Ki Tisa תרל”ה

תרל”ה

אך את שבתותי תשמורו כו’ אות הוא ביני וביניכם כו’ לדעת כי אני ה’ מקדישכם.
(Shemos 31:13) Speak to the Bnei Yisrael and say: Nevertheless, you must keep My Shabbos’s, for this is a sign between Me and you throughout the ages, that you may know that I HaShem have sanctified you.
פי’ שבכל דבר צריכין לשמור בחי’ השבת.
This teaches us that one needs to guard the Shabbos that is in everything (also during the days of the week)
פשוט הנייחא שיש להקב”ה מכל הבריאה שלכבודו ברא בכלל ובפרט לזכור לעשות כל המעשים כדי לגמור רצונו ית’ מה שהוא אף שא”י כראוי איך.
For it is when the creation which HaShem created to honor Him, acts individually and collectively to do His will as best as they can, even though they aren’t exactly sure how to, that gives HaShem pleasure.
וזה תכלית הבריאה. וז”ש שבתותי.
This is the purpose of creation. This is the meaning of the word שבתותי, in plural (for this is something found always, not only on Shabbos).
כי אות הוא כו’ פי’ זאת היא דביקות בנ”י בהקב”ה כדאיתא אורייתא וישראל וקוב”ה כולהו חד. פי’ שבנ”י דבוקים בעיקר החיות.
For it (Shabbos) is a sign, meaning that this is the connection between Bnei Yisrael and HaShem, as we know that the Torah, Bnei Yisrael and HaShem are one. This means that Bnei Yisrael are actually attached to the primary Life source.
נמצא כפי מה שמעלין כל דבר לשורשו ומתדבקין בפנימיות החיות של הקב”ה. כמו כן מתעורר כח בנ”י ג”כ.
Therefore, inasmuch as they elevate everything in the world to its source, and connect to the inner life force of HaShem, so too that energy is (actually) awakened in Bnei Yisrael.
וזהו לדעת כי אני ה’ מקדישכם.
This is the meaning of the word ‘you shall know – לדעת”, (the word דעת connotes connection), “for I am HaShem who sanctifies You” (through the Shabbos we are connected to HaShem, and become more sanctified).
לכן כל שמתעורר כח הקב”ה מתעורר ג”כ כח בנ”י.
Therefore the more the power of HaShem is awakened, the more the power of Bnei Yisrael is also awakened.
וכתב רש”י לרבות שגם במלאכת המשכן ישמרו השבת. הרמז שאף במעשה של מצוה צריכין לזכור עיקר המכוון לעשות רצונו ית’ בלבד. שלא להתערב טובת עצמו לגמרי. רק לשם שמים.
Rashi explained that the pasuk teaches us that even though there is a commandment of building the Mishkan, nevertheless we still need to guard the Shabbos, and not build the Mishkan on Shabbos. This alludes to the idea that in every action, even a mitzvah, one constantly needs to remember the main intention, which is to do the will of HaShem, and not mix in one’s own gains, and rather do it for the sake of Heaven.
והוא שבח שמחזיר המעשה לעושהו כנ”ל:
This is a great praise, for (when one does actions for the sake of Heaven), one returns the action to the One that created him (and connects and becomes uplifted), as explained.

ברש”י שבת שבתון מנוחת מרגוע ולא מנוחת עראי.
Rashi (Shemos 31:13) on the double expression of שבת שבתון this means that the rest should be reposeful and not casual
פרשנו בעזהש”י כי מנוחת עראי כשנזדמן שאין לו מה לעשות ונח. אבל כשאדם רוצה לעשות איזה מלאכה וטורח בה הרבה עד שנגמרת ונח אח”כ. זה מנוחת מרגוע.
We explained this, with the help of HaShem that the difference between the two types of rest, is that a casual rest, is when a person has nothing to do, and then rests. However a reposeful rest is when a person is striving to do a certain job, and works hard doing it, and then rests when it is complete, then he has attained real reposeful rest.
שכל המלאכה הי’ כדי להשיג זאת המנוחה.
This is because the work was with the intention of reaching the stage of rest.
וכן כביכול הכתיב מנוחה לעצמו כי ששת ימים כו’. נמצא מנוחת הקב”ה כך הי’.
SImilarly the ‘work’- so to speak, that HaShem did in creating the world: “In six days He created the Heavenand earth”, therefore the rest of HaShem (“On the seventh day He rested”), was also this type of (reposeful) rest. (The actual creation was for the purpose of Shabbos).
ונלמד מזה שכן צריך להיות מנוחת האדם בשבת כמ”ש ששת ימים תעבוד כו’. מסמיך הכתוב העבודה למנוחת שבת.
We can learn from here that man’s rest of Shabbos also must be in this fashion (for the purpose of Shabbos). As the pasuk says “Six days you shall work”, and the continuation (“And on the seventh day rest”), the work is followed by the commandment of Shabbos.
כלומר להיות כל עבודת ימי המעשה כדי להיות נגמר רצונו ית’ וכבודו. להיות נעשה מזה השבת.
Meaning that all the work of the days of the week should be in order to fulfil the will of HaShem, to create Shabbos from the work.
ומעין זה איתא ג”כ כי לכל מעשה האדם בימי החול יש להם עלי’ בשבת קודש:
Similarly it is written (See Be’er MayimChaim, Shemos 20:11), that all one’s work during the days of the week, is elevated on Shabbos.

