Prologue
(ג) וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹת֑וֹ כִּ֣י ב֤וֹ שָׁבַת֙ מִכׇּל־מְלַאכְתּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ {פ}
(3) And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy—having ceased on it from all the work of creation that God had done.
(א)ויתן אל משה וגו'. אֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה – מַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל קֹדֶם לְצִוּוּי מְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן יָמִים רַבִּים הָיָה – שֶׁהֲרֵי בְי"ז בְּתַמּוּז נִשְׁתַּבְּרוּ הַלּוּחוֹת, וּבְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים נִתְרַצָּה הַקָּבָּ"ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּלְמָחֳרָת הִתְחִילוּ בְנִדְבַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְהוּקַם בְּאֶחָד בְּנִיסָן (תנחומא): (ב)ככלתו. ככלתו כְּתִיב – חָסֵר – שֶׁנִּמְסְרָה לוֹ תּוֹרָה בְּמַתָּנָה כְּכַלָּה לֶחָתָן, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה יָכוֹל לִלְמֹד כֻּלָּהּ בִּזְמַן מֻעָט כָּזֶה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מַה כַּלָּה מִתְקַשֶּׁטֶת בְּכ"ד קִשּׁוּטִין – הֵן הָאֲמוּרִים בְּסֵפֶר יְשַׁעְיָה – אַף תַּלְמִיד חָכָם צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת בָּקִי בְּכ"ד סְפָרִים: (ג)לדבר אתו. הַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים שֶׁבִּוְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים: (ד)לדבר אתו. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה שׁוֹמֵעַ מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה וְחוֹזְרִין וְשׁוֹנִין אֶת הַהֲלָכָה שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחַד: (ה)לחת. לחת כְּתִיב שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁתֵּיהֶן שָׁווֹת (שם):
(1) ויתן אל משה וגו׳ AND HE GAVE UNTO MOSES etc. — There is no “earlier” or “later” (no chronological order) in the events related in the Torah: in fact the incident of the golden calf (related in ch. 32) happened a considerable time before the command regarding the work of the Tabernacle was given (ch. 25 and the following chapters). For on the seventeenth of Tammuz were the Tablets broken (when the people were worshipping the calf) and on the Day of Atonement God became reconciled with Israel (after Moses had prayed 80 days for forgivenness; so that it is very unlikely that the command for the building of the Tabernacle should have been given before that day) and on the next day, the eleventh of Tishri (cf. Rashi on Exodus 33:11, at end of comment on ושב אל המחנה), they began to bring their contributions for the Tabernacle which was set up on the first of Nisan. (From the seventeenth of Tammuz until the eleventh of Tishri are almost three months — ימים רבים) (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 31). (2) ככלתו WHEN HE FINISHED [SPEAKING] — The word ככלתו is written defectively (without a ו after the ל) to intimate that the Torah was handed over to Moses as a gift (note the word ויתן), complete in every respect, even as the bride (the word ככלתו is taken to be connected with “כלה”, bride) is handed over to the bridegroom completely equipped with all she requires — for in a period brief as this which Moses spent on the mountain, he must have been unable to learn in its entirety every law to be derived from it. Another explanation why the word is written defective is: just as a bride (כלה) bedecks herself with 24 ornaments — those which are mentioned in the book of Isaiah (ch. 3) — so a scholar (תלמיד חכם) ought to be thoroughly versed in the contents of the 24 books of Scripture (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 16). (3) לדבר אתו TO SPEAK WITH HIM the statutes and the judgments contained in the section beginning with ואלה המשפטים (ch. Exodus 21 ff.). (4) לדבר אתו TO SPEAK “WITH” HIM — The use of the word אתו “with him” teaches us that Moses first heard the laws from the mouth of the Almighty and that then they both again repeated each Halacha together (Exodus Rabbah 41:5). (5) לחת TABLETS — The word is written defectively לחת (without a ו between ח and ת), thus intimating that they were both alike in every respect (Exodus Rabbah 41:6).
