Kitāb al-Anwār wa'l-Marāqib: Discourse V · Ch. 12: The verse (exodus 20:7) “remember the sabbath day” and the discussion regarding “preparation” (hachanah)

نرجع الى قوله זכור فان قوما يسألون فيقولون ما معنى قوله هاهنا זכור وفي موضع آخر [דברים ה' י"ב] שמור وقد أجبت في ذلك بأن قوله זכור يريد به ان تكون ذاكرا للسبت قبل حضورها لتكون مهتما بها وبالتحرز من ان يلحقك تفريط لو سهو اذا هي دخلت وقوله שמור يريد حفظها عند حضورها واما قوم آخرون فانهم يزعمون ان זכור و שמור يرجعان الى معنى واحد وذلك مثل قوله [תהילים צ"ח ג'] זכר חסדו ואמונתו לבית ישראל ويقول [שם כ"ט כ"ט] לעולם אשמור לו חסדי وكذلك [יחזקאל ט"ז ס'] וזכרתי אני את בריתי ويقول [דברים ז' ט' וכו'] שומר הברית והחסד.

Let us to return to the verse’s “remember,” for some ask and say “what is the meaning of this ‘remember’ (zakhor) and in another place (Deuteronomy 5:12) ‘observe?’ (shamor)” And I already answered that the verse “remember” means to remember the Sabbath before its appearance to be concerned with it and safeguard that there be no negligence or carelessness, and His verse “observe” means to protect the Sabbath once it has begun. And some others argue that “remember” and “observe” have an equivalent meaning and this is like the verse (Psalms 98:3) “He hath remembered (zakhar) His mercy and His faithfulness toward the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” and he says (Psalms 89:29) “For ever will I keep (eshmor) for him My mercy, and My covenant shall stand fast with him” and similarly (Ezekiel 16:60) “Nevertheless (ve-zakharti) I will remember My covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant” and he says (Deuteronomy 7:9) “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God; the faithful God, who keepeth (shomer) covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.”

نرجع الى قول بنيامين في الהכנה فاما بنيامين فانه تكلم بعد ذلك بكلام غلط فيه فزعم ان كل ما يلقط حرام في يوم السبت من كرم او بستان او حقل او طريق او رحبة او كل ما ليس هو في רשותه يعني ملكه قال وذلك انه كما يحرم لقاط الמן كذلك المطر والبرد وكل ما أمطر في السبت فحرام لقاطه ايضا فإن كانت الريح جاءت به فانه يشبه الמן والשלו قال فاما ما انتثر في بيته او في بستانه وصحنه فانه جائز أن يلقط ويؤكل في السبت لانه من البيت ولا من الريح والمطر.

Let us return to Benjamin’s teaching regarding preparation, for Benjamin said after this erroneous words and argued that everything that has been harvested is forbidden on the Sabbath, from the vineyard or garden or field or path or courtyard or everything outside of his domain (reshut) meaning from his property. He said this is like the prohibition of harvesting the manna and similarly the rain and  hail and everything that falls down on the Sabbath. It is forbidden to harvest it even if the wind blew it down, for this is like the manna and the quail, but rather what falls down in his house or in his garden or his courtyard is permissible to be harvested and eaten on the Sabbat since it comes from his home and not from the rain and wind.

فهو في أول كلامه يوهم ان نفس اللقاط حرام وفي آخره يطلق ما لقط في السبت مما ينتثر من الشجر في البيت ولم يذكر الماء بتة من النهر وغيره غير انه في تحريمه لماء المطر يجب منه تحريم شرب ماء النهر والعين وما أشبه ذلك ومن إطلاقه لكل ما ينتثر من البستان والشجر في البيت يوجب مخالفته للعانانية في الהכנה وان الהכנה عنده انما هي للخبز والطبخ وما أشبه ذلك دون غيره على انه قد صرح بذلك ايضا واما العانانية فمناقضين ايضا في إيجابهم لاستعدادهم للمأكول دون الماء وذلك انهم يطلقون شرب الماء والاغتسال به في غير الموضع المسبت وايضا شرب الماء الذي قد جرى من خارج بيوتهم الى داخلها في يوم السبت ولا يطلقون أكل ما ينتثر من الشجرة في يوم السبت في داخل البيت الذي هو مسبت ولم يأت من خارج.

