Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. – Strategy: Be Sensitive to Kedushat
Shabbat
Shabbat the source of Hashem in the universe
The
Beit HaLevi on Beresheet quotes a famous Medrash regarding Shabbat. During the
six days of creation, Shabbat approached G-d and complained, “each day of the
week has a match. Sunday has Monday, Tuesday has Wednesday, and Thursday has
Friday. But I don’t have a match!” G-d responded that the Jewish people would
be its match. What does this mean?
By
definition, “creating the world” required G-d to diminish his presence in the
world. Whereas His Omnipresence previously embodied the entire universe, G-d
had to retract some of Himself , as if to say , to make room for His creations.
With each creation, His retreated further from the physical world. Our Rabbis
teach that the root of the word עולם is העלם, hidden; in creating a world, G-d needed to hide Himself to
make room for the existence of His creations.
On
Shabbat, G-d was finally able to reveal His existence in the world, as He
rested from bringing any new creations into existence. That aspect of Shabbat,
the ability to recognize G-d in the world, is what breathes life into the
entire physical universe. Without Shabbat, there would be no world, as Shabbat
and G-d would not be acknowledged!
The
Beit HaLevi provides a mashal to
explain this system: in the physical world, a man and female work in tandem to
bring a child into the world. Similarly, the Jewish people and Shabbat work
together to create a recognition of G-d’s Oneness in the world. At the end of
time, the Jewish people will be the source of the revelation of G-d in the
world, as they were previously with the miracles of Yetziat Mitzrayim.
Shabbat
will spark this final revelation of G-d through the open miracles that will
take place in the world through Jewish people. Therefore, on Shabbat we recite
in Kiddush: תחילה למקראי
קודש זכר ליציאת מצרים. Shabbat partnered with
the Jewish people to publicize the miracles that reveal Hashem’s name in this
world. Just as Adam HaRishon is called ראשון, first, because all
future generations emerge through his existence, so too Shabbat is תחילה
למקראי קודש, because all the kedusha and nisim in the world come as a result of zechut Shabbat.
Rav
Simcha Solovetichik, a Rosh Kollel and the great-grandson of the Beit HaLevi,
uses his explanation to understand why the Shofar is not blown on Shabbat.
According to classic reasoning, the Shofar is not blown on Shabbat Rosh Hashana
to prevent a person from accidentally being mechalel Shabbat through carrying. The entire Rosh Hashana celebrates G-d’s
revelation of Himself in the world, but there would be no revelation without
Shabbat! Therefore, we refrain from blowing Shofar, which brings G-d into the
world on Rosh Hashana, and honor Shabbat itself, which is the greatest
revelation.
Rav
Simcha Soloveitchik also questions how the Beit HaLevi claims that there was no
recognition of G-d until Shabbat. The Torah explicitly relates that Adam
referred to G-d by name on Friday. He explained that Mekubalim teach that on
Friday afternoon after Chatzot, the holiness of Shabbat is already felt in
creation. Due to this hachana on Erev
Shabbat, Adam HaRishon was able recognize Hashem and refer to Him by Name.
Appreciate
the power of Shabbat and have a Shabbat Shalom.
