ParshaClass/The Great Shabat
Rabbi Z Aviner
NoahideSevenCommandments.com
This Shabat, the last one before the Passover Night,
Also called the Great Shabat, Hagadol,
It is customary for the entire congregation to convene
in the Synagogues to hear special serthmon delivered by the Rabbi
about the meaning and the laws of the coming Holiday.
Why the name Gadol – Great?
Some say it comes from the special reading part that
We read from the prophet Malachi on that Shabat.
It says “Here I am sending to you the Prophet Eliah
Prior to the forthcoming of the Day of Hashem, the Great
And awesome.
Elijah will arrive prior to the Day of Hashem,
Hence, we read about it, – recall it- several days before Passover Night
Which is a Night of Redemption of Israel.
But there is another reason why we convene a few days before Passover on the Great Shabat, that comes from the story of the Exodus itself.
It is said that Hashem instructed Moses to tell Israel that on the Tenth day of the month, four days prior to the Exodus night, each person should designate a lamb for the coming Exodus night. They should do this publicly, under the watching eyes of the Egyptian masters, who worshipped those goats LAMBS and holy cows.
Tradition also says that the Tenth day of that month fell on the Sabbath. We therefore celebrate this event each year on the last Shabat prior to the Holiday which we call the Great Shabat, Hagadol.
It sounds as if the fact that the Tenth of the Month happened to fall on the Sabbat incidentally just by chance, but the sages thought otherwise, that Hashem choose it on purpose. On that day, the Shabat Hagadol, the two stories of redemption collide and come together–
A: The story of the redemption of the world moving to the Eternal Sabbath Day -as shown in Genesis Chapter One,
B: The story of the redemption of Israel from Pharaoh -Exodus
Those two awesome stories come together on that Sabbat in Egypt , 4 days before the exodus night
The result is that each story is affected by the other,
From hereon the Sabbath would not be the same, since its concept is affected by the EZxodus
And the story of the redemption fro zegypt would not be the same, since it is affecedby the Sabbath
So much that the sages in the Talmud call Passover the Sabbath.
Are those two stories similar?
,
And what can we learn from it considering Israelites and Noahites?
Here are some points I’ve found in the rabbinic literature
That I would share with you.
1 True Stories
Rabbi Kook, ZTL, the revered former chief rabbi of Israel, is quoted saying that the two stories, the Exodus and Creation, are both historically true.
It is important, he said, to know that our faith is based on true events, on factual events that we can proof. You can’t find this in other religions.
(historical JeSUS)
Indeed, we can verify today that the story of the Exodus is historically true, thproven by numerous archeological evident. rabbi did not know this in his lifetime, 100 years ago, but today with our modern science we can see without doubt the truthfulness and accuracy of the story of Genesis in chapter one. Stages—
Think of this –
This fact, as the Rabbi Kook said, is extremely important and relaxing.
We live today in a time where truth is evaded or distorted by false news and contemplated lies. We can no longer trust what we read or see on the Internet and TV. We are bombarded by so many experts and philosophers and preachers wishing to steal our minds and hearts to their own Causes and believes. Our minds are often confused and bewildered by so much competing and conflicting information which we can’t validate.
How comfortable and relaxing it is to know, then, that the Torah and the story of the Exodus are based on truth. When we are told by so called experts that the Torah is just another myth, no different than other humanly concocted myths, we hold Mose’s Books and say to ourselves that there is no other book in the world that was written 3500 years ago with a full knowledge of Earth history that is credited and fully validated by our 21th century science. We tell ourselves that we hold a living miracle in our hands, that can’t be explained otherwise but with Heavenly revelation.
This knowledge busts all the other books and philosophies and relegions like bubblesexploding in the air , leaving our minds with peace and rest.
Heavenly Court
What else can we see common in those two stories, CRATION and the Exodus?
Genesis Chapter One begins with ELKM, the Attribute of Judgment, who created the Heavens and the Earth. Later, seeing that the World need Mercy and Compassion, the Attribute YHVH joined the Court as it says
On the Day that YHVH ELKM made Earth and Heavens. The new Advent of YHVH has offered the world a chance to survive.
The advent of the Shchina in this world saved it from extinction
(other universes were eliminated by ELKM)
The same relationship is seen in the Exodus Story
It stars at the end of the Book of Genesis with the Name of ELKM alone, who brought the Israelites down to Egypt, and then Hashem YHVH reveled Himself to Moses in the Burning Bush telling him that time has come to redeem the Israelites, so that both Israel and the Egyptians would get to know Him.
Without YHVH, Israel would have been eliminated, like all other slaves in Egypt. No pne escaped Egypt slave house!
But at the Exodus, YHVH entered our world deeper than before
And that affected everything – like the meaning of the Sabbath
And expectation of more compassion by Mankind,
Like compassion tpo the suffering of the slaves in Egypt and everywhere
End off
In both stories that slaughtering of idol worshipping is paramount, a crucial step before the final redemption.
In Egypt it was the slaughtering of thepassover
In the story of Genesis Chapter One it is the end of IDOLATERY that would bring humanity to the Eternal Sabbath Day.
In fact, the only Commandment that is mentioned in Chapter One is IDOLATERY, when ELKM said in the plural voice Let Us Makw a Man.
By this He gave the impression that there are more than One True God, thereby opening the door for IDOLATRY. When Mankind would overcome IDOLATRY and know that there is only one God, Mankind would be deemed Very Good and qualify for the Sabbath.
