Shabbat 125 – Prepare for Shabbat

The story is told by R. Dimi (who visits the academy in Babylonia from Palestine) that Rabbi once went to certain place during the week and found a field of stones. He planned to meet there on Shabbat. So told his students to “Go out and intend [them]” – that is to express an intention to use them – so that they can be used on Shabbat. Now, is the declared intention enough, or did they have to do some act of labor to indicate that intention (and, to prevent an accidental labor on Shabbat)? For example, they might have been told to arrange the stones in some order, or to scrape them free of mortar, so that they would be more amenable for sitting.

Some argue that an act of labor is required for the Shabbat items to be indicated as such, other not. But the idea of really thinking ahead and preparing for Shabbat appeals to me.