Chassidus on the Parsha: Vayakhel - Toward a Jewish work ethic

(1) Moses then convoked the whole Israelite community and said to them: These are the things that the L-RD has commanded you to do: (2) On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the L-RD; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.

This is what Rabbi Yishamel would say: One verse "six days work will get done" and another verse says "six days you shall labor and do all of your work". How can both of these verses be fulfilled? when Israel does the will of G-d their work is done by others, as it says (Isaiah 61:5) "And strangers shall stand and pasture your sheep" and in times when Israel doesn't do the will of G-d their work is done by themselves, and not only that, but even work of others will be done through them, as it says (Deut. 28:48): "...you will serve your enemies, whom the L-rd will send against you.."

If you eat the toil of your hands, you are praiseworthy, and it is good for you.

(18) When you do set him free, do not feel aggrieved; for in the six years he has given you double the service of a hired man. Moreover, the L-RD your God will bless you in all you do.

The Gemara relates: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya was standing in the house of the Caesar. A certain heretic, who was also present, gestured to him, indicating that his was the nation whose Master, G-d, turned His face away from it. Rabbi Yehoshua gestured to him that His hand is outstretched over us in protection. The Caesar said to Rabbi Yehoshua: What did he gesture to you, and how did you respond? He replied: He indicated that mine is the nation whose Master turned His face from it, and I gestured to him that His hand is outstretched over us. The members of the Caesar’s household said to that heretic: What did you gesture to him? He said to them: I gestured that his is the nation whose Master has turned His face from it. They asked: And what did he gesture to you? He said to them: I don’t know; I did not understand. They said: How can a man who does not know what others gesture to him dare to gesture in the presence of the king? They took him out and killed him.

(24) If a man enters a hiding place, Do I not see him? —says the L-RD. For I fill both heaven and earth —declares the L-RD.

Six days you shall labor: Rebbi said this is an additional decree, just as Israel was commanded about the positive Mitzvah of Shabbat similarly they were commanded to do work.

(1) In the days of Enosh, the sons of man erred exceedingly, the advice of the wise man of that generation was nullified, and even Enosh himself was among the victims of that folly. Their mistake was this: Seeing, said they, that God created these stars and planets to rule the world, that He placed them high above to share honors with them, for they are ministers who render service in his presence, it is proper that they be praised and glorified and honored, this is the will of God, to exalt and honor him whom He exalted and honored, even as a king desires to honor those who stand in his presence, for such is the honor of the king. As soon as this matter was rooted in their heart, they commenced to erect temples in honor of the stars, to offer sacrifices to them, to praise and glorify them in words, and bow down to them in order to reach the will of God by this evil idea. This was the groundwork for the worship of stars. Thus was the statement of its adherents who knew the principles thereof; not that they asserted that there was no God save a particular star. This is as Jeremiah says: "Who would not fear Thee, O King of the nations? For it befitted Thee; Forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royalty, there is none like unto Thee. But they are altogether brutish and foolish; the vanities by which they are instructed are but a stock" (Jer. 10.7–8). As if saying: All know that Thou art Alone; but their mistake and foolishness is in supposing that this vanity is Thy will.¹Maimonides bases his contention on Gen. 4.26. G.

IT is well known that the Patriarch Abraham was brought up in the religion and the opinion of the Sabeans, that there is no divine being except the stars. I will tell you in this chapter their works which are at present extant in Arabic translations, and also in their ancient chronicles; and I win show you their opinion and their practice according to these books. You win then see clearly that they consider the stars as deities, and the sun as the chief deity. They believe that all the seven stars are gods, but the two luminaries are greater than all the rest. They say distinctly that the sun governs the world, both that which is above and that which is below; these are exactly their expressions. In these books, and in their chronicles, the history of Abraham our father is given in the following manner. Abraham was brought up in Kutha; when he differed from the people and declared that there is a Maker besides the sun, they raised certain objections, and mentioned in their arguments the evident and manifest action of the sun in the Universe. "You are right," said Abraham; "[the sun acts in the same manner] as 'the axe in the hand of him that hews with it.'" Then some of his arguments against his opponents are mentioned. In short, the king put him in prison; but he continued many days, while in prison, to argue against them. At last the king was afraid that Abraham might corrupt the kingdom, and turn the people away from their religion; he therefore expelled Abraham into Syria, after having deprived him of all his property.