Daf Ditty Beitzah 16:Neshama Yeseirah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Xtd5WxENPsw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKSgFj0-f3U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEsXmQXfQSM

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 Likutei Moharan 126:2

Since the nations of the world see Israel observing the Sabbath not to perform
work on it, this is a sign for the whole world that in six days [God created the
heavens and the earth]. That they should know that this was the only reason
that God warned Israel [not to work on the Sabbath] and from this the glory of

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God will reach the whole world. And this is the goal of all of creation, and this
is why God was so strict about the sanctity of Shabbat.

Netziv Ex 31:1

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§ The Gemara returns to the previous issue: Rav Taḥlifa, brother of Ravnai Ḥoza’a, taught:

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A person’s entire livelihood is allocated to him during the period from Rosh HaShana to Yom
Kippur. During that time, as each individual is judged, it is decreed exactly how much money he
will earn for all his expenditures of the coming year, except for expenditures for Shabbatot, and
expenditures for Festivals, and expenditures for the school fees of his sons’ Torah study. In
these areas, no exact amount is determined at the beginning of the year; rather, if he reduced the
amount he spends for these purposes, his income is reduced and he earns that much less money
in that year, and if he increased his expenditures in these areas, his income is increased to ensure
that he can cover the expense. Therefore, one may borrow for these purposes since he is guaranteed
to have enough income to cover whatever he spends for them.

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Rabbi Abbahu said: What is the verse from which this dictum is derived? The source is: “Blow
the shofar at the New Moon, at the concealed time for our Festival day” (Psalms 81:4). On
which Festival is the new moon concealed? You must say that it is Rosh HaShana, which
occurs on the first of the month, when the moon is not yet visible, while the moon is visible during
the other Festivals, which occur in the middle of the month. And it is written in the next verse:

‫ ֵלא^ֵהי‬,‫ִמְשָׁפּט‬ ;‫ה ִכּי ֹחק ְל ִיְשָׂרֵאל הוּא‬ 5 For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of
.‫ַיֲﬠֹקב‬ Jacob.
Ps 81:5

“For it is a statute [ḥok] for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob”

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The Gemara explains: From where may it be inferred that this word “statute [ḥok]” is a term
relating to food? As it is written:

‫ ִכּי ֹחק‬:‫ ל ֹא ָקָנה‬,‫כב ַרק ַאְדַמת ַהֹכֲּה ִנים‬
‫ֻחָקּם‬-‫ ְוָאְכלוּ ֶאת‬,‫ַלֹכֲּה ִנים ֵמֵאת ַפּ ְרֹעה‬
‫ ל ֹא ָמְכרוּ‬,‫ֵכּן‬-‫ַﬠל‬--‫ֲאֶשׁר ָנַתן ָלֶהם ַפּ ְרֹעה‬
.‫ַאְדָמָתם‬-‫ֶאת‬
22 Only the land of the priests bought he not, for the
priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and did eat their
portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold
not their land.
Gen 41:22

“And they ate their allotment [ḥukkam], which Pharaoh gave them” Mar Zutra said: One can
learn that ḥok is referring to food from here:

‫ ֵראשׁ‬--‫ ַה ְרֵחק ִמֶמּ ִנּי‬,‫ָכָּזב‬-‫ח ָשׁ ְוא וְּדַבר‬ 8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies; give me
;‫ִלי‬-‫ִתֶּתּן‬-‫ַאל‬ ,‫שׁר‬ ֶ ‫ָוֹע‬ neither poverty nor riches; {N}
.‫ ֶלֶחם ֻחִקּי‬,‫ַהְט ִריֵפ ִני‬ feed me with mine allotted bread;
Prov 30:8

“Feed me with my allotted [ḥukki] bread”

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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:

-‫ָלנוּ‬-‫ ַיֲﬠָמס‬:‫ יוֹם יוֹם‬,‫ ֲאֹדָני‬‰‫כ ָבּרוּ‬ 20 Blessed be the Lord, day by day He beareth our
.‫ָהֵאל ְישׁוָּﬠֵתנוּ ֶסָלה‬- burden, even the God who is our salvation. Selah

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 Ps 68:20

“Blessed be the Lord, day by day; He bears our burden, our God who is our salvation; Selah”
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.”

The Gemara raises an objection to this. Isn’t it written:

q‫ ַא‬,‫ ֵלאֹמר‬,‫ְבֵּני ִיְשָׂרֵאל‬-‫ג ְוַאָתּה ַדֵּבּר ֶאל‬ 13 'Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying:
‫ ִכּי אוֹת ִהוא ֵבּי ִני‬:‫ ִתְּשֹׁמרוּ‬,‫ַשְׁבֹּתַתי‬-‫ֶאת‬ Verily ye shall keep My sabbaths, for it is a sign between
‫ ִכּי ֲא ִני ְיהָוה‬,‫ָלַדַﬠת‬--‫ ְלֹדֹרֵתיֶכם‬,‫וֵּביֵניֶכם‬ Me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know
.‫ְמַקִדְּשֶׁכם‬ that I am the LORD who sanctify you.
Ex 31:13

“Nevertheless, you must keep My Shabbatot, for this is a sign between Me and you throughout
your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord Who sanctifies you” which the Sages
expounded as follows: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: Moses, I have a good gift
in My treasury, and its name is Shabbat, and I wish to give it to the Jewish people. Go and
inform them of this intention of Mine. And from here Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: One
who gives a gift of a piece of bread to a child must inform his mother of his actions, so that the
child’s parents will be aware of the giver’s fond feelings for them, thereby enhancing friendly
relations and companionship among Jews. This appears to be in direct contradiction to Rabbi
Ḥama’s statement.

The Gemara cites a further statement with regard to the gift of Shabbat to the Jewish people. Rabbi
Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: All the mitzvot that the Holy One,
Blessed be He, gave to the Jewish people, He gave to them in public [parhesya] except for
Shabbat, which he gave to them in private. As it is stated:

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 ,‫אוֹת ִהוא‬--‫ וֵּבין ְבֵּני ִיְשׂ ָרֵאל‬,‫יז ֵבּי ִני‬ 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel
-‫ ָﬠָשׂה ְיהָוה ֶאת‬,‫ֵשֶׁשׁת ָיִמים‬-‫ ִכּי‬:‫ְלֹעָלם‬ for ever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and
‫ ָשַׁבת‬,‫ וַּביּוֹם ַהְשִּׁביִﬠי‬,‫ָהָא ֶרץ‬-‫ַהָשַּׁמ ִים ְוֶאת‬ earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work
{‫ }ס‬.‫ַו ִיָּנַּפשׁ‬ and rested.' {S}
Ex 31:17

“It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever” meaning that in a sense, it is a secret
between God and the Jewish people.

Summary

Rav Avrohom Adler writes:1

A person’s income is fixed from Rosh HaShanah until Yom Kippur, except for expenses related
to Shabbos, Yom Tov, and teaching a child Torah. If one spends less on these expenses, he will
receive less, and if he spends more on these expenses, he will receive more. The source for this
teaching is because it is said blow a shofar at the moon’s renewal, at the time appointed for our
festive day. The word for appointed is bakeseh, which can also be interpreted to mean covered.
Thus, the verse is teaching us that the holiday when the moon is covered is Rosh HaShanah,
because only on Rosh Hashanah, which occurs on the first day of the lunar month of Tishrei, is the
moon not visible throughout the world. It is written further because it is a decree for Israel, a
judgment unto the G-d of Yaakov. The word for decree is chok, which can also mean sustenance,
as it is said they ate their fixed rations (chukam) that Pharaoh had given them. Alternatively, it is
said feed me my ration (chuki) of bread.

It was said about Shammai the Elder that every day he would eat in honor of Shabbos. If he found
a nice animal during the week he would say, “this is for Shabbos.” If he later found a nicer animal,
he would set aside the second one for Shabbos and he would eat the first animal during the week.
Hillel the Elder, however, had a different approach. All of Hillel’s actions were for the sake of
Heaven, as he was certain that he would find a nice animal for Shabbos. Hillel based his conduct
on the verse that states blessed be my G-d day by day.

One opinion maintains that one who bestows upon his friend a present does not have to inform his
friend that he gave him the present. Proof of this is from Moshe whose face was shining after being
on Mount Sinai. Yet, a Baraisa states that Hashem informed Moshe, “I have a beautiful present in
My treasure house which is called Shabbos. I wish to give Shabbos to the Jewish People, so go
and inform them.” From here we learn that one who gives bread to a child should inform his
mother, and he does so by making a mark on the child so the mother will query the child where
the mark came from and the child will respond and add that the person who made the mark also
gave him the bread. The Gemara resolves the contradiction, because one does not have to inform

1
https://dafnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Beitzah_16.pdf

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the person receiving the gift if the gift will become known to everybody. Regarding Shabbos,
however, although the gift of Shabbos itself would become known, the reward one receives for
observing Shabbos is not written in the Torah. Rather, the Oral Law teaches us that one who
observes the Shabbos will receive a heritage without parameters.

HaShem gave all the mitzvos to the Jewish People in public, except for the mitzvah of Shabbos
that He gave in private, as it is said between Me and the Children of Israel, it is a sign forever.
Nonetheless, the gentiles will be punished for not accepting the mitzvah of Shabbos, because
although HaShem did not inform the gentiles of the reward for observing Shabbos, He did inform
them of the mitzvah. Alternatively, HaShem informed the gentiles of the reward for observing
Shabbos, but He did not inform the gentiles that on Shabbos one receives an extra soul. A Jew
receives an extra soul on Erev Shabbos and this soul departs when Shabbos ends. This idea is
derived from the verse that states on the seventh day, HaShem ceased and rested. Once one has
finished Shabbos, woe, for his soul has departed from him.

Steinzaltz (OBM) writes:2

The second chapter of Masechet Beitzah, which begins on the last daf, or page (15b), focuses on
preparations for Shabbat and Yom Tov. The Mishnah deals specifically with the case of Yom
Tov falling out on Friday, when it is necessary to prepare for Shabbat on a day that has its own
restrictions regarding food preparations and other melachot.

The Gemara on our daf brings a well-known disagreement between Hillel and Shammai.
Shammai would prepare for Shabbat every day of the week in the following manner: Each time a
delicacy came his way, he would purchase it and set it aside for Shabbat. If he found something
better in the course of the week, he would replace the original delicacy with the new-found one,
and eat the first one. In that way, his meals – not only on Shabbat, but throughout the week – were
eaten with Shabbat in mind. Hillel, on the other hand, did all of his activities for the sake of heaven,
quoting the passage in Tehillim (68:20), “Blessed be the Lord, day by day…”

While Shammai’s behavior is fairly easy to understand, Hillel’s demands some explanation.

Rashi explains that Hillel had full faith in God and was certain that He would make sure that all of
the food and other Shabbat needs would be made available for him. Thus, he did not spend time
and effort preparing for Shabbat on his own. The R”i Abohav explains that all of Hillel’s activities
throughout the week were with Shabbat in mind, so there was no need for him to announce that a
specific purchase was for Shabbat.

The Chatam Sofer argues that Hillel devoted his entire life to the service of God, so that everything
that he did (and not only specific acts of mitzvah) was with the intention to fulfill God’s desire. As
such, all of his activities – even his apparently mundane weekday activities – were infused with
intentions of mitzvah.

2
https://www.ou.org/life/torah/masechet_beitzah_1420/

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The general agreement among rishonim and acharonim is that, in this case, it is Shammai who
should be emulated, not Hillel. In many places, Shammai’s tradition is quoted as normative and
praised (see, for example, Rashi’s commentary to the Torah, Shmot 20:8), while Hillel’s is seen
as appropriate only for people with a unique level of faith – and inappropriate for the average
person.

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: The Holy One, blessed be He, places an additional soul in a
person on the eve of Shabbos, and it is taken from him after Shabbos ends, as it is stated (Shemos
31:17), “On the seventh day, He ceased from work and rested.” This can be expounded
homiletically to mean that once one has completed the Shabbos, woe, he has lost the extra soul
(‫ ) נפש ווי‬that he had received at its beginning.3

The sorrow and loss when this extra soul departs occurs on Motzaei Shabbos when Shabbos ends.
In fact, it is for this reason that the havdalah service includes with it the taking of a fragrant spice.
The shock and jolt which our soul suffers with the setback of losing this added spirit that we
enjoyed during the Shabbos is somewhat offset with the inhaling of a sweet smell which should
refresh and invigorate our spirit.

