Daf Yomi, Marriage Counseling, Psychotherapy, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Torah and Psychology
Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses two kinds of meal offerings that differ in the shape of their vessel and process. One was more of a flat pan (machavas), so it was shallowly fried and dry and crisp. The other was a deep-fry pan (marcheshes), which produced something probably like a sufganiya.
In the Shabbos table liturgy we sing:
“Hashomer Shabbos, Haben Im Habas, La-keyl Yeratzu, ka-mincha al machavas. One who keeps the Shabbos, son and daughter, shall find acceptance like a machavas offering.”
Why did Ibn Ezra (the author of the poem) choose to compare the acceptance to a machavas instead of a marcheshes? Okay, the true pashut peshat is that “Shabbos” and “Ben u Bas” rhyme with machavas. But there might be a deeper meaning.
In our Gemara there is some discussion regarding the symbolic meaning of each vessel but it was ultimately rejected as part of a halachic rationale. However, the Midrashim on this have a different take, and do not reject its possible meanings. The Toras HaOlah (II:28) quotes these Midrashim and explains the machavas versus the marcheshes. The marcheshes is deep, so it represents a person who is pious in some manner but inside he still has corruption. This is represented in the frying noise, like secrets mumbled and hidden. The person who gives such a sacrifice may meditate and be inspired to release and free these bad patterns, as we have been discussing in the past few dappim, of the symbolic nature of sacrifices, and how they work on human psychology.
The machavas is flat and represents the person who is pious inside and out.
Another interpretation the Toras HaOlah offers is that the deep pan represents the sage who keeps his Torah to himself; a deep pan with a lid. The machavas is flat and spreads what is inside outward.
Either way, the machavas is seen as superior to marcheshes. Therefore Ibn Ezra chose to pray for the acceptance of Shabbos to be as a machavas offering instead of the macrcheshes.
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation
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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, LMFT, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com