Shabbat and the Noahide, part XII: Exodus 31 acc. to Malbim

For previous installments, follow these links:

1. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE: AN HONEST REVIEW — Discusses Genesis 8:22 as a Scriptural source for the prohibition against a gentile observing the Sabbath.
2. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE, PART II: THE TALMUD — Discusses the Talmudic passage in Sanhedrin 58B regarding the above verse and its ramifications.
3. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE, PART III: RASHI — The analysis of the classic commentator Rashi of the above Talmudic passage.
4. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE, PART IV: THE MAHARSHA — The analysis of Rabbi Shmuel Eidels of the above Talmudic passage, based on a Midrashic exerpt
5. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE, PART IV-B: THE MAHARSHA, CONT’D — Continuation of Rabbi Shmuel Eidels’ analysis of the Talmud, based on a word study
6. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE, PART V: MIDRASH RABBAH— analysis of the Midrash quoted by the Maharsha in PART IV.
7. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE, PART VI: DEVARIM RABBAH— analysis of another Midrashic passage relevant to the subject at hand.
8. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE, PART VI-B: DEVARIM RABBAH ACC. TO YEDEY MOSHE
9. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE, PART VII: SFORNO ON EXODUS 16:29
10. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE, PART VIII: SHABBAT 10B
11. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE, PART IX: A SIGN BETWEEN ME AND YOU (EXODUS 31)
12. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE, PART X: EXODUS 31 ACC. TO CHIZKUNI
13. SHABBAT AND THE NOAHIDE, PART XI: EXODUS 31 ACCORDING TO OR HACHAYIM

We continue our analysis with the classic commentary of Malbim.

The Malbim (a Hebrew acronym for [Rabbi] Meir Leib ben Yechiel Michel) writes the following regarding Exodus 31:17:

ביני ובין בני ישראל אות היא לעולם… הבטיח שעובדי אלילים לא יקבלו יום זה לשביתה, וישבתו ביום אחר, כמ”ש בתפלת שבת ולא נתתו ה’ אלהינו לגויי הארצות

“‘Between Me and the Children of Israel it is a sign forever’ — …[The Almighty] promised that the idolaters would not accept upon themselves this day as [a day of] rest, but they would rest on another day, as it says in the Shabbat prayer service, ‘And the Lord our God did not give it to the nations of the [various] lands.'”

While the Malbim‘s comments do not directly address the forbiddenness of Shabbat for a non-Jew, he does emphasize the exclusivity of Shabbat to the Jew as a promise to the nation of Israel, including why ultimately even Christianity, which purported to observe some kind of a Sabbath day, chose Sunday as their Sabbath rather than the seventh day, which the Almighty had reserved for Israel.

Furthermore, Malbim cites the Shabbat afternoon prayer services as support for his words. It is helpful at this point to quote the indicated section of the prayers in full:

ולא נתתו ה’ אלקינו לגויי הארצות, ולא הנחלתו לעובדי פסילים, וגם במנוחתו לא ישכנו ערלים, כי לישראל עמך נתתו באהבה, לזרע יעקב אשר בם בחרת.

“And You, O Lord our God, did not give it to the nations of the [various] lands, nor did You bequeath it to the worshippers of graven images, nor shall the uncircumcised abide in its restfulness, for You gave it to your nation Israel with love, to the seed of Jacob, in whom You chose.”

This passage, cited by Malbim is very clear in its iteration of the exclusivity of Shabbat for Israel and no one else.

But the next bit of Malbim‘s comments take this even further:

