Parshas Bereishis - Why Must G-d Rest

The biblical story of creation strikes many people as little odd. Modern science insists that the universe came randomly into existence and that the earth as we know it emerged after a process of billions of years.

The Torah however insists on days. And specifically six days. After six days, then G-d rests.

Why would an omnipotent G-d need six days as opposed to one to create everything. And then why rest?

We often mistake the commandment of keeping the Sabbath as merely taking a day off. But we are commanded to work for six days just as we are commanded to rest on the seventh. We do not merely imitate the Creator by resting on one day of the week, but by working for the remainder of the week.

During six days, G-d not only brought forth life, He resolved contradictions, sometimes through separation and sometimes through bringing forth a new unity. This is essentially what we do throughout our work week. We struggle to resolve contradictory impulses, drives and needs. We try to act ethically in an unethical world and in doing so we try to bring a little bit of heaven down to earth.

Work brings out conflict and competition. It sometimes brings out the worst of us.

On the seventh day we rest from creative work, and the accompanying conflict and friction. On Shabbat, G-d concluded the work of creating new things. After that, man was meant to take over the task of watching and working the world. With the world created, the next set of labors would be on man.

G-d rested from creating not only the world, but a template for man to follow as he labored in the world.

Rest does not imply physical fatigue, especially in the Hebrew 'vayanach'. G-d was no longer troubled by contradictions and conflicts in the universe which had been resolved in six days. But rather than giving G-d rest, man instead quickly began to weary his Creator by introducing rebellion, conflict and strife.

Man disappointed and wearied G-d. And still does every day. 

When man rests on Shabbat from the strife and conflict with which he wearies his Creator so much of the week, then G-d is also able to rest. When man persists in conflicts, then G-d cannot rest even on Shabbat.

When man treats Shabbat as he ought to, G-d has menucha, rest, and nachas, from His creations. And so man on Shabbat can bring rest not only to himself and the world, but to G-d.