Completing Creation

Then God completed with the seventh day His work that He had made, and with the seventh day He ceased from all the work He had made.   Genesis 2:2

Ba’al haTurim notes that our verse does not say “and it was evening and it was morning, the seventh day,” as the verses state concerning the six days of creation. The reason, explains Ba’al haTurim is that time is added from Friday to Shabbat to prevent desecrating Shabbat.

My father offered an alternative explanation. Each of the six days of creation stands independently. One day does not influence the next. Not so with Shabbat, which ideally influences the remaining days of the week. The sanctity of Shabbat should permeate the week days as well. Thus, the formula “and it was evening and it was morning” does not apply to the seventh day. The sanctity of Shabbat must not end on the seventh day.

On a symbolic level, there is another explanation. “There was evening, there was morning” implies as well the darkness of night, which is driven out by the light of day. Shabbat ideally (and symbolically) is a day entirely of light. Hence the standard phrase which is appropriate for the six days of creation is not fitting for Shabbat.