Connecting to God, Connecting to Fellow Jews

Meshech Ḥochma comments that in the “Divine religion” there are two classes of mitzvot: those intended to connect Jews to their Heavenly Father and those intended to connect Jews to each other. Examples of the first class are tzitzit, tefillin and mezuza. The second category includes acts of kindness between fellow Jews, truma and ma’aser.

Using this duality, Meshech Ḥochma distinguishes between Shabbat and the holidays. Concerning Shabbat, the Torah says: “let no man go out of his place on the seventh day” (Exodus 16:29). In addition, one may not transport objects across a public domain, nor may one cook food (all of which are permitted on the holidays). Shabbat, explains Meshech Ḥochma, is intended as a day which the individual devotes to Torah and to connecting with God as the spiritual source. Ideally, on Shabbat Jews individually reconnect with God as the spiritual center. Ultimately, this individual effort connects the Jews collectively. However, this connection among Jews is, in essence, arrived at in an indirect way, unlike the connection resulting from the mitzvot between man and fellow man.

The holidays, on the other hand, belong to the class of mitzvot intended to connect Jews with each other. For this reason, we may cook food which is necessary for the holiday on the holiday itself. In addition, the Torah requires Jews to ascend to the Temple for the holidays. This also stresses the connection among Jews. On the holidays, transporting objects is permitted because it makes the social connection easier.

Yet, the connection between a Jew and God and his connection to fellow Jews are interrelated. As noted, ideally the individual’s connecting to God connects him to the collective Israel as well, and the connection between Jews is rooted in the connection with God.