תניא אמרו עליו על שמאי הזקן כל ימיו היה אוכל לכבוד שבת מצא בהמה נאה אומר זו לשבת מצא אחרת נאה הימנה מניח את השניה ואוכל את הראשונה אבל הלל הזקן מדה אחרת היתה לו שכל מעשיו לשם שמים שנאמר (תהלים סח, כ) ברוך ה' יום יוםתניא נמי הכי בית שמאי אומרים מחד שביך לשבתיך ובית הלל אומרים ברוך ה' יום יום
It is taught in a baraita: They said about Shammai the Elder that all his days he would eat in honor of Shabbat. How so? If he found a choice animal, he would say: This is for Shabbat. If he subsequently found another one choicer than it, he would set aside the second for Shabbat and eat the first. He would eat the first to leave the better-quality animal for Shabbat, which continually rendered his eating an act of honoring Shabbat. However, Hillel the Elder had a different trait, that all his actions, including those on a weekday, were for the sake of Heaven, as it is stated: “Blessed be the Lord, day by day; He bears our burden, our God who is our salvation; Selah” (Psalms 68:20), meaning that God gives a blessing for each and every day. That is also taught in a baraita in more general terms: Beit Shammai say: From the first day of the week, Sunday, start preparing already for your Shabbat. And Beit Hillel say: “Blessed be the Lord, day by day.”
From the first day of the week give your heart to the next Shabbat
ועל דרך הפשט אמרו (במכילתא כאן) שהיא מצוה שנזכור תמיד בכל יום את השבת שלא נשכחהו ולא יתחלף לנו בשאר הימים, כי בזכרנו אותו תמיד יזכור מעשה בראשית בכל עת, ונודה בכל עת שיש לעולם בורא, והוא צוה אותנו באות הזה כמו ובמכילתא (כאן).
רבי יצחק אומר, לא תהא מונה כדרך שהאחרים מונים, אלא תהא מונה לשם שבת. ופירושה, שהגוים מונין ימי השבוע ,או שמות אחרים הם... וישראל מונים כל הימים לשם שבת, אחד בשבת, שני בשבת, כי זו מן המצוה שנצטוינו בו לזכרו תמיד בכל יום.
It seems to be according to the Peshat that the Mitzvah of Zachor is to remember the Shabbat always, every day, so we won't get confused on the other days, and so we will be able to remember the miracle of creation every moment, and will thank continually that there is a Creator for the world, and He commanded this to us.
Rabbi Yitzchak says - don't count the way the others count, but count in the name of Shabbat. This means, the other nations count the days of the week by their names... but we call every day in the name of Shabbat... this is day one of Shabbat, this is day two of Shabbat, etc. This helps to fulfill the Mitzvah of continually remembering Shabbat, every day.
וּבְטוּבו מְחַדֵּשׁ בְּכָל יום תָּמִיד מַעֲשה בְרֵאשִׁית.
In His goodness, He renews the work of creation every day, continuously
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Saks
"Counting Time"
May 7, 2015
Tomorrow need not be the same as yesterday. There is nothing given, eternal and immutable about the way we construct societies and live our lives together.
Time is not a series of moments traced on the face of a watch, always moving yet always the same.
Instead it is a journey with a starting point and a destination, or a story with a beginning, middle and end.
Each moment has a meaning, which can only be grasped if we understand where we have come from and where we are going to.
(י) כֹּ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּמְצָ֧א יָֽדְךָ֛ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת בְּכֹחֲךָ֖ עֲשֵׂ֑ה
(10) Whatever it is in your power to do, do with all your might. .
על כן יש לך לעשות כל הטוב שתוכל בעולם הזה בעוד שיש לך כח ורשות לעשות...קודם שיחסר לך הזמן עשה כל טוב שתוכל בעוד שאתה בכחך
This is why one has to perform all the good one can while on this earth and capable of exercising one’s faculties. This is what Solomon had said in the first half of the verse we just quoted, where we read: “whatever it is in your power to do, do with all your might.”
