Parshat Yitro

A Gutten Erev Shabbos.

In the Aseret HaDibrot it is written:
(יא) "כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה ה' אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ, אֶת הַיָּם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּם, וַיָּנַח בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, עַל כֵּן בֵּרַךְ ה' אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת וַיְקַדְּשֵׁהוּ".
For in six days Hashem made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything in them, and He rested on the seventh day. Therefore, Hashem blessed the day of Shabbos and sanctified it.
The question is: we see from the above possuk that Shabbos is to remember that Hashem created the world, so why do we say in Kiddush on Friday night that Shabbos is a remembrance of Yetziat Mitzrayim? We say as follows:
"ושבת קדשו באהבה וברצון הנחילנו, זכרון למעשה בראשית, כי הוא יום תחילה למקראי קודש, זכר ליציאת מצרים".
We can also ask, is this not a contradiction? First, we say that Shabbos is a remembrance of the creation of the world, and then we say that it is a remembrance of Yetziat Mitzrayim?

There are three very interesting approaches among the Rishonim to explain this.
The approach of the Tur (Orach Chaim, Hilchos Shabbos, siman 271)
“Zikaron le’maaseh Bereishis” means that we rest on the day on which Hashem rested after completing the Creation of the world.
“Techillah le’mikra’ei kodesh” Shabbos is mentioned first in the Parsha of the Yomim Tovim.
“Zecher le’yetziat Mitzrayim” which they (the Yomom Tovim) are a remembrance of Yetziat Mitzrayim.
According to the Tur, Shabbos is a remembrance that Hashem created the world, as we say in Kiddush, “Zecher le’maaseh Bereishis.” Afterwards we say that Shabbos is mentioned first among the festivals, which are a remembrance of Yetziat Mitzrayim.
However, according to the Tur, one could ask that it is written in parshas Va’eschanan by the Luchos Shniyos as follows:
“And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt… therefore Hashem your G-d commanded you to observe the Shabbos.”
We see that Shabbos was given as a remembrance of Yetziat Mitzrayim?
We could answer that the Tur would explain the pasuk like Rashi, who explains that this is not the reason for resting on Shabbos, but rather, “For this purpose He redeemed you, that you should be His servant and observe His mitzvos.”
The approach of the Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim)
Shabbos has two components:
a. A day that is unique and sanctified.
b. A day on which we refrain from labor.
The sanctity of the day is because this is the day on which Hashem rested after the six days of Creation.
The reason why we don’t do any melachos is because it is as a remembrance of yetzias Mitzrayim, where we were slaves and were forced to work. Now that Hashem took us out, we remember that we are free people, and to commemorate this, we therefore refrain from doing melachos.
So we see that Shabbos is a remembrance of two things: ma’aseh bereishis and yetzias Mitzrayim.
This is the wording of the Rambam, brought by the Ramban in Parshas Va’eschanan:
"והרב אמר בספר המורה (ב, לא) כי המאמר הראשון הוא כבוד היום והדורו, וכאשר אמר (שמות כ, יא) על כן ברך ה' את יום השבת ויקדשהו, ועל כן הזכיר טעם כי ששת ימים עשה ה'.
אבל בכאן יזהיר אותנו לשמור השבת, בעבור היותנו עבדים במצרים עובדים כל היום על כרחנו ולא היתה לנו מנוחה, והוא יצונו עתה לשבות ולנוח, כדי שנזכיר חסדי השם עלינו בהוציאו אותנו מעבדות למנוחה...."
We see a similar idea brought in Tosafos Pesachim daf קי״ז. Tosafos writes that the word “פרך” in Atbash is “וגל,” which is gematria (numerical value) ל״ט, corresponding to the ל״ט melachos of Shabbos.
This is well understood according to the Tur that refraining from melachos on Shabbos shows that we are no longer slaves, and that we no longer work “פרך.”
The approach of the Ramban:
The Ramban asks on the Rambam how it is possible to make a remembrance of Yetzias Mitzrayim by not doing melachos, it doesn’t show any commemoration?
Therefore, the Ramban explains that Shabbos is a remembrance of ma’aseh bereishis. Through remembering the miracles of Yetzias Mitzrayim, we recognize that Hashem is living and eternal, and that He runs the world in miraculous ways, because He is the One Who created the world.
This is the wording of the Ramban:
"והנה השבת זכר ליציאת מצרים ויציאת מצרים זכר לשבת… כי הוא אשר ברא את הכל במעשה בראשית".
So we see that there is really no contradiction, since both the creation of the world and Yetzias Mitzrayim come to strengthen our emunah that Hashem not only created the world, but is also constantly running the world and is in control of everything that happens.
Le’Halacha:
Moreinu HaRav HaGaon Rav Amrom Fried shlit”a, writes;
"חובת אמירת זכר ליציאת מצרים בקידוש (פסחים קיז)  מעכבת כיוון שהוא חלק עיקרי בקידוש עיין מנ"ח ל"א ובה"ל ס' רע"א"
That the obligation to mention Yetzias Mitzrayim in Kiddush (Pesachim 117) is indispensable, since it is a central component of Kiddush. See Minchas Chinuch mitzvah 31 and Biur Halacha siman 271.
This is a quote of the Minchas Chinuch, Parshas Yisro, mitzvah 31:
….It is clear that this obligation is from the Torah, and if one did not mention Yetzias Mitzrayim, he has not fulfilled his obligation at all, since it is derived through a gezeirah shavah, and a gezeirah shavah is considered like an explicit law of the Torah.

In my name, and on behalf of the entire Sheilot website team, we wish you a Shabbos shalom u’mevorach