Sabbath Day's Distance

Publish date: 2024-05-02

Sabbath Day’s Distance?

There is not a specific Sabbath day “distance” in Torah as a commandment to keep.  However, before the giving of the codified commandments, instructions were given to the Israelites in how the Sabbath was to be observed.  Manna was to be provided for six days of the seven day week.  On the sixth day, twice as much manna was to be provided and collected so that there would be no need to go out to gather manna on the seventh day, and, in fact, going out to gather manna on the Sabbath was defined as sin.  Notice Exodus 16:29(The Message)--Don't you see that GOD has given you the Sabbath? So on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. So, each of you, stay home. Don't leave home on the seventh day."

Other translations say “stay in your place.”  This means our “vicinity.”  Consider that we are not to ride our animals longer distances on the Sabbath, as the commandment says to not make our animals work in any way.  The providing of manna was to teach Israel how to observe Sabbath.  In order to gather manna, the camps of Israel had to walk some distance away to find enough to at for the day—it wasn’t just lying around a few feet from the tents or sukkot.

This text spells out the fact that there is no reason for us to have to go anywhere on the Sabbath.  Neither is there any Command for everyone “gathering to hear the Torah” every week.  Let’s look at Leviticus 23:2  Speak1696 unto413 the children1121 of Israel,3478 and say559 unto413 them, Concerning the moeds4150 of YHWY,3068 which834, (853) ye shall proclaim7121 to be holy6944 convocations,4744 even these428 are my feasts.4150

Lev 23:3  Six8337 days3117 shall work4399 be done:6213 but the seventh7637 day3117 is the sabbath7676 of rest,7677 a holy6944 convocation;4744 ye shall do6213 no3808, 3605 work4399 therein: it1931 is the sabbath7676 of YHWY3068 in all3605 your dwellings.4186

H4150

מועדה    מעד    מועד

mô‛êd  mô‛êd  mô‛âdâh

mo-ade', mo-ade', mo-aw-daw'

From H3259; properly an appointment, that is, a fixed time or season; specifically a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand): - appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed).

 Although the English word “convocation” is used in reference to weekly and certain annual “moeds”, the Hebrew ord is “MIQRA”—(#4744, from #7121) to call, announce, or proclaim.  miqrâ'

mik-raw'

From H7121; something called out, that is, a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal: - assembly, calling, convocation, reading.

H7121

קרא

qârâ'

kaw-raw'

A primitive root (rather identical with H7122 through the idea of accosting a person met); to call out to (that is, properly address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications): - bewray [self], that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim (-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.

This root word has no use or meaning of “gathering together”.  It can mean cry, shout, dictate, or call.  A “gathering” or “council” is the Hebrew word “SOD” (#5475) H5475

סוד

sôd

sode

From H3245; a session, that is, company of persons (in close deliberation); by implication intimacy, consultation, a secret: - assembly, counsel, inward, secret (counsel).

To assemble is the Hebrew word QABATS (#6908)-- H6908

קבץ

qâbats

kaw-bats'

A primitive root; to grasp, that is, collect: - assemble (selves), gather (bring) (together, selves together, up), heap, resort, X surely, take up.

The Hebrew word “YAAD” (#3259) is used in Numbers 10:3, and, is specifically a summoned gathering or meeting together, and this was for the leaders of the congregation to come together to prepare to set out or move.  H3259

יעד

yâ‛ad

yaw-ad'

A primitive root; to fix upon (by agreement or appointment); by implication to meet (at a stated time), to summon (to trial), to direct (in a certain quarter or position), to engage (for marriage): - agree, (make an) appoint (-ment, a time), assemble (selves), betroth, gather (selves, together), meet (together), set (a time).

None of these words meaning “to meet together” are used in association with how to observe the Sabbath.

It has always been understood that the Sabbath is a day to read Torah (Scriptures), but even this is not a commanded activity. 

Common sense should prevail so that if we find ourselves needing to go on a long journey to be with others, we have missed the point.  The command is to have a MIQRA QODESH, a set-apart proclaiming, and to “rest” is what is to be proclaimed.  It was Rabbi Yahushua’s (sometimes translated as Jesus) custom to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath, or even go to the Temple on a daily basis when in Jerusalem.  Certainly this was within a distance that could not be considered a journey.

YHWH’s Temple was to be a “house of prayer”, and we are instructed to “pray without ceasing” because we are the Temple of YHWH, Yahushua’s body.  The physical Temple was symbolic for Yahushua, which makes His play on words in John 2:19 even more interesting:  “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

In John 4:21 we read:  “Yahushua said to her, Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you shall neither worship the Father in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem…”, verse 23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him.”

 We really don’t have to go that far at all to be in His presence.  The word “miqra,” based on the word “qara,” may refer only to the DAY being “proclaimed” as a set-apart day of rest.  So, a “set-apart convocation” may simply mean “qodesh proclamation”, not “assembly” at all.  Perhaps we’ve forced the word “miqra” to mean only “assembly” while the Hebrew words for “assembly” are qahal, edah, knesset, sod, or the summoned gathering, “yaad.”  Moed is the Hebrew word for appointment, or set time.  It can also mean a set-apart place.  It is translated “assembly” twice out of over two hundred uses.  We never find the literal Hebrew words for “assembly” (qahal, Knesset, edah, yaad, or sod) used in conjunction with the proper way to observe the Sabbath.  “Sabbath gathering” is not actually a commanded practice, but perhaps we have been programmed to think so by the translators who saw fit to tint certain passages.

Look at Acts 1:12  “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.”  Luke may have based this simply upon the “man-made” custom to only travel a maximum of one thousand cubits (roughly five hundred yards, or ¾ of a mile).  Since they would be resting, it is conceivable that this is reasonable and prudent which to not exceed if possible.  Coincidentally, this is the distance of the encampments of Israel from the tent of meeting in the wilderness, by traditional reckoning.  So it really was their “place” or “vicinity.”  Consider that three times in Leviticus 23 the phrase “in your dwellings” is used in reference to how to observe different moeds, rather than “in all your gatherings.”

It must be remembered that the reason there was a double-portion of manna on the sixth day was to eliminate the gathering and the need to go any where on the Sabbath day and we are told “Let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.”

Where there is a small group that can get together each Sabbath where each of the people reside within a reasonably close proximity, that is marvelous.  However, it must be remembered that two or more gathered together in His Name is all it takes to listen to Him speak through us, and would fulfill any “convocation” aspect.  In reference to the three annual “pilgrimage “ festivals, the Israelites were commanded to come up to only Jerusalem for the place of worship in Scripture (from the time of the Temple).  But the day has come that we all can do is observe the time where we are.

The bottom line is that we have been led to believe that we must “assemble” each and every Sabbath simply based on the word miqra, when the thrust of the Commandment is to rest, and to stay in our immediate vicinity.  Hebrews 10:25 instructs that we should “not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching,” and that certainly is encouraged.  However, this instruction is given in this passage only and is therefore “one witness” in Scripture, which is certainly encouraged, but in no way negates, supercedes, or over-rides the Commandment to rest.  Falling short of the Commandment would have more to do with not resting than with not assembling.

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