Shlach תרל”ג

Introduction:
In the following piece the Sfas Emes explains to us how we can transform our lives of mundane activity, to a life that is filled with meaning in every simple task. We learn how in every action there are two polar forces, and a person can either be drawn down to one’s own desires within the action or up into a realm of mitzvah and doing the will of HaShem.

במדרש אין מפליגין ג’ ימים קודם שבת לדבר מצוה רשאי חביב שליח מצוה ונותן נפשו שיצליח בשליחותו כו’.
The Medrash quoting the Gemara says that a person cannot travel on a boat within 3 days before Shabbos. However if he is traveling for a mitzvah then it is permitted. Because a messenger to do a mitzvah is beloved, for he gives his nefesh – his soul the ability to succeed in his mission.
פי’ מו”ז ז”ל אף דסתם מצוה אינו דוחה שבת רק ג’ ימים קמי שבתא הוא הכנה לשבת וטירדת מצוה הוא ג”כ הכנה לשבת כו’.
The Chidushei Harim explained why there is a distinction between travelling for the sake of a mitzvah. Under normal circumstances a mitzvah does not override Shabbos, so why should he be allowed to travel within 3 days of Shabbos where there is the risk of transgressing Shabbos? He answers that since the 3 days before Shabbos are the times of preparing for Shabbos, going on a mission to do a mitzvah also falls under the same category of preparing for Shabbos . (This is the point that he will now explain).
הכלל כי כל הנבראים וכל המעשים הם לכבודו ית’ וע”ז נברא האדם לקרב הכל להקדושה
The general principle (of this world) is that all of creation and all actions (of people) is for the honour of HaShem (avos 6:11). And this is the reason for man being created: to draw everything to the side of holiness.
ונשלח האדם בעוה”ז כי לעתיד יתגלה כבוד מלכותו כמ”ש יהי’ ה’ אחד ושמו אחד ולא יהי’ דבר נפרד מגילוי מלכותו ית’.
A person is sent to this world for in the future the honour of HaShem will be revealed as it says “HaShem will be one and his name one” and there will be nothing that is separate from the revelation of HaShem. (everything and everyone will proclaim the glory of HaShem)
רק שבנ”י צריכין להכין מקום בעבודתם שיהי’ הכנה אל זה.
However before that happens Bnei Yisrael need to prepare a place in what they do, to prepare for this revelation.
וזה ענין השליח מה שאין המשלח יכול בעצמו.
This is the concept of a messenger, that he can do something that the one who sends him can’t do. (see above תרל”א all of Bnei Yisrael are considered shluchei mitzvah – Messengers to do mitzvos
שאין כבודו ית’ להיות נגלה בגשמיות רק באמצעיות הכנת בנ”י
HaShem wishes His revelation in this world to come about through the preparation of Bnei Yisrael and not through His own revelation. As that would not be showing His honour. (It could be interpreted as being forced and not wanted).
ששלוחו כמותו ועי”ז יהי’ לעתיד התגלות ג”כ כנ”ל.
(Bnei Yisrael have this mission and as we know in halachic status) the messenger has the same status as the sender. And it is therefore through this (Bnei Yisrael’s work), that there will be a complete revelation in the future.
וכן ימות החול הם הכנה לשבת
Similarly, (just as this world is a preparation for the future revelation of HaShem, so too) the days of the week are a preparation for Shabbos.
שכפי שאדם מכין עצמו ומייחד עצמו לשבות מגשמיות כדי שיוכל לקבל בשבת הארת שבת כפי מה שמכין עצמו כן שורה עליו הארת קדושת שבת
Inasmuch as a person prepares himself and sets aside himself to stop all physical labour (lit. To disconnect from physicality) in order that he can receive more of the light of Shabbos, will in turn have the light of Shabbos rest upon him.
כי כן ברא השי”ת שיהי’ כל התיקון ע”י הכנת האדם וכל חיות האדם בעוה”ז הכנה לעוה”ב וכנ”ל ליום שכולו שבת.
For this is the way that HaShem created the world; That all the fixing that one does and all of one’s life force that he gets in this world is a preparation for the world to come, for a day that is completely Shabbos.
