This week, we encounter the first version of the Ten Sayings. We’ll meet them again in Parashat Va’etchanan, near the beginning of the Book of Deuteronomy, as Moses reflects on this narrative of revelation.
Much is made of the difference in the Shabbat commandment. In our parashah, we are told to “remember” (zachor) the Sabbath day; in Deuteronomy, we are told instead to “observe” (shamor) the Sabbath day. However, this is not the only difference in the Shabbat commandment.
In Yitro, we are given a reason for keeping Shabbat: because God made the entire universe in six days and rested on the seventh. And in Va’etchanan, we are presented with a different reason: because we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and God brought us out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.
The keen ear will recognise both as being woven too into the liturgy of the day. There are two reasons we keep Shabbat, two histories to be recalled and relived and remembered: Creation and Exodus.
