Introduction: From "Turn Away from Evil" to "Do Good"
In the first part of the chapter, the prophet demanded that the people correct their wrongful deeds: "To unlock the fetters of wickedness, to untie the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free" - the removal of oppression and wickedness. Afterwards, he demanded the basic level of charity: "To share your bread with the hungry, and bring the outcast poor into your house." From here on, the prophet ascends to a higher level, which is the focus of this part of the lesson: not merely refraining from evil and not merely fulfilling the bare minimum, but increasing goodness out of love for Hashem - followed by the conclusion of the chapter regarding the sanctity of Shabbat.
"And Draw Out Your Soul to the Hungry" - Giving Not Just Bread, but Soul
וְתָפֵק לָרָעֵב נַפְשֶׁךָ וְנֶפֶשׁ נַעֲנָה תַּשְׂבִּיעַ וְזָרַח בַּחֹשֶׁךְ אוֹרֶךָ וַאֲפֵלָתְךָ כַּצׇּהֳרָיִם׃ (י) - "And if you draw out your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your gloom will be like noonday." (10)
The Malbim explains: everything mentioned up to this point stems from the merit of "turn away from evil." And if one asks: was it not already said, "Share your bread with the hungry" - and is that not positive charity? The answer is that such giving is the bare minimum; one who fails to do even that is simply cruel. Everything stated until now was merely avoiding cruelty. Now, the prophet speaks of an entirely different level: a person who, out of love for Hashem, does far more than what is strictly required of him.
One can toss a piece of bread to a hungry person. Did you feed him? You fed him. Did you extend your soul to him? Certainly not - you showed him the door. He may no longer be hungry, but you did not pour out your soul to him; you did not do it whole-heartedly and with a willing spirit. Concerning this, the prophet says: "And if you draw out your soul to the hungry" - give him not only your bread, but your soul as well.
Radak explains "draw out your soul to the hungry" as fulfilling his desire and extending your goodwill toward him, as in the phrase "if it is your mind [im yesh et nafshechem]," where nefesh means will and desire. That is to say: give to him generously and with a welcoming countenance, so that he recognizes you are doing it willingly and joyfully, rather than like someone merely trying to get rid of him.
Not only that, but "and satisfy the afflicted soul." Satisfying a person physically is simple - you give him a slice of bread and he is satisfied. But satisfying his soul? A person who is downcast, struggling emotionally, suffering from all sorts of troubles - how do you encourage him? Regarding this it is said: an afflicted soul, you satisfy with words of comfort. Chazal expounded similarly on the verse "His eyes are darker than wine, and the teeth white with milk": greater is one who shows the white of his teeth to his fellow - bringing a smile to his face - than one who gives him milk to drink. This is a far higher level: you satisfy not only his body, but his soul as well.
A Supernatural Reward: "Then Your Light Will Shine in the Darkness"
And if you do so, know that the reward is vastly greater. Earlier it was said, "Then your light will break forth like the dawn," while here it says, "Then your light will shine in the darkness." What is the difference? The dawn breaks slowly and gradually. A sunrise, however, bursts forth at once: there was darkness, and suddenly your light shines.
There is another difference: "breaks forth like the dawn" happens at the end of the night, meaning when a person is already approaching the end of his life his success arrives, and then the light gradually shines for him. But here it says "and shine in the darkness" - while still in the middle of the darkness, when a person is in the very prime of his life, a great light suddenly shines upon him.
Furthermore, "and your gloom will be like noonday." Deep gloom (afeilah) is far heavier than ordinary darkness - "let thick darkness seize it." The prophet says: even this deep gloom will shine for you, and not merely like the light of dawn, but like the brilliance of noon. Thus, this illumination will not be natural, but miraculous. This is the central message: if you go above and beyond, you merit salvations that are above and beyond - in a miraculous way rather than a natural one.
"And Hashem Shall Guide You Continually" - Divine Guidance, the Soul, and the Body
וְנָחֲךָ יְהֹוָה תָּמִיד וְהִשְׂבִּיעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת נַפְשֶׁךָ וְעַצְמֹתֶיךָ יַחֲלִיץ וְהָיִיתָ כְּגַן רָוֶה וּכְמוֹצָא מַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְכַזְּבוּ מֵימָיו׃ (יא) - And Hashem shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not. (11)
"And Hashem shall guide you" - the Radak explains that this is like the expression, "Guide me, Hashem, in Your righteousness": the Holy One, blessed be He, will watch over you and guide you in all your actions. The Master of the Universe is your guide, your constant companion, always.
