Comentário sobre Êxodo 20:8

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.