Kommentar zu Dewarim 5:15

וזכרת כי עבד היית וגו׳ AND THOU SHALT REMEMBER THAT THOU WAST A SLAVE [IN THE LAND OF EGYPT … AND THE LORD BROUGHT THEE FORTH FROM THERE … THEREFORE HE COMMANDS THEE TO KEEP THE SABBATH DAY] — On that condition He freed you — that you should be a servant to Him and observe His commandments.

THEREFORE THE ETERNAL THY G-D COMMANDED THEE TO KEEP THE SABBATH-DAY. The meaning thereof is that He commanded you to do so [give rest to the servant] on the Sabbath-day. So did Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explain it.¹⁵⁷Thus, according to Ibn Ezra, the basic commandment to rest on the Sabbath is in remembrance of Creation as it is given in Exodus 20:11, while the giving of rest to our servants is in remembrance of the exodus as given in our verse. In this way Ibn Ezra resolves the difficulty as to why in the Ten Commandments in the Book of Exodus the reason for the Sabbath is given as remembrance of the Creation, while here the reason is given as the remembrance of the exodus. Ramban will refute this solution of Ibn Ezra, as explained in the text that follows. But it is not correct, for we say in the Kiddush [i.e., the proclamation of the sanctity] of the Sabbath,¹⁵⁸See Vol. II, pp. 313-315. “For this day is the first of the hallowed gatherings recalling our going forth from Egypt” just as we say that it “recalls the work of Creation!”¹⁵⁹In other words, the text of the Kiddush of the Sabbath-day equates both reasons — the remembrance of the Creation and the remembrance of the exodus — as applying to the Sabbath itself, rather than referring to two different things as Ibn Ezra differentiated between them (see Note 157 above). And the Rabbi [Moshe ben Maimon] stated in the Moreh Nebuchim¹⁶⁰Guide of the Perplexed II, 31. Ramban is following Al-Charizi’s translation, and not that of Ibn Tibbon. that “the ‘first statement’ [i.e., citing the Creation, as given in the Book of Exodus] expresses the honor and distinction of the day, just as He said, therefore the Eternal hath blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it,¹⁶¹Exodus 20:11. Thus the verse in Exodus indicates that the Sabbath-day was honored because it is symbolic of the Creation which was the handiwork of G-d alone. and hence He mentioned the reason for in six days etc.¹⁶¹Exodus 20:11. Thus the verse in Exodus indicates that the Sabbath-day was honored because it is symbolic of the Creation which was the handiwork of G-d alone. But here he warned us to observe the Sabbath because of our having been slaves, working all day against our will and never having rest, and he commanded us now to abstain from work and rest in order that we remember the kindnesses of G-d towards us in bringing us forth from slavery to rest. Thus the Sabbath in general has two reasons: that we believe in the creation of the world [i.e., that the world was created at some point in time out of absolute nought rather than being of infinite age], that the world has a G-d Who is the Creator, and that we remember further the great kindness that He did with us, that we are His servants, since He acquired us for Himself as servants.” This [statement of Rambam] is also not clear to me, for when we are resting and not doing work on the seventh day we are not provided with a remembrance of the exodus from Egypt, nor does anyone who sees us being idle from work have any knowledge of this [reason]. Rather, the Sabbath is like all the other commandments, but it contains a reminder of the Creation because of the fact that we rest on the day that G-d ceased from work thereon and rested.¹⁶²Ibid., 31:17. And it is more fitting to say that because the exodus from Egypt is evidence of the existence of an Eternal G-d, Who caused everything to come into existence through His will¹⁶³Thus excluding the theory that formation of the world is a result of some natural necessity. Instead we are to believe the universe is a result of G-d’s Will and design. and Who has supreme power, as I have explained in the first commandment¹⁶⁴Exodus 20:2. Vol. II, p. 285. — therefore he stated here: “If there ever arises a doubt in your heart concerning the Sabbath that evidences the creation of the world by the will and power of G-d, you should remember what your eyes saw at the exodus from Egypt which is, to you, the evidence [of His infinite power] and the remembrance [of His deeds].” Thus the Sabbath is a remembrance of the exodus from Egypt, and the exodus is a remembrance of the Sabbath, for on it [the Sabbath] they remember and say that it is G-d Who makes new signs and wonders in everything and does with everything according to His will since it is He Who created everything at the beginning of creation. This, then, is the sense of the expression, therefore the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day. Now, he did not explain here that the reason for the rest [on the Sabbath] is that in six days the Eternal made heaven etc.,¹⁶¹Exodus 20:11. Thus the verse in Exodus indicates that the Sabbath-day was honored because it is symbolic of the Creation which was the handiwork of G-d alone. — since this has already been mentioned many times in the Torah. Instead, he said here briefly, and the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Eternal thy G-d,¹⁵³Verse 14. meaning that He, blessed be, ceased from work thereon and rested¹⁶²Ibid., 31:17. and he explained to them that from the exodus from Egypt they will know that it was He Who spoke and the world came into existence, and He ceased from work thereon.
And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], we can further add to this [subject, by saying] that this commandment was given with [the expression] Observe [Observe the Sabbath-day to keep it holy], in order that we may fear the Glorious and Fearful Name,¹⁶⁵Further, 28:58. The verse there begins: If thou wilt not ‘observe’ … The term “observe” found in the commandment of the Sabbath is thus to be understood in the light of that verse which begins with the expression of “observe” and concludes with a reference to the “fear” of G-d, as the text proceeds to explain. and therefore he commands us to remember the mighty hand and the outstretched arm¹⁶⁶Further, 7:19. that we saw at the exodus from Egypt, and from it the fear [of G-d] is to come to us, as it is said, And Israel saw the great work which the Eternal did upon the Egyptians, and the people ‘feared’ the Eternal.¹⁶⁷Exodus 14:31. See Vol. II, p. 190: “By way of the Truth etc.” And therefore the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day so that the congregation of Israel be the partner to the Sabbath, as is hinted in the words of our Rabbis.¹⁶⁸Bereshith Rabbah 11:9, see also Vol. I, p. 60. The student [learned in the mysteries of the Cabala] will understand.

