לָדַעַת To Know
In Parshahs Ki Sisa (לא יג) Hashem says to Bnei Yisrael, אַךְ אֶת שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ - כִּי אוֹת הִוא בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם לָדַעַת כִּי אֲנִי ה' מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם - "Only keep My Sabbasos, for it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, to know that I, Hashem, makes you holy."
The Gemara (שבת י ע"ב) tell us what the word "לָדַעַת" - "to know" implies. Hashem told Moshe "I have a good gift in my treasure house, וְשַׁבָּת שְׁמָהּ - and 'Shabbos' is its name. וַאֲנִי מְבַקֵּשׁ לִתְּנָהּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֵךְ וְהוֹדִיעָם - I want to give it to Yisrael, go inform them. Hashem told Moshe to make Klal Yisrael aware of what a great gift Shabbos is. It is imperative that they understand what a treasure they are being granted.
In his sefer Beis Yisrael, the Chafetz Chaim provides us with a comparison that amplifies this Chazal. There are many types of precious stones with varying degrees of value. Some gems are extremely rare and owned by only select individuals. A king or nobleman's worth is often based on and measured by his collection of expensive, rare stones. In medieval times the royal treasuries were seen as a reflection of a monarchy's strength and power. In every king's royal coffers, there are precious treasures of varying degrees of worth.
The Greatest King, the מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים, also has His collection of exceedingly precious treasures; the mitzvos. The Great Treasurer is appraising one of them, and telling us that it is a מַתָּנָה טוֹבָה, it is from the most valuable gems in the ultimate treasury.
(בית ישראל פ''ב)
