Zechusamזכותם
Lehavas David · Parshas Bereishis · Maamar ח

The Spice Called Shabbos: Creation Completed through Rest

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 2:1-2
וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכׇל־צְבָאָם וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִכׇּל־מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה
The heavens and the earth and all their host were completed. On the seventh day God completed His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.
1“The heavens and the earth and all their host were completed. On the seventh day God completed …”1 The holy Ohr HaChaim, in his commentary on the Torah, asks why the verse needed to say “The heavens and the earth were completed” at all. Would it not have been enough to say “On the seventh day God completed His work …”? We would understand on our own that the work of heaven and earth was completed too, since it is part of “His work that He had done.” So the whole verse “The heavens were completed …” seems unnecessary.
וַיְכוּלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם. וַיְכַל אֱלֹקִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וְגוֹ׳ (ב, א-ב). בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים הַקָּדוֹשׁ הִקְשָׁה, מַדּוּעַ הָיָה צָרִיךְ הַכָּתוּב לוֹמַר ׳וַיְכוּלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ׳, וַהֲלֹא הָיָה דַּי בְּאָמְרוֹ ׳וַיְכַל אֱלֹקִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּוֹ׳ וְגוֹ׳, וּמֵאֵלָיו יוּבָן שֶׁגַּם מְלֶאכֶת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ הִיא שֶׁנִּגְמְרָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁמְּלֶאכֶת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ הִיא בִּכְלַל ׳מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה׳, וְאִם כֵּן כָּל הַכָּתוּב ׳וַיְכוּלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם׳ וְגוֹ׳ נִרְאֶה כִּמְיוּתָּר.
  1. Bereishis 2:1–2. ↩
In shortThe Ohr HaChaim asks why the Torah says “the heavens and the earth were completed,” when “God completed His work” already includes them.
2Rashi writes: “What did the world lack? Rest. Shabbos came, rest came; the work was finished and completed.”2 But why did the world lack rest? It is written, “Day and night they shall not rest,”3 for the cycles of nature never stop, and that shows the world can last even without rest. A second question: what does Rashi mean when he says that because Shabbos came and rest came, the work was finished and completed? How does the fact that holy Shabbos is a time of rest show that the work is complete?
וברש״י ז״ל, מֶה הָיָה הָעוֹלָם חָסֵר, מְנוּחָה, בָּאת שַׁבָּת בָּאת מְנוּחָה, כָּלְתָה וְנִגְמְרָה הַמְּלָאכָה. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַדּוּעַ הָיָה הָעוֹלָם חָסֵר מְנוּחָה, הֲרֵי כְּתִיב (בראשית ח, כב) ״יוֹם וָלַיְלָה לֹא יִשְׁבּוֹתוּ״, הֲרֵי דְּאֶפְשָׁר לָעוֹלָם שֶׁיִּתְקַיֵּים גַּם בְּלִי מְנוּחָה. וְעוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר, מַהוּ זֶה שֶׁאוֹמֵר שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שֶׁבָּאת שַׁבָּת וּבָאת מְנוּחָה, עַל יְדֵי זֶה כָּלְתָה וְנִגְמְרָה הַמְּלָאכָה, בַּמֶּה נִבְחַן שֶׁנִּגְמְרָה הַמְּלָאכָה בַּמֶּה שֶׁשַּׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ הִיא עֵת מְנוּחָה.
  1. Rashi on Bereishis 2:2. ↩
  2. Bereishis 8:22. ↩
In shortHow could the world lack rest when nature runs without it, and how can a day of rest complete the work?
3Let us set out one more point first. In the command to keep holy Shabbos, the verse says, “Six days work shall be done, and on the seventh day is a Shabbos of complete rest.”4 Why does it say yei'aseh, “shall be done,” as though the work gets done by itself? It would seem it should have said, “Six days you shall do work.”
וְנַקְדִּים עוֹד, דְּהִנֵּה בְּצִיוּוּי שְׁמִירַת שַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ אָמַר הַכָּתוּב (שמות לא, טו) ״שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים יֵעָשֶׂה מְלָאכָה וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן״. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַדּוּעַ כְּתִיב ׳יֵעָשֶׂה׳, דְּמַשְׁמַע דְּהַמְּלָאכָה נַעֲשֵׂית מֵאֵלֶיהָ, וְלִכְאוֹרָה הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר ׳שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲשֶׂה מְלָאכָה׳.
  1. Shemos 31:15. ↩
In shortWhy does the Torah say that during the six days work “shall be done,” as though by itself, rather than “you shall do work”?
