The Thirteen Attributes of God are verses from Exodus 34:6-7 that are read on fast days and at other times. According to the Talmud, God is said to have revealed them after Moses pleaded on behalf of Israel because of the transgression of the golden calf. In this way God was explaining that whenever Israel sins, if they recite this prayer, God will forgive them. Therefore a covenant was made with the Thirteen Attributes, that the people would not be turned away empty-handed, as it is said, Behold, I make a covenant (Exod. 34:10).
Targum Pseudo-Yonathan on Exodus 34:5-6 states that rather than God revealing Himself to Moses, it is the Shekhinah that is revealed: “The Lord revealed Himself in the clouds of the Glory of His Shekhinah.… The Lord caused His Shekhinah to pass before him.” This suggests that the translator was uncomfortable with God having revealed Himself so directly to Moses, and instead turned to the tradition of the Shekhinah as God’s Presence in this world.
Targum Pseudo-Yonathan on Exodus 33:5, quotes God as saying, “Were I to remove the Glory of My Shekhinah for one short moment among you, the world would come to an end.”
Sources:
B. Rosh ha-Shanah 17b.
402. THE FIRST SABBATH
The first Sabbath was also the first New Year’s Day. On that day, the first of Tishrei, the daylight continued for thirty-six hours, since night did not fall at its set time. For God gave the first Sabbath an extra twelve hours of light by holding back the darkness. That is the meaning of the verse And God blessed the seventh day (Gen. 2:3). What did God bless it with? With an extra measure of light.
Why did God hold back the darkness? Because of Adam, who was created on the sixth day. He had never seen the darkness, and God did not want to cause him distress.
Thus the light of the first Sabbath was like the primordial light of the first day of creation, in which it was possible to see from one end of the universe to the other, for on both days the light lasted and the darkness was held back.
Here Rosh ha-Shanah, the New Year, is linked to the first Sabbath, making it the birthday of the world. Note that this birthday is not calculated from the first day of Creation, but from the day of rest that follows the six days of Creation. This date is identified as the first of Tishrei, which is the day on which Rosh ha-Shanah is celebrated. The sun shining for an extra twelve hours so that Adam would not be frightened of the darkness adds to the miraculous nature of the first Sabbath.
Sources:
Pesikta Rabbati 46:1.
403. GOD KEEPS THE SABBATH
The Sabbath is not only celebrated on earth, but also in heaven. Soon after the Sabbath was created, God said to all the angels of the presence and all the angels of sanctification: “We shall keep the Sabbath together in heaven and on earth.”
He said: “Know that I shall separate a people from among all the nations for Myself, and they will also keep the Sabbath. And I will sanctify them for Myself, and I will bless them. They will be My people and I will be their God. And I have chosen the seed of Jacob from among all that I have seen.”
God observed the first Sabbath on the seventh day of Creation (Gen. 2:2), and The Book of Jubilees assumed that He has been observing it ever since. This myth offers another example of how God is portrayed as performing Jewish rituals in heaven. Such a myth underscores the importance of the ritual activity, in this case the Sabbath. It also underscores the importance of keeping the Sabbath along with God, who observes it in heaven. For other examples, see “God Puts on Tallit and Tefillin,” p. 34, and “God Studies the Torah,” p. 34. Note that God also commands the angels to join Him in the Sabbath observance. This creates a heavenly congregation parallel to the earthly one.
Sources:
The Book of Jubilees 2:18-20; Genesis Rabbah 11:5.
404. KEEPING THE SABBATH
God said to Israel, “If you keep the Sabbath, I will count it as if you had kept all the commandments of the Torah. But if you violate the Sabbath, I will count it as though you had profaned all the commandments. For when a man keeps the Sabbath, it is as though he had fulfilled the entire Torah.”
Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy (Exod. 20:8), the commandment for keeping the Sabbath, is considered to be the most essential commandment, underlining the central importance of the Sabbath in Judaism. Here God states that He will consider keeping the Sabbath to be equal to observing all of the commandments—and not keeping the Sabbath as equal to breaking all of the commandments.
