Parshas Vayakhel (Parah) 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Mar 19
- 2 min read
ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קדש שבת שבתון לה' ... (לה-ב)
While discussing the mitzvah of Shabbos in Parshas Vayakhel, the Torah writes"ששת ימים תֵּעָשֶה מלאכה" implying that the work - Melacha - is done on its own. The proper word would be "תַעַשֶה מלאכה" - meaning you should do the melacha. In his Sefer Apiryon, R’ Shloime Gantzfried zt”l offers a novel approach to explain this. Chazal says that if just two Shabbosos were properly kept by Klal Yisroel, the Geulah would come. Why is one not enough? He quotes the Yismach Moshe zt”l who explains that a proper Shabbos needs to have a week preceding it, since we are told to work six days and then have a seventh day of Shabbos. Since the first Shabbos did not have that week of work, a second Shabbos after working is needed.
However, the Gemara in Sanhedrin says that Adam HaRishon was created on Friday so that he could go straight into a Mitzvah - Shabbos. If Shabbos must come at the end of the week, shouldn’t he have been born at the beginning of the week? Rav Gantzfried answers that perhaps Hashem did this to teach us a lesson. People have Saturday off as a well-deserved break from a long week of work, but Shabbos is more than that. It’s a great day off, but we know it is a day to reconnect with ourselves and the Ribono Shel Olam. It is the Mekor Haberacha, the source of blessing for the week. Hashem created Adam on Friday to teach us this Yesod of Shabbos; even without an ounce of work, it is a day of rest, a day of Dveikus B’Hashem.
A person without this understanding will feel that his work and success are solely based on himself and Shabbos is a drag - just trying to get through the day before getting back to work. But a person who understands the essence of Shabbos, also understands that his Parnassa and accomplishments are given to him from on High. Therefore, the posuk says "תֵּעָשֶה", reminding us that Hashem controls our work and sees to it that it gets done - not necessarily needing us to do it! The lesson of Shabbos and the Emunah it contains, is to be the guide for our work week as well, which is why it is so integrated with Shabbos.