Why is Shabbat listed among the holidays?
Torah commentaries weigh in on the philosophic and practical issue of the difference between Shabbat and the other festivals and why Shabbat is mentioned with them despite that.
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We read in our Parasha (23:1-4), that:’Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying:’Speak to Bnei Israel and say to them: אלה מועדי ה׳: These are My appointed festivals that you are to designate as holy convocations - these are מועדי: My appointed festivals.
‘On six days labor may be done, and the seventh day is a day of complete rest, a holy convocation, you shall not do any work; it is a Sabbath for Hashem in all your dwelling places.
‘These are the appointed festivals of Hashem, the holy convocations, which you shall designate in their appropriate time’ - then prescribing the festivals ln their order, commencing with Pesach.’
Rashi brings the question of the Midrash, on these psukim:’Why does the Shabbat appear here amidst the מועדים: festivals?’
He answers:’. To teach you that whoever desecrates the festivals is considered as if he had desecrated the Shabbat; and that one who fulfills the festivals is considered as if he has fulfilled the Shabbat.’
Rav David Hofstedter asks, on this Rashi:What is the source and explanation of the linkage between Shabbat and the festivals?
Further, why, in this passage, does the Shabbat precede the festivals - after all, Shabbat is not one of the festivals, and, if it was to teach us the teaching of the Midrash, it would have sufficed to write it at the end of the parsha of the festivals, and not at its outset.
We also need to understand the Mechilta ( end of Beshalach ):’If you observe the Shabbat, Hashem is going to give you the three festivals - Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot’ - how are we to understand this teaching?
To answer these questions, we need to delve on the essence of the difference between Shabbat and the festivals - the main difference that we find in halakha being, that on Shabbat, the preparation of אוכל נפש : food for the festival, is forbidden, whilst on the festivals, it is permitted.
It appears that - from this halakhic difference - we can learn the innate essence of both Shabbat and the festivals: the festivals were established as remembrance of the miraculous deeds and the revelation of the closeness to Him, which we merited to receive from Hashem on our way to becoming a nation, which closeness is felt, on each of the festivals, as it was felt originally.
Since the closeness to Hashem, is at the heart of the festivals, a major feature of the festivals, is the mitzvah of עליה לרגל: ascending, to Jerusalem on each festivals, to celebrate with the masses of Bnei Israel, by the holy house of Hashem - in Jerusalem.
On the other hand, the essence of Shabbat, is to reinforce our emunah in Hashem, the Creator of heaven and earth, Shabbat being a remembrance of Creation, a testament that Hashem created all, and that the whole of creation - and every moment of its existence, since its creation - is in His hands. so that all will know that ‘in six days, Hashem created heaven and earth, and rested on the seventh day.’
Since Hashem was the One who sanctified and blessed the Sabbath day, it is immutable and unchanged - and is not dependent on anything, except on being the seventh day, ‘on which Hashem rested from all His labor’.
This is in contrast to the festivals, which are not sanctified from the Creation of the world, but need the the participation of the Bet Din - the emissaries of the congregation of Bnei Israel.
This difference also teaches that the essence of Shabbat is to teach the greatness of Hashem - and therefore its appointed time is ‘fixed’, and does not require the participation of Bnei Israel - in contrast to the festivals.
Our Sages, in the gemara ( Pesachim 117: ), expound, that ‘since the sanctity of Shabbat is established and fixed, its blessing concludes:’Who sanctifies the Shabbat’ - as Hashem alone sanctifies the Shabbat - unlike the blessing of the festivals, which depends on Bnei Israel, who sanctify the festivals - which concludes:’’who sanctified Israel and the זמנים: the appointed times.’
This understanding also explains the reason for the difference between the mussaf offerings on Shabbat, and the mussaf offerings on the festivals - on Shabbat we offer two ewes, and nothing more, whereas on the festivals, we increase the mussaf offerings, mainly oxen, rams and ewes.
