Because the answer, as is often the case with these things, is layered and lovely. We find a fascinating clue in Bereshit Rabbah, a classical collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Specifically, in section 11, the text touches on something quite profound.
It says that God blessed Shabbat because of the "expenditure." What does that even mean? The rabbis unpack it for us: He blessed Shabbat so that people wouldn’t suffer long-term financial loss when spending money to honor it. Think about it: preparing a beautiful Shabbat meal, buying wine, maybe even a new tablecloth… It can add up! But the blessing ensures that this spending isn't a detriment; it somehow balances out.
But the text doesn't stop there. Rabbi Levi, quoting Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina, offers an even broader perspective. He says that every day on which there is "reduction" among the creations of that day, blessing is written in its regard, and yet it lacks nothing.
Think about the fifth day of creation. On that day, God created the birds and fish. And what do humans do? Well, we...eat them. (Sorry, birds and fish!) We slaughter the birds, and we trap and eat the fish, drastically reducing their numbers. And yet, because blessing is written in their regard, as it says in Genesis 1:22 – "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth" – they never truly diminish. They replenish themselves through reproduction.
The same applies to the sixth day, when man and animal were created. We slaughter and eat animals, and, well, people die. It's a bit morbid, I know, but it's the reality. And yet, because blessing is written in its regard – "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28) – the human race persists. The cycle of life continues.
So, what about Shabbat? What about the seventh day? What "reduction" are we compensating for with a blessing?
That's the question that the text raises, and Rabbi Levi, again quoting Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina, circles back to the beginning: It's for the expenditure. The blessing on Shabbat is there to counteract the potential financial strain of honoring it.
But I think there’s something deeper here, isn’t there? It’s not just about the money. It's about acknowledging that sometimes, in order to appreciate something sacred, we need to invest in it. We need to expend our energy, our resources, our time. And that act of investment, of expenditure, is itself a form of blessing.
It’s a recognition that the things that truly matter in life often require us to give something of ourselves. And that giving, that expenditure, is ultimately rewarded with a sense of completeness, a feeling that nothing is lacking.
What do you think? Perhaps the blessing of Shabbat is a reminder that even in our busy, often-consuming world, taking a moment to pause, to invest in something sacred, ultimately enriches our lives in ways we can't always measure in dollars and cents.