Kommentar zu Schemot 23:12

וביום השביעי תשבת [SIX DAYS SHALT THOU DO THY WORK] AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY THOU SHALT LEAVE OFF — Even in the Sabbatical year you shall not abrogate the weekly Sabbath: you shall not say, “Since the whole year bears the name of ‘Sabbath’, the weekly Sabbath need not to be observed” (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 23:12:1).

L’MA’AN’ (THAT) THINE OX AND THINE ASS MAY HAVE REST. Because the word l’ma’an is like ba’avur (“in order that”), we must explain³⁶⁴Ramban’s intention is as follows: It cannot be said that the command here is directed to the owner himself, that he should rest on the Sabbath, since it says clearly ‘in order that’ thine ox… may have rest; neither can it be referring to a case where the owner works together with the animal, for if that were so, why does the Torah not mention that the reason is that he himself should have rest? Hence Ramban explains the verse in the following way: “Six days thou shalt do thy work in such a manner as if it were all completed by the Sabbath-day, so that the animal can have rest by itself on that day.” that the verse is stating: “Six days you shall do all your work in the house and in the field, in order that the ox and the ass may have rest on the seventh day. And the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed — in order that they all be witnesses to the Creation.” The verse here is then similar in meaning to: Bake that which ye will bake.³⁶⁵Above, 16:23. In other words, bake on the sixth day double in order that you should not have to bake on the Sabbath. Here likewise a similar thought is expressed: do all your work in six days so that the animal can have rest on the seventh day. Similarly He said, Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work,³⁶⁶Ibid., 20:9. as I have explained there.

תשבות, you must even refrain from doing things which are not prohibited under the heading of מלאכה, the kind of activity associated with construction of the Tabernacle, if these activities represent strenuous exertion customary on weekdays. We have been taught in Shabbat 113 that one of the ways of honouring the gift of the Sabbath is to refrain from engaging in activities that remind one of weekdays. The Talmud bases this on Isaiah 58,13 who defines proper Sabbath observance as distinct from merely formal Sabbath observance, with these words: “if you refrain from trampling the Sabbath, from pursuing your affairs on My holy day; if you call the Sabbath ‘delight,’ the Lord’s holy day ‘honored,’ and if you honour it and go not your ways nor look to your affairs nor strike bargains, then you can seek the favour of the Lord.”