Еврейская мысль к Берешит 4:26

The experts of the Kabbalah have revealed to us another fine spiritual aspect of this day, inasmuch as it possesses the distinction to help also those who seek out wisdom and Torah. This great day alluded to the seventh of the ten sefirot, emanations, which is called Sabbath, and which is like a hallway leading to the illustrious palace which is called Shabbat hagadol, the meaning of which will be discussed later. All of this is included in the commandment "six days you shall work," i.e. expend your energy performing mitzvot in this world of "vanity," so that on the seventh and holy day you will be able to enjoy contemplative rest. We can now answer the question of why the Torah speaks about "My Sabbaths." (plural) Since, as we have demonstrated, there are in reality three dimensions to the Sabbath idea, the Torah is at pains to include them all when listing the commandment. After stating the idea, each dimension is explained individually. Concerning the first dimension, it says "for it is a sign between Me and you for generations, so that you know that I, the Lord, sanctify you." Abstention from work is the visible sign for all future generations to know that He has hallowed us through this commandment, and that this distinction will make us take part in the hidden world reserved in the future. This is the key, the gateway to that ultimate Sabbath. (3) Concerning the second dimension of the Sabbath, the Torah states "Observe the Sabbath for it is holy for you, anyone desecrating it will be put to death, since anyone doing work on it, his soul will be cut off from his people." He who osseh bo, will use Torah and mitzvot to enrich himself, uses the idea of the Sabbath for transient personal gain, studies for ulterior motives, mot yumat, deserves death in both worlds, will never experience the ultimate Sabbath. On the other hand, "kol ha-osseh melachah beyom hashabbat,” he who performs physical labour (of the forbidden categories) will be put to death by human tribunal. Hillel said in in Avot 1, according to Rashi, that "anyone using," i.e. abusing the "crown,” i.e. holy scriptures, religion, loses his claim to eternity. "Anyone eating" (mundane satisfaction) from words of Torah, is really taking away from his life. (Rashi on Avot 4,7) Concerning the third dimension, it says "veshamroo..,the eternal covenant." When the first two dimensions of the Sabbath have been fulfilled, we will be party to the third dimension, the treasure reserved for us by G-d, concerning which the prophet Isaiah 64,3, said "no eye has beheld such treasure, it is reserved for the Lord alone to grant to him who waits for Him. We find all three dimensions of the Sabbath alluded to in our Sabbath prayers. 1) "You have not given this day of the Sabbath to the nations of the world." 2) "You have not given an inheritance to idol worshippers." 3) "Also on His day of rest, an uncircumcised person must not rest." Line one, corresponds to the idea of ot, sign, it is sufficient to set us apart from them. Line two tells us that the granting of the Sabbath legislation applies only to believers; non believers do not benefit from the gift of the Sabbath. Our sayes (Eycha Rabbati 2) tell us that if a gentile claims that he possesses Torah, do not believe him, if he claims to possess wisdom however, you may believe him. The gentiles have no share in the Torah of Israel. Line 3 tells us that as long as he is uncircumcised and impure, the most well intentioned gentile cannot be included in the community of Israel. Only conversion can make him part of the Jewish nation. The prayer continues "for to Your people of Israel You have given it, to the seed of Jacob whom You have chosen." The Talmud Shabbat 119, relates that the emperor asked Rabbi Joshua ben Chananyah "why does the Sabbath food exude such a pleasant fragrance?" The Rabbi answered that we have a special seasoning called shevet which we put into it. Thereupon the emperor requested to be given some of this seasoning. The Rabbi told him that that seasoning was effective only when used by people who observe the Sabbath. The emperor had realised that the seasoning of our lives provided by the Sabbath, permeates the world, so that Jews could inherit it; he wanted to know by what means and what merit Jews achieve their ultimate triumph. The Rabbi told him that it was due to compliance with the two dimensions of the Sabbath legislation discussed previously. When the emperor said "let me participate anyways," he had to be told that without accepting the burden of all the commandments first, all of which depend on these two dimensions of the Sabbath, this could not be. Let us return now to the opening statement in this chapter, that all the tasks G-d has allotted to man specifically are included in the commandment "six days work shall be performed, and the seventh day shall be holy for you, a Sabbath to G-d." (35,2) G-d has given this day three names (dimensions) which between them remove the obstacle to Sabbath observance represented by the six malachey chabbalah, angels of destruction. The Sabbath therefore is the source of all blessings and sanctities; the sanctity of all the other holy days is derived from the Sabbath. A sign of this is the fact that all holy days are called holy convocations because they take this name from the Sabbath, and are hallowed by its sanctity. However, the Sabbath itself, seeing that it does not need to draw on outside inspiration to achieve its own sanctity, is nowhere referred to as a holy convocation except in Parshat Emor,where it is like a guest in the paragraph dealing with all the festivals, heading the list. At any rate, the Sabbath is the source of sanctity and blessing from which blessing and sanctity flow to all those who prepare themselves to welcome it. Under the aegis of the seventh sefirah, Israel received the Torah under oath. It is all one great mystical experience for them. This in turn confers upon its adherents the atzilut, spiritual nobility, that is the reward for observing this commandment. The reason that the Sabbath is considered equal to all the other commandments then is the sefirah Shabbat, the mystical domain from which all commandments have been issued to Israel. It is this which Isaiah has in mind in chapter 58, 13. This is also what Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai meant when he interpreted the Midrash which has G-d’s consoling the Sabbath that Israel would be its mate. (Bereshit Rabbah 11) For this reason, the Sabbath legislation took chronological precedence over all the other mitzvot having been taught to the people already at Marah, prior to the revelation at Mount Sinai. (Sanhedrin 56) We welcome the shechinah every Sabbath, calling it a bride, since it is a tangible expression of G-d love for us. (Shabbat 119) This also explains the strange statement in Shabbat 118, that if someone had committed adultery such as Enosh, as long as he observed the Sabbath meticulously, he would be forgiven. The scriptural proof for this statement is brought from Isaiah 56,2, "hail ENOSH (person?) who does this..who observes the Sabbath, not to desecrate it." Anyone who observes the Sabbath in all the aforementioned aspects, must already have been truly repentant. We apply the principle then that the position occupied by repentant sinners cannot even be matched by the perfectly righteous. (Berachot 34) Such a person is referred to as enosh, just as the original Enosh of whom the Torah states that he "proclaimed the name of G-d." (Genesis 4,26) The common denominator then between how the two aspects of Sabbath observance affect us is, that this noble, holy day paves the way for study and understanding of, and eventual observance of all the mitzvot.

