English translation — יתרו ב

Sicha b<pg>99</pg>

A.

The Rambam wrote in Hilchos Shabbos¹

: "It is a positive commandment from the Torah to sanctify the Shabbos day with words, as it is said²

Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it,

meaning remember it with a remembrance of praise³

and sanctification,

and one must remember it at its entrance and at its departure,

at its entrance with Kiddush and at its departure with Havdalah".

And the Magid Mishnah wrote,

that from the words of the Rambam "it appears clearly that he holds that Havdalah is also a matter of Torah and everything is included in 'Remember'."

And now, regarding the source of the matter that Havdalah is also a commandment from the Torah,

we find several opinions:

B"M"M there

(and more⁴)

that we learn from it⁵

from that which is written⁶

And to distinguish between the holy and the profane⁷.

The SeMaG⁸

wrote that the two remembrances are learned from two verses — "one at its entrance is 'Remember' and one at its exit is 'And you shall remember' which is written⁹

in the portion of 'Keep'¹⁰

etc.".

And the tower of strength¹¹

Explains the connection of the matter of remembrance to the matter of the two commandments "Remember" and "Keep"

(For in one utterance they were said¹²)

— that "the expression 'Remember' is a positive commandment: remember it at its entrance, that they sanctify it with words..

And the expression 'Keep' applies at its departure, that one should not treat the holiness of the holy day as a weekday until he separates it and establishes it etc.'"

However, from the fact that the Rambam brought only the verse "Remember the Sabbath day" it implies that he holds that even the Havdalah is included in the commandment "Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it."

And so it is explicit in the Book of Commandments regarding the commandment of Kiddush¹³

"That He commanded us to sanctify the Sabbath and to say words at its entrance and at its departure etc. and it is His statement, blessed be He, 'Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it,' meaning etc.

[Sanctify it¹⁴

at its entrance and sanctify it at its departure¹⁵]

Meaning Havdalah, which <pg>100</pg>

It is also part of the remembrance of Shabbos and the correction of its mitzvos.

And at first glance, it requires understanding the reason of the matter,

what is the connection of Havdalah to the matter of "Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it"?

2.

In Sefer HaMitzvot there he wrote: "He commanded us to sanctify the Shabbat and to say words at its entrance and its exit we will mention in them&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt;..

the sanctity of the day and its excellence and its distinction from the other days preceding it and following it".

And from his words it is understood,

that the reason that also Havdalah is included in the positive commandment of sanctifying the day is because the definition of the positive commandment of sanctifying the day is that which we mention "its excellence and its distinction from the other days preceding it and following it",

and therefore Havdalah is included in the positive commandment of "Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it",

for also in Havdalah we mention "its excellence and its distinction from the other days"

(from the days following it).

However, ostensibly it is forced to load this into the book "Yad",

in which he explains that the positive commandment's content is "remember it, remembrance of praise and sanctification",

and he does not mention that the remembrance is to distinguish it from the other days

(the preceding and the following ones).

And moreover: in Sefer HaMitzvot he wrote immediately at the beginning of his words "that He commanded us to sanctify the Shabbat and to say words at its entrance and at its departure",

that is, he includes the matter of "to say words at its entrance and at its departure" in the category of the commandment of sanctification of the Shabbat.

And the reason, simply,

for according to the Rambam's explanation in Sefer HaMitzvot, the category of the commandment obligates mention of "its superiority and its distinctiveness" of the Shabbat day at its entrance and at its departure

(in order to distinguish it from the days preceding it and following it).

But in the book "Yad" he divided the times of remembrance into a separate section,

that at first he wrote the definition of the commandment "a positive commandment from the Torah to sanctify the Shabbat day with words, as it is said 'Remember...'

meaning remember it with remembrance of praise and sanctification",

and afterwards he adds in a separate section — "And one must remember it at its entrance and at its departure, at its entrance with Kiddush of the day and at its departure with Havdalah";

And if he holds in the book "Yad" as he explains in Sefer HaMitzvot,

he should have included the times of remembrance of Kiddush and Havdalah in the explanation of the definition of the commandment

(in his language in Sefer HaMitzvot)

: a positive commandment to sanctify the Shabbat day with words, at its entrance with Kiddush and at its departure with Havdalah.

3.

And one must preface an explanation of the definition of the positive commandment of "Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it,"

that it can be explained in several ways:

a)

The definition of the positive commandment is — "to sanctify it,"

that is,

that through the act of speech one sanctifies the Sabbath.

