The Preeminence of Shabbat

After the past few Torah portions dedicated to the construction of the Tabernacle and the various vessels to be used, matters come to a close in the section of Ki Tisa. After the final commands were given, the Torah switches gears to Shabbat (Shemot 31:12-13):

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: And you, speak to the children of Israel and say: 'Only keep My Sabbaths! For it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, to know that I, the Lord, make you holy.”

The Torah continues for the next few verses, discussing the centrality of Shabbat for the Jewish people.

Why does the Torah return to the topic of Shabbat? The commandment for Shabbat had been discussed previously in various contexts. While the concept of Shabbat being a “sign” is innovative and important, there does not seem to be any thematic association to the previous commandments concerning the Tabernacle.

Rashi notes this issue and offers an interesting answer (ibid). When addressing the first part of the verse, he writes:

“But [as for] you, although I have mandated you to command them [the Israelites] concerning the work of the Mishkan, do not let it seem to you that you may easily set aside the Sabbath because of that work.”

He continues:

“Although you will be rushed to perform the work [of the Mishkan] quickly, the Sabbath shall not be set aside because of it….”

Clearly, Rashi is pointing to the apparent assumption that work concerning the building of the Temple would override the laws of Shabbat. God ensures that this misconception is set aside, reinforcing that melacha, work that would be considered forbidden to complete on Shabbat, concerning the Tabernacle would be suspended.

It seems one can assume that the initial assumption of building the Tabernacle overriding Shabbat was valid. Why? What is the basis for its rejection?

In the Torah portion of Vayakhel, we see the reverse order from the above. The Torah begins with another exhortation concerning Shabbat (ibid 35:1-2):

“Moses called the whole community of the children of Israel to assemble, and he said to them: "These are the things that the Lord commanded to make. Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have sanctity, a day of complete rest to the Lord; whoever performs work thereon [on this day] shall be put to death.”

After a few more verses concerning Shabbat, the Torah then returns to the construction of the Tabernacle. Rashi again notes the concern of not violating Shabbat when it comes to building the Tabernacle. Why is the order of warning different in this instance?

The fact that God emphasizes that work on the Tabernacle cannot override Shabbat must mean there was a legitimate concern people would think otherwise. Why does Shabbat take precedence?

It could be the conflict between the two reflects a deeper philosophical concept concerning one’s belief in God. Rambam discusses the “discovery” of God by Avraham in the first chapter of his laws concerning idolatry. As we know, Avraham was considered the progenitor of monotheism. In discussing his path of discovery, Avraham is described as first realizing God as Creator. Later, Avraham comes to understand God’s interaction with and invesment in mankind. God as Creator is the initial formulation; bringing the universe into existence from “nothing” leads to the conclusion of this conception of God. Once we understand God as Creator, we then engage in understanding how He is invested in our fates. The idea of hashgacha, the Divine relationship with man, only emerges from the notion of God as Creator.

An example of this ordering can be found in the daily Shacharit prayer, specifically the blessings said prior to the Shema. The first prayers discuss God as Creator, such as “who forms light and creates darkness”. The conclusion of this prayer is the blessing of “creator of lights”. The content of this initial prayer has the reader focus on God in the role of Creator and all of its implications. Once completed, the next prayer then discussed the unique relationship God has with the Jewish people. It begins with “a great love you have loved us”, and reveals important ideas concerning the unique relationship God has with the Jewish people. The idea of hasghacha comes into the picture after establishing God as Creator.

The celebration of the day of Shabbat centers on the comprehension of God as Creator. The Tabernacle (and future Temple) was the center of worship of God, reflecting the idea of God’s relationship with the Jewish people. Thus, Shabbat must take precedence over the Tabernacle. It would violate this basic tenet to allow for the Tabernacle to be built on Shabbat.

Why would people think otherwise? Simply put, the idea of a relationship with God tends to be more appealing to a person then the philosophical reflection of God as Creator. We seek out God, looking for empirical evidence, wanting to establish some clear personal connection with God. Naturally, a person would be more attracted to the idea of Divine Providence. While of course there are important philosophical concepts to be understood in hashgacha, there is a psychological void filled when it comes to Divine worship. God therefore reorients the focus to ensure that Shabbat takes precedence.

There was another fascinating aspect in the relationship between Shabbat and the Tabernacle. While one cannot violate Shabbat to build the Tabernacle, once the Tabernacle was functional, many laws of Shabbat would be suspended during its operation on Shabbat. The bringing of sacrifices and other acts of worship would continue to take place on Shabbat in the Tabernacle, regardless of the reality that these actions would be clear violations of the laws of Shabbat.

Prior to the actual construction of the Tabernacle, God warns the Jewish people again concerning the laws of Shabbat. Why does the order change here? The Jewish people understood that Shabbat would lack a complete expression in the Tabernacle. This realization could lead to one assuming that just like Shabbat has a compromised expression in the Tabernacle, this concept would extend to outside the Tabernacle as well. Thus, God once again reinforces the primacy Shabbos has over the Tabernacle, based on the philosophical concept mentioned above.

While the order seems simple to understand, the natural attraction to the more tangible idea of Divine Providence is always present. We should therefore heed the Torah’s call and ensure we understand the preeminence of Shabbat and its relationship to the Tabernacle.