Midrash for Shabbat 23:3

לֹא יִשְׂכֹּר אָדָם פּוֹעֲלִים בְּשַׁבָּת, וְלֹא יֹאמַר אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ לִשְׂכֹּר לוֹ פוֹעֲלִים. אֵין מַחְשִׁיכִין עַל הַתְּחוּם לִשְׂכֹּר פּוֹעֲלִים וּלְהָבִיא פֵרוֹת, אֲבָל מַחְשִׁיךְ הוּא לִשְׁמֹר, וּמֵבִיא פֵרוֹת בְּיָדוֹ. כְּלָל אָמַר אַבָּא שָׁאוּל, כֹּל שֶׁאֲנִי זַכַּאי בַּאֲמִירָתוֹ, רַשַּׁאי אֲנִי לְהַחְשִׁיךְ עָלָיו:

A man may not hire workers on Shabbath, [it being written (Isaiah 58:13): "…from doing your business or speaking words."] And a man may not tell his neighbor to hire workers for him. [This is stated for the sake of the implication, viz.: He may not tell him to hire workers, but he may say: "Shall we see you standing for me at night?" i.e., "Now we shall see if you come to me when it gets dark." And even though both know that he thus gives him notice that he intends to hire him, since he does not mention hiring explicitly, it is permitted, the ruling being: "speaking" is forbidden; deliberating is permitted.] One may not wait for dark at the tchum to hire workers or to bring fruits [i.e., On Shabbath, one may not draw near to the end of the tchum (the Sabbath bound) and wait for dark there to be close to the place of workers or to an orchard to bring fruits. For anything which it is forbidden to do on Shabbath, it is forbidden to wait for on Shabbath until dark], but he may wait for dark [to be near to go out] to guard (his fruits) [for it is permitted to guard one's fruits on Shabbath], and he may bring them in his hand (after Shabbath), [since this was not his prime intent]. Abba Shaul stated a rule: Whatever I am permitted to speak of (on Shabbath) I am permitted to wait for (at the tchum) for dark. [Abba Shaul here differs with the first tanna, who forbids all waiting for dark, making no distinction between doing so for a mitzvah or for a mundane activity. He comes to tell us that waiting for dark for a mitzvah is permitted. For just as it is permitted to tell one's fellow on Shabbath: "Be ready (after Shabbath) to go to bring a casket and burial shrouds for one who has died," so is it permitted to wait for dark at the tchum in order to do so after dark. And what follows, viz.: "It is permitted to wait for dark at the tchum to see to the needs of the bride and the needs of one who has died, etc." is the view of Abba Shaul. The halachah is in accordance with him.]

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