וְאַתָּה דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אַךְ אֶת שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ כִּי אוֹת הִוא בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם לָדַעַת כִּי אֲנִי ה' מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם. (שמות לא:יג)
In this week’s parashah, Hashem speaks to Moshe in regards to keeping Shabbat. The Ben Ish Chai inquires as to the significance of four points in pasuk regarding Shemirat SHabbat. Firstly, the wordאת has been expounded by Chazal to connote an inclusiveness; what is it coming to include in its position in our pasuk? Secondly, the Torah says of Shabbos אות היא, “It is a sign,” but spells it in the lashon zachar “הוא” while it is actually pronounced in the lashon nekeivah “היא”. Why is the spelling different from the pronunciation? Thirdly, why does the Torah emphasize that Shabbat is an אות לדורותיכם, for future generations? Are not all mitzvot incumbent upon us to be safeguarded from their being given and then forever on? Why is this specially emphasized here by Shabbat? Fourthly, why is this mitzvah of Shabbat so special that it is connected to לדעת כי אני ה' מקדשכם, to know that Hashem is the One Who sanctifies us? Why is this stated here over any other mitzvah?
Shabbat itself was established by HaKadosh Baruch Hu during Maaseh Bereishit. Since then there have been six days followed by Shabbat Kodesh every week for thousands of years. In contrast, the Moadim are set at appointed times by the hands of Beit Din according to the halachot of Kiddush HaChodesh (prior to the modern calendar system). Once the days of the Moadim are set by Beit Din the relevant mitzvot then take effect on those days, even, as Chazal are doresh in Megillah 25a, if the Beit Din is in err as to the proper day for the Chag. What we know is that the kedushah of Shabbat takes effect on the seventh day of the week on its own- it an unstoppable holy force which is an inherent manifestation in the day. Such is not the case by all the Moadim, when the kedushat hayom is really dependant on Beit Din. However, we, Bnei Yisrael, still have what to do with the kedushah of Shabbat in our ability to have Tosefet Shabbat, adding on to Shabbat. We can take from the unsacred time of the week and infuse it with the holiness of Shabbat, binding it to Shabbat itself. During this man-sanctified time one can be say kiddush, eat the seudat Shabbat, and get sachar for Shemirat Shabbat. Even more astounding is that this din applies to all of Yisrael, whereas Kiddush HaChodesh, and as such Yom Tov as well, can only be done by a Beit Din with semichah.
The Ben Ish Chai writes, we all look forward to the Olam Habah, the יום שכולו שבת; then, all the days will be kadosh like Shabbat. However, this is all dependent on the merit of our actions. We have the power to bring that Day closer, or to chas v’shalom push it further away. We have the power within us to ultimately imbue the Kedushat Shabbat into every day in Olam HaBah, and this ability stems from this halachah of Tosefet Shabbat which Hashem gave us.
We find that Shabbat has two levels of kedushah: the first, and more essential, is that enacted by Hashem since the beginning of time. And the second is that of tosefet when we convert the weekday into Shabbat. So in explanation of the questions posed above, the level of Shabbat which comes directly from Hashem is referred to with הוא in lashon zachar, and the second level which stems from us is referred to with היא in lashon nekeivah. Symbolically, something which is “nekeivah” is influenced by that which is “zachar,” just as the tosefet draws from the inherent kedushah of the main Shabbat. Furthermore, we can now understand that the word את is coming to include the safeguarding of Tosefet Shabbat in addition to the regular Shabbat. It is for future generations,לדורותיכם , for it sign of that which is to come in future generations, in Olam HaBah. And finally, the reason that by specifically by Shabbat the Torah says לדעת כי אני ה' מקדישכם is really an indication of the nature of Tosefet Shabbat. The meaning of the pasuk is that Hashem makes us holy and gives us our ability to enact the kedushah of Shabbat on our own just like Hashem does.
With this in mind, Tosefet Shabbat is something which is completely pertinent to us today. We have the ability to add to the kedushah of Shabbat as much as we can during the week. May we be zoche to fulfill the words of this pasuk with proper intent and an appreciation for the sanctity of Shabbat.
