This week we read Parshas Beshalach. It tells us of the Manna (Mon in Hebrew), food from heaven, the Jewish nation’s diet throughout the forty years in the desert.
Each Jew would find his allotted amount of Manna every day, neither more nor less, and every Jew would receive the exact amount he needed.
The only exception to this was Shabbos. The Jews received a double portion of Mon every Friday, enough for Friday and Shabbos. The Torah describes this as follows. Moshe told the Jews that “See that Hashem has given you the Shabbos. Therefore, on the sixth day (Friday), He gives you (enough) Mon for two days. Each person should remain in his place; let no man leave his place on the seventh day.” Rashi cites the words “let no man leave, etc.” and writes that “these are the 2,000 cubits of the Sabbath limit.” On Shabbos, one may not travel 2,000 cubits outside of his place, i.e., outside his city.
There is a spiritual explanation of the prohibition of going outside the Shabbos limit. The Torah commands us that “Six days may you work and perform all your labor.” There is a time, namely the six weekdays, that one may (and must) occupy himself with mundane activities. During this time, one may perform acts that are not related directly to Torah and Mitzvos. The only condition is that “if you eat the toil of your hands, you are praiseworthy, and it is good for you.”
When may our hands be involved with matters involving this world? Only during the weekdays. However, on Shabbos, we must exclusively dedicate ourselves to Torah and Mitzvos. Furthermore, one may not even use his feet for ordinary purposes! One must immerse all of his faculties in the Torah and Mitzvos.
May we learn from our Parshah to use our entire being purely for Torah matters. This is undoubtedly true of Shabbos, but we must immerse our hearts and brains in Torah even throughout the week. In this manner, we will bring Moshiach now!
I wish one and all a good Shabbos!
Rabbi Shmuel Mendelsohn
Adapted from Likkutei Sichos Volume 11, Page 71
