This week's Torah portion, Emor,

speaks about the Divinely-ordained weekly cycle, the fundamental clock by which Jewish life is lived and celebrated. "Six days shall work be done, and the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest."

Yet this reference to the observance of Shabbat contains an even deeper significance. Our Sages explain that just as the six work days of the week serve as preparation for the seventh day of rest, so too, do the 6,000 years of the world's existence since creation serve as preparation for the Messianic Era, a time that will commence before the seventh millenium. (The final Redemption can come at any time; six thousand years is the maximum foretold by the Torah.)

For almost 6,000 years, the world has been involved in an ongoing process of preparation, getting ready for the culmination of the Divine plan. Over the course of thousands of years, the study of Torah and the observance of mitzvot (commandments) have purified and refined the world into a state of being capable of absorbing the great G-dly revelation that will occur with the final Redemption.

This pinnacle of human existence, the purpose for which the world was created, has been termed by our Sages "the day which will be all Sabbath and rest for life everlasting."

The Biblical term, "Shabbat Shabbaton" (a Sabbath of rest), a repetition of the same root word, alludes to the two levels of sanctity that exist on Shabbat. "Shabbat" refers to the actual cessation of labor; "Shabbaton" implies the extra dimension of holiness felt on that day, the inner quietude and sense of rest that reign independent of our actions.

"A day of rest and holiness You have given to Your people," we pray in the Sabbath service. As the prayer implies, our enjoyment and appreciation of Shabbat are dependent upon the energy we expend and the sincerity of our efforts during the six days of the week which precede it. This added measure of holiness on Shabbat is attained in the merit of our labours and the good deeds we accomplish during this time.

This principle holds true on the larger scale as well.

We find ourselves now in the very last seconds of the exile, just moments before the ultimate "Sabbath of rest" is about to begin. For indeed, the 6,000 years of service prior to Moshiach's arrival have not only prepared the world for the first phase of the Messianic Era but have readied the world for the extra dimension of holiness that will reign during the Days of Moshiach. At that time, evil will be totally subjugated to good and the "spirit of uncleanliness" will have entirely disappeared from the face of the earth.

From a discourse of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, "Vayakhel Moshe," 5714