(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) רְאֵ֖ה קָרָ֣אתִֽי בְשֵׁ֑ם בְּצַלְאֵ֛ל בֶּן־אוּרִ֥י בֶן־ח֖וּר לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה׃ (ג) וָאֲמַלֵּ֥א אֹת֖וֹ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹקִ֑ים בְּחָכְמָ֛ה וּבִתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכָל־מְלָאכָֽה׃ ... וְעָשׂ֕וּ אֵ֖ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתִֽךָ׃ (ז) אֵ֣ת ׀ אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֗ד וְאֶת־הָֽאָרֹן֙ לָֽעֵדֻ֔ת וְאֶת־הַכַּפֹּ֖רֶת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָלָ֑יו וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־כְּלֵ֥י הָאֹֽהֶל׃ (ח) וְאֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָן֙ וְאֶת־כֵּלָ֔יו וְאֶת־הַמְּנֹרָ֥ה הַטְּהֹרָ֖ה וְאֶת־כָּל־כֵּלֶ֑יהָ וְאֵ֖ת מִזְבַּ֥ח הַקְּטֹֽרֶת׃... (יב) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (יג) וְאַתָּ֞ה דַּבֵּ֨ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֥ךְ אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כִּי֩ א֨וֹת הִ֜וא בֵּינִ֤י וּבֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם לָדַ֕עַת כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י ה' מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃ (יד) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת כִּ֛י קֹ֥דֶשׁ הִ֖וא לָכֶ֑ם מְחַֽלְלֶ֙יהָ֙ מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֔ת כִּ֗י כָּל־הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה בָהּ֙ מְלָאכָ֔ה וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמֶּֽיהָ׃ (טו) שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ יֵעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒ וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י שַׁבַּ֧ת שַׁבָּת֛וֹן קֹ֖דֶשׁ לַה' כָּל־הָעֹשֶׂ֧ה מְלָאכָ֛ה בְּי֥וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֖ת מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃
(1) The LORD spoke to Moses: (2) See, I have singled out by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. (3) I have endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of work (Melakha); ... that they may make everything that I have commanded you: (7) the Tent of Meeting, the Ark and the cover upon it, and all the furnishings of the Tent; (8) the table and its utensils, the pure Menorah and all its fittings, and the altar of incense; ...(12) And the LORD said to Moses: (13) Speak to the Israelite people and say: Nevertheless, you must keep My sabbaths, for this is a sign between Me and you throughout the ages, that you may know that I the LORD have consecrated you. (14) You shall keep the sabbath, for it is holy for you. He who profanes it shall be put to death: whoever does work (Melakha) on it, that person shall be cut off from among his kin. (15) Six days may work (Melakha) be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does work (Melakha) on the sabbath day shall be put to death.
Questions to discuss in Chavruta:
1) What is the first half of this source describing? What kind of "work/Melakha" is it talking about?
2) What is the second half of this source describing? What kind of "work/Melakha" is it talking about?
3) What might be a reason that they are juxtaposed (put right next to each other) in the Torah?
(ב) אבות מלאכות ארבעים חסר אחת הזורע והחורש והקוצר והמעמר הדש והזורה הבורר הטוחן והמרקד והלש והאופה הגוזז את הצמר המלבנו והמנפצו והצובעו והטווה והמיסך והעושה שתי בתי נירין והאורג שני חוטין והפוצע שני חוטין. הקושר והמתיר והתופר שתי תפירות הקורע על מנת לתפור שתי תפירות הצד צבי השוחטו והמפשיטו המולחו והמעבד את עורו והמוחקו והמחתכו. הכותב שתי אותיות והמוחק על מנת לכתוב שתי אותיות הבונה והסותר המכבה והמבעיר המכה בפטיש. המוציא מרשות לרשות הרי אלו אבות מלאכות ארבעים חסר אחת:
(2) The [number of] principal Melakhot is forty minus one. [The forbidden Melakhot that one may not do on Shabbat are]: Sowing, plowing, reaping, binding sheaves, threshing, winnowing, sorting, grinding, sifting, kneading, baking, shearing wool, whitening it, combing it, dyeing it, spinning, weaving, making two loops, weaving two threads, separating two threads, tying [a knot], untying [a knot], sewing two stitches, tearing for the purpose of sewing two stitches, hunting a deer, slaughtering it, skinning it, salting it, curing its hide, scraping it, cutting it, writing two letters, erasing for the purpose of writing two letters, building, demolishing, extinguishing a flame, lighting a flame, striking with a hammer, carrying from one domain to another. These are the principal Melakhot - [they number] forty minus one.
Questions to discuss in Chavruta:
1) How might you categorize these 39 forbidden acts into meaningful categories? What would those categories be?
2) If you were writing your own list of forbidden acts of "work," what might you add to this list of 39 acts? Which of these 39 might you remove?
הא דתנן אבות מלאכות ארבעים חסר אחת כנגד מי אמר להו ר' חנינא בר חמא כנגד עבודות המשכן
Regarding the Mishnah which teaches "There are 39 categories of labor"--to what does it correspond? Rabbi Chanina b. Chama said to them: they correspond to the labors involved in constructing the tabernacle.
Commentary of Rabbi Hirsch on Parshat Vayakhel
The mastery of Man over matter, in getting, producing, changing, manufacturing the raw materials of the world, attains it highest meaning in the building of the Mishkan. The world submits to Man, for him to submit himself and his world to God, and for him to change this earthly world into a home for the Kingdom of God, to a Temple in which the Glory of God tarries on earth. The building of the Mishkan is the highest form of human labor, and in the context here, it is represented as being a combination of all those [39] creative activities of Man, by the cessation of which – by not performing any of this Melakhah – the Shabbat is made into an acknowledgment of man’s allegiance to God…
Question to discuss in Chavruta:
1) According to Rabbi Hirsch, what is the ultimate goal of avoiding these 39 Melakhot?
2) Based on these sources, what do you think is the best definition of the word Melakha?