An Intro:
Last week we studied the significance of Shabbat. Shabbat is not merely a day off but observance of this special days creates security, and forgiveness.
The laws of Muktzah are implemented as a direct result of the significance of the day.
It even seems that there were adjustments made within the laws, during the time of Ezra & Nechemiah, depending on the nature of the Jewish communities observance of Shabbat.
The background to the book of Ezra/Nechemiah:
This book takes place around the Jewish return to the Promised Land following the destruction of the first Temple. It takes some years to build the second Temple, and there is not an en masse return to the land. Nevertheless, Ezra & Nechemiah lead the rejuvenation of the land, each addressing the opportunity of the new settlement. While there is a struggle to build Jewish life, including a laxity around observance of Shabbat, this book is the only one in Tanach that focuses on the resettlement of the Promised Land, and explore how to rejuvenate Jewish life following destruction. The lessons in this book are acutely relevant to the rebirth of the State of Israel.
While they had received permission to rebuild the Temple, Jewish observance was poor. The below verses (Nehemiah 13:14-18) describe how the observance of Shabbat was particularly lax, with many Jews conducting business on this holy day.
(יד) זׇכְרָה־לִּ֥י אֱלֹקַ֖י עַל־זֹ֑את וְאַל־תֶּ֣מַח חֲסָדַ֗י אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֛יתִי בְּבֵ֥ית אֱלֹקַ֖י וּבְמִשְׁמָרָֽיו׃
(טו) בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֡מָּה רָאִ֣יתִי בִֽיהוּדָ֣ה ׀ דֹּֽרְכִֽים־גִּתּ֣וֹת ׀ בַּשַּׁבָּ֡ת וּמְבִיאִ֣ים הָעֲרֵמ֣וֹת וְֽעֹמְסִ֪ים עַל־הַחֲמֹרִ֟ים וְאַף־יַ֜יִן עֲנָבִ֤ים וּתְאֵנִים֙ וְכׇל־מַשָּׂ֔א וּמְבִיאִ֥ים יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם בְּי֣וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת וָאָעִ֕יד בְּי֖וֹם מִכְרָ֥ם צָֽיִד׃
(טז) וְהַצֹּרִים֙ יָ֣שְׁבוּ בָ֔הּ מְבִיאִ֥ים דָּ֖אג וְכׇל־מֶ֑כֶר וּמוֹכְרִ֧ים בַּשַּׁבָּ֛ת לִבְנֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה וּבִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
(יז) וָאָרִ֕יבָה אֵ֖ת חֹרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וָאֹמְרָ֣ה לָהֶ֗ם מָֽה־הַדָּבָ֨ר הָרָ֤ע הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֔ים וּֽמְחַלְּלִ֖ים אֶת־י֥וֹם הַשַּׁבָּֽת׃
(יח) הֲל֨וֹא כֹ֤ה עָשׂוּ֙ אֲבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וַיָּבֵ֨א אֱלֹקֵ֜ינוּ עָלֵ֗ינוּ אֵ֚ת כׇּל־הָרָעָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את וְעַ֖ל הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֑את וְאַתֶּ֞ם מוֹסִיפִ֤ים חָרוֹן֙ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְחַלֵּ֖ל אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּֽת׃ {פ}
(14) O my God, remember me favorably for this, and do not blot out the devotion I showed toward the House of my God and its attendants.
(15) At that time I saw men in Judah treading winepresses on the sabbath, and others bringing heaps of grain and loading them onto asses, also wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of goods, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the sabbath. I admonished them there and then for selling provisions.
(16) Tyrians who lived there brought fish and all sorts of wares and sold them on the sabbath to the Judahites in Jerusalem.
(17) I censured the nobles of Judah, saying to them, “What evil thing is this that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day!
(18) This is just what your ancestors did, and for it God brought all this misfortune on this city; and now you give cause for further wrath against Israel by profaning the sabbath!”
Nechemiah's Response:
With the newly founded settlement in the land of Israel struggling to encourage Shabbat observance, how do they reinforce the observance of this important day in the week?
See source 4 & 5 below that describes the 'takanot,' decrees, that were made during the time of Nechemiah:
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים שְׁלֹשָׁה כֵּלִים נִיטָּלִין בַּשַּׁבָּת: מִקְצוֹעַ שֶׁל דְּבֵילָה, וְזוּהֲמָא לִיסְטְרוֹן שֶׁל קְדֵרָה, וְסַכִּין קְטַנָּה שֶׁעַל גַּבֵּי שֻׁלְחָן. הִתִּירוּ, וְחָזְרוּ וְהִתִּירוּ, וְחָזְרוּ וְהִתִּירוּ, עַד שֶׁאָמְרוּ: כׇּל הַכֵּלִים נִיטָּלִין בַּשַּׁבָּת, חוּץ מִן מַסָּר הַגָּדוֹל וְיָתֵד שֶׁל מַחֲרֵישָׁה.
The Sages taught in the Tosefta: Initially, they would say that only three utensils may be moved on Shabbat: A knife for cutting a cake of dried figs, and a combined spoon and fork (A spork?👀) to clean the filth [zuhama listeran] of a pot, and a small knife that is on the table. Each of these items is required for eating and may be used, and it had been prohibited to move any other utensil. However, over the generations, when the Rabbis saw that Jewish people were vigilant in observing the prohibitions of Shabbat, they permitted, and then they permitted again, and then they permitted again, until they said in the last mishna: All utensils may be moved on Shabbat except for a large saw and the blade of a plow.
During the time of Nechemiah, during the early years of the Second Temple, they decreed restrictions on moving many items on Shabbat, to reinforce Shabbat observance due to a general laxity among the many returnees to the Promised land.
For Discussion:
- What is your reaction to this unique moment in Jewish history?
- Do you think the decree increasing the restrictions around the laws of Muktzah was effective in deepening the communities connection to Shabbat?
Extra Credit discussion for older children:
Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein (Aruch HaShulchan Orach Chaim 309) discusses these events and wonders how it was possible for the generation of Ezra & Nechemiah to enact stringencies within the laws of Muktzah, only for later generations to remove them. There is a principal within Jewish law that restricts the removal of laws from one generation to the next only by a Bet Din (Jewish Court) that is obviously greater in stature. Rabbi Epstein wonders if it was really possible that there would a generation that followed these restrictions that were greater than Ezra & Nechemiah?
- What do you think about rule put in place by people who came before us?
One note in preparation for next week:
The laws of Muktzah seem to hold a special status within Jewish law, and it is for this reason they are treated differently than other laws. We will take a look next week at when these laws originated and will begin to understand how they are applied, and why they are afforded so much reverence.