Part of the standard liturgy reads as follows:
יום שבתון אין לשכוח
A Shabbaton may not be forgotten.
Most I’ve incurred have been filled with droning speeches and long meals. Is there a [hidden] reason why all this must remain etched in my memory?
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4I always thought 'ein li-shkoyach' meant you are not allowed to thank someone on Shabbos.– chortkov2Feb 25, 2021 at 21:34
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2 Answers
Interestingly, the gematria of לשכוח is 364. Therefore, I suggest you're reading it wrong. What it actually means is that on the day of the shabbaton, you are not to forget the other 364 days of the year.
It's giving us advice. Remember the good times, or at least the times that weren't quite as bad as this one.
It seems to me that this depends on the next line:
"זכרו כריח הניחוח"
-If the memory of that Shabbaton is like a pleasant scent, you must remember it. I have no source for this at the moment, but I assume that the more pleasant Shabbatonim you attend, your general Shabbat experience will be enhanced. If it's unpleasant, then you are under no such requirement to remember it. Indeed, it's hard to come across a good Shabbaton, but hey, "יגעת ומצאת". And the song teaches us that it's worth trying. But if you really dislike Shabbatonim, perhaps you should be asking yourself why you keep going to them time and again in the first place?
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1Hey listen I only go to the Shabatons mentioned in the Bible—*every* year Feb 14, 2021 at 21:24
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@Dr.Shmuel So now you're blaming the Torah on bad experiences? :) See Bad things happening to good people.– Harel13Feb 14, 2021 at 21:33