6 out of 7?

Vayakel

Exodus 35:1 - 38:20

Précis: Moses instructs the People again on the laws of Shabbat, and asks for a donation of gifts (both of material and service) for the construction of the Tabernacle. The appointment of the construction leaders is also included, and the construction begins. There are again specific descriptions of implements, articles, and of the Ark itself.

Ex. 35:2 “On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to Adonai; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.”

            A couple of question come into play with this verse. Was the death penalty really imposed for Shabbat violators? Those literalists who insist that “the Bible says” bar a range of activities that mandate punishment seem to remain strangely quiet about this commandment. Do fundamentalists go about stoning people for Shabbat violations? Not that I know of!

            As with almost every capital punishment issue, the rabbis made sure that the punishment was rarely if ever carried out. Perhaps the best interpretation (midrash) for their explanation of this commandment was that on Shabbat, we are imbued with a “second” special life, which comes to us at the onset of Shabbat and departs at Havdalah. Those who violate the Shabbat have this “second” life put to death – they are not blessed with the joy and meaning of Shabbat observance.

            A second  question raised by this verse tells us that the spiritual life is not limited to Shabbat! Part of our spiritual life – in fact 6/7ths of it - is found in our daily “work.” Yes, we are commanded to rest on Shabbat, but we are also commanded to work on the other days of the week. Work is a mitzvah which must be informed with the knowledge that work has its own sense of holiness.

            In a week where we read about the “work” of building the Tabernacle and the Ark, we should be reminded that intentionality (kavanah) is not limited to prayer and ritual on Shabbat, but needs to be part of our daily spiritual work lives.

            P.S.: And for those of us who are retired from so-called “gainful employment,” one might just add that we need to lead our weekday lives finding the same sense of holiness.