출애굽기 20:8의 주석

זכור — This word REMEMBER which opens this commandment here and שמור “observe” which opens it in Deuteronomy (5:12) were spoken in one utterance. Similar is, (Exodus 31:14) “Everyone that profaneth it (the Sabbath) shall surely be put to death”, which apparently is in contradiction with (Numbers 28:9) “And on the Sabbath day [ye shall offer] two lambs”, a command necessitating actions which, if done for any other purposes on the Sabbath, would involve a profanation of that day. Similar is, (Deuteronomy 22:11) “Thou shalt not wear a garment of two kinds, [as of woollen and linen together]” and (Deuteronomy 22:12) “Thou shalt make thee tassels”, for the performance of which command wool and linen may be employed in combination. Similar is, (Leviticus 18:16) “The nakedness of thy brother’s wife” (the prohibition of marriage with her), and (Deuteronomy 25:5) “her husband’s brother shall come unto her” (he shall marry her). — This is the meaning of what is said (Psalms 62:12) “One thing did God speak, these two things did we hear” (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 20:8:1). זכור — This word expresses the verbal action without any reference to a particular time (the infinitive), similar to, (Isaiah 22:13) אכול ושתו “to eat and to drink”; (II Samuel 3:16) הלוך ובכה “to go and to weep”; and the following is its meaning: take care to remember always the Sabbath day — that if, for example, you come across a nice article of food during the week, put it by for the Sabbath (Beitzah 16a).

REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY, TO KEEP IT HOLY. After He commanded that we believe in the Proper Name of G-d, blessed be He — i.e., that He exists, that He is the Creator, that He understands [and watches over all that happens to man], and that He is the All-powerful⁴⁰³All these principles of truth were made evident through expressing the first commandment. See Ramban above, Verse 2. — and [after commanding] that we should direct both our faith in all these matters and all honor towards Him alone,⁴⁰⁴This was the theme of the second commandment. and He further commanded that the remembrance of His Name be done in a manner of respect,⁴⁰⁵As opposed to taking His Name in vain, as was stated in the third commandment. He now commanded that we make in this matter a sign and perpetual remembrance to let it be known that He created everything. This is in the commandment of the Sabbath, which is a remembrance of the creation.
Now He said here, ‘Remember’ the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy; and in the Book of Deuteronomy it is written, ‘Observe’ the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy.⁴⁰⁶Deuteronomy 5:12. Our Rabbis have said with respect to these verses:⁴⁰⁷Mechilta on the verse here. Also Shebuoth 20b. “Remember and Observe were both spoken with one utterance.” Now the Rabbis were not so particular as to comment on the other changes of language [between the Ten Commandments written here and those in the Book of Deuteronomy. They commented only on the above-mentioned change] because their intent is to point out that zachor (remember) constitutes a positive commandment, i.e., that He commanded that we remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy and that we do not forget it, [as will be explained further on]. [They considered] shamor (observe), on the other hand, as a negative commandment, just as they have said,⁴⁰⁸Erubin 96 a, etc. “Wherever Scripture says take heed (‘hishamer’), or lest (‘pen’), or do not (‘al’), there is a negative commandment.” It warns us that we should watch it [i.e., the Sabbath] to keep it holy and that we should not profane it, [thus clearly implying both a positive commandment and a negative one with respect to the Sabbath]. It would not have been proper for Moses to change G-d’s words from a positive commandment to a negative commandment. [Therefore the Rabbis were careful to point out that both remember and observe were spoken by G-d in one utterance.] However, the change in the second commandment from ‘and’ any manner of likeness⁴⁰⁹Verse 4. to any manner of likeness,⁴¹⁰Deuteronomy 5:8. omitting the vav (and), and then adding it [to the expression al shileishim (unto the third generation), which is found here in Verse 5, rendering it there in Deuteronomy], v’al shileishim (‘and’ unto the third generation),⁴¹¹Ibid., Verse 9. and all such similar changes in the rest of the Ten Commandments, do not matter, for it is all one. This explanation [of why the Rabbis were particular to comment only on the change from remember to observe] will not be entertained by one who is not used to the ways of the Talmud.⁴¹²See my Hebrew commentary, p. 398, that this is a veiled criticism of Ibn Ezra, who, in his commentary on Verse 1, continued to raise difficulties on this saying of the Sages and finally concluded that “reason does not bear out all these words.” To this came the retort of Ramban: “this explanation, etc.” In a Ramban manuscript, I found this remark expressed in a positive manner: “This explanation will be entertained by him who is used to the ways of the Talmud.” Thus Ramban avoids casting a direct aspersion on Ibn Ezra’s knowledge of the ways of the Talmud. And the Rabbis have expressly said:⁴¹³Berachoth 20b. “Women are obligated by law of the Torah to proclaim the sanctity of the Sabbath,⁴¹⁴The proclaiming of the sanctity of the Sabbath is one of the six hundred thirteen commandments of the Torah. See “The Commandments,” Vol. I, pp. 164-165. because it is said, remember and observe, thus equating them so that all those who are obligated to observe the Sabbath are obligated also to remember it.⁴¹⁵The general rule is: “The observance of all positive commandments that depend on time is incumbent on men but not on women, but the observance of all the negative commandments, whether they depend on time or not, is incumbent both on men and women” (Kiddushin 29 a). Now proclaiming the sanctity of the Sabbath is naturally dependent on time — i.e., the arrival of the Sabbath — and one would therefore say that women are not obligated to observe that commandment. But ‘shamor’ (observe) the Sabbath-day to keep it holy, as was explained in the text, constitutes a negative commandment, and therefore applies to women as well. Now since the Torah equated zachor (remember) with shamor (observe), it follows that women are also obligated in the positive commandment of proclaiming the sanctity of the Sabbath. And since women are obligated in the observance [of the Sabbath] — for women are obligated in the observance thereof, since the observance of all negative commandments is incumbent on women, [and shamor (observe) the Sabbath, as was mentioned above, constitutes a negative commandment] — they are obligated also to remember the Sabbath. Now women would not have been bound to remember the Sabbath — for it is a positive commandment that is dependent on time and is [therefore] not incumbent on women — were it not for this analogy [of remember and observe, i.e., that all who are obligated to observe are bound to remember], which does make it incumbent on them.⁴¹⁶Ramban thus brought proof to his original point that the reason the Rabbis were particular about this change from remember to observe and not about the other changes in the Decalogues, is that here, the change represents a reclassification from a positive to a negative commandment. Hence it became necessary for them to point out that both words were spoken with one Divine utterance.
But I wonder! If remember and observe were both said by the Almighty, why were they not [both] written in the first Tablets? It is possible that in both the first and second Tablets, [only] remember was written, and Moses explained to Israel that observe was [also] said with it. This is indeed the true intent [of the saying of the Rabbis that “remember and observe were both spoken with one utterance]”. And in the Midrash of Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah,⁴¹⁷Sefer Habahir, 182. See Vol. I, p. 24, Note 42. the Sages have mentioned also a great secret in this matter of remember and observe.⁴¹⁸See my Hebrew commentary, p. 399. Generally, [in the mystic lore], remembrance is at daytime and observance is at night, and this is the intent of what the Sages used to say on the Sabbath-eve at twilight [when welcoming the Sabbath]:⁴¹⁹Baba Kamma 32b. “Come, O Bride; Come, O Bride; Come, let us go forth to meet the Sabbath, the Queen, the Bride.”⁴²⁰“The Queen, the Bride.” In our Gemara: “the Bride, the Queen.” — These words of welcome constitute to this day the official reception of the Sabbath in the Synagogue service as the worshippers bid “the Sabbath bride” come in peace. And the Sages call the blessing that is recited [over the Kiddush-cup] on the Sabbath-day “the great Kiddush,”⁴²¹Pesachim 106a. for it is the sanctification of the Great One.⁴²²Ma’or V’shamesh. Understand this.
