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.
I find the interplay between the Shabbat of Creation and the Shabbat of Exodus fascinating. Perhaps there are two different paradigms of power at play here.
Creation is a particular type of power. The human being, like the God who formed us, is a creative creature. We wield power on the world around us constantly. One day a week, we are told to restrain ourselves from manipulating the world around us; this is why we don’t sow or sew on the Sabbath. We draw back our power over the world on Shabbat, just as God did on the seventh day, and allow the world around us to rest.
The power of the Exodus story is a different model. This is about how we exercise power over one another in human society. Throughout the week, we participate in commerce, workforce, and systems of authority. This is why we don’t use money or participate in the workplace on Shabbat. We offer ourselves and everyone else the ability to exist without the pressures of social stratification.
For one day a week, we are asked to withdraw our power over one another and the world around us. This is to our benefit and to the benefit of everyone and everything around us. And in the light of havdalah at the end of Shabbat, please God, we should be a little more conscious of our power and how to use it well.
