Halakha Keluaran 31:17: Shev Shmateta & Sefer HaChinukh

(Samekh) ‘Paved is the path of the straight’ that walk ‘in the way of charity,’ which is [what provides for] the maintenance of the world. ‘Happy is the one who reflects upon the destitute,’ and especially on the day of a joyful party and a holiday, as it is elucidated in the Zohar 2: 88b. And these are its words:
Come see that on all the other times and festivals, a man must rejoice and make the poor rejoice. And if he rejoices alone and does not give to the poor, his punishment is great, etc. About him it is written (Mal. 2:3), “And I will strew dung upon your faces, the dung of your festivals.” But if he rejoices on Shabbat – even though he does not give to the other – He does not give him a punishment like the other times and festivals, as it is written, “the dung of your festivals,” and not “the dung of your Shabbats.” And it is [also] written (Isaiah 1:14), “Your new moons and your holidays My soul does hate,” but Shabbat is not mentioned. And for this reason, it is written (Exod. 31:17), “Between Me and between the Children of Israel.” To here [are its words].
[However we need to understand] the reason that on festivals one needs to make the poor rejoice more then on Shabbat; and also what is the relevance of new moons here, such that it is written, “Your new moons and holidays My soul does hate,” whereas in the Zohar it is not mentioned that one needs to rejoice on new moons; and also that which it says, “And that is what is written, ‘Between Me and between the Children of Israel.’” It appears to me that the holy days are supernal guests, and one needs to make the guests rejoice. And this is their joy – to have the miserable poor rejoice. From this they take their portion. In order to grasp the point of the matter, I will tell you a parable about a king who visited a villager under his rulership. And [the villager] recognized him, but did not put his attention to honoring him properly. And [so] the king got angry with him. But when [the king] raised his eyes, a messenger came to him sent by another villager. [The message was], “If it would be good for the king, let him come to a party that I will make for him.” And [so] he came to the house of that man. But behold that man also did not pay attention to the king, and he also did not honor him. Then ‘the king broke out into a great anger.’ He said ‘with rage and fury,’ “[He] ‘shall be [torn by his] limbs and his home shall be a dunghill,’” as the act of this one was worse than the first man. [That is] because the king came to the first on his own, whereas this one sent for him. And the king also got angry at the messenger, as he was the [immediate] cause of his embarrassment. And behold, on Shabbat which is ‘fixed and standing’ and the [supernal] guests come on their own, He does not punish [those that do not share with the poor] much. But [this is not the case] on festivals and holidays which are [set] by Israel, like the statement of [the Sages], may their memory be blessed, “‘Which you shall proclaim them (otam)’ (Lev. 23:2) – [do not] read [‘them,’ but rather], ‘you (atem)’” (Rosh Hashanah 24a). And if one does not honor the guests then, his punishment is great. For this reason, it stated, “Your new moons and holidays My soul does hate” – since the [holidays] are [established by way] of the new moons, and He gets angry with the messenger as well. And for this reason, it said, “And that is what is written, ‘Between me and between the Children of Israel.’” [This is] since Shabbat is ‘fixed and standing,’ and we accordingly say (in the holiday prayers), “Who sanctifies the Shabbat, Israel and the [holidays]” – as Shabbat is a sign between Him and the Children of Israel, whereas the festivals are a sign between the Children of Israel and Him. And [it is also] because the Shabbat is ‘fixed and standing,’ whereas holidays are [established] by Israel. And understand [this]. And [it is] also because one needs to appear before the Lord on festivals and [holidays] – as it is stated (Deut. 16:16), “all your males shall appear” – [hence] at least at these times, he should be in the image and the likeness, the rich and the poor, together. And [he should then] not, God forbid, be like a beast.

It is from the roots of this commandment that we should be free from our preoccupations in honor of the day [of Shabbat], in order to instill within our souls faithfulness to the [concept of the] universe’s creation, which is [a concept that affects many fundamental principles in Judaism] (lit. a rope that drags along all the foundations of our religion). And we remember once a week, every week, that the universe was created in six distinct days, that nothing was created on the seventh day, and that different [types of creations] were brought into being each day. [All of this confirms the Torah’s philosophical idea of God’s] Simple (Single) Will, which differs from the philosophers’ view, that disgusts us in their idea regarding this matter that [alongside] the Blessed One[’s existence] was everything. And through our rest on the seventh day we are reminded of the universe’s creation; because, when everyone simultaneously rests once a week, curious people will ask what is the point of this rest? And the answer will be “because [in] six days God created, etc.” (Exodus 31:17). [And through that answer], everyone will be strengthened in the true faith. And in addition to remembering the universe’s creation, there is in [Shabbat] also a remembering of the miracle of [the exodus from] Egypt — that we were slaves there and we were not able to rest whenever we desired to rest, and God saved us from their hands and commanded us to rest on the seventh day (Shabbat). Therefore, the second root is mentioned in Deuteronomy (lit. the repetition of the Torah), as it states in the [context of] the commandment of Shabbat, “And you should remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, etc. therefore the Lord, your God, commanded you to [observe] (lit. make) the day of Shabbat” (Deuteronomy 5:15).