פירוש על שמות 31:13

ואתה דבר אל בני ישראל SPEAK THOU ALSO UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — AND thou, although I have given thee charge to command them concerning the work of the Tabernacle let it not appear a light thing to thee to set the Sabbath aside on account of that work.

ACH’ (BUT) YE SHALL KEEP MY SABBATHS. “Even though you may be anxious²³⁸Our Rashi adds: “and alert.” to do the work promptly, do not set aside the Sabbath on its account. All [Scriptural expressions containing] the words ach (but) or rak (only), intimate limiting qualifications; [in this case] it is to exclude the Sabbath from [the days on which] the work of the Tabernacle may be done.” This is Rashi’s language. But I have not been able to explain it. For according to the method used by our Rabbis to interpret the words ach (but) and rak (only), it should limit the scope of Sabbath-observance [and permit the work of the Tabernacle on the Sabbath], for the limiting qualifications [of ach and rak] everywhere apply to the subject of the commandment itself [and since the verse here speaks of Sabbath-observance, the word ach should be restricting its application]. Thus if we are to interpret [and apply] the limiting nature of the word ach to the subject of the work of the Tabernacle, it should follow that it is allowed to be done on the Sabbath! Rather, the limiting nature of the word ach here applies to circumcision [on the eighth day of the child], or to the saving of human life, and similar instances, [to tell us] that they set aside the Sabbath. And so the Rabbis said in Tractate Yoma:²³⁹Yerushalmi Yoma VIII, 5. “And whence do we know that even in a doubt whether life is in danger, the Sabbath may be set aside? Rabbi Abohu said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: ‘Ach’ ye shall keep My Sabbaths — [the word ach] has a limiting qualification.” And the reason why the work of the Tabernacle does not override the Sabbath [is not on account of the word ach, but] because He warned [about keeping the Sabbath] here [right next to the subject of the making of the Tabernacle, thus indicating that the Sabbath is not to be set aside on account of it]. And in line with the plain meaning of Scripture the verse states as follows: “You shall do the work of the Tent of Meeting, but My Sabbaths you shall keep forever.” And in the Torath Kohanim²⁴⁰Sifra Kedoshim Section 3, 7:7. [the Rabbis have said as follows]: “I might think that the building of the Sanctuary overrides the Sabbath? Scripture therefore says, Ye shall keep My Sabbaths, and reverence My Sanctuary: I am the Eternal.”²⁴¹Leviticus 19:30. This teaches that “all of you are obligated to keep My honor” (Yebamoth 6 a), and as the Meiri explains it: “you and the Sanctuary are obligated to keep My honor.” Thus the building of the Sanctuary does not override the Sabbath.
Now the reason for the word Shabtothai [in the plural] is because the Sabbaths of the year are many. By way of the Truth, [the mystic lore of the Cabala], He commanded here [the keeping of the “Sabbaths”] by zachor²⁴²‘Remember’ the Sabbath-day (above 20:8). and shamor,²⁴³‘Observe’ the Sabbath-day (Deuteronomy 5:12). as I have hinted with reference to their secret,²⁴⁴Above, 20:8. this being the reason for the plural — My Sabbaths. Of the two of them [zachor and shamor] He says, for it is a sign [when He should have said “for they are a sign,” this is in order to indicate] that “it” [the Sabbath] is the sign between Me and you… that ye may know.²⁴⁵See my Hebrew commentary here, p. 505, for the mystic interpretation thereof. He states, Ye shall keep the Sabbath,²⁴⁶Verse 14. and declares that those that profane it are liable to extinction,²⁴⁶Verse 14. for the spirit returneth unto G-d who gave it,²⁴⁷Ecclesiastes 12:7. but the soul of that one [who profanes the Sabbath] will be cut off from there.²⁴⁸“It is measure for measure. On the Sabbath everything is in perfect Unity. But he who desecrates the Sabbath shows that he does not believe in that Unity, and therefore he deserves to be cut off from it” (Ma’or V’shamesh). He states concerning the seventh day that it is a Sabbath of solemn rest holy to G-d,²⁴⁹Verse 15. because it is the foundation of the world; of the Sabbath He also says that it is a perpetual covenant,²⁵⁰Verse 16. and then He states again that it is a sign between Me and the children of Israel²⁵¹Verse 17. meaning that the Sabbath is the sign on the seventh day, and the purport thereof is that the [seventh] day itself is a sign, and [its sanctification as] the Sabbath is the sign forever.²⁵²The allusions are Cabalistic. According to Ricanti [here] reference is to the thoughts mentioned above in Seder Mishpatim, Note 23. This is also the purport of the expression, He ceased from work and rested,²⁵¹Verse 17. this being an allusion to “the extra [Sabbath] soul” which comes from The Foundation of the world, in Whose hand is the soul of every living thing.²⁵³Job 12:10. Thus the chapter is explained. I have already hinted at its meaning in [my commentary to] the Ten Commandments.²⁴⁴Above, 20:8. The student learned [in the Cabala] will understand.

