SABBATH REST FOR ALL
by Rabbi Yeshayahu Heiliczer

Isaiah 56:1-8: This is what יהוה says: "maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil." Let no foreigner who has bound himself to יהוה say, "יהוה will surely exclude me from his people." And let not any eunuch complain, "I am only a dry tree." For this is what יהוה says: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant -- to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. And foreigners who bind themselves to יהוה to serve him, to love the name of יהוה, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant -- these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." The Sovereign יהוה declares -- he who gathers the exiles of Israel: "I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered."

Who are these "foreigners" that God is speaking about through the Prophet Yeshayah? "Foreigners who bind themselves to יהוה" are Non-Jewish Believers! Nevermind about those who claim that Believers in Yeshua have accepted another religion - that is nonsense! God only created one "religion" for His children -- Judaism -- and Messianic belief in Yeshua is the full-flowering of that faith and practice. This Scripture is the answer to the age-old question about how Non-Jews who consider themselves to be "grafted on" to the Jewish olive tree through trust in Messiah Yeshua should, in God's own words, honor the Sabbath! What a powerful Scripture! In the NIV this part has been labeled "Salvation for Others." Other than who? Other than the Jewish people! This is the Scripture in which God answers the question of the duty of a Non-Jewish believer to follow the laws of God's covenant - and especially His laws of the Sabbath. Those who keep His Sabbaths, including the Sabbath, the seventh day, and "hold fast" to His covenant will be gathered into those he considers His people and their sacrifices will be allowed on His altar.

But what should be the motive, the heart-based reason for keeping God's Sabbath? Do we do these things, honoring the Sabbath and holding fast to His covenant to gain points in God's eyes? If so, points towards what? Towards salvation? No, Yeshua is clear in stating that salvation does not result from works of the flesh, including what we do or don't do on the Seventh Day. On the other hand, what about the concept of making Yeshua the Lord of our lives?

If Yeshua really is the Lord of all phases of our lives, if He is our pilot, if He sits on the throne of our lives and hands down commands, are we not bound to obey them? If we trust in Yeshua, if we love Him and His words are written upon our hearts -- what is the natural thing for us to do? Obey His commands and honor His Sabbaths. Let's look back at the beginning, literally, in the book of Genesis, chapter 2, and find the origins of the Sabbath:

Gen 2:2-3: By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (NIV)

It says here that God blessed the seventh day and "made it holy." He didn't just quit working, lie back and watch a football game - he made it holy - special - set apart! The seventh day is holy. God made it that way, and no one has the right to change that -- not human religious leaders, and not us.

Now let's look at Leviticus 23:1-3:

יהוה said to Moshe, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of יהוה, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to יהוה.

The first of the feasts of יהוה mentioned is the Sabbath! The Seventh Day! The Shabbat! It is obvious that God does not want His children to work on Shabbat. But just what constitutes work? By using the Hebrew word translated into English as "work," God certainly means to include "that with which we make our living." The word of God gives us a prime example of this in Numbers 15:32-41:

While the Israelites were in the desert, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moshe and Aharon and the whole assembly, and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. Then יהוה said to Moshe, "The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp." So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as יהוה commanded Moshe.

It's in the Bible! There's no excuse! If you don't believe that the Bible is the literal and infallible word of God, then it is as useful as a book on Psychology -- open to all types of strange interpretations and thereby virtually of no use to anybody. However, if the Bible is the infallible Word of God, then we must look at statements such as those God himself made to Moses, and take them seriously! Although we as Believers know that the penalty of death was removed by Yeshua's death and resurrection, Yeshua himself said that he did not come to do away with the Torah. Obviously God takes working -- that is, laboring, on the Sabbath to be a very serious thing, punishable by death.

But what else is included in the term "work?" The Hebrew word used is "melakha" which means much more than just labor. The Mishnah lists 39 "main tasks" which are considered work. That is because the same word is used in connection with the building of the Holy Temple, so those things which were necessary in the building of the Temple are included. They are considered "main tasks" because any variation or similar task should be considered in the same category. They are: sewing, plowing, reaping, binding sheaves, threshing, winnowing, selecting crops, grinding, sifting, kneading, baking, shearing wool, washing wool, beating wool, dying wool, spinning, weaving, making two hoops, weaving two threads, separating two threads, tying, untying, sewing two stitches, tearing in order to sew two stitches, trapping a deer, slaughtering it, flaying it, salting it, curing its hide, scraping it, cutting it up, writing two letters, erasing two letters in order to write two letters, building, tearing down, putting out a fire, kindling a fire, hitting with a hammer, or transporting an object from one domain to another.

