75 words for 75 years of Israel – Shamor/Guard

In honor of Israel’s 75th birthday, Israel365 is excited to launch a new series of essays that will unlock the secrets of the Hebrew Bible!

Excerpted from Rabbi Akiva Gersh’s forthcoming book, 75 Hebrew Words You Need to Understand the Bible, these essays illuminate the connection between related Hebrew words, revealing Biblical secrets only accessible through Hebrew.

Enjoy the series – and happy 75th birthday to the State of Israel!

שÖøׁמוֹ×Ø

SHAMOR

SHA-MOR

GUARD

לשמ×Ø ××Ŗ מצו×Ŗ יהוה וא×Ŗ חק×Ŗיו אש×Ø ×× ×›×™ מצוך היום לטוב לך.

ויקח יהוה אלהים א×Ŗ האדם וינחהו בגן עדן לעבדה ולשמ×Øה

Shamor, Hebrew for ā€œguard,ā€ is frequently used throughout the Bible to exhort the people of Israel to guard Godā€™s commandments. In the Ten Commandments, they are told to ā€œguardā€ Shabbat as well as to ā€œrememberā€ Shabbat. To ā€œguardā€ Shabbat means keeping the detailed laws of the holy day of rest, and so a Jew who observes the laws of Shabbat is known as a shomer Shabbat, ā€œone who guards Shabbat.ā€ By contrast, ā€œremembering Shabbatā€ means infusing Shabbat with holiness and spirituality. 

The sages explain that these two words, ā€œguardingā€ and ā€œremembering,ā€ were spoken by God simultaneously during the giving of the Ten Commandments, an impossible feat for human beings. For God, ā€œguardingā€ and ā€œrememberingā€ Shabbat are equally important and combine to create the ideal experience of the day of rest.

Shamor also describes Adamā€™s role in the Garden of Eden. ā€œGod settled man in the Garden of Eden, to work it and guard itā€ (Genesis 2:15). Adam was given permission to use the natural resources of the world for his own benefit. But alongside this gift, man was also given the responsibility to guard and protect Godā€™s world. As the sages say, ā€œWhen God created Adam, He said to him: ā€˜See My creations, how beautiful they are. Make certain that you donā€™t ruin and destroy My world, for if you destroy it, there will be no one to mend it after you.ā€™ā€

Alone among all of Godā€™s creations, humanity has been entrusted with two holy tasks: to guard His word and to guard His world. 

Subscribe

Sign up to receive daily inspiration to your email

Recent Posts
Standing With, Not Standing By
When the Bible Commands Us NOT to Teach
A Tale of Two Cities: How Jerusalem Became Our Capital

Related Articles

Subscribe

Sign up to receive daily inspiration to your email