4We may explain this as follows. Holy Shabbos has the power to bring all of creation to its completion. The Ohr HaChaim writes that when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He gave it the power to last for only six days.5 When Shabbos comes, it gives the world life and existence for another six days, and so it is every single Shabbos. We may say that through this Hashem wanted to teach us that a person should not say in his heart, “My strength and the might of my hand made me this wealth.”6 Instead, he should learn the opposite from Shabbos: on Shabbos, when we do no work, that is precisely when creation is completed, by Hashem.
אָכֵן אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר בְּדֶרֶךְ זֶה, דְּהִנֵּה לְשַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ יֵשׁ כֹּחַ לְהַשְׁלִים אֶת תִּיקּוּן כָּל הַבְּרִיאָה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים הַקָּדוֹשׁ (בראשית ב, ב ובכמה מקומות) שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר הקב״ה בָּרָא אֶת הָעוֹלָם נָתַן בּוֹ כֹּחַ לְהִתְקַיֵּים רַק לְשִׁשָּׁה יָמִים, וְכַאֲשֶׁר בָּא שַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ אֲזַי הוּא נוֹתֵן כֹּחַ חַיּוּת וְקִיּוּם לָעוֹלָם לְמֶשֶׁךְ עוֹד שִׁשָּׁה יָמִים אֲחֵרִים, וְכֵן הוּא בְּכָל שַׁבָּת וְשַׁבָּת. וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר שֶׁרָצָה הקב״ה לְלַמְּדֵנוּ בָּזֶה, לְבַל יֹאמַר הָאָדָם בִּלְבָבוֹ כּוֹחִי וְעוֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת הַחַיִל הַזֶּה (דברים ד, ד), אֶלָּא יִלְמַד מִשַּׁבָּת, שֶׁאַדְּרַבָּה בְּשַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ שֶׁהוּא זְמַן שֶׁאֵין נַעֲשֵׂית מְלָאכָה עַל יָדֵינוּ, אָז דַּוְקָא נִשְׁלֶמֶת הַבְּרִיאָה עַל יְדֵי הקב״ה.
  1. Ohr HaChaim, Bereishis 2:2, and in several places. ↩
  2. Devarim 8:17 (the sefer has Devarim 4:4). ↩
In shortHashem gives creation strength for six days and Shabbos renews it, so the world is completed just when we stop working, not by our might.
5This answers our first question, why the verse needed to open with “The heavens and the earth were completed.” The verse comes to teach us this very idea: creation, the heavens and the earth, becomes complete through the power of holy Shabbos. That is the meaning of vayechulu, “were completed.” The Targum, the Aramaic translation of the Torah, renders it ve'ishtachlelu, “and they were perfected,” a word that speaks of perfecting and completion. Through the power of Shabbos, everything formed on the weekdays was completed, for every creature created in the six days of creation reached its completeness in this way.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה מְיוּשָּׁב מַה שֶׁהִקְשֵׁינוּ, מַדּוּעַ הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל ׳וַיְכוּלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ׳, וְהוּא מִשּׁוּם שֶׁבָּא הַכָּתוּב לְלַמְּדֵינוּ עִנְיָין זֶה, שֶׁבְּכֹחַ הַשַּׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ בָּא הַשְּׁלֵימוּת לַבְּרִיאָה, שֶׁזֶּה הוּא עִנְיַין ׳וַיְכוּלּוּ׳, וּכְפִי שֶׁמְּתַרְגֵּם בְּתַרְגּוּם עַל תֵּיבַת ׳וַיְכוּלּוּ׳, ׳וְאִשְׁתַּכְלָלוּ׳ שֶׁפֵּירוּשׁוֹ מִלְּשׁוֹן תִּיקּוּן וְהַשְׁלָמָה, הַיְינוּ שֶׁבְּכֹחַ הַשַּׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ נִשְׁלְמָה כָּל הַיְּצִירָה שֶׁנֶּעֶשְׂתָה בִּימוֹת הַחוֹל, דְּכָל הַבְּרוּאִים שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ בְּשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּאוּ לִשְׁלֵימוּתָם בְּכֹחַ הַשַּׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ.
In shortVayechulu, which the Targum renders “they were perfected,” teaches that everything made in the six days reached its completeness through Shabbos.
6The same idea answers our question on the verse “Six days work shall be done,”7 which implies that the work gets done by itself. Resting on Shabbos is meant to show that the work of the six working days is completed only on the seventh day. So in truth, as far as its completion goes, the work does get done by itself, through the power of holy Shabbos, and not through anything people do.
