נחמיה, פרק י״ג, פסוק כ״ב

Strengthening the holiness of the Sabbath in Jerusalem required a dedicated and reliable force. To ensure the city gates were properly guarded, Nehemiah entrusted this critical mission to the Levites. They were chosen because of their natural state of purity and their lifelong caution to avoid wrongdoing, making them the ideal candidates to protect the holiness of the day [מלבי״ם].

Assigning the entire guard of Levites specifically for the Sabbath also served to elevate the honor of the day. Because the priests continued their regular Temple duties on the Sabbath just as they did during the rest of the week, there was no obvious visual distinction to mark the day's unique holiness within the Temple. Stationing the Levites provided that necessary separation [רלב״ג].

Before taking their posts, the Levites were commanded to undergo a process of purification specifically to honor the Sabbath [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Commentators offer different views on the exact nature of this preparation; it may have involved full immersion [מצודת דוד] or being sprinkled with purifying waters [רב סעדיה גאון].

Their instructions also included strict guidelines regarding when they should arrive to secure the gates. The Levites were required to take up their posts while it was still afternoon, well before the Sabbath began. Arriving after dark, once the day was already holy, would have been considered a sign of disrespect. Therefore, arriving early was an essential part of sanctifying the Sabbath [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

After establishing these protective measures, Nehemiah turns to God in a personal prayer. He asks God to remember his efforts in strengthening the Sabbath and to look upon him with mercy and compassion [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Through his request, Nehemiah expresses a profound understanding: even when a person earns a reward for doing a good deed, receiving that reward is ultimately an act of divine kindness from God [מצודת דוד].