These, as well as other tasks that operate on the same principles or have a similar purpose are also forbidden. Most of us may no longer plow the ground, but certainly mowing the lawn or planting flowers or pulling weeds fits in that category! So many of these specific categories are acts of creating (or un-creating), or "affecting the world" and since what God rested from on the Sabbath was creating, anything like drawing, writing, etc., are "melakha" and are forbidden on the Sabbath!

But the most common infraction of Biblical law by Believers today is covered in what apparently some parts of the religious community seem to think is the "Nine Commandments." We know, of course, that it is the Ten Commandments, and that they are not Ten Suggestions! The fourth commandment, (in the first half of the Ten Commandments, dealing with our relationship with God,) is in Exodus 20:8-11:

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to יהוה your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore יהוה blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (NIV)

Let's examine this Scripture a little closer. It goes well beyond telling us that we should not work. Just what is a manservant and a maidservant? The Hebrew word used is "ahb'd'khaw" -- from the Hebrew root "ehbed" -- which, although it is sometimes translated slave-man, simply means someone who serves you. Now tell me - when people leave their congregation after a service on Sabbath and go out to eat in a restaurant, or spend the afternoon shopping - do you suppose anyone is serving them? How about those who choose to worship יהוה on the first day of the week (called "Sunday" in the Roman Calendar) -- who sleep in on the Sabbath, maybe go out for brunch, or mow the lawn, or repair things around the house -- are they not in fact simply and directly and defiantly breaking a Law of God that each and every one of us has read many times? Many just choose to ignore this and other Laws of God for the sake of convenience! Again, if the Bible is the Word of God and we are to have His commands written on our hearts, is it not direct and willful rebellion to ignore what He says about the Sabbath and "go our own way?"

Sometimes it's hard to understand why God is so vehement about our obeying his Sabbath, and yet at the same time it is obvious that the focus of the Sabbath is not for us to suffer or sacrifice, but to rest! It is written in Deuteronomy 5:15:

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that יהוה your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore יהוה your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

Yehovah has commanded us to rest! Just as He commanded us to love him, and to love our neighbors, and to love our enemies, and to be unique people, He has commanded us to not only be holy with our lives, but to be especially holy -- set apart -- on this special day each and every week.

Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin, in his famous book To Be A Jew wrote an interesting section on the preparation for the Sabbath. He writes,

The preparations in a household should be no less elegant than the preparations the same family might make to receive a distinguished and beloved guest. What might a family to do if a very honored guest was coming for dinner?

A man would plan on getting home from work in plenty of time to shave, bathe, and get dressed. A mother would see to it that she and her children were washed and dressed in clean, fresh clothes. The dining table would be set in advance as on a special festive occasion; one's best dishes and tableware would be used.

Dinner would not only be prepared in advance, but the menu would be a little more elaborate than that served at a daily meal. In a poor home, meat and fish would be reserved for the Sabbath meal. But even where meat or fish is on a family's daily menu, there are still many distinctions that a hostess makes when serving a special festive meal, both in types of dishes as well as in the number of courses.

A house would be thoroughly cleaned, or at least straightened up. Every member of the family would take care of the most pressing chores before the guest arrives. One can also imagine that members of a household might warn friends, neighbors and business associates not to interrupt by telephone calls while their guest is visiting with them. It would not only be rude to the visitor but disturbing to all if there were constant interruptions.

All this would be done before the honored guest arrived. This is also what must be done to prepare properly for the Sabbath.

Rabbi Donin also writes about the "two motifs" for the Sabbath given by God. The first is as "a memorial to the creation of the world," and the second is as "a memorial to the exodus from Egypt." He writes about "The Sabbath As a Memorial to the Creation of the World:"

By desisting from all work on the seventh day, we testify that the world is not ours; that not we, but God is יהוה and Creator of the universe. The fish and animals that we don't catch, the plants or the flowers that we don't cut or pluck, the grass that we don't water on this day, the goods that we refrain from fashioning, cutting [or building] -- all this inaction on the part of the individual is a demonstration of homage to יהוה, of returning all things, as it were, to His domain. On the other hand any constructive interference by man with the physical world constitutes "work," according to the Biblical definition. Any act, however small, that involves man in physically creative acts and shows his mastery over the world constitutes work. It is this underlying motif which may help to explain some of the "whys" of the Sabbath laws. This is why acts which may not even require any physical effort, such as plucking a flower or striking a match, are still called melakha, work. To desist from this work on the seventh day is equivalent to recognizing God as the Creator of the world.