It is surprising, however, that the verse alludes to this anguish with the very words that introduce
the Shabbos (‫ )וינפש שבת‬while it is actually not until the closing moments of the Shabbos day that
the emotion of woe and sadness overcomes us.

HaAdmo”r Ra"m MiGur explains that the message here is that a person must note and realize that
the added spiritual charge which one receives as the Shabbos is ushered in is only temporary.
Immediately, with the onset of the Shabbos, one must already appreciate that the precious
opportunity for growth and gain must be utilized to the utmost, for the extra soul will not remain
beyond its allotted time frame.

3
https://www.dafdigest.org/masechtos/Beitza%20016.pdf

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Blow a shofar at the new month, at the appointed time for our chag.’ What chag occurs when the
moon is covered? I will say it is Rosh HaShanah. Rav Ovadia Yosef (1) cites Sefer Mishcha
D’Rabusa (2) who was asked whether one who forgot to recite havdalah after Rosh HaShanah may
recite it during the three days following Rosh HaShanah, as is the halachah regarding one who did
not recite havdalah after Shabbos (3).

Mishcha D’Rabusa writes that that not only is it not permitted to recite havdalah for three days
after Rosh HaShanah, but it is logical that one is not even permitted to recite havdalah the day after
Rosh HaShanah. The reason why havdalah may be recited the day after Yom Tov is that, as isru
chag, the day has a relationship with the Yom Tov. Rosh HaShanah, however, is not a chag;
therefore, once the night following Rosh HaShanah has passed, havdalah may no longer be recited.
Rav Yosef challenges the assertion that Rosh HaShanah is not called a chag from our Gemara
which clearly identifies Rosh HaShanah as a chag.

Furthermore, some Rishonim write that it is prohibited to fast on Rosh HaShanah because it is
called a chag, and as such it is prohibited to fast on a chag. In defense of Sefer Mishcha D’rabusa,
Rav Yosef suggests that he meant that it is not called a chag as far as a Korban Chagigah is
concerned, hence the day that follows does not acquire the status of isru chag, but not that it is not
referred to as a chag at all.

As far as practical halachah is concerned, Rav Chaim Mordechai Margolis (4), the Shaarei
Teshuva, cites an opinion that maintains that one should not say havdalah if it was not said the
night following Yom Tov. Mishnah Berurah (5), however, in the name of Rav Akiva Eiger, writes
that it could be said the day following Yom Tov.

“The Holy One said to Moshe Rabbeinu: Moshe, I have a good gift in My treasury. Shabbos is
its name…”

Once, the Kehillas Maharshah community in South Africa received a very generous donation from
a wealthy man who was not a shomer Shabbos. Since their Rav had a strict policy not to use money
given by such a person for fear that it would be tainted with chilul Shabbos, the gabbaim refrained
from cashing the check. Meanwhile, the donor visited Israel. One of his acquaintances suggested
that they go together to meet with the famous Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh.

When they appeared before Rav Shach, zt”l, the acquaintance introduced the South African to the
Rosh Yeshiva as a generous supporter of Torah institutions in his home country. The wealthy man
lowered his head to receive the gadol’s blessing, but Rav Shach placed his hands on the wealthy
man’s head and spoke directly, and lovingly, to his visitor instead: “My son, if you want a blessing,
you should keep the Shabbos for it is the source of all blessing. Every nation has its flag, and the
flag of the nation of Israel is Shabbos! The Shabbos is the symbol and the sign that we are Jewish.

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The Shabbos is the guarantee of the continuation of the Jewish nation forever. If we do not identify
with our flag, we are in grave danger of losing our Jewish identity. Without the Shabbos, we are
in serious trouble in so many ways. What guarantee do you have that your children will remain
Jewish? Who will guard them from marrying out of the faith, if not the Holy Shabbos herself?”
These warm and heartfelt words penetrated to the heart of the man.

They affected him so profoundly, in fact, that he immediately pronounced after leaving the
presence of the Rosh Yeshiva: “From this moment on, I will be a shomer Shabbos!” The
acquaintance who had brought the wealthy man to meet Rav Shach immediately telephoned the
Rav in South Africa to tell him the good news. And the gabbaim were immediately able to deposit
that vital check.

Rabbi Mendel Weinbach writes:4

"Neshama yeteira" (extra soul) is what our Sages call that extra dimension of spirituality which
Heaven instills in a Jew before Shabbat. The practical expression of this extra dimension of soul,
explains Rashi, is that the Jew has a greater capacity for relaxation and joy, and is capable of eating
and drinking in abundance without becoming disgusted.

4
https://ohr.edu/explore_judaism/daf_yomi/the_weekly_daf/322

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When Shabbat ends, the neshama yeteira is taken away. The spiritual trauma which the Jew may
feel at this loss is subtly indicated in the word "vayinafash" (Shmos 31:17) which describes G-d's
rest following the six days of creation. This can be read as a combination of two words "vay nefesh"
which means "woe to the soul which has been lost."

To ease this loss, our Sages instituted the practice of smelling "besamim" (fragrant spices) during
the havdalah service at the Shabbat conclusion. Fragrance is the only earthly thing which the soul
enjoys, and it is this nourishment which enables the remaining soul to overcome the shock of losing
its Shabbat companion.

What about the holidays - does one get a neshama yeteira on those days as well?

Yes, contends Rashbam (Pesachim 102b), and his proof is that we do not include the blessing on
besamim in the combination kiddush-havdalah we recite when the Shabbat conclusion is also the
eve of a holiday. The reason, he concludes, must be that the neshama yeteira is present on the
holiday as well.

Tosefot (Beitza 33b) challenges this conclusion: If a neshama yeteira is present on a holiday, then
we should include besamim in our havdalah at the conclusion of every holiday. Since we do not
do so, there must be no neshama yeteira on a holiday. Rather, we are compelled to find another
reason for not including besamim in the kiddush-havdalah recited on a holiday eve following
Shabbat.

After rejecting some other approaches to this problem, Tosefot concludes that the luxurious eating
and drinking which bring joy to a Jew on a holiday have the same spiritually therapeutic effect as
besamim, and therefore render them unnecessary.

An Extra Soul

Sara Ronis writes:5

Many Jews have the custom of singing Shabbat songs, or zemirot, after the festive meals every
Shabbat. One of my many favorites is an early modern one called Yom Zeh L’Yisrael (“This Is a
Day for Israel”), traditionally sung after Friday night dinner. The second stanza reads:

“Hearts’ desire for a broken nation,

for ailing spirits an extra soul,
From the troubled spirit,
God will remove a sigh, on the Sabbath, day of rest.”

What I love about this zemer is that it recognizes that we need rest not only from physical labor,
but from emotional labor, sadness and pain. But an extra soul?! Where on earth does that idea
come from?
You’ve probably already guessed the answer — that’s right, it’s today’s daf!

5
Myjewishlearning.com

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Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: The Holy One, Blessed be he, gives a person an additional soul
on Shabbat eve, and at the conclusion of Shabbat removes it from him, as it is stated: He ceased
from work and was refreshed (vayinafash). (Exodus 31:17)

The Hebrew word translated as “refreshed” (vayinafash) shares a root with the word for “soul”
(nefesh). According to this midrash, being refreshed means literally receiving an extra soul. But
alas, this gift of a second soul is temporary. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish (a.k.a Reish Lakish) makes
clear that the soul evaporates at the end of the sacred day.
The idea that God gives people not just physical respite but an additional spiritual recharge in the
form of an extra soul on the Sabbath is remarkable. It recognizes the limits of human spiritual life
without divine assistance.

As beautiful as this is, there is an apparent dark side to this midrash. Depending on how we read
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, a divinely assisted human spiritual life may not be available to
everyone. Reish Lakish’s teaching follows a discussion about whether gifts can be given
anonymously or in secret. God’s ultimate gift to us (after the universe, life, the Torah and maybe
also puppies) is Shabbat! As part of this discussion, Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai is quoted as saying:

All the mitzvot that the Holy One, Blessed be he, gave to the Jewish people, he gave to them in
public — except for Shabbat, which he gave to them in private. As it is stated: It is a sign
between me and the children of Israel forever. (Exodus 31:17)

But the Gemara notes a problem with the idea that Shabbat was given to Israel secretly. After all,
if non-Jews don’t know about it, how can they be liable for not wanting to observe it! Therefore,
the Gemara concludes:

He did inform them (non-Jews) of the concept of Shabbat, but he did not inform them of the
reward (for keeping it). And if you wish, say instead that he also informed the Gentiles of its
reward, but about the idea of the additional soul given to each person on Shabbat he did not
inform them.

So perhaps it’s not Shabbat or even its larger rewards that were kept secret from the Gentiles, just
the additional soul. Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai assumes that only Jews are obligated to observe the
Sabbath, and thus only Jews receive an additional soul one day a week to facilitate the ultimate
spiritual observance of the day.

But Reish Lakish doesn’t actually say that. He says God gives a human being an extra soul on
Friday evening. I’ll be honest: It seems likely to me that the human beings Reish Lakish is picturing
are Jews. And that equivalence in his mind raises all kinds of other moral and ethical questions
about how we do or don’t see human beings who are different from us. But in not specifying that
explicitly, Reish Lakish leaves open the possibility that divine assistance is available to everyone,
Jews and non-Jews alike, to experience this spiritual doubling. After all, doesn’t everyone deserve
a break — not just from physical labor but from the stresses of daily life?

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 Fixed income
Mark Kerzner writes:6

Person's available income for the year is fixed and is decided on Rosh Hashanah, and therefore
one should not make extravagant purchases - because his income for food won't be increased.
However, he can freely spend more for the needs of Shabbat and Yom Tov, and also for the Torah
education of his children - because the extra amounts will be added to his allotment. Shammai
would always buy things in honor of Shabbat, from the first day of the week, and if he saw
something better - he would buy that too, and eat the previous one on a weekday. Hillel, on the
other hand, was unconcerned, trusting that God will provide him with the needs for Shabbat when
the day comes.

If one gives a present to his fellow, he need not inform him, because it will become known to his
fellow anyway, and the goal of increased friendship will be achieved. Why then God, when giving
people the Shabbat, told Moses to inform them about it - even though they were soon to
experienced it!? - True, but God told Moses to inform them of the hidden qualities of Shabbat: the
reward that one gets for it, and the extra soul that one gets on Shabbat and that allows him to eat
more with pleasure.

Back to the subject of "eruv" or food mix which permits one to cook on a Holiday for the needs of
Shabbat - one can use any food for that, even a remainder of a dish. Even if he eats it on a Holiday,
it still has the legal effect, provided that there is a little of it left.

6
https://talmudilluminated.com/beitzah/beitzah16.html

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The Israelites Collecting Manna from Heaven, Rudolf von Ems (Austrian, 1200
– 1254) The J. Paul Getty Museum, L.A.

Mann and Parnassa

Rabbi Yakov Haber writes:7

One of the core methods through which Hashem's hashgacha p'ratis is manifested is through
His granting parnassa - the daily sustenance of His creatures, especially mankind. Countless
passages in Tanach address this very point. One of the more prominent ones is recited thrice
daily in the Ashrei prayer: "Posei'ach es yadecha umasbi'a l'chol chai ratzon - You open up
your hand and satisfy with favor all living creatures". The Talmud (B'rachot 4b) tells us that
"Ashrei's daily recital leads to one becoming a ben ‘olam haba - one worthy of entering the
World to Come". This is due to the presence of the passage dealing with parnassa in this
Psalm coupled with its Aleph-Beis structure. Meshech Chochma (beginning of B'chukosai)
explains that the complex, inter-related natural structures and cycles (represented by the order

7
https://torahweb.org/torah/2010/parsha/rhab_beshalach.html

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of the Aleph-Beis) all leading to the daily parnassa of all of the creatures in the world
(represented by the passage "Posei'ach es yeadecha") indicate G-d's daily miracles
masquerading as "the Natural Order". One who constantly recognizes this truth is surely on
the road to the Next World. Parnassa is one of the three central features concerning which G-
d orchestrates massive sequences of events in the world to bring about and which are not
necessarily subject to the individual's merit - "banei, chayei, u'mzonei lav b'zchusa talya milsa
ela b'mazla talya milsa - Children, life, and sustenance are not (solely) dependent on merit
but on mazal" - special Divine Providence (Mo'eid Katan 28a). [See Rabbi A.
Kaplan, Handbook of Jewish Thought p. 296 ff.]

