This week, we began studying the melachah of bishul, which includes not only cooking but also baking (afiyah). Baking bread is one of the most fundamental human activities, as bread is considered the staple food of a meal. It is also an extraordinary demonstration of human ability: taking a simple piece of dough and transforming it into an entirely different, edible product. The Gemara (Pesachim 54a) describes how, at the conclusion of the first Shabbat, Hashem gave Adam HaRishon the wisdom to create fire by rubbing two stones together, referring to this human ingenuity as מעין דוגמא של מעלה – something resembling a Divine act. The sefer Yichud HaShabbat connects this idea to baking bread: the ability to create fire enabled Adam to bake the dough and bring about this new creation, bread. Thus, even this seemingly ordinary human activity reflects the remarkable creative abilities that Hashem has granted us.

The sefer Yichud HaShabbat explains that this teaches us an important lesson. Although we are the ones who perform the physical act of baking, it is only possible because Hashem created the world with the natural properties that allow dough to become bread, and granted us the wisdom and ability to make that transformation. This is also reflected in the berachah of Hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz, in which we recognize Hashem as the ultimate source of the bread we eat. On Shabbat, when we refrain from baking and other forms of creative activity, we are reminded that our abilities are not ours alone; they are gifts from Hashem. Even as we enjoy the challah that we prepared before Shabbat, we can appreciate that both the ingredients and the ability to transform them into food come from Him.

As we learn the details of the melachah of bishul, let us remember that our creative abilities are gifts from Hashem. By refraining from these activities on Shabbat, we acknowledge that He is the true Source of all our creativity and that everything we accomplish ultimately depends on Him.

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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for everlasting peace in Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.