"And satisfy your soul with tzachtzachot" - according to the Radak as well as Rashi, "tzachtzachot" is an expression of thirst. But the Malbim interprets it differently: as an expression of pure, radiant light. These expressions appear frequently in the holy books, referring to the supernal, clean, pure, clear light, at the highest levels that can be described.
And why are spiritual matters described using the terminology of light in the first place? Because we have no concept of spiritual realities. If we were told that divine flow descends and influences from attribute to attribute and from sefirah to sefirah, we would not understand what is being discussed at all. We are told that it "shines upon it", meaning that bounty is imparted from one to the other, since light is the highest physical phenomenon that we are capable of perceiving. Yet the holy books have already cautioned that one must never imagine actual physical light, for light is also a physical thing: it can be measured, and today there are devices that measure the intensity of light with great precision to calibrate lighting for various settings. When dealing with spirituality, one must never anthropomorphize or materialize, and therefore any use of the term "light" is purely a metaphor. Thus, "tzachtzachot" refers to the highest spiritual level, the pure and brilliant light - and why all this? Because you, too, went above and beyond: "offer your soul to the hungry", and "satisfy the afflicted soul".
Corresponding to physical wholeness, it says, "and strengthen your bones" - you will have vigor like a well-watered garden. Just as in a well-watered garden the trunk of the trees, the roots, and the plants all flourish, so your bones will retain their youth: they will not be debilitated and will not dry up, but a person of ninety will leap like a deer.
And corresponding to spiritual success, it says, "and like a spring of water whose waters fail not" - a source of water from which people draw with joy. And water, after all, represents Torah: "Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters", and water refers to nothing other than Torah. Just as water flows to a low place, so Torah rests upon one who is humble. Water symbolizes Torah, and therefore spiritual success is like a spring of water: you will disseminate your wisdom to many and everyone will come to receive from it, and your spring will never fail, but will continually give, increase, and bestow.
"And Those From You Shall Build Ancient Ruins" - Who Truly Builds the World
וּבָנוּ מִמְּךָ חׇרְבוֹת עוֹלָם מוֹסְדֵי דוֹר־וָדוֹר תְּקוֹמֵם וְקֹרָא לְךָ גֹּדֵר פֶּרֶץ מְשֹׁבֵב נְתִיבוֹת לָשָׁבֶת׃ (יב) - And those from you shall build the ancient ruins; you shall raise up the foundations of generation after generation; and you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in. (12)
The Radak explains: just as evil deeds lay waste to the land, so a person who performs good deeds is called one who builds the land. And this is the meaning of "Do not read banayikh (your children), but rather bonayikh (your builders)."
Rabbi Yankele Galinsky related: he was once abroad at the wedding of a yeshivah student, a diligent ben Torah and God-fearing young man. A prominent guest was there, a very wealthy and distinguished man, who asked: what does the young man do, what is his income? In America, a person is measured by what he makes a year, and that determines everything - whether you are somebody or just a nobody. Speak of two hundred thousand dollars a year, and people begin to listen and take notice; tell him that you live on twenty thousand dollars a year, and he does not count you at all. "Time is money", and everything is measured in cash.
One rabbi used to make short trips there and return, saying that he could not bear American materialism, where everything is measured in money: how much you are worth, who you are, what you are. Someone once told a relative about a family member who had married, and she immediately replied: Yes, I saw him, he truly is a gentle avrech, but I do not think he will know how to make money. After all, he will need to support a family, and he is a bit of an innocent type. That is the yardstick. A ben Torah, an avrech, God-fearing, with good character traits - all well and good, but will he know how to make money? That is the Golden Calf.
In any case, at that wedding, the man asked: "How much does he make a year? What does he do?" Reb Yankele replied: "He is a major contractor!" The man was impressed and looked at him with great respect. Afterward, the chassan's father approached him and asked: "Why did you tell him he's a contractor? What kind of contractor?" He answered: "Your son is a talmid chacham, and Chazal say, 'Do not read banayich [your children], but bonayich [your builders].' Who builds the world - does a contractor build the world? Talmidei chachamim are the ones who build the world. Your son is a major contractor!" To each person, the concept of "great" means something different, but one must know who the true builders are.
Thus, evil deeds destroy the world and good deeds settle it. The moment you remove wickedness and establish loving-kindness - "and those from you shall build the ancient ruins": what lay desolate for a long time due to wickedness and injustice will begin to be built up. "You shall raise up the foundations of generation after generation" - the foundations that had collapsed for generations, through your good deeds you will re-establish and elevate them. "And you shall be called a repairer of breaches" - for through your good deeds and the chesed you performed, you fenced in all the breaches and ruined paths.
