Parshat Devarim – Shabbos Chazon
Rabbi Jablinowitz
This Shabbos is the actual day of Tisha B’Av, while the fast and mourning is pushed off until the next day. The halacha is brought in Shulchan Aruch, Siman 552 Se’if 10, that when Tisha B’Av falls out on Shabbos one may eat meat and drink wine at Shalosh Seudos, and have a meal fit for Shlomo HaMelech during his reign. The Mishnah Berurah also brings in the name of the sefer “Bechor Shor” that if one normally has guests at Shalosh Seudos, he may do so as well on this Shabbos, otherwise it would be considered as a public act of mourning, which is prohibited on Shabbos.
How are we to make such a sharp transition from eating meat and drinking wine to a state of mourning a short time later?
The Medrash Rabbah on Eichah (Pesichtah 17) darshens the pasuk in Tehillim (Chapter 69, Pasuk 13), Yasichu Bee Yoshvei Sha’ar, U’Neginos Shosei Sheichar. The dwellers of the gate shall speak about me, and those who drink intoxicating drinks will sing (about me). The Medrash teaches that the pasuk is referring to Clal Yisrael and it means, after they eat and drink during Seudas Tisha B’Av, they sit and sing dirges and the book of Eichah.
Rav Tzadok asks, what does the Medrash mean when it refers to Seudas Tisha B’Av? If it means the Seuda Mafeseket, the meal we normally eat right before the fast, it is prohibited to drink wine! Therefore, Rav Tzadok teaches, it is a reference to Tisha B’Av which falls on Shabbos, and the third meal of Shabbos, right before the beginning of the fast of Tisha B’Av, is called Seudas Tisha B’Av. And there is a custom of the Arizal (also taught by the Rambam in Hilchos Shabbos, Chapter 30, Halacha 9) to have wine at all the meals of Shabbos, including Shalosh Seudos. So when the pasuk says U’Neginos Shosei Sheichar, it is referring to Shalosh Seudos when we drink wine and sing zemiros to Hashem as on any other Shabbos. As we mentioned above, it is forbidden to outwardly show any form of mourning on Shabbos.
Why is there a notion of drinking wine during the last meal of Shabbos? There is a mitzvah of Kiddush when Shabbos first comes in during the first meal. And the Rabbis instituted a mitzvah of Kiddush before the first meal we eat on Shabbos day. There is no mitzvah of Kiddush for the third meal, so what is the reason for finishing off Shabbos with wine?
The Gemarah in Sanhedrin 70A teaches, Lo Nivrah Yayin Ba’Olam Elah Lenachem Aveilim U’Leshaleim Sachar L’Reshai’m. Wine was created in order to comfort mourners and to give reward to the wicked in this world. The Gemarah quotes the pasuk from Mishlei (Chapter 31, Pasuk 6) Tenu Sheichar L’Oveid, V’Yayin L’Marei Nefesh. Wine is appropriate for those who will be destroyed, for it gives them reward in this world and they will be cut off in the world to come. But it is also necessary for the Marei Nefesh, for the embittered souls. It soothes and helps them forget their agony.
Rav Tzadok teaches that the Arizal drank wine at Shalosh Seudos because of the agony he felt to leave Shabbos and enter the mundane world. There was no need to make Kiddush. Shabbos had already been sanctified through the mitzvah of Kiddush and the cessation of doing Melachah. Both the mitzvah of Zachor es Yom HaShabbos Lekadsho and Shamor es Yom HaShabbos Lekadsho had been fulfilled. The wine drunk at the third meal was a consolation for the embittered Jewish soul about to leave its elevated state of Shabbos and return to the depths of the six days of the week.
When the Medrash Rabbah speaks of the eating and drinking and Mishtakrim of Seudas Tisha B’Av, it isn’t, chas v’shalom, referring to an exercise in frivolous drinking. It is because Shabbos is ending and we are saddened and we try to lift and console our spirits before the end of Shabbos. And since it is prohibited to show public mourning on Shabbos, we act on this Shabbos as we normally do at Shalosh Seudos on Shabbos.
There is always a sharp contrast between Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos, as we have explained. And this Shabbos the contrast is even greater as we leave Shabbos and sit on the floor and commemorate the Churban. In merit for our appreciating the holiness of Shabbos and feeling its loss at the end of Shabbos, may we be zocheh to have a closer relationship with Hashem all week long and have the Beis Hamikdash be rebuilt, speedily in our time.
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