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A SABBATH UNTO THE ETERNAL, “[This means] in honor of the Eternal [and that it is not primarily intended for man’s benefit],³³In other words, we are to observe the Sabbatical year primarily as a mark of honor to G-d, and not for our benefit, in that by lying fallow for a year the land will improve. The same applies to the weekly Sabbath, which we celebrate in honor of the Creator of the world, and not primarily because we benefit physically from a day of rest. (Mizrachi). in the same sense as this expression is used in the case of the Sabbath of Creation” [i.e., the weekly Sabbath, of which it is also said, a Sabbath unto the Eternal].³⁴Exodus 20:10. See note above. This is the language of Rashi. But this was not the intention of the Rabbis in their interpretation,³⁵In other words, it is true that in the Torath Kohanim (Behar 1:2) there is such an interpretation of the Rabbis, likening the expression a Sabbath unto the Eternal stated here in the case of the Sabbatical year to that mentioned in the law of the weekly Sabbath. But the intent thereof is not as Rashi presented it, for etc. The full text of the Beraitha of the Torath Kohanim will be mentioned further on by Ramban. for all [weekly] Sabbaths, and also the festivals, are in honor of the Eternal, and yet in not one of them [i.e., the festivals] does Scripture say that they are “unto the Eternal.” Instead, it says it shall be a solemn rest unto you,³⁶Above, 23:24. and in the case of the Day of Atonement it states, It shall be unto you a Sabbath of solemn rest.³⁷Ibid., Verse 32. The text of the Beraitha in the Torah Kohanim [quoted by Rashi] is as follows:³⁸Torath Kohanim, Behar 1:2. “A Sabbath unto the Eternal. Just as it says with reference to the Sabbath of Creation, so is it said regarding the Sabbatical year, a Sabbath unto the Eternal.” But the meaning of a Sabbath unto the Eternal thy G-d³⁴Exodus 20:10. See note above. stated in connection with the Sabbath of Creation, is that on it He ceased from work and rested³⁹Exodus 31:17. and therefore thou shalt not do any manner of work.³⁴Exodus 20:10. See note above. It was with reference to that idea that the Sages, of blessed memory, said that the same expression is also stated in the case of the Sabbatical year, since it is the seventh in [the cycle of] the years [just as the weekly Sabbath is the seventh day in the cycle of days; and the meaning thereof here is that since the seventh year is a Sabbath to the Eternal, as will be explained, we are to desist from working the land].
Now here [in the Torath Kohanim mentioned above, the Rabbis] have roused our attention to one of the great secrets of the Torah.⁴⁰See in Exodus (Vol. II, p. 341, Note 23). Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra has already given us a hint of it when he wrote: “The meaning of a Sabbath unto the Eternal is like that of the Sabbath-day.⁴¹For just as the Sabbath was given for the purpose of contemplating G-d’s deeds and meditating upon His Torah, so also is the purport of the Sabbatical year, since it is the seventh of the years (Mekor Chayim in his commentary to Ibn Ezra). The secret of the years of the world is alluded to in this place.” [Thus far is Ibn Ezra’s comment.]
Bend now your ear to understand that which I am permitted to inform you about it in the words that I will cause you to hear, and if you will be worthy, you will contemplate them [and understand them]. I have already written in Seder Bereshith⁴²Genesis 2:3 (Vol. I, pp. 61-64). that the six days of creation represent [all] the days of the world, and the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Eternal thy G-d,³⁴Exodus 20:10. See note above. for on it will be the Sabbath to the Great Name, just as we have been taught [in a Mishnah]:⁴³Tamid 7:4. “On the seventh day what psalm did the Levites sing [in the Sanctuary? They sang] A Psalm, a Song. For the Sabbath-day⁴⁴Psalms 92:1. — [a song] for the World to Come, which will be wholly a Sabbath, and rest for life everlasting.” Thus the [seven] days [of the week] allude to that which He created in the process of creation, and the [seven] years [of the Sabbatical cycle] refer to that which will occur during the creation of all “the days” of the world. It is for this reason that Scripture was more stringent regarding [the transgression of the laws of] the Sabbatical year than with respect to those guilty of transgressing all other negative commandments, and made it punishable with exile, just as He was stringent with respect to forbidden sexual relations [for which the punishment of the people, as opposed to that of the individual, is also exile];⁴⁵Above, 18:28. as it is said, Then shall the Land be paid her Sabbaths,⁴⁶Further, 26:34. and He repeated this matter many times: As long as it lieth desolate it shall have rest,⁴⁷Ibid., Verse 35. and it is further said, And the Land shall lie forsaken without them, and shall be paid her Sabbaths.