"A Restorer of Paths to Inhabit" - Two Interpretations
When the land lies desolate, the paths are also abandoned - not because of falling snow, but because bandits roam, people no longer travel the roads, the place is dangerous, and no one attends to repairing those spots. This is the meaning of "The roads to Zion mourn, without any who come to the festival." But when you perform acts of kindness, improve leadership and governance, and establish a benevolent reign that diffuses good, you become a "restorer of paths to inhabit," ensuring that the pathways are usable once more and people can safely travel upon them.
Targum Yonasan translates: "And they shall call you the one who restores proper paths, returning the wicked to the Torah." In his view, the verse speaks of the wicked, and the term meshovev is related to "Return, wayward children (shovavim)" - children who strayed from the straight path, whom you return to the proper road. According to this, "paths" is a metaphor. And how do you restore them? Through the acts of kindness you perform, by benefiting and giving to others - through this you are regarded as one who brings the wicked back to the righteous path.
The Malbim explains this as referring to the person of chesed who rectifies his conduct. We have seen the progression: first, "turn from evil" - "Untie the bands of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke." Next is an additional stage of turning from evil in the sense of not acting with cruelty - "Share your bread with the hungry, bring the cast-out poor into your home, when you see the naked, cover him." And finally, the highest level of "do good" - "And offer your soul to the hungry," giving with a willing heart and joy. If you do so, you will thereby also return the wicked to the straight path, and through this you will rebuild the ruins.
The Malbim explains that "ancient ruins" does not refer to ruins in the physical sense, but rather to the ruin of opinions and beliefs: corrupted views, distorted outlooks, concepts of idolatry and heresy - and you will repair the ruined and corrupt beliefs of old. Likewise, "You shall raise up the foundations of generation after generation" relates to hashkafah (proper outlook): through you, lasting foundations will be established for all generations, in religion, faith, Torah ideology, and conduct.
The prime example of this in the recent generation was the Chazon Ish. The Torah-observant community was at an all-time low before the Chazon Ish began to gather its fragments and form an organized, structured community, where the hashkafah was clear, faith was complete and wholehearted, and the foundations of the Torah were sharply defined. Ask people from sixty or seventy years ago and they will tell you that it was not as clear then as it is today what defined a fully observant Jew versus one distant from mitzvos; it was not clear how destructive the attitude of "my power and the might of my hand" really was; it was not clear that the singular path upon which one must walk is the path of Torah. The hashkafah was quite blurred. You see photographs of observant Jews from sixty and seventy years ago, pious people who were not corrupted at all, yet their attire was such that one wonders how they dressed that way - simply because the hashkafah was not yet well defined. The one who succeeded in consolidating the public regarding the observance of Shemittah, in standing firm on the fundamentals of Judaism, and the one who proclaimed in his day that one must surrender one's life over the conscription of women, was the Chazon Ish. And when Ben-Gurion realized that whatever he did would come to nothing if the Chazon Ish declared the opposite, he requested a meeting with him, understanding that a single word from him commanded the obedience of the entire Torah public. Thus, a single person can rebuild ancient ruins - corrupt beliefs, distorted opinions, and misguided practices - and also establish the foundations of generation after generation, shaping the proper direction for those who fear Hashem.
According to this, the end of the verse is explained as follows: Corresponding to the "ancient ruins" that you repaired, meaning the corrupted beliefs and ideologies, you will be called a "repairer of breaches," as you fence in the gaps. And corresponding to "You shall raise up the foundations of generation after generation," which pertains to the future, as you establish permanent foundations in religion, faith, and hashkafah, you are called a "restorer of paths to inhabit," for through the paths you have straightened, there will be a proper, upright, and stable dwelling place, aligned with the way of Hashem and guided by a pure, holy outlook.
"If You Turn Away Your Foot Because of the Sabbath"
אִם־תָּשִׁיב מִשַּׁבָּת רַגְלֶךָ עֲשׂוֹת חֲפָצֶךָ בְּיוֹם קׇדְשִׁי וְקָרָאתָ לַשַּׁבָּת עֹנֶג לִקְדוֹשׁ יְהֹוָה מְכֻבָּד וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ מֵעֲשׂוֹת דְּרָכֶיךָ מִמְּצוֹא חֶפְצְךָ וְדַבֵּר דָּבָר׃ (יג) - If you turn away your foot because of the Sabbath, from pursuing your affairs on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of Hashem honorable, and honor it by not going your own ways, nor pursuing your business, nor speaking of it. (13)
Incidentally, one should take care with the exact pronunciation of the word "chafatzecha" (חֲפָצֶךָ) in the verse, as many misread it.
