Welcome to Embrace Shabbat.
שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒ וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֥ם קֹ֛דֶשׁ שַׁבַּ֥ת שַׁבָּת֖וֹן לַיהֹוָ֑ה כׇּל־הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה ב֛וֹ מְלָאכָ֖ה יוּמָֽת׃
לֹא־תְבַעֲר֣וּ אֵ֔שׁ בְּכֹ֖ל מֹשְׁבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם בְּי֖וֹם הַשַּׁבָּֽת׃ (ויקהל ל״ה: א-ב)
For six days your work shall be done, and the seventh day should be holy for you, a holy Shabbat for Hashem. Whoever does any work shall be put to death:
Do not ignite a fire in all of your dwellings on Shabbat:
The Pele Yoetz explains these pesukim based on a fundamental from the Baalei Mussar: a person’s preparations during the week determines the level of their neshama yetaira on Shabbat, as it says שבת משוש לבנו נהפך לאבל מחולנו- Shabbat, which is our delight because we receive a neshama yetaira, turns into mourning when we do not prepare properly during the week.
What preparations are necessary?
A person must understand that their work during the week is not the primary focus of their life. Rather, their learning and avodat Hashem should be their main focus. When a person is brought to the Beit Din in Shamayim, they are asked: נשאת ונתת באמונה, did you do business with Emunah, faith? This refers to believing in the fact that Hashem gave a person the power to make money, but He is in control behind the scenes.
Based on this fundamental understanding, the Pele Yoetz explains the pesukim in Vayakhel:
שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒- for six days let the work be done. A person should develop the understanding that G-d is taking care of their parnasah, and then they will be able to devote their time to praying and learning. By developing this bitachon mindset during the week…
וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֥ם קֹ֛דֶשׁ- Shabbat will become a holy day and a person will receive their neshama yetaira.
שַׁבַּ֥ת שַׁבָּת֖וֹן לַה- Then, the Kedusha of Shabbat will spill over into the weekdays.
כׇּל־הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה ב֛וֹ מְלָאכָ֖ה יוּמָֽת- However, one who does melacha on Shabbat and conveys his belief that he is the one in control of his parnassah, then in Olam Haba he will not have the special appreciation that is created in this world on Shabbat.
We tell him: לֹא־תְבַעֲר֣וּ אֵ֔שׁ בְּכֹ֖ל מֹשְׁבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם- do not bring gehenom into the יום שכולו שבת. The deciding factor on your Olam Haba all comes from Shabbat.
Olam Haba is the place where we bask in Hashem’s presence. A person can create their Olam Haba by fusing their weekdays with bitachon, which then creates a Shabbat with a neshama yetaira, which then spills over into the weekday with more bitachon. This cycle continues and grows until the final יום שכולו שבת.
It all depends on how a person conducts themselves during the week- שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒. Do you do your hishtadlut, but understand that it is actually G-d that makes things happen? Then you will have all of the wonderful things in Olam Haba. Or, כׇּל־הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה ב֛וֹ מְלָאכָ֖ה- do you think that you are in control during the week. Then, יוּמָֽת, you will not have the special appreciation in Olam Haba that is cultivated during the week. רשעים בחייהם קרויים מתים- when the rasha is alive, he is called dead because he is disconnected. However, ואתם הדבקים בה' אלקיכם חיים כלכם היום- those who have bitachon and are connected to G-d are called “alive.”
שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒- may we have six days when we realize that the work is done by G-d and then וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֥ם קֹ֛דֶשׁ- we will have a Shabbat of kedusha that will spill over with bracha to the whole week.
Shabbat Shalom.