ויהיו בני ישראל במדבר וימצאו איש מקשש עצים ביום השבת.” רש”י: “בגנותן של ישראל דבר הכתוב, שלא שמרו אלא שבת ראשונה, ובשניה בא זה וחללה” (במדבר ט”ו, ל”ב).
Rashi: “The passuk speaks of the disgrace of Yisroel, that they kept only the first Shabbos, and in the second Shabbos this one came and desecrated it”.
We are all familiar with the teaching of Chazal that if Klal Yisroel had observed properly two Shabbosim, the final redemption would have taken place immediately. (Shabbos 118b) But why is one Shabbos not enough? Surely the requirement of two Shabbosim is not a mere technicality…
There are two distinct facets to Shabbos. On the one hand, Shabbos is “mashpia”—it influences the entire existence. The days of the week are all affected by the kedusha of the preceding Shabbos. On the other hand, Shabbos is “mushpa”—it is influenced by the world, as the days of the week also lead up to and prepare for the upcoming Shabbos. In the first role as a mashpia, the kedusha of Shabbos influences our reality from above; it is not yet part and parcel of that reality. But in its second role as a mushpa, it emerges from within the reality itself, thus it is a part of our reality. If Shabbos influences us and we influence Shabbos as well, then Klal Yisroel is truly the “בת זוג”—partner or spouse—of Shabbos, as the Medrash relates, “Shabbos said before Hakadosh Baruch Hu: ‘Master of the Universe, everything has a partner, but I have no partner’. Hakadosh Baruch Hu replied, ‘Knesses Yisroel is your partner’ ( Breishis Raba Breishis 11:8).
In the “first Shabbos”, Klal Yisroel relates to Shabbos in the first role, as a divine concept above their reality. They form a connection with Shabbos, and the kedusha of Shabbos thereby pervades the entire week. This, Klal Yisroel did accomplish in the midbar, but they did not keep the “second Shabbos”. The “second Shabbos” emerges from within the reality, and incorporates the kedusha of Shabbos into our world. For example, a person can understand and even connect to the idea of menuchas Shabbos: that the Borei Olam himself “rested”, and that we rest “together” with Him. The avodah of the “second Shabbos” is for that menucha to actually take place, naturally, in life. During the “second Shabbos”, the kedusha of Shabbos is here. In this, Klal Yisroel in the midbar failed: “they kept only the first Shabbos”. Thus, Rashi here (Ch. 15, passuk 41) (quoting R’ Moshe Hadarshan) writes: “לומר שהמחלל את השבת כעובד עבודה זרה, שאף היא שקולה ככל המצות, וכן הוא אומר בעזרא (נחמי’ טו) ועל הר סיני ירדת ותתן לעמך תורה ומצות ואת שבת קדשך הודעת להם”—To say that one who desecrates the Shabbos is like an idol worshipper, because it (Shabbos) too is equal to all the mitzvos, and such it is written, ‘And on Mount Sinai You descended, and You gave to your nation the Torah and mitzvos, and the Shabbos of your holiness you made know to them’. Just as Hakadosh Baruch Hu “descended” into our world at Mount Sinai, and brought “down” the Torah, so too the kedusha of Shabbos descends upon Klal Yisroel and enters the world. We see from Rashi that it was this element of Shabbos that was desecrated in the midbar—”the Second Shabbos”.
We often assume that the pinnacle of kedusha is to reach up and create a connection with the highest, most elevated ideals and concepts. But in avodah, that is the first step. The next step is to bring that kedusha into the world. Continuing the example above, many of us have some understanding and appreciation for menuchas Shabbos, and many of us also take naps on Shabbos—but is there any connection between the two? That’s the avodah, and it is a difficult one. But still, when we are successful, when we keep the “Second Shabbos” and make kedusha a part of our reality, then we will be prepared for the final redemption, may it come quickly, in our days.