“ביום השבת ביום השבת יערכנו לפני ד' תמיד, מאת בני ישראל ברית עולם” Vayikra 24:8
“On the day of Shabbos, on the day of Shabbos, (each and every Shabbos day) he shall arrange it before Hashem continually, from the B’nei Yisroel as a Bris, covenant.” Why does the Posuk repeat, ביום השבת, ביום השבת
23:10,11 “והבאתם את עמר ראשית קצירכם אל הכהן. והניף את העמר לפני ד' לרצונכם ממחרת השבת יניפנו הכהן” – “You shall bring the Omer of the first of your harvest to the Kohen. He shall wave the Omer before Hashem to be an appeasement for you; on the day after Shabbos the Kohen shall wave it.”
The Omer is to be brought, “The day after Shabbos” – what is the connection between the Omer and Shabbos? It says in Vayikra Rabbah 28:3 “שבע שבתות תמימות תהינה” – the seven weeks must be complete. When are they complete? When Klal Yisroel do the rotzon of Hashem. The Gemara in Bava Basra 10a says that when Klal Yisroel do the rotzon of Hashem, they are called, “בנים” – children of Hakodosh Boruch Hu, and when they do not do the rotzon of Hashem, they are called, “עבדים” – “servants” of Hashem. This Gemara needs explanation, for how could Klal Yisroel be called “avodim” if they don’t do the rotzon of Hashem? Servants must do what their master commands them! There is a big difference between a servant and a son. Not only does a son do what his father tells him to do, but he also does what he thinks his father would want – and does so with love. He does not need to wait for a command from his father, but seeks to do everything that he can for his father. Conversely, the servant only does what he is commanded to do. He does not seek to do the will of his master; if his master doesn’t command him, he doesn’t do it. (ישא ברכה)
There are two parts to Shabbos Kodesh. There is the part of us refraining from melachah, from work, and then there is the part of us creating more kedusha. Shabbos is a day for us to work on being true, “בנים” – “children” to Hashem. It is a day that we must really connect to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. It is a day that we must seek to be mekadesh ourselves through Torah and Mitzvos. We need to do kotzon Hashem. Rotzon Hashem does not mean to just do what we are obligated to, that which we were commanded to do. Rather we must be like a son, seeking to do his father’s every desire, even without it being told.
We must seek to truly connect to Hakodosh Boruch Hu on this day. We then must take all of that kedusha and infuse it into our week. Shabbos, we are to be in a cocoon with Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Then, during the week, when we leave that cocoon and do melachah, and work, and are busy with all matters of life, we must keep that kedusha of Shabbos. We must be doing it all so that we can serve Hakodosh Boruch Hu the way we should. May we be Zoche to be true “בנים” of Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
