Why the Sabbath Carries Both Penalty and Warning, Day and Night

"Those who profane it shall surely be put to death" (Exodus 31:14). Why is this said? Because Scripture says, "everyone who does work on the Sabbath day," and so forth: we have heard the penalty, but we have not heard the warning. Therefore the verse teaches, "and the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God" (Exodus 20:10), and so forth. I might think this applies only to penalty and warning for daytime work; from where do I learn penalty and warning for nighttime work? The verse teaches, "those who profane it shall surely be put to death." We have heard the penalty; we have not heard the warning. The verse teaches, "and the seventh day," and so forth, for the word "Sabbath" need not be stated except to bring in the night, which is included in the warning. These are the words of Rabbi Aha bar Yoshiyah. Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira says: consider the case where the nations have surrounded the cities of Israel and Israel has profaned the Sabbath, lest Israel say, "since we have profaned part of it, let us profane all of it." Therefore the verse teaches, "those who profane it shall surely be put to death," and even for the blink of an eye he shall surely be put to death. "For everyone who does work in it" means complete work. Now consider one who wrote one letter in the morning and one letter in the evening, or wove one thread in the morning and one thread at twilight: I might hear that he is liable. The verse teaches, "for everyone who does work in it," meaning not until he performs complete work. "And that soul shall be cut off from among its people." Why is this said? Because it says, "those who profane it shall surely be put to death," I learn only of one who acts deliberately, with the warning of witnesses. From where do I learn of one acting privately, between himself and himself? The verse teaches, "and it shall be cut off," to bring in the deliberate offender acting privately. "And it shall be cut off" means nothing other than severance. "That soul" means the deliberate one; these are the words of Rabbi Akiva. "From among its people" means while its people remain at peace.