The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In Shemos 31:12-17, the Torah gives the laws of Shabbos. This is juxtaposed right before the instructions for the building of the Mishkan. The Gemara teaches the reason that Shabbos is mentioned here is so that we can learn the Melachos of Shabbos based on the tasks the Jews performed to build the Mishkan.
R' Frand noted that in these pesukim there is a repetition in that in 31:14 the Torah states וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת, and then after instructing in 31:15 that work should be performed for six days and rest on the Shabbos, the Torah states again in 31:16 וְשָֽׁמְר֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת לַֽעֲשׂ֧וֹת אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֛ת לְדֹֽרֹתָ֖ם בְּרִ֥ית עוֹלָֽם. Why is there a repetition of the root in these two pesukim?
R' Frand quoted the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh who links this to a pasuk in Bereishis 37:11 - וַיְקַנְאוּ־ב֖וֹ אֶחָ֑יו וְאָבִ֖יו שָׁמַ֥ר אֶת־הַדָּבָֽר - that Ya'akov was waiting and anticipating what the brothers would do after Yosef told his brothers about his dream. In connection with Shabbos, we are instructed that we should want and anticipate Shabbos and look forward it. This is why when we count the days of the week in the Shir Shel Yom we say its the _ day B'Shabbos.
R' Frand mentioned that when he was growing up there was no Shabbos cereal and no Pirchei and little to look forward to for Shabbos. It was only as he got older that he would look forward to it. R' Frand suggested that we do what we can to make it something that the children look forward to (with apologies to the dentists).
R' Frand quoted the Sefer Arzei HaParsha who connected this to the Shabbos Zemer "Kol Mekadesh" where we sing "HaMecharim Latzes Min Shabbos U'Meharrim Lavo" - loosely translated as we praise those who push off the exit of Shabbos and are quick to bring it in. The Satmar Rebbi remarks that this appears backwards - first you bring it in and then you push off its departure? He answers that on a Friday when you walk in and smell the Shabbos food, you may really want those dishes and you want Shabbos to come in early to allow access to the food. This not rushing Shabbos in to show you love it. Instead the test is do you not want it to leave, or do you go to the earliest Maariv? And what is the first thing that you do when Shabbos leaves? Do you look at your cell phone? If you push off its exit then you can also show that you really want it to come in.
R' Frand also talked about the name Shalosh Seudos as opposed to Seudah Shlishi. We call it Shalosh Seudos because the first meal you look forward to any want to eat it because you are famished. And then when you come home from Shul on Shabbos after a 3 hr davening, you again are starving. But on a short winter Shabbos if you eat Shalosh Seudos, you show that you desire the Shabbos meals for Shabbos' sake.
R' Frand connected this with a story about a bochur in Europe who was staying with a family for Shabbos. On a Friday afternoon, slightly after noon, the wife was very antsy and waiting uncomfortably for her husband to come home. When he finally did arrive, she was still upset. The Bochur had the temerity to ask why. She told him that they had a difficult time conceiving and they asked the Chofetz Chaim what to do. He told them, make sure that the table is set and the house is ready and the husband is home, by Chatzos on Friday.
The couple did as he instructed and the woman was Zoche to have a child. They then went back to the Chofetz Chaim and said - you are a Navi. He said that he was not, but they asked - how would you know this would work? He responded that its based on a pasuk וְשָֽׁמְר֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת לַֽעֲשׂ֧וֹת אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֛ת לְדֹֽרֹתָ֖ם בְּרִ֥ית עוֹלָֽם - you need to anticipate Shabbos and want it to be here already. But what does this have to with children? The pasuk says that if you do this, it will be לְדֹֽרֹתָ֖ם בְּרִ֥ית עוֹלָֽם. And the only way that it can be לְדֹֽרֹתָ֖ם בְּרִ֥ית עוֹלָֽם is with children - if you long for it, there will be children.
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