⁴⁸Ibid., Verse 43. “And so we have been taught [in a Mishnah]:⁴⁹Aboth 5:9. Our text of the Mishnah has a variant reading. See my Hebrew commentary p. 167, Note 55. “Exile comes for the delaying of justice, and for the perversion of justice, and for [the neglect of] the year of rest for the Land.” [This stringency of punishment is] because whoever denies it [i.e., the law of the Sabbatical year], does not acknowledge the work of creation and [life in] the World to Come. Similarly the prophet [Jeremiah] was stringent, and decreed exile for neglecting to send [Hebrew] servants to freedom in the seventh year [of their service], as it is said, I made a covenant with your fathers … At the beginning of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother etc.,⁵⁰Jeremiah 34:13-14. — The verse there reads ‘mikeitz sheva shanim’, which is normally translated as “at the end of seven years” (so also in the J.P.S. translation). Ramban in Deuteronomy 15:1, however, brings proofs that the correct meaning in this context is “at the end-year of the seven years”, i.e., at the beginning of seventh year, rather than “at the end of the seventh year.” Thus the Hebrew servant goes free at the beginning of the seventh year [the end-year of the cycle of seven years], and this is indeed the accepted law (Rambam, Hilchoth Avadim 2:1) that he serves for six years. See, however, Yonathan ben Uziel in Jeremiah. for in the case of a servant the seventh year is also like a [complete] Jubilee; and the Jubilee is known also [at the very beginning of the Torah] — from ‘Bereshith’ (In the beginning) to ‘Vayechulu’ (And there were finished)⁵¹In other words, in the Scriptural account of the creation — commencing with the verse, In the beginning … and concluding with ‘Vayechulu’ (And there were finished) (2:1) — the secret of the Jubilee is already hinted at, namely, “that all things, that came into existence in the beginning of time will be finished in the era of the Jubilee (Beiur Ha’lvush to Ricanti who quotes the language of Ramban). — intimating that in the Jubilee everything is to return [to its origin], every man unto his possession, and every man unto his family.⁵²Further, Verse 10. For it is a sure foundation, and he that believeth⁵³Isaiah 28:16. The verse reads: He that believeth will not ‘yachish’ (make haste). Ramban brings out ingeniously a different meaning by saying: he that believeth ‘yacharish’ (will keep silence), suggesting that the student of Cabala must be reticent and careful not to disclose the secrets he has learned. Cf. the phrase in Amos 5:13 — ‘Therefore ‘hamaskil yidom’. (he who understands will keep quiet)! shall keep silence. This is what is meant in saying, ‘v’shavtah ha’aretz shabbath’ (and ‘the land’ shall keep a Sabbath);⁵⁴In Verse 2 before us. The word ha’aretz is here understood as “the earth” in its entirety [not merely one particular part of it], the same interpretation applying to the next verses quoted. See further, Note 194. and ye shall proclaim liberty ‘ba’aretz’ (throughout ‘the land’),⁵⁵Further, Verse 10. for the reference here is to “the land of eternal life” which is alluded to in the first verse [of the Torah],⁵⁶In the beginning G-d created the heavens ‘v’eth ha’aretz’, which means “the land of eternal life.” and of which it is said, ‘v’ha’aretz ezkor’ (and I will remember ‘the land’).⁵⁷Further, 26:42. I have already mentioned this several times.⁵⁸See Vol. I, pp. 110, and 120. Perhaps it is to this that our Rabbis alluded in saying:⁵⁹Rosh Hashanah 21 b. See also Vol. I, pp. 9-10. “Fifty gates [degrees] of understanding were created in the world, and all were transmitted to Moses with one exception.” For each cycle of seven years constitutes “the gate of one house” [creation], and thus He informed him of all existence from beginning to end, with the exception of the holy Jubilee.

A kabbalistic approach: The words 'ושבתה הארץ שבת לה' do not refer to individual parcels of land belonging to individual farmers but refer to the earth as a whole and are an allusion to the seventh millennium following the six thousand years when our terrestrial universe functions normally. They are a reference to the 1000-year transitional period when the earth will be desolate, unfit as a habitat for living creatures (compare Rosh Hashanah 31). That millennium is one described as “eternal rest” (Tamid 7,4), a reference to the world to come after physical resurrection has occurred. According to this concept the Shemittah discussed in our verse would be a cessation of agricultural activity which is not voluntary but imposed by the conditions prevailing in the universe at that time. [This does not replace the normal meaning of the verses 3-8 which speak about what happens every seven years. It only explains the halachically unnecessary words that “the land shall observe rest for Hashem” (verse 2) — Ed.] The observance of a bird’s eye view of what will be in the future, i.e. what we may term a “miniature” shemittah is intended for us to focus on the eventual meaning of the concept. All the severe penalties connected with failure to observe the legislation of Shemittah and Yovel, especially the fact that non-observance is the cause of our losing our homeland and going into exile, is all due to the fact that this legislation is to give us an inkling of a much grander concept G’d has in mind for the existence of the physical universe and the message that an imperfect terrestrial universe is eventually to metamorphose into a perfect terrestrial universe. (Compare 26,34 on the collective penalties for non-observance and Avot 5,9 spelling out the worldwide ramifications of failure to observe the laws of sanctifying the seventh year.)