Radak explains "If you restrain your foot because of the Sabbath" - that you should not walk outside the techum (Sabbath boundary). Yet seemingly, why does the verse use the expression "restrain" (literally, "turn back")? Turning back applies to something that has already gone and is being brought back, whereas here the intent is not to go at all. Rather, it means: even if you already set out on the road, and midway through you remembered that today is Shabbat, turn your feet back home in honor of the Sabbath. And if regarding mere walking I told you to turn back, how much more so regarding "pursuing your business" - referring to the labors that carry the death penalty, which you must certainly refrain from. Furthermore, "on My holy day" - for I have sanctified it, as it is written, "and He sanctified it," meaning that its sanctity comes from Me and I have set it apart from all other days.
Three Meals and a Distinction from Weekdays
Our Sages instituted three meals for us on Shabbat, because during the week their custom was to eat only in the morning and evening. Not like today, when a person washes his hands in the morning and recites Birkat Hamazon at night before HaMapil, snacking constantly throughout the day without distinct meals at all. In the past, there was breakfast and dinner, and that was it - corresponding as well to the morning Tamid offering and the afternoon Tamid offering. In contrast, on Shabbat the Torah intended for a person to eat three meals, so that its distinction from a weekday would be clearly recognizable.
And for someone who eats multiple meals during the week anyway, how will the day be distinguished? Chazal say that he should change the quality of his food; and if he eats fattened geese during the week as well, he should add a special dish in honor of Shabbat so that there is a difference. Through this difference, we remember that on this day Hashem ceased from His work in creating the world, that He brought the world into being ex nihilo, and on this day He rested. The goal, then, is that through the changes I make on this day, I delight my soul and remember that Hashem rested and ceased from work.
"And you proclaim the Sabbath a delight" - similar to "a holy convocation" (mikra kodesh): a day that I proclaim and designate for matters of delight and matters of holiness.
"The Holy Day of Hashem Honored" - Yom Kippur
Chazal expound that the phrase "the holy day of Hashem honored" refers to Yom Kippur. For it has already been stated, "If you restrain your foot because of the Sabbath" and "and you proclaim the Sabbath a delight" - so what is added here? Rather, there is a day when one cannot proclaim delight through eating and drinking, namely Yom Kippur, the Sabbath of Sabbaths. On it, one cannot say "and you proclaim the Sabbath a delight"; what then should one do? "The holy day of Hashem honored" - honor it with clean garments. Therefore, on Yom Kippur, even though it is a Day of Judgment and a day of forgiveness and atonement, one does not wear plain or lowly clothing, but dignified clothing; not necessarily luxurious, but respectable. The underlying concept is identical: to honor the day, and this day is honored with clean clothing rather than food and drink. It is also written that one should set his table, and since he cannot set it with food, he spreads a clean tablecloth over it and places sefarim upon it, so that it is evident that this is not just another ordinary day. If you see your table looking just like a weekday, the sanctity of the day is not apparent, but when you spread a clean tablecloth over it, the sanctity of Yom Kippur becomes evident.
"And You Honor It by Not Following Your Ways"
What is the additional honor mentioned here? That you refrain from doing work. On weekdays I do work, and on Shabbat I cease from it - that is the honor. And what is the purpose of this? The Rambam explains: there are people whose entire lives are like festivals. Even on a weekday such a person eats like on a holiday, and even on a weekday he dresses in a special style and does not walk about in an ordinary way. For such a person, how will Shabbat be distinguished? Everything looks to him just like a weekday. Therefore, they prohibited him from moving muktzeh, performing labors, and various other things through which he will be reminded: today is Shabbat. The food is special? I eat like this on weekdays too. The clothes? I dress like this on weekdays too. But be careful with muktzeh: you may not carry a pen, you may not handle an electrical device, you may not pick up a hammer - today is Shabbat. Through this, a person is reminded of the sanctity of Shabbat.
"Your ways" refers to the things you are accustomed to doing on weekdays. Chazal expound: "Your ways" means your conduct, that your conduct on Shabbat should not be like your conduct during the week. "And you honor it" - that your clothing on Shabbat should not be like your clothing during the week. If a person is poor and possesses only one garment, the Gemara notes that during the week people would fold up the robe so they could walk in it without tearing it, and on Shabbat they would let it down and unfold it; even though the garment itself remained the same as on weekdays, the very act of unfolding it made a noticeable distinction from the weekday. They further expounded: that your walking on Shabbat should not be like your walking during the week - on weekdays one may run, but on Shabbat one may not run; and that your food and drink on Shabbat should not be like that of weekdays. It is also possible that a change in meal times - eating earlier or later rather than at the usual weekday hours - would likewise be considered a distinction.
