Cytowanie Komentarza do Wyjścia 31:15

Another way of explaining Moses' action may be based on something reported in the name of Rabbi Shimon Hashekimoni in Baba Batra 119. This rabbi said that Moses was fully aware that the daughters of Tzelofchod were entitled to inherit land in the Holy Land. What Moses did not know was if they were also entitled to inherit a second share in lieu of the share their grandfather had inherited by reason of his being a firstborn. Actually, the whole paragraph dealing with the laws of inheritance should have been written by Moses; the reason it was written as a result of the claim presented by the daughters of Tzelofchod was because these daughters were very meritorious so that they became the catalyst of this legislation being presented at this point. Moses also knew that the מקשש עצים was guilty of the death penalty seeing the Torah had written that he who desecrates the Sabbath is to be executed (Exodus 31,15); he only did not know which of the four death penalties he was to apply. The reason that portion was written as a direct result of the sin of the מקשש was to teach that if the Torah wishes to confer an entitlement on someone it chooses as an example people who are the beneficiaries of that entitlement. Similarly, when there was an immediate need for the Torah to legislate guilt it chose a person who was guilty under the heading of that legislation to be the catalyst for revealing this legislation. Thus far Rabbi Shimon Hashekimoni. Tossaphot comment that although the whole legislation about inheritance had not yet been divulged, Moses knew all about the argument the daughters of Tzelofchod presented, i.e. that they wished to be treated either as sons or that their mother should be allowed to marry a brother-in-law.

A Kabbalistic approach: The words זכור את יום השבת are a reminder that the Sabbath is the last emanation seeing that it completes the whole cycle of creation. It has been named כנסת ישראל. Our sages (Bereshit Rabbah 11,8) have illustrated this by saying that the Sabbath is the natural partner of the Jewish people (much as a woman is the natural partner of man). This is the reason we find the Sabbath referred to in much of aggadic literature as Matrona, “a lady of stature.”
We find the following in Vayikra Rabbah 27,10: “The reason the Torah legislates that no animal may be offered up as a sacrifice until it is at least seven days old (Leviticus 22,27) is because it must first have seen the face of the Matrona. The Midrash means that an animal which has not experienced at least one Sabbath on earth must not be slaughtered as an offering. Even the life of an animal would not have been worth living unless it had experienced at least one Sabbath.
The Sabbath is also known as ברית, covenant. Just as the circumcision and the rainbow are described by the Torah as ברית, so is the Sabbath (compare Genesis 9,12--Genesis 17,10--Exodus 31,16). The reason the Torah writes here זכור, “to remember” is a reference to a specific Sabbath, i.e. the Sabbath known as שבת הגדול, the emanation יסוד, from which all the 248 positive commandments emanate. The numerical value of the letters in the word זכור plus the acrostic formed by the first letters in the words יום השבת total 248. When the Torah writes שמור את יום השבת in the second version of the Ten Commandments in Deut. 5,12, the word שמור is a reference to the מקדש, Sanctuary, aspect of the Sabbath. This is the emanation כבוד from which the 365 negative commandments are derived. They are the ones that also all women are obligated to fulfill. This is the mystical dimension of the verse את שבתותי תשמורו ומקדשי תיראו, “you shall observe My Sabbath days and My Sanctuary you shall revere” (Leviticus 26,2) [the plural My Sabbaths refers to the שבת הגדול and to the Sabbath called מקדש.] This is why the prophet warns (Jeremiah 17,24) “not to perform any kind of work on it.” The word בה “on it,” in that verse is read one way and spelled another, i.e. it is both בו and בה, i.e. masculine and feminine. When the Torah writes in verse 10 of our chapter ויום השביעי שבת לה' אלו-היך, “and the seventh day is a Sabbath for the Lord your G’d,” the meaning is that “the Sabbath is on the seventh day because the seventh day is the foundation (יסוד) of the universe the seventh emanation the one wherein the Sabbath (the concept of the Sabbath) is located.” Our sages referred to this as הכל בכל, “for that which comprises everything (כל) is contained within the emanation known as כל, respectively יסוד. The two emanations יסוד and מלכות are inseparably linked to one another. [The seventh day represents יסוד, which is described here as the seventh emanation. Since the concept of Sabbath (associated with מלכות) is contained in יסוד, it follows that the two are linked together. Ed]
We find verses which confirm this in Exodus 31,15: וביום השביעי שבת שבתון קודש לה', “and on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, the Sabbath of Sabbaths, it is holy to Hashem.” The verse following the above states לעשות את יום השבת ברית עולם, “to make the Sabbath-day into an eternal covenant.” The verse refers to the seventh day which is the foundation of the universe שבת שבתון קודש לה'. At the same time the Sabbath which receives its input from that שבת שבתון is called ברית. Having appreciated all this there is no longer any reason to wonder why the sages called the benediction we recite over the wine on the Sabbath by day קדושא רבא, “the great sanctification,” (Pesachim 106) a description which has not been applied to the Kiddush we recite on the evening after the Sabbath has commenced. The Kiddush recited by day corresponds to the זכור element of the Sabbath whereas the Kiddush we recite at night corresponds to the שמור element of the Sabbath. Day is usually associated with זכור something denoting activity, whereas night is associated with שמור, something denoting passivity.
Considering all we have said above it is clear why the prophet considers the Sabbath a delight and called it such (Isaiah 58,13) “and you shall call the Sabbath a delight.” It is a delight for the souls. David confirmed this in Psalms 42,3 when he exclaimed צמאה נפשי לאלו-הים א-ל חי, “my soul thirsted after the living G’d.” Every creature thirst (yearns) after its origin, its roots, the place it will eventually return to. The place in question is the river which irrigates Gan Eden, the foundation of the Sabbath and its root. The word ענג, delight, is an acrostic formed by the words עדן, נהר, גן. We base all this on Genesis 2,10 ונהר יוצא מעדן להשקות את הגן “and a river emerges from Eden to irrigate the garden.” This is why the Sabbath is called ענג, as it is a delight both for the celestial beings as well as for the terrestrial people on earth.

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.