The tenth and eleventh weekly Torah readings from Exodus, Vayakkel (35:1-38:20) and Pekekudei (38:21-40:38) deal with the construction of the Tabernacle during Moses’s time. Many readers think the events and rules are not significant today because the temples later replaced the tabernacle, and both did not exist after Rome destroyed the second temple in 70 CE. Today, we have synagogues that contain only a few reminders of the temples.
But people are wrong. The Torah has much to teach us today, even when it discusses events and laws that are no longer relevant. The following are some teachings concerning God and the Shabbat mentioned in Vayakkel.
Some history
Verse 35:3 was a focal point of much controversy in the later years of the second temple period, when Jews at that time, as Jews today, were unable to get along and work together. The rabbis called the disagreements sinat chinom, “meaningless hatred.” Jews were unable to rally together, causing them to lose the temple in 70 CE during a Roman attack, and many Jews were banished from Israel, resulting in many but not all Jews not living in the homeland, Israel, for about 2,000 years. Among the many controversialists were Sadducees and Pharisees.
Verse 35:3 was part of the controversy
Verse 35:3 commands, “You must not burn a fire in all your dwellings on the Sabbath day.” Sadducees insisted that the Sabbath home must not have a fire burning on the Sabbath. It must be dark, sometimes even cold and gloomy. Pharisees interpreted the verse to restrict igniting a new fire on the Sabbath, and contrary to the Sadducees, they saw the Sabbath as a day of light, warmth, and joy. To highlight their view, they instituted the practice of lighting candles at home before Shabbat to brighten the dwelling on Shabbat.
Sadducees were involved with the temple and ceased to exist soon after the temple was destroyed in 70 CE. Jews follow the Pharisaic teaching today. The biblical portion Vayakkel reminds us that Jews see Shabbat today as a day that teaches many lessons, including a day of light, warmth, and joy.
Jews were not alone in having different views
The difference of opinion between Pharisees and Sadducees is similar to how Jews and Romans interpret Saturday. Jews today, following the Pharisaic teaching, think of Saturday as Shabbat, which means ceasing. They are reminded that God created and formed the universe, and when God stopped working, He left the perfect laws of nature for humans to enjoy, laws that needed no future repairs. They are thankful for these laws and happy.
The Romans named the seventh day Saturday, based on the Roman god Saturn. The word means “enough.” Saturn’s reign was regarded as a time of plenty. They considered Saturn the god of agriculture, wealth, and time.
But to complicate the matter and show people cannot agree, the word Saturnine, which comes from the name of the Roman god, is far from a cheery word. It describes gloomy, grouchy, glum, sulky, sullen, and surly people.
The Romans had different views about many things. Unfortunately, as with Jews and people today, they were unable to get along with fellow citizens with other ideas. And this led, as it did with Jews, to the destruction of their nation.
This biblical portion should remind us that if people would accept the Pharisaic Sabbath interpretation of the world instead of disagreeing with each other, the world would be more productive and joyful.
But they did not
Christians, for example, accepted the seventh day as a sabbath with only some modifications from the Jewish view until the fourth century CE. Then, under the influence of the Roman emperor Constantine, they changed the Sabbath to Sunday and gave it new meaning at the Christian Council of Laodicea. It became a day to commemorate Jesus’s resurrection. The change enhanced some Christian teachings but lost some Jewish ones.
Soon, the Christians, like the Jews, began to bicker among themselves and split into rival groups.
When will people learn to treat others as they want others to treat them?
Let’s return to verse 35:3
The Torah prohibits work on Shabbat but does not define work. In early Jewish history, work was defined as the 39 types of acts performed to construct the tabernacle. Some Jews insist God defined work at Sinai. Others say it is a human idea developed to inform Jews and to ensure Jews do not violate the work prohibition. They say the concept of the 39 acts was inspired by the work prohibition being given in this biblical portion, where the Torah discusses the work to construct the tabernacle.
Needless to say, the difference of opinion on this subject caused some foolish Jews to hate other Jews with a different idea.
A question-and-answer
The statement about burning raises the question of why burning a fire is mentioned as prohibited work when other types of work are not explicitly prohibited.
Burning is different than other work. Shabbat reminds Jews that God created the world from nothing or formed it anew from unformed matter. Making a fire that previously did not exist is the closest creative act to God’s. Jews cease to create on Shabbat as God did to remind them of God’s creative gift to humanity.[1]
Can Jews create a fire on other holidays?
The Jerusalem Talmud Betza 5:2 notes that 35:3 only prohibits burning on Shabbat and permits igniting a fire on other holy days.[2]
Is work in the tabernacle and temples allowed on Shabbat?
The Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 20a and Midrash Mekhilta note that 35:3 speaks about no fire in “your settlements” but only allows violating the Shabbat in the tabernacle and temples, but not in homes and synagogues. This was because the tabernacle intensely focused on God and superseded the Shabbat.