"From Pursuing Your Business" - Mundane Speech
Chazal expound "from pursuing your business" as referring to speech. For it has already been stated, "and you honor it by not following your ways," so what is the distinction between "your ways" and "your business"? Rather, one must not speak on Shabbat about mundane affairs. A person is forbidden to say on Shabbat: "There is still an issue here; on Sunday I will bring a repairman to fix and close it up," or "It is raining; on Sunday I will bring someone to seal this." Such things are forbidden to say. What is permitted? "I brought a repairman and he closed it up for me" - and one may even mention how much it cost, provided there are no practical ramifications (nafka mina) for anyone. If the accounting is already complete and it has no practical consequence for anyone, one may say: "I renovated here and it cost me twenty thousand shekels." But if one is still in the middle of calculating the account, or if someone wants to do similar work and asks how much it cost because it carries practical relevance for the future, that is forbidden.
Chazal also expound: "'Your affairs' [cheftekha] - your own affairs are forbidden, but the affairs of Heaven are not; the affairs of Heaven are permitted." Therefore, one may allocate tzedakah on Shabbat, arrange matches for young girls to be betrothed, arrange matches for daughters, and arrange for a child to be taught Torah or taught a trade. That is, if someone sees a carpenter in the synagogue, he is permitted to ask him: "Would you be willing to take my son as an apprentice on Sunday?" Do not wonder why one may speak this way on Shabbat - the Gemara states that there is a mitzvah to teach him a trade. In their days there were no formal schools or yeshivot as we know them, and they would send a child to learn a trade, which was considered a mitzvah. Today, it is permitted to discuss yeshivah placement, to speak with the Rosh Yeshivah, or to speak with an avreich about coming during the week to learn with one's son - all of these are permitted matters, as they are mitzvah matters. And "child" (tinok) here does not mean a one-year-old infant, but a boy before bar mitzvah age.
And why is there a mitzvah to teach him a trade? Chazal say: so that he does not become a thief and rob people. Nowadays, however, there is a strong chance that if you teach him a trade instead of sending him to yeshivah, he may turn out to rob people precisely through it. Not that he will become a burglar or a bank robber, but within his trade he will cheat and exploit people: he will quote you one price and then charge double - "the baseboards were not included," flooring yes but baseboards no, and all the various tricks we are familiar with. Without the study of mussar, without Torah, and without fear of Heaven, in the trade he learns he will end up robbing people - all officially, in broad daylight, legal banditry.
"וְדַבֵּר דָּבָר" - "Nor Speaking a Word"
On this, Chazal expound: your speech on Shabbat should not be like your speech during the week; one should speak gently on Shabbat and limit unnecessary talk. The Gemara relates that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai had an elderly mother who would sometimes talk excessively on Shabbat, and he would say to her: "Mother, today is Shabbat" - hinting to her not to talk too much. Especially Rashbi, who himself embodied the aspect of Shabbat as written in the Zohar, was extremely meticulous in these matters.
It is likewise related concerning the holy Ari that on Shabbat he would speak only in Lashon HaKodesh (the Holy Tongue) and not in any vernacular. Yet he grew up in Egypt, and as is well known, in the diaspora people spoke Arabic in Iraq and Yemen, and Yiddish in Ashkenazic lands; nowhere was Lashon HaKodesh spoken as an everyday vernacular. Only when people arrived here in Eretz Yisrael did Hebrew become a spoken language, a language close to Lashon HaKodesh (close, for it contains many corruptions). And it is said that there is great virtue in this, that a person should alter his speech on Shabbat from his speech during the week.
Chazal further derive from "nor speaking a word": speech is forbidden, but thought is permitted. And what does this mean? When the matter is not outwardly noticeable, it is permitted. A person sits at home, looks at a leak, and thinks to himself: I will break through here, reroute from there, seal it this way - all this is strictly in his own mind, and it is permitted because it is not evident to others. But if someone stands outside in the middle of home renovations and gazes at the construction, and everyone can see that he is planning what to do, it becomes outwardly evident. How many people err in this! A person is building a house, and when does he have free time with his wife? On Shabbat. So he goes with her to tour the villa he is building: "Here will be the kitchen, here is this, this week they finished that." This is completely forbidden, because it is evident that your whole focus is on work-related matters. By the same token, Chazal said that a person is forbidden to tour his field and property on Shabbat to inspect them - walking and observing: here needs more watering, here needs pruning; for otherwise, why are you walking around inspecting it? Therefore, the permission applies only in private, such as when one sits at the Shabbat table and contemplates, and no one knows he is planning how to demolish a wall and build another.
