A MITZVA TO ENJOY
The Baal Shem Tov explained the mitzva of oneg Shabbos with the following mashal:
A prince who was in captivity amongst coarse people received a letter one day from his father, the king. The prince was delighted and wanted to celebrate, yet he knew that his neighbors could not appreciate the greatness of the king. He therefore distributed liquor and they celebrated, so that he too could celebrate his happy occasion.
Similarly, in order for the neshama to rejoice in the spiritual revelations of Shabbos, the body must rejoice with some physical delight.
(כתר שם טוב אות קז, תוי"י שלח קלז, א)
The Alter Rebbe explains it as follows:
On Shabbos, Divine pleasure is revealed, similar to the revelation of Gan Eden. However, since we are physical beings, we cannot experience this spiritual pleasure in its pure form, so it is vested in the pleasure of eating physical food. And in that form we can experience it.
(מאמרי אדה"ז הקצרים ע' נט)
The Rebbe explains that the mitzva of oneg Shabbos is fulfilled in its ideal form when the neshama feels a spiritual delight from carrying out HaShem’s will that we should eat Shabbos foods. However, even those who are attracted to the physical pleasure of eating are required to fulfill the mitzva of oneg Shabbos by eating good meat and aged wine.
(לקו"ש חל"ג ע' 161)
RESPECTABLE MEALS
Rebbi Chiya bar Abba related:
I was once a guest of a man in Ludkiya, and a golden table was brought before him, which had to be carried by sixteen men; sixteen silver chains were fixed in it, and plates, goblets and pitchers were set upon it, with all kinds of food, delicacies and spices.
I said to him, “My son! How have you merited this?”
He replied, “I was a butcher, and I used to say about every fine animal, ‘This will be for Shabbos.’”
I said to him, “Fortunate are you that you have merited this, and praised be HaShem who has permitted you to enjoy all this.”
(שבת קיט ע"א)
Yosef Mokir Shabbos ("Yosef who honors Shabbos") had in his vicinity a wealthy goy who owned much property. Stargazers told him that Yosef Mokir Shabbos would take over all of it, so he sold it all, and with the proceeds he bought one precious stone, which he set in his turban for safekeeping. As he was crossing a bridge a sudden wind blew it off and cast it into the water, and a huge fish swallowed it. The fish was later caught and brought to the market on erev Shabbos, as the sun was already preparing to set. "Who will buy it now?" they wondered. But someone advised: "Take it to Yosef Mokir Shabbos. He always makes a point of honoring Shabbos by buying fish".
They took it to him and he bought it and when he opened it he discovered the precious jewel inside, and sold it for thirteen chambers filled with gold dinarim!
A wise old man met him and commented, "He who lends to Shabbos, Shabbos repays him".
(שבת קיט ע"א)
SPECIAL FOODS
According to Kabbala, one should make a point of eating fish at each of the seudos of Shabbos.
(שוע"ר סי' רמב ס"ז, לקו"ש חל"א ע' 192 הע' 15)
The Alter Rebbe once made a lighthearted remark, that what tekias shofar accomplishes on Rosh HaShana, we accomplish on Shabbos by eating kugel. One of the chassidim asked, “If so, why do we need to blow shofar on Rosh HaShana? We can accomplish just as much by eating kugel!”
The Alter Rebbe explained, “That is exactly what we do. When Rosh HaShana falls on Shabbos, we eat kugel and don’t blow shofar....”
(שמו"ס ח"ב ע' 156)
During the seuda of the chassuna of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s daughter Sheindel הי”ד, which took place on Shabbos afternoon, the person serving forgot to bring out the kugel. Those partaking in the seuda bensched Birkas HaMazon, assuming that no kugel had been prepared.
After bensching, the Rebbe asked his Rebbetzin, “Where is the kugel? Was no kugel prepared for Shabbos Kodesh?”
She assured him that indeed she had prepared a kugel and then asked the person serving to bring it to the table. The Frierdiker Rebbe then washed his hands again, told all those participating to do the same, and they returned to the table to eat the kugel.
(רשימו"ד חדש ע' 193)
CONSIDER
Is the purpose of physical enjoyment on Shabbos to distract the body, or to access spiritual delight? What does it depend on?
