Q&A: What Day Is It Today?
What Day Is It Today?
Question
At first glance, there seems to be no intrinsic basis for saying that today is Thursday and the day after tomorrow is the Sabbath. As I understand it, this is completely disconnected from astronomical patterns. It has nothing to do with the earth, the sun, or the paths of the stars. In other cultures, other units of time were used that were not seven days long. If I understand correctly, the week is an Israelite invention.
Is there a halakhic basis that allows us to determine when the Sabbath is? Are there criteria? And if not, in your opinion could it be that this is a tradition given to Moses at Sinai and preserved continuously without a break until today?
Historically, were there Jewish communities that were not synchronized with the regular week? For example, in Ethiopia? Did all Jews always observe the Sabbath at the same time, or were there disagreements that arose and were simply settled over time?
Answer
This is merely a convention. Its source is in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), in the creation of the world, and from there it spread. As for historical questions, ask historians.
Discussion on Answer
You are obligated to observe the Sabbath—it’s a very important commandment. So seemingly it is of the highest importance to understand exactly when the Sabbath is. Maybe we’re mistaken and the day after tomorrow is not really the Sabbath? If so, that is serious.
Is there really no discussion of this in the Talmud?
Seemingly the implications here, either way, could be very significant.
There is a tradition, and that is enough. The Talmud says that, in principle, someone who loses track of the count (for example, while on a long journey in the desert) chooses a day and observes it, and from then on counts every seven days from it.
If so, perhaps that strengthens the classic witness argument.
How does it strengthen it?
In light of what you wrote (Questioner) and Michi’s reply, it indeed seems that this is mainly a symbolic matter (though there is more to refine regarding its essence, but that would take us too far afield). I don’t see any problem or practical implication resulting from this. Maybe a few nice Torah insights fall away—more power to you!
I seem to recall that the Kuzari brings proof for the divine origin of the Torah from the fact that throughout the world people follow a seven-day week. I’ve seen stronger arguments.
The Hebrew Bible proposes a cyclical structure of seven days, but it does not establish a reference point by which one can concretely determine what day we are in. Presumably there was some historical date that was the first occasion on which human beings recognized that the day was indeed Thursday.