תנו רבנן אדם יחידי נברא ומפני מה?
מפני הצדיקים ומפני הרשעים- שלא יהו הצדיקים אומרים אנו בני צדיק ורשעים אומרים אנו בני רשע
The Sages taught in a baraita: Adam was created alone, and for what reason?
Alternatively, Adam was created alone due to the righteous and due to the wicked. It was so that the righteous will not say: We are the children of the righteous, and righteousness is natural for us, so there is no need for us to exert ourselves to be righteous, and so that the wicked will not say: We are the children of the wicked and cannot change our ways.
רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: בָּעַז עָשָׂה אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ, וְרוּת עָשְׂתָה אֶת שֶׁלָּהּ, וְנָעֳמִי עָשְׂתָה אֶת שֶׁלָּהּ, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַף אֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה אֶת שֶׁלִּי
Rabbi Eliezer says:
Boaz did [his job,] Ruth did [her job,]
and Naomi did [her job.]
Said Hashem- I will also do mine.
(א) בִּשְׁלשָׁה כְּתָרִים נִכְתְּרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל. כֶּתֶר תּוֹרָה וְכֶתֶר כְּהֻנָּה וְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת. כֶּתֶר כְּהֻנָּה זָכָה בּוֹ אַהֲרֹן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כה יג) "וְהָיְתָה לּוֹ וּלְזַרְעוֹ אַחֲרָיו בְּרִית כְּהֻנַּת עוֹלָם". כֶּתֶר מַלְכוּת זָכָה בּוֹ דָּוִד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים פט לז) "זַרְעוֹ לְעוֹלָם יִהְיֶה וְכִסְאוֹ כַשֶּׁמֶשׁ נֶגְדִּי".כֶּתֶר תּוֹרָה הֲרֵי מֻנָּח וְעוֹמֵד וּמוּכָן לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים לג ד) "תּוֹרָה צִוָּה לָנוּ משֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב". כָּל מִי שֶׁיִּרְצֶה יָבוֹא וְיִטּל ...הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁכֶּתֶר תּוֹרָה גָּדוֹל מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם:
(1) The people of Israel were crowned with three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood and the crown of sovereignty. The crown of priesthood was acquired by Aaron, even as it is said: "And it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of everlasting priesthood" (Num. 25.13); the crown of sovereignty was acquired by David, even as it is said: "His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me" (Psalms 89.37);
But the crown of the Torah, behold it, there it lies ready within the grasp of all Israel, even as it is said: "Moses commanded us a Law, an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob" (Deut. 33.4), Whosoever wants it may come and take it...And... be instructed that the crown of the Torah is greater than both of the others.
דרש ר' שמלאי תורה תחלתה גמילות חסדים וסופה גמילות חסדים
Rabbi Samlai taught: With regard to the Torah, its beginning is an act of kindness and its end is an act of kindness.
תְּחִלָּתָ הַתּוֹרָה גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְאֶמְצָעִיתָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְסוֹפָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים. תְּחִלָּתָהּ הִלְבִּישׁ עֲרֻמִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּעַשׂ ה' אֱלֹקִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּישֵׁם (בראשית ג, כא). אֶמְצָעִיתָהּ בִּקּוּר חוֹלִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה' בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא (בראשית יח, א). וְסוֹפָהּ, קָבַר מֵת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּקְבֹּר אֹתוֹ בַגַּי (דברים לד, ו). אַף אַתֶּם תֵּלְכוּ אַחַר מִדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא.
Deeds of loving-kindness are mentioned at the beginning of the Torah, in its middle, and at its conclusion. At the beginning of the Torah, the naked are clothed, as it is said: The Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skin, and He clothed them (Gen. 3:21); in the middle of the Torah, the ailing are visited, as it is said: And God appeared unto him in the grove of Mamre (ibid. 18:1); and at the conclusion of the Torah, the dead are buried, as is said: And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab (Deut. 34:6). In this way you must walk in the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He.