[Avodah] goyim and shabbos

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, Feb 13, 2009 at 08:07:33AM -0800, Saul.Z.Newman at kp.org wrote:
: http://havolim.blogspot.com/2008/01/yisro-shemos-2011-ki-sheishes-yamim-why.html 
:  explains  drachim in why goyim, who should be chayav in zchiras borei 
: olam,  should be exempt from shabbos -that also recalls that event....


The author provides a few answers (Or Samei'ach, RMF, Sefas Emes,
Ponovizher Rav, a heara by R' Hutner, R' Reuven Feinstein) and finally
his own chiddush. Here's his summary of RRF's answer:
> Harav Reuven Feinstein says the pshat is like this: the first luchos
> say zochor and mention briyas ho’olom. The second ones say shomor and
> mention Mitzrayim. Goyim should commemorate/zachor Shabbos and are
> certainly not ne’enash for doing so. But shomor means issur melochoh.
> The issur melochoh only applies to Yisroel, because of our status as
> avdei Hashem that He acquired by taking us out of Mitzrayim. The
> purpose of the issur melochoh is to show that all our work is only to
> do what our master commands, and when he commands us to stop, we must
> stop. In fact, the issur melochoh only has a associative connection
> with briyas ho’olom. The causative basis for it is only yetzias
> Mitzrayim. So an akum that is shoveis from melochoh because of Shabbos
> is saying eidus sheker by claiming to be an eved of Hashem. He may
> choose to serve Hashem, but he is not His kinyon, His avodim, as we
> are.

Similarly, "Zakhor es yom haShabbos..." (Yisro) is connected to
"ki sheishes yamim asah H' es hashamayim ve'es ha'aretz", but
"Shamor" (Va'Eschanan) is "vezakharta ki eved hayisa".

BUT "VeShameru BY es haShabbos", while "beini uvein benei Yisrael os
hi le'olam" -- shamor linked to the Jewish people in particular -- it
returns to the theme of creation "ki sheishes yamim", NOT yetzi'as
Mitzrayim and "avadai heim".

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Feeling grateful  to or appreciative of  someone
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