ומי שכל ימיו רק עוסק בתורה כמו דור המדבר הוא הכנה גמורה לשבת.
Someone who spends all his days studying Torah just as the generation of Bnei Yisrael in the wilderness, this is a complete preparation for Shabbos.
אבל העוסקים בעניני העולם הרי נקרא מפליג למקום רחוק שמכניס עצמו בגשמיות.
However, someone who is busy with this world (and isn’t able to spend all his time just studying Torah, but spends time with mundane matters as well), is considered as travelling to a distant place because he is interested in physicality.
וזה אסור ג’ ימים קודם השבת.
And therefore this sort of ‘travelling’ is forbidden 3 days before Shabbos.
אך העצה על זה הם המצות שידע האדם כי הכל לכבודו ברא
The direction we therefore need to take is through the mitzvos – when a person realizes that everything in the world is in order to give honour to HaShem.
וכל מעשיו אם זוכר כי הם נבראים מהשי”ת ושכן רצונו ית’
And (similarly) in all of one’s actions, if a person remembers (and realizes) that they all come about because of HaShem’s will
שאדם יעשה הצריך לו בעולם ועושה רק כדי שיהי’ נעשה רצונו ית’ במעשה זו.
And therefore when a person does whatever is necessary however he does it only in order to do the will of HaShem in each particular action
ונותן נפשו שיצליח פי’ שמבטל רצון עצמו וחפץ שיהי’ לשם שמים בלבד.
And he gives up his nefesh to succeed in this action, meaning that he nullifies his will and he only desires that his action should be for the sake of heaven (and not for one’s own sake);
כפי מה שאדם מבטל עצמו לרצונו ית’ מתעורר כח השליחות לתת לו הצלחה שיצליח בשליחותו בעוה”ז השפל.
In that level that person nullifies himself to the will of HaShem, that awakened within him the energy of being a messenger ( or an ambassador, of HaShem in this particular action), and gives him the strength to succeed in his mission in this lowly (physical) world.
וכח זה שומר אותו שלא יתפרד מהקדושה אף שעוסק בעניני העולם.
All this protects us from becoming disconnected from the holiness when we are busy dealing with mundane matters.
וכעין מצוה זו ממש הי’ שליחות מרגלים אף שנראה שלא הי’ טוב שישלחו
This was the same idea with the mission of the spies. Even though it was not what HaShem wanted
[מ”מ נראה שזה הי’ מצד השי”ת אבל כיון שלא היו בנ”י כראוי לא היו יכולין לקבל בלתי הכנת המרגלים ולכן הוכרח מרע”ה שהוא ידע עמידתם לשלוח מרגלים והי’ זה העצה שאף שאין הדבר טוב] [Nevertheless it seems that this is from the view of HaShem (that it was not good for them to send spies), however since Bnei Yisrael were not on a high enough level to receive the land of Kna’an without the preparation of the spies, therefore Moshe, who knew their level, was forced to send them even though it was not a good idea.] מ”מ ע”י שהשי”ת הסכים לזה והיו הם עוסקים במצותו ית’ אם היו מבטלים עצמו להיות מצליח בשליחותם לקיים המצוה היו מצליחין ע”י כח הסכמתו ית’.
Nevertheless (in spots of it not being a good idea) since HaShem agreed to send them, and commanded them to do it if they would have nullified themselves to succeed in this shlichus to do the mitzvah (because it is HaShem’s will and not just because it is what they wanted) that would have given them success in their mission because of HaShem agreeing to the idea.
וכן ממש כל עניני העולם כי אין הקב”ה חפץ בגוף המעשה רק שהסכים לזה שיוכל להיות כחות גשמיות אף שיהיו נגד רצונו ית’
This is exactly the idea that we encounter in dealing with mundane matters of the world. HaShem does not want the actual physical action, however since he agreed to there being (His) energies in physical things that may be contradictory to His will. (Physicality can either sanctify HaShem’s name or the opposite.)
וע”י הסכמה זו יוכל האדם להצליח ע”י שיבטל עצמו לעשות רצון בוראו ששלחו בעולם השפל הזה כנ”ל:
So it is through this acknowledgement of HaShem (allowing the person to choose) to uplift the physical and do actions for HaShem’s will, through which one can succeed in this lowly world!