וזכרת כי עבד היית, "remember that you used to be a slave, etc." These are Moses' words. Moses meant that the Sabbath legislation also contains an element which relates it to the Exodus. When someone rests and does not have to perform labour for someone else he will feel that it was G'd who enabled His people to rest up from all its problems and he will concentrate on gladly accepting the laws given by G'd who took the people out of that particular bondage. Pessachim 117 teaches that these words are the reason we have to mention the Exodus from Egypt in the benediction over the wine on the Sabbath.

וזכרת כי עבד היית, “so that you will remember that you yourself used to be a servant;” Moses explains that just as G’d when He took you out of Egypt relieved you of the need to work seven days a week, you in turn, are to give your workers a day of rest, the same day as yours. In light of this, the true meaning of the phrase, beginning with the word למען in our verse, is that when you allow your servant to rest on the Sabbath you will be reminded that you yourself did not have this privilege until Hashem took you out of Egypt. This is what prompted G’d to

וזכרת כי עבד היית במצרים, “you shall remember (on the Sabbath) that you used to be a slave in Egypt, etc.” just like the slaves that you own now.
ויוציאך ה’ אלו-היך, “and the Lord your G’d took you out;” with manifest miracles which attested that something like a rebirth of the universe had taken place, i.e. that it was your G’d who must have created the universe in the first place.
על כן, “this is why;” He commanded you to observe the Sabbath day as reminder that G’d created the universe and it did not precede Him as proven by His orchestrating the Exodus.

He freed you on the condition, etc. Because Hashem knows that it is difficult for them to abstain from work. We find this regarding Purim, that they accepted upon themselves a day of drinking and rejoicing, but not for [abstaining from] work (Maseches Megillah 5b). Therefore, he mentions to them that they were slaves. That is to say, when a master tells his slave to abstain from work, it is only right that the slave obeys him because the work [he does] is only for his master. Otherwise, why is slavery mentioned here? [Maharai].