And similar to and in the manner of the sanctification of the month and the sanctification of the Jubilee,

that they sanctify them

(through speech),

and it is a thing that is done at their entrance once,

so in this manner¹⁷

they sanctify with words the Sabbath at its entrance¹⁸.

And according to this, there is no element of sanctification of the day of Shabbat in Havdalah,

but rather it is a completely different name and object.

And it can be said that this is the reason for the opinions

(the above section<pg>101</pg>

a)

that there is a special study about the obligation of Havdalah — because even though according to them too Havdalah is from the Torah and belongs to the commandment of "Remember,"

nevertheless it is not the essence of the commandment

(and as the wording of the Migdal Oz — "Kiddush is the main thing and Havdalah is secondary to it").

b)

its definition is — "Remember the Shabbat day" — to sanctify it,

that is, to remember in speech about its sanctity and its distinction

(because sanctity means separation¹⁹)

from the other days — as above from Sefer HaMitzvot — and through this to establish its boundaries before it and after it.

And according to this, Kiddush and Havdalah are two parts of one mitzvah,

that the fulfillment of the mitzvah of "Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it" is specifically when one mentions its distinction both from the days before it

(at its entrance)

and from the days after it

(at its exit).

However,

also according to this manner,

the content of the two parts of the mitzvah — Kiddush and Havdalah — differs from each other,

that the mention of "the distinction" of Shabbat at its entrance is through Kiddush of the day

(that now one enters into a holy day),

whereas the mention of "its distinction" at its exit is through the text of Havdalah

(that one goes out from holy to profane).

3)

The definition of the positive commandment is only the remembrance of His holiness in speech, in the language of the Rambam in Sefer HaYad: "Remember Him with praise and sanctification" — in whatever manner it may be.

And according to this, we find that remembering Him in Kiddush and remembering Him in Havdalah have the same name and definition — "remembrance of praise and sanctification"²⁰.

4.

From the practical differences between these manners, one can say:

a)

Regarding the third approach, there is room to say,

that even if one recited the text of the Shabbos kiddush on motza'ei Shabbos, he fulfills the mitzvah of havdalah

(and likewise conversely, by reciting the text of havdalah at the onset of Shabbos, he fulfills the mitzvah of kiddush ha-yom&lt;sup&gt;21&lt;/sup&gt;),

because regarding the essence of the mitzvah, the specific wording that one says does not matter

(however, it is doubtful whether he fulfills it on a rabbinic level&lt;sup&gt;22&lt;/sup&gt;

since he deviates from the formula that the Sages instituted).

But unlike the first approach and the second approach, there the content of the havdalah text is from the very definition of the mitzvah.

b)

When one did not recite havdalah at all — according to the second approach, that both together constitute one entity of remembering Shabbos,

it can be said that there is a deficiency in the fulfillment of the mitzvah of kiddush,

the positive commandment of "Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it,"

but not so according to the first and third approaches.

3)

If women are obligated in Havdalah: according to the second and third ways that Havdalah is from the essence of the commandment "Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it,"

it is simple that they are obligated in Havdalah²³

"Just as they are obligated in Kiddush from the Torah

(because "Remember" is juxtaposed to "Guard")

"²⁴

;

But according to the first way — it can be said that it depends on the opinions

(above section 1)

regarding the source of the obligation of Havdalah: according to the view of the Migdal Oz²⁵

that the obligation of Havdalah belongs to the commandment of "Guard" — obligation²⁶,

"because 'Remember' is juxtaposed to 'Guard'"²⁷

;<pg>102</pg>

But if you will say that we learn it from "to distinguish between the holy and the profane" there is room to say&lt;sup&gt;28&lt;/sup&gt;

that women are exempt from it,

because Havdalah is a different name and boundary and has no connection to the boundary of Kiddush at its entrance.

[In the manner of the explanation of the Alter Rebbe&lt;sup&gt;29&lt;/sup&gt;

regarding the two opinions&lt;sup&gt;30&lt;/sup&gt;

(according to the view that Havdalah is only Rabbinic)

— "There is one who says that women are exempt from it just as they are exempt from all positive time-bound commandments..

And even though in every matter of Shabbat man and woman are equal" this is only regarding things that are "because of the remembrance of Shabbat or its observance,

but Havdalah is not a matter of Shabbat observance but rather a separate thing that the Sages instituted to distinguish between holy and profane and they found for it support from the Torah, as it is said 'and to distinguish between the holy and the profane,' and there are those who disagree about this and say that Havdalah is from the matter of the remembrance of Shabbat and its holiness, that they mention the distinction between its holiness and the profane, and therefore women are obligated in them"].