It is also true that the attribute of “remembering” is alluded to in a positive commandment and issues forth from the attribute of love to that of mercy, for he who does his master’s command is beloved of him and his master shows him mercy. But the attribute of “observing” is alluded to in a negative commandment, which goes to the attribute of justice and issues forth from that of fear, for he who guards himself from doing anything which does not please his master does so out of fear for him. It is for this reason that a positive commandment is greater than a negative commandment,⁴²³The question arises: Since, as Ramban writes, a positive commandment is greater than a negative one, why are all punishments for violation of the precepts specified in the Torah only for the negative commandments? This would indicate that the negative commandments are stricter than the positive ones, and indeed, the Rabbis in the Talmud do speak of the negative commandments as being stricter than the positive. Why then did Ramban write that the positive ones are greater? See my Hebrew commentary, p. 399, for lengthy discussion of this problem. In conclusion, the answer presented is as follows: Ramban did not write that a positive commandment is “stricter” than a negative one; he wrote only “greater.” Fulfillment of a Divine positive commandment represents an act of “doing good,” while observance of a negative precept is an expression of one’s “departing from evil.” Between the two — doing good and departing from evil — the former indeed represents “a greater” expression of man’s active dedication to the Divine service. Hence Ramban’s statement above. As for the stricter punishment of the negative commandments, see further in text and also Note 427. just as love is greater than fear, for he who fulfills and observes the will of his master with his body and his possessions is greater than he who guards himself from doing that which is not pleasing to him. This is why the Rabbis have said⁴²⁴Shabbath 132 b, etc. that a positive commandment overrides a negative commandment. And it is for this reason that punishment for violation of the negative commandments is great, — the court punishing the transgressor with whipping or death — whereas no punishment at all is meted out in the case of failure to fulfill the positive commandments, excepting when one is in brazen rebelliousness, such as when he says, “I shall not take the lulav,³⁷¹“The Palm-branch.” See Leviticus 23:40. I shall not make fringes [on my four-cournered garment],⁴²⁵Numbers 15:38. I shall not make a tabernacle.”⁴²⁶Leviticus 23:42. In these cases, the Sanhedrin would whip him until he accepts upon himself to do them, or until he dies.⁴²⁷This rule applies only if the time of the performance is still applicable, but if, for example, the festival of Tabernacles has passed, he is not to be punished for his failure to observe the commandment. See Maimonides’, “The Commandments,” Vol. II, p. 423, where it is clearly so explained. Ramban’s intent is obvious: The violation of a negative commandment entails an act on the part of the sinner, which goes in direct opposition to the King’s command. Hence the punishment is “stricter” than in the case of a violation of a positive commandment, which entails only failure to act in accordance with the King’s desire. Hence if the time for fulfillment of the positive commandment has not yet passed and he is in open defiance of the law, the court may act against him, but if the time for fulfillment has passed, no punishment is to be imposed on him.
In explanation of the word zachor (remember) — [remember the Sabbath-day] — Rashi wrote: “Take care always to remember the Sabbath-day, so that if a food of good quality happens to come your way, you should put it away for the Sabbath.” This is a Beraitha⁴²⁸See Note 209 in Seder Bo. taught in the Mechilta⁴²⁹Mechilta on the verse here. in the following way: “Rabbi Eleazar the son of Chananyah the son of Chizkiyah the son of Garon says: ‘Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy, and remember it from the first day of the week, so that if a good portion happens to come your way, prepare it for the Sabbath.’” But this [Beraitha in the Mechilta] is taught in the name of a single Sage and is not the final decision of the law. In the Gemara,⁴³⁰Beitza 16a. For the word “Gemara,” see Note 204 in Seder Bo. we find that the Rabbis have said: “We have been taught [in the Beraitha]: They have told about Shammai the Elder that all his life, he ate in honor of the Sabbath. How so? If he found a beautiful animal to buy, he would say, ‘This one will be in honor of the Sabbath.’ On the following day, if he would find a more beautiful one, he left the second one for the Sabbath, and ate the first.⁴³¹His eating the first one thus entailed something on which the honor of the Sabbath had rested (see Rashi in Beitza 16 a). Thus all his life he ate in honor of the Sabbath. But Hillel the Elder was guided by another principle. All his deeds were for the sake of Heaven, as it is said, Blessed be the Eternal, day by day He beareth our burden.⁴³²Psalms 68:20. Hillel was thus confident that before the Sabbath, G-d would provide him with his proper needs (Rashi, Beitza). We have also been so taught [in another Beraitha]: The School of Shammai say that on the first day of the week, you should begin preparing for your Sabbath. And the School of Hillel say: Blessed be the Eternal, day by day He beareth our burden.”⁴³²Psalms 68:20. Hillel was thus confident that before the Sabbath, G-d would provide him with his proper needs (Rashi, Beitza). And in another Mechilta⁴³³This is the Mechilta of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai (Hoffman edition, p. 107). For the significance of the expression “another Mechilta,” see Vol. I, p. 603, Note 245. we find: “Shammai the Elder says: ‘Remembering’ — [Remember the Sabbath-day] — means remember it before it comes; ‘observing’ — [Observe the Sabbath-day]⁴⁰⁶Deuteronomy 5:12. — means observe it when it comes. It was told of Shammai the Elder that the memory of the Shabbath never left his lips. If he bought a good article he would say, ‘This is for the Sabbath;’ a new garment, he would say ‘This is for the Sabbath.’ But Hillel the Elder was guided by another principle, for he would say, ‘Let all thy deeds be done for the sake of Heaven.’” And the accepted decision is like that of the School of Hillel. [Thus it is clear that Rashi’s explanation is like that of Shammai the Elder, or of the School of Shammai, while the accepted decision of law is like that of Hillel or that of the School of Hillel.]⁴³⁴See my Hebrew commentary, p. 400, for Mizrachi’s defense of Rashi’s explanation.
In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, the Rabbis have said⁴³⁵In the Mechilta quote further on. See Note 442. that this verse commands us that we should always remember the Sabbath on every day, so that we should neither forget it nor confuse it with the other days.⁴³⁶If each of the days of the week were to have a name of its own — such as Sunday, Monday, etc. — then the Sabbath-day is confused with the other days. But if we refer to the days of the week in relation to the Sabbath — “the first day after the Sabbath,” etc. — then the Sabbath-day stands unique. By always remembering the Sabbath, it will at all times remind us of the creation, and we will forever acknowledge that the universe has a Creator, and that He commanded us regarding this sign, [i.e., the Sabbath], as He has said, for it is a sign between Me and you,⁴³⁷Further 31:13. this being a fundamental principle in the belief of G-d. The meaning of l’kadsho (to keep it holy) is that our remembrance of it should be to the end that it be holy to us, just as He said, and call the Sabbath a delight, the sacred of the Eternal honorable.