In the beginning of his discussion, he ponders the same harvesting as forbidden, and in the end permits what is harvested on the Sabbath from what falls from the tree in his home, and does not mention water from the river or other places at all. However, from his prohibition of rain water, he must forbid drinking river water and well water and what is similar to this. And from his permitting of what falls from the garden or tree in his house, he must disagree with the Ananites’ view on “preparation,” since preparation according to him applies to baking and cooking and what is similar to this and to the exclusion of other things, despite the fact that he already said this explicitly. And regarding the Ananites, they are contradictory as well with their obligation to prepare food and not water, since they permit drinking and washing with water beyond what has been set aside for the Sabbath and also drinking water that has flowed from outside their homes into the inside on the Sabbath and do not permit food that has fallen from the tree on the Sabbath inside their home which has been set aside and does not come from the outside.

ثم يقال لهم ليس يخلو ان يكون الماء انما لم يجب استعداده قبل السبت وجاز شربه في السبت من كل موضع لانه مشروب وليس بمأكول او لانه غير معالج فان كان ذلك لانه مشروب فأجيزوا استعمال كل مشروب مثل الشراب وغيره من غير ان يستعد قبل السبت ولا توجبون في ذلك הכנה وان كان انما لا يجب عليه הכנה لانه غير معالج فأجيزوا أن يكون الإنسان اذا كان مارا في الطريق فوجد كوارة عسل أن يأكل منها اذ كان العسل غير معالج كما جاز له اذا كان مارا على نهر أن يشرب منه وإن كان هاهنا علة غير هاتين العلتين فما هي فلن يجدوا ذلك.

Furthermore, say to them it cannot be that water does not need to be prepared before the Sabbath, and is permitted to be drunk during the Sabbath from any location since it is a drink and not food or since it is not processed. If this was the case since it is a drink, permit using any drink like [wine] and other drinks without preparation before the Sabbath and do not obligate these with preparation! And if it doesn’t require preparation since it is not processed, permit a person walking on a path and finding a beehive to eat from it, since the honey is not processed, just like it is permitted to drink from a river! And if there is another reason, beyond these two reasons, what is it? And we do not find this.

فان قالوا فان الكتاب قد أوجب الהכנה على الמן الذي هو غير معالج وسبيله سبيل العسل فكيف يجوز ان يقولوا ان العسل لا يجب عليه הכנה فعليهم في هذا ضربين من المعارضة أحدهما أن يقال لهم فاذا كان الמן والعسل جميعا غير معالجين وقد وجب عليهما الהכנה ولم يجز ان يستعمل منهما الا ما كان معدا قبل السبت ولم لا كان هذا ايضا سبيل الماء وأنه يجب عليه الהכנה ولا يستعمل منه الا ما كان معدا قبل السبت والمعارضة والأخرى ان يقال لهم ما أنكرتم ان يكون انما أوجب الהכנה في الמן لانه يحتاج ان يؤتى به في السبت من خارج والحمل في السبت حرام وايضا فلأنه يطبخ ويخبز فوجب استعداده قبل السبت في أن يجاء به ويحمل ويطبخ ويخبز والعسل الموجود في الكوارة والثمر الساقط في البيت من الشجرة وما أشبه ذلك فلا يحتاج الى حمل ولا الى طبخ وخبز فلذلك لا يجب عليه الהכנה كما لا يجب على الماء الذي لا يحمل ولا يعالج اذ كان سبيل الماء أوكد وأثقل من العسل وهو ما قدمناه من انه يدخل من خارج المكان المسبت مثل النهر والمطر ولا فرق.

