Unlocking the Gates of Livelihood: 10 Insights on Adding to Shabbat

1. Every moment of adding to Shabbat is incredibly significant. In the book *Shaarei Teshuva*, the words of Rabbi Hai Gaon are quoted, who stated that he has a reliable tradition that if a person stretches out the phrase ‘Baruch Hashem Hamvorach LeOlam VaEd’ during the *Arvit* prayer on Saturday night, they will experience great success throughout the week. The Remah explains that by extending ‘Baruch Hu’ after *Shabbat*, a person adds from the mundane to the holy, prolonging the light of *Shabbat*'s sanctity just a little longer, and as a reward, they will enjoy blessings and success all week long.

2. It is explained that the Children of Israel were redeemed from Egypt because of their practice of adding to *Shabbat*. They were destined to be in exile for 400 years, but they were redeemed much sooner because, while in Egypt, they added from the mundane to the holy on *Shabbat*.

3. The power of the mitzvah of adding to *Shabbat* is so great that it can nullify severe decrees against Israel.

4. In the book *Yeitav Panim*, it is explained that every mitzvah a person adds beyond what is legally required, they receive immediate reward in this world.

5. In *Ben Yehoyada*, it is stated regarding the words of the Gemara: "Whoever delights in *Shabbat* is given an inheritance without limits." This means that when one adds from the mundane to the holy, their reward is measure for measure. Just as there is a boundary to *Shabbat* in its coming and going – yet the person expands and fulfills *Shabbat* without setting limits, so too their reward will be as an 'inheritance without boundaries.'

6. The holy Ari is known to have promised that anyone who wishes to merit children should be careful and encourage others regarding 'adding to *Shabbat*', both on Friday evening and Saturday night, and they will be blessed with enduring offspring.

7. The *Pri Magadim* wrote, "Whoever adds from the mundane to the holy is granted additional life."

8. The *Imrei Emes* used to say that anyone who is meticulous in 'adding to *Shabbat*' will merit to be saved from the four death penalties of the court (stoning, burning, sword, and strangulation) and from excisions. The reason being, as he explained, is that the death penalty in this world was brought upon humanity due to Adam's sin when he ate from the Tree of Knowledge, which he was forbidden to eat from on Friday, while it was permitted on *Shabbat*. In other words, Adam advanced what was meant to come later. When a Jew hastens to embrace *Shabbat* by welcoming 'adding to *Shabbat*', they atone for Adam's sin, thus exempting themselves from the death punishment due to it.

9. Rabbi M’Reminov said regarding the sages’ teaching: "Make your *Shabbat* like a weekday, and you won’t need to rely on others. This indicates that the one who prepares for *Shabbat* while it is still a weekday, by adding from the mundane to the holy, will find openings to their livelihood and no longer need to depend on others.

10. In this matter, Rabbi M’Lechavitsh said: “If homeowners would listen to me, they would practice 'adding to *Shabbat*' properly in their homes, and consequently, they would not know loss or lack all week long.”