The Beis Shmuel (Even Haezer 126:7) says that in Gittin we should write "b'shabbos" and not "l'shabbos" bec. the language "l'shabbos" implies from shabbos including shabbos. Therefore, "l'shabbos" would imply shabbos is day 1, sunday is day 2, monday is day 3 e.t.c. But now that we say "b'shabbos" the problem is solved. Although I can't prove it, it seems to me that "b'shabbos" also implies that we are counting from shabbos, just that the language "b'shabbos" indicates that shabbos is not included in the number so that "sheini b'shabbos" would correctly refer to monday. Just as "l'shabbos" is clearly counting from shabbos, so too "b'shabbos" is counting from shabbos without including shabbos in the count.
Based on this approach we can understand the Yerushalmi mentioned in Tosafos. Tosafos explains, that although in the 6 days of creation we seem to find "yom sheini" and "yom shelishi" refering to the day of the week, it actually is not refering to the day of the week rather refering to the number of days since the creation of the world. Why can't it be refering to the day of the week? Based on the above approach, the reason is that when we refer to the days of the week we are counting from shabbos, and there was no shabbos yet.
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I was just (5 minutes ago) writing the ramban that saying hayom yom rishon is a kiyum of zochor es yom hashabbos and i was wondering on the english if i should write 'first day of the shabbos' or 'first day from shabbos' - thanks. the post will be up later.
The Ramban in Parshas Bo points out that other nations assign intrinsic names to the days of week (such as Sunday, Monday . . . or dimanche, lundi . . .) whereas we denominate every day relative to Shabbos (yom rishon, - “first day” - yom sheni - “second day . . B’Shabbos). This is a fulfillment of the mitzvah “Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it.” This is similar to the custom of Shamai who would eat every day in honor of Shabbos. When he would find a better-quality animal, he would say that this should be set aside for Shabbos. This is why we mention every day in the ‘song of the day’ that today is the first day from Shabbos.
Rav Yeruchem Fishel Perlow in his classic commentary on Rabbeinu Sadya Gaon writes that it is apparent from our Gemora not like the Ramban since the Gemora states unequivocally that we do not find the term ‘second day of the week in the Torah.’ The Yerushalmi adds that this calculation is not found in the Torah. According to the Ramban that it’s a mitzvah to mention the days of the week in this manner, why don’t we find the names of the days mentioned in this manner in the Torah?
Rav Nosson Grossman in his sefer Poseach Shaar offers a novel approach to explain the Ramban and our Gemora. There is a mitzvah to count the days of the week relative to Shabbos providing that this will bring about sanctity for this Shabbos or the Shabbos in the future. Relating that a certain incident occurred on the second day since Shabbos does not sanctify the Shabbos at all. The custom of Shamai to designate an animal for this Shabbos, stating in the ‘song of the day’ today is the second day of the Shabbos and writing in a divorce contract the day relative to Shabbos are all sanctifying this Shabbos and one fulfills the mitzvah of “Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it.”
According to this, i would think the meaning of rishon b'shabbos is different than what youre saying.
There is no mitzvah to mention that today is the second day since Shabbos. That is ancient history. The point of mentioning Shabbos is to sanctify the present Shabbos or the future Shabbos. Therefore, the meaning of “rishon b’Shabbos” is today is the first day of the week leading up to the upcoming Shabbos.
havdala is said untill the third day of the week and on the 4th day of the week we say "lechu neranena" in the song of the day. based on this shabbos is central. from the 4th day we look forwards to shabbos and up until the 3rd day we are still absorbed from the holiness of shabbos.
"shabbos is the source of blessing" we say in davening, which shabbos is it? well it both, we carry from the past shabbos and we look to the coming shabbos. the reason is becuase each shabbos should elevate us to new hights, it should be a spiral not an up and down elevator.
creation is in between 2 shabbosim, the 1 shabbos while adam was still in gan eden and the shabbos we all look forwards to.
regarding the language of l'shabbos vs b'shabbos, this reminds me of the nusach s'farad vs ashkenaz regarding sefiras haomer. by the way, there we are clearly counting from the omer!
i have a feeling i didnt clear things up much...
According to Artscroll (Siddur pg. 162, in the pirush) we count the days of the week "with reference to the forthcoming Shabbath."
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