פירוש על שמות 34:21

בחריש ובקציר IN PLOUGHING TIME AND IN HARVEST [THOU SHALT LEAVE OFF] — Why are ploughing and harvesting specially mentioned (since all work is forbidden on Sabbath)? There are some of our Rabbis who say that this refers to ploughing in the year preceding the Sabbatical year which ploughing passeth into (produces its first fruits in) the seventh year and to harvesting grain that has reached one-third of its maturity during the Sabbatical year which harvesting actually goeth forth into (takes place in) the eighth year, that following the Sabbatical year; and that this statement is intended to teach you that one must add part of the secular time to the holy time (i. e. that one must apply to a certain period before the beginning and after the termination of the Sabbatical year the laws applicable to that year in order to prevent its desecration). Thus, the following is what it (this verse) means: “Six days thou mayest work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest”; but even with regard to the six days’ work which I have permitted you there are years when ploughing and harvesting are forbidden. This must be the meaning, referring to ploughing in the sixth year and harvesting in the seventh, and it cannot refer to the seventh year itself for it is unnecessary to make any mention of ploughing and harvesting in the seventh year being forbidden, for it is already said (Leviticus 25:4) “[But in the seventh year …] thou shalt neither sow thy field [nor prune thine vineyard]”! Others, however, hold that Scripture in this part of the text, is only speaking of the ordinary Sabbath day, as in the first part, and ploughing and harvesting which are specially mentioned in it as being forbidden on the Sabbath are mentioned to suggest to you the following: What is the characteristic of ploughing? It is an optional act (no such work being commanded anywhere in the Law)! So, too, is harvesting forbidden on Sabbath only when it constitutes an optional act! There is, therefore, excluded the harvesting of the barley for the “Omer” (cf. Leviticus 23:10: ye shall reap the harvest thereof) which is obligatory and which therefore supersedes the Sabbath (occasions a suspension of the Sabbath laws) (Rosh Hashanah 9a).

IN PLOWING TIME AND IN HARVEST THOU SHALT REST. In line with the plain meaning of Scripture He mentioned plowing and harvesting [as works forbidden on the Sabbath] because they are the mainstay of man’s life. He mentioned the Sabbath between the holidays, putting it next to the feast of unleavened bread and the sanctification of the firstborn,⁵²⁸Verses 19-20. because they are all a reminder of the act of Creation, for in the exodus from Egypt itself there is a sign and wonder referring to the Creation, as I have explained in the Ten Commandments.⁵²⁹Above, 20:2. Besides, Scripture states that in the Sabbath likewise there is a reminder of the exodus from Egypt, as it says in the second Ten Commandments, And thou shalt remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and the Eternal thy G-d brought thee out thence [by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm]; therefore the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day.⁵³⁰Deuteronomy 5:15. There I will explain it, with the help of G-d, blessed and exalted be He.

ששת ימים תעבוד וביום השביעי תשבות, success of your activities during the six days of the week also is materially affected by whether and how you observe the Sabbath.

ששת ימים תעבד, work on the land. Ordinary work on the land as described in Genesis 4,12. We read in Proverbs 12,11 and 28,19 עובד אדמתו ישבע לחם, “he who toils his own land will have sufficient bread to eat.”

בחריש ובקציר תשבות, “you are to abstain from work on the Sabbath both at seeding/ploughing time and at harvesting time. According to Nachmanides, the simple reason why periods of the year during which ploughing and harvesting proceeds have been singled out for a reminder to observe the laws of the Sabbath, is that the farmer is under greater pressure at that time to complete his work on schedule. If, due to atmospheric conditions, he feels under special pressure, he is warned not to let such considerations deter him from resting on the Sabbath. The reason why-surprisingly- the Torah interrupts aspects of the laws to make the pilgrimage to the Temple on the three holydays named, is that ever since the Exodus the Sabbath is no longer only a reminder of G’d’s creative activity, but it is a reminder of how He relieved the pressure on the Jewish people who slaved in Egypt. The G’d Who gave us relief from pressure in Egypt will not let us succumb to what we perceive to be pressure by atmospheric conditions when the weather seems to make agricultural pursuits more difficult.