From that which we have brought, this can be readily understood, as the sanctity of Shabbat comes from Hashem, and there is no need for partnership and additional sanctity, from us; on the festivals, on the other hand - whose sanctity is from the influence of the closeness between Israel and Hashem - we increase our offerings of mussaf, to increase the closeness and the connection between us, and Hashem.
We can now understand why the Torah opened the parsha of the festivals, with the mitzvah of Shabbat, as only after Bnei Israel attained their emunah in Hashem - recognizing that He is the master of the land, and its Creator, was there place for closeness between Hashem, and Bnei Israel.
We therefore find, that the sanctity of the festivals is founded on the sanctity of the Shabbat.
Further, we can say, that by this sanctity and the elevation that the Shabbat infuses in Bnei Israel, we are ‘tied’ to Hashem, and sanctified by His sanctity, and this is what gives us the ability - in turn - to sanctify the festivals.
We can now also expound the words of the Midrash - ‘if you merit to observe the Shabbat, Hakadosh- Baruch-Hu is destined to give you the three festivals’ - as the ability of Bnei Israel to sanctify the festivals, derives from keeping the Shabbat, and only if they keep the Shabbat, and receive its sanctity, do they have the power to sanctify the festivals.
For this reason - as we brought at the outset - ‘whoever desecrates the festivals, is as if he desecrated the Shabbat’, as the sanctity of the festivals derives from the sanctity of the Shabbat, and therefore, when one desecrates the festivals, he is deemed to have offended against the source of the sanctity of the festivals: the sanctity of the Shabbat - the reason being that desecration of the festivals offends against one of the objectives of Shabbat: to sanctify and to give power to Bnei Israel to sanctify themselves, through the festivals.
The S’fat Emet adds:’Regarding Shabbat preceding the festivals, Shabbat is, as we say in the Kiddush of erev Shabbat:’The beginning of the מקראי קודש: of the days of holy convocations’, as it is by the force of Shabbat, that Bnei Israel merited the festivals, as Shabbat was given to them first, and it is the testimony that Bnei Israel bear on Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu.
‘By their acceptance of this in a proper manner, Hashem gave them the festivals, which is the testimony that Hashem testifies on behalf of Bnei Israel - and this is why the nations are envious of Bnei Israel, and their closeness to Hashem, as by their closeness to Hashem, He gave them additional festivals - and Shabbat is the gateway to all these heights.’
Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler, on our Rashi, comments: The subject of Shabbat is the belief in the creation of of the world, and its formation with all its ways and laws, by the Creator of all.
The matter of the festivals, however, is the conduct and divine providence above the natural order, by which Hashem acts with the congregation of Bnei Israel.
The two are linked, one with the other, and therefore, though one believes that there is a Creator, who created the world, but lacks belief in the divine providence over His creations, it is as if he also desecrated the Shabbat - meaning, he is considered ככופר בעיקר: a denier of a main tenet.
On the other hand, whoever observes the festivals, is as if he observed the Shabbat, as since he believes in the divine providence on creation, and on Bnei israel in particular, he also believes in the One above, the creator of the world.
This is elucidated in Parashat Ki Tissa, where, in the parsha of the festivals, the mitzvah of desisting from labor on Shabbat is also written.
We need to understand why the place of this mitzvah is in the midst of the festivals, and also, why it is written precisely between the festival of Pesach, and the festival of Shavuot, when we would have thought that its proper place was before the mention of the festivals, as Shabbat preceded the festivals in time, and in being commanded.
The festivals are the occasions of the revelation of the divine providence and the special conduct of Bnei Israel, and this impression of their sanctity remained for all time.
The foundation of Shabbat, on the other hand, is the renewal of creation - as we see in the episode of the Manna, where it is said: ( Beshalach 16:29 )’Behold, Hashem gave you the Shabbat’, meaning: that the manna only fell on the weekdays, and not on Shabbat; and, on the other hand, a double portion fell on Friday, for Shabbat.