⁴³⁸Isaiah 58:13. The purport of this is that the resting thereon should be ours because it is a holy day, [which enables us] to turn away from our mental preoccupations and the vanities of the times and instead to give delight to our souls in the ways of G-d, and go to the Sages and to the prophets to hear the words of G-d. This is just as it is said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him [the prophet] today? it is neither New Moon nor Sabbath,⁴³⁹II Kings 4:23. for such was their custom. And so did our Rabbis of blessed memory say:⁴⁴⁰Rosh Hashanah 16b. “From this you learn that on the New Moon and on the Sabbath one must go [to the prophet].” This is the reason [that the Torah commanded us concerning the resting of cattle on the Sabbath], i.e., in order that we should harbor no thought of it in our hearts. And it is for this reason that the Rabbis, of blessed memory, have said⁴⁴¹Chullin 5a. See also Vol. I, p. 332. that the Sabbath is equal in importance to all the commandments in the Torah, just as they have said with reference to idolatry,⁴⁴¹Chullin 5a. See also Vol. I, p. 332. because on the Sabbath we testify to all the fundamentals of the faith — creation, providence, and prophecy. And in the Mechilta we find:⁴⁴²Mechilta on the verse here. “Rabbi Yitzchak says: ‘You should not count [the days of the week] as others count them. Rather you should count them with reference to the Sabbath.’” The meaning of this is that other nations count the days of the week in such a manner that each is independent of the other. Thus they call each day by a separate name or by a name of the ministers [in heaven, such as Sunday, which means “sun’s day,” Monday which means “moon’s day,” etc.], or by any other names which they call them. But Israel counts all days with reference to the Sabbath: “one day after the Sabbath,” “two days after the Sabbath.” This is of the essence of the commandment which we have been obligated always to remember the Sabbath every day [of the week]. This is the literal meaning of the verse, and so did Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra interpret it.
And I say further that this is the intent of Shammai the Elder’s interpretation [mentioned above],⁴³³This is the Mechilta of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai (Hoffman edition, p. 107). For the significance of the expression “another Mechilta,” see Vol. I, p. 603, Note 245. who explained the command remember as meaning “[remember the Sabbath] before it comes.” That is to say, we should by no means forget it. [By counting the days of the week with reference to the Sabbath, forgetting it will thus be impossible.] But in the Beraitha [quoted above], they also mentioned a degree of his piety, i.e., that he would remember the Sabbath even in his eating, for all his life he ate in honor of the Sabbath. Now Hillel himself agreed to the interpretation of Shammai [that we are to count the days of the week with reference to the Sabbath], but in food-matters he followed another principle, for all of his deeds were for the sake of Heaven, and he trusted in G-d that He would provide him with a better portion for the Sabbath than that of all the other days of the week.
However, our Rabbis have yet another Midrash on the word l’kadsho (to keep it holy),⁴⁴³In the Mechilta mentioned further in the text. namely, that we are to sanctify it by utterance of words. This is similar in usage to the verse, And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year,⁴⁴⁴Leviticus 25:10. which requires the sanctification of the court, i.e., that they say of the Jubilee year, “It is hallowed! It is hallowed!”⁴⁴⁵Rosh Hashanah 8 b, Rashi. Here too He commanded that we remember the Sabbath-day by proclaiming its sanctity.⁴⁴⁶See Maimonides’, “The Commandments,” Vol. I, pp. 164-165. And so the Rabbis have said in the Mechilta:⁴⁴²Mechilta on the verse here. “To keep it holy. Sanctify it by reciting a blessing. Based on this verse, the Rabbis have said: ‘On its entrance, proclaim the sanctity of the Sabbath over wine. But from this verse, I know only the sanctification for the day. Whence do we know that this applies also for the night? [We know it] from the words of Scripture, And ye shall keep the Sabbath.”⁴⁴⁷Further, 31:14. Since the word “day” is not mentioned in this verse, as it is in the verse before us, Remember the Sabbath-'day’ to keep it holy, it indicates that the proclamation of the Sabbath is to be observed at its entrance at night. See also further in the text here for a more correct version of this Mechilta as Ramban explains it. This is “the sanctification of the [Sabbath-] day” [to which the Rabbis refer].⁴⁴⁸Berachoth 20b. It is incumbent upon us by law of the Torah, and is not a mere asmachta.⁴⁴⁹Literally: “Support.” Where a law is actually of Rabbinic origin but a Scriptural text is quoted as a support, it is called an asmachta. Thus the Rabbis have said:⁴⁴⁸Berachoth 20b. “Women are obligated by law of the Torah to proclaim the sanctity of the day.” Now this really refers to the sanctification recited at night, for all things requiring sanctification need to be done only once at the time of their entrance, such as the sanctification of the New Moon and the sanctification of the Jubilee year. However, the duty to recite it on the day itself is but an asmachta,⁴⁴⁹Literally: “Support.” Where a law is actually of Rabbinic origin but a Scriptural text is quoted as a support, it is called an asmachta. and [the kiddush at daytime] contains no reference to the holiness of the day — [since only a benediction over the wine is recited] — because it is sufficient that we proclaimed the sanctity of the Sabbath once at its entrance. So also is the recital [of the sanctity of the Sabbath] over wine only an asmachta⁴⁴⁹Literally: “Support.” Where a law is actually of Rabbinic origin but a Scriptural text is quoted as a support, it is called an asmachta. and is not at all a fixed part of the commandment itself.
And in the Gemara Pesachim,⁴⁵⁰Pesachim 106a. the Rabbis have said: “Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy. That is, remember it over wine at its entrance. From this, I know only that it be done at daytime. Whence do we know that it must be done at night? It is from the Scriptural words, the Sabbath-'day.’ [On the version of the Beraitha, the Sages of the Gemara asked]: ‘This Tanna⁴⁵¹A Rabbi mentioned in a Mishnah or Beraitha. is seeking to find a basis for the sanctification at night, and he mentions a verse which speaks of the day! Besides, the main sanctification is at nighttime!’ Rather, you must learn [the above Beraitha] in this way: ‘Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy. That is, remember it over wine at its entrance. From this, I know only that the Sabbath is to be sanctified at night.’ Whence do we know that it must be done at daytime? It is from the Scriptural words, the Sabbath day.” In a similar way we will explain the Mechilta [mentioned above to make it read as follows]: “From this, I know only that the sanctification of the Sabbath is to be done at night, which is the main kiddush. Whence do we know that it must be done at daytime, etc.,” this being but a mere asmachta.⁴⁴⁹Literally: “Support.” Where a law is actually of Rabbinic origin but a Scriptural text is quoted as a support, it is called an asmachta. And from there you will learn that this commandment [of proclaiming the sanctity of the Sabbath] is derived from the word l’kadsho (to sanctify it), while the expression, Remember the Sabbath-day, constitutes the commandment to remember it continually every day, as we have explained. However, in the number of two hundred and forty-eight positive commandments that we have been commanded to observe, both aspects are included in the one commandment of remembering the Sabbath. Know this.