If they say “Scripture obligated preparation for the manna, which is not processed and is thus like honey, how can you not require preparation for honey?” There are two objections to this: firstly, say to them “if the manna and honey are both unprocessed, and yet preparation is required for them and only what has been prepared prior to the Sabbath is permitted to be used, why is this not the law regarding water requiring preparation and forbidding its use except what has been prepared before the Sabbath?” And the other objection is to say to them “you do not deny that preparation is applicable to manna since it must be brought from the outside before the Sabbath, and carrying on the Sabbath is forbidden, and also since it is cooked and baked and thus must be prepared and brought and carried and cooked and baked before the Sabbath. And honey from a beehive, and fruit that falls from a tree in his home and what is similar to this, for these do not require to be carried or cooked or baked and thus preparation is not required for them like it is not required for water that is not carried or processed. For, the law regarding water is more certain and stricter than honey, and we previously noted it enters from outside the place designated for Sabbath use, like a river or rain and there is no difference.”

وجماعة من أصحابنا موافقين للعانانية في إيجاب الהכנה قبل السبت لما يؤكل في السبت غير انهم أوجبوا ذلك في الماء ايضا وانه يحتاج ان يكون معدا قبل السبت مثل المأكول ولا يجيزون شرب ما لم يعد منه ولا استعماله ولا يجيزون ايضا أكل ما انتثر في البيت من الشجر اذ كان لم يستعد ولم يقع عليه הכנה وعلتهم في ذلك ما اعتل به العانانية من قوله [שמות ט"ז ה'] והכינו את אשר יביאו وان الكتاب لما أوجب الإصلاح والاستعداد من قبل السبت لما يؤكل في السبت كان ما لا يستعد من قبل السبت حراما أكله في السبت.

And a group of our companions agree with the Ananites regarding the obligation of preparation for what is eaten on the Sabbath, however they obligate this additionally for water, that it must be prepared before the Sabbath like foods and they do not permit drinking or using what has not been prepared. And they also do not permit food that has fallen from a tree on the Sabbath if they were not prepared and were not set aside as prepared. Their reason for this is what the Ananites justify from the verse (Exodus 16:5) “And it shall come to pass on the sixth day that they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.'” When the Torah obligates fixing and preparing before the Sabbath what is eaten during the Sabbath, anything which is not prepared before the Sabbath is forbidden to be eaten on the Sabbath.

والذي اعتلوا به في ذلك غير واجب بل في غاية الضعف وذلك ان قول الكتاب והכינו ليس القصد به ما هو للسبت فقط بل ذلك راجع على ما هو لليومين جميعا اذ يقول فيه [שמות ט"ז ה'] והיה ביום הששי והכינו את אשר יביאו فوقعت الהכנה على الذي يجيئون به بأسره وهو مأكول اليومين جميعا أعني الجمعة والسبت فان قال قائل فان كان ذلك كذلك فما الذي أفادنا بقوله והכינו قيل له يجوز ان يكون ذلك على معنى ما جرت به العادة عند القوم من استعمال اللغة وذلك مثل قوله [בראשית מ"ג כ"ה] ויכינו את המנחה עד בוא יוסף معنى ذلك انهم جعلوها في آلة يصلح ونظفوها وقد يجوز ان يكون معنى ذلك ايضا ما تقدم ذكره من الطبخ والخبز لليومين جميعا لانه يقول [שמות ט"ז כ"ג] את אשר תאפו אפו' וג' ثم يقول [שם שם] ואת כל העודף הניחו לכם يعنى الفاضل مما تأكلونه وتستعملونه دعوه يكون لكم تأكلونه من غد فقوله והכינו راجع الى ما يؤكل في اليومين جميعا والذي قيل فيه הניחו هو الذي يؤكل ويشرب في السبت ولم يقل فيه הכינו ومعنى הניחו أي أقروه ودعوه بحالته محتفظا به اذ يقول [שם שם] למשמרת وبطلت دعواهم في الהכנה.

