Especially relevant at the moment for 3 reasons -
1. It is Sefer Bamidbar (deserts etc)
2. We read Shabbat 69B in the daf yomi this week.
3. In Lockdown you do lose all track of time, what day of the week, breakfast at lunch time etc
At the end of page 69B of Massechet Shabbat it discusses what would happen if you were lost in the desert and forgot what day it was. When would you keep Shabbat. Maybe it is Shabbat and you are transgressing a doraitha during your mundane activities.This is set amongst a discussion in the Gemara with regards to the general concept of Yediah - awareness (rather than knowledge). What if you do a melacha be he'elam davar with a mistaken awareness - beshogeg etc, You didn't know it was Shabbat or you didn't know the prohibition applied.
You we see in this Gemara a source which strengthens the biblical narrative that says that our lives are based on a seven day week.
This has become a universal concept. It is arguable if this was intrinsically a Jewish invention.
Others would argue that it is science and nature based - either moon phases or bodily circadian rhythms or number of visible planets etc.
There is a lot of discussion about it online where you can source many academic articles on the topic.
It is a historical fact that not all civilisations were based on a seven day week. The early Romans had 8 day cycles, the Egyptians 10. Many have tried to innovate and change it but failed - the Chinese and the Russian Communists tried to get more from their workforce but gave up when it flopped.
אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: הָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ אוֹ בַּמִּדְבָּר וְאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ אֵימָתַי שַׁבָּת, מוֹנֶה שִׁשָּׁה יָמִים וּמְשַׁמֵּר יוֹם אֶחָד. חִיָּיא בַּר רַב אוֹמֵר: מְשַׁמֵּר יוֹם אֶחָד, וּמוֹנֶה שִׁשָּׁה.
בְּמַאי קָמִיפַּלְגִי —
מָר סָבַר כִּבְרִיָּיתוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם,
וּמָר סָבַר כְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן.
בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם עוֹשֶׂה לוֹ כְּדֵי פַרְנָסָתוֹ [בַּר מֵהָהוּא יוֹמָא]. וְהָהוּא יוֹמָא לֵימוּת?! דְּעָבֵיד מֵאֶתְמוֹל שְׁתֵּי פַרְנָסוֹת. וְדִילְמָא מֵאֶתְמוֹל שַׁבָּת הֲוַאי! אֶלָּא כָּל יוֹם וָיוֹם עוֹשֶׂה לוֹ פַּרְנָסָתוֹ, אֲפִילּוּ הָהוּא יוֹמָא. וְהָהוּא יוֹמָא בְּמַאי מִינְּכַר לֵיהּ? בְּקִידּוּשָׁא וְאַבְדָּלְתָּא.
אָמַר רָבָא: אִם הָיָה מַכִּיר מִקְצָת הַיּוֹם שֶׁיָּצָא בּוֹ, עוֹשֶׂה מְלָאכָה כׇּל הַיּוֹם כּוּלּוֹ. פְּשִׁיטָא! מַהוּ דְתֵימָא: כֵּיוָן דְּשַׁבָּת לָא נָפֵיק, בְּמַעֲלֵי שַׁבְּתָא [נָמֵי] לָא נָפֵיק. וְהַאי, אִי נָמֵי בְּחַמְשָׁה בְּשַׁבְּתָא נָפֵיק — לִישְׁתְּרֵי לֵיהּ לְמֶיעְבַּד מְלָאכָה תְּרֵי יוֹמֵי — קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן זִימְנִין דְּמַשְׁכַּח שְׁיָּירְתָּא וּמִקְּרֵי וְנָפֵיק.
Rav Huna said: One who was walking along the way or in the desert, and he does not know when Shabbat occurs, he counts six days from the day that he realized that he lost track of Shabbat and then observes one day as Shabbat. Ḥiyya bar Rav says: He first observes one day as Shabbat and then he counts six weekdays. The Gemara explains: With regard to what do they disagree? One Sage, Rav Huna, held: It is like the creation of the world, weekdays followed by Shabbat. And one Sage, Ḥiyya bar Rav, held: It is like Adam, the first man, who was created on the sixth day.