Even so, as a measure of piety (middat chasidut), it is proper to refrain even from this, and as soon as such a thought arises in one's mind, one should divert his attention and say: "Today is Shabbat; I do not wish to think about this." The Gemara recounts the story of a pious man who passed by his field and saw a breach in the fence, and thought to himself: "On Sunday I will fix it." Then he caught himself and said: "Are you thinking on Shabbat about weekday affairs?" Although this was not outwardly noticeable, he nevertheless penalized himself and never fenced the breach at all - "he did not fence his fence, but he fenced himself." Chazal relate that the Holy One, blessed be He, provided a caper bush (tzalaf) for him: a caper bush grew in that spot and sealed the breach. The caper is a unique and rare plant that yields three types of edible produce, and it turned out that he was granted a plentiful livelihood and great profit because he refrained from acting on Shabbat. And who was that man? He was a reincarnation of Tzelafchad. Tzelafchad had desecrated the Shabbat by gathering wood on the Sabbath day, and now he fenced himself and was meticulous, and consequently he was granted a single caper bush ("tzalaf echad") that grew in his field, as a reward for having rectified his past flaw.
The Malbim: Two Commands Concerning Shabbat - Cessation and Delight
The Malbim explains: We have two commandments regarding Shabbat. The first is cessation from labor, and the second is to take delight in Shabbat. The novel insight is that both must be performed not for personal utility or bodily gratification. For after all, what is cessation from labor? Resting. And who does not want to rest? Who wants to work?
There is a well-known story about a man who was hired to weed a cemetery. He started weeding, and then he noticed on the gravestones the abbreviation "פ"נ" (Po Nitman - "Here lies buried") followed by a name. He thought to himself: "What is this? 'Po Nach' (Here rests) so-and-so, 'Po Nach' so-and-so - everyone here is resting, and I am the only one working?" He threw down his hoe and went home. Naturally, a person desires rest and does not want work imposed upon him.
If so, it is very possible that a person rests on Shabbat simply because it feels good to rest and it is enjoyable not to work. The Torah is not opposed to a person enjoying himself; the question is rather for what purpose he does so. The true virtue lies in doing so for the sake of the service of Hashem. For if you observe, you will see that non-Jews also rest - by Hashem's kindness, not on Shabbat, for He put it into their minds to rest on Sunday or Friday, as long as they do not encroach upon our Shabbat. Nevertheless, even among non-Jews there is an understanding: you worked six days, give one day for rest. This is true even without regard to religion; labor organizations today also demand that people not be made to work seven days a week, and unfortunately demand that an employer pay double wages on Shabbat - which is even worse, as it incentivizes people to work on Shabbat for premium pay. In any case, we understand that man requires rest. And who was the first to understand this? Pharaoh. Moshe went to Pharaoh and said to him: "Do you want the people to work? Give them one day of quiet and rest; they will gather strength and work much better."
And indeed, this is the reality: a person returns with renewed strength and works better - but not for everyone. Among the nations, the opposite happens. When someone buys a defective car or a problematic appliance, they often say: "This is a Monday car." Why? Because on his day of rest, the non-Jew gets drunk, goes to sleep late, parties in clubs - and instead of resting, he wears out his body. He arrives on Monday in a daze, barely aware of where he drove each screw. Far from recharging his batteries, he drains them. For the Jewish people, Shabbat is genuine rest; a person recharges his batteries and enters Sunday with vitality and the enthusiasm of a new week. To be sure, on Motza'ei Shabbat a person often feels a slump - fatigue, heaviness, and a lack of enthusiasm. Why? Because the neshamah yeteirah (extra soul) has departed, as if he underwent a surgical procedure to remove the extra soul. That is why we smell besamim (spices), to revive the soul after what departed from us with the end of Shabbat and to bring calm to the body following the detachment of the neshamah yeteirah.
The Malbim explains: the body naturally desires rest and pleasure, and these exist among the non-Jews as well. But the Torah demands that you do this in honor of Shabbat. "If you restrain your foot because of Shabbat" - you restrain your habitual ways and your actions, not for your own sake, but because of Shabbat. This is the essence of refraining from labor for the honor of the holy Shabbat.
The Malbim further adds that the cessation of labor itself comprises two elements: First, the very act of resting, which is a mitzvah, remembering that Hashem sanctified this day and rested on it from all labor. Second, disengaging on it from all worldly vanities, avoiding all the matters that preoccupy you during the workweek. Corresponding to the first, it says: "If you restrain your foot because of Shabbat" - that I refrain from labor because today is Shabbat. Corresponding to the second, it says: "[from] pursuing your own affairs on My holy day" - a day uniquely dedicated to holiness. Therefore, on this day the prayers are longer, there is the Mussaf prayer, and the Torah scroll is read even at Minchah; on this day we do not engage in mundane affairs, but rather add holiness. It is a time for Torah shiurim, a time when one fulfills mitzvot.