And what they justify in this verse is not obligatory but is rather is an extremely weak point, and this is since the Torah’s “prepare” does not relate merely to the Sabbath, but rather to the two days together, since it says (Exodus 16:5) “And it shall come to pass on the sixth day that they shall prepare that which they bring in...” and the “preparation” applies to everything they bring in, and this is the food for the two days together, meaning Friday and Saturday. And if someone asks “if such is the case, what do we learn from his words ‘prepare (hekhinu)?’” Say to him “it is possible that it is used in the colloquial meaning of the people who use the language,” and this is like the verse (Genesis 43:25) “And they made ready (hekhinu) the present against Joseph's coming at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there.” The meaning here is that they put it in a utensil and fixed and cleaned it, and it is possible this is the meaning also what we noted previously regarding cooking and baking for two days together, since it says (Exodus 16:23) “ And he said unto them: 'This is that which the LORD hath spoken: To-morrow is a solemn rest, a holy sabbath unto the LORD. Bake that which ye will bake, and seethe that which ye will seethe...'” and then says (Exodus 16:23) “... and all that remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.” Meaning, the surplus of what you ate and used leave aside to be eaten the next day. Thus, “prepare” relates to what is eaten both days together while “lay up for you” relates to what is eaten and drunk on the Sabbath and we do not say related to this “prepare.” And the meaning of “lay up for you” is place and leave aside in its condition and protected since the verse says (Exodus 16:23) “to be kept” and thus their argument regarding “preparation” is nullified.

ثم يقال لهم في قولهم انه لا يجوز ان يؤكل في السبت الا ما أعد لها من قبلها خبرونا عن رجل كان له في منزله متاع قد اشتراه للتجارة من تمر وجوز ولوز وبندق وغير ذلك من المأكولات دعته نفسه في يوم السبت الى أكل شيء منه وهو لم يقدر يعمله قبل السبت ولا فكر فيه ولا نواه هل يجوز ان يأكل شيئا من ذلك ويطعمه لعياله ولمن يزوره فإن أجازوا ذلك نقضوا علتهم في الהכנה اذ أجازوا ان يؤكل في السبت ما لم يقع عليه الהכנה للسبت وإن لم يجيزوا ذلك خرجوا عن التعارف وما عليه جملة الأمة من الشرق الى الغرب.

Moreover, say to them regarding their view that it is only permitted to eat on the Sabbath what is prepared beforehand, “say to us regarding a man who had in his house goods he already purchased for sale, from dates to nuts to almonds to hazelnuts and other foods, and he relaxed to eat some some of them on the Sabbath, and he did not estimate doing this before the Sabbath, and did not think of it or intend it, is he permitted to eat some of this and to feed his family and guests!?” For if they permit this, they contradict the purpose of “preparation” since they permit eating on the Sabbath something that was not prepared for the Sabbath. And if they do not permit this, they remove themselves from the custom that is accepted by the entire nation from east to west.

واذا كان ما قلناه قد صح وثبت جاز شرب ماء المطر وأكل البرد وما وقع من الشجر في البيت وشرب ماء النهر والعين وكل ما أشبه ذلك وجملة الأمر أن معنى الהכנה ووجوبها انما هو ألا يعمل الإنسان في السبت شيئا للمأكول ولا يجيب من خارج شيئا وقد يجوز ان يكون قوله והכינו يريد به ويكيلون على ما زعم قوم لانه يقول بعقبه [שמות ט"ז ה'] והיה משנה معنى ذلك انهم اذ كالوه وجدوه ضعف ما كان يكون قبل ذلك.

And if what we said is correct and stable, it is permitted to drink rainwater and eat hail and what falls from the tree in the home on the Sabbath and drinking water from the river and well and everything that is similar to this. And the summary of the matter is that the meaning of “preparation” and its obligation is for a person to not do any work on the Sabbath with food and not to bring anything from the outside. And it is possible that the meaning of (Exodus 16:5) “prepare” means “and weighing” according to what some argue, since it says afterwards (Exodus 16:5) “and it shall be twice as much” meaning that when they weighed it they found its weight was double what it was before then.