All witnessed to their eyes, that Hashem gave Bnei Israel the Shabbat, and also a revelation of Hashem’s divine providence beyond the natural, and this within the framework of the rest of creation.
This revelation pertains to the matter of the festivals - we find therefore that Shabbat, too, has this aspect of the festivals.
This explains why the proper place of the mention of the Shabbat is rightfully between Pesach and Shavuot, as that was the period that the manna fell - after the splitting of the sea, and the giving of the Torah - but no special festival was established for this, as this phenomenon continued for the forty years that Bnei Israel were in the desert - and was not a ‘once only’ occurrence.
We can now understand that the Shabbat is the foundation of all the festivals, as all the festivals are a remembrance of the exodus from Egypt, which - as we have brought - could only have occurred by Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu who created heaven and earth in six days.
This is why the Torah first brought the matter of the Shabbat which testifies to the renewal of the world, before bringing the matter of the festivals, as an introduction and foundation on which the structure it built - the structure of the belief in the exodus from Egypt.
‘If Bnei Israel will with all their hearts have emunah, that ‘in six days Hashem created heaven and earth..and rested on the seventh day’ then, through observing Shabbat in all its minutae, they would reach complete emunah in all the miracles and signs that Hashem performed in Egypt, and, thereby, will sanctify and venerate all the festivals, the objective of which is to strengthen that emunah.
However,, if רחמנא לצלן, Bnei Israel should not fully observe the Shabbat, because they do not believe that ‘in six days Hashem created heaven and earth..and rested on the seventh day’, they will also not observe the festivals, because when the foundation is removed, the whole structure will fall away.
Rav Moshe Feinstein brings our Rashi, and comments: The explanation is that the Shabbat is the תכלית: the objective of the emunah in the creation of the world - and for this reason, the desecration of the Shabbat is, רחמנא לצלן, as a denial in the creation of the world.
The festivals, on the other hand, are the emunah that Hashem manages the world by Himself, and arranges nature as is His will, for the purpose of saving Israel, as He was compelled to do, to redeem us - and to perform miracles, to take us out of Egypt - and Who protected us by the shade of the clouds of glory, when He led us through the desert, and sustained us there, and gave us the Torah and mitzvot, so that we should go in good ways, and act righteously.
The Sages said that emunah ‘in part’ is as nought - if one believes that Hashem created the world, but errs to say He gave the conduct of the world to others - be they angels or other heavenly creatures - or that nature is fixed, and the world is governed by it - that person does not believe in the Creation, and there is no benefit in such emunah, as since his mistaken belief that the conduct of the world is in the hand of others, there is no need to keep Hashem’s Torah, but only that which these unbelievers conjure up.
This, as Rambam expounded, was the error of the generation of Enosh, until the emunah in Hashem, was completely forgotten.
Therefore, one who desecrates the festivals is deemed as if he desecrated the Shabbat; and, if he should believe that Hashem conducts and manages the world, but errs to believe that not Hashem - but others -created the world, or at a different time than known to us from the Torah or our Sages, it is as if he also does not believe that Hashem conducts the world.
This is the reason that Shabbat is mentioned amidst the festivals, as all the fundamentals of our emunah are dependent on this, including thr emunah that Torah was given from Above.’
The Abarbanel brings a different insight, saying: The words אלה הם מועדי:’These are My festivals’, do not appear to refer to the festivals which were mentioned - (the ones determined by the Beit Din, D.G.) - but seems to be connected to what is said afterwards, on the subject of Shabbat- saying, that it should be said and announced to Bnei Israel, that there are festivals of Hashem which are dependent on their declaration, and He said this, to separate them from the festival which is not dependent on their declaration by Bnei Israel - the Shabbat.
To this end, He said:’These are My festivals, six days..’, as if saying:’apart from the festivals which are dependent on your declaration, in the Great Bet Din, there are other festivals which are not dependent on your declaration, and they are the Shabbats of Hashem: ‘six days perform your labor, and the seventh day, Shabbat Shabbaton’- and it is truly a day of holy convocation’, and ‘no labor shall you perform’ on it - because ‘it is Shabbat to Hashem’: meaning, that Hashem rested on it, when Creating the world.
