I would now like to propose a novel idea to my esteemed audience regarding the Melaveh Malkah seudah that one is supposed to eat on motza’ei Shabbas. Here is the pertinent ruling in the Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 300): "לעולם יסדר אדם שלחנו במוצאי שבת כדי ללוות את השבת אפילו אינו צריך אלא לכזית"—a person must always arrange his table on motza’ei Shabbas in order to escort the Shabbas out, even though he will only partake of an olive-sized portion.
Above, we learned a tremendous chiddush from the Ohr HaChaim hakadosh: Due to Jews’ Shabbas observance, HKB”H renews the creation weekly for another six days.
Clearly, He does not actually do this on Shabbas. For, the Torah states explicitly (ibid. 2, 3): "ויברך אלקים את יום השביעי ויקדש אותו כי בו שבת מכל מלאכתו אשר ברא אלקים לעשות"—G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because He rested on it from all of His work that G-d created to do. For this reason, we were commanded to observe Shabbas by refraining from doing any sort of work. This is emphasized in this week’s parsha in the Aseres HaDibros: "זכור את יום השבת לקדשו, ששת ימים תעבוד ועשית כל מלאכתך, ויום השביעי שבת לה' אלקיך לא תעשה כל מלאכה... כי ששת ימים עשה ה' את השמים ואת הארץ, את הים ואת כל אשר בם, וינח ביום השביעי, על כן ברך ה' את יום השבת ויקדשהו". Remember the Shabbas day to sanctify it. Six days shall you work and accomplish all your work; but the seventh day is Shabbas to Hashem, your G-d; you shall not do any work—you, your son, your daughter, your slave, your maidservant, your animal, and your convert within your gates—for in six days Hashem made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day. Therefore, Hashem blessed the Shabbas day and sanctified it.
Undoubtedly, the Ohr HaChaim means that in the merit of our Shabbas observance, HKB”H renews the contract of creation for another six weekdays at the conclusion of each Shabbas. As such, the renewal of the creation begins every single week on motza’ei Shabbas. This duplicates the original creation of the world, when HKB”H began creating the world on the night and day of the first of the six weekdays, as it is written (ibid. 1, 5): "ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר יום אחד"—there was evening and there was morning, one day.
Thus, we have learned a marvelous chiddush. On every motza’ei Shabbas, HKB”H renews the creation of the six days of the week in the merit of the Torah-based chiddushim Yisrael introduce on Shabbas Kodesh. This explains magnificently why, on every motza’ei Shabbas when the “neshamah yeteirahs” of every Jew return to their heavenly abode, HKB”H inquires about the chiddushim that were proposed below. This delights Him so much that He shares them with the entire heavenly family, and He renews the creation on account of them. Afterwards, HKB”H actually renews creation on a daily basis in the merit of the chiddushim that Jews propose in their learning of the Torah each day. But this all transpires in the merit of the Torah-chiddushim introduced by the “neshamah yeteirah” on the previous Shabbas Kodesh.
With this understanding, we can propose a novel idea. The reason a person must prepare a Melaveh Malkah seudah on motza’ei Shabbas is to celebrate and participate in the simchah of HKB”H, the entire heavenly family, and the “neshamah yeteirahs” elicited by the chiddushim of the Torah that were introduced on Shabbas Kodesh, which prompt HKB”H at that very moment to renew the evening and the day of the first day of the week.
