Don’t Fence Me In
“Is it permissible to heal on the Sabbath?” Matthew 12:10 (NASB)
Permissible – The Sabbath is a day of rest, an honoring of God’s creative effort and a fulfillment of His ordinance for our own good. But every Jew knew that the commandment concerning the Sabbath was part of a hierarchy of commandments, some of which were more important than others if the occasion ever arose where there was a conflict between commandments. Yeshua acknowledges this common understanding when He asserts that no man would leave his sheep in a pit on the Sabbath. Life matters more. Even today, hospitals are open in Jerusalem on Shabbat. Life is more important.
The question is not “Should I observe the Sabbath?” Yeshua never suggests we may ignore this commandment. The question is “How should I observe the Sabbath?” The debate with the Pharisees revolves around the extension of the biblical command found in the details of Pharisaic legal requirements. It’s not that the Pharisees were simply being difficult. They were trying to cover all the possible conditions in order to give direction to the people so that there would be no mistakes in observance. This is called “building a fence around the Torah.” The idea is to extend the commandment so that there is no possibility of even coming close to offending God. So, if there were a commandment not to walk more than two miles on Shabbat, the Pharisees might have a “fence” at one and one-half miles, just to make sure no one accidentally stepped over the two mile limit.
The need for fences is particularly important with the Sabbath. Why? Because the actual prohibitions found in Scripture for work on the Sabbath are sometimes pretty vague. Scripture prohibits the following:
- gathering manna (Exodus 16:22-30)
- gathering firewood (Numbers 15:32-36)
- plowing and harvesting (Exodus 34:21)
- kindling a fire (Exodus 35:3)
- trading (Nehemiah 10:31, Amos 8:5)
- carrying loads (Jeremiah 17:19-27)
The Mishnah Tractates Shabbat and ‘Erubin greatly expand these few guidelines under thirty-nine categories of what constitutes work. The Tractates are filled with lengthy discussions of the details. Living according to the Tractates involves a great deal more than simply following the biblical directives. Of course, the biblical directives are not specific, so questions will always arise about whether or not some specific action is really work. That’s what this question (Is it permissible?) is all about. It’s not a question about what is obvious from Scripture. It’s a question about what the general categories given in Scripture mean when it comes to the details. For example, in Israel hotels have a “Shabbat” elevator because one school of interpretation considers pressing the button for a floor a version of kindling a fire (the button creates a spark in the electrical system). To avoid violating this commandment, the “Shabbat” elevator is programmed to stop on every floor without anyone touching a button.
Notice how Yeshua reacts to this question. He answers the Pharisees with another question. “Will a man rescue his only sheep from a pit if it falls in on the Sabbath?” The assumed answer is “Yes.” If a human being is worth more than a sheep, then it is appropriate to heal on the Sabbath. Yeshua endorses a Torah hierarchy. He does not allow for flagrant violation, but He recognizes that there are circumstances where goodness and compassion set aside other considerations.
Most of us are not going to heal a man with a withered hand on Shabbat. If the occasion arises, we have a precedent to follow. Most of us are going to have to deal with apparently trivial matters, like sheep falling into pits. Our circumstances may be different, but the issue is still the same. What constitutes work? How would you answer that? Some actions are obvious. They are found in the Tanakh. Most are not obvious. For those we will have to do some serious reflection.
Topical Index: Sabbath, work, permissible, Matthew 12:10
EXTRA: I gave a talk about leadership at Glad Tidings church in New York City. You might enjoy it. Click here to download.
No comments on Sabbath?!!!
Where would one begin???? And where would one end??? There’s simply not enough time to speak of the timeless.
Almost daily we introduce the idea that Shabbat is as valid today as it ever was before Yeshua came. Occasionally YHVH chooses to allow the deaf to hear and the blind to see. Most often not. However!, it appears that we are in a season of awakening these days. The message either isn’t as repugnant as it was a few years ago or we just were talking to the wrong folks before.
We are finding more open hearts now than we ever have in the 20 years we’ve been walking in the Hebraic stream. So lets get out there and spread the word. There remains a Shabbat rest for the people of YHVH!
2 weeks a go my family and I started to celebrate the Sabbath. Today will be our 3rd and we are enjoying it immensely. We are stumbling through and learning as we go. It’s funny we do ask each other…is this work or is this considered work. We are having fun and learning every week. It is definitely a learning process. We don’t want it to be ritualistic and since we are not Jewish everything we look up is Jewish traditions. Skip recommended the book “Begin with Shabbot” and it has been a great help.
I guess some of the questions I have is…”How do we know if something is a tradition or really part of the Sabbath?” “What prayers are the right prayers or are any of them the “right” prayers?” “Are we correct in starting some of our own traditions?” and there are more and I am sure that there will be more.
I guess the main thing is that we are having fun and enjoying the time of rest. I am even learning to rest which for my personality type it is hard. But I love spending hours in Bible study without feeling guilty that I should be doing something else. I have even learned how to shut off my phone for 24 hours and after the first time I went through slight withdrawals but it’s something I don’t mind.
It is also great having a “special” meal together as a family. We are an odd lot because we usually have dinner as a family 6-7 nights a week on the average but there is something different about the Sabbath. It is a time as Heschel says that it is a time where we are welcoming a special guest. Above all the days we look forward to the Sabbath.
Being in Ohio, there are very few Saturday Services, so we will be starting our own with just us for now and see where YHWH leads us.
All-in-all we are not just learning how to rest…but rest in YHWH and growing closer to Him.
Because I was sick last week and missed a lot of work, I had to work today to catch up.
On the one hand a lot of people need the documentation I create to be delivered on time.
And on the other what I do at work is very similiar to what I do here most weeks.
I read, analyze, and share my ideas with others.
I’m not trying to justify my working today, but I did find it to be relaxing and rewarding.
Last night I was on my way to the hospital, but today I feel just fine for some reason.
Like I was given a gift from God.
Hi guys,
In our Western Culture (South Africa) it is very difficult to observe the Sabbath on a Saturday, and Sundays work better for us. We have a home church with a few friends. My view point is God worked for 6 days and rested on the seventh. We start working on a Monday, so our seventh day is on the Sunday to rest. Does it really matter on what day we have our Sabbath, even though the Jews have it on a Saturday? Isn’t the point to rest a day, rather on when it is?
God Bless