Commentaries note that the mann, described in our parsha, served as a supernatural example
of Hashem's sustaining us throughout our lives. With the mann it was obvious that this was
so. When the Jewish people entered into Eretz Yisrael, it would be less obvious, but just as
true, nonetheless. Not surprisingly then, many aspects of our attitude toward the pursuit
of parnassa and our faith and reliance on Hashem in providing it are to be found in the
description and laws of the mann. Although these principles are well known, incorporating
them into our lives requires constant study and review. This article is an attempt to inspire
study concerning some of these important principles.

One, parnassa will never have permanence if achieved by violating the d'var Hashem. This
is manifest by the mann's getting wormy for those who attempted to leave some over for the
next day against the Divine command (16:20). Similarly, money earned through theft and
dishonest business practices or other violations of halacha will have no permanence.

Second, Sh'miras Shabbos only increases one's parnassa; it will never decrease it
notwithstanding the missing workday. This is highlighted by our Sages' promise that
expenditures for Shabbos are not included in the decree of how much one will earn in any
given year (Beitza 16a). The mann which fell as a double portion before Shabbos indicates
this idea (16:22 ff.).

Third, although hishtadlus, human effort, is generally necessary - even the mann had to be
collected and, according to the simple reading of the text, had to be prepared (16:23) -
excessive hishtadlus does not lead to extra parnassa. This concept emerges from the fact that
"He who took more, did not have more; he who took less, did not receive less" (16:18).
[See Mishna Berura 1:(13).] What is considered a reasonable amount of effort and what is
excessive requires individual analysis and consultation with Rabbinic authorities.

Fourth, we need to constantly remind ourselves that it is Hashem who provides for us through
the agency of our efforts. It is not our efforts which produce the sustenance. This was taught
by the mann not falling on Shabbos. The Midrash comments on the passage in B'reishis: "And
he blessed the seventh day and sanctified it" - "He blessed it with mann - that a double portion
fell on Friday; He sanctified it with mann - that it did not fall on Shabbos" (quoted by Rashi
to B'raishis 2:3). Rav C. Y. Goldwicht z"l, the founding Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivat Kerem
B'Yavneh, explained that that sanctification by the mann not falling one day a week was the
reinforcement that the mann was a miracle from G-d. Even something as patently supernatural
as the mann would lose its mystery if it fell every day. Hergeil maivee liday shich'cha

19
 - regularity leads to forgetfulness. So too we must constantly reinforce our dependency on
Hashem for parnassa. Many read the Parshas HaMan every day to serve as a daily reminder
of this idea. Not surprisingly, this also serves as a segula for parnassa. (See Shulchan
Aruch (1:5) and Mishna Berura 1:(13).)

Fifth, oftentimes our parnassa comes not through our merit but through the merit of others.
My rebbe, Rav Hershel Schachter shlit"a, taught us that sometimes an entire institution might
exist in the merit of one scrupulous individual who deserves a parnassa. The mann fell in the
merit of Moshe Rabbeinu and stopped upon his death (Ta'anis 9a). The Gemara
(B'rachos 17b) tells us that the whole world was supported through the merit of the
great tanna and miracle-worker R. Chanina b. Dosa, and yet, he sufficed with a meager
portion of carob fruit from week to week. The religious truth that the wealthy's enormous
assets might be in the merit of righteous individuals in that generation - who do not seem to
have too much even to eat - is both a humbling thought concerning the true effect of
our hishtadlut and should inspire us to support Torah scholars and other worthy institutions.

R. Yisrael Meir HaKohen Kagan, the Chafetz Chaim, in his Seifer Ahavas Chessed (footnote
to 2:4) has a fascinating insight as to the nature of parnassa. King David declares
in T'hillim (62:13): "For kindness belongs to you; for you compensate every man according
to his actions". The Chafetz Chaim asks: shouldn't Hashem's compensation for man's action
be considered acts of justice, not kindness? He explains through an analogy that an artisan
who provides free room, board, clothing, raw materials and tools to his apprentice need not
feel obligated to compensate the apprentice fully, or even at all, for his work. Similarly,
Hashem, who provides us with our parnassa and other needs - often way beyond our needs -
and gives us all of our abilities in order to serve Him, should not have to reward us for our
actions. Nevertheless, because of His kindness, He does compensate us both in this world and
the next.

In the merit of our studying the parsha of the mann and internalizing the ultimate purpose
of parnassa - to serve the One who grants it, may Hashem bless us with "chayim sheyeish
bahem parnassa tova."

The Rebbe of Gur & the Power of Now

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz writes:8

Can we learn to listen to this moment, and to the new moments as the unfold before our
consciousness?

8
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-rebbe-of-gur-the-power-of-now/

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Being attuned to the moment is not easy. Even Moshe, Judaism’s greatest prophet and leader,
struggled with this. Ramban explained that: “Moshe didn’t see the presence of God at the burning
bush right away, because he hadn’t prepared his heart for prophecy” (Commentary on Exodus 3:2).
The task, then, is to prepare ourselves for the radical possibility of every moment, or we will miss
them. Indeed, we have to wonder just how much we’re missing each day. Martin Buber, citing a
Yom Kippur sermon from the Rebbe of Gur, recounts the wise, guiding words of the Rebbe:

To achieve such a lofty goal, we should not be slaves to the past. We cannot replay our actions
over and over again and expect different results. Rather, we continue to learn and evolve as people,
our souls becoming more experienced with the ways of the world; with every mistake, we surely
must learn something. Holding onto the subtle, yet precious, moments can be increasingly
challenging for individuals committed to tradition and to relying deeply on past rituals, ideas,
memories. But the religious person learns to balance listening to the past while continuing to live
in the moment.

We cannot look only backward and forward. We need to be broad and look outward as well. For
this reason, Jewish law requires that there are windows in the synagogue:

21
22
Based on this requirement, Rav Kook wrote:

23
Professor Michael Fishbane, a theologian from the University of Chicago, beautifully explains the
imperative of the moment:

Perhaps the most profound statement that our forefathers give in the Torah is Hineini: Here I Am.
No matter what comes before us, we should strive to be present to that which is in front of us, and
be appreciative of the moment, ready to take action, and always seeking the most important
spiritual response to any problem we encounter. The theological model to emulate, thus, is
the Shekhinah (the Divine Presence) as we strive to be entirely in the moment. It is our obligation
to follow the halakhic model of “mitzvot tzrichot kavannah” — commandments that require
presence and concentration; we emulate the Divine when we throw our full selves into our greatest
life commitments.

We have a real choice to respond to the call of the moment. Ignoring it is an option, though one
we should be loath to take. The great sage Hillel famously taught, “If not now, when?” There is
no time like the now to embrace life and its sacred opportunities. Hillel also suggested that the

24
Sabbath is not the sole time where we fine-tune our spiritual presence. Rather: “Baruch Hashem
yom yom” – our holy tasks are a daily endeavor (Beitzah 16).

There is no time like now to start living in the now.

Indeed, it is all we have.

Shabbos Comes Automatically; Yom Tov Requires Preparation

Rav Frand writes:9

In Parshas Ki Sisa, in connection with the mitzvah of Shabbos, the Torah says, “…for it is a sign
between Me and you for your generations, to know that I am Hashem, Who Sanctifies you.”

Ex 31:13

The Chasam Sofer points out that there is a fundamental difference between Shabbos and the
other Yomim Tovim. On Shabbos, the Ribono shel Olam and kedusha [holiness] arrives, whether
we are ready or not, and whether we are prepared or not. The mere fact that it is Shabbos invests
us and imbues us with a certain kedusha.

9
https://torah.org/torah-portion/ravfrand-5779-ki-sisa/

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We understand that the more a person prepares for Shabbos, and the more a person makes him or
herself a receptacle for Shabbos – the higher will be the level of kedusha that the person
achieves. However, the bottom line is that this pasuk teaches that the Shechina [Divine Presence]
joins us on Shabbos and makes everybody holier, whether we prepared for it or not.

Holidays are not like that. There is a concept in Kabbalah [Jewish mysticism] called “Arousal
from Above” and “Arousal from below.” Sometimes there is an inspiration that comes from
Above and sometimes the inspiration needs to come from us. By Yom Tov, we need to prepare
ourselves to achieve the effect that the holiday is supposed to have upon us. It is a case where the
“Arousal from below” must come into play. Shabbos is a case of “Arousal from Above.”

This is part of what Chazal mean by the expression “The Almighty said, ‘I have a wonderful
present in my treasure house – and it is named Shabbos'”. When someone gives a gift, the recipient
does not necessarily need to deserve it. He does not necessarily need to prepare for it.
That is Shabbos. It is a gift. Every single week the Shechina comes down. We sit there
at Kabbalas Shabbos whether we just ran into Shabbos or not. The Divine Presence arrives and
rests on every single Jew no matter what his level of Shabbos preparation may have been.

The Sefer Bei Chiyah makes an interesting observation based on this Chasam Sofer. When we put
back the Sefer Torah in the Aron Kodesh on Shabbos, we say Tehillim [Psalms] Chapter 29
“Mizmor L’Dovid” [A Psalm to David]. On Yom Tov, when we return the Sefer Torah to the Aron
Kodesh, we recite Tehillim Chapter 24 “L’Dovid Mizmor” [To David a Psalm]. Why the
difference? He shares a beautiful idea.

Throughout Tehillim, there are varying introductions to the various chapters. Dovid
HaMelech was inspired to compose the chapters of Tehillim. Sometimes, without any preparation,
he was simply inspired by Ruach HaKodesh to compose a chapter of Tehillim. When that
occurred, the introductory phrase is “Mizmor l’Dovid.” There are other chapters of Tehillim
where Dovid HaMelech was inspired to write the Mizmor [psalm chapter], but he first had to
prepare himself to be in an inspired state of mind so he could compose such a Mizmor. That is
when the introductory phrase is “L’Dovid Mizmor“, meaning Dovid HaMelech had to first prepare
himself, and then prepare the Mizmor.

Sefer Bei Chiyah explains beautifully. On Shabbos which is, as we are explaining, the great
present that the Almighty gives us whether we made the preparation or not – the appropriate
chapter of Tehillim to read is Mizmor L’Dovid Havu l’Hashem Bnei Eilim. On Yom Tov, where
the level of holiness is a result of our preparation, it needs to be L’Dovid Mizmor.

Using this concept, he also wants to explain a passage in the Talmud Yerushalmi. The halacha is
that some people have trustworthiness (ne’manus) with regards to Terumos and Masros. This
means they can be trusted that they removed the required gifts for the Kohanim and the Leviim, and
therefore their crops (which grew in Eretz Yisrael) are now edible rather than being
forbidden tevel.

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The Yerushalmi says that one who purchases fruit in Eretz Yisrael from one who is generally not
trusted regarding the proper taking of Terumos and Masros is nevertheless allowed – on Shabbos
— to inquire of the seller if he in fact removed these Priestly and Levitical gifts from the fruit, and
he can believe him. This permission is unique to Shabbos; during the week one is normally not
allowed to merely question the seller and believe his testimony that he in fact removed
the Terumos and Masros.

The Yerushalmi explains the reason for this novel ruling: “Because the fear of Shabbos is upon
him!” On Yom Tov, there is not such a halacha. We do not have a license to trust an Am
HaAretz to tell us that he removed the Priestly gifts from the food he sold us. What is the
difference between Shabbos and Yom Tov? Even if this person may be an ignoramus and may
have entered into the synagogue from the field just three minutes before Shabbos started, when he
sat there for Kabbalas Shabbos and he heard the words “Come my Bride; come my Bride” –
this Am Ha’Aretz was invested with the holiness of Shabbos and that does something to his
spiritual essence. The fear of Shabbos is now upon him. He is no longer suspect of lying and
saying that something had tithes taken off from it when that was not the case. Even the most
ordinary Jew is special on Shabbos – he has the Fear of Shabbos upon him.