אך את שבתותי תשמורו, even though it was I Who commanded you to build the Tabernacle and to construct all its appurtenances, and it is to serve as a residence for My presence, this commandment does not override the restrictions associated with proper observance of the Sabbath. The reason is that the Sabbath is

ואתה תדבר אל בני ישראל, "You too speak to the children of Israel, etc." Why does the Torah use the unusual ואתה in this instance? The letter ו is also unusual, as is the repetitive דבר, seeing the Torah already reported G'd as saying to Moses לאמור? Besides, why was the word לאמור repeated once more in this verse? To whom were the children of Israel supposed to communicate this directive? Even though I have already explained at the beginning of פרשת תרומה that the word דבר is needed and it is not enough to write לאמור, in this instance even the word לאמור has been repeated! Another problem is the word שבתותי in the plural. According to Shabbat 69 the reason for the plural is to decrease the liability of someone who through lack of knowledge of the principle of work-prohibition on the Sabbath has violated a string of Sabbaths. His offence would be considered as being only one offence covering all these Sabbaths and a single sin-offering would suffice to obtain atonement for such a person.. In the Mechilta on our verse the use of the plural is explained as including liability for transgressions of rabbinic commandments commonly known as שבות.

אך את שבתותי, even work of constructing the Tabernacle must not be performed on the Sabbath.

אך את שבתותי תשמורו, “However, you must observe My Sabbaths;” a reference to the numerous Sabbath days during the year. Rashi, pointing out that the word אך always precedes a restrictive clause, claims that the verse in front of us specifically addresses the subject of interrupting the construction of even such a sacred project as the building of the Tabernacle in order not to desecrate the Sabbath. Nachmanides questions Rashi’s interpretation, saying that on the contrary, the restrictive nature of the words אך and רק, should be interpreted as lifting the normal restrictions on building activity on the Sabbath out of deference to the sacred nature of the task of building a residence for G’d on earth. In all other examples of the words אך and רק where these appear in conjunction with a Torah commandment, the commandment’s applicability is limited as a result. If we were to interpret the appearance of this word here as a limitation on the work of the Tabernacle, the result would be that it may proceed even on the Sabbath. Other examples of such a restrictive clause being applied on account of these words result in circumcision on the eight’s day overriding the laws of the Sabbath; similarly, the commandment to save a life which is in danger overrides any forbidden activity of the Sabbath, if the life to be saved is in danger on the Sabbath. The Talmud Yerushalmi 8,5 in Yuma actually quotes our verse here as the source that saving someone’s life on the Sabbath when it involves violation of Biblical prohibitions on the Sabbath is not only permitted but mandatory. However, Rabbi Yochanan there adds that where the life in danger is so only marginally, violation of the Sabbath is not permitted on account of this. Mention of the Sabbath here must be viewed as the exception to the general rule in which the words אך and רק are applied, and that is why work on the Tabernacle was interrupted for the sake of observing the Sabbath. The plain meaning of our verse is: “keep working on the sacred project of building the Tabernacle but do not allow this project to interfere with observance of the Sabbath in any shape or form in order to complete this work sooner.”