זכור את יום השבת, the infinitive mode tells us that we are to be aware of the Sabbath every day of the week, even while involved in our daily routines. This is also the same mode chosen by the Torah for demanding that we be forever mindful of what Amalek our arch enemy did to our forefathers after they had crossed the Sea on dry land. (Deuteronomy 25,17) The same is true of the infinitive mode chosen by the Torah when urging us to remember the legislation pertaining to the “month of spring,” i.e. the month of the redemption from Egypt. Compare Deuteronomy 16,1 שמור את חודש האביב ועשית פסח.

זכור את יום השבת לקדשו, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." The meaning is that one should remember the Sabbath from the first day of the week. The Torah mentioned the seventh day before it mentioned the six days previous to the Sabbath in order to drive home the point that the Sabbath must be uppermost in our thoughts already prior to the six days preceding it. Were this not so the Torah would have written: "perform your work during six days and remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."

זכור את יום השבת, remembering something always refers to past events. We have numerous such verses as in Deuteronomy 32,7-8 “remember past history, etc.” Exodus 13,3, as well as Deuteronomy 9,7-8 plus numerous other verses exhort the Jewish people to remember events in the past. Usually, the command to do so is phrased as an imperative. In the Ten Commandments, the expressions zachor here and shamor in the parallel legislation in Deuteronomy are in the infinitive mode. Seeing that both are followed immediately by the command לקדשו “to sanctify it,” (the Sabbath) this makes an imperative of the whole paragraph. The Torah, in a way, commands us to “commemorate” something which G’d had done long before there was a legislation to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest. Already when creating the “day” He had blessed it, i.e. made provisions for those who would observe it not to be deprived by their observance but to find that G’d in His generosity had provided the needs for the people in question. Observing, emulating something G’d had done, is a way of honouring Him. He “ worked” for 6 days before “resting,” so do we as a way of honouring Him.

זכור את יום השבת, “to remember the day of the Sabbath.” Having first commanded us to believe with absolute faith in the uniqueness of Hashem, His power, etc., and the fact that He alone is the Creator, and that He knows what is going on in any part of the universe, including what goes on in our hearts, the outward symbol of this belief of ours is to be demonstrated in our observance of the Sabbath as the day which bears the stamp of G’d’s creative power. Now G’d commands that we observe the Sabbath day as a weekly reminder of His stature, by emulating certain of the attributes He demonstrated when He created the universe. In the first version of the Tablets the formula chosen to refer to this reminder is the word זכור, a positive act of remembering, whereas in the second version of the Tablets, as recorded in the Book of Deuteronomy, the word is שמור, “guard, observe, by not violating,” the negative aspect of emulating G’d’s “repose,” abstention from creative activity on that day. Our sages say that when pronounced by G’d on Mount Sinai, both words were said by Him simultaneously. Although the sages could have made this point about a number of changes between the wording of the Decalogue in the Book of Exodus, as opposed to the one in Deuteronomy, which was formulated by Moses himself, they did not bother to draw attention to this, as only in this instance might Moses be perceived as having changed what sounded like a positive commandment to something which sounds like a negative commandment. They were anxious not to portray Moses as having taken liberties with G’d’s revealed word. When G’d commanded the observance of the Sabbath to Moses, having in mind Moses’ exceptional stature, He formulated the commandment primarily as a positive commandment, i.e.זכור לקדשו. When Moses relayed the same commandment to the next generation who had not stood at Sinai, He warned him to present first and foremost the negative aspects of this commandment, i.e. the work prohibitions, etc. Actually, the observance of the Sabbath, i.e. worshipping the Lord by observing the Sabbath, includes service of the Lord from overriding feelings of love, אהבה, the positive aspect of the commandment, as well as the observance of the law out of considerations governed by awe, by reverence, i.e. by יראה. The latter is expressed by not violating the prohibitions associated with observing the Sabbath. This is also the reason why, in halachah when observance of a positive commandment conflicts with the simultaneous observance of a negative commandment, as a rule, the observance of the positive commandment takes precedence and even displaces the observance of the negative commandment. The word זכור was written in the first version of the Ten Commandments in the written Torah, as it refers primarily to the Sabbath as a remembrance of the מעשה בראשית, G’d’s having created the universe, something concerning which the Torah writes elsewhere זכור ימות עולם, “remember the history of the universe,” (Deut. 32,7) whereas the word שמור was the one written in the second version of the Ten Commandments, as the second aspect of the Sabbath is its commemoration as an historical event experienced by the Israelites with both their bodies and their souls. Nachmanides writes that he is not sure if the word שמור in Deuteronomy was spoken by G’d Himself at all, seeing that it was not written on the Tablets [after all the Book of Deuteronomy, according to tradition was composed by Moses, the text being approved by G’d afterwards. Ed.] He concludes that it is even possible that the word שמור appeared on the original set of Tablets, the word זכור being substituted on the second set of Tablets. It was Moses who told the people that the word שמור had been said to him simultaneously, when he was told what was written on the first set of Tablets, the ones he had smashed. This, in Nachmanides’ view is what the sages had in mind when they said זכור ושמור בדבור אחד נאמרו, “the words zachor and shamor were said as a single utterance.”

זכור and שמור were said in one utterance. . . You might object: Those other verses [that Rashi quotes] are not similar to זכור and שמור . Those contradict one another, while זכור and שמור do not. An answer is: Also זכור and שמור contradict. זכור is a positive mitzvah, while שמור is a negative one. As it says in Zevachim 106a that השמר לך , פן and אל all signify a negative mitzvah. [And שמור is similar to השמר לך .] [So when later it is written שמור , it seemed as though the mitzvah of Shabbos had been changed from a positive one to a negative one.] (Ramban) A further answer: [ זכור and שמור contradict one another because] זכור implies that one should remember not to do work. It is an active term, forbidding the worker to work, but not requiring that no work is done. However שמור implies guarding that no work be done. Perforce, זכור and שמור were said in one utterance.

