Plural "Shabboses"

Moshe Ben-Chaim

Reader: What is the correlation between the 'plural' use of "My Sabbaths" in Exodus 31.13?

Mesora: Plural "shabbos" means that we must keep them all. There are many shabboses in one's life. It is not a "one-time" affair. Man must keep all shabboses, as only then, does man "continually" attest to creation. It is a good question you ask, as it brings out a new point, which I have not yet realized. God's act of creation demands a central focus - throughout our lives - not a one-time activity. A constant cognizance of creation is taught to me by your observation. It appears clear now; man must never lose sight of God as the Creator. This is essential to all of the rest of our learning, and our lives. We must therefore reiterate this concept each and every week. In fact, God's entire creation was performed in part, so that man may have that which he must duplicate - shabbos. God fashioned creation as a formula for man's duplication through his activities. "Sof b'maaseh, b'machashava techila", "last in creation (shabbos) first in (God's) thought". This means that shabbos was the central focus of creation.

There should be a creation of the physical world, but it is merely a means by which man may procure his needs, so he may eventually have a shabbos where no work may be performed for the exclusive dedication to studying God's creation and Torah.