5.

According to all the above, the reason that the Rambam in the book Yad divided the matter into three sections is well understood —

(a)

"Positive commandment to sanctify the day of Shabbat with words&lt;sup&gt;31&lt;/sup&gt;

etc., meaning: remember it, a remembrance of praise and sanctification"

(b)

"And one must remember it at its entrance and at its departure",

(c)

"At its entrance with Kiddush of the day and at its departure with Havdalah" — and he did not include them together to say "And one must remember it at its entrance with Kiddush of the day and at its departure with Havdalah"

(in the manner of his language in Sefer HaMitzvot),

For according to the Rambam they are three details —

(a)

The definition of the commandment,

which is the essence of the remembrance&lt;sup&gt;32&lt;/sup&gt;.

(b)

The times of the remembrance

(at its entrance and at its departure),

and

(c)

The content of the remembrances

(Kiddush of the day and Havdalah)

: a)

The essence of the definition of the commandment is only "remember it, a remembrance of praise and sanctification",

and the time and the formula

(content)

of the remembrance are not part of the body of the commandment of remembrance&lt;sup&gt;33&lt;/sup&gt;

; b)

The time of the commandment — "And one must remember it at its entrance and at its departure"; c)

The formula appropriate to the time — "At its entrance with Kiddush of the day and at its departure with Havdalah".

[But not according to what is explained in Sefer HaMitzvot,

that the two remembrances

(at its entrance and its exit)

are one mitzvah,

as above at length; and so it also implies from the language of the Chinuch&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;

who wrote "to speak words on the day of Shabbat at its entrance and likewise at its exit that there be in them remembrance of the greatness of the day and its excellence and its distinction for praise from the other days before it and after it that &lt;pg&gt;103&lt;/pg&gt;

it is said 'Remember the day of Shabbat to sanctify it,' meaning remember it a remembrance of holiness and greatness",

which includes the time of the mitzvah in the very definition of the mitzvah].

And based on this, it will also be sweetened what the Rambam said

(in the continuation of the chapter&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt;)

"A person may sanctify over the cup on Friday evening while it is still day, etc., and likewise he may recite Havdalah over the cup while it is still day, even though it is still Shabbos,

for the commandment of remembrance is to say it whether at its entrance and its exit or shortly before this time"&lt;sup&gt;36&lt;/sup&gt;

— from which it is proven that he holds that this is only a permission for one who needs it

(like one who needed to go out to the techum and the like)&lt;sup&gt;37&lt;/sup&gt;,

but that ab initio it is permitted to do so&lt;sup&gt;20&lt;/sup&gt;

(like in Kiddush of the day),

For according to the Rambam, the content of the matter of Havdalah

(from the Torah)

is not

(only)

that which distinguishes between Shabbos and weekday in general&lt;sup&gt;38&lt;/sup&gt;,

but

(like the definition of Kiddush)

that one mentions "remembrance of praise and sanctification" at its exit

(as one mentions at its entrance).

6.

However, this still requires explanation: It is understandable according to what is explained in Sefer HaMitzvos that the commandment of remembrance includes also Havdalah,

because since we need to sanctify and “separate” the Shabbos day from the days before it and after it,

it is therefore forced that in the commandment “Remember etc.” there should also be the matter of Havdalah at the conclusion of Shabbos; and all the more so according to the views that there is a specific teaching that one must mention the matter of Havdalah at the conclusion of Shabbos

(except that it is included in the commandment of remembering Shabbos because it is attached to it etc.)

;

But according to the Rambam’s system in Sefer HaYad

(based on what was explained above)

— then since the content of this commandment

(Remember etc. to sanctify it)

is — remember it with remembrance of praise and sanctification

(like the Kiddush at the onset of Shabbos),

what is the necessity to say that the commandment includes remembering these matters also at the time of the departure of Shabbos&lt;sup&gt;33&lt;/sup&gt;?

And one must say the explanation of this with an introduction to what the Ramban wrote&lt;sup&gt;39&lt;/sup&gt;

that in this verse

(Remember etc. to sanctify it)

there are two commandments — the commandment of "Remember" and the commandment of "to sanctify it": the commandment of remembering Shabbat is a constant commandment,

to remember the Shabbat day constantly every day,

whereas the commandment of sanctification

(which is learned from the word "to sanctify it")

is the remembrance that is on the Shabbat day itself.

