YOU CHOOSE “YOUR” SHABBOS KODESH
“ביום השביעי נשיא לבני אפרים, אלישמע בן עמיהוד”
“On the seventh day, the nasi of the children of Ephraim, Elishama Ben Amihud.” It says in the Midrash Rabbah that the nasi of Shevet Ephraim was zoche to bring the inauguration (of the Mishkan) korbonos on Shabbos Kodesh because of their ancestor, Yosef Hatzaddik, who kept Shabbos Kodesh even before he was commanded to do so. What was the great zechus in bringing the korban on Shabbos Kodesh?
It says in Bereishis 43:16 “וטבח טבח והכן” – “Have meat slaughtered and prepare it.” (This is speaking about where the brothers went down to Mitzrayim, and Yosef had a meal prepared for them.) Rebbe Yochanon says that this pasuk occurred on Erev Shabbos Kodesh, for the lashon of “והכן”, preparing, is a reference to Shabbos Kodesh, as it says in Shemos 16:5 “והיה ביום הששי והכינו...” – “And it shall be on the sixth day when they prepare.” It was specifically when Yosef’s brothers came down to Mitzrayim that he kept Shabbos, for he needed to be protected from his brothers.
The Gemara in Shabbos 118b says that if only Klal Yisroel would heed one Shabbos, no nation would have any dominance over them. Based on this Gemara, Yosef kept Shabbos so that his brothers would not have dominion over him. Why didn’t Yosef keep Shabbos Kodesh prior to this? There was a dispute between Yosef and his brothers. His brothers were of the opinion that they all had the din of a Yisroel, and thus, they were allowed to keep Shabbos. Chazal tell us that נכרי ששבת חייב מיתה, a non-Jew who heeds Shabbos is liable to death, and it is only Yisroel who are allowed to heed Shabbos. While Yosef was of the opinion that they all had the din of בני נח, they did not have the status of a Yisroel, and thus, they were not allowed to keep Shabbos. However, at this time, Yosef agreed to his brother’s position that they now had a din of Yisroel, and thus, knew that now was the time to keep Shabbos. This would save him from his brothers.
Yaakov Avinu gave the bechorah of Yosef to Ephraim over Menashe, who was the older brother. This could have caused great jealousy, and Ephraim had a responsibility to do whatever he could to make sure that there would not be jealousy and he not be harmed from such a jealousy. The way to be protected was through keeping Shabbos Kodesh. When Ephraim was chosen as the one to bring his korban on Shabbos, one may have thought that he was being doche, pushing away, Shabbos, and would not be protected from the shemirah, the protection, that Shabbos Kodesh affords. Thus, the Midrash says that Ephraim was chosen and would not be harmed because his bringing his korban on Shabbos was not only permitted but was a great zechus and shemirah for him. (חכמת התורה)
Shabbos Kodesh is all about preparation. Shabbos Kodesh is מעין עולם הבא, it is a semblance of Olam Habah and a preparation for the World to Come. Yosef prepared for Shabbos Kodesh. He did so for the brothers as well as for the future of all of Klal Yisroel. May we be zoche to prepare properly for Shabbos Kodesh so that we have a truly elevated Shabbos Kodesh.