Preserving the Sanctity of Time on Shabbat
This is unlike those people who arrive at Shabbat with a whole bundle - and this is aside from the roasted nuts: a bundle of newspapers. "There is Mussaf in shul, and I have a Mussaf supplement too" - may Hashem have mercy, what a "Mussaf." In truth, this is not Shabbat at all; Shabbat was meant to free a person from mundane matters. Even before the issue of Shabbat, such a newspaper is loathsome muktzeh even on weekdays. It is said, "All Israel have a portion in the World to Come," with the exception of one who reads secular, heretical books - and the external books of old were clean compared to the journalism of today, which contains everything: idolatry, illicit relations, and bloodshed. A person says, "All Israel have a portion in the World to Come" - yet you read newspapers; how can you include yourself within Klal Yisrael? And that is on a weekday! On Shabbat, there is the added prohibition of muktzeh, and one is forbidden even to touch it. If your father asks you to pass him the newspaper, ask his forgiveness and tell him: Father, I am careful not to handle newspapers on Shabbat. Honoring one's parents is a Torah commandment, but if a parent tells you to commit a transgression, you do not listen to them, and a mitzvah that comes through a transgression is not a mitzvah.
In the Charedi newspapers, the main issue is the advertisements. Therefore, a self-respecting Charedi newspaper puts out an edition without advertisements and calls it the "Holy Shabbat Edition," which generally features Torah thoughts. If someone reads that - fine. As for someone reading the rest of the paper, one cannot say definitively that it is forbidden, but one should make every effort not to look at the advertisements, because reading advertisements falls under the category of secular commercial documents (shetarei hedyotot), which are forbidden to read on Shabbat. "Special sale, buy one get one free, where is it, we need to go" - and the Jewish people love sales! All the more so with the classifieds and sales sections, which are strictly forbidden to look at, especially when prices are listed.
And if someone says, "I only read the articles," one must tell him that there is at least an issue of bittul Torah (wasting time from Torah study). One hour of Shabbat is worth a thousand hours on weekdays! In that time you could have taken a book of Halachah and studied, or a Chumash with Rashi. And if you say you do not understand - today there is "Rashi Mevu'ar," where everything is printed in standard Hebrew script and explained line by line, so even one who cannot read Rashi script can understand. Why, then, should a person waste his time? Friday night is so long, and a person sits and reads endlessly to oblivion - what a waste of time! You finished the seudah? Go, sit down, and learn.
Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef recounted here that when his father finished the seudah - singing Shabbat zemiros, sharing words of Torah, Birkat HaMazon - he would immediately go to learn. People would suddenly see him standing on his feet at two o'clock in the morning. They asked him, "Abba, why are you standing?" He replied, "I am beginning to nod off, so I am standing with the book in hand so as not to fall asleep." Two o'clock in the morning! There are tzaddikim even greater, who by eight in the evening already connect to the upper worlds and ascend to learn in the Heavenly Yeshivah. Not everyone can match this - each person according to his strength and ability. But to squander Shabbat, to see someone waste an hour, two, three, four hours - what a pity for such precious time! What could be more wonderful on Shabbat than sitting and learning Torah? If you have a child, sit and learn a bit with him (not by force; with children one must know never to coerce); sit with the children who came home from school, with the grandchildren. Someone showed a picture of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef learning with his grandson, reading verses with him and sitting to learn with him - the Gadol HaDor! In his final twenty years he lived in the home of Rabbi Moshe Yosef, and there he would learn with the grandchildren. This time can be utilized! What remains from last week's newspaper, from a month ago, from a year ago? Nothing. And here, on winter Shabbatot, there is an Ein Yaakov shiur on Friday night at eight-thirty - people come and listen for an hour; how wonderful that is!
"And You Call Shabbat a Delight" - For Whom Is the Delight?
Corresponding to the second command, to take pleasure in Shabbat, it is written: "And you call Shabbat a delight" - that the delight should be for the sake of Shabbat. This is one of the most difficult things: a person calls Shabbat a delight because he finally has a day in which he can indulge himself. But how many people call Shabbat a delight because there is a mitzvah to experience delight for the honor of Shabbat? That is rare and far from simple.
Rabbi Shalom Schwadron was once seen peeling a potato and repeating as he worked: "In honor of the holy Shabbat, in honor of the holy Shabbat." Suddenly, people heard him rebuke himself: "In honor of the holy Shabbat? That is in honor of your stomach!" That was how demanding he was of himself. A person says, "I am delighting in Shabbat" - are you delighting Shabbat, or are you delighting yourself? Of course, we are made of physical matter, and there is certainly a mitzvah in it, but the essence of the mitzvah is to delight Shabbat because it is Shabbat, for the honor of Shabbat.