וּבָזֶה מוּבָן גַּם כֵּן כַּוָּונַת הַכָּתוּב שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים ׳יֵעָשֶׂה׳ מְלָאכָה (שמות לא, טו) דְּמַשְׁמַע שֶׁהַמְּלָאכָה נַעֲשֵׂית מֵאֵלֶיהָ, וְהוּא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁעִנְיַן הַשְּׁבִיתָה בְּשַׁבָּת הוּא לְהַרְאוֹת שֶׁהַמְּלָאכָה שֶׁל שֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֵינָהּ נִשְׁלֶמֶת כִּי אִם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, נִמְצָא שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת שְׁלֵמוּת הַמְּלָאכָה נַעֲשֵׂית הַמְּלָאכָה מֵאֵלֶיהָ בְּכֹחַ הַשַּׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ, וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי מַעֲשֵׂה בְּנֵי אָדָם.
  1. Shemos 31:15. ↩
In shortWork “shall be done” in the passive because its completion comes by itself through the power of Shabbos, not through human effort.
7This also explains Rashi's words, “What did the world lack? Rest,” which imply that creation itself lacked rest. On holy Shabbos, through resting and stopping work, the Holy One, blessed be He, gives the power that sustains and completes all creation. So before Shabbos came, the world lacked rest: it lacked what flows into the world through rest, the power that completes and beautifies all creation. This is the meaning of “Shabbos came, rest came.” Through the rest of Shabbos, the power that Hashem gave to Shabbos flows into the world, and through it “the work was finished and completed”: the whole work of creation was brought to completion.
וּבָזֶה מְבוֹאָרִים דִּבְרֵי רש״י ז״ל ׳מֶה הָיָה עוֹלָם חָסֵר מְנוּחָה׳, דְּמַשְׁמַע דְּעֶצֶם הַבְּרִיאָה חֲסֵרָה מְנוּחָה. וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא, דְּכֵיוָן שֶׁבְּשַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ עַל יְדֵי הַמְּנוּחָה וְהַשְּׁבִיתָה מִמְּלָאכָה נוֹתֵן הקב״ה כֹּחַ לְקַיֵּים וּלְהַשְׁלִים כָּל הַבְּרִיאָה, נִמְצָא שֶׁקּוֹדֶם שֶׁבָּאָה שַׁבָּת הָיָה הָעוֹלָם חָסֵר מְנוּחָה, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהָיָה חָסֵר אֶת מַה שֶׁנִּשְׁפָּע עַל יְדֵי הַמְּנוּחָה, שֶׁהוּא הַכֹּחַ הַמַּשְׁלִים וְהַמְּיַיפֶּה אֶת כָּל הַבְּרִיאָה. וְזֶהוּ ׳בָּאת שַׁבָּת בָּאת מְנוּחָה׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַמְּנוּחָה בְּשַׁבָּת נִשְׁפָּע הַכֹּחַ שֶׁנָּתַן הקב״ה בְּשַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה ׳כָּלְתָה וְנִגְמְרָה הַמְּלָאכָה׳ שֶׁנִּשְׁלְמָה כָּל מְלֶאכֶת הַבְּרִיאָה.
In shortThe world “lacked rest” because it lacked the completing power that flows only through Shabbos rest; when Shabbos came, creation was finished.
8aThis helps us understand a story Chazal tell: “The Caesar said to R' Yehoshua ben Chananya, ‘Why does the Shabbos dish give off such a fragrance?’ He answered, ‘We have a certain spice called Shabbos, which we put into it, and its aroma spreads.’ The Caesar said, ‘Give us some of it.’ He answered, ‘For whoever keeps Shabbos, it works; for whoever does not keep Shabbos, it does not work.’”8
וּבָזֶה יוּבָן מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (שבת קיט, א) אָמַר לוֹ קֵיסָר לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָא מִפְּנֵי מָה תַּבְשִׁיל שֶׁל שַׁבָּת רֵיחוֹ נוֹדֵף, אָמַר לוֹ תַּבְלִין יֵשׁ לָנוּ וְשַׁבָּת שְׁמוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ מְטִילִין לְתוֹכוֹ וְרֵיחוֹ נוֹדֵף, אָמַר לוֹ תֵּן לָנוּ הֵימֶנּוּ, אָמַר לוֹ כָּל הַמְּשַׁמֵּר אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת מוֹעִיל לוֹ, וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁמֵּר אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת אֵינוֹ מוֹעִיל לוֹ.