The person who lost track of Shabbat and treats one day a week as Shabbat, each day he makes enough food to sustain himself, except for that day which he designated as Shabbat. The Gemara asks: And on that day let him die? Rather, it means that the day before he makes twice the amount of food that he prepared on the other days to sustain him for that day and the following day. The Gemara asks: And perhaps the day before was actually Shabbat? In that case, not only did he perform labor on Shabbat, but he also performed labor on Shabbat in preparation for a weekday. Rather, on each and every day he makes enough food to sustain himself for that day, including on that day that he designated as Shabbat. And if you ask: And how is that day which he designated as Shabbat distinguishable from the rest? It is distinguishable by means of the kiddush and the havdala that he recites on that day.
Rava said: If he had partial knowledge of the day on which he left, i.e., he does not recall what day of the week it was but he does recall the number of days that passed since he left, every week he can perform labor throughout the day of his departure, since he certainly did not leave his house on Shabbat. The Gemara asks: That is obvious, and what novel element was introduced here? The Gemara answers: Lest you say, since he did not leave on Shabbat, he also did not leave on Friday, and this person, even if he left on Thursday, should be permitted to perform labor for two days, the eighth day and the ninth day from his departure, the same day of the week that he left and the following day. Therefore, Rava teaches us that at times one finds a convoy and happens to leave on a journey even on Friday. Therefore, he is not permitted to perform labor on the day of the week following the day of his departure.
There are 2 opinions of what he needs to do.
1. Rav Huna says he counts six days on the day he remembers that he forgot and keeps Shabbat on the seventh.
2.Rav Chiya ba Rav says he counts one day and then keeps Shabbat and then counts 6 days .
The Gemara explains their svara
1. Rav Huna basis his on Hashems actions in creating the world - he created for 6 days and rested on the Shabbat.
2. Rav Chiya basis his on the actions of Adam - he was created on Fri afternoon and then it was Shabbat.
Then the Gemara brings a beraita that supports Rav Huna and the Halacha is deicided according to Rav Huna.
Then the Gemara asks - until you have set up a new world order for yourself - a new vaday-ut - at that moment you are living with sfeik-ut. Maybe it's Shabbat - every day the chances are the same.
He must just do minimum melacha - i.e. subsistence living mipnei pikuach nefesh,
He needs to source just enough food to enable him to keep walking and find a way out.
It seems this applies even in the second week. His Shabbos was a doubtful one.
The Radbaz would hold only the first week as we will see.
Then the Gemara asks - if every day he has to treat it as if it's Shabbat - so what is different about Shabbat?
On Shabbat he needs to do Kiddush and Havdala.
The he says - What if he remembers back to a week ago when he knows he left - even though he doesn't remember what day it was. He surely wouldn't have left on a Shabbos - so today is a vaday chol day.
He can work away!
Maybe you could also say - I wouldn't have left on Friday so on the 5th day he could work as well.
Not so fast - some caravans do leave on a friday.
(א) דין ההולך במדבר בשבת ובו ב' סעיפים:
ההולך במדבר ואינו יודע מתי הוא שבת מונה שבעה ימים מיום שנתן אל לבו שכחתו ומקדש השביעי בקידוש והבדלה ואם יש לו ממה להתפרנס אסור לו לעשות מלאכה כלל עד שיכלה מה שיש לו ואז יעשה מלאכה בכל יום אפילו ביום שמקדש בו כדי פרנסתו מצומצמת ומותר לילך בו בכל יום אפי' ביום שמקדש בו:
(1) The Law of Someone Who Is Wandering in the Desert on Shabbat, 2 Seifim: 1. One who is wandering in the desert and does not when is Shabbat, counts seven days from the day he realized he did not know, and sanctifies the seventh day with Kiddush and Havdalah. If one has sustenance, one is forbidden from doing any work whatsoever until he uses what he has, and thereafter one should do work each day, even on the day he sanctifies, to achieve minimal sustenance. One is permitted to walk every day, even on the day he sanctifies.
(א) (א) ההולך במדבר - וה"ה אם נשבה בין העו"ג ונשכח יום שבת ממנו [ירושלמי] אך לפעמים בזה יכול לברר מחשבונותם באיזה יום חל שבת שלנו:
Kaf ha'Chayim (2): If one is above the arctic circle, and the day [in mid-summer] lasts a month or two or more, he counts six days of 24 of our hours [from when he came there, and then observes Shabbos for 24 hours].
