Exegetically Speaking Creative Work and Sustaining Work, with Baruch Kvasnika: Genesis 2:1-3 and Exodus 20:8-11
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Dec 15, 2025 Baruch Kvasnika, President of Jerusalem Seminary and an expert in biblical Hebrew, joins to explore the nuances of work prohibited on the Sabbath. He delves into the meanings of the Hebrew terms 'melecha' and 'avodah,' clarifying why certain creative tasks are forbidden. Baruch examines how these concepts are drawn from Genesis and Exodus, highlighting the interpretive layers added by rabbinic traditions. He emphasizes the practicality of Sabbath laws, balancing sacred rest with the need for sustaining work.
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Learning Hebrew Through Immersion
- Baruch learned Hebrew using immersive, spoken methods like total physical response and storytelling.
- That approach helped him internalize Hebrew and later teach translators effectively.
Different Kinds Of 'Work' In Hebrew
- The Hebrew text distinguishes melecha (prohibitive Sabbath work) from avodah (generic/sustaining work).
- This suggests Sabbath forbids creative, productive labor but allows basic sustaining activity.
Exodus Uses Melecha, Not Avodah
- Exodus 20:9 uses melecha, not avodah, when forbidding work on the Sabbath, clarifying the prohibition's scope.
- The text and rabbinic reading focus on creative, skillful tabernacle-type tasks as the banned category.