  1. Shabbos 119a. ↩
8bFollowing our approach, we may say that when R' Yehoshua ben Chananya answered, “We have a certain spice called Shabbos,” he meant the power of Shabbos. That power completes all things in the world and brings them to their perfection, until their fragrance spreads. He went on to tell the Caesar, “For whoever keeps Shabbos, it works; for whoever does not keep Shabbos, it does not work.” In other words, the power of Shabbos completes and beautifies all of a person's affairs only if he believes in the power of holy Shabbos and knows that his work is not completed by the labor of his own hands. The nations do not believe this. They always say in their hearts, “My strength and the might of my hand,”9 the very opposite of what Shabbos, with its power to complete creation, comes to teach. That is why this spice, the power of Shabbos, does not work for them.
וּלְהָבִין דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים אֵלּוּ, אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר עַל פִּי דַּרְכֵּנוּ, שֶׁהֵשִׁיב רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָא לְקֵיסָר ׳תַּבְלִין יֵשׁ לָנוּ וְשַׁבָּת שְׁמוֹ׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָנוּ אֶת כֹּחַ הַשַּׁבָּת שֶׁהוּא הַמַּשְׁלִים אֶת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר בָּעוֹלָם, וּמְתַקְּנָם לִשְׁלֵמוּתָם, עַד שֶׁרֵיחָם נוֹדֵף. וְהוֹסִיף לֵאמוֹר לוֹ, ׳כָּל הַמְּשַׁמֵּר אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת מוֹעִיל לוֹ וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁמֵּר אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת אֵין מוֹעִיל לוֹ׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁרַק מִי שֶׁמַּאֲמִין בְּכֹחַ הַשַּׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ, וְיוֹדֵעַ כִּי לֹא עַל יְדֵי פּוֹעַל יָדָיו נִגְמֶרֶת מְלַאכְתּוֹ, אֶצְלוֹ פּוֹעֵל כֹּחַ הַשַּׁבָּת לְהַשְׁלִים וּלְיַפּוֹת אֶת כָּל עִנְיָנָיו, אֲבָל הָאוּמּוֹת שֶׁאֵינָם מַאֲמִינִים בָּזֶה, וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים תָּמִיד בִּלְבָבָם כּוֹחִי וְעוֹצֶם יָדִי, שֶׁהוּא הֵיפֶךְ מַה שֶׁבָּא לְהוֹרוֹת כֹּחַ הַשְׁלָמַת הַבְּרִיאָה בְּשַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ, לָכֵן אֵין הַתַּבְלִין הַזֶּה שֶׁהוּא כֹּחַ הַשַּׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ, מוֹעִיל לָהֶם.
  1. Devarim 8:17. ↩
In shortThe “spice called Shabbos” is its power to perfect everything; it works only for one who keeps Shabbos and knows success is not his doing.
9aThis also lets us give a good reason for what Chazal said: “A gentile who keeps a day of rest is liable to death, as it says, ‘Day and night they shall not rest,’ and as one of the sages taught, ‘Their prohibition is their death penalty.’”10 The ruling is indeed hard to understand. Why is a gentile's resting so serious that he is liable to death for it? We can explain it as follows. The gentiles deny Hashem's providence, and so they depend on the way the world and all creation are run according to nature. All the forces of nature act and work constantly, as the verse says, “Day and night they shall not rest.” So all creatures, the human race among them, must likewise work constantly, without a break.
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לִיתֵּן טַעַם לְשֶׁבַח, בַּמֶּה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (סנהדרין נח, ב) גּוֹי שֶׁשָּׁבַת חַיָּיב מִיתָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״יוֹם וָלַיְלָה לֹא יִשְׁבּוֹתוּ״, וְאָמַר מָר אַזְהָרָה שֶׁלָּהֶן זוֹ הִיא מִיתָתָן. וּבֶאֱמֶת קָשֶׁה, מַדּוּעַ חָמוּר כָּל כָּךְ עִנְיַין שְׁבִיתַת הַגּוֹי עַד שֶׁחַיָּיב עֲבוּר זֶה מִיתָה. אַךְ בֵּיאוּר הָעִנְיָן הוּא, כִּי הַגּוֹיִים הַכּוֹפְרִים בְּהַשְׁגָּחָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, הֵמָּה תְּלוּיִים בְּהַנְהָגַת הָעוֹלָם וְהַבְּרִיאָה עַל פִּי דַּרְכֵי הַטֶּבַע, וְהִנֵּה כָּל כּוֹחוֹת הַטֶּבַע פּוֹעֲלִים וְעוֹבְדִים בִּתְמִידוּת כְּמַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב ״יוֹם וָלַיְלָה לֹא יִשְׁבּוֹתוּ״, וְאִם כֵּן עַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה צְרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת גַּם הַנְהָגַת כָּל הַבְּרוּאִים וְהַמִּין הָאֱנוֹשִׁי מִכְּלָלָם, לַעֲבוֹד בִּתְמִידוּת לְלֹא הֶפְסֵק.
