Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. The Sefer HaChinuch brings a beautiful explanation for the reason behind a mitzvah in this week’s Parsha (Parshat Re’ah): ושמחת בחגך , rejoicing on holidays. He explains that by nature, a person must experience times of joy, just as they need food, rest, and sleep. Hashem, in His kindness, commanded us with mitzvah of ושמחת בחגך in order to provide us with an opportunity to accrue additional mitzvot. He specially chose to place this mitzvah of happiness in the context of the joyous holiday season, a time when we express our thanksgiving for the miracles that Hashem performed for us. He commanded us to support our physical body and give it what it needs, in order to make it “happy,” thereby allowing a person to focus on true happiness: rejoicing with Hashem. The Rishonim discuss whether this mitzvah is also extended to rejoicing on Shabbat, and reasons are brought to support both sides. For example, the Ibn Ezra, in his song כי אשמרה שבת , refers to Shabbat as יום שמחות , a day of happiness . The Baal Shem Tov questions why this mitzvah of ושמחת בחגך includes a component of satiating the body, such as with eating meat and drinking wine on Yom Tov. If the whole purpose is to help the soul rejoice, why is any time and effort devoted to helping the body be “happy?” He explains with a mashal : A pious man was thrown into jail on trumped up charges. He found himself surrounded by the lowest of the low: drunkards, bandits, and hooligans. Like Yosef HaTzaddik, the man became friendly with his fellow inmates and developed a close relationship with them over time. One day, a family member was getting married and he had such a desire to express his שמחה של מצוה . However, his friends had no way to appreciate his lofty happiness. How could they understand the concept of rejoicing for a holy event ? In an attempt to include his friends in his happiness, the man bought a bottle of vodka and invited the inmates to join in and rejoice. Soon, they were all drinking and dancing, of course for their superficial reasons, induced by the alcohol that they drank. However, now, he could dance alongside them, celebrating this joyous mitzvah. Our simple body does not connect to the high and lofty aspects of the yamim tovim . Therefore, we feed it with meat, wine, and other items of Oneg Shabbat . Of course, the ultimate goal is not merely to provide wine to the drunkard. Rather, it is to feed the physicality so that the soul can free itself from the shackles of his physicality and enjoy the true Shabbat Kodesh by singing zemirot and saying divrei Torah. ושמחת בחגך tasks a person with feeling happy, but with a rejoicing that is connected to spirituality. This concept applies equally to our weekly observance on Shabbat, a job that does not just end with enjoying the body, but with igniting the soul, as well. Have a Shabbat Shalom.