Parshas אמור includes in it the פרשת המועדות, a detailed description of all the ימים טובים throughout the year. However, before discussing the ימים טובים, the תורה highlights שבת קודש.
ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי שבת שבתון מקרא קודש, כל מלאכה לא תעשו.
We know that שבת commemorates Hashem’s creation of the world in 6 days, as we say each Friday night by קידוש,
ושבת קדשו באהבה וברצון הנחילנו זיכרון למעשה בראשית
The question then arises, shouldn’t we commemorate Hashem’s labor of the 6 days of creation, not by resting, but by engaging in labor? That would seem as an appropriate way to acknowledge our belief that Hashem is the creator of the world.
The פסוק in פרשת בראשית states
על כן יעזב איש את אביו ואת אמו ודבק באשתו
The תורה highlights the need to leave ones parents and start a new life with his wife. On the surface, this may seem as a blow to the parents, who spent years and tears raising their child. Yet, we know that the opposite is true, and every parent yearns for the day their child marries and moves on. It’s precisely for this reason that the parent raised their child, so that that child will one day be independent and build his own family. And when that happens, the parents can enjoy their נחת, the fruits of the labor they invested so much into.
Hashem created the world in 6 days. On שבת, He stopped and observed his creation.
וירא אלוקים את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאד
With the creation of the world complete, הקב”ה could now look at His creation and declare it to be very good. And that is the idea of
וישבות ביום השביעי מכל מלאכתו אשר עשה
At this point, the creating is complete, and the time has come to appreciate that which was created.
We can now understand why on שבת we rest, even though it’s meant to commemorate ששת ימי בראשית. Just like the רבש”ע observed His creation and appreciated it after it was completed, He wants us כלל ישראל also to appreciate all that we work for during the week. If we would spend our entire lifetime working without rest, we would never have the opportunity to actually enjoy all that we worked for. And so, the רבש”ע tells us, כלל ישראל, to rest on שבת, and enjoy the fruits of our labor, our families, our children, and our relationship with Hashem. This is what we toil for all week long, and on שבת we’re meant to pause from our work, and appreciate all that we have.
As חז”ל tell us, שתהיה כאילו כל מלאכתך עשויה
One should try to feel on שבת that all his labor is complete. Because the idea of שבת is to appreciate the blessings in our life and be grateful for all that we were able to achieve during the work week. And that is the true commemoration of מעשה בראשית.
Weekly Parsha Shiur 