Happy Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day)

The market on Friday, originally uploaded by ellla.

The Jerusalem Market before Shabbat....

It was said that everything that Shammai the Elder ate during his entire life was eaten in honor of Shabbat. If he came across a good piece of meat, he would say: "This will be for Shabbat." If he then came across a better piece of meat, he would set it aside for Shabbat and use the inferior piece to satisfy his weekday hunger. In this manner, even the food that Shammai ate during the week was eaten in honor of Shabbat!

-Talmud, Tractate Beitza

The Emperor asked Rabbi Joshua b. Hananniah: “ What gives your Sabbath meat such an aroma?” He replied: “We have a spice called Shabbat, which is put in the cooking of the meat, and this gives it its aroma. The Emperor said: “ Give me some of this spice.” He replied: “ For him who keeps Shabbat the spice works; for him who does not keep it, it does not work.”

-Talmud, Shabbat 119a