קַח אֶת אַהֲרֹן פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ נֶאֶמְרָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים קֹדֶם הֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, שֶׁאֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא ח':ב'). וְלָמָּה נַהֲפֹךְ דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים, וְעוֹד כִּי צִוָּה בְּפָרָשַׁת בְּיוֹם הַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן (שמות מ) בְּכָל הֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וּבִלְבִישַׁת אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו וּבִמְשִׁיחַת כֻּלָּם, וְסִפֵּר שָׁם מַעֲשֵׂה מֹשֶׁה בְּעִנְיַן הַהֲקָמָה, וְלֹא הִזְכִּיר בְּאַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו דָּבָר עַד הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה, וְאֵיךְ הִפְרִישׁ עִנְיָן אֶחָד בִּשְׁתֵּי פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת וְאִחֵר הַמֻּקְדָּם. אֲבָל הַנָּכוֹן שֶׁנֹּאמַר כִּי נִצְטַוָּה בַּהֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן בְּכ"ג בַּאֲדָר וְהֵקִים אוֹתוֹ, וְכַאֲשֶׁר עָמַד הַמִּשְׁכָּן עַל מַעֲמָדוֹ מִיָּד קָרָא לוֹ הש"י שֶׁהוּא יוֹשֵׁב הַכְּרוּבִים וְצִוָּה אוֹתוֹ עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת כָּל הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה שֶׁמִּתְּחִלַּת וַיִּקְרָא עַד כָּאן, כִּי רָצָה לְלַמְּדוֹ מַעֲשֵׂה כָּל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת וּמִשְׁפְּטֵיהֶם קֹדֶם שֶׁיַּקְרִיב מֵהֶם כְּלָל, כִּי יֵשׁ בְּקָרְבְּנוֹת הַמִּלּוּאִים חַטָּאת וְעוֹלָה וּשְׁלָמִים וְלֹא יִוָּדְעוּ כָּל דִּינֵיהֶם רַק מִן הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה שֶׁהִקְדִּים לוֹ, וְאַחַר כֵּן אָמַר לוֹ "קַח אֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו אִתּוֹ", לְזָרֵז אוֹתוֹ בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֶׂה בַּמֶּה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ מִתְּחִלָּה (שמות כט א) "וְזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם לְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתָם לְכַהֵן לִי" וְגוֹ', וְהוֹסִיף לוֹ בְּכָאן (ויקרא ח':ג') "וְאֵת כָּל הָעֵדָה הַקְהֵל אֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד", שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה בְּמַעֲמַד כֻּלָּם שֶׁיֵּדְעוּ שֶׁהש"י בָּחַר בְּאַהֲרֹן וּבְזַרְעוֹ. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר נִצְטַוָּה מֹשֶׁה בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן קֹדֶם לְמַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל, וּכְשֶׁנִּתְרַצָּה לוֹ הקב"ה וְהִבְטִיחוֹ שֶׁיַּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָתוֹ בְּתוֹכָם יָדַע מֵעַצְמוֹ שֶׁמִּצְוַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן בִּמְקוֹמָהּ עוֹמֶדֶת, וְצִוָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עָלֶיהָ כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי בְּפָרָשַׁת וַיַּקְהֵל (שם לה א), וְאַחֲרֵי שֶׁהִשְׁלִימוּ הַמְּלָאכָה נֶאֱמַר לוֹ פָּרָשַׁת "בְּיוֹם הַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ תָּקִים אֶת מִשְׁכַּן אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד" (שם מ ב), וְשָׁם נֶאֱמַר לוֹ "וְהִקְרַבְתָּ אֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו" וְגוֹ' (שם פסוק יב), וְהִנֵּה יָדַע שֶׁגַּם אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו בְּמַעֲלָתָם וּבְחִבָּתָם לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם, וְעַכְשָׁו חָזַר וְזֵרְזוֹ בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל מִלּוּאִים וּבִשְׁעַת מַעֲשֶׂה. וְהִנֵּה כָּל הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת כְּסִדְרָן, אֶלָּא שֶׁהִקְדִּים "וַיְכַס הֶעָנָן אֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד" (שם פסוק לד) שֶׁהוּא בְּיוֹם שְׁמִינִי לַמִּלּוּאִים כְּדַעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (בת"כ ריש שמיני) לְסַדֵּר כָּל עִנְיַן הֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, כִּי כֵן דֶּרֶךְ הַכְּתוּבִים בְּכָל מָקוֹם לְהַשְׁלִים עִנְיָן אֲשֶׁר הִתְחִיל בּוֹ:
Take Aaron: ... According to the straightforward approach, Moses was commanded about the work of the Tabernacle before the story of the [golden] calf. And once the Holy One, blessed be He, was appeased, and He promised that He would have His Divine Presence dwell among them, [Moses] knew on his own that the commandments of the Tabernacles were [reinstated]. So he commanded Israel about it, as I explained in Parshat Vayakhel (above on Exodus 35:1)...