What about the act of driving a car on the Sabbath? The driving of a car clearly falls within the realm of "mastery over the world." When it comes to the question of driving to Synagogue on the Sabbath, though, the Bible contains an overriding command! Many Orthodox rabbis will tell you that if you do not live near enough to your synagogue to walk there, then you should stay home. On the other hand, most Chasidic ("ultra-orthodox") rabbis have always felt that if it is necessary to drive to get to synagogue, then you should drive. This Hasidic view is in line with our view.

When I was small, we went to an Orthodox synagogue. One day my father, feeling guilty because we lived many miles from the synagogue, well outside of walking distance, asked the Rabbi if it was alright to drive to synagogue on the Sabbath. The Rabbi's answer? "How else are you going to get here?" This is the Biblical view. We are commanded to hold a sacred assembly on the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3). It is in the synagogue where the Word of God is proclaimed, it is in the synagogue where fellowship with other believers takes place, it is in the synagogue where we join together in praising and worshipping God. In closed communities, which many of us dream about creating for Messianic Believers, certainly driving a car would not be necessary. But in this day, in this situation, in this secular country that we live in, driving to get to synagogue is certainly a necessity. Let me make it clear that worship and holy fellowship are the only valid reasons for driving a car on the Sabbath.

In Rabbi Donin's second motif of the Sabbath, The Sabbath As a Memorial to the Exodus from Egypt, he writes:

Sabbath is a weekly-occurring divine protest against slavery and oppression. Lifting up his Kiddush cup on Friday night, the Jew links the creation of the world with man's freedom, so declaring slavery and oppression deadly sins against the very foundations of the universe. Can one be surprised that tyrants of all times did not permit Israel to celebrate the Sabbath?

I have to add to Rabbi Donin's statement, "and can one be surprised that anti-Semitic "Christian" leaders through the centuries have taught that Believers should not celebrate the seventh-day Sabbath?"

Donin continues:

But slavery doesn't only consist of doing forced labor for which one doesn't get paid or gets paid very little. Slavery is not only a situation in which cruel taskmasters stand over you and tell you that you can't stop, that you must finish the assigned task before you go home and rest. Have you ever stopped to think that you yourself can be your own cruelest taskmaster, that you are capable of driving yourself in a manner that no slavemaster ever drove his slaves? You've got to finish the job. You can't stop. There are deadlines to meet, there are obligations to fulfill, there are things which must be taken care of. There are conferences, there are business commitments. There is housecleaning, laundry, shopping, the need to get ready for an evening out. We drive ourselves day in and day out, and we think we are free!

The great scholar of Jerusalem, Shlomo Joseph Zevin, suggests that there are two types of rest. One is rest from weariness, as a result of tiredness. Such rest is only to enable one to continue working. Though it brings relief and rest to the body (it is what Rashi calls menuhat ara-ey,) it does not bring joy to the soul. The second type of rest comes in the wake of completing some project, after reaching some goal. This type of rest comes at the completion of one's work, not as a "rest" during it. Here a man sits back and contemplates his achievement or his handiwork. This kind of rest is a delight to the soul. It brings a sense of release; it provides a deep satisfaction accompanied by a sense of peace and tranquility. (It is what Rashi calls menuhat margoa).

The rest that the Sabbath day is intended to reflect is the second type. "Six days shall you labor and do all your work." Imagine to yourself when the Sabbath arrives after six days of work that all your work has been completed in that time. The [ "Shomer Shabbat",] Sabbath observer, feels just this way. And therein lies the meaning of his freedom from servitude.

It is easy to fall into bondage without realizing it. We can be in bondage to sin, and at the same time it is sin to be in bondage to things of the world. Just as alcoholism, or cigarette smoking, or other drug use is bondage which God can release us from, being in bondage to work, to business, to the world's system is just as much a sin. To turn 100% of our lives over to God and allow Him to take charge is the first step away from that bondage. Dedicating the seventh day to Him is the first sign of letting that part of our lives go and resting in Him.

It is written in Exodus 16:23-30:

He said to them, "This is what יהוה commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to יהוה. So bake what you want to bake [manna] and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'" So they saved it until morning, as Moshe commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. "Eat it today," Moshe said, "because today is a Sabbath to יהוה. You will not find any of it on the ground today. Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any." Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. Then יהוה said to Moshe, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? Bear in mind that יהוה has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out." So the people rested on the seventh day. (NIV)

You see, trying in our own strength to outdo God will not get us anywhere. In the long run, we will not gain any manna by working on Shabbat! Turning our lives and our work over to Him will. This is the lesson to be learned about the Sabbath, and about those things which God commands us to do for our own good. God commands us to love, because love is the basis for peace and a good life. God commands us to rest because that is how He designed the universe. Who are we to decide that we should modify the way that God designed things? Putting our faith and our trust in Yehovah means following His commands. It is written in Yochanan John 14:12-16:

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever... (NIV)