Though I have charged you. . . Rashi is answering the question: Why was this section placed here?

V. 13. ואתה דבר וגו׳, was Mosche nur als erläuternde Bemerkung gesagt worden war, sollte er jedoch in der ganzen Entschiedenheit des Gesetzausspruches lehren.

אך את שבתותי שמורו, “but you must observe My Sabbaths;” Moses is to tell the people that although they might have thought that having been commanded to construct a residence for G–d on earth, completing it as soon as possible would override any restrictions that are part of the Sabbath, the Sabbath is not to be desecrated on account of building the Tabernacle.

אך את שבתותי תשמורו , “but you must observe My Sabbath days;” the reason why the Torah repeats this instruction was to tell us that this applies not only during the period when the Tabernacle was being constructed, but for all future generations. This is the origin of which type of work is forbidden to be performed on the Sabbath. Any type of work which was performed during the construction of the Tabernacle, i.e. was required to be performed in the construction of the Tabernacle or service in the Tabernacle, was henceforth forbidden to be performed on the Sabbath.

אך את שבתתי תשמרו BUT NEVERTHELESS MY SABBATHS SHALL YE KEEP — Even though you be anxious and alert to do the work promptly the Sabbath nevertheless you must not set aside on its account. The words אך and רק wherever they occur in Scripture have limitative force (Rosh Hashanah 17b; cf. Rashi on Rosh Hashanah 17b on אכין ורקין). Here Scripture intends by the word אך to except the Sabbath from the days on which the work of the Tabernacle may be done.

אות היא ביני וביניכם, a symbol serving as a reminder of our mutual relationship. If you were to ignore this symbol by building a residence for Me on this day, there would be no point in doing so as I would not then take up residence in that Tabernacle.

כי אות היא, for the reason that you are abstaining from such categories of activities is that you are like Me, i.e. you are My people.

To exclude Shabbos. . . You might ask: Was it not explained above that Shabbos is excluded merely by placing this section adjacent to [the work of the mishkon]? The answer is: Above, only the public was excluded [from doing work], such as bringing the public donations. But we might think an individual may do work; therefore, Scripture had to write אך .

Before we offer our own commnetary on the meaning of this verse let us first examine the word אך which introduces this directive. By understanding the significance of that word we will arrive at a clearer understanding of why the Torah wrote the word לאמור twice, as well as the other details we queried at the beginning of this paragraph. Our sages in Shabbat 129 state that it is permitted to violate the Sabbath legislation for the sake of a sick person if the sick person's life would be endangered unless the Sabbath were violated for his sake. Any situation in which a life is at stake overrides the Sabbath prohibitions. This is what the Torah hinted at when it introduced this piece of legislation with the restrictive word אך, "however." The word simply means that situations may arise which override the legislation about to be recorded. The meaning of the plural is that any day which is also described as שבת in the Torah such as the Day of Atonement or the other festivals, falls into the same category when it comes to the principles permitting violation of the Sabbath or even demanding violation of the Sabbath. It also means that for the sake of such sick people one may violate more than one Sabbath if the patient has not recovered in the interval.

