Three Levels of Shabbat

"G‑d spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert, saying: …‘Six years you shall sow your field… and in the seventh year there will be a year of "Sabbatical’ rest" for the land, a Shabbat for G‑d.’"

Rashi explains that ‘a Shabbat for G‑d,’ means for the sake of G‑d, just as it is said about the Shabbat of Creation after the six days of the week.

" And you will count for yourself seven Sabbaths of years… and the days of the seven Sabbaths of years will be for you forty nine years… And [at the end of them] you will proclaim freedom throughout the land for all its inhabitants ."

We find three distinct types of Shabbat. The first is the Shabbat after the six days of Creation, as Rashi explained above, the Shabbat of Bereishit [Creation]. The second is the Shabbat which occurs after every six years, which is called the Shemitah [Sabbatical] Year. The third is the Shabbat which occurs after forty nine years and is called the Yovel [Jubilee] Year.

On the Shabbat of the weekdays, all work is forbidden, as written in the Ten Commandments: "Remember the day of Shabbat… do not do any work." On the Shabbat of the seventh year, only work of the land is forbidden. On the Shabbat of the Jubilee, work of the land is forbidden, the slaves are freed, and all properties return to their original owners.

We need to understand the inner aspect of this matter. It is brought in the writings of the Holy Arizal of Tzefat that the state of the worlds and the soul of Adam prior to the sin in the Garden of Eden were at a much greater level than the state of our world. The present place of our world was then an empty space, where Holiness did not shine. His soul was entirely spiritual and he did not need to perform physical work, for the Garden produced complete loaves of bread. However, as a result of the sin, his soul and the worlds descended from their lofty level to the place of the empty space, where we presently live. Sparks also fell from Holiness to the place of the empty space.

The world became cursed, as it is written, "The earth is cursed because of you"; as a result of the sin, the earth would not produce fruit and complete breads. The Creator also cursed man: "By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread" since now work is needed, which are the refinements to elevate the good from the bad. Therefore, man needs to plow, sow, harvest, grind and bake, until he can have complete bread.

Likewise, Holy Sparks from the soul of Adam were dispersed amongst all of mankind. This is the cause for there being servants and masters, since now everyone is not at the same level, but rather there are those who are great and those who are small.

On Shabbat, the worlds ascend to their prior level. Then the spiritual Light that was before the sin of Adam and Eve is revealed, and also the Light which will be revealed in the Messianic time to come. This is the reason that it is forbidden to perform work on Shabbat, for on it there is no need for the work of refinement.

There are three levels of this ascent of the worlds. The first is the Shabbat after six weekdays, when the soul of every person receives an additional soul. Therefore, the person is forbidden to do work.

The second is the Shabbat of the Seventh Year, where only the land, which corresponds to the sefira of malchut, ascends a level. Therefore, the holiness of Shabbat (shemita) applies to the land.

The third is the Shabbat of Yovel; the worlds from the sefira of malchut ascend to the sefira of bina. This results in rectification for all souls and also for the land, since the sefira of bina is called the World of Freedom. Therefore it is written, "And you will proclaim freedom throughout the land for all its inhabitants," since malchut ascends and is included in bina.

In the mitzvah of shemita there is rectification for both the mitzvahs between man and G‑d and the mitzvahs between one’s fellow man.

With regard to the mitzvahs between man and G‑d, it is written in the verse, "A Shabbat for G‑d," as Rashi explained, like the Shabbat each week, of which it is also written, "Shabbat will be an eternal sign between me and the Children of Israel." We rest on Shabbat like He rested. This is the bond between man and G‑d.

With regard to mitzvahs between one’s fellow man, it is written, "The shemita will be for you, your servant, maidservant, hired worker and for the one who resides with you." Also, in Parashat Mishpatim it is written, "In the seventh year, you will leave the land fallow and let it go, and the poor of your nation will eat."

May it be G‑d’s Will that we should merit that the verse, "And I will bestow peace upon the land," will be fulfilled in our times, as it is written in the Prophet Isaiah, "And the wolf will live with the lamb… for the land will be filled with the knowledge of G‑d." Then we will merit to the day that is entirely Shabbat, and we no longer will need to do the work of refinement. We will be free to serve G‑d, to increase in the acquiring of the knowledge of G‑d, and to perceive the spiritual Lights. Amen.

Translated by Noah Shavrick from a talk given in 5765 (‘2005’).

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