It’s more than just a day off. It’s a legacy.
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early medieval text, offers a beautiful parable to explain why. Imagine a person with incredibly precious belongings, things of immense value. Who would they entrust them to? Only their most beloved, their own child. That’s how God felt about the Sabbath.
According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 18, the Holy One, blessed be He, had something incredibly precious: the day of blessing and holiness, the Shabbat. And God, in God's infinite wisdom, didn't want to give it to just anyone. God chose Israel.
But here's the really interesting part. How do we know this is true?
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer urges us to "Come and see!" Consider the Exodus from Egypt. Even before the Torah was given at Sinai, before the full covenant was established, God gave the Shabbat to Israel. Even before they were fully committed to following all the mitzvot (commandments), God entrusted them with this sacred day. As it says in Nehemiah 9:14, "And Thou madest known unto them Thy holy Sabbath."
The text emphasizes that Israel kept two Sabbaths before receiving the Torah, a testament to their immediate commitment to this gift. Only after this demonstration of devotion did God then give them the Torah, with its commandments, statutes, and teachings, through Moses.
So, the Sabbath wasn't just another commandment thrown into the mix. It was the first gift, a sign of divine favor and a prelude to the entire Torah. It was the foundation upon which the rest of the covenant was built.
What does this mean for us today?
Maybe it means that the Sabbath is more than just a day of rest. It’s a reminder of our unique relationship with the Divine, a weekly inheritance of blessing and holiness. It’s a testament to the trust that God placed in us, and a call to live up to that trust each and every week.