Shabbat, Menucha and Elijah

Elijah the prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah the Giladi.

May he soon come to us, with the messiah son of David.

1. The heaven and the earth were finished, ְ ‫ וַ יְ ֻכלּוּ ַה ָשּׁ ַמיִ ם וְ ָה ָא ֶרץ וְ ָכ‬1
‫ל־צ ָב ָאם׃‬
and all their array. On the seventh day God
finished the work that He had been doing, ‫אכתּוֹ‬
ְ ‫יעי ְמ ַל‬ ִ ‫ וַ יְ ַכל ֱא‬2
ִ ‫ֹלהים ַבּיּוֹם ַה ְשּׁ ִב‬
and He ceased on the seventh day from all
the work that He had done. And God ‫יעי‬
ִ ‫ֲא ֶשׁר ָע ָשׂה וַ יִּ ְשׁבֹּת ַבּיּוֹם ַה ְשּׁ ִב‬
blessed the seventh day and declared it
holy, because on it God ceased from all the ‫אכתּוֹ ֲא ֶשׁר ָע ָשׂה׃‬
ְ ‫ל־מ ַל‬
ְ ‫ִמ ָכּ‬
work of creation that He had done. Such is
the story of heaven and earth when they
‫יעי‬ ִ ‫ וַ יְ ָב ֶרְך ֱא‬3
ִ ‫ֹלהים ֶאת־יוֹם ַה ְשּׁ ִב‬
were created. ‫אכתּוֹ‬
ְ ‫ל־מ ַל‬
ְ ‫וַ יְ ַק ֵדּשׁ אֹתוֹ ִכּי בוֹ ָשׁ ַבת ִמ ָכּ‬
‫ֹלהים ַל ֲעשׂוֹת׃‬
ִ ‫ר־בּ ָרא ֱא‬
ָ ‫ֲא ֶשׁ‬

2. On six days work may be done, but on ‫וּביּוֹם‬ ָ ‫ ֵשׁ ֶשׁת יָ ִמים ֵתּ ָע ֶשׂה ְמ ָל‬3
ַ ‫אכה‬
the seventh day there shall be a sabbath of
complete rest, a sacred occasion. You shall ‫יעי ַשׁ ַבּת ַשׁ ָבּתוֹן ִמ ְק ָרא־ק ֶֹדשׁ‬
ִ ‫ַה ְשּׁ ִב‬
do no work; it shall be a sabbath of the
Lord throughout your settlements. ‫אכה לֹא ַת ֲעשׂוּ ַשׁ ָבּת ִהוא‬
ָ ‫ל־מ ָל‬
ְ ‫ָכּ‬
(Leviticus 23)
‫מוֹשׁב ֵֹת ֶיכם׃‬
ְ ‫ַליהוָ ה ְבּכֹל‬

3. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak ‫ וַ יְ ַד ֵבּר יְ הוָ ה ֶאל־מ ֶֹשׁה ֵלּאמֹר׃‬23
to the Israelite people thus: In the seventh
month, on the first day of the month, you ְ ‫ ַדּ ֵבּר ֶא‬24
‫ל־בּ ֵני יִ ְשׂ ָר ֵאל ֵלאמֹר ַבּח ֶֹדשׁ‬
shall observe complete rest, a sacred
occasion commemorated with loud blasts. ‫יעי ְבּ ֶא ָחד ַלח ֶֹדשׁ יִ ְהיֶ ה ָל ֶכם‬
ִ ‫ַה ְשּׁ ִב‬
You shall not work at your occupations;
and you shall bring an offering by fire to ָ ‫ַשׁ ָבּתוֹן זִ ְכרוֹן ְתּ‬
‫רוּעה ִמ ְק ָרא־ק ֶֹדשׁ׃‬
the Lord. (Leviticus 25)
‫אכת ֲעב ָֹדה לֹא ַת ֲעשׂוּ‬ ְ ‫ ָכּ‬25
ֶ ‫ל־מ ֶל‬
‫וְ ִה ְק ַר ְב ֶתּם ִא ֶשּׁה ַליהוָ ה׃‬

4. SHEVUT (Shevus)—
Symmachus holds the same opinion as the Rabbis who had laid down that every kind of
occupation that may be classed as shevut. (Root ShVT) (an act that is only Rabbinically
forbidden to be performed on the Sabbath) (Eruvin 30b)

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5. Beginnings of the Confusion
17
That was on the thirteenth day of the
month of Adar; and they rested on the
‫נוֹח‬
ַ ְ‫ֹלשׁה ָע ָשׂר ְלח ֶֹדשׁ ֲא ָדר ו‬
ָ ‫יוֹם־שׁ‬
ְ ‫ ְבּ‬17
fourteenth day and made it a day of ‫ְבּ ַא ְר ָבּ ָעה ָע ָשׂר בּוֹ וְ ָעשׂ ֹה אֹתוֹ יוֹם‬
feasting and merrymaking. (Esther 9)
‫ִמ ְשׁ ֶתּה וְ ִשׂ ְמ ָחה‬
The same days on which the Jews enjoyed
relief from their foes and the same month
ִ ְ‫ ךַּ יָּ ִמים ֲא ֶשׁר־נָ חוּ ָב ֶהם ַהיּ‬22
‫הוּדים‬
which had been transformed for them from ‫יהם וְ ַהח ֶֹדשׁ ֲא ֶשׁר נֶ ְה ַפְּך ָל ֶהם‬
ֶ ‫ֵמאוֹיְ ֵב‬
one of grief and mourning to one of festive
joy. .‫וּמ ֵא ֶבל ְליוֹם טוֹב‬
ֵ ‫ִמיָּ גוֹן ְל ִשׂ ְמ ָחה‬

