The Wood Gatherer

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The Severity of Shabbat Violation

TANAKH

The direct divine command to execute the wood gatherer underscores the severity of violating Shabbat. The biblical book of Numbers recounts the story of a man gathering wood on the Shabbat, leading to his execution as commanded by God.

Once, when the Israelites were in the wilderness, they came upon a man gathering wood on the sabbath day. Those who found him as he was gathering wood brought him before Moses, Aaron, and the community leadership. He was placed in custody, for it had not been specified what should be done to him. Then יהוה said to Moses, “The party in question shall be put to death: the community leadership shall pelt him with stones outside the camp.” So the community leadership took him outside the camp and stoned him to death—as יהוה had commanded Moses.

Numbers 15:32-36

The Uncertain Fate of a Transgressor

MIDRASH

The Israelites were uncertain whether the gatherer of wood on Shabbat was liable for the death penalty. The Sifra, an ancient midrash on the book of Leviticus from the land of Israel, discusses the uncertainties faced by the Israelites regarding the punishment of certain transgressors, including the gatherer.

5) (Vayikra 24:12) ("And they put him in confinement, to be explained to them at the mouth of the L–rd.") But they did not place the mekoshesh with him, though their situations were concurrent. And they knew that the mekoshesh was liable to the death penalty, viz. (Shemoth 21:14) "Those who desecrate it (the Sabbath) shall die, but they did not know which death penalty, viz. (Bamidbar 15:34) "for it was not clear what should be done to him," but here it is written "to be explained to them at the mouth of the L–rd" — whereby we are taught that they did not know whether he was liable to the…

Sifra, Emor, Section 14 5

Determining the Punishment for Shabbat Violation

TALMUD

Moses knew the violator of Shabbat was to be punished by death, but he did not know the specific form of the death penalty. The Talmudic tractate Bava Batra explains that the portion of the Torah that clarified the punishment for such a crime was written in light of the incident rather than through a direct commandment from God.

Rabbi Ḥideka continues citing Rabbi Shimon HaShikmoni: And Moses our teacher similarly knew that the wood gatherer, who gathered wood on Shabbat (see Numbers 15:32–36), was to be punished by death, as it is stated: “Every one that profanes it shall be put to death” (Exodus 31:14), but he did not know by which death penalty the wood gatherer must die. And the Torah portion concerning the punishment of the wood gatherer was fit to have been written through God initiating a commandment to Moses…

Bava Batra 119a:8

A Unique Divine Judgment

TALMUD

Rabbi Yehuda argues that the execution of the wood gatherer was a unique, divine decree and not a precedent for future generations. The Talmudic tractate Sanhedrin, in its discussion of the process of capital punishment, wonders whether the biblical case of the wood gatherer operated according to typical Jewish legal procedure.

Based on the statement of Rabbi Yehuda, it may be inferred that according to the first tanna, although they must inform him that he is liable to be executed, they are not required to inform him of the specific mode of execution. The Gemara explains the basis for the dispute between the first tanna and Rabbi Yehuda: The first tanna derived forewarning from the incident of the wood gatherer (see Numbers 15:32–36), who was executed even though even Moses did not know with which death penalty he was to be executed…

Sanhedrin 80b:5

Good Intentions and Divine Will

CHASIDUT

Even with pure intentions, actions must align with God's will and the sanctity of the Torah. Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica, in his Hasidic commentary Mei HaShiloach, discusses the story of the wood-gatherer and the importance of aligning actions with divine will.

“And the children of Israel were in the desert, and they found a man gathering wood on the day of the Sabbath .…” (Bamidbar, 15:32)
It is written in the Mishna (Menachot, Ch. 5), “there are offerings that need oil and frankincense, or oil without frankincense, or frankincense without oil.” Oil teaches of (an action) “bringing honor from the community [Pirkei Avot, Ch. 2.1],” in other words, that a man should strive to be righteous and pure (hence oil) to the depths of his heart, and should have intentions for the sake of Heaven…

Mei HaShiloach, Volume I, Numbers, Sh'lach 4

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