אך את שבתתי תשמרו, mit diesem Satze wird שמירת שבת dem gebotenen Heiligtumbau übergeordnet, und es hat selbst מלאכת המשכן vor dem Schabbat zurückzutreten. Es ist hier das erste Mal, dass die Schabbatpflicht unter dem Begriff שמירה auftritt, und dreimal (VV. 13, 14 u. 16) wird in diesem Schabbatkapitel dieser Begriff wiederholt, so dass er sich als den Inbegriff dieses Kapitels ankündigt. Mit diesem Begriffe aber wird uns der Schabbat als ein objektiv gegebenes, anvertrautes Gut begreifen gelehrt, hinsichtlich dessen uns die שומרים-Pflichten obliegen, nicht daran פושע zu sein, nicht שולח יד daran zu sein, es nie aus den Augen zu verlieren, uns daran und damit keine subjektive Willkür zu erlauben, und mit ängstlicher Gewissenhaftigkeit und Umsicht alles fern zu halten und abzuwenden, was dieses anvertraute Heiligtum verletzen könnte. Mit solcher Intensität kommt dieser Begriff der שמירה sonst nur in Beziehung auf die göttlichen Gesetze im allgemeinen, speziell aber vielleicht nur noch hinsichtlich der Peßachgesetze vor: ושמרת את החקה הזאות למועדה, שמר את חדש האביב, ושמרתם את המצות, את חג המצות תשמר — sofern dieses letztere auf פסח zu beziehen ist, — und auch da nur zerstreut, bei wiederholter Gelegenheit, nicht aber wie hier wiederholt in einer Rede. Und es ist nicht der Schabbat im allgemeinen, es werden "שבתותי", es wird jeder konkrete, in die Zeit eintretende Schabbat als ein besonderes Gottesheiligtum unserer "Hut" empfohlen, jeder konkrete Schabbattag bringt unsere Verpflichtung aufs neue, nimmt für sich aufs neue unsere ganze Hüterpflicht in Anspruch, (ימים שבנתים הווין ידיעה לחלק אעפ׳׳י שלא ידע, Schabbat 67 b תוספו׳ das. und nach der Auffassung des ר׳ נחמן בר אבוה das. 69 a). Und es ist keiner privaten, profanen, keiner Gewerbstätigkeit gegenüber, es ist מלאכת המשכן, es ist eine dem höchsten, heiligsten, nationalen und göttlichen Ziele geweihte Werktätigkeit, es ist der die Gottesnähe erzielende Tempelbau, dem gegenüber hier der Schabbat in Schutz genommen wird, und tritt damit die von uns geforderte Schabbathut hinsichtlich aller anderen, minder heiligen Zwecke, in doppelter Prägnanz hervor.

כי אות היא ביני וביניכם, “for it is a sign between you and Me for generations.” By the use of the word: וביניכם, the Torah emphasizes that it is only between G-d and the Jewish people that such a relationship exists. It is only the Jews who use the Sabbath to rest on it as G-d rested on it after having completed creating the universe.

כי אות היא ביני וביניכם FOR IT IS A SIGN BETWEEN ME AND YOU — There is a mark of distinction in the relation that exists between us, viz., the fact that I have chosen you by letting you inherit for rest that day on which “I” rested.

A further ruling derived from the above wording is the case of a patient who requires eight days' consecutive treatment. One should not delay commencement of such treatment in order to violate only a single Sabbath but one has to commence treatment of the patient at once even if this involves the violation of two Sabbath days (based on Yuma 84).

כי אות היא, da der Schabbat im Satze nur im Plural: שבתותי genannt ist, so kann sich das היא nicht auf den Schabbattag, sondern nur auf die gebotene שמירה beziehen, und ist eben damit die Werkeinstellung, שביתת מלאכה, am Schabbat zum אות zum Symbol erhoben, und zwar ist die Bedeutung dieses Symbols eine gegenseitige, ביני וביניכם an diesem Symbol erkennt Gott uns und durch dasselbe erkennen wir Gott nach dem durch dieses Symbol zum Ausdruck kommenden Inhalte an. Dieser Inhalt wird hier angegeben und mit dem Worte: לדעת eingeführt. דעת ist der Zweck eines jeden אות, eines jeden Symbols, es ist ja eben אות, die Vermittlung einer Erkenntnis, und die durch שמירת שבת vermittelte Erkenntnis ist: כי אני ד׳ מקדשכם dass Gott uns heiligt, d. h. ja: dass Gott uns von allem andern heraussondert und uns zu seinem Dienste bereitstellt. Durch שמירת שבת, d. h. durch Unterlassung einer jeden Werkausführung, legen wir uns und unsere Welt und unsere uns von Gott zur Beherrschung derselben verliehenen Kräfte Gott huldigend zu Füßen und bekennen uns und unsere Welt und unsere schaffenden Kräfte als Gott heilig, d. h. als ausschließlich ihm zur Erfüllung Seines Willens angehörig. So lange Menschen waren, war auch der Schabbat — wie wir dies (oben zu Schmot 16, 23) bemerkt — zur Heiligung der Menschen da. Allein er war nur Idee, und es fehlte ihm der sichtbar, sinnlich wahrnehmbare Ausdruck, es fehlte ihm das אות, das Symbol, und daher schwand er in der irrenden Menschheit. Als Gott Israel zum Werkzeug seines Reiches, d. i. zum Werkzeug seiner Huldigung als Schöpfer und Gebieter im Menschenkreise, das ist ja eben nichts anderes als zur Verwirklichung des "Schabbats" erwählte, gab er dem Schabbat in Israel das konkrete Symbol im Werkverbot, und es ward der Gottesschabbat zum Menschenschabbat. Fortan ist die Schabbat-"Feier" das Symbolum der Beziehung Gottes zu Israel und Israels zu Gott, das Erkennungszeichen, dass Gott uns sich geheiligt und heiligt.