אא”ז מו”ר ז”ל פי’ לעשות את השבת עפ”י דברי הרמב”ן ז”ל בהאבות שבקשו אות במה אדע כו’.
The Chidushei Harim explained the words לעשות את השבת “To make the Shabbos”, along the lines of the explanation of the Ramban on the reason why Avraham Avinu asked for a sign that his children will inherit Eretz Yisrael.
ופי’ כי דבר שנעשה בו מעשה הוא קיים לעד והמעשה הוא חיזוק ההבטחה ע”ש.
The Ramban explained that an action gives something strength, and a promise. (So too Avraham having an actual sign makes the promise of HaShem stronger and more tangible).
ואמר שנראה זה טעם המצות כי יש לכל מצוה שורש בשמים. וע”י מעשינו נתחזק השורש להיות קיים לעד.
And he (the Chidushei Harim explained that this is seemingly the reason for performing physical mitzvos. Since every mitzva is rooted in Heaven, through doing an action in this world it makes it everlasting.
וכמו כן במצות שבת דכתיב לעשות. שגם הנחת המלאכה נקרא מעשה כמו חסמה בקול כו’ ועי”ז מתקיים השבת יותר כנ”ל ודפח”ח.
So too with the mitzva of Shabbos, “to make the Shabbos” (means that performing the mitzva of Shabbos is in a way creating the Shabbos, by giving it more tangibility in this world). (Even though the mitzva of Shabbos observance is by not performing an action, and if so how is not doing an action considered like doing an action? Nevertheless) we find cases where not doing an action is also considered (halachikly) an action. For example by muzzling an animal with only one’s voice. (It is forbidden to muzzle an animal while it is threshing grain, if one causes the animal not to eat by merely talking to it, that is still considered as if he actually muzzled the animal).

ופשוט קאי לעשות על מה שאמר אח”כ לדורותם ברית עולם. שיעשו את השבת לברית עולם להמשיך בחי’ השבת בכל דבר כמ”ש לעיל פי’ שבתותי כנ”ל:
The simple explanation of the words “To make the Shabbos”, is that it is connected to the continuation, “as a covenant forever”, meaning that Bnei Yisrael should make the Shabbos an eternal covenant, by bringing the concept of Shabbos into everything. As we explained above the word שבתותי (in plural, for it applies constantly, even during the week).

בגמרא שבת ניתן בצינעא. אות הוא ביני ובין בני ישראל. א”ה לא ליענשו אוה”ע עלי’. שבת אתגלי להו נשמה יתירה לא אודיעינהו.
The Gemara (Beitza 16b) teaches us that Shabbos was given in secret, as it says “It is a sign between Me and Bnei Yisrael”. If so, why were the gentiles punished for not accepting it? Rather the gentiles knew about Shabbos, yet they didn’t know about the reward for keeping Shabbos, or alternatively they did not know about the extra neshama that one receives on Shabbos.
ומה ענין נשמה יתירה.
Now what is the idea of an extra neshama?
דאיתא אמרה שבת לכל נתת בן זוג ולי אין בן זוג. א”ל הקב”ה כנסת ישראל יהי’ בן זוגך.
It is written (Midrash Bereishis Rabba 11:8), The Shabbos said to HaShem all the other days of the week have a partner (Sunday with Monday etc), however I do not have a partner. HaShem replied that Bnei Yisrael (כנסת ישראל) will be Shabbos’ partner.
פי’ כי ימי המעשה הם כח מעשה בראשית. כדאיתא אין לך עשב שאין לו מזל ברקיע ואומר לו גדל כו’.
The explanation is as follows; the days of the week are the energy (of the world) from the creation. Just as we see (that everything gets its energy constantly from above), as is written, each and every blade of grass has its mazal in Heaven that tells it to grow.
ונמצא הנבראים מקבלים מאותן הימים שהם הארות עליונים. וכיון שהם משפיעים להמקבלים. ניתוסף להם כח בשמים.
Therefore creation receives from those days which are the upper lights. And since they give to something else they actually gain more energy in Heaven.
וזה ענין לכל יש בן זוג כו’.
This is the idea of the days having a partner (A day below it that they are able to give to and make the day giving gain more energy in Heaven)
אבל בשבת לא הי’ בריאה כי בו שבת. ולכן אין לו בן זוג כי אין הנבראים מקבלים מהארת יום השבת כי לא הי’ בו בריאה.
However since on the day of Shabbos HaShem stopped creating, and nothing was created on Shabbos, therefore it does not have a partner to give to. For nothing in creation receives from the light of Shabbos for nothing was created on the Shabbos. (If so the Shabbos wouldn’t be able to gain energy in Heaven).
כי שבת הוא נשמת ימי המעשה.
For Shabbos (is not a day of creation) rather it is the neshama (soul) of the days of creation. (Therefore the Shabbos being on the level of the very source and neshama of creation could not manifest in a pyhsical way to any other days of the week).
רק בנ”י שהם ג”כ נשמת הבריאה. כי כל הבריאה תלוי בהם. והם מעוררין חיות כל הנבראים. לכן מקבלים הם מהארת השבת.
However Bnei Yisrael are also the neshama of creation, for the entire creation is dependent on Bnei Yisrael. And they are the ones that awaken the life force of everything in creation. Therefore (only) they are able to receive the light of Shabbos. (For they too are on the level of neshama, whereas the other days of the week are on the level of creating.)
ונמצא שבת משפיע לבנ”י. ולכן ניתוסף גם נשמה לשבת.
Therefore it is the Shabbos that gives to Bnei Yisrael. It is therefore the Shabbos that gets an extra neshama (And Bnei Yisrael give to the entire creation through the energy of Shabbos)
ונק’ נשמה יתירה כמו נשמה לנשמה. והבן:
Which is called the נשמה יתירה – extra neshama, for it is like a soul for the soul. And understand this. (Since the Shabbos can give to Bnei Yisrael and since the giver gains more through the giving, therefore the Shabbos by giving to Bnei Yisrael also gains more neshama. Now this neshama is different to a regular neshama that gives to the body, for this extra neshama is giving to the neshama, therefore it is a neshama for the neshama.)