Teshuvos v'Hanhagos (5:84): In such a place, each new day begins when the sun is as low [in the sky] as it gets. There is no night. One may not go to live there, for he uproots from himself night Mitzvos. If one goes into space and circles the earth [e.g.] 16 times a day, he loses the concept of time in this world. He uproots himself from all Mitzvos dependent on time, e.g. Shabbos, Keri'as Shema and Tefilah. One may not do so.
This topic was an issue for Ilan Ramon O"H.
He met with the Chabad Rabbi in Florida to ask advice.
He in turn asked some gedolim for answers -
Shabbat presented quite a challenge. A day/night cycle in orbit is 90 minutes long, which means that a week lasts a mere ten and a half hours from start to finish! Would Ilan need to keep Shabbat every half day?!
The ruling was that he would keep the Shabbat times of his place of departure – Cape Canaveral.
בקדושתא ואבדלתא - לזכרון בעלמא שיהא לו שם יום חלוק משאר ימים ולא תשתכח שבת ממנו:
Rashi doesn't mention with regard to chillul shabbos and sekila and such-like.
He simply says that one needs to remember Shabbat every week in some way - to show you may have forgotten the way but you haven't forgotten Shabbat and how Hashem created the world - but it's not a real shabbos that you have kept - just a zikaron.
It doesn't sound as if you are getting any credit for keeping Shabbat - it could be Tuesday.
The Radbaz was asked about the riddle of time zones. How come it can be shabbos here at one time and shabbos there at a different time?
Rabbi David ben Solomon ibn Avi Zimra was born in Spain in 1479 and died in Israel in 1573. He left Spain in 1492, as a result of the Spanish expulsion of the Jews. Like many other scholars, he emigrated to Safed, which had become an important center of Jewish life. In 1513, he left Israel for Cairo, where he became head of the local Jewish community, chief rabbi, head of the rabbinic court and yeshivah, and executor of the charity fund. Radbaz served in all these posts without pay, due to his success in business. He was also famed for his large library. Radbaz returned to Israel in 1553, and once again settled in Safed. He is noted for his commentary on Maimonides' Mishneh Torah and for his responsa, of which more than 10, 000 are extant.
שו"ת רדב"ז חלק א סימן עו
שאלת ממני אודיעך דעתי בענין השבת כי יש חילוק גדול בין השוכנים במזרח לשוכנים במערב ונמצא שמה שהוא לאלו שבת הוי לאלו חול:
תשובה דע כי שאלה זו נבוכו בה רבים ונכבדים אבל אודיעך דעתי בה דע
כי השבת נמסרה לכל אחד מישראל
שנאמר כי אות היא ביני וביניכם
וכמו שאות הברית הוא לכל א' וא'
כן השבת נמסר לכל א' וא' וכיון שהשבת נמסר לכל א'
בכל מקום שהוא מונה ששה ימים ובסוף הששה עושה שבת שהוא זכר למעשה בראשית שנאמר כי ששת ימים עשה ה' וגו'
שאם אין אתה אומר כן אפילו בארץ ישראל יש חילוק קצת:
ואפי' תרצה לומר שע"י התוספת שאנו מוסיפין בכניסתו וביציאתו מתוקן
מ"מ התוספת הזה דאורייתא היא ונמצא שאין כל בני א"י שוין בתוספת זה שהרי יש מהלך קרוב לד' ימים בא"י מן המזרח למערב ואפי' בעירות הסמוכות
יש חילוק בזה בין טבריה לציפורי כדאמר ר' יוסי יהא חלקי עם מכניסי שבת בטבריה ועם מוציאי שבת בציפורי אלא מאי
אית לך למימר כי השבת ניתן לכל אחד כפי מקומו אשר הוא דר בו
לפי שכבר נשלמו במקומו ששה הקפים שלמים ונכנס השביעי
לקודם קודם ולמאוחר מאוחר.
וגדולה מזו אמרו המהלך במדבר ולא ידע מתי הוא שבת
מונה ו' ימים מיום שטעה ומקדש שביעי ומברך בו ברכת היום ומבדיל במוצאי שבת ע"כ ...............ולמדנו מדחייבוהו לקדש שביעי משמע דלכל אחד נמסר לעשות זכר למעשה בראשית כל חד וחד
שאח' שהגיע לישוב וידע שטעה ועשה מלאכה בשבת לא חייבוהו להביא קרבן לא חטאת ולא אשם ולא וידוי משמע שקיים מצות שבת.
