"This day is the beginning of Your works, a remembrance of the first day." On the twenty-fifth of Elul He created the world, the first day of formation. On the first day the luminaries were created, but they were not hung in place until the fourth day, and now that light was extended for three days, which are thirty-six hours. At the time when Adam sinned, he was driven out on that very day, and on the next day, on Rosh Hashanah, his atonement sprouted forth, for the Sabbath came and pleaded merit on his behalf. "The blessing of the LORD, it makes rich" (Proverbs 10:22): the Sabbath enriches those who keep it. With what did He bless it? With the light, in that He added light to it on every Sabbath eve and its day, thirty-six hours, so as not to distress Adam, the first man, who had not yet seen darkness and night; and now this light of the Sabbath and Rosh Hashanah was like the light of the first day of the world.
The First Sabbath
Pesikta Rabbati 46:1
זֶה הַיּוֹם תְּחִלַּת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ זִכָּרוֹן לְיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן. בְּכ"ה בֶּאֱלוּל בָּרָא אֶת הָעוֹלָם, יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן לַיְצִירָה. בָּרִאשׁוֹן נִבְרְאוּ הַמְּאוֹרוֹת וְלֹא נִתְלוּ עַד יוֹם ד', וְעַכְשָׁיו הֶאֱרִיכָה אוֹתָהּ אוֹרָה שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים שֶׁהֵן ל"ו שָׁעוֹת. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁחָטָא אָדָם נִתְגָּרֵשׁ בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם, וּלְמָחָר בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה צָמְחָה כַּפָּרָתוֹ שֶׁבָּא שַׁבָּת וְלִימֵּד עָלָיו זְכוּת. ״בִּרְכַּת ה' הִיא תַעֲשִׁיר״ – שַׁבָּת מְעַשֶּׁרֶת שׁוֹמְרֶיהָ. בַּמֶּה בֵּרְכוֹ – בָּאוֹרָה שֶׁהוֹסִיף לוֹ אוֹרָה כָּל לֵילֵי שַׁבָּת וְיוֹמוֹ ל"ו שָׁעוֹת, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לְצַעֵר אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁעֲדַיִין לֹא רָאָה חֲשֵׁכָה וְלַיְלָה, וְעַכְשָׁיו הָיְתָה אוֹרָה זוֹ שֶׁל שַׁבָּת וְרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה כְּאוֹרָה שֶׁל יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל עוֹלָם.