Question:
Re:
Gerrymandering between the sanctity of Shalosh Seudot Shabbos and Ohel ben-Drusaya?..
The minimum recommended time for Shalosh Seudot Shabbos.
- This weekly Parshat Torah “Vayetzei” in Bereishis 25:14 does narrate:
“Your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your descendants.”
And the Torah Scholars do interpret this message, as one of the Covenants for the enjoyment of Shabbos. - Shouldn’t The Shabbat be the time of joy and happiness?
And in Jewish tradition the Shabbat meals, three Shabbat festive meals – Shalosh Seudot Shabbos – do play a very important part in the ascertained by the ages modus of observing the Shabbat.
…Some people consume the food faster, others more slowly. Some people do want to get home sooner, others prefer to stay longer at the Shabbat table in the synagogue. These are very personal, very individual moments of observing and feeling in harmony with The Holy Shabbat.
Highly esteemed Rabbonim of the Din Online:
3. Is there (in Talmud, in the Oral Torah) any recommended minimum time for the duration of the Shabbat meals? For the Kabbalat Shabbat and for the Shabbat morning meals? Also for the Seuda a – Shlishit?
…In the connection with the theme of Shabbat festive meals another question arose in my mind…
- Let us say, in one synagogue the food for Shabbat is really delectable and delightful. And the flow of the morning Shabbat meal is really nice. …But within the timeline of several recent Shabbats there appeared the group of two initiative females (grown up women), who took the public initiative and after singing Shir a-Maalot start immediately cleaning the tables. Immediately!
Though, they condescendingly (or simply as the modus operandi statement) allow some food be remaining on the tables… And, No! – theirs attitude is not impolite. But, probably, the idiosyncrasy of common platitude, of the basic “hurry up” way of thinking. And they start very ostentatiously and proactively cleaning the tables. The heaps of unexpected cutlery might be even inconveniencing the kitchen personnel.
Possibly, just leaving another 10- 15 minutes after Shir a-Maalot… But no… the tankers start advancing! Your plate and salads, and is attempting to snatch (i.e. clean up), to pull away something from the table. Why someone should start negotiating or asking for, what must be left on the Shabbos table and what should / can be removed?
And the improper, impolite way of addressing someone in third person (though, only once at this stage), because one of the eldest members of the Minyan and the synagogue left the paper napkin on the table…
No, of course, the morning Shabbat meal, thus, does not get transformed into Ohel ben-Drusaya. But still and again: why such a dashingly proactive hurriedness? Does it not deform the harmony of Shabbat?
Although, my major question was about the recommended durations of the Seudot Shabbos, I still decided to mention some of the episodes, which are, let us say, the fantasy of my imagination.
According to the Halaha: what is the legal injunction towards the person (non Jewish, or Jewish) who unknowingly (or with the intent) denigrates the spirit of Shabbat meals in some kind of Ohel ben-Drusaya?
One management consultant noticed: “There is nothing more wrong, than try to do something, what must not be done in the first place…”
Must the Shabbos table be cleaned up immediately and so proactively after Shir a-Maalot and the concluding prayers?
Thank You very much for reading this question of mine,
Sincerely Yours,
Answer:
- What you are quoting seems new to me. Can you please provide me with the source that we learn this out from this verse? Thanks
- The Shabbos meal should definitely be a happy time, in fact we have a mitzva called oneg Shabbos, to delight the Shabbos with good food and a festive meal, and to sign the praises of Hashem when eating the meal. This is a time when we concentrate the fact that ding Hashem’s commandments is a pleasure. There is no specific amount of time that a person has to spend on his meal. Sometimes a person may want to spend more or less time. It is an individual thing.
- You seem to be very perturbed by the fact that these women wanted to clean off the table so close to the end of the meal. They weren’t doing anything halachically incorrect. Maybe they wanted to get a very much needed Shabbos nap, which is also considered oneg Shabbos? They most probably mean well, and don’t mean to be disrespectful to the Shabbos meal.
I hope your Shabbos meal this week goes well.
