The fervor and passion you see on screen is hollow without the actual experience.
I’m not a posek and this isn’t a halachah column. I work in media, and speak only from that vantage point.
We all know the midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 14:1) about the king who tasted delectable food while visiting a Jewish friend, and asked his own cooks to duplicate the dish. The royal kitchen staff tracked down the recipe and followed it precisely, but it wasn’t the same.
He asked his Jewish host why the dish didn’t taste right. The Jew explained that there was one ingredient missing — the most vital one of all. Shabbos.
The depth of this Chazal is that the true power and pleasure of Shabbos are intangible. Its magic comes to rest on our food, just as it does on our homes, our families, all of Creation, but it’s essentially otherworldly.
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