על החוקים לפרטיהם, ספר ב מ״הOn the Special Laws, Book II 45
א׳
1[249] Again, let him who has turned the sacred seventh day into a profane thing, as far as lies in his power, be sentenced to death. For on the contrary we ought to be rich in ways of purifying things profane, both material and immaterial, to change them for the better, since, as it has been said, “envy has no place in the divine choir.” But to dare to debase and deface the stamp of things consecrated shews the utmost height of impiety.
ב׳
2[250] There is an incident which occurred during the great migration from Egypt in ancient days while the whole multitude was journeying through the pathless wilderness. The seventh day had come, and all those myriads, how numerous I have stated in an earlier place, were staying very quietly in their tents, when a single person of a rank by no means mean or insignificant, regardless of the orders given and mocking at those who maintained them, went out to gather firewood, but actually succeeded in displaying his disobedience to the law.
ג׳
3[251] He returned bringing an armful, but the others, pouring out from the tents, though greatly enraged if repelled from violence on account of the sanctity of the day, took him to the ruler and reported the impious deed. The ruler put him in custody, but when the divine pronouncement had been given out that he should be stoned, he surrendered him to those who had first seen him to be done to death. For the prohibition against lighting a fire on the seventh day, the reason for which I have stated earlier, applies equally, I presume, to collecting the means for kindling fire.