Musar к Шмот 35:2

Although we are all familiar with the comments of our sages who designated all those categories of work which had to be performed in the construction of the Tabernacle as the basic list of forbidden activities on the Sabbath, we must find a better reason why these activities are forbidden on pain of death. Why did they have to draw a parallel with the construction of the Tabernacle? Would it not have sufficed for the Torah to say: "Six days you shall perform work and on the seventh day you must rest?" The Mechilta on 35,2 claims that if we observe the Sabbath legislation the various items on the list are apt to be performed for us by Gentiles. This is the reason the word "you will perform" is expressed in this verse passively, i.e. "will be performed." We may find historical evidence for the truth of this interpretation in the statement in Berachot that the pious people of earlier generations were able to pursue their Torah study without interruption because others attended to their mundane needs. The sages wanted to point out that even in our time such a state of affairs was possible, i.e. that the work to be performed during the six days could be performed by others for those who devoted themselves to Torah in the proper manner. Another difficulty in the wording of our text is that we would have expected the Torah to use the indefinite article U-veyom hashvii instead of Uvayom hashvii when referring to the seventh day.

Rabbenu Bachyah comments on the repeated use of the word משכן in 38,21, that this is a hint that the Tabernacle in our world stood "opposite" the Sanctuary in the Celestial Regions. We know this also from Exodus 15,17: מכון לשבתך פעלת ה', "You have made a place for You to dwell in." The word מכון should be read as מכוון, "corresponding" to the Sanctuary in Heaven. This places the importance of the Tabernacle on earth on a par with the creation of the universe. In connection with the universe, Isaiah 40,22, speaks about G–d "who spread out the skies like gauze, stretched them out like a tent to dwell in," whereas in connection with the Tabernacle on earth the Torah says: "You shall make cloths of goats' hair for a tent over the Tabernacle." In connection with the creation of the universe the Psalmist (Psalms 104,2) speaks about נוטה שמים כיריעה, "He stretches the heavens like a tent-doth." During the process of creation we read (Genesis 1,9) "Let the waters concentrate in one place," whereas in connection with the construction of the Tabernacle the Torah instructs the making of a copper basin to contain all the water used in the Tabernacle by the priests. During the creation the Torah speaks about the creation of luminaries, whereas during the construction of the Tabernacle the making of a candlestick is commanded. The winged creatures mentioned during the process of creation are matched in the Tabernacle by the cherubs spreading their wings over the Holy Ark. Whereas the creation of Adam represented the highlight of the act of creation, the highlight of the construction of the Tabernacle was reached when G–d told Moses to appoint Aaron as High Priest (Exodus 28,1). The completion of the work of creation was announced by the words: ויכלו השמים והארץ, whereas the completion of the work on the Tabernacle was described by the Torah as ותכל כל עבודת משכן (39,32). Whereas the Torah reported that G–d blessed the seventh day (Genesis 2,3), Moses blessed the Tabernacle and sanctified it and all its utensils (39,43). The Torah reported G–d as resting on the seventh day, (Genesis 2,3), whereas in connection with the Tabernacle the Torah stated: "You shall perform your work during six days and the seventh day shall be holy" (35,2). After all this the Torah said: "Take from yourselves a donation" Thus far the comment of Rabbenu Bachyah.

When we look at the Sabbath from this vantage point, we can understand the phrase ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קודש שבת שבתון. If the meaning of this verse had been that the seventh day should serve as Sabbath, the Torah should have written: ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה ויום השביעי וגו', "Six days work shall be performed and the seventh day shall be holy, etc.," instead of "and on the seventh day, etc." As it is the Torah wishes to tell us that "on the seventh day everything, including unfinished tasks from the sixth day should be considered as completed." The repetition of the words שבת שבתון together with the emphasis on the word יום also suggests that even if work is being performed the holy character of the Sabbath day itself does not cease. It is clear that this occurred immediately after the Day of Atonement, which is also known as שבת שבתון (Leviticus 23,32). The element of קדושה on the Sabbath comes from above יהיה לכם קודש (35,2), i.e. you receive the נשמה יתירה.