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Growing up, my family always said Gut Shabbos. In the community I live in now, many people say Shabbat Shalom. I switch off, often depending on if the other person greeted me first.
But recently, my Rav told me it’s probably slightly better to say Shabbat Shalom. The reason is that there is an inyan to have Shalom on Shabbos, and saying Shabbat Shalom is giving a brachah to have the Shalom. Since then, I try to say Shabbat Shalom, and not just Gut Shabbos.
I wonder (and I’ll ask my Rav), since there’s a mitzvah to be b’simchah on Yom Tov, is it better to say Chag Sameach than Gut Yom Tov?
What do people here say on Shabbos/Yom Tov?
Why doesn’t anyone say “Shabbos Shalom”? 🙂
Gut Shabbos / Gut Yom Tov.
“Shabbat” is a Sefardic pronunciation. The Ashkenazic pronunciation is “Shabbos”. Traditionally Ashkenazim say “Gut Shabbos”. Someone pronouncing it as Shabbat who isn’t Sefardic is doing so for zionistic reasons and is changing their traditional minhag, something they should not do.,
I try and say Shabbos Shalom and Chag Sameach only because I think a berachah is probably more effective in loshon hakodesh (but I do try and say it in havarah Ashkenazis).
Did your family speak Yiddish in the past? Are you ashamed of being an Ashkenazi? Are yuou preferring the Israeli Hebrew “Shabat Shalom” (with its not quite Sefardi accent), rather than the Yiddish “Gut Shabbos” because it reflect your political views.
On a related question, if you are from Boston, do you make an effort to drop a medial “r” or not to drop it. If you are from Brooklyn, do you speak “Brooklynese” or do you make an effort to sound like you were taught proper WASP pronounciation? If you are a Brit, do you make an effort to speak “RP”. IF you think this paragraph is ridiculous, so is the question on whether to prefer a “Sabbath greeting” in Israeli Hebrew or Yiddish.
I’m confused by the bracha reasoing. How is wishing someone a “good” (or “gut”) Shabbos any less of a bracha than wishing someone a peaceful Shabbos?
There are some interesting historical sources for the 2 greetings, and they have been discussed here, mostly correctly, by lesser intellects than mine. But, confidential to DaMoshe, if your rav thinks the choice of expressions requires some serious thought, get another rav.
To DaMoshe. OK, keep your rav.
DaMoshe: I use either term depending who I’m speaking with. Just do what you think is right and not listen to the anti crowd.
For the most part, the Minhag HaMokom should be the way to go. There is no Halachic issue here, only politics.
For most folks, the real question is whether to say (the traditional) Gut Shabbos or to say (the more modernishe) Good Shabbos.
What do you say?
For most folks, the real question is whether to say (the German) Gut Shabbos, or to say (the English) Good Shabbos.
What do you say?
For speakers of English or for speakers of German?
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Sometimes it hardly matters half the people you say it to will not respond.
Using the wrong term will probably get them to respond
I find it very nice, when out shopping on Erev Shabbos, that most Chilonim that you have any interaction with, say Shabbat Shalom.
The difference between “Gut” and “Good”, when followed by “Shabbos,” is, when spoken, inaudible.
the ben ish chai says you should say shabbat shalom when you come into the house. He does not specify what to say to passersby.
Well you do say shalom aleichem (malachei hashareis, malachei elyon) when you come home friday night.
The Ben Ish Chai says that we say Shabbos Shalom because we are uniting the mitzva of eating for shabbos and one’s desire of food by eating lashem Shomayim.
We call the sacrifice shelamim making peace between Hashem and us by eating lashem Shomayim, see SA O’CH 231.Some say before shabbos when they are not accepting shabbos yet, a guten shabbos.
DaMoshe: Did you ever get an answer from your Rabbi for Avram’s question?
When I meet a Sephardi Talmid Chacham, I say “shabbat shalom” and he says “gut shabbos” and we both smile at our mutual respect. Whatever you are saying, it is about what is the best for the recipient. Gut shabbos.
Just say “Shabbos”.
If you see someone carrying in a place where there is no eiruv don’t mention shabbos until one gets into the house.
RebE > someone carrying in a place where there is no eiruv don’t mention shabbos
say, eruv is down, and you see a mother with a stroller who is not aware of it. You are not supposed to alert her until she gets the kid home safely. Now, in your humros-ness, you say “Hi, whats up” instead of “gut shabbos” immediately alerting the lady (who also learned halokha, of course). As you are probably reluctant to continue exchanging the kid with a lady, not your wife, every arba amos, you would have to find another lady to help, while you will be standing there till the end of shabbos to guard the $1,000 stroller.
All these comments have convinced me to go with, “Have a nice day.”
If you are MO or lean more towards modern ivrit, you’ve probably had the experience of going to a simcha at a DEEEP Litvishe shul and going up to someone after davening and offering a crisp “shabbat shalom” only to be met with a quizzical or hostile stare (sort of like someone who goes around deliberately running chalk on a blackboard). By the second or third time, you quickly find yourself doing your best “gooooten shabboss” followed by a request for directions to the kiddush.
My Rav said due to it being questionable what to do it’s better not to greet or return a greeting on Shabbos. When I told him it comes off rude not answering and besides it creates feelings of shalom, achdus and community to greet each other. He said never the less due to the shailah it’s better not to greet
Kuvult, I saw people following your psak! Just walk with a sefer or a siddur in front of you and move your lips, and you will avoid the mahlokes.
Gadolha; I don’t think many litvishe react negatively to a visibly sefardi yid saying shabbat shalom, especially if they have a aefardi or Israeli accent.
I share the consternation that many have with ashkenazi jews using the American sefardi-esque pronunciation that takes the chisronos of both the ashkenaz and sefardi pronunciations, attempting to make Hebrew as easy as possible. Most MO people are ashkenaz and should be differentiating between a hard/soft tav, komatz/pasach, tzeirei/segol and others.
It’s also frustrating to see people sound the same as irreligious jews who went to hebrew after school programs.
Avira, again you harking back to the times of Ben Yehuda. At this point, there are so many Jews who lived in Israel, or learned with Israeli pronunciation, or have an Israeli parent, that this should not be so surprising. What about sephardim who are not “visibly sephardi”, as many Levant Jews look like Europeans, and many now assimilated from turbans into black hats. Just answer the shabbos greeting the best way you can and enjoy it.
Do what your parents did. Or wtvr your rabbi said to do. Or wtvr you want. Anyone who judges your Shabbat greeting is just grumpy.
As for the question, I prefer Shabbat Shalom.
We used Gut Shabbes in Hungary vs Gut Shabbos or shabbat Shalom
Dennis Kaktusz aka Dov Weinberg
The Ben Ish Chai says to say Shabbat Shalom as Shabbos sudah unites and makes peace between the body and soul. The guf wants one thing and the neshama another but eating on Shabbos is good for the guf and the neshama.
Is this the most important issue facing Klal Yisroel in 2022?
But as an aside, I always liked the candlelighting announcement on the radio in NYC. They would end with Good Shabbos and Shabbat Shalom.
Yabia Omer,
“Is this the most important issue facing Klal Yisroel in 2022?”
Oh my goodness yes.
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