ששת ימים תעבוד וביום השביעי תשבות, “You shall labour for six days and rest on the seventh day.” Here the Torah mentions the Sabbath legislation in the very middle of the laws of the Passover and those concerning the firstborn seeing that all of these three commandments are a reminder of the act of creation. The reason the Torah adds that the Sabbath rest must be observed both during the harvest season and the ploughing season is that these are the seasons when the farmer is most concerned with performing his tasks without delay to ensure success. The Torah therefore reminds the farmer that the Sabbath legislation overrides otherwise important duties connected to his daily labour. The word תשבות emphasises the need to abstain from work-like activity on the Sabbath (Nachmanides).

Which extends into the post-sheviis year. . . [Rashi knows this] because if it referred to Shabbos, other labors are also forbidden? Thus Rashi explains that it means not to plow a field of grain or of fruit trees, if it will benefit the [coming] sheviis year. “Harvest of the sheviis year” refers to grain that reached a third [of its growth] in the sheviis year, thus the laws of sheviis apply to it [even] in the year after sheviis.

V. 21. Oben, Kap. 30, 10, wo am Schlusse der Grundzüge der sozialen Gesetzgebung Institutionen nach deren Beziehungen zu dem Prinzipe der Gleichheit und der Brüderlichkeit zu nennen waren, auf welchem diese ganze Gesetzgebung beruht, stand die Institution des Jahres- und Wochenschabbats, שביעית und שבת, obenan. Sie sind ja die lautesten, fortlaufenden Proklamierungen Gottes als "einzigen Eigentümers" des Landes wie der Erde, woraus sofort die Gleichheit der Bürger und Menschen resultiert. Hier aber, wo bei der erneuten Gesetzübergabe dieselben Institutionen, jedoch vor allem in ihren dem Heidentum entgegengekehrten Seiten genannt werden, ist der Ausgangspunkt יציאת מצרים als das große, die Unmittelbarkeit Gottes zum Menschen bewahrheitende Faktum, und auch die Schabbatinstitution schließt diesem sich an: ששת ימים תעבוד, ,,dienend beherrschst du die Welt", nur indem du dich mit allen deinen Kräften unmittelbar Gott unterordnest, wirst du Herr deiner Welt, nur deinem Gott dienenden Schaffen beugt sich die Erde, und für diese Bedeutung deines Schaffens ist dein Nichtschaffen am Schabbat der Gott huldigende Ausdruck, und diesen Gott huldigenden, dich mit deiner Welt Gott zu Füßen legenden Schabbat sollst du selbst בחריש ובקציר vollziehen, wo von deinem Schaffen die Fristung deiner Lebenszukunft bedingt ist. Moed Katan 4 a knüpft sich hieran zugleich die Halacha, dass קציר עומר של מצוה דוחה שבת sei. Während oben im Zusammenhange mit den Rechtsinstitutionen שביעית naturgemäß obenan steht und den Ausgangspunkt bildet, fehlt nach dieser Auffassung sodann hier שביעית gänzlich, da hier nicht sowohl das Verhältnis des jüdischen Staates, als das ל des jüdischen Menschen zu Gott hervorgehoben wird.

ששת ימים תעבוד, “during six day you are to perform labour;” perhaps the reason why this is repeated once more is because of the Torah links it to agricultural work during the growing season, i.e. בחריש ובקציר, plowing and harvesting.

בחריש ובקציר תשבות, not only is Sabbath rest mandatory in the winter when the farmer has no urgent agricultural tasks, but also in the summer. Moreover, just as he will rest every seventh day he will rest every seventh year for the entire year. The Sh’mittah legislation applies both in summer and in winter. Both the weekly Sabbath, and the seven-yearly “Sabbath” have been called Sabbath by the Torah. (compare Leviticus 25,2) The success of our activities during the six years preceding the Sh’mittah year assumes that during the seventh year we will observe G’d’s law to abstain from agricultural activities.

בחריש ובקציר תשבות, because such rest is a requirement of good health for the creatures. If such vital wok must not be performed on the Sabbath, how much more so must one abstain from less urgent activities.

Just as the plowing is optional. . . Explanation: There is no obligatory plowing. Even to plow specifically for the omer and the “two breads” [of Shavuos is not obligatory. Thus] it is forbidden to plow on Shabbos. Similarly, harvesting is forbidden if it is optional, but not if it is obligatory. [Harvesting the omer is considered obligatory] because even if you found it harvested, it is obligatory to harvest [a different omer. However, if you found plowed ground, it is not obligatory to plow (Makkos 8b)]. Hence from here we learn that the harvesting of the omer takes precedence over Shabbos.