וביום השביעי שבת וינפש, כבר כתבתי בפ’ משפטים (סי’ רי”ט) עמ”ש וינפש בן אמתך והגר שפעל נפש בא על שמשיב נפשו מיגיעה גדולה ועיפות שנפשו בו תתעטף ועיפה, כמו (במדבר כ״א:ד׳) ותקצר נפש העם בדרך, ובנוחו מעט תשוב נפשו אליו, ואומר וינפש ר”ל ששב נפשו אליו, ואצל ה’ יצייר המלאכה שעשה בששת ימי המעשה שבו גבל וחקק חוקי הטבע שהם חוקים קבועים מוכרחים והטבע אינה פועלת לפי הרצון החפשי ולפי חוקי השכר והעונש, שזה נקרא חוקי המשפט והצדק, רק לפי חוקי הטבע והמערכת הבלתי מבחין בין צדיק לרשע, זה מציין אצל השי”ת בשם יגיעה, כי הנהגה זו היא נגד טבע האלהות, שדרכו לפעול כפי מעשים בחיריים רצוניים לפי חוקי המשפט והצדק והגמול והעונש, וחוקי הטבע הם נגד דרכו ונחשב לו ליגיעה, ובשבת שבת מהעסק הזה, ובצד מה שבשבת גמר המלאכה אמר וינח וביום השביעי, ובצד מה שגם בשבת לא נח לגמרי, כי ביום זה התחיל לפעול הנהגה שניה משוערת כפי וההשגחה והנס והדין והמשפט והגמול והעונש, וכמ”ש במדרש כי בו שבת מכל מלאכתו ממלאכת עולמו שבת אבל לא שבת ממלאכת הצדיקים והרשעים, ר”ל ממלאכת הדין והמשפט והגמול והעונש בצד זה אמר וינפש, היינו שנח מהיגיעה הגדולה ושב אל נפשו ורצונו ובכ”ז לא נח לגמרי, וכמו שלמד שם ממ”ש וינפש בין אמתך והגר גר תושב הרי הוא בשבא כישראל ביו”ט, שממ”ש וינפש מבואר שאינו נח לגמרי רק עוסק עדיין במלאכה קלה שמותר ביו”ט, וז”ש במכילתא ממ”ש וינפש מבואר שעדיין עושה מלאכה קלה שהוא ומטבע נפשו ורצונו, כי לא שבת רק מן העבודה לא מן הדין, ר”ל שלא שבת ממלאכת הנס וההשגחה שזה הולך לפי חוקי הדין והמשפט והעונש והשכר:

“‘And on the seventh day He ceased and rested (וינפש)‘ –– I have already written in the section of Mishpatim on the verse, ‘And the son of your maidservant and the stranger shall rest (וינפש)’ (Exodus 23:12), that the verb נפש means the restoration of the spirit from great travail and fatigue, when one’s spirit is tired to the point of exhaustion… and when one rests a little, one’s spirit is restored to them. When the verse says, “and He rested” (וינפש), it means that His spirit is restored to him. Regarding the Almighty, during the Six Days of Creation, He formed and forged the laws of nature that are firm and immutable laws. Nature does not act according to free will, or according to principles of reward and punishment, which are laws of justice and righteousness, rather according to the laws of nature and a system that does not differentiate between the righteous and the wicked. One may conceive that this kind of creation is called ‘tiring’ to the Almighty, since this [natural] behavior is opposite to the divine nature, for His way is to act with free will according to principles of justice and righteousness, reward and punishment. In contrast, the laws of nature are opposite to His way, and are considered, therefore, to be ‘tiresome.’ On the Sabbath, however, He desisted (שבת) from involvement with [the creation of nature]. On the one hand, because on Shabbat He finished the work of creation, it says, “He rested (וינח) on the seventh day.” On the other hand, He also did not rest completely on Shabbat, for on that day He began to act according to a different system of guidance — bound by Providence and the miraculous, justice and lawfulness, reward and punishment… Therefore it says He ‘rested’ (וינפש), that is, that he rested from the great ‘travail’ (of nature) and returned to His own spirit (נפש) and desire. Nevertheless, He did not rest entirely. This is like what is learned from the verse, ‘And the son of your maidservant and the stranger (גר — ‘ger’) shall rest (וינפש)’ — that the Ger Toshav on Shabbat is as an Israelite on a Festival, because from the word ‘v’yinafash’ (‘and he shall rest’ — וינפש), it is clear that he does not rest completely, but performs light creative labors (מלאכה — ‘melachah’) that are permitted [for an Israelite] on a Festival… [Likewise], from the words ‘and He rested (וינפש),’ it is clear that [the Almighty] continues to perform light creative labor that is consistent with the nature of His spirit (נפשו) and His will, for He only ceased the work [of creation], but not that of judgment. That is, He did not cease from performing miracles or acting providentially according to principles of justice and lawfulness, punishment and reward.”

The Malbim explains the difference between the verbs שבת (shavat — the root of the word “Shabbat”) and וינפש (vayinafash or v’yinafash [Ex. 23:12]). Shavat is a total cessation, while vayinafash indicates only a partial rest. It is the latter term that is used regarding the rest of a non-Jew on Shabbat, specifically the Ger Toshav. (Ger Toshav literally means “resident stranger,” and refers to the non-Israelite who accepts upon himself the Noahide Laws in order to reside in the Land of Israel.)

The Malbim’s exposition of these words makes it clear that even the Ger Toshav may only participate partially in the observance of Shabbat, but not fully.

In the next installment, we shall explore a relevant Talmudic passage in Tractate Beitzah (16A).