Parshat Bereishis 5781
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha that after creating the world in six days, Hashem blessed the seventh day. The pasuk says (Chapter 2, Pasuk 3), Va’Yevarech Elokim es Yom Ha’Shvi’i. The Medrash Rabbah on our parsha (11, 1) quotes a pasuk from sefer Mishlei (Chapter 10, Pasuk 22) Birchas Hashem Hi Ta’ashir, V’Lo Yosif Etzev Imah. A blessing from Hashem is the one true wealth, and that blessing from Hashem was brought into the world with the onset of Shabbos. But how does the continuation of the pasuk, toil will add nothing to it, enhance the point of the Medrash? How does it relate to Shabbos?
When Avraham Avinu was looking for a wife for his son Yitzchak, he called his slave Eliezer and sent him on a mission to search for a wife. Avraham told him to go back to his homeland and find a wife, for he did not want to choose a wife from the local population of Canaan. Chazal teach us that Eliezer had a daughter and was interested that she should marry Yitzchak. As Rashi teaches (Chapter 24, Pasuk 39), Eliezer suggested to Avraham that if he couldn’t find a woman who would leave her home and come with him, perhaps Yitzchak could marry his daughter. Avraham responded that this wasn’t possible. Eliezer was a descendant of Canaan and was cursed; his son Yitzchak was blessed. Eiyn Arur Medabek B’Baruch; that which is cursed can not connect with that which is blessed.
The Sfas Emes teaches that a similar problem arose with the creation of the world. When Adam Harishon was created on Erev Shabbos, he sinned by eating from the Eitz Ha’Da’as. The result was that Adam and Chava’s actions brought Arur into the world. Chava was told (Chapter 3, Pasuk 16), Harba Arbe Itzvoneich V’Haironeich, B’Etzev Taldi Banim. She will have much etzev, pain and toil, in raising her children and in childbirth itself. And in the next pasuk Adam was told, Arurah Ha’Adamah Ba’avurecha B’Itzavon Tochlena; the land will be cursed on your account and you will toil very hard to make a living and eat your bread.
Chazal teach (Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer Chapter 19, Avodah Zarah 8A) that as Shabbos came in, Adam Harishon did Teshuva, and said Mizmor Shir L’Yom Ha’Shabbos. Adam said the words (Tehillim, Chapter 82, Pasuk 2), Tov Lehodos L’Hashem, it is good to admit one’s sin before Hashem and do Teshuva. Yet, the world was a cursed place. Could Adam Harishon’s Teshuva overcome the reality of Arur? How could there be blessing in a world filled with curse? Eiyn Arur Medabek B’Baruch!
This is how the Medrash explains the words Va’Yevarech Elokim es Yom Ha’Shvi’i. Hashem brought bracha into the world which had been cursed. And even though Chazal teach Eiyn Arur Medabek B’Baruch, there is only Arur in the physical world. But Shabbos is Le’Ma’alah Min Ha’Teva, above the natural world. Shabbos is M’Eiyn Olam Haba. And the bracha of Shabbos is without borders and limits. The limitations placed on man’s sustenance with the words Arurah Ha’Adamah Ba’avurecha, don’t apply to Shabbos. Shabbos enabled the world to leave its status of Arur and move into Baruch.
This is illustrated with the words of the Gemara in Beitzah 16A. Kol Mezonosav shel Adam Ketzuvin Lo M’Rosh Hashanah ad Rosh Hashanah, chutz Me’Hotzaos Shabbosos V’Hotzaos Yomim Tovim. Man’s sustenance for the year is determined on Rosh Hashanah and fixed for the year. The exception to this rule are his expenses on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Im Mosif, Mosifin Lo; whatever a person spends for Shabbos will be added to his account. The expenses for Shabbos are without limits, in contradistinction to his financial resources for everything else which are fixed.
This, therefore, is how the Medrash learns the pasuk from Mishlei. Birchas Hashem Hi Ta’ashir, the bracha of Hashem of Shabbos gives man wealth which is unlimited. He doesn’t need to toil and or to worry that he will lose it. And this improves our state from the week of V’Lo Yosif Etzev Imah. During the week we are in a state of Etzev; the curse of B’Etzev Taldi Banim and the curse of B’Itzavon Tochlena during which we are in a state of V’Lo Yosif. Our resources are limited and we work hard to maintain whatever we have. And we certainly can’t add to what we have. V’Lo Yosif Etzev Imah is a very different reality than Shabbos.
The Sfas Emes teaches that the bracha of Vayevarech Elokim es Yom Ha’Shvi’i includes es Yom Ha’Shvi’I, that which is secondary to Shabbos, i.e. the six days of the week. The blessing of Shabbos can include the days of the week and affect the days of the week when we receive Shabbos properly, with joy in the knowledge that our possibilities are boundless. And we begin Shabbos with Tosefes Shabbos; we take from Erev Shabbos and we add it on to Shabbos. We transition from Arur to Baruch by taking from the week and joyfully welcoming the Shabbos queen and entering a world of bracha which is above our physical world and provides us with a taste of the world to come.
Good Shabbos
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