What law(s) is the wood collector accused of breaking?
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: מְקוֹשֵׁשׁ, מַעֲבִיר אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים הֲוָה. בְּמַתְנִיתָא תָּנָא: תּוֹלֵשׁ הֲוָה. רַב אַחָא בְּרַבִּי יַעֲקֹב אָמַר: מְעַמֵּר הֲוָה.
Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: The wood gatherer who was sentenced to death for desecrating Shabbat (see Numbers 15:33–36) was one who carried four cubits in the public domain. He was stoned for performing the prohibited labor of carrying. It was taught in a baraita: He was one who detached still-growing branches. He was stoned for performing the prohibited labor of detaching. Rav Aḥa, son of Rabbi Ya’akov, said: He was one who gathered sticks together into a pile.
רִבִּי חִייָה בַּר גַּמְדָּא שָׁאַל. מְקוֹשֵׁשׁ מִשּׁוּם מַה מִיחַייֵב. מִשּׁוּם תּוֹלֵשׁ אוֹ מִשּׁוּם קוֹצֵר. נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מֵהָדָא. וַיִּהְי֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַֽיִּמְצְא֗וּ. מְלַמֵּד שֶּׁמְצָאוּהוּ תוֹלֵשׁ עֵצִים מִן הַקַּרְקַע.
Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Gamda asked: What was the gatherer’s guilt? Because of tearing off or because of reaping? Let us hear from the following: The Children of Israel were in the desert when they found … This teaches that he was tearing wood off the ground.
Why are his actions significant?
(ז) לֹ֣א תֹאסִפ֞וּן לָתֵ֨ת תֶּ֧בֶן לָעָ֛ם לִלְבֹּ֥ן הַלְּבֵנִ֖ים כִּתְמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֑ם הֵ֚ם יֵֽלְכ֔וּ וְקֹשְׁשׁ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם תֶּֽבֶן׃ (ח) וְאֶת־מַתְכֹּ֨נֶת הַלְּבֵנִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵם֩ עֹשִׂ֨ים תְּמ֤וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם֙ תָּשִׂ֣ימוּ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־נִרְפִּ֣ים הֵ֔ם עַל־כֵּ֗ן הֵ֤ם צֹֽעֲקִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר נֵלְכָ֖ה נִזְבְּחָ֥ה לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ (ט) תִּכְבַּ֧ד הָעֲבֹדָ֛ה עַל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים וְיַעֲשׂוּ־בָ֑הּ וְאַל־יִשְׁע֖וּ בְּדִבְרֵי־שָֽׁקֶר׃ (י) וַיֵּ֨צְא֜וּ נֹגְשֵׂ֤י הָעָם֙ וְשֹׁ֣טְרָ֔יו וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ אֶל־הָעָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר פַּרְעֹ֔ה אֵינֶ֛נִּי נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶ֖ם תֶּֽבֶן׃ (יא) אַתֶּ֗ם לְכ֨וּ קְח֤וּ לָכֶם֙ תֶּ֔בֶן מֵאֲשֶׁ֖ר תִּמְצָ֑אוּ כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין נִגְרָ֛ע מֵעֲבֹדַתְכֶ֖ם דָּבָֽר׃ (יב) וַיָּ֥פֶץ הָעָ֖ם בְּכׇל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לְקֹשֵׁ֥שׁ קַ֖שׁ לַתֶּֽבֶן׃ (יג) וְהַנֹּגְשִׂ֖ים אָצִ֣ים לֵאמֹ֑ר כַּלּ֤וּ מַעֲשֵׂיכֶם֙ דְּבַר־י֣וֹם בְּיוֹמ֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר בִּהְי֥וֹת הַתֶּֽבֶן׃ (יד) וַיֻּכּ֗וּ שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣מוּ עֲלֵהֶ֔ם נֹגְשֵׂ֥י פַרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר מַדּ֡וּעַ לֹא֩ כִלִּיתֶ֨ם חׇקְכֶ֤ם לִלְבֹּן֙ כִּתְמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם גַּם־תְּמ֖וֹל גַּם־הַיּֽוֹם׃ (טו) וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּצְעֲק֥וּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר לָ֧מָּה תַעֲשֶׂ֦ה כֹ֖ה לַעֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃ (טז) תֶּ֗בֶן אֵ֤ין נִתָּן֙ לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ וּלְבֵנִ֛ים אֹמְרִ֥ים לָ֖נוּ עֲשׂ֑וּ וְהִנֵּ֧ה עֲבָדֶ֛יךָ מֻכִּ֖ים וְחָטָ֥את עַמֶּֽךָ׃ (יז) וַיֹּ֛אמֶר נִרְפִּ֥ים אַתֶּ֖ם נִרְפִּ֑ים עַל־כֵּן֙ אַתֶּ֣ם אֹֽמְרִ֔ים נֵלְכָ֖ה נִזְבְּחָ֥ה לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃ (יח) וְעַתָּה֙ לְכ֣וּ עִבְד֔וּ וְתֶ֖בֶן לֹא־יִנָּתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְתֹ֥כֶן לְבֵנִ֖ים תִּתֵּֽנוּ׃
(7) “You shall no longer provide the people with straw for making bricks as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for themselves. (8) But impose upon them the same quota of bricks as they have been making heretofore; do not reduce it, for they are shirkers; that is why they cry, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God!’ (9) Let heavier work be laid upon those involved; let them keep at it and not pay attention to deceitful promises.” (10) So the taskmasters and overseers of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh: I will not give you any straw. (11) You must go and get the straw yourselves wherever you can find it; but there shall be no decrease whatever in your work.” (12) Then the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. (13) And the taskmasters pressed them, saying, “You must complete the same work assignment each day as when you had straw.” (14) And the overseers of the Israelites, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten. “Why,” they were asked, “did you not complete the prescribed amount of bricks, either yesterday or today, as you did before?” (15) Then the overseers of the Israelites came to Pharaoh and cried: “Why do you deal thus with your servants? (16) No straw is issued to your servants, yet they demand of us: Make bricks! Thus your servants are being beaten, when the fault is with your own people.” (17) He replied, “You are shirkers, shirkers! That is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to יהוה.’ (18) Be off now to your work! No straw shall be issued to you, but you must produce your quota of bricks!”
