Chapter 72:1-3
The Sanctity of the Sabbath
1. The holy Sabbath is a great sign and covenant granted to us by G-d to
teach that He created the heavens, the earth, and everything they contain
in six days, and that He rested on the seventh day. This is one of the
foundations of our faith.
Our Sages (Jerusalem Talmud, Nedorim 3) state that the Sabbath is
equivalent to all the mitzvos. Whoever observes the Sabbath according to it
is laws is considered as if he observed the entire Torah. Conversely,
whoever desecrates the Sabbath is considered as if he desecrated the entire
Torah.
[This equation is also evident from] Ezra's statements (Nechemiah 9:13-14),
"You descended on Mount Sinai and You gave Your people the Torah and the
mitzvos and You made known to them the holiness of Your Sabbath."
2. Anyone who desecrates the Sabbath publicly is considered as an idolater
in all respects. [Rav Moshe Feinstein (Iggeros Moshe, Vol. 3, Responsa 12,
21, and 22) explains that today, a non-observant person most often is _not_
considered "one who desecrates the Sabbath publicly," and maybe given an
aliyah or other synagogue honor.] His food and drink must be treated with
all the laws regarding food and drink of non-Jews.
"Publicly" is defined as meaning "in the presence of ten Jews." More
particularly, it does not referred to their physical presence at the time
of the violation, but rather, to their knowledge of it. Similarly, the Pri
Megadim writes that "publicly" means in the presence of ten Jews, or when
they have knowledge about the matter. [Therefore, "one who desecrates the
Sabbath publicly" is one who knows and understands the full import of
Sabbath observance in Jewish law (as per Rav Feinstein above), and publicly
announces his deliberate desecration of the Sabbath or actually desecrates
it in the presence of ten Jews.]
3. Therefore, the prophet Isaish (56:2) states: "Happy is the man who does
this and the person who holds fast to it; who keeps the Sabbath without
desecrating it..."
The reward - both in this world and the great reward hidden away for the
world to come - for anyone who observes the Sabbath according to its laws,
honors it, and takes pleasure in it according to his abilities is also
explicitly mentioned by the prophet (Isaiah 58:13-14):
If you restrain your feet from attending to your desires on My hold day
because of the Sabbath and you call the Sabbath "a delight unto the holy
G-d" and "honored," and your honor it by refraining from your normal
activities, not pursuing your affairs or speaking of mundane matters, then
you shall delight in G-d and I will have you ride on the high places of the
earth and I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your Patriarch,
for the mouth of G-d has spoken.
