Behar תרל”ו

תרל”ו
ב”ה בהר בחוקותי

בפסוק כי לי בנ”י עבדים עבדי הם. הלשון כפול.
The pasuk (Vayikra 25:55) “For Bnei Yisrael are servants to Me, they are My servants”. There is a duplication here, (why)?
ולי בנ”י עבדים הוא מצד בחירת ה’ בנ”י. עבדי הם מצד בחירת בנ”י לקבל עליהם עול מלכותו ית’.
(We can explain it as follows, the first part of the pasuk) “Bnei Yisrael are slaves to me”, is due referring to HaShem choosing us, whereas the continuation of the pasuk “they are My slaves” is our acceptance of the yoke of Heaven. Just as we find in the pasuk (Devarim 24:17) “You have affirmed that Hashem is your G-d.and HaShem has affirmed that you are His treasured people”.
וכפי מה שמקבלין להיות עבדי ה’ כך מתקיים סוף הפסוק לא ימכרו ממכרת עבד.
And it is in proportion to the extent of one’s acceptance to be slaves to HaShem, that in the end of the verse (Vayikra 25:42) “For they are my servants…they will not be sold into servitude”
וז”ש במשנה המקבל עליו עול תורה מעבירין ממנו עול מלכות כנ”ל::
This is the meaning of the Mishna (Avot 3:5) One who accepts upon himself the yoke of Heaven, shall have the Yoke of government, and worldly matters removed from him”.

וכי תאמרו מה נאכל כו’ הן לא נזרע כו’.
(Vayikra 25:20) “And if you shall say ‘what shall we eat (in the shmita year), we have not planted..?”
דענין שבת ושמיטה הוא בחי’ הביטול. ודבר זה נוהג בכל פרט ג”כ שצריך לבטל עצמו מפני יראת הבורא ית’.
For the idea of Shabbos and Shmita (which are both the same idea), is one of nullification. This idea applies (not only on a national level, in the realm of time, but) also on an individual level. One needs to constantly nullify oneself for the fear of Heaven.
ואף שעי”ז מבטל קצת מקיום המצות ומעש”ט ע”י היראה. אעפ”כ אם הוא לש”ש אינו בא עי”ז לידי חסרון.
Now even though having this added fear of Heaven, one will not be lacking in the fulfilment of his mitzvos and good deeds because of the extra fear, nevertheless since it is for the sake of Heaven, it will not ultimately bring about a lack.
כי טוב מעט ביראת ה’ שעי”ז שורה ברכה במעשיו.
For it is better to have less with the fear of Heaven, for it is through the fear of Heaven that there is a blessing on his actions.
וע”ז נאמר יראי א”ה קדושיו כי אין מחסור ליראיו והבן.
And this is what is referred to in (Tehillim 32:1) “Fear HaShem those that are holy for those who fear Him lack nothing. (Not only will they not be lacking materially, but also in their spiritual actions there will be no lack because of their added fear of Heaven.
וז”ש וכ”ת מה נאכל כו’ הן לא נזרע כו’ אף שממעט עי”ז בעבודת הפעולה. אעפ”כ מעט דביקות שמשיג ע”י היראה שורה בו ברכה וצויתי א”ב כו’ בשנה הששית שהיא בחי’ התקשרות. וע”ז טוב מעט ביראת ה’:
This therefore is the meaning of the pasuk above. “If you say what shall we eat, for we have not planted”, that even though we have done less actions because of the shmita, yet the little bit of connection to HaShem that one gains by having fear of HaShem causes the extra blessing of HaShem to be bestowed. (As the pasuk continues) “I will instruct my blessing on the sixth year (and you shall eat from that year for the seventh and eighth year). This (sixth year) can also be referring to the concept of attachment and connection. This is the meaning of “A little with fear is better than a lot without”.