Mankind should also understand and believe in the Sabbath Day, which is neither Sunday nor Friday.
That is one more reason why Hashem selected the Sabbath Day in Egypt to start the process of Redemption.
How are those ideas reflected in the text? How did it affect the Sabbath?
Where do we see the connection between the Exodus, idolatry and the Sabbath?
Let’s look at the Ten Commandments. They are given twice – before and after the sin of the Golden Calf.
In the first set of the Tablets, it is said about the Sabbath–
Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it
Six days shall your work and accomplish all your work
But the seventh day is Sabbath to Hashem your ELKM
You shall no work,
You, your son, your daughter, your slave, your maidservant
Your animals, your alien within your gates,
For in six days Hashem YHVH made the Heavens and the Earth
The sea and all there is within them,
AND HE RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY
Therefore, Hashem blessed the seventh day and sanctified it
In the second set of the Tablets, it is said about the Sabbath-
You shall observe (safeguard) the sabbath day to sanctify it
As Hashem your ELKM has commanded you
Six Days you shal labor and accomplish yor work
But the seventh day is Sabbath to Hashem your ELKM
You shall do no work…
In order that your slave and maidservant may rest like you
AND YOU SHALL REMEMBER THAT YOU WERE A SLAVE
9N THE LAND OFEYPT AND THAT HASHEM YOUR ELKM
HAS TAKEN YOUNOUT FROM THERE WITH A STRONG HAND
AND OUTSTRETCHED ARM….
Here the Exodus contributes a new aspect for the Sabath,
as a day of rest, rembering Hashem compassion for those suffering
fro slavery
In other words – the notion of the Sabbath has been enlarged,
compared to what it was before the Exodus.
Hence its new name – the Greater Sabbath, Hagadol.
Why resting?
Resting from creating more
Resting out of compassion to the slaves
In Geneis 1
Hashenm rested because the Shechna in Her domain, the Eternal Sabbath, does not build anything, does not judge anyone.
The eternal Sabbath is a day full of holiness, joy and happiness
When she came here to join ELKM in building the six days , she did that as a concssion. She needs to rest when our sabbath comes
ELKM never rests. He abstains from creating more (shabat in Hebrew)
Resing in Egypt
The second set presents rest as a comassion to those who are forced to work non stop
So when the Sabbath come we rest too, remembering the YHVH rested
we
It changed or added on the concept of rest.
- On the first Tablet we commanded to rest on the Sabbath day because Hashem, YHVH, has rested on the Sabbath.
- On the second set of the Tablets, we are commanded to rest for we were enslaved to Egypt and Hashem has redeemed us.
The first notion of rest comes from the story of CREATION, and it is mostly spiritual, remembering that Hashem has rested. We therefore should rest from thinking about building something new, or rest from any fighting or contesting.
The second notion of rest that comes from the story of the Exodus, relates to physical work at home or in the fields, involving our entire household, so called the Social Sabbath Resting.
There is enormous difference between resting and the prohibition of work.
The prohibition. Means “sit and don’t violate”
Resting means “do something, rest your mind and body.”
The prophet Isaiah says it all –
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord,; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lor hath spoken it.
Our behavior on the Sabbath is much dictated on the notion of rest as told by Isiah. Thus – for instance –
One should refrain from building home improvement on the Sabbath, such as building or fixing a fence around the house or fixing the roof, etc.
One should refrain from hunting, fishing, or sport activities that would make you tired and exhausted.
One should refrain from planning new moves in business or other endeavors on the Sabbath.
On the other hand, Isaiah emphasizes celebrating the Sabbath with pleasure. This dictates the way we dress differently on the Sabbath, not as a mere leisure weekend day but rather a holy revered day. It dictates the three meals we eat together with our families and friends,, the songs we chant at the tables and so on.
How did the clash of the two stories change the notion of redemption?
Without the Sabbath, the redemption of Israel from Egypt would have been considered an mere act of freedom, like the revolt of many other slaves against their masters.
But here the Torah presents the Exodus as a prototype of all redemptions from all the types of IDOLATRY, being enslaved to human masters or to false religions or to drugs and alcohol and other masters
It also present redemption from IDOLATRY as a necessary step in the story of CREATION, leading Mankind to win our End of Days Judgment and entering the Eternal Sabbath.
How should Noahite observe resting on the Sabbath?
A Noahite may accept on himself to observe any commandment in the Torah above the Seven of Noah. It would come from his heart, rather from an forced obligation, a Mitzvah.
This includes a commitment to observe the Sabbath resting laws, with or without the prohibitions of work.
Since Noah is said to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest – his name Noah implies rest – it is appropriate for any Noahite to follow Noah’s ways and observe the resting on the Sabbath in a very discretional way.
HENCE, one may devote the Sabbath day to the spiritual study of the Sabbath and CREATION,
as prescribed in the First set of the Ten Commandments,
or add the obligation to rest as described by Isiah, the social Sabbath and the celebrating the Sabbath with pleasure – as presented by the Second set of the Ten Commandments.
When on Friday should a Noahite start his rest?
The best way to do this is to follow Israel practice
and begins about an hour before sunset,
marking the change by the candle lightening.
This lightening is done both by Israelites and Noahites
as a discretional act, out of the heart,
rather than as a Command Mitzvah.
The burning candles would serve as a reminder to everyone in the family
that the sabbath day is arriving and that the time has come to rest.
In summary –