Vayakhel

Shabbat: The Manual

The fourth commandment instructs us to "Remember the holiness of Shabbat, the day of rest . . . do not do any work . . . because God rested on the seventh day." But questions arise. Our sages teach that we find answers in Parshat Vayahkel using creative reading techniques.

What kinds of activities count as the work we should not do on Shabbat? Gematriya, calculation of the numerical values of Hebrew words, offers the first clue. Mosheís statement that "these are the things" God teaches about Shabbat, implies that "work" includes 39 types of activities. 36 (the value of the letters in "these are") + 2  (the word "things" is plural) + 1 (God, source of the teaching) = 39.

If we attend to the order of events in the story, we learn exactly what the 39 activities are. Right after Moshe gathers the people to talk about Shabbat, he organizes them to begin work building the Mishkan, a sacred tabernacle tent that will house the Presence of God. The 39 productive activities used to build the Mishkan should be avoided on Shabbat. 

How do we commemorate holiness? And what does our commemoration have to do with God resting eons ago? If we follow the story to its conclusion, we learn that when the Mishkan is built, God's Presence rests upon it. When all creatures are engaged in activities that do no harm, God can take a rest from teaching, guiding, and governing the world. When people take a day to study, pray, socialize, build relationships, and share good meals, we help God actualize the hope for a harmonious world that was present at creation.

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