עוד ראיה מהא דאמרינן עכו"ם ששבת חייב מיתה ולאו דוקא יום השבת אלא שקבע לו יום א' לשבות בו משמע שכל מי שעושה מלאכה ששה ושובת יום א' סוף סוף שובת נקרא.
Every Jew has a need for a personal connection wherever he is. So according to him Shabbat is when you make it. It's not necessarily a fixed day. It can be arbitrary - between you and G-d.
He also holds - unlike Rashi that you have been yotzi a proper Shabbat - and he brings a proof. When you get back and you find out your calculations wer wrong there is no need to bring a chatat. Also a proof from a goy who keeps Shabbat. Even if he keeps it on a Wednesday he's chayav,
The Gilyonei HaShas (Rav Engel) brings s proof from the Magid Meisharim. He say sthere that an eved Ivrii has a shemittah year when he goes free after working for 7 years. Its his own personal shemitah - not the same as the community
This would explain why there is no Bracha Levatala on Kiddush or havdala according to the Radbaz. There is no safeik - you make the day,
There are a few answers to that question of bracha levatala-T
3) RECITING BLESSINGS ON A DAY WHICH IS IN DOUBT
QUESTION: The Gemara says that a person who does not know what day is Shabbos should not do any Melachah on any day, except for Melachah which is absolutely necessary for his survival. He should count six days, and on every seventh day, he should recite Kidush and Havdalah in order to remind himself of the concept of a seventh day being designated unique as Shabbos.
However, if that day is not really Shabbos, why is he permitted to recite the blessings of Kidush and Havdalah?
ANSWERS:
(a) The RITVA first explains that when the Gemara says that one should recite these blessings, it means that one should recite them without Hash-m's name.
(b) In his second answer, the Ritva says that since the Isur of Berachah l'Vatalah, reciting a blessing in vain, is prohibited mid'Rabanan, in this situation the Rabanan permitted it for Kavod Shabbos.
(c) The RADVAZ (1:76) says that when the Torah commands us to observe Shabbos, the Torah requires only that we observe one day out of seven as Shabbos. That day does not necessarily have to be "Saturday." However, since the people in any given area have accepted upon themselves a certain day to be observed as Shabbos, that day becomes Shabbos in that place, and thus a person who does not observe Shabbos on that day would be Chayav Sekilah. In a desert, no day has been established as Shabbos, and thus one who forgets what day is Shabbos may keep his seventh day (with certain conditions, as the Radvaz there explains).
According to the Radvaz, the prohibition for such a person to do Melachah on the other six days is only a stringency that the Rabanan enacted (and not a result of a real doubt when Shabbos is), and the seventh day that he chooses to observe is the genuine day of Shabbos for him. (The Radvaz proposes this novel approach in response to the question of what day to observe as Shabbos past the International Dateline. See Parasha Page, Emor 5756.)
he VILNA GA'ON finds a hint to this Halachah in the verses of the Aseres ha'Dibros regarding the Mitzvah to observe Shabbos. It comes to prove Rav Huna's shita. The verses state, "Six days you shall work, and you shall do all of your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest for Hash-m your G-d; you shall not do any work..." (Shemos 20:9-10).
He quotes a mesorah.
When describing shabbos it says ברית עולם and the it says אות היא לעלם chaser vav.
ANSWER:
לעלם is like bhe'elam davar - by mistake. This is a hint to this situation,
The Vilna Ga'on explains that these verses teach more than the commandment to "observe" Shabbos. They also command us to remember ("Zachor") what day is Shabbos.
It tells us that working six days is part of the mitzvah - so w ehave to count 6 days.
Accordingly, when we remember what day is Shabbos, we will be able to perform all of our work, and not just the bare minimum necessary for life.
