The Power of Adding to Shabbat: Spiritual Benefits of Extending the Holy Day

Every moment of extending Shabbat beyond its required time is immeasurably precious. In the book Shaarei Teshuvah, the words of Rabbi Hai Gaon are quoted, who said that he possessed a reliable and tested tradition: if a person prolongs the words “Blessed is the Lord who is blessed forever and ever” during the Maariv prayer on Saturday night, he will experience great success throughout the weekdays.

The Rema explains that by prolonging the Barchu of Saturday night, a person adds from the ordinary to the holy, extending the light of Shabbat’s holiness just a little longer. As a result, he merits blessing and success during the entire week.

The Israelites Were Redeemed from Egypt Because of “Adding to Shabbat”

It is explained that the Israelites were redeemed from Egypt in the merit of adding time to Shabbat. Originally, it had been decreed that they would remain in exile for 400 years, yet God redeemed them much earlier.

The reason given is that while they were in Egypt, the Israelites extended Shabbat by adding from weekday time into the holy day. Because of this, they merited redemption earlier than expected.

Cancel Harsh Decrees

The mitzvah of extending Shabbat possesses great spiritual power. It is said that its merit can annul severe decrees against the people of Israel.

Reward in This World

In the book Yetav Panim, it is explained that whenever a person performs a mitzvah beyond the strict requirements of the law, he receives reward for it immediately in this world.

A “Boundless Inheritance”

The Ben Yehoyada explains the statement of the Talmud: “Whoever delights in the Shabbat is given an inheritance without boundaries.”

He interprets this to mean someone who adds from weekday time to Shabbat. His reward is measure for measure. Just as there is technically a boundary to when Shabbat begins and ends, yet the person chooses to expand it and observe it without limiting it, so too his reward will be an inheritance without limits.

A Promise for Children

It is well known that the holy Arizal promised that someone who wishes to merit having children should be careful about Tosefet Shabbat, both on Friday evening and on Saturday night, and should also encourage others to do the same. Through this merit, he will be blessed with lasting offspring.

Longer Life

The Pri Megadim wrote that “one who adds from the ordinary to the holy will have life added to him.”

Protection from Severe Punishments

The author of Imrei Emes would say that someone who is meticulous about adding to Shabbat merits protection from the four capital punishments of the court (stoning, burning, beheading, and strangulation), as well as from spiritual excision (karet).

He explained that death entered the world because of Adam’s sin of eating from the Tree of Knowledge. God had forbidden Adam to eat from the tree on Friday, but it would have been permitted on Shabbat. In other words, Adam rushed something that was destined to come later.

When a Jew does the opposite — hastening toward Shabbat by accepting it early, he repairs Adam’s mistake. In doing so, he is spared the consequences that entered the world because of that sin.

A Source of Livelihood

Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rimanov explained the teaching of the sages: “Make your Shabbat like a weekday and do not depend on others.”

He interpreted this to mean that when a person treats part of his weekday as Shabbat by adding time to it, the gates of livelihood open for him, and he will not need to rely on others.

Protection from Loss and Lack

The Rabbi of Lechovitch once said that if householders would truly listen to him, they would properly observe adding to Shabbat in their homes. If they did so, they would not experience financial loss or lack throughout the entire week.