Sources:
Y. Nedarim 3:9; Exodus Rabbah 25:12.
405. THE SABBATH ANGELS
When a man who is praying on the eve of the Sabbath says, The heaven and the earth were finished (Gen. 2:1), the two ministering angels who accompany every man place their hands on his head and say, “Your guilt shall depart and your sin be purged away” (Isa. 6:7).
So, too, on the eve of the Sabbath, two angels accompany a man home on Sabbath evening after leaving the synagogue: a good angel and an evil one. When he returns home, if he finds the candles burning and the table set, and the bedding properly arranged, the good angel says, “So may it be for another Sabbath,” and the evil angel is forced to reply, “Amen.”
But if everything has not been properly prepared for the Sabbath, the evil angel states, “So may it be for another Sabbath,” and the good angel has no choice but to say, “Amen.”
And some say that not only the two angels accompany a person from the synagogue on the eve of the Sabbath, but that the Shekhinah accompanies him as well, like a mother bird sheltering her children. When the Shekhinah sees the candles burning and the angels behold the set table, and sees that the husband and wife are filled with joy for the Sabbath, the Shekhinah says, “You are my servant, Israel in whom I glory” (Isa. 49:3).
But if the candles are not burning, the table is not set and the husband and wife are not rejoicing, the Shekhinah departs, taking the angels with Her. Then the forces of evil arrive to take their place, and the Evil Inclination proclaims, “This household belongs to me and my forces.” Then the spirit of defilement rests upon them and even their food is rendered impure.
This is a famous midrash that is intended to remind Jewish families of the importance of properly observing the Sabbath. Unless they want the evil angel to have the last word, they have to make the proper preparations for the Sabbath. It is customary, in both the Sephardic and Ashkenazi traditions, to recite or sing the piyyut or hymn Shalom Aleikhem, meaning “peace unto you,” on Friday evening after returning from the synagogue. This hymn, composed approximately 250 years ago by an unknown poet, and introduced into the Sabbath service by the kabbalists, serves as a reminder of the cautionary tale of the two Sabbath angels.
Sha’arei Rahamim explains that the angels are compelled in what they do: “The angels have no free will of their own, for they are not free agents, but they act solely by necessity. If a man is worthy, they must bless him, even against their will, and if he is not worthy, they must of necessity curse him.”
Sources:
B. Shabbat 119b; Midrash Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai; Sod ha-Shabbat 9; Sha’arei Rahamim.
Studies:
The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer by Macy Nulman, pp. 290-291. “Coronation of the Sabbath Bride: Kabbalistic Myth and the Ritual of Androgynisation” by Elliot R. Wolfson.
The Sabbath in the Classical Kabbalah by Elliot K. Ginsburg, pp. 102-108.
406. THE SABBATH FEAST IN THE CELESTIAL EDEN
The angels celebrate the Sabbath in heaven exactly as it is done on earth. Thousands of angels gather in the fourth heavenly palace, in the place known as the Chamber of Delight. During the festive meal on the night of the Sabbath, Sabbath tables are arranged there for the angels, who stand beside their tables, observing the Sabbath. They are watched over by a certain heavenly creature, with four seraphim serving under him, who resides in the fourth heavenly palace. This creature has been appointed to watch over those who rejoice on the Sabbath. And when this creature or one of the seraphim who serve under it sees t
hose at a certain table rejoicing over the Sabbath, the heavenly creature blesses and protects them and spares them from the River of Fire. The angelic celebrants, in turn, reply “Amen.”
But should the heavenly creature see a table that is not rejoicing in proper fashion, then the seraphim force those angels outside that chamber, and usher them into a realm known as the Chamber of Harm. There, instead of being blessed, they are cursed, and there is none to protect them from the River of Fire.
Here the Sabbath is described as being celebrated in heaven by the angels just as it is on earth. And just as human celebrants are judged by two angels (see “The Sabbath Angels,” p. 315) or by the Shekhinah along with the two angels (ibid.), so here the angels are judged by one of the hayyot or heavenly creatures, along with four assistant seraphim. The angels receive a blessing from the heavenly creature if their observance is appropriate, but are destroyed in the River of Fire if they are found at fault.