V. 8. אנכי fordert die positive Anerkennung Gottes als Lenkers unserer Geschicke und Leiters unserer Taten, לא יהי׳ לך spricht die negative, jede andere Huldigung ausschließende Konsequenz dieser Anerkennung aus, לא תשא setzt diese Anerkennung als Basis alles Verkehrs des Menschen mit Menschen, indem der ganze staatliche Menschenbau seinen letzten Halt in dem tatsächlichen Ernst dieser Anerkennung findet, wie sie im Eide, diesem Appell an Gottes Gegenwart und Waltung im Menschenverkehr, zum Ausdruck kommt, und warnt, auch wieder negativ, vor leichtfertigem Spiel mit diesem Ernst. זכור erinnert nun an das uralte Denkmal, das Gott sofort bei der ersten Einsetzung des Menschen zu seinem stellvertretenden "Diener und Wächter" der geschaffenen Erdwelt zur Sicherung dieser Anerkennung gestiftet, dessen Vergessen allein den ganzen abwärts führenden Gang der menschengeschichtlichen Entwickelung und die Erwählung Israels zum wieder aufwärts führenden Gottesherold veranlasst.

זכור את יום השבת, “remember the Sabbath day;” this commandment begins with an infinitive, “to remember;” the reason is because it is a day which should dominate your thinking throughout the week, seeing it is the most important day of the week. Also, the other six days of the week during which you are preoccupied with matters concerning your livelihood are not likely to be “forgotten,” as opposed to the Sabbath, the day of rest. Seeing that it is the spiritual highlight of your week and has been sanctified by G-d, it deserves special attention. The expression: ”to remember,” as opposed to the ”planning” of the six days to follow, is always something that is concerned with the past, one remembers things that have already passed, not things that are to come. [as opposed to the way we use the word in our daily language. Ed] In the second version of the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy, the word in the written text is replaced by the word: שמור, as there it is connected to the purpose of the day, to provide constructive rest, למען ינוח, both for yourselves and for your servants and beasts. An alternate explanation: the line זכור את יום השבת “remembering the Sabbath day” is aimed at reminding you of the first time you heard about the concept of the Sabbath at Marah (Exodus 15,25). This is why the word: “remember” is appropriate. Still another exegesis of the infinitive used here is that this day must be remembered every day of the week, and that is why when describing each day of the week, i.e. naming it, we always do so in relation to the previousSabbath, i.e. “the first day after the Sabbath, the second day after the Sabbath, etc. Another approach: the words: זכור את יום השבת in the infinitive mean that you are to be mindful of the Sabbath day at all times, i.e. you should remember each day when the last Sabbath occurred and when therefore the next Sabbath occurs. The reason that you have to do this is so that when the next Sabbath occurs you will not forget it, not fail to observe its commandments. When you understand the line of זכור את יום השבת לקדשו, “keep on remembering the Sabbath day to observe it as a holy day,” it is practically the same as when it says in the second version of the Ten Commandments: “make sure you observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, i.e. שמור את יום השבת לקדשו. This is what the rabbis meant when they said that the two words were spoken by G-d simultaneously, although we human beings cannot duplicate this exactly. This is what Rashi meant to tell us in his commentary. In our portion the commandment is phrased as a positive commandment, while in the Book of Deuteronomy it is phrased as a negative commandment, warning us not to violate the prohibitions applicable on that day. Our sages spelled this out in the Talmud tractate Eyruvin 96. It is a rule in the written Torah that whenever the expression השמר פן, or אל, occurs in the Torah, this introduces a negative commandment to be careful not to do something, It also includes women as being included in that prohibition. In other words, anyone to whom the warning of שמור is addressed, is automatically included in a commandment which is elsewhere expressed by the positive aspect of that commandment described by the word זכור.

לקדשו, the reminder to remember the Sabbath constantly was intended to ensure that you observe all the commandments associated with the day. Even the order to work six days is intended to ensure that by concentrating on the need to make a living during those days, this will enable such people to take their minds off such mundane matters on the Sabbath.

זכור, “to remember.” Rashi, in commenting on the infinitive mode of the word זכור used here instead of the imperative mode zechor!, as in Deuteronomy 32,7, comments that the commandment means that the memory of the Sabbath day must be foremost in the mind of Israelites not only on the Sabbath day itself, but must be something that we also think of during the six days of the work week. The practical way in which we are to do this is illustrated when the Talmud tells of Rabbis, who, whenever they came across some delicious food item during the week, bought it immediately, with a view to serving it on the Sabbath. Nachmanides, in commenting on that paragraph in the Talmud, (Beytzah 16) in which Shammai and Hillel respectively are described as fulfilling this requirement in slightly different ways, says that the plain meaning of the Torah’s text is that the reason why we must remember the Sabbath day everyday is to ensure that we do not observe the wrong day of the week as the Sabbath. [after all, in nature there is no visible difference between the Sabbath and the other days. It is not distinguishable by seasonal factors nor by the position of the moon in the sky, for instance. Ed.] By thinking of the importance of the Sabbath on an ongoing basis, we will not forget the debt of gratitude we owe the Creator, Who has given us this sign as a gift, reminding us of the dignity of being a creature instead of the product of a mindless act of natural forces. [my choice of words. Ed.] It is a most potent symbol strengthening our faith in Hashem. The meaning of the word לקדשו in our verse, i.e. “to sanctify it,” is that the existence of this special day be constantly present in our minds, that we think of the day as a sacred day, meaning that on that day we refrain from our mundane concerns which preoccupy us during the other six days of the week. We are to devote this day to enhance the spiritual concerns which we are capable of enjoying, and which we are bidden to devote our attention to. Included in this meaning of לקדשו are such activities as visiting our Rabbis, our spiritual mentors, and listening to their words of enlightenment and cheer, by means of which they improve our capacity to enjoy a day of “rest.” The farmer who asked his wife –not knowing that their son had died-why she was visiting the prophet on a day that was neither the Sabbath nor the New Moon, shows clearly that the Sabbath was used as a day on which the ordinary Israelite recharged his spiritual batteries by interacting with the spiritual elite of the nation (compare Kings II 4,23) The reason why the sages declared that observance of the commandment to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy, and not to violate the work prohibitions on that day is equivalent to all the other commandments in the Torah, is precisely this function of the Sabbath to renew our spiritual batteries. We are taught in the Mechilta that part of the sanctity of the Sabbath is that we do not count the days of the week as do the gentiles, but we relate each day to its position vis a vis the Sabbath, as for instance “today is the first day after the Sabbath, today is the second day after the Sabbath, etc.” Our sages, taking a cue from the word לקדשו, “to sanctify it,” tell us that this is why we must recite the sanctification of the day over a cup of wine before both the evening meal and the main meal on the Sabbath day. This ”sanctification” is known as kiddush. (compare Maimonides hilchot Shabbat chapter 29) Whereas the sanctification of the Jubilee year every fifty years requires a court of sages to declare it holy, the Sabbath is sanctified by every individual Jew every week. Remembering the Sabbath and sanctifying it are two separate aspects of Sabbath observance