  1. Sanhedrin 58b; Bereishis 8:22. “Their prohibition is their death penalty”: for a gentile, breaking any of the commandments given to him carries the death penalty (Sanhedrin 57a). ↩
9bIsrael, however, is an exception to this rule. It believes in Hashem's providence, which is above the natural order, and so the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded it to rest on Shabbos. Its rest shows and reveals that it is precisely when work stops that creation is completed, without the help or labor of human beings. All this applies only to Israel, which believes that everything comes from Hashem, the opposite of “my strength and the might of my hand.” The gentiles deny all this, so their whole life necessarily depends on the nature of the world. If they rest for even one day, they act against the way nature runs; their right to exist is lost, and they are punished with death for it.
אַךְ יוֹצְאִים מֵהַכְּלָל הַזֶּה הֵם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁהֵם מַאֲמִינִים בְּהַשְׁגָּחָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שֶׁהִיא לְמַעְלָה מֵהַנְהָגַת הַטֶּבַע, עַל כֵּן צִיוָּה לָהֶם הקב״ה לִשְׁבּוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ, לְהַרְאוֹת וּלְגַלּוֹת שֶׁדַּוְוקָא בִּשְׁעַת הַשְּׁבִיתָה מִמְּלָאכָה אָז דַּוְקָא נִשְׁלַם הַבְּרִיאָה, בְּלִי עֵזֶר וַעֲבוֹדַת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם. אַךְ כָּל זֶה הוּא רַק לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַמַּאֲמִינִים שֶׁהַכֹּל מֵאִתּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ הֵיפֶךְ הָאֲמִירָה שֶׁל כּוֹחִי וְעוֹצֶם יָדִי, אֲבָל הַגּוֹיִים הַמַּכְחִישִׁים כָּל זֶה, מִמֵּילָא כָּל חַיּוּתָם תָּלוּי עַל פִּי טֶבַע הָעוֹלָם, וּבְאִם הֵם שׁוֹבְתִים יוֹם אֶחָד, הֲרֵי הֵם נוֹהֲגִים בְּהֵיפֶךְ מֵהַנְהָגַת הַטֶּבַע, וּמִמֵּילָא בָּטֵל זְכוּת קִיּוּמָם, וְנֶעֱנָשִׁים בְּמִיתָה עַל כָּךְ.
In shortOne who denies providence lives by nature, which never rests, so a gentile may not rest; Israel, which believes in providence, is commanded to.
10May Hashem grant that we sanctify the day of holy Shabbos as we should, and may we be privileged to reach “the day that is entirely Shabbos.”11 Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳ שֶׁנּוּכַל לְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ כָּרָאוּי, וְנִזְכֶּה לְיוֹם שֶׁכּוּלּוֹ שַׁבָּת, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
  1. Tamid 7:4, where the phrase describes the time to come. ↩
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we sanctify Shabbos properly and reach the day that is entirely Shabbos.
Takeaway

Hashem gave the world strength for only six days, and the world is completed and renewed precisely on Shabbos, when we stop working. Shabbos is the spice that completes and beautifies everything we did during the week. But it works only for those who keep it and know that their success is not “my strength and the might of my hand.”

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

All of Lehavas David

More on Parshas Bereishis

See all ›
Yismach Yisroel · Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok DancygerTwo Beginnings: Teshuvah and Endless RenewalBereishis means two beginnings: the uprightness we are born with, and the new uprightness of one who falls and returns, to whom Hashem gives the Land. Because Hashem, the Torah…Yismach Yisroel · Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok DancygerShabbos: The Seal of Truth That Sustains CreationShabbos is the world's seal of truth: on the one day no human work is done and blessing still flows, we see that all our achievements, material and spiritual, come from Hashem…Yismach Yisroel · Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok DancygerTeshuvah and the Two Beginnings of TorahTeshuvah is beyond human reason: Hashem, Who sees the heart's inner uprightness, lets the broken-hearted penitent become a new creation, upright as before, a second beginning…

English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.