Angels that have somehow displeased God are said to meet their end in the River of Fire. This image derives from Daniel 7:10: A river of fire streamed forth before Him. See “The River of Fire,” p. 158.
Sources:
Zohar 2:252b.
407. THE SPICE OF THE SABBATH
Why is Sabbath food so fragrant? Some say there is a certain spice named Shabbat, and when put into food it renders the dish fragrant. And where does that spice come from? From the Garden of Eden.
Ever since they took leave of this world, the patriarch Abraham and his wife, Sarah, have made their home in the Garden of Eden. During the week Abraham wanders through the Garden and gathers leaves that have fallen from the trees of Eden, especially those of the Tree of Life.
And on the eve of the Sabbath, Sarah crushes those leaves and takes the powder made from them and casts it into the wind. And winds guided by angels carry it to the four corners of the earth, so that all those who breathe in even the smallest speck have a taste of Paradise, and the Sabbath is filled with joy for them. That is the spice of the Sabbath.
The notion of a spice called Shabbat, that is, Sabbath, is presented satirically in the Talmud. When the Emperor Hadrian asks why Sabbath food is so fragrant, Rabbi Joshua ben Haninah tells him of such a Sabbath spice, which he said works for anyone who keeps the Sabbath, but not for anyone else. Despite the playful quality of his comment, the notion of a Sabbath spice entered the tradition, and a folktale about Abraham and Sarah living in the Garden of Eden offered an explanation for the spice pervading the Sabbath.
By all accounts the Garden of Eden was enchanted: it had two magic trees in the center and a speaking serpent. In later Jewish folklore the Garden of Eden represents a place that serves as the goal of many a quest. Here Abraham and Sarah are said to be living in the Garden. They appear to be the only inhabitants. How did this folk theme arise? There is a double usage of the term Gan Eden in Jewish lore. On the one hand it refers to the earthly Garden of Eden as described in Genesis. On the other, it refers to Paradise. Of course, Abraham and Sarah were rewarded with Paradise. But since the heavenly and the earthly gardens were identified by the same name, the notion arose in folk tradition that the Paradise they lived in was the earthly Garden of Eden. There Abraham and Sarah offer palpable blessings to their children, the children of Israel, in the form of a Sabbath spice made of leaves gathered from the Garden of Eden.
Here there is an interesting link of three main mythic themes: that of Gan Eden, the patriarchs, and the Sabbath. And the story adds a mythic dimension to the belief that the Sabbath day, in particular, is blessed. This idea takes many other forms, including that of the presence of the Shekhinah on the Sabbath in the form of the Sabbath Queen, of Sabbath angels and of the neshamah yeterah, the second soul of the Sabbath. The theme of making use of leaves from the Garden of Eden is also found in the folktale “Leaves From the Garden of Eden.” See Gabriel’s Palace, pp. 134-135.
Another tale about the leaves of the Garden of Eden is found in the Talmud: Elijah once led Rabbah bar Avuha to the Garden of Eden and let him in. Elijah told him to take off his robe and fill it with leaves. So Rabbah collected leaves from the Garden and was about to leave with them when he heard a voice say, “Why would anyone consume his portion in the World to Come the way Rabbah has done?” Hearing this, Rabbah shook the leaves out of his robe and left them in the Garden and took his leave. When Rabbah returned home, he discovered that the fragrance of the leaves still clung to that robe. It never faded away. Many were those who sought to purchase it from him, and at last he sold it for 12,000 dinars and gave the money to his sons-in-law. The story of the robe of Rabbah is found in B. Bava Metzia 114a-b. The myth of the Sabbath spice made from leaves from the Garden of Eden is found in Ma’aseh me-ha-Hayyat.
There is also an extensive tradition concerning patriarchs who never died. There are similar types of tales about Jacob, Moses, and David. See “Jacob Never Died,” p. 370. For one about Moses living eternally, see “The Princess and the Slave” in Elijah’s Violin, pp. 36-43. For stories about David still being alive, see “King David is Alive” in Gabriel’s Palace, pp. 139-141.
