According to some fascinating traditions, that first Sabbath wasn't just a day of rest, it was also the first Rosh ha-Shanah, the Jewish New Year! It fell on the first of Tishrei, the month that marks the beginning of the Jewish calendar year. And get this: daylight stretched on for an incredible thirty-six hours!
Why such a long day? Well, night didn't fall when it was supposed to. The tradition in Pesikta Rabbati (46:1) tells us that God actually gave the first Sabbath an extra twelve hours of light. "And God blessed the seventh day" (Gen. 2:3), it says. But what was this blessing? An extra measure of light, held back from the encroaching darkness.
But why hold back the darkness? Here's where it gets really interesting. It was all because of Adam. He was created on the sixth day, just before the Sabbath. He'd never experienced darkness before, and God, in His infinite compassion, didn't want to cause him any distress. Can you imagine never having seen night?
So, the light of that first Sabbath, according to tradition, was like the primordial light of the very first day of creation. It was a light so powerful, so pure, that you could see from one end of the universe to the other! On both those days, the light lingered, and the darkness was kept at bay.
This connection between Rosh ha-Shanah and the first Sabbath is powerful. It makes the New Year not just a celebration of time passing, but a celebration of the world's very birthday. It's important to note that this birthday isn't counted from the first day of Creation itself, but from the day of rest that followed those six days of labor. It's a birthday that emphasizes the importance of shabbat shalom (Sabbath peace).
And the image of the sun shining for those extra twelve hours, just so Adam wouldn't be afraid of the dark? It adds a deeply human, and miraculous, dimension to the first Sabbath. It tells us that even in the grand sweep of cosmic creation, God was mindful of the individual, of Adam, newly born into a world of wonder.
So, the next time you celebrate Rosh ha-Shanah, or light the candles for Shabbat, take a moment to imagine that first Sabbath. A world bathed in endless light, a moment of perfect peace, and a reminder that even in the face of the unknown, there is always light to be found.