6. The Prophecy to David (from Nathan)

When the king was settled in his palace and
the Lord had granted him safety from all
the enemies around him. (II Sam 7)
Thus said the Lord of Hosts: I took you
from the pasture, from following the flock,
to be ruler of My people Israel, and I have
been with you wherever you went, and
have cut down all your enemies before you.
Moreover, I will give you great renown
like that of the greatest men on earth. I will
establish a home for My people Israel and
will plant them firm, so that they shall
dwell secure and shall tremble no more.
Evil men shall not oppress them any more
as in the past, ever since I appointed
chieftains over My people Israel. I will give
you safety (‫ ) וַ ֲה ִניח ִֹתי‬from all your enemies.
‫ וַ יְ ִהי ִכּי־ ָי ַשׁב ַה ֶמּ ֶלְך ְבּ ֵביתוֹ וַ יהוָ ה‬1
‫ֵה ִנ ַיח־לוֹ ִמ ָסּ ִביב ִמ ָכּל־אֹיְ ָביו׃‬
The Lord declares to you that He, the Lord,
will establish a house for you. When your
days are done and you lie with your fathers,
I will raise up your offspring after you, one
of your own issue, and I will establish his
kingship. He shall build a house for My
name, and I will establish his royal throne
forever. I will be a father to him, and he
shall be a son to Me. When he does wrong,
I will chastise him with the rod of men and
the affliction of mortals; but I will never
withdraw My favor from him as I withdrew
it from Saul, whom I removed to make
room for you.Your house and your
kingship shall ever be secure before you;
your throne shall be established forever.

7. Associated with the “rest” of Death (Menucha)

It was taught, R. Eliezer said: The souls of the righteous are hidden under the Throne of
Glory, as it is said, “the life of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of life in the care
of the Lord.” (I Sam. 25:29) But those of the wicked continue to be imprisoned, while
one angel stands at one end of the world and a second stands at the other end, and they
sling their souls to each other, for it is said, and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he
sling out, as from the hollow of a sling (source not attributed). Rabbah asked R. Nahman:
What about those who are intermediate? Had I died I could not have told you this, he
replied. Thus did Samuel say: Both these and those [the wicked and the intermediate] are

2
delivered to Dumah1; these enjoy rest (manuach), whereas the others have no rest
(manuach). (Shab 152b)

Nach nafsheha –idiomatic for “death” in Talmud. i.e. When he died.

R. Hiyya b. Ashi as citing Rab, said: The disciples of the Sages have no rest (menucha)
even in the world to come, as it is said: “They go from strength to strength, every one of
them appeareth before God in Zion.” (Ps. 84:8) (Mo’ed Katan 29b)

8. Messianic “Rest”—Menucha
R. Johanan also said: As long as that wicked man lived mirth was never heard in the
mouth of any living being, for it is written, “the whole world is at rest (nacha), and is
quiet (shakta), then loudly it sings (Is. 14:7)”: they break forth into singing: whence it
follows that hitherto there was no singing. (Shab 149b)

1
The guardian angel of the deceased. [The name is probably Silence, which is the meaning of Dumah,
personified.]

3
 9. Psalm 132 A song of ascents. 12
O LORD, remember in David’s favor If your sons keep My covenant and
. . .2how he swore to the LORD, My decrees that I teach them, then
vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, their sons also, to the end of time,
3 shall sit upon your throne.”
“I will not enter my house, 13
nor will I mount my bed, For the LORD has chosen Zion; He
4 has desired it for His seat.
I will not give sleep to my eyes, 14
or slumber to my eyelids “This is my resting-place
5 (menuchati) for all time; here I will
until I find a place for the LORD,
an abode for the Mighty One of dwell, for I desire it. . .
17
Jacob.” There I will make a horn sprout for
. . . .10 David; I have prepared a lamp for
For the sake of Your servant
David do not reject Your anointed My anointed one.
one.
11
The LORD swore to David a firm
oath that He will not renounce, “One
of your own issue I will set upon
your throne.

10. I Kings 17
Elijah the Tishbite, an inhabitant of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the Lord lives, the God of Israel
whom I serve, there will be no dew or rain except at my bidding.

v. 17 After a while, the son of the mistress of the house fell sick, and his illness grew
worse, until he had no breath left in him. She said to Elijah, “What harm have I done you,
O man of God, that you should come here to recall my sin and cause the death of my
son?” “Give me the boy,” he said to her; and taking him from her arms, he carried him to
the upper chamber where he was staying, and laid him down on his own bed. He cried
out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, will You bring calamity upon this widow
whose guest I am, and let her son die?” Then he stretched out over the child three times,
and cried out to the Lord, saying, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life return to his
body!” The Lord heard Elijah’s plea; the child’s life returned to his body, and he revived.
Elijah picked up the child and brought him down from the upper room into the main
room, and gave him to his mother. “See,” said Elijah, “your son is alive.” And the woman
answered Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord is
truly in your mouth.”

11. II Kings 2
11
As they kept on walking and talking, a fiery chariot with fiery horses suddenly appeared
and separated one from the other; and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

12. Micah 3
23
Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day
of the LORD. 24He shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents, so
that, when I come, I do not strike the whole land with utter destruction

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13. End of Days
But you, go on to the end; you shall rest,
and arise to your destiny at the end of the
ַ ‫ וְ ַא ָתּה ֵלְך ַל ֵקּץ וְ ָת‬13
‫נוּח וְ ַת ֲעמֹד‬
days. (Daniel 12) ‫ְלג ָֹר ְלָך ְל ֵקץ ַהיָּ ִמין׃‬