Sources:
B. Shabbat 119a; B. Bava Metzia 114b; Ma’aseh me-ha-Hayyat; Maharsha; Etz Yosef; Ben Yehoyada.
408. THE SONG OF THE SABBATH
Angels have six wings, one for each day of the week. And each day they chant a song for God. But on the Sabbath they remain silent, for on that day it is the Sabbath itself that chants hymns to God.
Here again the Sabbath is personified, this time as chanting hymns to God on the Sabbath. This indicates that the Sabbath is even observed in heaven, and on that day the Sabbath takes the place of the angels who chant a song for God every other day of the week.
Sources:
Or Zaru’a 2:18c;Geonica 2:48;Yalkut Shim’oni, Tehillim 843; See Ginzberg, Legends 5:101.
409. ADAM’S SONG OF PRAISE FOR THE SABBATH
When Adam saw the majesty of the Sabbath and the joy it gave to all beings, he sang a song of praise for the Sabbath day (Ps. 91:1). God said to him, “You sang a song of praise to the Sabbath, but none to Me, the God of the Sabbath.” Then the Sabbath rose from its seat, prostrated herself before God, and said, It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord (Ps. 92:2). And all of creation added, And to sing praises to Your Name, O God Most High (Ps. 92:2).
Here God is portrayed as being jealous of the attention Adam bestows on the Sabbath when he composes the first song of praise for it. But the Sabbath, a day of peace as well as a day of rest, resolves the conflict by prostrating herself before God, and assuring God it is good for Him to receive praises. This has the effect of sparing Adam God’s anger.
Underlying this myth is concern that the Sabbath must never be separated from its Creator, and that observing the Sabbath is, in effect, rendering praise to God.
Sources:
Battei Midrashot 1:27; See Ginzberg, Legends, 1:85, 5:110.
410. WHY WOMEN LIGHT TWO CANDLES ON THE SABBATH
Some say that women light candles on the Sabbath to repent for the sin of Eve. Because she extinguished the primordial light and made the world grow dark, women must kindle lights for the Sabbath.
Others say that because two souls shine on the Sabbath, a person’s soul and the neshamah yeterah, the second soul that is given on the Sabbath, women light two candles.
Still others say that women light two candles because the Sabbath is celebrated above and below, in heaven as well as on earth. Just as the priest lit seven lamps in the Tabernacle and thereby caused the seven lamps on high to shine, so too does the kindling of the Sabbath candles awaken great arousal in the upper world.
Above all, the two candles are kindled to honor the presence of the Shekhinah, the Sabbath Queen, who rests upon the people during the Sabbath.
This explanation of why women light the Sabbath candles is found in Tkhine imrei Shifreh, a collection of women’s devotional prayers, written in Yiddish, called tkhines. They were written in Yiddish because it was the vern
acular, and women often didn’t know Hebrew. Although there is some scholarly debate about whether various collections of these kinds of prayers were composed by women or by men, this collection is attributed to a woman, Shifrah Segal of Brody. The rabbinic explanation for the two candles describes the lighting of the candles as an act of repentance for the sin of Eve. But some tkhines dispute that, offering instead positive reasons for the ritual—to honor the two souls of the Sabbath, to awaken Sabbath joy above and below, and to honor the Shekhinah, who is said to be present during the Sabbath.
The description of the lighting of the seven lamps of the Tabernacle is found in Numbers 8:2. For more on the myth that the primordial light was withdrawn because of the sin of Adam and Eve see “The Light of the First Day,” p. 83. For the myth of the second soul given on the Sabbath, see “The Second Soul,” p. 310.
Sources:
Tkhine imrei Shifreh, attributed to Shifrah Segal of Brody; Nahalat Tzvi.
Studies:
Voices of the Matriarchs by Chava Weissler, pp. 51-65, 104-125.
411. THE FIRST HAVDALAH
At the close of the first Sabbath, as the sun set, Adam saw darkness creeping upon him, and he began to cry out, “Woe is me! Can it be that the serpent is coming to bruise me?” Then God gave Adam two stones, one of thick darkness and one of death’s shadow. Adam took the stones and struck them together until fire shot forth from them. In amazement, Adam recited the prayer, “Blessed are You, O God, Who created the light of the fire.” And those words are still repeated in the Havdalah prayer till this day.
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