raavin’.
Due to Shabbos being so very exalted especially the last moments of Shabbos the time of ‘Raavah de’Raavin’.
Shabbos as a Gift from Above
Shabbos is its name: In other words, That Shabbos comes as a gift from above.
Raavah de’Raavin: The Desires of Desires
Referred to as Raavah de’Raavin: Lit. Desires of desires. From after the time for Mincha on Shabbos day which is a very exalted time within Shabbos itself.
Time of Raavah de’Raavin: Raavah DeRaavin: Desires of all desires, as the holy Zohar describes the time of Mincha on Shabbos. In general, this idea refers to the Seder Hishtalshelus (order of contraction of divine light) which each stage and level is preceded by a Divine desire that this level should come into being which is a state of ‘Kesser’. Similarly, at the onset of the whole of the Seder Hishtalshelus there is a general Divine desire a general Kesser otherwise called Odom Kadmon which is the Desires of all desires, and all states and levels are all included in it and are equal as one.
In the Maamorim of Hemshech Eyin Beis the Rebbe Rashab discusses the virtue of the third meal on Shabbos which is eaten around Mincha time over the virtues of the other two meals on Shabbos and states: “The third meal of Shabbos is a revelation of the inner dimension of Atik. Because the other two Shabbos meals are a result of an Isarussa Dil’Tatoh which triggers an Isarussa Dile’eila of Friday night which is a result of one’s Avodah of refinement. Similarly, Shabbos day is a level of Divine pleasure that comes from everything Hashem has made ... therefore the pleasure comes inside something else. However, the third meal is a result of an unsolicited Isarussa Dile’eilah which is the concept of a Tzaddik eats to satiate in a state of a Hamshocha from above to below... therefore it is a level of pleasure from Hashem’s very essence just as it is in Hashem’s very essence.”
The Teachings of the Rebbe RaShaB
And as the Rebbe RaShaB has explained in the Hemshech Maamorim of 5666 which is compared to the highest levels of the era of Moshiach about which our Sages of blessed memory have stated: “In the World-to-Come there is no eating and no drinking” it is self-evidently nothing [at all] like the mundane days of the week.
The Purpose of Shabbos
Nevertheless, the primary rationale and purpose of Shabbos is the stimulus it gives for an ‘Isarussa Dil’Tatoh’ during the days of the week after Shabbos. This is the deeper reason why on Motzei Shabbos (immediately following the lofty time of Raavah de Raavin) there is a custom to recite the poem that repeats the words from the Possuk אַל־תִּירָא ﬠַבְדִּי יַﬠֲקֹב “Fear not, My servant Yaakov”. This is because during Shabbos we rise to the level of ‘Yisroel’ where there is no need for the toil and effort in the ‘Avodah of Birurim’ and we are as the Mishneh states בָּנִים םוָֹקמּלַ “sons of HaShem” but thereafter when Motze Shabbos comes and we have to descend and return to being “Yaakov My servant” for the duration of the six days of action, this is so that we are able to refine the spiritual worlds of Briyah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah.
“Fear not, My אַל־תִּירָא ﬠַבְדִּי יַﬠֲקֹב and therefore we say servant Yaakov” from descending there and with this a person is given the impetus and the strength etc.