On Yom Tov, this is not true. Yom Tov is special; Yom Tov is beautiful; Yom Tov has its own
holiness, but it requires preparation. Therefore, a person who is an Am Ha’Aretz, if he does not
have that preparation, there is no such concept as “The Fear of Yom Tov is upon him.”

So, Shabbos has this special quality. However, Yom Tov, by virtue of the fact that you have to
“work” to prepare yourself for its holiness has its own advantage as well. The Gemara [Beitzah
16a] comments on another pasuk in this week’s parsha – “…On the seventh day He rested and
va’yinafash:” [Shemos 31:17] Rav Shimon ben Lakish states that Hashem gives man an extra
soul (neshama Yeseira) on Shabbos Eve and takes it from him at the conclusion of Shabbos. This
“neshama Yeseira” is part of this extra holiness that we all receive on Shabbos. This is why we
smell Besamim [sweet fragrances] on Motzai Shabbos. It is like when a person faints, they put
smelling salts in front of his nose to restore him, so too, we need to be restored on Motzai
Shabbos after having suffered the loss of our neshama Yeseira. We had this special gift for the
duration of Shabbos. When Shabbos left, it left. That’s it! Easy come, easy go!

Tosfos says in Pesachim and Beitzah that this is why we do not use Besamim in Havdala at the
conclusion of Yom Tov. It is because Yom Tov does not bring with it a neshama Yeseira. That
is a special concept that is part of the “Divine Gift” we are given from G-d’s Treasure House on
Shabbos. It does not apply to Yom Tov. Therefore, Motzai Yom Tov, we do not need to be
“restored” because we did not lose anything.

Tosfos in Tractate Pesachim raises a question for which he does not give an answer: What about
a Yom Tov that comes out on Sunday (i.e. – it begins Motzai Shabbos)? The Kiddush we say at
the beginning of such a Yom Tov incorporates Havdolah for the now departing Shabbos and is
referred to by the acronym YaKNeHaZ (Yayin—
wine; Kiddush; Ner (Candle); Havdalah, Zman (She’hechiyanu blessing). However, we do not
make a Beracha on Besamim as part of this Kiddush-Havdalah combination!

27
Tosfos asks: Why not? Shabbos is over so we lost our Neshama Yeseira. We are not getting a
new Neshama Yeseira for Yom Tov so we should need to be restored from our post-Shabbos loss!
The Avnei Nezer and the Sefas Emes in Tractate Pesachim argue with Tosfos, and say that
we do have a neshama Yeseira on Yom Tov. That is why when Yom Tov begins on Motzai
Shabbos, you do not need Besomim, becomes the Neshama Yeseira remains throughout Yom
Tov. If that is the case, why don’t we use Besomim with Havdalah at the conclusion of Yom
Tov? The Avnei Nezer answers – it is because the “Neshama Yeseira” of Yom Tov does not leave
us. As we mentioned, we need to work for the inspiration of Yom Tov. A Yom Tov for which a
person had to work to inspire himself to earn the Neshama Yeseira does not depart immediately
after the holiday with an “easy come easy go” disappearance. It is “hard come and hard go”. It
does not leave us.

Unlike Tosofos, who explains that the reason we do not have Besamim on Motzai Yom Tov is
because we do not have a Neshama Yeseira on Yom Tov, the Avnei Nezer explains we do have
a Neshama Yeseira on Yom Tov but we do not lose it and therefore do not need to be “refreshed”
by pleasant fragrance.

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Rav Binyamin Zimmerman writes:10
The Year of Shabbat

10
https://etzion.org.il/en/halakha/studies-halakha/philosophy-halakha/neshama-yetera-shabbat-and-shemitta

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The connection between Shabbat and shemitta goes beyond the lexical; shemitta first appears in

the Torah, in Parashat Mishpatim, alongside Shabbat. Additionally, according to the opinion of

Rabbi Akiva (see lesson 2), shemitta appears next in the Torah in a verse that explicitly mentions

only Shabbat. The sabbatical themes of shemitta dominate the longest passage about it, in Behar,

where the root “shavat” appears a fitting seven times.

We also saw that shemitta is a yearlong Shabbat which takes the spiritual aspects and

perspective that are usually limited to once a week, and inculcates them in one's very personality

over an entire year. This challenge of putting one's work aside for a year is rewarded by those who

find the strength of character to be gibborei khoach, embracing a year of social and spiritual

growth that can do wonders for any society which manages to implement it. Fittingly, this is how

Rav Kook describes the atmosphere of the shemitta year:

A year of quiet and serenity, during which there are no tyrants or taskmasters: “he shall

not exact from his friend or his brother, because the time of release for God has

arrived” (Devarim 15:2). A year of equality and relaxation, of expansion of the soul in

the expanse of the upright of God who sustains the living with kindness. There is no

individual private property, nor are there exclusive rights rigorously guarded; rather the

godly peace pervades all that possesses a soul…

Rav Kook then goes on to explain how the laws of shemitta enable this reality, something

we will keenly feel as we analyze the halakhot.

To better understand the impact that shemitta can have on society it pays to begin with an

analysis specifically of the passage in Parashat Mishpatim, in which shevi'it, the seventh year, is

first mentioned, in association with Shabbat. This will allow us to better understand both

30
the neshama yetera (extra soul) of each Sabbath as well as how shemitta impacts the years before

and after it.

Shemitta in Parashat Mishpatim

And six years you shall sow your land and shall harvest its fruits. But [in] the seventh

(shevi'it), you shall release it (tishmetenna) and let it lie fallow (u-ntashtah), and the

poor of your nation will eat, and what they leave over the beasts of the field shall eat. So

you shall do with your vineyard and with your olive grove. (Shemot 23:10-11)

After describing the seventh year as a period of “tishmetenna u-ntashtah” and mentioning

the benefits for the poor of the nation and even the animals, the Torah follows this with a

description of Shabbat.

Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest (tishbot) in order

that your ox and your donkey shall repose (yanuach), and your maidservant's son and

the stranger shall be refreshed (ve-yinafesh).

This is in turn followed by a description of the three pilgrimage festivals. We might have

connected Shabbat to them, but the fact that both shemitta and Shabbat talk about the implications

of rest for the landowner, the underprivileged and the animal connects them not only in context,

but in content as well.

It is worth noting that at this point in the Torah, not too much is known about Shabbat

itself. Shabbat initially appears in the Torah as the pinnacle of creation, later appearing in Parashat

Beshalach in the context of the unique rules in relation to the manna which falls during the nation's

sojourn in the desert (possibly alluded to at Mara as well). Shabbat also appears in the Ten

31
Commandments in Parashat Yitro, but there is much to know about Shabbat that has yet to be

explained as of Parashat Mishpatim.

The relationship in these verses between shemitta and Shabbat goes beyond the numerical

similarity: after six units, the seventh is holy. Additionally, the prohibitions of Shabbat

and shemitta are not mentioned in the negative form, as in both cases (although using different

words, tishmetenna and tishbot), the Torah requires ceasing one's usual affairs.

As mentioned in the last lesson, commentators like Rav Hirsch note the relationship

between Shabbat and shemitta: both recognize God's rule over the world and seek equality on the

social plane. Similarly, Rav Hirsch elsewhere (Vayikra 25) writes:

The Sabbath of the land – shemitta – and the Sabbath of creation – Shabbat – are

similar, except that one relates to the Land of Israel and the other to the entire world.

Shabbat expresses subordination to the Creator and King of the world,

while shemitta expresses subordination to the One to Whom the Land belongs... The

antithesis of both is avoda zara (idol worship). Acknowledging Shabbat is an affirmative

rebuttal of the heresy which is avoda zara. So too, shemitta is an affirmative rebuttal

of avoda zara, as it expresses the rule of G-d over the Land of Israel, while avoda zara is

a denial of G-d’s exclusive rule..

However, it is the idea of rest which characterizes a good deal of their unique shared

quality. Shabbat doesn't merely sanctify time; it sanctifies the Jew as well. The same is true

for shemitta.

The Neshama Yetera of Shabbat

The concept of some form of expanded soul being afforded the Jew during the weekly

Shabbat already appears in our daf (Beitza 16a), where Resh Lakish states:

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 The Holy One, Blessed be He, gives man an additional soul on the eve of Shabbat, and

at the end of Shabbat He takes it back, as it says (Shemot 31:17): “shavat va-yinafash”

— once Shabbat ends, woe (vai) to the spirit (nefesh) which is lost.

Resh Lakish derives from the phrase “shavat va-yinafash” that after Shabbat ends, one

loses a little part of one's soul, referring to the additional soul that accompanies the Jew on

Shabbat. Nefesh literally means spirit, but here it is a verb. It refer to some internal form of

refreshment and even restoration that affects the inner part of one's personality.

A number of issues, however, remain unclear. Firstly, what is the nature and purpose of

this expanded soul? Secondly, the terminology of the Talmud is a little confusing. On the one

hand, it calls the additional soul neshama, yet it cites a verse which references the nefesh.

In fact, both nefesh and neshama are terms for the soul, but the fact that they are often used

in different contexts indicates that they are not completely interchangeable. Both terms are used at

the beginning of Bereishit in the context of the creation of man, but differently. God blows into

man a nishmat chayim and he becomes a nefesh chaya (a term also used for animals).

God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and blew into his nostrils a breath of life

(nishmat chayim). Man [thus] became a living creature (nefesh chaya). (Bereishit 2:7).

In fact, Kabbalistic thought states that the human soul, which is what differentiates humanity from

the rest of the animal kingdom, is actually made up of three parts, from the aforementioned verses.

Nefesh refers to the "animal soul" that man has contained in his blood, as he shares many

of biochemical life processes with the animal kingdom, and is therefore represented by the

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term nefesh, as the Torah says, "The spirit of the flesh is in the blood" (Leviticus 17:11). Man

might have a unique nefesh, but the entire animal kingdom possess some version of it.

The neshama, however, is unique to man; it comes directly from God's innermost Essence,

His "breath".

Rav Aryeh Kaplan summarizes the three elements of man's soul thusly:

The soul consists of three parts which are called by the Hebrew names,nefesh, ruach

and neshama. The word neshama is a cognate of nesheema, which means literally

"breath." Ruach means "wind."Nefesh comes from the root nafash, meaning "rest," as

in the verse, "On the seventh day, [God] ceased work and rested (nafash)" (Exodus

31:17).

God's exhaling a soul can be compared to a glassblower forming a vessel. The breath

(neshama) first leaves his lips, travels as a wind (ruach) and finally comes to rest (nefesh)

in the vessel. Of these three levels of the soul, neshama is therefore the highest and closes

to God, while nefesh is that aspect of the soul residing in the body. Ruach stands between

the two, binding man to his spiritual Source. It is for this reason that Divine Inspiration

is called Ruach HaKodesh in Hebrew.

Yet, if this is true; the term va-yinafash should logically be a reference to an

expanded nefesh rather than an expanded neshama. It is not just semantics, as this issue lies at the

heart of the dispute between the commentators as to the nature of this expanded soul: is it primarily

a physical endowment, much more suited for the term nefesh; or a spiritual one, much more

appropriate for the term neshama?

34
A Physical or Spiritual Addition?

Rashi (Beitza 16) focus on the heightened physical elements of one's soul on Shabbat, as

he explains that the neshama yetera provides rochav lev (a heightened consciousness), menucha

(repose), simcha (joy), and tranquility, including the ability to eat more and not find one's soul

disgusted by it.

In Shitta Mekubbetzet, Rav Betzalel Ashkenazi explains this differently, noting that the

added soul on Shabbat is actually a spiritual addition, “a godly abundance and additional

intelligence to be able to occupy oneself in Torah, and analyze the acts of God.

These two explanations differ as to whether the expanded soul is a heightened physical

capability to eat with an expanded appetite, etc. or a more spiritual frame of mind.