To constantly remember the Shabbos day. . . I.e., you should constantly be remembering. This is different from זכור ברית אברהם , which means, “Remember it now.” However, remembering Shabbos is continuously ongoing. The word זכור is neither in the infinitive form nor in the imperative form. If it were in the infinitive form, it would not convey taking action [on what one remembers], but [remembering it by] thought alone. And if it were in the imperative form, the ז would not have a kametz. Rather, it is an intermediate form between thought and action. Therefore Rashi explains: “Take heed to constantly remember. . . set it aside for Shabbos.”

The expression לקדשו also implies making preparation such as the sages explained in Beytzah 16 that one should prepare for the Sabbath from the first day of the week onwards.

Es wird daher der Schabbat hier nicht als eine neue Institution eingeführt, die Existenz des Schabbats wird vorausgesetzt, der Schabbat war vorhanden, war schon seit der ersten Existenz des Menschen auf Erden vorhanden, und Israel wird nur verpflichtet, des Schabbats "nicht zu vergessen", wie seiner die ihm vorangegangene und mitlebende Menschheit vergessen hatte und vergisst. Auch die "Heiligung", die der Gottesschabbat durch den von Israel zu haltenden Menschenschabbat finden soll, war nicht mehr neu. Sie war schon im allgemeinen und in Beziehung auf einzelne Seiten der Menschentätigkeit, durch die Sistirung des Nahrungsstrebens in Mara und beim Manna Israel zur Pflicht gemacht. Es war da bereits der Anfang des Menschenschabbats zur tatsächlichen Heiligung des Gottesschabbats eingeführt, und Israel wird hier nur "erinnert", diese Heiligung nicht zu vergessen. Das: שמור את יום השבת לקדשו כאשר צוך ד׳ אלקיך "hüte den Schabbattag, ihn zu heiligen, wie dich Gott, dein Gott bereits verpflichtet", (Dewarim 5, 12) ist daher nichts als eine buchstäbliche Erläuterung des Erinnern wir uns, wie erst in Mara der siebte Tag durch זכור את יום השבת לקדשו die Sistierung der Menschen- und Werktätigkeit den Namen "Schabbat" bekommen haben dürste, so ist זכור את יום השבת nichts anderes, als: שמור את יום השבת כאשר צוך .ד׳ אלקיך

So that if you happen upon. . . Ramban objects: This is against the Halachah, which follows Beis Hillel. In Beitzah 16a it says that the elder Shammai always “ate” in honor of Shabbos. [The Gemara continues and explains that] when Shammai would find a fine animal, he would set it aside for Shabbos. If he then found a finer one, he would eat the first one and put the second one for Shabbos. . . but Hillel conducted himself differently, as it is said (Tehillim 68:20) “Blessed is Hashem day by day.” [He would not put aside fine items for Shabbos, but he would trust that Hashem would provide fine items later.] Re”m answers: Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel disagree regarding food items, and the Halachah indeed follows Beis Hillel. But Hillel agrees with Shammai regarding other items, [for they are less readily available]. And here Rashi is speaking pertaining to other items. However, it seems to me that all this is unnecessary. The Halachah always follows Beis Hillel, except in this case — since Hillel himself, who stated this law, does not disagree with Shammai regarding this matter. It is evident that he does not disagree, since the Gemara says: “Hillel conducted himself differently.” This implies that Hillel did not opine that this is the law. He merely conducted himself in this manner. (Maharshal)

An additional reason why the Torah tells us to remember the Sabbath day is mentioned in Midrash Tehilim 92. Adam was created on the sixth day and sinned on that day. Along came the Sabbath and acted as advocate for Adam in front of G'd. He pleaded with G'd saying: "no human being has ever been killed; why should it fall to my lot to be the first day on which a human being is killed?" As a result of the Sabbath's plea Adam was saved from death at that time. When Adam realised this he composed this Psalm, singing the praises of the Sabbath. The Torah asks us to remember the Sabbath as the day which saved Adam's life because this fact also insured our own existence and that of all of mankind. It behooves us therefore to accord special honour to the Sabbath. The Sabbath proved to be our very life-saver. When someone experiences a miraculous escape on a certain day he will forever treat that day as special year after year on the anniversay of that event. In this instance the miracle did not only occur on the Sabbath day, but the Sabbath itself was the life-saver. It is appropriate therefore that we remember this every week. The Torah wishes us to remember that the Sabbath day is to be in a totally different category from all the other six days of the week.