Similarly, when we remember what day is Shabbos, on that day we will be able to rest from all forms of work and will not have to do any work, not even work necessary for life. (KOL ELIYAHU, Parshas Yisro, #63)
Rabbi Judah ben Rabbi Samuel Rosanes was born in Constantinople in 1657. He was a student and son - in - law of his uncle, Rabbi Abraham Rosanes, one of the Torah scholars of Constantinople. Rabbi Judah was considered the greatest Torah scholar of Constantinople in his generation. After his death in 1727, his responsa and novellae were collected by his student Rabbi Jacob Culi, author of Yalkut Me'am Lo'ez, and arranged according to the order of Maimonides' Mishneh Torah under the title of Mishneh LaMelech. Rabbi Judah authored other well - known works, including Parashat Derachim, which includes 26 discourses on a variety of subjects. It was included in the Responsa Project based on the Mekor Publications edition, Jerusalem 5721 (1961), which was photocopied from the Vilna 5630 (1870)edition. He also wrote Derech Mitzvot (on the numeration of the commandments). The Mishneh LaMelech is a deep and all - encompassing commentary. Even though it was not originally written as such, it is now considered one of the fundamental commentaries on Maimonides' Mishneh Torah, and has been published with virtually every edition of the Mishneh Torah.
He quotes his father who explained the difficult Midrash of shabbat shel chol by referring to our Gemara.
פרשת דרכים דרך עצב - שלושה ועשרים
עוד נקדים מאי דאמרינן במדרש, מעולם לא זזה שכינה מישראל בשבתות וימים טובים ואפילו בשבת של חול. והנה בפירוש מאי דקאמר ואפילו בשבת של חול, דלכאורה אין לו מובן, נהירנא דאדוני אבי זלה"ה סח לי, דבהיותו לומד אצל הרב מוהר"ר זרחיה גוטא ז"ל, בא חכם אחד מן המערב ושאל לו פירוש מאמר זה, והרב לחדודי לתלמידיו אמר להם שיעיינו בו. ואדוני אבי ז"ל אמר, שאפשר שהכונה היא על פי מה שאמרו בגמרא, ההולך במדבר ואינו יודע מתי הוא יום שבת מונה ששה ימים ואח"כ שובת, והשתא הכי קאמר, דאפילו ביום זה ששובת זה האיש, שאפשר שהוא חול גמור אפילו הכי לא זזה שכינה מישראל, כיון שמן הדין חייב לשבות בו ולעשותו כשבת גמור.
R. Shmuel b. R. Avraham Borenstein was the son of the Admor of Sochachov (Avnei Nezer) and was born in 1856 in Kotzk. He was his father's right hand and taught in the Sochachov yeshiva. In 1910 he became Admor (rebbe)upon his father's demise. He died in 1926. His book on the Torah and festivals has been well received among Torah scholars who are not Hassidic.
שם משמואל בראשית פרשת וישלח
ויש לומר עוד עפ"מ שהגיד כ"ק אבי אדומו"ר זללה"ה בהא דאמרו ז"ל (שבת קי"ח ב) אילו משמרין ישראל שתי שבתות מיד נגאלין,
הטעם שצריכין לשתי שבתות, כי לזכות לשבת בשלימות
א"א אלא בהכנה שלימה בששת ימי המעשה כענין אמרם ז"ל
(ע"ז ג' א) מי שטרח בע"ש יאכל בשבת,
אבל גם זאת הכנה שלימה בששת ימי המעשה כדבעי היא קשה מאד
וצריכין לזה לסיוע משבת הקודמת,
דאף שנסתלקה מ"מ נשאר רשימו ממנה,
וזה מסייע להכנה בששת ימי המעשה כדבעי
לזכות לשלימות השבת אחר ימי המעשה,
ואלה שתי הבחי' שיש בשבת, שבת דקודם ימי המעשה ושבת דאחר ימי המעשה,
וזהו דאיפלגי בש"ס שבת (ס"ט ב) המהלך במדבר ואינו יודע מתי יום השבת אי מונה ששה ושובת יום אחד כברייתו של עולם, או שובת יום אחד ומונה ששה כאדה"ר, וזהו ענין שתי השבתות שצריכין לגאולה,
The Acharonim ask - Why don't we go after the Rov?
Most days are not Shabbos?
Ran says we don't go after the Rov if it is totally oker the Mitzvah.
We would never keep Shabbos at all.
We know we have to do heseiba by 2 cups - we don't know which two so we do all 4.
We could say safeik brachos lekula (derabbanan) and do it by none - but that would obliterate the Mitzvah completely.
There are many more issues - tefillin in the desert, what does he need for Kiddush and Havdala etc -
Part 2 to come at some point b.n.