And behold, although according to the Rambam the commandment of remembrance and the commandment of sanctification are the same,

in his language "Remember it, remembrance of praise and sanctification",

one can say,

that also the Rambam holds somewhat like the words of the Ramban,

that is,

that since "Remember" implies constant remembrance&lt;sup&gt;40&lt;/sup&gt;

(as above),

therefore the Rambam holds,

that in this commandment there are two parts,

a part that pertains to Shabbat itself,

and a part that pertains to the days after Shabbat.

And this is what he wrote "And one must remember it at its entrance and at its exit" — that through the remembrance at its exit the remembrance of Shabbat is drawn also into the weekdays that follow.

And simply,

that by remembering the holiness of Shabbat at the time when one goes out from Shabbat to weekday,

one remembers the Shabbat day also on the weekdays.

[And it can be said that this is emphasized in the law that the Rambam wrote

(in the continuation of the chapter⁴¹)

"And if he did not [separate] <pg>104</pg>

at night, he separates the next day and separates and continues until the end of the third day",

that from the continuation and the comparison

(to before this)

of "If he did not sanctify at night etc. he sanctifies and continues all the entire day",

it is understood that this is not only in the category of b'dieved and completion for the obligation

(Kiddushin 6)

of Havdalah which he was obligated to fulfill in its time,

but rather also these days⁴²

are its time

(as in Kiddush that "its time is all of Shabbos"⁴³

except that "the primary Kiddush is at night"⁴⁴),

and this is as above,

because the main content of this remembrance is to draw the remembrance of the Shabbos day into the weekdays after Shabbos.

And based on this, the order in the Rambam will be sweetened, that this law "if he did not sanctify at night etc. and if he did not separate at night etc." he wrote it,

immediately after the text of Kiddush and Havdalah,

and before

(the rest of)

the particular details of the laws of Kiddush and Havdalah — because this is not a particular law,

a completion for the commandment of remembrance

(Kiddush and Havdalah)

of Shabbat,

but rather that even then the time of its fulfillment extends].

7.

This explanation in the approach of the Rambam aligns with what is explained in the books⁴⁵

regarding the inner content of the blessing of Havdalah,

that its matter is to draw the holiness of Shabbat into the weekdays that follow it.

In this, the simple meaning of the language of Chazal that is brought in the Rambam is understood

(in Sefer HaMitzvos)

"Sanctify it at its entrance and sanctify it at its exit"

(as above, sec. 1),

that it can also be interpreted according to the simple meaning of the language,

a matter of drawing down holiness; that is: just as through the sanctification "at its entrance" we draw down the holiness of Shabbos

(and through the sanctification at the time before the entrance of Shabbos we add to the holiness of Shabbos — tosefet Shabbos,

and as it is stated in the Mechilta on the verse "Zachor,"

"Zachor" before it, etc. from here they said we add, etc.)

— likewise the content of "sanctify it at its exit" is not only the mention of the virtue and holiness of Shabbos at the time of the exit of Shabbos,

but the drawing down of the holiness of Shabbos at its exit⁴⁶

into the time after this.

And it can be said that this also corresponds to the simple interpretation of "to sanctify it,"

the sanctification of the day of Shabbos itself,

that this is also the interpretation of "

(sanctify it at its entrance and)

sanctify it at its exit",

that also at its exit we sanctify Shabbos

(and not only the weekdays that follow).

And the reason for the matter,

for through Havdalah at the exit of Shabbos, whose content is to draw down the holiness of Shabbos also into the weekdays — the completeness of the holiness of Shabbos is expressed⁴⁷,

the greatness of the holiness of Shabbos and its virtue that it has the power to effect and draw down holiness into the days that follow.

8.

And through the observance of the commandment of Shabbos — both as it is on Shabbos itself,

through refraining from physical work,

and the observance of the commandments of "remember" and "sanctify" Shabbos,

and also through its effect on the weekdays to draw into them from the holiness of Shabbos,

in the manner of Chazal that the weekday matters should be done on the basis of purity of holiness⁴⁵,

<pg>105</pg>

In addition to that it is a commandment to say⁴⁸

all your deeds for the sake of Heaven and in all your ways know Him⁴⁹,

Behold "All&lt;sup&gt;50&lt;/sup&gt;

he who observes the Shabbat according to its law and honors it and delights in it according to his ability, it is already explained in Kabbalah that his reward in this world is greater than the reward stored up for the World to Come, as it is said&lt;sup&gt;51&lt;/sup&gt;

Then you shall delight in Hashem, and I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth, and I will feed you the inheritance of Jacob your father, for the mouth of Hashem has spoken."

(From the talk of 28 Iyar 5745)