Where is this most evident? When a person does not indulge himself during the workweek. Therefore, there is great value in not indulging during weekdays in ice cream, candies, chocolates, and soda, but rather saying: "I am saving this for Shabbat." Fortunate is he, and fortunate is his portion - here it becomes apparent that you have called Shabbat a delight! But our generation exhausts everything during the week, so what remains for Shabbat? In our circles, a child does not drink cola or soda during the week; at most, if there is a special reason, he might get fruit syrup, and tap water rather than bottled spring water. That is the standard norm, and then the child truly feels Shabbat: on Shabbat there are sweet drinks and special treats. But if you have already given him everything during the week, he cannot feel what Shabbat is.
"And [call] the holy of Hashem honorable" - here lies an additional point: that this honor of Shabbat must stem from the holiness of the day. Hashem sanctified the day and honored it, and you must observe it: "from pursuing your own ways" - refraining from labor, and from making plans on it for the workweek; that the delight be more spiritual than physical; and being careful not to speak mundane conversation - so that all these actions are solely for the honor of Hashem, blessed be He.
"Then You Shall Delight in Hashem" - The Reward
אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל־יְהֹוָה וְהִרְכַּבְתִּיךָ עַל־בָּמֳתֵי אָרֶץ וְהַאֲכַלְתִּיךָ נַחֲלַת יַעֲקֹב אָבִיךָ כִּי פִּי יְהֹוָה דִּבֵּר׃ (יד) - Then you shall delight in Hashem, and I will cause you to ride upon the high places of the earth, and nourish you with the heritage of Yaakov your father, for the mouth of Hashem has spoken. (14)
"Then you shall delight in Hashem" - Chazal expound that your pleasure will be in Hashem Himself; as we explained, the delight will be spiritual, for the honor of Hashem, blessed be He. "And I will cause you to ride upon the high places of the earth" - the Malbim explains: you will transcend all material matters, and this will elevate you; a bamah (high place) refers to an elevated, lofty realm.
"And nourish you with the heritage of Yaakov your father" - What is the heritage of Yaakov? The Malbim explains that the Holy One, blessed be He, promised Yaakov that the land would submit beneath his feet and beneath the feet of his descendants, that it would be easily conquered before them. And why specifically the heritage of Yaakov, rather than the heritage of Avraham? Rashi cites the exposition of Chazal: to Yaakov it was promised an inheritance without boundaries - "and you shall spread out westward and eastward, northward and southward," whereas to Avraham it was said, "for all the land that you see," and how much can a person possibly see? The Radak notes that even regarding Yitzchak it was said, "for to you and your descendants I will give all these lands" - once again, there is a limitation, specifically "these lands." But with Yaakov there is no limitation at all: "and you shall spread out westward and eastward, northward and southward" - wherever you go, an inheritance without boundaries.
The Radak provides another reason why Yaakov is mentioned specifically: because with Yaakov, all of his children inherit. Had the verse said "the heritage of Avraham," Yishmael could have stepped forward and laid claim; had it said "the heritage of Yitzchak," Eisav could have stepped forward. But the heritage of Yaakov - there are no strangers among them, only the children of Yaakov, all of whom merit this heritage, and no other nation can come and demand a portion in it. "For the mouth of Hashem has spoken."
In Summary:
The chapter teaches a ladder of ascending levels: first, turning away from evil - removing oppression and wickedness; next, the baseline requirement of charity - not acting with cruelty; and above that, "and offer your soul to the hungry" - giving whole-heartedly, with a willing spirit and a warm countenance, while satisfying the other person's soul with words of comfort as well. Corresponding to this level, the reward is miraculous and beyond nature: not a light that breaks slowly at the end of the night, but a light that shines forth suddenly out of the darkness, like the light of midday; constant guidance from Hashem, a pure and radiant light for the soul, vigor and youth for the body, and a spring of wisdom that never fails. One who acts in this way rebuilds the ruins of faith and correct beliefs, lays foundations for generations, and is called a repairer of breaches and a restorer of paths. The prophet concludes with Shabbat: resting from labor and delighting, yet not for bodily pleasure alone, but out of reverence for the sanctity of the day and for the honor of Hashem - reflected in distinct food, dress, gait, and speech, distancing oneself from weekday pursuits, and filling oneself with words of holiness and Torah. One who does so merits "Then you shall delight in Hashem," rising above all materiality and inheriting the heritage of Yaakov - an inheritance without boundaries, "for the mouth of Hashem has spoken."