וזכרת כי עבד היית, “you shall remember that you used to be a slave;” the reason why this has been written here, i.e. that your male and female servants also have to rest on the Sabbath, is that we ourselves were slaves and did not enjoy the luxury of resting on the Sabbath. We must not treat our slaves as we have been treated. In the first version of the Ten Commandments that were given on a joyous occasion, the Torah did not want to dampen our sense of joy by reminding us of our low status in Egypt. It therefore omitted mentioning that we used to be slaves. [Besides, 49 days after having escaped from Egypt, who would need a reminder of that? Ed.] It was sufficient to emphasise that it was G-d Who had taken us out of Egypt, and that we had not staged a revolt to bring this about. (Exodus 20,2) An alternate interpretation: if G-d redeemed us from slavery and intolerable conditions and gave us the Sabbath as a reminder, our own slaves are certainly to be granted no less by us.

צוך ה' אלוקיך לעשות את יום השבת, “the Lord your G’d commanded you to “make” the Sabbath day.” Ibn Ezra comments that the word תעשה means that G’d commanded that the day of rest had to be on the Sabbath, i.e the anniversary of the seventh day of creation. [It would not do to pick any day of the week to commemorate that we enjoy a day of rest because the Lord took us out of Egypt.] As to the fact that we commemorate this aspect by reciting the kiddush, Maimonides writes that in the first version of the Ten Commandments the Torah speaks of the special honour accorded to that day. The aspect of commemorating the Exodus on the Sabbath does not override the previously revealed aspect of commemorating the seven days of creation, on the last of which the Lord rested. This is why Moses refers to the previously revealed legislation of the Sabbath in which commemorating the seventh day of creation had been given as the primary reason. To sum up: there are two major reasons for the Sabbath rest. 1) To strengthen our faith in the Creator of the universe, who made constructive rest part of nature by demonstrating His own abstention from creative activity on that day. 2) The Lord’s special love for us, [not so for the other nations who labour under the curse to have to work for a living unceasingly, the legacy of Adam having ignored the command not to eat from the tree of knowledge. Ed.] Nachmanides does not seem too impressed by Maimonides’ approach, as he cannot see how resting on the Sabbath is conceptually related to the Exodus from Egypt any more than any of the other commandments that represent symbols of our history, especially the Exodus. On the other hand, he does agree that Sabbath observance most certainly is conceptually related to the whole work of creation performed by the Creator during the six days preceding the history of mankind. Nachmanides therefore would have Moses not add another dimension to the rationale of Sabbath observance, but to restate the aspect of G’d the invisible Creator having rested on the original Sabbath, to His people who more than any other people had experienced how He manifested Himself visually in their lives making this an additional point to reflect upon on every Sabbath when they would observe constructive rest. All the miracles performed by G’d in Egypt were, in a manner of speaking, a re-enactment of what our sages call חדוש העולם, a replay of the creative process, seeing that G’d proved Himself time and again to be able to make “nature” do His bidding when He wanted and where He wanted. Whereas the first time around there had been no witnesses who could report to us on what they had experienced, in Egypt there had been millions of such witnesses. [I have rephrased this slightly. Ed.]

You may ask why he [Moses] omitted the reason for the Sabbath that God said in the first instance of the Ten Commandments, "that in six days..." [and on the seventh day of creation God rested] (Exodus 20). This reason is the essential reason for this commandment, not the reason of the obligation [given in this verse]. Moses said this reason [based on] faith in the reason for the commandment. According to what our sages said and wrote elsewhere, the Exodus from Egypt illuminates faith in creation of the world. He [Moses] wrote saying "Remember...and God took you out...with a strong hand and an outstretched arm..." since there you will see that He is the Master of All and from there it will be evident to you the reason stated in the first instance of the Ten Commandments, "that in six days...".

כי עבד היית בארץ מצרים, “for you were a slave in the land of Egypt.” In this version of the Ten Commandments, G-d does not emphasise His being the Creator of the universe in six days, (Exodus 20,11) and this is why we mention this when we recite the blessing over wine when making kiddush, i.e. sanctifying the Sabbath. On other special occasions that do not symbolise the creation of the universe, we content ourselves with reminding ourselves of the making of the Jewish nation, i. e. זכר ליציאת מצרים, “a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt.”

על כן, “therefore,” G-d wishes us to remember that our status in Egypt was a deplorable one, we were lowly slaves.