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Share(א) בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹקִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(1) In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
2) Do you think God had a plan on the first day? Before the first day?
3) What is the result or final product of creation?
לִקְרַאת שַׁבָּת לְכוּ וְנֵלְכָה
כִּי הִיא מְקוֹר הַבְּרָכָה
מֵרֹאשׁ מִקֶּדֶם נְסוּכָה
סוֹף מַעֲשֶּׂה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה תְּחִלָּה
To greet the Sabbath, come and we'll go
For she is a source of blessing
In advance, from the earliest, she was chosen
Made at the end, and planned from the start
2) How might God's vision for Shabbat have shifted over time? What does it mean if a plan changes?
3) Does Shabbat align with the goals you discussed in the first source?
(ד) וְתַכְלִית שֶׁל כָּל דָּבָר הוּא מְחֻבָּר לְהַמַּחֲשָׁבָה וְהַשֵּׂכֶל, יוֹתֵר מֵהַדָּבָר שֶׁזֶּה הַתַּכְלִית בָּא מִמֶּנּוּ, וְקָרוֹב הַתַּכְלִית לְהַמַּחֲשָׁבָה בְּקֵרוּב יוֹתֵר מֵהַדָּבָר, כִּי סוֹף מַעֲשֶׂה – בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה תְּחִלָּה. נִמְצָא, שֶׁהַסּוֹף וְהַתַּכְלִית הוּא תְּחִלָּה בַּמַּחֲשָׁבָה וְקָרוֹב לָהּ, וּמֵהַתַּכְלִית נִשְׁתַּלְשֵׁל הַמַּעֲשֶׂה.
(ה) לְמָשָׁל: כְּשֶׁעוֹלֶה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה לִבְנוֹת לוֹ בַּיִת, בְּוַדַּאי הַבַּיִת אֵינוֹ נִבְנֶה בְּבַת־אַחַת, אֶלָּא צָרִיךְ לְהָכִין עֵצִים, וּלְסַתֵּת וְלִבְנוֹת כָּל עֵץ וָעֵץ לְפִי צָרְכּוֹ, וְאַחַר־כָּךְ נִבְנֶה וְנִשְׁלָם הַבַּיִת. נִמְצָא שְׁלֵמוּת הַבַּיִת, שֶׁהִיא תַּכְלִית הַבִּנְיָן וְסוֹפוֹ, הָיָה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה תְּחִלָּה. נִמְצָא שֶׁהַתַּכְלִית הוּא קָרוֹב לַמַּחֲשָׁבָה בְּיוֹתֵר מֵהַתְחָלַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה:
(4) Now, the goal of any thing is more connected to [the original] thought and intellect than the thing [itself] from which the particular goal is derived. The goal is also closer to thought than the thing is; for, “last in deed is first in thought” (Sabbath Evening Liturgy). Thus, the end and the goal is “first in thought” and close to it. And from the goal, the deed evolves.
(5) For example: When the thought occurs to someone to build himself a house, certainly the house is not erected all at once. Rather, wood has to be prepared; each piece of lumber has to be cut and planed as is necessary. Afterwards, the house can be built and completed. Therefore, the completed house, which is the goal of the construction and its conclusion, was “first in thought.” Thus we find that the goal is closer to the thought than the beginning of the deed.