“…the sixth day. Thus were finished the Heavens…” (Bereishis 1:31-2:1)

Chazal (Shabbos 119) teach that one who says “Vayechulu…” on Friday night has his sins forgiven. It is interesting that in the very first week after the yomim noraim, we are already speaking again about forgiveness and repentance. What is the meaning of this?

Rav Zalman Sorotzkin (The Lutzker Rav 1881–1966) explains the phrase in Kiddush, “asher bara Elokim laasos” – Hashem created man to do. What does this mean? He explains that just as Hashem creates, so too, man has an obligation to create within the world in which he lives. Chazal tell us that on the first motza’ei Shabbos, Hashem gave Adam Harishon a gift of how to create fire, and Adam Harishon himself crossbred a donkey and a horse to create a mule. Rav Sorotzkin explains that these two creations illustrate the nature of human creativity.

When I was a child, there was a popular toy called a kaleidoscope. Looking through its tube, a child would see seemingly infinite patterns, yet all those patterns were formed from a small number of colored fragments sealed inside the casing. Turning the kaleidoscope would create something new and exciting, but the components were finite.

So too with human creativity. Hashem’s creation during the six days was “yesh me’ayin” – something from absolute nothingness. Man’s creations, however – whether fire or the mule – are formed by taking existing components and arranging them in a new way. These are not new substances, but new combinations, similar to the kalaidoscope.

The message that Hashem taught Adam Harishon was, “Yes, you are a tzelem elokim and you have the ability to create. But it is on a lower level than God’s creation.”

This idea is hinted at when we say kiddush on Friday night. We say two words of one verse, “yom hashishi,” and then jump into the next verse, “vayechulu hashamim”. “Yom hashishi” refers to the six days of creation, while “Vayechulu” refers to Shabbos. On Shabbos, a Jew has the ability to be G-d-like by resting from work. Our cessation from work mirrors Hashem’s rest on the seventh day of creation. That rest gives us a partnership with Hashem. During the week, we partner with Hashem by rearranging the world – combining and building. But by resting on Shabbos, we are emulating Hashem on a higher level, as our resting is similar to G-d’s creation of rest. We acknowledge that the true creation of something from nothing can only be done by Hashem. Our resting expresses our appreciation for the world Hashem made, and our special connection with Him.

Teshuva means returning to Hashem, drawing closer to Him. When saying Kiddush with the proper thoughts and kavana, our teshuva is one where our imitation of Hashem brings us as close to Him as a human being can come.

May we merit each and every week to appreciate Hashem’s world anew, and through proclaiming it in Kiddush, merit the ultimate connection with Him.