(17) it shall be a sign for all time between Me and the people of Israel. For in six days יהוה made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day [God] ceased from work and was refreshed.
(25) Then Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath of יהוה; you will not find it today on the plain. (26) Six days you shall gather it; on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none.” (27) Yet some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found nothing. (28) And יהוה said to Moses, “How long will you all refuse to obey My commandments and My teachings? (29) Mark that it is יהוה who, having given you the sabbath, therefore gives you two days’ food on the sixth day. Let everyone remain in place: let no one leave the vicinity on the seventh day.” (30) So the people remained inactive on the seventh day.
דבי חזקיה תנא (שמות כא, יד) וכי יזיד איש על רעהו להרגו בערמה שהתרו בו ועדיין הוא מזיד דבי רבי ישמעאל תנא (במדבר טו, לג) המוצאים אותו מקושש עצים שהתרו בו ועדיין הוא מקושש
נאמר כאן מדבר ונאמר להלן מדבר (במדבר כז), מה מדוימצאו איש מקושש עצים מלמד שמנה משה שומרים וימצאו אותו מקושש. ויקריבו אותו המוצאים אותו מקושש. עוד למה נאמר והלא כבר נאמר וימצאו איש, ומה תלמוד לומר ויקריבו אותו [המוצאים אותו] מגיד שהתרו בו (מעין מלאכתו. מכאן לכל אבות שבתורה שמתרין בהם מעין מלאכתם).
"And they found a man pulling up wood.": We are hereby apprised that Moses appointed watchers (to this end), and they found him pulling up wood. (Ibid. 33) "And they brought him near — those who found him pulling up wood.": Why is this mentioned again? Is not already written "And they found a man, etc."? We are hereby taught that they warned him (after finding him) and he continued doing so.
"From the verses describing the discovery of this man, the Sages deduce that it is not by chance that they find him: there are watchmen, and these watchmen not only "catch" the transgressor, but also try to prevent him from sinning and warn him. The message, in short, is that there is an attempt on the part of Moshe (and the nation) to prevent sin. Thus, Parashat Shelach describes spiritual progress. The Jewish nation, described in the story of the Spies as a congregation of sinners and violators of God's word, is revealed in the narrative of the stick-gatherer as a community seeking to observe and fulfill God's word. For this congregation, it is important that every individual behaves in accordance with God's commandments."
"God's decision in Num 15:35 seems to confirm the view that the Sabbath gather's behaviour brought to mind Israel's conditions of total servitude. Instead of evoking God's rule in Gen 1:1-2:4 the man's behaviour evokes Pharaoh's rule in Exodus 5. It reflects a desire to return to the economic conditions associated with Pharaoh and thus signifies the rejections on YHWH's lordship....The Sabbath breaker's behaviour thus signifies a desire to return to Egypt. In this sense it thematically repeats the earlier spy story which includes a statement of the Israelites' desire to return to Egypt (Num 14:4)....Stoning the Sabbath gatherer to death outside the camp signifies his exclusion from the covenant community. This is appropriate because he is found to have rejected the Sabbath, this is, the 'sign' of belonging to that covenant community"
Now an alternative view from the wood collector:
[The one who collected sticks on Shabbat] intended [his action] for the sake of Heaven since the Israelites were saying that since God decreed they would not enter the Land due to the actions of the spies, they were no longer obligated to the mitzvot. [In response] he desecrated Shabbat so that he would be executed, and the others would be afraid [of the consequences and keep the mitzvot.]
In these texts we see decisions made for the sake of heaven and/or the spiritual direction of the community. Both the community and the gatherer believed they were acting with good intentions in their respective texts. If both saw the "other" as wrong and saw themselves as more pious are there lessons to be learned as to how we operate, communicate, judge, and build within a community, especially in these changing times?