Chapter 1: A Palace In Time
(יג) אִם־תָּשִׁ֤יב מִשַּׁבָּת֙ רַגְלֶ֔ךָ עֲשׂ֥וֹת חֲפָצֶ֖ךָ בְּי֣וֹם קׇדְשִׁ֑י וְקָרָ֨אתָ לַשַּׁבָּ֜ת עֹ֗נֶג לִקְד֤וֹשׁ יהוה מְכֻבָּ֔ד וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ֙ מֵעֲשׂ֣וֹת דְּרָכֶ֔יךָ מִמְּצ֥וֹא חֶפְצְךָ֖ וְדַבֵּ֥ר דָּבָֽר׃
(13)If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,
From pursuing your affairs on My holy day;If you call the sabbath “delight,” GOD’s holy day “honored”;
And if you honor it and go not your waysNor look to your affairs, nor strike bargains—
"you might think I have given you the Sabbath for your displeasure; I have surely given you the Sabbath for your pleasure." To sanctify the seventh day does not mean: Thou shalt mortify thyself, but, on the con-trary: Thou shalt sanctify it with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy senses. "Sanctify the Sabbath by choice meals, by beautiful garments; delight your soul with pleasure and I will reward you for this very pleasure." P. 18-19
Chapter 2: Beyond Civilization
ONLY HEAVEN AND NOTHING ELSE?
Thou Art One
After the work of creation was completed, the Sev. enth Day pleaded: Master of the universe, all that Thou hast created is in couples; to every day of the week Thou gavest a mate; only I was left alone. And God answered: The Community of Israel will be your mate. That promise was not forgotten. "When the people of Israel stood before the mountain of Sinai, the Lord said to them: Remember that I said to the Sabbath: The Community of Israel is your mate? Hence: Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it" (Exodus 20:8). P. 51
(ח) זָכ֛וֹר֩ אֶת־י֥֨וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֖֜ת לְקַדְּשֽׁ֗וֹ׃
(8) Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.
To understand the significance of that new conception, it is important to be aware of the mood of the age. Rabbi Shimeon belonged to a generation which, under the leadership of Bar Kochba, rose in arms against the might of Rome in a last effort to regain independ. ence and to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. Israel without the sanctuary seemed alone in the world. The revolt was crushed; it became clear that there was no possibility of another uprising. The sanctuary in space was going to remain in ruins for many a long day. But Rabbi Shimeon's idea proclaimed Israel was not alone. Israel is engaged to holiness, to eternity. The match was made long before history began; the Sabbath was a union that no one could disjoin. What God put together could not be set apart. P. 52
The Sabbath is meaningful to God, for without it there would be no holiness in our world of time. In discussing the meaning of the verse, "and on the seventh day He finished His work," the ancient rabbis suggested that an act of creation took place on the seventh day. The world would not be complete if the six days did not culminate in the Sabbath. Geniba and the rabbis discussed this.® Geniba said: This may be compared to a king who made a bridal chamber, which he plastered, painted and adorned; now what did the bridal chamber lack? A bride to enter it. Similarly, what did the universe still lack? The Sabbath. The rabbis said: Imagine a king who made a ring: What did it lack? A signet. Similarly, what did the universe lack? The Sabbath." P. 54
The Presence of A Day
intuitions of Eternity
source. Unless one learns how to relish the taste of Sabbath while still in this world, unless one is initiated in the appreciation of eternal life, one will be unable to enjoy the taste of eternity in the world to come. Sad is the lot of him who arrives inexperienced and when led to heaven has no power to perceive the beauty of the Sabbath. P. 74
What is the Sabbath? Spirit in the form of time. With our bodies we belong to space; our spirit, our souls, soar to eternity, aspire to the holy. The Sabbath is an ascent to the summit. It gives us the opportunity to sanctify time, to raise the good to the level of the holy, to behold the holy by abstaining from profanity. P.75
Holiness In Time
It was sanctified by the people when they entered the land under the leadership of Joshua. The land was sanctified by the people, and the Sabbath was sanctified by God. The sanctity of the Sabbath is not like that of the festivals. The sanctity of the festivals depends upon an act of man. It is man who fixes the calendar and thus determines on which day of the week a festival will come. If the people should fail to establish the beginning of the new month, Passover would not be celebrated. It is different in regard to the Sabbath. Even when men forsake the Sabbath, its holiness remains. " And yet all aspects of holiness are mysteriously interrelated.' P. 81-82
Epilogue
(ג) וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹת֑וֹ כִּ֣י ב֤וֹ שָׁבַת֙ מִכׇּל־מְלַאכְתּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ {פ}
(3) And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy—having ceased on it from all the work of creation that God had done.