In fact, the Shela takes serious issue with the understanding that the neshama yetera allows

man to eat more, although he does not mention Rashi specifically. He disputes the idea that

the neshama yetera is rooted in the physical.

Some commentators explain that Rashi believes that the expanded soul is a spiritual

addition; however, the simple understanding of hiss view is supported by others, e.g. Rabbeinu

Chananel (Taanit 28a) and Daat Zekenim (Shemot 16:22).

In truth, a careful reading of Rashi's comment indicates that there are

both nefesh and neshama aspects to this Shabbat addition; i.e., a physical component and a

spiritual one, which are meant to be merged. This may help us understand another mystery, how a

reference to God, “va-yinafash,” can describe man’s experience on Shabbat; some explain that it

refers to refreshment, obviously unnecessary for God, but also a greater connection to the spiritual.

Rashi himself writes (Shemot 31:17):

35
 Now every expression of nofesh (rest) is an expression of nefesh, for one regains one’s

soul and one’s breath when one rests from the toil of work. He about Whom it is written:

“He neither tires nor wearies” (Yeshayahu 40:28), and Whose every act is performed by

speech [alone, without physical effort], dictated rest in reference to Himself [only] in

order to make it understood to the [human] ear with words that it can understand.

Essentially, Rashi and Ibn Ezra too explain that this phrase is to be understood to mean that

physical resting can cause spiritual rejuvenation as well.

Some commentators even explain va-yinafash in the verse not as a reference to God but as

a reference to the world. It was only on Shabbat that the entire world was equipped with a purpose.

Alshikh takes this a step further and explains that the world’s creation was not complete until

Shabbat, as it did not yet have a “soul.” The infusion of sanctity from Shabbat gave the universe a

soul, which allows it to continually exist.

Essentially, the more we understand the neshama yetera as a reference to the purpose of

Shabbat, the more we can understand how Shabbat is a period of enhanced spirituality, even for

one's physical endeavors, let alone its heightened opportunity for spiritual growth.

Rav Hirsch explains that this term is ideal because nefesh denotes the individuality of the

personality, the personal being of the individual.

Therefore, nafash means: to withdraw into one's own personality, the opposite of

outwardly directed activity. By extension, it also means: To rest after exertion,

literally, "to return to oneself."

Additionally, as Rav Chanan Porat explains, nefesh is a reference not only to resting from physical

exertion but spiritual rest, which involves dreaming about achieving the purpose of existence.

36
 In fact, the final stanza of the powerful Shabbat song Kah Ekhsof, composed by Rav

Aharon the Great of Karlin, discusses the inner sublimity that one experiences on Shabbat and

refers to all three areas of one's soul, as he calls Shabbat the pleasantness of neshamot, the delight

of ruchot and the Eden of the nefashot.

Resting on Shabbat and setting aside daily activities allows one to find oneself, to dream

about inner spiritual longings, and to recognize the deeper meaning and spiritual purpose of all of

physical existence while in possession of an expanded nefesh, ruach and neshama, asonly Shabbat

can provide.

The Neshama Yetera of Shemitta

While this is true regarding the weekly Shabbat, there is also good reason to believe that

during the entire year of Shabbat ha-aretz, the Jew is privileged to be blessed with an expanded

soul.

In fact, the word nefesh is used as a verb only twice in the Torah. Even before the

aforementioned verse, in Parashat Mishpatim, after mentioning shemitta, the Torah describes

Shabbat and uses a similar verb.

Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest (tishbot) in order

that your ox and your donkey shall repose, and your maidservant's son and the stranger

shall be refreshed (ve-yinafesh).

Alshikh understands this verse is a reference to the neshama yetera not only of Shabbat,

but of shemitta as well:

37
 Should you think that the legislation is designed to give man a year's vacation, this is not

so. Just as it had been decreed to abstain from work every Shabbat as a reminder of the

fact that God imbued the Shabbat with sanctity already at the time of Creation, so the

seventh-year legislation is also rooted in similar considerations, i.e., that both on the

Shabbat and during the seventh year a person acquires an additional spiritual

dimension, neshama yetera.

The aspect of physical rest mentioned here applies not only to beasts of burden and labor,

but all humans as well, even non-Jewish slaves; they too have to fulfill part of the

Torah’s precepts in order to benefit from ve-yinafesh, this additional soul. There is no

need to mention again the fact that this concept applies in an even greater measure to

the Jew.

This idea is mentioned elsewhere by Alshikh as well, yet he is not the only one speaks of

the neshama yetera of the shemitta year, as similar ideas are mentioned by Rav Tzaddok and the

Sefat Emet, among others.

In at least three places (Vayikra, pp. 200, 203; Bereishit, p. 148), the Sefat Emet describes

vividly the neshama yetera that accompanies the individual through the entire shemitta year. He

explains that in general, the physical existence of the world has an inner spiritual power which

goes beyond the limitations of the physical realm. Both the Land of Israel and Shabbat are referred

to as nachala, which generally refers to an area with very definitive boundaries. Israel is

the nachala without real limitation in the dimension of space, while Shabbat is its counterpart in

the dimension of time. For man to be able to appreciate this inner quality he needs the proper

tool, neshama yetera. This enables residents of the land of Israel to be given a special neshama and

a unique ruach (Yeshayahu 42:5) allowing the inhabitants to arise above the materialism of

38
society, and to recognize within themselves the power to merge the physical and the spiritual and

sanctify one's existence even beyond the period of Shabbat.

It is this unique opportunity that the neshama yetera of shemitta provides, through an

entire year of Shabbat in the Land.

The Lasting Effect

The fact that shemitta provides a neshama yetera for the Jew for an entire year allows its

impact to be life-altering rather than temporary. Rav Kook (Introduction, Shabbat Ha-aretz) also

refers to the question of how a septennial escape from routine will be sufficient to impact society

every year:

In this year, the divine character of the nation will be revealed in its complete glory, in

its godly, spiritual, core. This illumination, which comes once every seven years, will

carry an afterglow of divine ideals that will gradually shape our ethical characters, with

a slow refining of our souls in a way that will continue to deepen and control their place

in life, until the outlook on life which stems from it will become more and more

entrenched in our actions; until a more extended, significant period will come, which

will succeed in not only raising up individuals, and not even the entire generation, but

all the generations of the nation.

Rav Kook continues by describing this ideal as a central aspect of yovel, which is not only

supposed to impact one generation, but the entire metaphysical stature of the nation as a whole,

vertically as well as horizontally.

39
The End, Beginning or Middle?

This outlook allows us to see Shabbat and shemitta as both launching point and destination.

HaRav Aharon Lichtenstein notes that the sabbatical element of shemitta can be expressed on two

different planes, just as Shabbat can be seen as the beginning of the week or as its culmination.

… Shabbat serves the weekdays, while the days of the week also lead up to Shabbat (in

the sense of “a taste of the world-to-come” and “a day that will be all Sabbath and rest

in life everlasting”). In Bereishit, the Rishonim dispute the meaning of “shevita,”

rest. On the one hand, shevita denotes resting today with the intention of returning to

work tomorrow – a sort of recess. According to this, the shevita of Shabbatis necessary

to enhance the next days’ work...

The two understandings of Shabbat are reflected in this disagreement. And perhaps we

can see these two aspects alluded to in the two rationales: “And God ended” (va-yekhal),

which sets Shabbat as the pinnacle of creation. “And He rested” (va-yishbot), a

temporary recess.”

HaRav Lichtenstein continues by explaining how the parallelism between Shabbat

and shemitta carries through all these aspects.

There is a dialectical relationship between Shabbat and the weekdays; Shabbat enhances

the mundane weekdays, refreshes man, and recharges his batteries, but, on the other

hand, weekday activity is performed for the sake of those Divine spiritual values which

Shabbatsymbolizes and represents. This dialectical relationship applies to the sabbatical

year as well. On the one hand, the sabbatical year allows repose, a year of solemn

40
 rest. On the other hand, the shemitta year parallels the seventh millennium, God’s

rest. It is not an introduction to the six years that will follow in the next cycle, but rather

a year toward whose values of spiritual awakening and uplifting man must always

stride…

Regarding the rest and repose of Shabbat, we find a parallel in shemitta: what we may

not do, from what we are liberated, over what we must elevate ourselves. But what aspect

of shemitta parallels the positive content of Shabbat? What do we do; with what do we

occupy ourselves; on what plane do we act? Here there is a certain halakhic vacuum.

HaRav Lichtenstein goes on to explain that this is the meaning of Rav Kook's statement

that the same effect which Shabbat has on the individual, shemitta has on the nation as a whole,

allowing "its Divine light to reveal itself in its full splendor, so that the mundane life of society

with its burdens and worries not extinguish it … so that the purity of its soul in its entirety be able

to reveal itself within it." Based on this, HaRav Lichtenstein concludes:

If we accept this transition from the individual to the collective, we can view shemitta as

attempting to create an ideal society. In the society of the shemitta year, equality reigns,

produce has no owners, there is no employer and no employee, but rather all share the

same status. Such a society acquires new and revolutionary qualities that can change

the nature of that society, at least during the shemitta period.

The shemitta year should be seen, then, not only as a rest stop along the way to the years

that will follow, but also as an existence of a different nature within a society that is

headed as a whole toward the actualization of a grand and exalted moral idea.

41
 It is specifically this Shabbat element of shemitta that gives it its quality as a year which

can transform society and refocus energies on what the ultimate goal really is. With that in mind,

there is good reason to believe that many of the ways in which we fall short of the vision which

Rav Kook had for the nation upon its return to the land may be rooted in our lack of connection to

the observance of the Shabbat elements of shemitta.

The Uniqueness of Israel and Shabbat11

Shabbat reveals the special connection between God and Israel, as is stated:

Nevertheless, you must keep My Shabbatot, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout the
ages, that you may know that I the Lord have consecrated you. You shall keep Shabbat, for it is
holy for you…. The Israelite people shall keep Shabbat, observing Shabbat throughout the ages
as a covenant for all time; it shall be a sign for all time between Me and the people of Israel that
in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and
was refreshed.

Ex 31:13-17

The Sages report that “God said to Moshe: ‘I have a wonderful gift in my treasury, and its name
is Shabbat. I wish to give it to Israel. Go and inform them”’ (Beitza 16a). They further state: “All

11
https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/01-01-04/

42
the mitzvot that God gave to Israel were given publicly, except for Shabbat, which was given in
private, as it says: ‘it shall be a sign for all time between Me and the people of Israel’” (ibid.).

They then raise a question: Isn’t the mitzva of Shabbat found in the Ten Commandments, which
were given very publicly? They respond that the true, inner meaning of Shabbat, which reveals the
divine nature of the world, is something that cannot be revealed publicly. It is something special
that is linked to the special connection between God and the Jews. In their words: “God gives
people a neshama yeteira [lit. “expanded soul”] before Shabbat, and after Shabbat he withdraws it
from them” (ibid.). By means of this neshama yeteira, the Jews are able to grasp the godly
significance of the world and their special role within it.

This explains the Sages’ statement: “A non-Jew who observes Shabbat is deserving of the death
penalty” (San. 58b). They further state:

In human society, if a king and a noblewoman are sitting and talking with each other, wouldn’t
one who interrupts them be deserving of death? Similarly, Shabbat is something shared by the
Jews and God, as [Scripture] states: “between Me and the people of Israel.” Therefore a non-Jew
who insinuates himself between them before undertaking circumcision deserves death. (Devarim
Rabba 1:21; see Harĥavot 25:1)

In order to express the Jews’ great love for Shabbat, which is like that of a royal bride at the side
of her groom, there is a Jewish custom to go outside before sundown on Friday to greet Shabbat,
just as one goes out to greet an honored guest. The Gemara tells us that R. Ĥanina would put on
his best clothes and greet Shabbat with the declaration: “Let us go and greet the Shabbat queen.”
R. Yannai would wear his fancy clothes and greet Shabbat by declaring: “Welcome, O bride;
welcome, O bride.” This inspired R. Shlomo Alkabetz’s magnificent poem Lekha Dodi: “Go, my
beloved (Israel) to greet the bride; let us greet Shabbat.”

