AND GOD FINISHED BY MEANS OF THE SEVENTH DAY: this is the Oral Law, which is the “seventh day”, and through which the world was completed and the whole is preserved. HIS WORK WHICH HE HAD MADE, but not the whole of HIS work, because it was the Written Torah which produced the Whole through the power of the Writing which issued from Wisdom.
The words “on the seventh day” are used here three times, viz. “and God finished on the seventh day”, “and he rested on the seventh day”, and “and God blessed the seventh day”. The “seventh day” in the first of these quotations is the Oral Torah, because with this seventh day the world was completed, as we have said.
“And he rested on the seventh day” refers to the “Foundation of the world”. In the book of R. Yeba the Elder it says that this is the Jubilee, and hence it is written here “from the whole of his work” because the Whole issues from it. We, however, interpret it of the Foundation, because this is the chief source of rest and contentment.
And “God blessed the seventh day” refers to the High Priest, who blesses all, and who always takes the first share, as we have learnt: “The High Priest takes the first share, and blessings open with him, and he is called seventh.” R.’ Yesa the Elder says: These two mentions of the “seventh day” refer one to the Foundation of the world and one to the Column of the centre.
AND HE SANCTIFIED IT: the word otho (it) means also “his sign” (cf. II Sam. 15, 25), and so refers to the place in which the sign of the covenant is fixed. This is the abode of all the celestial sanctifications, and from it they descend upon the community of Israel to bestow upon it all kinds of luxuries and dainties. This may be illustrated from the verse “From Asher his bread is fat, and he shall give the dainties of a king” (Gen. 49, 20). “Asher” we interpret as the perfect covenant. “His bread is fat” means that what was bread of affliction has been converted into bread of luxury. The “king” is the community of Israel, to whom it gives all the luxuries in the world.
וַיְכַל אֱלהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי דָּא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה דְּאִיהוּ יוֹם שְׁבִיעִי, וּבֵיהּ אִשְׁתַּכְלַל עָלְמָא דְּאִיהוּ קִיּוּמָא דְּכֹלָּא. מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְלֹא כָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ, דְּהָא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב אַפִּיק כֹּלָּא בְּתוּקְפָא דִּכְתַב דְּנָפִיק מֵחָכְמְתָא.
AND GOD FINISHED BY MEANS OF THE SEVENTH DAY: this is the Oral Law, which is the “seventh day”, and through which the world was completed and the whole is preserved. HIS WORK WHICH HE HAD MADE, but not the whole of HIS work, because it was the Written Torah which produced the Whole through the power of the Writing which issued from Wisdom.
תְּלַת זִמְנִין הָכָא בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי. וַיְכַל אֱלהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי. וַיִּשְׁבּוֹת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי. וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי. הָא תְּלַת. וַיְכַל אֱלהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, דָּא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה, דְּעִם יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי דָא אִשְׁתַּכְלַל עָלְמָא כְּדְקָא אֲמָרָן.
The words “on the seventh day” are used here three times, viz. “and God finished on the seventh day”, “and he rested on the seventh day”, and “and God blessed the seventh day”. The “seventh day” in the first of these quotations is the Oral Torah, because with this seventh day the world was completed, as we have said.
וַיִּשְׁבּוֹת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, דָּא יְסוֹדָא דְעָלְמָא. בְּסִפְרָא דְּרַב יֵיבָא סָבָא דָּא יוֹבְלָא וְעַל כָּךְ כְּתִיב הָכָא מִכָּ"ל מְלַאכְתּוֹ דְּכֹלָּא נָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ. וְאֲנַן דָּא יְסוֹדָא כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן דְּהָא נַיְיחָא בֵּיהּ הֲוָה יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא.
“And he rested on the seventh day” refers to the “Foundation of the world”. In the book of R. Yeba the Elder it says that this is the Jubilee, and hence it is written here “from the whole of his work” because the Whole issues from it. We, however, interpret it of the Foundation, because this is the chief source of rest and contentment.
וַיְבָרֶךָ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי. דָּא כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל דִּמְבָרֵךְ לְכֹלָּא וְהוּא נָטִיל בְּרֵישָׁא דִּתְנַן כֹּהֵן נוֹטֵל בָּרֹאשׁ, וּבִרְכָאן בֵּיהּ שַׁרְיָין לְבָרְכָא וְאִקְרֵי שְׁבִיעִי. רַבִּי יֵיסָא סָבָא אָמַר הָנִי תְּרֵי חַד בִּיסוֹדָא דְּעָלְמָא אִיהוּ, וְחַד בְּעַמּוּדָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא. (ד"א ל"ג) (אבל הני תלת חד במעלי שבתא דליליא וחד דיומא וחד דעלמא דאתי דאיהו שבת הגדול).
And “God blessed the seventh day” refers to the High Priest, who blesses all, and who always takes the first share, as we have learnt: “The High Priest takes the first share, and blessings open with him, and he is called seventh.” R.’ Yesa the Elder says: These two mentions of the “seventh day” refer one to the Foundation of the world and one to the Column of the centre.
וְכֵן (ד"א ל"ג ויקדש) אוֹתוֹ, לְמָאן, לְהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאָת קַיָּימָא בֵּיהּ שַׁרְיָא כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמואל ב ט״ו:כ״ה) וְהִרְאַנִי אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת נָוִהוּ. וּבְהַאי אֲתַר שַׁרְיָין כָּל קִדוּשִׁין לְעֵילָא (ד"א דלעילא), וְנָפְקֵי מִנֵּיהּ לִכְנְסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמֵיהַב לָהּ תַּפְנוּקָא לֶחֶם פַּנָּג, וְאָזְלָא הָא כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (בראשית מ״ט:כ׳) מֵאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ וְהוּא יִתֵּן מַעֲדַנֵּי מֶלֶךְ, מֵאָשֵׁר דָּא קְיָים שְׁלִים דְּהֲוָה (ד"א ל"ג) (ליה) לֶחֶם עוֹנִי אִתְהַדַּר לְמֶהוֵי לֶחֶם פַּנָּג. וְהוּא יִתֵּן מַעֲדַנֵּי מֶלֶךְ. מַאן מֶלֶךְ, דָּא כְּנְסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. הוּא יָהִיב (ד"א לה) כָּל תַּפְנוּקִין דְּעָלְמִין, וְכָל קִדּוּשִׁין דְּנָפְקִין מִלְּעֵילָא מֵהַאי אֲתַר נָפְקִין. וְעַל דָּא וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתוֹ, הַהוּא אָת קַיָּימָא.
AND HE SANCTIFIED IT: the word otho (it) means also “his sign” (cf. II Sam. 15, 25), and so refers to the place in which the sign of the covenant is fixed. This is the abode of all the celestial sanctifications, and from it they descend upon the community of Israel to bestow upon it all kinds of luxuries and dainties. This may be illustrated from the verse “From Asher his bread is fat, and he shall give the dainties of a king” (Gen. 49, 20). “Asher” we interpret as the perfect covenant. “His bread is fat” means that what was bread of affliction has been converted into bread of luxury. The “king” is the community of Israel, to whom it gives all the luxuries in the world.