Es ist aber dieses Zusammenfallen der זכירה und שמירה, das, nach der Überlieferung der Weisen, auch bei der Gesetzgebung am Sinai zugleich ausgesprochen und vernommen, somit auch in konkreter sinnlicher Wahrnehmung als nicht von einander zu trennende Einheit sanktioniert worden, der feierliche Protest gegen jeden, Gott und sein Gesetz höhnenden Versuch, den jüdischen Schabbat in ein bloß "geistiges Gedenken", זכירה, zu verflüchtigen, und ihm seinen wesentlichen Inhalt, die שמירה, die Enthaltung von Werktätigkeit, somit die שביתה, wonach er heißt, die sein Wesen und seinen Namen bildet, zu rauben. In der פ׳ כג׳) פסיקתא) ist das bedeutsame Wort gesprochen: אמר ר׳ יודן זכור נתן לאומות העולם שמור נתן לישראל, und damit ganz dasselbe gesagt, was wir bereits zum Schabbat des Manna (oben Kap. 16, 23) erläutert. Mit der ersten Einsetzung des Schabbats für die Menschheit war er nur als geistiges Denkmal für die "Erinnerung", das "Gedenken im Geiste" gestiftet. Als solches ging er aber der Menschheit verloren. Zur Wiederbringung und Erhaltung des Schabbats ward Israel die שמירה, die konkrete, sinnlich wahrnehmbare symbolische Betätigung des geistigen Inhalts des Schabbatdenkmals geboten, und eben diese שמירה, nicht die זכירה, die bereits Gemeingut der Menschheit hatte sein sollen, ist das speziell jüdische Schabbatgesetz. Wer daher unserm Schabbat die שמירה nimmt, und sich mit der זכירה begnügen zu können vermeint, vernichtet den ganzen jüdischen Schabbat, zerstört die ganze Institution, die Gott zur Sicherung des Schabbats für die Menschheit in Israel gestiftet.

The Torah says: זכור את יום השבת, that we must remember the day by name. We sanctify the Sabbath by remembering it by name. You may appropriately translate this verse as follows: "Remember the day; what are you to remember? Sabbath." The reason that we are to sanctify it is because G'd's name is also Sabbath. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai states in his Zohar volume 2 page 88 that the name of G'd is Sabbath. Afterwards the Torah amplifies which of the seven days of the week is called Sabbath by writing: "during six days you shall perform all your work and on the seventh day is Sabbath;" this teaches that the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. [You will note that the word "Sabbath" did not occur in the Torah's description of the creation. Ed.]

Indem aber die Aufgabe, des Schabbats nicht zu vergessen, positiv, זכור, "gedenke", ausgesprochen ist, so ist damit eine positive Tätigkeit geboten, die uns des Tages und seiner Bedeutung inne werden lässt, und indem dieses Gebot nicht imperativisch: זְכור sondern aoristisch: זָכור auftritt, so beschränkt sich diese Anforderung nicht nur auf die Dauer des Tages, sondern geht über dieselbe hinaus, ja ist eine solche, die sich auf alle Zeit erstreckt. Daher zuerst die Bestimmung: זכרהו על היין בכניסתו (Peßachim 106 a.): beim Eintritt des Schabbats die große, uns heiligende Bedeutung des Tages im קידוש auszusprechen. Dass dies über einen Becher Wein und als Einleitung zum häuslichen Mahl zu geschehen hat, ist Anordnung der Weisen, die uns כוס, den Becher, im jüdischen Schrifttum das Symbol des "von Gott dem Menschen zugemessenen Teiles", überall da in die Hand geben, wo ein Verhältnis als göttliche Bestimmung, als von Gott beschieden, beherzigt werden soll, und die zugleich den Schabbat in den häuslichen Kreis, somit da einführen wollen, wo seine Weihe ihre eigentliche Verwirklichung zu finden und ihre eigentlichen Segnungen zu bringen bestimmt ist. —

Daher ferner in der מכאן שמוסיפין מחול על הקדש :מכילתא, die Aufgabe, die Heiligung des Schabbats mit seinem Anfang in die Wochenzeit hinübergreifen zu lassen, die Werktätigkeit schon vor Eintritt des Schabbats zu sistiren, um dem Schabbattage auch im Schabbatgeiste entgegen zu gehen. Ebenso wie aus demselben Grundsatze die Schabbatweihe auch bei ihrem Ausgang in die Wochenzeit hinübergreift und auch die Bedeutung des Schabbats als das ganze Leben heiligende Institution nochmals beim Ausgange in הבדלה ausgesprochen wird, um den Schabbatgeist in das Werk schaffende Leben der Woche mit hinüberzunehmen (siehe סמ׳׳ג, Gebote 29). —

Daher endlich in der לא תהא מונה כדרך שאחרין מונין אלא תהא :מכילתא מונה לשם שבת: die Tage der Woche nicht wie die andern Völker — als jeder einem besondern Gott geweiht oder unter einem besondern Planeten stehend — zu nennen, sondern alle Tage vom Standpunkte des Schabbats aus, als zum Schabbat führend, zu zählen, das Schabbatgedächtnis somit über alle unsere Tage zu verbreiten, und somit als Ziel und Preis unserer ganzen Werktätigkeit den Tag und das Ziel begreifen zu lassen, unser geschaffenes Werk Gott, unserm Herrn und Meister, huldigend zu Füßen zu legen.