And this shall be ‘in all of your settlements’, both in the Land, and outside it, as it will always be sanctified to Hashem, though Israel do not sanctify it.
Therefore, His saying:’These are מועדי: My festivals’, is not an announcement, but an elucidation and explanation why it said earlier:’Which you shall declare’, as the moadim - some of which are Hashem’s alone, like the Shabbat, which is a remembrance of Hashem’s awesome deeds, in the renewal of the world.
He therefore said:’Apart from the Shabatot of Hashem’, there are festivals, attributed to Bnei Israel, as He commanded them to commemorate the kindnesses He did for them.
Accordingly, what was said here on the subject of Shabbat, was ‘by the way’, as it was not brought here because it - Shabbat - is one of the moadim, but rather, to distinguish it from them.
The Alshich Hakadosh also distinguishes between the two types of festivals, noting:’The words:’Speak to Bnei Israel’, is one matter, and the words
‘And:’say to them’, is a second matter.
The first is מועדי ה׳: ‘the festivals of Hashem’, which occur by themselves, without the declaration of the Bet Din, they are My moadim.
The second:’Which you are to designate as holy convocations’, are those determined by the Bet Din’s determination of the months.
This is a sufficient reason as to why, in regard to the moadim of Hashem, it elucidates and says:’These are My moadim’ - meaning: of themselves, they being the Shabbatot of Hashem, the ‘six days..and on the seventh day is a day of complete rest...
As to the second, which I said:’That you are to designate as holy convocations’, I now elucidate, saying:’These are the appointed festivals of Hashem, the holy convocations, which you shall designate’ - to which I alluded above - which are:’In the first month..’, and all the festivals mentioned there, in their order.
Rav Baruch Halevi Epstein proffers yet another understanding of our psukim, saying: From the style of the entire parsha, it is solely concerned with the three festivals and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as we read:’The appointed festivals that you are to designate as holy convocations’, and, as our Sages teach ( Rosh Hashanah 25. ), this refers to the festivals whose time is determined according to the determinations of the months, by the Bet Din.
Clearly , the determination of the Bet Din only concerns the moadim, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and not Shabbat, whose time is fixed and set from Creation - every seventh day of the week.
Therefore, the words:’For six days labor may be done, and the seventh day is a day of complete rest’, is to be read in this context, that, the whole parsha is not concerned at all with Shabbat - according to what we have brought, as Shabbat does not require determination.
It thus appears that these words, too, refers to the moadim, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
The explanation is, that these words allude to the permission to perform the labor of אוכל הפש: preparation of food on the three festivals, and on Rosh Hashanah, and for its prohibition on Yom Kippur - the six days being one day of Rosh Hashanah ( though our Sages extended it to two days, it is deemed as ‘one long day ), two days of Sukkot ( Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret ), two days of Pesach, and one day of Shavuot.
Our psukim allude to this:’These are My appointed festivals, that you are to designate..’, and, of them, on ‘six days labor may be done’ - the labor of אוכל נפש - and ‘the seventh day you shall not do any work..it is a Shabbat for Hashem’ - this being Yom Kippur, when even אוכל נפש is not permitted.
The parsha then concludes:’These are the festivals of Hashem’, and describes them in their order of occurrence.’
A parting gem from the Kli Yakar:’אשר תקראו אותם במועדם: Which you shall designate as holy convocations’’ - the word תקראו literally means ‘read’ - Read divrei Torah, to be engaged in the halachot of each festival, on the festival.
It therefore says:’In their appointed time’, and to this ‘reading’, it says:’These are My moadim’.
However, if we do not engage in learning on the festivals, but engage instead in eating and drinking, they are not ‘My moadim’ at all, and on them, the prophet Isaiah said:( 1:14 )’ Your new moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being’.
thank you A7 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/408461