The appearance of the name hashem alone, occurs only after the decline of man. "Then one began to proclaim the name of hashem." (Genesis 4,26) At that time, man became utterly dependent on that aspect of G'd which permits temporary suspension of the midat hadin the attribute of justice.

The belt they would wear corresponds to the theft that the men of the generation of the flood would do, as it is stated, for the earth is filled with violent crime (Genesis 6:13). And it has already been explained above (Chapter 43), regarding the high priest, that these three garments would atone for these three sins. The hats they would wear corresponded to the idolatry that they were worshipping, as it is stated, then they called out profanely in the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:26). And you should know that even though I wrote about the high priest (Chapter 43), that the matter of the turban with the high priest was to teach about the prohibition of eating meat, and the apron was for idolatry, the ideas of the clothes of the regular priests came for another matter. And that is why the name is differentiated, since this one is called turban [mitznefet], and that one is called hats [migbaaot]. And likewise, the making of the hats was different than the production of the turban, as the Tosafot wrote in the first chapter of Sukkah (Sukkah 5a, s.v. VeAl), in Yoma (Yoma 25a, s.v. Notel), and in the first chapter of Gittin (Gittin 7a, s.v. BeZman). And so too did Ramban write in his commentary on the Torah (Exodus 28:31). Likewise, Ibn Ezra wrote on Parasht Tetzaveh (on Exodus 28:36) that the migbaaot were a type of hat, whereas the mitznefet was something long that he would wrap around his head, see there in his commentary. And it shows pride, since it is a fine ornament on the head, such that he can be proud and beautify himself with it, which was not the case with the regular priest, since he only had a small hat on his head to cover it, to say that the divine presence is over his head above. And that is why they were forbidden to go around with a bare head. So, through this, they were teaching the prohibition of idolatry. And the content of the migbaaot would [also] teach about the matter of idolatry from the angle of the shared word, migbaot. For the way of the idolators was to set up idols upon the hills and mountains [givaaot], as it is stated, They sacrifice on the mountaintops and offer on the hills (Hosea 4:13); and it is stated, And upon all the high hills, and upon all the lofty mountains (Isaiah 2:14). And there are many [examples] like this in Scripture. And our rabbis, may their memory be blessed, already said (Avodah Zarah 45b), "You do not have any mountain in the land of Israel upon which they did not set up an idol."