43
 Did God Bless Shabbat?

“And the Lord Blessed the Seventh Day and Consecrated It” (Genesis 2:3).
Can time be blessed?

Dr. Rabbi David Frankel writes:12

The creation story ends with the statement (Gen 2:3):

‫ ֱא^ִהים ֶאת יוֹם ַהְשִּׁביִﬠי ַו ְיַקֵדּשׁ ֹאתוֹ‬q‫ַו ְיָבֶר‬

12
https://www.thetorah.com/article/did-god-bless-shabbat

44
And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy.
To consecrate or sanctify a day means that the day is to be dedicated to divine worship and not to
be put to profane use. Many days in the Hebrew calendar are said to be ‫מקראי קדש‬, days of holy
convocations, when profane activity is strictly forbidden (see Leviticus 23). The fact that Gen 2:3
speaks of the sanctification of the seventh day is clearly why this passage is traditionally included
as the introductory passage for the Friday night Kiddush, which sanctifies the day in preparation
for the Shabbat meal.

What, however, might it mean to “bless” the seventh day?

Interpretations of Blessing the Day: Traditional and Modern

The People Are Blessed (Gaonic)

Avraham ibn Ezra quotes the Gaon (likely a reference to Saadia, 882-942), who suggests that the
verse refers to those who observe the sanctity of the Sabbath.

.‫ שיהיו מבורכים‬,‫אמר הגאון כי טעם ויברך שב אל השומרים‬

The Gaon said that “and he blessed” should be understood as referring to those who keep [the
Shabbat], that they should be blessed.
Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) justly criticizes this interpretation, since the verse speaks about
the day itself, not its observers.[1] What is more, there would not have been anyone to observe the
Sabbath until the Israelites would come to learn of it at a much later date.[2]

45
Blessed with Manna (Genesis Rabbah and Rashi)

According to Rashi (1040-1105), following Gen. Rab. 11:2 (3rd cent. CE),[3] the blessing refers to
the future double provision of manna that would come to the Israelites of the wilderness on the
sixth day, in preparation for the Sabbath (see Exodus 16:5, 22).

,‫ וקדשו במן שלא ירד בו כלל‬,‫ שכל ימות השבת יורד להם עומר לגולגולת ובששי לחם משנה‬,‫ויברך ויקדש – ברכו במן‬
.‫והמקרא כתוב על העתיד‬

And he blessed and he sanctified – he blessed it with manna, since on all the days of the week an
omer-measure per person would fall but on the sixth day double would fall. He sanctified it with
manna which would not fall [on Shabbat] at all. The verse is describing the future.
This interpretation is obviously midrashic and does not reflect the simple meaning of the text, as
nothing in the text connects the reader to the story of the manna and one would expect a text about
the creation of the world to refer to a blessing that lasted more than forty years in the
wilderness.[4] Moreover, as Ramban already noted, the text does not seem to refer to something
that will occur in the future, but to something that occurs immediately, at the time of creation.[5]

Shabbat Invigorates the Body and Soul (Ibn Ezra)

Avraham ibn Ezra (1089-1167) believes that the seventh day was invested with unique properties
that allow it to invigorate both the body and the soul, providing them with added powers.[6] This
cannot be the meaning of the verse, however, as his approach is informed by medieval astrological
concepts that are completely foreign to the biblical way of thinking. Ramban sarcastically critiques
ibn Ezra when he says of this interpretation, ‫דברו בזה נכון למאמינים בו‬, “his speech concerning this
is correct for those who believe in it.”[7]

Blessing and Sanctifying as a Single Act (Rafi Weiss)

The Israeli scholar, Rafi Weiss (1940-1974) offered an intriguing interpretation of the verse.[8] He
noted that the subject ‫( אלוהים‬God) is mentioned only after ‫“( ויברך‬and he blessed”) and is not

46
repeated in relation to ‫“( ויקדש‬and he sanctified”). This indicates that the two verbs really express
a single act rather than two distinct acts. The implication is that the blessing and sanctifying are
basically one in the same, that is, the blessedness of the day consists of the fact that it was made
sacred.[9] The fact that the text offers a single reason for God’s act – he ceased working on the
seventh day – further support’s Weiss’ assertion that the two verbs indeed represent a single act.

This interpretation is unlikely, however, because the terms ‫ ויברך‬and ‫ ויקדש‬are not related to each
other and do not form a natural pair. To consecrate something is to dedicate it to God whereas to
bless something is to bestow it with fertility and good fortune. When God blesses the fish and birds
in Genesis 1:22, he does not thereby impart holiness onto them. Nor does Isaac impart holiness to
Esau when he gives him the “remaining” blessing (Genesis 27:38—40).

Conversely, when God has the Israelites sanctify their firstborn children and animals in Egypt
(Exodus 13:1—2) he does not imply that they are blessed. The pure firstborn animals are to be
sacrificed on the altar. This hardly amounts to a blessing for them! Nor is blessing ever mentioned
with regard to any of the holidays that are referred to as ‫מקראי קדש‬, “holy convocations.” In fact,
the terms ‫ ויברך‬and ‫ ויקדש‬never appear together in the Bible anywhere else (with one important
exception, also regarding Shabbat, that will be dealt with later), and this is likely not an accident.

‫ ויברך‬Is a Copyist Error

These facts lead me to question the accuracy of the reading ‫ויברך‬, and suggest that it the product
of a copyist’s mistake. Several considerations support this contention:

1. Israel sanctifies (but doesn’t bless) the Sabbath day – While Israel or Israel’s priests are
required to sanctify the Sabbath, as God does in Gen 2:3,[10] neither Israel nor the priests ever
“bless” the Sabbath day. Thus, God commands Israel in the Decalogue, ‫זכור את יום השבת לקדשו‬,
“remember to sanctify the Sabbath day” (Exodus 20:8; cf. also Jeremiah 17:22, 24; Ezkiel 20:20)
and he declares to Ezekiel that it is the task of the priests of the line of Zadok to do the same – ‫ואת‬

47
‫שבתותי יקדשו‬. The Sabbath must be sanctified, not blessed. Similarly, according to Exodus 16:23;
31:15 and Nehemiah 10:32, the Sabbath is a “holy” day, not a “blessed” day.

2. Time is not generally blessed in the Bible – The very concept of blessing time rather than living
beings is extremely rare in biblical literature. The closest parallel is Jeremiah’s rhetorical plea that
the day of his birth is not blessed (Jeremiah 20:14). But this kind of usage never appears in Priestly
writing, to which our passage belongs. In P, as in most of the Bible,[11] only living beings can be
blessed.

3. Blessing goes with proliferation – In Priestly writing, whenever God blesses something, he
makes it proliferate (Gen 1:22, 28; 9:1; 17:16, 20; 28:3). It would be meaningless, however, for
God to make the seventh day proliferate!

And God Separated (‫ )ויבדל‬the Seventh Day

If the word ‫ ויברך‬is indeed the product of textual corruption, what might the original text have
read? I suggest that the original verb was ‫ויבדל‬, “and he separated,” for the following reasons:

1. Fits the context – In the story of creation, God performs several acts of separation and the term
that is used is ‫( ויבדל‬vv. 4, 7, 14, 18). It is only natural that God would conclude His acts of
separation within the cosmos with the separation of the seventh day from the six days of the week.

2. Separation and consecration are a natural pair – The idea of “separation” goes together very
well with “consecration,” since one separates and puts aside that which is to be consecrated. For
example, Leviticus 20:26, notes:

‫הָוה ָוַאְבִדּל ֶאְתֶכם ִמן ָהַﬠִמּים ִלְהיוֹת ִלי׃‬-‫ִוְה ִייֶתם ִלי ְקֹדִשׁים ִכּי ָקדוֹשׁ ֲא ִני ְי‬

You shall be holy to Me, for I YHWH am holy, and I have set you apart from other peoples to
be Mine.

48
God “separates” the Israelites and therefore expects them to be “holy.” Similarly, Moses responds
to Korah’s claim that all the Levites are equally “holy” and should, therefore, share in the
prerogatives of the Aaronite priests (Numbers 16:3) by stating (vv. 9-10):

.‫ַהְמַﬠט ִמֶכּם ִכּי ִהְבִדּיל ֱא^ֵהי ִיְשָׂרֵאל ֶאְתֶכם ֵמֲﬠַדת ִיְשָׂרֵאל ְלַהְק ִריב ֶאְתֶכם ֵאָליו… וִּבַקְּשֶׁתּם ַגּם ְכֻּהָנּה‬

Is it a small thing that the God of Israel separated you from the community of Israel to bring you
near unto him… that you also seek priesthood?
Here, again, the Levites are sanctified through their separation from the Israelites.

3. Liturgical usage – The idea that God separated the seventh day from the profane days of the
week is highlighted in the traditional Jewish Havdalah service for Saturday night (cf. Ber. 33a), in
which we say:

.‫המבדיל בין קדש לחול בין אור לחושך בין ישראל לעמים בין יום השביעי לששת ימי המעשה‬

Who separated between holy and ordinary, between light and dark, between Israel and the
nations, between the seventh day and the six days of work?
Similarly, the phrase ‫( הבדלת וקדשת‬you have separated and sanctified) appears in the Kiddush
service for festivals that fall on Saturday night. All this goes to show that separation and
sanctification are a natural pair. The pair appears in the Bible and continues to appear in post-
biblical literature.

4. Fits well with the variant reading – The cogency of the suggested reading is particularly
apparent using the version of Gen 2:2 in the Samaritan Pentateuch, the LXX, and the Syriac
Peshitta that has God finishing his work on the sixth day instead of the seventh, a reading that is
preferred by many scholars.

.‫ויכל אלהים ביום הששי מלאכתו אשר עשה וישבת ביום השביעי מכל מלאכתו אשר עשה‬

49
God finished the work that He had been doing on the sixth (MT seventh) day, and He ceased on
the seventh day from all the work that He had done.
The verse in this form highlights the differentiation between that which God did on the sixth day
(completed his work) and that which he did on the seventh day (ceased to work).[12] The sentence
leads most elegantly into the following statement:

.‫ויבדל אלהים את יום השביעי ויקדש אותו‬

So God set aside the seventh day and sanctified it.

How did the Mistake Occur?

Scribes often made copying errors, whether based on graphic similarities between words, or their
eyes jumping from one spot to another, or because of interference of/confusion with similar verses.
Two reasons for the accidental replacement of ‫ ויבדל‬with ‫ ויברך‬in this case present themselves:

1. Orthography – The two words look similar, orthographically speaking. The both begin with -‫ו‬
‫ב‬-‫י‬, and the fourth letter ‫ ד‬looks very much like a ‫ר‬. This is true both for our current script as well
as ancient Paleo-Hebrew script. In fact, the Bible contains many examples of the ‫ ר‬being mistaken
by a copyist for a ‫ ד‬and vice versa. For example,[13]

a. ‫חוצות‬ ‫אדקם כטיט‬

(Sam 22:43)
‫חוצות‬ ‫אריקם כטיט‬
(Ps 18:43)

b. ‫כתים‬ ‫ותרשיש‬ ‫אלישה‬ ‫יון‬ ‫ודדנים ובני‬

(Gen 10:4)

50
 ‫כתים‬ ‫ותרשישה‬ ‫אלישה‬ ‫יון‬ ‫ורודנים ובני‬
(1 Chron 1:7)

While there is no typical confusion of kaf and lamed, it must be remembered that there are
innumerable instances of textual corruption that do not follow any clear rules. Scribes often tried
to reconstruct unclear texts through educated reasoning. In our case, once the original dalet was
read as a resh, it was reasonable to posit that the unclear word was ‫ויברך‬.

2. Influence of earlier verses – Days 5 and 6 of the creation account refer to God blessing what
he created. This could have subconsciously influenced a copyist seeing a term that looked like
‫ ויברך‬to copy this word instead of the original ‫ויבדל‬.