This portion has more than a dozen additional ideas.
[1] Making a fire is also prohibited on Yom Hakippurim, later called Yom Kippur, because the Torah considers it a Sabbath.
[2] But one should not extinguish a fire on holidays. As noted previously, igniting a fire is disallowed on Yom Kippur.
It is interesting that Jews took the names of the months from Babylonian gods and that non-Jews took the names of the week from pagan deities. For example, Sunday comes from the day dedicated to the sun. Monday is moonday, or day dedicated to the moon. Tuesday, that is Tuisco’s-day. The day dedicated to the Idol Tuisco. Wednes-day, that is Woden’s-day. The day dedicated to Woden, the Mars of the Germans. Thursday, that is Thor’s-day, dedicated to the Idol Thor. Friday, that is Friga’s-day. The day dedicated to Friga, the Venus of the Saxons. Saturday from Seaten (Saturn) an Idol of the Saxons; one of the emblems representing time, which continually terminates and renews itself; the last day of the period of seven days.
Yes, human behavior is both interesting and often foolish.
I did not know that the Christians observed the Shabbat on Saturday like Jews until the fourth century CE. Why did the Roman emperor Constantine changed it to Sunday at the Council of Laodocea? What were some Jewish teachings that were lost to Christians after the change?
PS I like the Pharisaic teaching better than the Sadducee view to sit in darkness on Shabbat.
We do not know all the reasons for the change. Scholars think the main reason was to make a strong break with Judaism which they saw was continuing to exist despite the destruction of the temple centries ealier. The sanctification of Sunday, as we see in how it it is observed today, simply made Sunday a day a day of rest without any lessons on how Christians can improve themselves and others. In contrast, as I mentioned in the past, the Shabbat has many lessons teaching how humans can improve and how to improve all that God provided.
Why does the Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 20a allows people to violate the Shabbat in the tabernacle and temples? The answer, “this was because the tabernacle intensely focused on God and superseded the Shabbat.” What does it mean that the tabernacle intensely focused on God and superseded the Shabbat?
Also, you wrote that he Romans were unable to get along with fellow citizens and that this led to the destruction of their nation. Could you give an example, please? Thank you.
The Shabbat has a dual goal, to think of God and to teach Jews how to improve themselves and all God provided. The tabernacle and temples do this as well,but where the stress for Shabbat is stronger in its focus on humanity, the stress for the houses of God is more on satisfying the primitive urge to treat God as the ancients thought God should be treated. Since God is more important than humans, the houses of God take precedence.
The Romans like the Jews and like all ancient people and people today have not learned how to work together. As a result there were various groups in Rome that battled with each other. This resulted in Rome becoming weaker. Then, outside forces attacked and Rome lost the battle.
Warmth in the cold?
Israel,
Do Jews need to learn their lessons with payment in blood or loss of a nation to recognize that if we don’t stand up for each other we will lose everything we hold dear?
Yes, Jews and non-Jews need to learn that they need to treat others as they want others to treat them, and need to work together to improve themselves and all that God provided.
Israel,
Jews will always hate jews because of a lack of education. And we can’t force Jew to get educated; meaning we can’t kidnap them and force them to go to a university to become educated.
This also applies to non-jews they will always hate jews because of propaganda. whether it be a zionist conspiracy theory or etc.
What i believe we can do is educate the ones that want to be educated to the best of our abilities and if Jew or non-jew commit crimes against ordinary citizens of israel we must protect them and force them to go to prison. The criminals who are committing these crimes and help them understand if possible about possible educational benefits.
Yes, and we need to show others how to behave by being an example of proper behavior.
The contrast between the Pharisaic and Sadducean interpretations of your mentioned verse is striking, and I believe it highlights the fundamental differences between these two approaches to Jewish law and tradition. While the Sadducees, with their rigid and literalist approach, saw the Sabbath as a day of austerity and darkness, the Pharisees, with their more nuanced and flexible understanding, have always seen it as a day of joy, comfort, and spiritual growth
We agree.
You speak of the tumultuous times of the Second Temple period, when the Jewish people were beset by sinat chinom, that most pernicious of afflictions – “meaningless hatred.” It is a plague that has haunted our people for centuries, causing us to turn against one another, rather than standing united against the forces of adversity, dear Rabbi Israel Drazin !
As a philosopher and scholar, I have often pondered the significance of this verse, and the lessons it holds for our people. It is a sad truth that the bickering and infighting between the Sadducees and Pharisees, among others, ultimately contributed to the downfall of the Temple and the exile of our people from the Holy Land.
In my own writings, I have sought to provide a framework for Jewish learning that would promote unity and understanding among our people; I have striven to provide a philosophical underpinning for our faith, one that would help to alleviate the kind of senseless strife that has so often plagued us.
Best: stephen
Your work to combat sinat chinom is important since it destroyed our people in the past and still exists today.