וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי יִִֽהְּׁיֶה לָכֶם קֹדֶשׁ שַׁבַת שַׁבָתוֹן לה...‘ - ... ...but on the seventh day you shall have sanctity, a day of complete rest to HaShem... (Shemos 35:2)
Parshas Vayakhel begins with the mitzva of Shabbos. In Aseres HaDibros (the Ten Commandments) there are only three positive mitzvos. Shabbos is one of them. To which other positive mitzva in the Aseres HaDibros is the mitzva of Shabbos adjacent to? To the mitzva of honoring parents. Our tradition teaches that it’s a mitzva to discover a new Torah insight on Shabbos (see Mishna Berura 290:3 citing the Zohar)*. In fact, when the neshama yiseira of a Jew goes back to its place in the Heavenly realm on motzei Shabbos, HaKadosh Boruch asks that soul: “What chidush (new Torah insight) did you say this Shabbos?” [see Sha’arei Teshuva 290:1].
And the Arizal taught that when a son discovers a new Torah insight on Shabbos, his father is crowned in the World of Truth. This is a great honor that a son merits to give to his father. As such, explains the Arizal, the mitzva of honoring parents is next to the mitzva of Shabbos. [Sha’arei Teshuva. ibid.]
*When a person discovers a new Torah insight on Shabbos, he should teach it to someone on Shabbos, or at least verbalize it to himself. [see Piskei Teshuvos 290:3, and note 17 there]