A Late Revision of the Decalogue

As mentioned earlier, the Bible has one other example God blessing and sanctifying Shabbat, the
text of the Decalogue in Exodus 20:11, which reads,

‫ ְיהָוה ֶאת יוֹם‬‰‫ִכּי ֵשֶׁשׁת ָיִמים ָﬠָשׂה ְיהָוה ֶאת ַהָשַּׁמ ִים ְוֶאת ָהָאֶרץ ֶאת ַהָיּם ְוֶאת ָכּל ֲאֶשׁר ָבּם ַוָיַּנח ַבּיּוֹם ַהְשִּׁביִﬠי ַﬠל ֵכּן ֵבּ ַר‬
.‫ַהַשָּׁבּת ַו ְיַקְדֵּשׁהוּ‬

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them, and He rested on
the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath dayand hallowed it.
This entire sentence does not appear in the version of the Decalogue in Deuteronomy, and is
secondary. In Deuteronomy 5 we find a completely different reason for keeping the Sabbath (vv.
13-14):

…‫ ְוָזַכ ְרָתּ ִכּי ֶﬠֶבד ָה ִייָת ְבֶּאֶרץ ִמְצַר ִים‬.®‫…ְלַמַﬠן ָינוַּח ַﬠְבְדּ® ַוֲאָמְת® ָכּמוֹ‬

…so that your male servant and female servant may rest like you, and you remember that you were
a slave in Egypt…

51
Since both of these divergent explanations for Sabbath observance expand upon the same basic
command to refrain from working on the Sabbath, found in almost the exact same formulation in
both versions of the Decalogue, we must assume that an earlier form of the Decalogue recorded
the command alone.

The supplementary explanation for Shabbat in Exodus 20:11, i.e., “for in six days the Lord made
the heavens and the earth…,” is obviously based on the opening Priestly creation story and is thus
familiar with it. In all likelihood, however, Exodus 20:11 was not written by the Priestly author of
the Genesis creation account, but by a later Priestly scribe who incorporated the Decalogue into
the Sinai account and who was merely familiar with it.[14] This author even adjusted the wording
in his quotation of the Priestly creation account to reflect his understanding of it.

The Seas and all the Creatures

It is surely significant that the author of Exodus 20:11 adds the words: “the sea and all that is in
them” (‫ )את הים ואת כל אשר בם‬to the creation of heaven and earth mentioned in Genesis 2:1 as, “The
heaven and earth and all their array were finished” (‫)ויכלו השמים והארץ וכל צבאם‬. Why this addition?
I would suggest that the phrase is added in light of Gen 1:10 which states,

…‫ַו ִיְּקָרא ֱא^ִהים ַלַיָּבָּשׁה ֶאֶרץ וְּלִמְקֵוה ַהַמּ ִים ָקָרא ַיִמּים‬

God called the dry land “Eretz” and the gathering of waters he called “Seas”…
Thus, if the author wishes to be comprehensive, he cannot simply state that God made the heaven
and eretz (=dry land) and all their array in six days. One must add reference to the waters and their
creatures as well. The author of Gen 1-2, however, clearly felt no need for this clarification, and
felt secure in the knowledge that that his readers would understand that “heaven and eretz” refer
to all of creation since eretz also means “earth” (as in Gen 1:1).

52
Resting as opposed to Ceasing – Increased Anthropomorphism

The author of Exodus 20:11 states ‫וינח ביום השביעי‬, “and He rested on the seventh day.” In contrast,
Gen 2:2-3 states that God ‫שבת מכל מלאכתו‬, “ceased all his work.” The difference is significant, for
to cease from work is much less anthropomorphic than to rest, which implies weariness. A similar
heightening of the anthropomorphic presentation of God as resting in found in Exodus 31:17,
which states that on the seventh day God ‫שבת וינפש‬, “ceased work and took a breath.” However we
choose to explain these changes, it seems evident that they do not derive from the author of Gen
1-2, who would have made use of his own terms and concepts.

Thus, I believe, Exodus 20:11 refers back to Genesis 2:2-3, but was written after that text had been
accidentally corrupted by an earlier scribe.

This means that the copyist mistake of ‫ ויברך‬in Gen 2:2 is very ancient. But ancient scribal errors
influencing later biblical texts is not all that unusual. Yair Zakovitch has gathered a fair number of
biblical allusions to earlier biblical texts that already suffered textual corruption.[15]

The Significance of the Original Text

The textual emendation suggested here may serve to remind us of what the sanctity of the Shabbat,
and of other religious institutions, truly implies. God separated this day from the others so that it
would stand outside the realm of everyday life, dedicated to God and spiritual matters. On days of
‫ חול‬we strive to further our own blessing. On Shabbat we live in the realm of the holy. This is
indeed reflected in the Shabbat Amida, which lacks the entire section of ‫( בקשות‬requests) that is
found in the daily Amida. Shabbat, as Abraham Joshua Heschel said, is an island in time.[16] We
should not turn it into a vehicle for mundane personal blessing.

Footnotes

53
 1. Note that Abravanel explicitly references the position as Saadia’s though it does not appear in our versions of Saadia’s

commentary.

.‫וגם אין לפרש הקדושה והברכה הזאת כנגד השומרים את השבת לדעת הגאון רב סעדיה כי הכתוב על השבת ידבר לא על שמריו‬

2. A more subtle problem with this interpretation is the following: The meaning of God sanctifying the seventh day indicates

that he imbued it with a special and inherent new quality. This is why, for example, working from Tuesday to the

following Sunday and then cease working every Monday would not count as resting the way God rested. In other words,

it is not just that we must copy God’s cycle of six days of work and a seventh day of no work. Rather, a specific day was

imbued with a special quality of sanctity at the time of creation, so we must observe the sanctity of that specific day. By

analogy, then, the Shabbat day must be understood to have been imbued by God with the quality of blessedness at the

time of creation as well and not only in the distant future when Israelites started observing it.

3. ‫ב‬:‫בראשית רבה יא‬

.‫ ְבֶּﬠֶרב ַשָׁבּת ְשֵׁני ֳﬠָמ ִרים‬,‫ ֶשָׁכּל ְימוֹת ַהַשָּׁבּת ָהָיה יוֵֹרד ֹעֶמר‬,‫ ֵבּ ְרכוֹ ַבָּמּן‬,‫ ַרִבּי ִיְשָׁמֵﬠאל אוֵֹמר ֵבּ ְרכוֹ ַבָּמּן ְוִקְדּשׁוֹ ַבָּמּן‬,’‫ִהים ֶאת יוֹם ַהְשִּׁביִﬠי וגו‬q‫ ֱא‬o‫ַו ְיָבֶר‬

.‫ וֵּב ְרכוֹ ָבֲּﬠִטיָפה‬,‫ ְוִקְדּשׁוֹ ַבְּמקוֵֹשׁשׁ‬,‫ ַרִבּי ִיְצָחק ָאַמר ֵבּ ְרכוֹ ַבָּמּן‬.‫ ְוִקְדּשׁוֹ ַבְּבָּרָכה‬,‫ ֵבּ ְרכוֹ ַבָּמּן‬,‫ ַרִבּי ָנָתן אוֵֹמר‬.‫ ֶשׁל ֹא ָיַרד בּוֹ ָכּל ִﬠָקּר‬,‫ְוִקְדּשׁוֹ ַבָּמּן‬

4. Furthermore, this “blessing” relates more to the sixth day, when the double provision actually arrives, than the seventh

day.

5. Ramban applies this same criticism to the position of Saadia Gaon as well:

.‫ואין משמע הכתוב שידבר על העתיד‬

6.

.‫ וביום הזה תתחדש בגופות דמות כח בתולדות ובנשמה כח הכר והשכל‬,‫ויברך אלהים – פירוש ברכה תוספות טובה‬

7. The same judgment can be applied to Ramban’s own highly cryptic kabbalistic interpretation that the blessing is “like

the blessings which are the foundation of the world,” which is based in the mystical tradition of the Middle Ages:

.‫והאמת כי הברכה ביום השבת היא מעין הברכות והוא יסוד עולם ויקדש אתו כי ימשוך מן הקדש‬

8. See Rafael Weiss, Mashot BeMikra (Jerusalem: Rubenstein, 1976), 190 [Hebrew].

9. This appears to be how the term was understood by the scribe who wrote 4qDeutn(=4q41). This text includes an expansive

version of Deuteronomy’s Decalogue, which includes a revised version of Exod 20:11 at the end of its Sabbath law:

.‫על כן ברך יהוה את יום השבת לקדשו‬

54
 Therefore, YHWH blessed the Sabbath day to sanctify it.
For more on this text, see Esti Eshel’s TABS essay, “The Oldest Known Copy of the Decalogue?”

10. Cf. Exod. 20:8; Deut. 5:12; Jer. 17:22, 24, 27; Ezek. 20:20; 44:24; Neh. 13:22.

11. See J. Scharbert, ‫ ברך‬in TDOT vol. 2, p. 295, “The idea that God blesses things, possessions, or days was hardly known

in the earlier period, and was only a little more familiar later.”

12. The MT version is harder to understand—what did God finish doing on the seventh day?—and commentators struggle

to make sense of it, see, for example, Rashi, Lekah Tov, and ibn Ezra ad loc.

13. More examples of this can be found in Emmanuel Tov, Textual Criticism of the HebrewBible, 2nd revised ed.

(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992), 245-246.

14. For more on how revelation at Sinai was incorporated into biblical texts over time, see my TABS essay, “Judaism without

Sinai.”

15. See Yair Zakovitch, “Inner-Biblical Allusions and Textual Criticism,” in Shai le-Sara Japhet: Studies in the Bible, its

Exegesis and its Language (eds., M. Bar-Asher et al.; Jerusalem, 2007), 323–324 [Hebrew].

16. See Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man (New York: Noonday, 1951)

55
For me nothing ushers in the sense of the neshama yeseirah than the words

and niggun of Kah Echsof..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pov0baPh4DQ

56
57
Translation:

Yah! How I long for

the bliss of the Shabbat, united in secret
with Your own fervent wish. Give way to Your own
deep desire to love us.
May Sabbath in Torah
be our sacred bliss.

Share Her with us
who desire to please You- Our deep thirst for union
be met with delight

Holy Presence
filling all time and space! Keep safe who keep Shabbat in their longing all
week.
Like a deer that seeks water by the banks of the river,
We seek Shabbat, the secret of Your sacred Name!
Grant us all week long
Her shimmering Presence, So our hearts and our faith be pure service to
You!

Warmly embrace us
with Your kind compassion, Quench quickly our thirst for Your unending
Grace. Give us the bliss drink from Eden's own river. Your praises we sing
with joy on our face.
Let Jacobs gift to us-

echo all week long Infusing our lives
with a Shabbes-filled trace.

Hail Shabbat, delight

of our souls and our Spirits. Ecstasy life-throb
am awed by Your love, Secure that Your caring grants safety and nurture-
You feed us sweet nectar from Your Source above. As You embrace us
with Mothering comfort-
In You I take refuge
and pledge You my love.

