Go to Related Reading
About this book

Mekhilta d'Rabbi Ishmael

Halakhic Midrash

About this book
Chapter 307

(31:13) "but My Sabbaths shall you keep": What is the intent of this? From (Ibid. 20:10) "You shall not perform any labor," I would know only of labor per se. Whence would I derive (the same for) shvuth ("resting," things bordering upon labor)? It is, therefore, written "but My Sabbaths shall you keep," to include shvuth. R. Yishmael and R. Elazar b. Azaryah and R. Akiva were once walking on the road, with Levi Hasadar and R. Yishmael the son of R. Elazar b. Azaryah walking behind them, when this question was asked: Whence is it derived that the saving of a life overrides the Sabbath? R. Yishmael responded: It is written (Ibid. 22:1) "If the thief be found breaking in, etc." — If in such an instance, where it is doubtful whether he is coming to steal or to kill, and the spilling of blood defiles the land and causes the Shechinah to depart, he is permitted to kill the thief to save his life — how much more so does the saving of life override the Sabbath! R. Elazar b. Azaryah responded: If circumcision, which includes only one of a man's organs, overrides the Sabbath, how much more so all of his body! R. Akiva says: If the saving of a life overrides the sacrificial service, which overrides the Sabbath, how much more so does the saving of a life override the Sabbath! R. Yossi Haglili says:⁠ "My Sabbaths shall you keep": "but" ("ach," before "My") "divides," i.e., there are Sabbaths that you override, and there are Sabbaths that you rest. R. Shimon b. Menassia says (Ibid. 14) "And you shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you" — Sabbath is given to you and you are not given (i.e., "surrendered") to the Sabbath.⁠ R. Nathan says (Ibid. 16) "And the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath for their generations": Desecrate one Sabbath in order to keep many Sabbaths. (Ibid. 13) "for it is a sign between Me and you": and not between Me and the peoples of the world. "for your generations": to be observed throughout the generations. "to know that I, the L rd, sanctify you": What is the intent of this? From (Ibid. 16) "And the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath," I might think, even a deaf-mute, an imbecile, and a minor. It is, therefore, written "to know that I, the L rd, etc." I spoke only of one who has knowledge (to internalize this.) "that I, the L rd, sanctify you": in the world to come, as with the sanctity of Sabbath in this world — whence we derive that the sanctity of Sabbath is of a kind with that of the world to come. And thus is it written (Psalms 92:1) "A psalm, a song for the day of Sabbath" — for the world which is all Sabbath.

Texts in conversation

Compare Mark 2:27 and Mekhilta d'Rabbi Ishmael 31:13

New Testament · Rabbinic

Share:

Summary

In Mark, Jesus teaches that the Sabbath was meant to help people rather than burden them, an interpretation that is also found in Rabbinic tradition. Both follow traditions that teach the Torah should support life and well-being.

Passages

Mark 2:27

New Testament
23 Jesus was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples began to pick some heads of wheat as they made their way. 24 So the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?” 25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry— 26 how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the sacred bread, which is against the law for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to his companions?” 27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. 28 For this reason the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
60–75 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Mark

Mekhilta d'Rabbi Ishmael 31:13

Rabbinic · Halakhic Midrash
R. Yishmael and R. Elazar b. Azaryah and R. Akiva were once walking on the road, with Levi Hasadar and R. Yishmael the son of R. Elazar b. Azaryah walking behind them, when this question was asked: Whence is it derived that the saving of a life overrides the Sabbath? R. Yishmael responded: It is written (Ibid. 22:1) "If the thief be found breaking in, etc." — If in such an instance, where it is doubtful whether he is coming to steal or to kill, and the spilling of blood defiles the land and causes the Shechinah to depart, he is permitted to kill the thief to save his life — how much more so does the saving of life override the Sabbath! R. Elazar b. Azaryah responded: If circumcision, which includes only one of a man's organs, overrides the Sabbath, how much more so all of his body! R. Akiva says: If the saving of a life overrides the sacrificial service, which overrides the Sabbath, how much more so does the saving of a life override the Sabbath! R. Yossi Haglili says: "My Sabbaths shall you keep": "but" ("ach," before "My") "divides," i.e., there are Sabbaths that you override, and there are Sabbaths that you rest. R. Shimon b. Menassia says (Ibid. 14) "And you shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you" — Sabbath is given to you and you are not given (i.e., "surrendered") to the Sabbath. R. Nathan says (Ibid. 16) "And the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath for their generations": Desecrate one Sabbath in order to keep many Sabbaths.
135 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Mekhilta d'Rabbi Ishmael

References

"... Sigal draws our attention to the parallel saying attributed to Rabbi Simon ben Menasya, who said: "Behold, it says: 'And you shall keep the sabbath, for it is holy unto you' [Exodus 31:14]. This means: The sabbath is given to you but you are not surrendered to the sabbath" (Mekilta on Exodus 31:12-17). Sigal reasons that since this parallel is too close to be regarded as nothing more than a coincidence, and since Jesus, who antedates Simon ben Menasya by more than 200 years, is the first to have articulated this halakah, it is most likely that what is credited to Menasya originated with Jesus. Sigal suspects that in other areas, such as in his stricter views of personal piety and more lenient views of cultic requirements, Jesus influenced Tannaic Judaism ..."
Craig A. Evans, Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies: A Guide to the Background Literature (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2005), 252–253.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Your feedback

Mark 2:27 and Mekhilta d'Rabbi Ishmael 31:13

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library