[Avodah] Shabbas he mi lezok (Was An-im Zemiros)

[Marty Bluke]

What does "Shabbas he mi lezok" mean? The Gemara in Shabbos (12a) says
that someone who goes to visit a sick person should say this (Shabbas
he mi lezok u'refua krova lavo) to the sick person. Rashi explains, we
are telling the sick person to try not to be sad because it is shabbos
and a person is supposed to be happy on shabbos. The Ran has a
different peshat. He says we are telling the sick person that since it
is shabbos we can't daven for him.

Rashi's peshat fits in better with the mi shebeirach l'cholim, we say
the mi shebeirach and then we tell the people in shul, don't be upset
about the sick person it is shabbos. However, according to the Ran it
is a bit difficult, we are contradicting ourselves, we just said a
prayer for the sick person and we end off by saying we really aren't
allowed to daven for you. The Aruch Hashulchan in OC 287 asks this
question and writes that our minhag is difficult.  Maybe the pshat is
that we are explaining why this is the only tefilla we are saying for
the sick person. Interestingly enough, the Artscroll siddur translates
the mi shebeirach like the Ran.

The Shulchan Aruich Harav writes that one should not say the regular
mi shebeirach but only Shabbos hi .