לדעת TO KNOW — (not, “for you to know”, but) for the nations of the world to know through it, כי אני ה' מקדשכם THAT I AM THE LORD THAT DOTH SANCTIFY YOU.

When the Torah emphasis that the Sabbaths belong to G'd, i.e. שבתותי, this may be an allusion to the reason behind the legislation to violate the Sabbath when observing it involves danger to one's life. Inasmuch as it is G'd's Sabbath, it is in G'd's interest that we observe the Sabbath as many times as possible. When violating one or several Sabbath-days results in the patient recovering and observing many more Sabbaths when he has recovered, G'd's purpose in giving us the Sabbath legislation will be fulfilled. This is the only case where we do not follow the principle of not telling one person to commit a sin in order to enable others to perform the commandments. We are told in Shabbat 4 that if someone deliberately stuck dough for bread on the walls of the baking oven in order to bake bread on the Sabbath, he may remove it (a prohibited act) in order to escape the death penalty if he had allowed it to become bread. However, a fellow Jew is not allowed to remove that dough in order to rescue the first Jew from the consequences of his sin. Even the king himself is not only allowed but commanded to violate the Sabbath for the sake of saving a patient's life. In fact, failure to do so (in the absence of trained personnel) is considered a slight against G'd's commandments.

כי אות היא ביני וביניכם, "for it is a sign between Me and between you, etc." This means that unless there are people observing the Sabbath, the Sabbath is considered as non-existent.

לדעת, "(for you) to know", etc. With this word the Torah revealed that it considers the sanctity of the Jew's soul as on a higher plane than the sanctity of the Sabbath seeing that the Sabbath is subordinate to the survival of the Jew. The word לדעת means that we are to appreciate that G'd sanctifies us.

Rashi explains that the word אך means that the work of constructing the Tabernacle is not to supersede the Sabbath legislation but that such work must be interrupted in order for even the artisans to observe the Sabbath. Halachically speaking, Rashi is correct; however, the meaning of the word אך is intended to limit the application of the Sabbath itself, not to impose limits on people concerning the Sabbath. Besides, why would anyone have thought that the building of the Tabernacle should override the work prohibition of the Sabbath so that the Torah had to caution the Israelites against making such an error? It is not our intention to cast aspersions on other commentators and especially on Rashi's sacred words; all the various commentaries fall into the category of אלו ואלו דברי אלוקים חיים, "the various commentaries are all inspired by genuine Torah study."