Translation by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

58
 ‫ו‪ .‬רבי אהרן הגדול מקרלין‬
‫‪13‬‬

‫רבי אהרן מקרלין‪ ,‬אחד מכוהני השירה הגדולים שנתנה החסידות ליהדות ומייסדה של כת‬
‫חסידי קרלין‪ ,‬עבד את קונו ואת השבת פרי רוחו בהתלהבות ואש נשמה שיקדה בלבו כרעם‬
‫עוז‪ ,‬מתוך שירה וזמרה‪ .‬שבת וזמרה היו עולים אצלו בקנה אחד וקשורים קשר אורגני בלי‬
‫הינתק‪ ,‬כי השבת כולה היא לדידיה שירה אחת בלתי פוסקת‪ ,‬שיר שבח גדול לבורא שמים‬
‫‪.‬וארץ וכל צבאם בשישה ימים‬

‫אך נפשו התוססת אש התלהבות דתית וההומה בצלילי צלילים של שירה ופיוט‬
‫כלתה מרוב התלהבותה ברטט של צפייה וגעגועים לטוב ונעלה לקראת שבת ‪,‬לשבת‬
‫מלכתא‪ ,‬ולרגשותיו אלה נתן ביטוי בשירי הגעגועים של המלך והרעיה‪ ,‬בשירי הקודש של‬
‫ספר "שיר השירים"‪ ,‬שלפי צורתו החיצונית נחשב לספר חולין ולפי רוחו הפנימי ‪ -‬לקודש‬
‫‪:‬הקדשים‪ .‬בגלל זה התברך בו מורו ורבו‪ ,‬ה"מגיד" ממזריטש‪ ,‬והחסידים מספרים בשמו‬
‫כשהיה רבי אהרן אומר בערב שבת בצהרים‪ ,‬בניגון מיוחד לו‪ ,‬את שיר‪-‬השירים‪ ,‬נעשה "‬
‫רעש בפמליה של מעלה ונשתתקו כל העולמות העליונים‪ ,‬ומלאכי השרת פסקו מלומר‬
‫שירה לפני הקב"ה‪ ,‬והיו מתקבצים שורות שורות להאזין ולהקשיב את ניגוני הקדוש‪,‬‬
‫‪".‬הנעים והמתוק‪ ,‬הנלקח מעולם הניגון‬

‫בזמרתו המלאה צלילי קודש רעננים‪ ,‬הטבועה בחותם של מקוריות אמיתית ושל‬
‫שרת את הוד מעלת השבת‪ .‬את צלילי שירתו חרז בדביקות ‪,‬התעוררות רוח יהודית‪-‬דתית‬
‫רבה החותרת להתפשטות הגשמיות‪ ,‬כיאות ליום שכולו קודש‪ .‬הדביקות היא הנקודה‬
‫המרכזית והעיקרית בזמרתו‪ ,‬והיא הנותנת לה את הטעם והחן המיוחד‪ ,‬שבכוחם למשוך‬
‫‪.‬ולעורר את האהבה והיראה בלב השומעים‬

‫רבי אהרן לא ניגש אל הזמרה גישה אסתטית‪ ,‬כצייר מסתכל זה הרואה לפניו רק את האילן‬
‫הנאה ואת הנייר הנאה; לא היה זמר רגיל השובה את לב השומעים בנועם קולו‪ .‬הוא ניגש‬
‫אל הזמרה ברטט של קדושה‪ ,‬בהמנון תפילה‪ ,‬בגלותו בה מעינית נובעי חיים ובמצאו שיש‬
‫להביע בה את הגנוז והנסתר בנפש היהודי העליון‪ .‬זמרתו אינה מלטפת את האוזן בלבד‪.‬‬
‫היא מרוממת גם את הלב וגם את הנשמה ובזמרתו "כל עצמותיו תאמרנה" שבח והוד‬
‫‪.‬למעלת השבת‪ .‬ומתנה זו העלה עולה על מזבח קדושת השבת‪ ,‬ברוב אהבתו אליה‬

‫כזרם שאינו פוסק השמיע את זמרותיו בסגולות סגנונו המיוחד לו שיר תהילות‬
‫והצלילים פועלים בחן קדושתם וחודרים ללב ולנפש‪ .‬השומע עוצר את רוחו מתוך ‪.‬לשבת‬
‫רגש קודש‪ ,‬ולב הכל רוחש בדממה‪ :‬קדוש‪ ,‬קדוש‪ ,‬קדוש‪ .‬בזמר שחיבר בחום געגועיו על‬
‫השבת "יה אכסוף נועם שבת" שחסידי קרלין מזמרים אותו עד היום בניגון מיוחד‪ ,‬מובלטת‬
‫התלהבותו בקדושת היום‪ .‬איו לך פיוט שנתפרסם כל כך בכל חסידות קרלין ובנותיה‬
‫‪.‬ושנעשה חביב כל כך בכל החוגים הללו כפיוט זה‪ ,‬ומקום ראשון ניתן לו בזמירות לשבת‬

‫מראש שלוש המילים הראשונות של ארבעת הבתים המהווים את הפיוט מצטרפות המלים‪:‬‬
‫שם הוויה‪ ,‬אהרן )שמו(‪ ,‬נשמה‪ .‬ונמצא אחד מיוצאי חלציו שמוצא כי יש בזמר כוונות וסודות‬

‫‪13‬‬
‫‪https://daat.ac.il/daat/kitveyet/mahanaim/nigunim1-2.htm‬‬

‫‪59‬‬
 ‫מופלאים‪ ,‬והוא מרחיב את הדבור בבארו את הזמר‪ .‬הזמר נתקדש מאד אצל החסידים‬
‫ונתפשט אצל כל חסידי ליטה שמזמרים אותו בליל שבת ובסעודה שלישית בעת שבת אחים‬
‫‪.‬גם יחד‬

‫שיר השבת הנהדר "יה אכסוף" מושר עד היום מדי שבת בשבתו בפי החסידים של‬
‫קרלין ותולדותיה‪ :‬בית ליאחוביץ'; בית קוברין‪ ,‬בית סלונים‪ ,‬בית קוידאנוב וענפיהן‪ .‬ומן הראוי‬
‫למסור בזה את הפיוט הנפלא לשבת‪ ,‬כמו שהוא‪ ,‬לכל בתיו המתייחס לרבי אהרן הגדול‬
‫‪:‬מקרלין‬

‫‪.‬א‬
‫‪,‬יה אכסוף נואם שבת המתאמת ומתייחדת בסגולתך‪ .‬משוך נעם יראתך לעם מבקשי רצונך‬

‫‪.‬קדשם בקדושת השבת המתאחדת בתורתך‪ ,‬פתח להם נעם ורצון לפתח שערי רצונך‬

‫‪.‬יה אכסוף‬

‫‪.‬ב‬
‫היה הווה שמר שומרים ומצפים שבת קודשך‪ ,‬כאיל תערוג על אפיקי מים‬

‫נפשם תערוג לקבל נעם שבת‬

‫‪.‬המתאחדת בשם קודשך‬

‫הצל מאחרי לפרש מן השבת‬

‫‪,‬לבלתי תהיה סגורה מהם ששת ימים‪ ,‬המקבלים קדושה משבת קודשך‬

‫‪.‬וטהר לבם באמת ובאמונה לעבדך‬

‫‪.‬יה אכסוף‬

‫‪.‬ג‬
‫‪,‬ויהיו רחמיך מתגוללים על עם קודשך‪ ,‬להשקות צמאי חסדיך מנהר היוצא מעדן‬

‫לעטר את ישראל בתפארת‬

‫‪.‬המפארים אותך על ידי שבת קודשך‬

‫‪.‬כל ששת ימים להנחילם נחלת יעקב בחירך‬

‫‪.‬יה אכסוף‬

‫‪.‬ד‬

‫‪60‬‬
 ‫השנת נעם הנשמות והשביעי עונג הרוחות‬

‫‪.‬ועדן הנפשות להתעדן באהבתך ויראתך‬

‫‪,‬שבת קודש‪ ,‬נפשי חולת אהבתך‬

‫שבת קודש‪ ,‬נפשות ישראל‬

‫‪,‬בצל כנפיך יחסיון‬

‫‪.‬ירויון מדשן ביתך‬

‫‪.‬יה אכסוף‬

‫הראשון בסוג ניגונים אלה מוצאו ‪.‬הניגונים שחוברו לפיוט זה ראויים לפרשה בפני עצמה‬
‫בתור הזהב של השושלת‪ ,‬שחסידי קרלין מזמרים אותו מדי שבת בשבת‪ .‬בטעות ייחסוהו‬
‫לרבי אהרן הגדול‪ ,‬בעוד שחובר ע"י ר' אשר הראשון או ר' אהרן השני‪ .‬החסידים קוראים לו‬
‫"הניגון הקדוש"‪ ,‬כי מסופר שבעת בקורו של ה"בית אהרן" אצל מחותנו ר' ישראל מריז'ין‪,‬‬
‫ראה שכששרו ניגון זה נתרומם הריז'ינאי עם כיסאו מהקרקע לאוויר‪ .‬צדיקי קרלין וסטולין היו‬
‫‪.‬מקפידים על זמרה נכונה של ניגון זה ללא שינוי כל שהוא ועמדו על טהרת כל תנועה וצליל‬

‫רישומיו של ניגון "יה אכסוף" נזכרים בפי אחד הסופרים המתאר את חסידותו של‬
‫שדביקותו מגיעה למרום קצה כשהוא שר את פזמונו של ר' אהרן הגדול "יה אכסוף ‪,‬אביו‬
‫נועם שבת"‪ .‬ועל הניגון הוא אומר‪ ,‬שהוא עגום עגום‪ ,‬מלא געגועים ורחמים רבים‪" ,‬צובט את‬
‫הנשמה"‪ .‬הלב כולו מתמלא נועם חרישי‪ ,‬סופג אותו מסתורין טמירין‪ ,‬המרפרפים בחלל‬
‫האפלולית ודומה כאילו אתה שומע בת‪-‬קול של אנחה חרישית פורצת ממעמקי נשמה‬
‫‪".‬עלובה‪" ,‬המפרכת לצאת ואינה יכולה‬

‫הפיוט "יה אכסוף" זכה לתחרות ניגונים‪ ,‬כל להן וכל תולדה קרלינית וניגוניהם‪ ,‬ומספרם אין‬
‫למנות‪ .‬ברם היתרון בדביקות ניתן לניגונים הראשונים שהותאמו לפיוט והמתייחסים לר'‬
‫‪.‬אהרן השני‪ .‬ומאז מקור היצירה טרם פסק‪ .‬החוט נמשך‪ ,‬ומספר הניגונים לפיוט זה הולך ורב‬

‫ועד היום שרים את ‪,‬זמרותיו של רבי אהרן הגדול נעשו לנחלת רבים וזכו להכרה סואנת‬
‫ניגוניו בחום נפש‪ .,‬ולא גוזמה היא לומר‪ ,‬כי אפשר לשבת שעות רבות ולהאזין לנועם‬
‫זמירותיהם של הקרלינים בכלל‪ ,‬ושל רבי אהרן בפרט‪ ,‬והנפש לא תיעף ולא תיגע‪ .‬אין איש‬
‫‪.‬יכול לעמוד בפני קסמה של זמרה זו‪ ,‬ועליה גאות חסידי קרלין‬

‫‪61‬‬
 Sing a Niggun

A chassid came to see the Karliner Rebbe because he was depressed. "I don't know what to do,"
he said, "I'm not a good Jew, I don’t study enough, I don’t know enough, all I do is work, work,
work. But I want to study more. Rebbe, I have a question. What do our great and holy rabbis
study on Friday night?"

"Well," said the Karliner, "some study kabbalah."

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"Oh," said the chassid, "that is not for me."

"No," said the Karliner, "that is not for everybody. But I am sure you study Talmud regularly?
How does it go?"

"Rebbe, I am ashamed to admit it, I do not study Talmud regularly. You see, I grew up poor. I
had to work from an early age to help out my family. I did not get much of an education. I find
the Talmud very difficult."

"And if you study together with a friend?" asked the Karliner.

"My friends also work very hard, they don’t know much either. Besides, I have no time to sit in
the study hall for hours. What else can I do?"

"Working hard for your family is a mitzvah," said the Karliner. "You can study the weekly
Torah reading with Rashi's commentary and with Midrashim."

"Oh no," said the man, "I always found Rashi very difficult. As I told you, I hardly got an
education. I struggle through the parshah each week, but I doesn't uplift me. I am a failure.
Besides, I am really not a scholar. I prefer to work with my hands. My family is big, I work long
hours."

"No Jew is a failure," said the Karliner sternly. "Every Jew can learn. And every Jew should
learn. I know something for you. You certainly will enjoy telling beautiful stories about our
great sages and tzaddikim (righteous people) with your friends and with your family!"

"I am bad at telling stories," objected said the chassid. "I always forget the important points, I
mix them up and I am not a good talker either. Please, I can't do that..."

The Karliner leaned back in his chair. He closed his eyes and he began to hum. He hummed and
he swayed back and forth and the chassid listened in amazement. This was beautiful. What a
melody! And he began to sing along. He never had felt so wonderful before, so close to G-d.

After a long time the singing stopped. The Karliner opened his eyes and looked at the chassid
intently.

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"Rebbe," the chassid exclaimed, "I understand. Oh yes, I do! I don't feel depressed any more.
Thank you, thank you!"

And he went home and every Shabbat he sang the most beautiful niggunim (songs). But most
of all he loved the niggun (song) of the Karliner Rebbe. And he did not feel depressed anymore.

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