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In this week's Parashah, Parashat Yitro, the Aseret HaDibrot are given to Bnei Yisrael. The fourth of these commandments is “זָכ֛וֹר֩ אֶת־י֥֨וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֖֜ת לְקַדְּשֽׁ֗וֹ” “Remember the Shabbat and keep it holy” (Shemot 20:8). Later on, in Parashat Va’etchanan, the Aseret HaDibrot are said over again, this time with Shabbat presented as “שָׁמ֛֣וֹר אֶת־י֥וֹם֩ הַשַּׁבָּ֖֨ת לְקַדְּשׁ֑֜וֹ” “Protect Shabbat and keep it holy” (Devarim 5:12).  Famously, the Mechilta says Shamor and Zachor were said simultaneously. What are the differences between Shamor and Zachor? If they were said together, why does the Torah separate them? Also, why is one given as a Mitzvah in Parashat Yitro, and one as a Mitzvah in Parashat Va'etchanan? 

The Ramban (Shemot 20:8) explains the difference between Shamor and Zachor as follows: Zachor represents the Mitzvot Asei of Shabbat, to make kiddush and prepare for Shabbat. Shamor represents the Mitzvot Lo Ta’asei of Shabbat, to not do Melachot and to rest. He further explains that the reason both Shamor and Zachor weren’t written in both versions of the Aseret HaDibrot was that only Zachor was written on the Luchot, and Shamor was told from Hashem to Moshe as a part of Zachor, but wasn’t written. So, in the second version in Parashat  Va'etchanan, where Moshe is repeating the Dibrot to Bnei Yisrael, Moshe is just teaching that there are negative commandments that come along with the positive commandments of Shabbat, even though they weren’t actually written on the Luchot. 

He expands on this, saying that the reason the Mechilta says that they were said at once is to teach that women are obligated in the Mitzvot Asei of Shabbat. Normally, women aren’t obligated in Mitzvot Asei SheHaZman Grama, which would mean that they aren’t obligated in Zachor, but are obligated in Shamor. Because they were said together, we learn that just as women are obligated in the Shamor part of Shabbat, they are obligated in the Zachor part of Shabbat as well.

The Meshech Chochmah (Devarim 5:12) agrees with the Ramban about what Shamor and Zachor are, but disagrees on why they are separated. He says that when Bnei Yisrael were in the Midbar, they received the Mann from Shamayim as food, and didn’t have to labor for it. Because of this, they learned all day and didn’t need Shabbat as a day of rest and to stop working. Therefore, Zachor was emphasized in the Aseret HaDibrot found in Yitro, as Shamor was irrelevant when they were in the Midbar, but Zachor was still relevant. In Parashat Va'etchanan, Bnei Yisrael are about to enter Eretz Yisroel, where they would have to toil and work the land for food. Because of this, they needed to appreciate the restfulness of Shabbat, which is Shamor. We can appreciate from here how Hashem takes into play the position we are in, not just when presenting Mitzvot, but in our everyday lives, giving us what is best in that moment.