When the Torah said: ואתה דבר it is necessary in light of the exclusions to the Sabbath legislation alluded to by the word אך. Moses did not know when such exclusions would apply. G'd therefore told Moses orally what these exclusions were to be .The words ואתה דבר mean Moses was to relate these rules only by oral instructions and they were not to be written down in the Torah scroll. Our holy Torah not only uses words extremely sparingly but even each individual letter is never wasted. The absence of a letter we would have expected, or an additional letter which we did not expect, teaches man halachot. This is the meaning of the saying of our sages that the written Torah has seventy "faces," four levels of exegesis, and thirty-one tracks. Each "track" in turn consists of many different paths. Bamidbar Rabbah 19,3 commenting on Kings I 5,12 that Solomon composed 3.000 parables, etc., quotes a Rabbi who searched the entire Bible for comments by Solomon and did not find even eight hundred verses attributed to him. He therefore concluded that each utterance of Solomon had a number of meanings and this is what the verse referred to which credited Solomon with the composition of 3.000 parables. This is simply an example of the succinct manner in which the Holy Scriptures employ words. At the same time you must appreciate that there are homilies and halachot with which every person has to be familiar even though some of these may be laws applicable to every single Jew whereas others may be applicable only in very rare situations. There are even some which have no application in practice at all.

Do not ask why G'd in His wisdom has decided to allude to these homilies and halachot only peripherally instead of spelling them out in the written text of the Torah. The answer to such a question is right in front of your eyes. They are matters not suitable for recording in a book. Consider a statement of our sages in Avot de Rabbi Natan chapter 25 where we find the following in the name of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrkanus. He said to Rabbi Akiva: "if all the oceans were to be ink, and all the reeds were turned into quills, and all men scribes, they could not commit to paper all the halachot about ritual purity and impurity which I have learned through constant close association with my teachers during my life." All of these teachings are somehow alluded to in the Holy Torah though it has used words so sparingly. Although it is not given to man to record all these teachings in a book, Moses was taught all of this during the forty days he spent on Mount Sinai. The Sabbath legislation is only one example of the written Torah recording a minimum (apparently) of halachot, whereas the oral Torah augments this many times over. The Torah simply hinted to Moses by the way it expressed itself that there are many more exclusions to the applicability of the Sabbath legislation than the single one hinted at by the word אך. G'd instructed Moses to fill the people in on this when the Torah reports G'd as saying: ואתה דבר.

When the Torah repeats דבר אל בני ישראל לאמור, it means Moses was to tell the people of this habit of the written Torah not to spell out every little detail of its legislation but to reserve much to be communicated orally to the people by Moses. By adopting this approach we may be able to account for the apparently superfluous לאמור in many instances where this occurs. It means that the people are obligated to study these details though they are not spelled out in the Torah.

We may also understand the unusual word ואתה in the light of Shabbat 10 where the words לדעת כי אני ה׳ מקדשכם are explained in these terms: G'd said to Moses 'I have a beautiful gift in My treasure chamber, its name is Sabbath, and I want to give it to the Jewish people.'" We learn from here that if someone wishes to give a gift to a child, he must first let the child's mother know of his intentions. The Talmud asks why G'd had not advised Moses that his face was radiating light when he descended from Mount Sinai (Exodus 34,29). The first answer is that the rule does not apply when the gift becomes self-evident such as in the case of Moses' skin radiating light. G'd therefore had to tell Moses ואתה דבר, so that Moses would not draw a comparison between what had occurred when his skin began to radiate light, but that he would advise the people that the Sabbath was indeed a gift. In the case of Moses, he was bound to find out that G'd had given him this gift of a skin which radiated light. The Jewish people might not become aware of the nature of the Sabbath as a gift unless told specifically. Moses might have concluded that inasmuch as the Sabbath is something visible [such as the fact that no manna fell on that day, Ed.], he did not have to reveal further details just as G'd did not reveal to him the fact that the skin of his face radiated light. He would feel certain that the people would conclude all by themselves that the day was one of rest and enjoyment. G'd therefore told Moses אות היא, that the rest and enjoyment aspect of the Sabbath is only a symbol of the eventual Sabbath, i.e. a time when life on earth will be a "Sabbath" all week long and we do not have to content ourselves with the spiritual elevation we experience once a week when G'd grants us the additional soul, נשמה יתירה, only to remove it again at the termination of the Sabbath. G'd therefore said to Moses דבר…לדעת, to inform the people of the nature of the gift that G'd was bestowing upon them and the spiritual contentment attainable through observance of the Sabbath.