THAT IT GIVE FORTH ITS WATER. The meaning thereof is that a large amount of water should immediately spring forth, just as it is said, and water came forth abundantly,¹⁴⁷Further, Verse 11. for the term “giving” denotes abundance, as in [the verses]: and the Land shall ‘give’ her produce, and the trees of the field shall ‘give’ their fruit;¹⁴⁸Leviticus 26:4. For as the seed of peace, the vine shall ‘give’ her fruit, and the Land shall ‘give’ her increase, and the heavens shall ‘give’ their dew.¹⁴⁹Zechariah 8:12. In all these [verses] He was promising them abundance. And so, it is written, [Behold, He smote the rock, that waters gushed out], and streams overflowed.¹⁵⁰Psalms 78:20. Now the meaning of ‘its’ water [that it give forth ‘its’ water] is not like [the Land] shall give ‘her’ produce, and [the trees] shall give ‘their’ fruit, since it is not in the nature of a rock to have water in it. But its meaning is [that it will give forth] the water which will come out of it, for when G-d turns the flint into a fountain of waters,¹⁵¹Ibid., 114:8. so that they are [contained] in it and come forth out of it, the waters may [indeed] be called ‘its’ water. Similarly, and He will bless ‘thy’ bread, and ‘thy’ water;¹⁵²Exodus 23:25. ‘his’ bread shall be given, ‘his’ waters shall be sure.¹⁵³Isaiah 33:16. He stated it in this way [that it give forth ‘its’ water] in order to inform us that the waters will come forth from the very rock itself, not from the ground beneath it, as occurs naturally in the case of many fountains; but [these waters] will come forth from the middle of the rock. And so it is written, Who turneth the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters.¹⁵¹Ibid., 114:8. He repeated a second time [in this verse], and thou shalt bring forth to them water, meaning that “while you [Moses] are still there, you should bring them forth water from the rock, so that they should all see it gushing forth.” SO THOU SHALT GIVE THE CONGREGATION AND THEIR CATTLE DRINK. [This means] that “you should command them to drink from it in your presence.” All this was for the purpose of publicizing the miracle. In the actual event, [however], it is not mentioned that “he gave the congregation and their cattle to drink;” instead, it says, and the congregation drank, and their cattle,¹⁴⁷Further, Verse 11. because owing to their great thirst, as soon as they saw water gushing out in abundance, they fell upon the river and drank.
Now according to the opinion of our Rabbis about Miriam’s Well,¹⁵⁴This was a moving well in Miriam’s merit which accompanied the Israelites throughout their forty year’s journeys in the desert. “When Miriam died [as mentioned here in Verse 1] the well was taken away.” (Taanith 9a). Hence the crisis of the lack of water. See also Vol. II, pp. 240-241, and Note 436 ibid. this rock [in Kadesh] is the same flint which was in Horeb;¹²⁴Exodus 17:6. therefore they explain [that the expression] ‘its’ water [in that it give forth ‘its’ water] refers to the water which it used to give, for now as a result of Miriam’s death the fountain ceased [and was only restored in the merit of Moses and Aaron].¹⁵⁵Taanith 9a. When Aaron died it continued in the merit of Moses. For when our Rabbis speak of Miriam’s Well, they mean that there was always a miraculous well,¹⁵⁶Ramban here appears to be referring to the tradition mentioned in the Mishnah in Aboth 5:9 that ten things were created in the twilight of the eve of the first Sabbath, amongst them “the mouth of the well.” It was this well which appeared wherever G-d wanted it to, as explained further on. a fountain of living waters,¹⁵⁷Jeremiah 2:13. flowing wherever it was His Will. Thus He caused it to come up for Ishmael in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.¹⁵⁸Genesis 21:14; 19. In Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, Chapter 30 the tradition is recorded that this was the same well mentioned in connection with Miriam. See my Hebrew commentary, p. 277. It was this rock which became cleft in Horeb,¹²⁴Exodus 17:6. and throughout their travels [water] flowed from the rock wherever they encamped. But when the righteous one [Miriam] died, the fountain stopped, and now it continued through [the merit of] Moses to be a fountain opened¹⁵⁹Zechariah 13:1. for him from that very same rock [which had been in Horeb], this being the meaning of the phrase, and speak ye unto ‘haselah’ (‘the’ rock) — the known rock. According to the plain meaning of Scripture, [however], there was a rock near the camp, and He commanded “and speak ye unto the rock which is before you” [hence the phrase ‘the’ rock]. One can also explain it as “and speak ye unto the rock which is before their eyes,” meaning to say “the first rock that they will see.”

והשיאו אותם — This (the word אותם) is one of the three cases of את with a pronominal suffix occurring in the Torah which R. Ishmael explained as speaking of (referring to) the person himself who is the subject of the sentence (i. e. as being reflexive and not accusative pronouns). In the same sense did he explain (Numbers 4:13) “[And this is the law of the Nazarite] when the days of his Nazaritehood are fulfilled, יביא אותו [to the entrance of the appointed tent]” as meaning: he shall bring himself (i. e. present himself) to the entrance etc. Similarly he explained (Deuteronomy 34:6) “ויקבור אותו in the glen” as meaning: he (Moses) buried himself (i. e. he went into a cave and died there cf. Avot 5:9 and יד משה on Shemot Rabbah 10). Thus is it explained in the Sifrei Bamidbar 32 (on Numbers 6:3).

בת בתואל DAUGHTER OF BETHUEL — She answered his first question first and his last last (cf. Avot 5:9).