Summary:
The Sfas Emes compares the mission of the spies to every person’s mission in this world. The primary reason a person should do every action is not for one’s own sake and understanding, rather it should be to nullify one’s own desires to that of HaShem’s. It is through their process of nullification and doing things because it is what HaShem wants from us, that we are able to uplift all of the physical things we are involved in and turn everything we do into a mitzvah. This is what brings about true success in every action. The thought and energy that go into it.

ובמדרש חרש שעשו עצמן קדרין ע”ש.
The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 15:1) The spies were sent חרש – quietly. (The word חרש is connected to the word חרס earthenware, this is because) the spies pretended to be earthenware sellers.
כי שמעתי מאמו”ז ז”ל טעם שאין כלי חרס מקבל טומאה רק מתוכו כיון שאין לו מצד עצמו חשיבות רק מצד שיוכל לקבל בו. לכך החשיבות רק תוכו כו’.
For I heard in the name of the Chidushei Harim, that the reason why earthenware does not become tamei – ritually impure – if it is touched by something impure on the inside, but only if something impure enters the inside of the vessel, is because the actual vessel made of earthenware is unimportant (and cheap), its importance is valued by what it contains.
וזה הכלל. שצריך האדם לבטל כל החיצוניות שלו ולהיות בטל למה שהוא מוכן לעשות רצונו ית’. כי גוף האדם רק כלי להשראת הקדושה ולהיות נעשה ע”י כבוד שמים
This therefore is the general rule: That man needs to nullify all of his externalities, to be nullified to his preparedness to do the will of HaShem. For one’s body is merely a vessel – an abode for the holiness, with which one can perform the honor of HaShem.
כמ”ש במד’ הפסוק יבש חציר כו’ ודבר אלקינו יקום לעולם כו’.
This is the idea mentioned in the Midrash quoting the pasuk (Yeshaya 40:8) “Grass wither, flowers fade, But the word of HaShem prevails forever”
פי’ שיש בכל דבר ניצוץ קדוש ורק שיש עליו חיצוניות שמסתיר הקדושה וכפי מה שאדם מבטל זה ונותן נפשו רק להיות נעשה רצונו ית’ כנ”ל זה דבר א’
This means that since everything contains a spark of holiness, however the externality in which it is contained covers the holiness, yet in as much as one is able to nullify the externalities by being prepared to give up one’s nefesh – desires – to do the will of HaShem (this will bring about the revelation of) the word – דבר of HaShem that prevails.
כי דיבור הוא הנהגה כמ”ש ידבר עמים כו’ ובעולם הזה נסתר הנהגתו ית’ כאלו הכל ברשות עצמו
The idea of דיבור is leadership, as it states (Tehillim 47:4) “He leads nations…”. Yet in this world the leadership of HaShem is hidden and it appears that everything runs on its own.
אבל האדם צריך לבטל עצמו להנהגתו ית’ שיתרצה שיהיו כל מעשיו רק בהשגחת השי”ת ושהשי”ת יקרב לבבו לעשות הכל כרצונו ית’ וכפי רצון האדם כן מתגלה הנהגתו ית’ כי באמת מלכותו בכל משלה רק שנסתר הוא כנ”ל.
However man needs to nullify his own self to the leadership of HaShem. Man should want all of his actions to be exclusively under the protection of HaShem, and he should want HaShem to draw all of his actions to doing the will of HaShem. In proportion to man’s desire for this, the actual leadership of HaShem becomes more revealed. For in truth the dominion of HaShem is upon everything, however it is hidden, as explained above.
[והוא כמו מאמר וע”י הביטול קם בחי’ דיבור שהוא בהתגלות וז”ש ודבר אלקינו יקום כו’]:
[The interaction that HaShem has with the world is like a מאמר a more passive instruction, however through the nullification, the דיבור comes about, which is more revealed, like the idea of “The dibur of HaShem will prevail forever”].

במדרש מקצה רגלים כו’.
The Midrash (Tanchuma Shlach 2) explains how on one hand the spies were hand picked and completely righteous, yet they are referred to as fools, for after the 40 day expedition in Eretz Yisrael they spoke badly about Eretz Yisrael.
נראה כי לא הי’ לבטלה שליחות המרגלים כי לא הי’ באפשרי לשלוח רק אותם וקלקלו והי’ נצרך אח”כ לשלוח שנית בימי יהושע אבל הועיל שליחותם שיוכל אח”כ לשלוח:
It would seem that it was not for nothing that Moshe sent the spies into Eretz Yisrael. (It was a necessary cause) for it was only possible to send them, and only them. However they erred and (to repair this error) it was necessary to send a second set of spies in the days of Yehoshua (before conquering Eretz Yisrael). Yet there was nevertheless some benefit gained by sending the original spies, for that subsequently enabled them to sen the second set of spies.

במדרש שאמר מרע”ה שלכך חטא המקושש כי בחול יש תפילין ובשבת אין לו ע”י מה לזכור ונתן מצות ציצית.
The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni 750:3) says that Moshe said to HaShem that the reason why the mekoshesh (person who chopped wood and defiled Shabbos) sinned, was because during weekdays he has Tefillin, however on Shabbos he did not have tefillin, and therefore sinned. HaShem therefore commanded Moshe (in the following pesukim) to instruct Bnei Yisrael about the mitzvah of tzitzis (which applies even on Shabbos).
וקשה כי מצות שבת הוא אות כמו תפילין.
However this Midrash is difficult, for the day of Shabbos itself is a ‘sign’ (and reminder), just as tefillin is a ‘sign’?
ונראה שמצוה התלוי’ במעשה גשמיי מעורר יותר האדם. כי קדושת שבת קביעא וקיימא.
It would seem that mitzvos that are actually dependent on physical actions, are able to awaken a person more. Whereas the holiness of Shabbos is fixed (and not dependent on man’s actions, it is an integral holiness).
והמצות שהם במעשה האדם מביאי’ קדושה גם למעשה גשמיי However mitzvos that are done by man’s actions, bring about holiness into the physical realm.
כמ”ש במדרש שבכל דבר יש מצוה ע”ש ע”פ ה’ חפץ כו’ יגדיל תורה כו
This is the idea mentioned in the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 17:5) that everything contains a mitzvah. This is the idea in the pasuk of (Yeshaya 42:21) “HaShem desires our righteousness, and glorified His Torah”
ע”כ נתן השי”ת המצות שיהיו מסייעין לאדם להמשיך קדושת התורה בכל דבר כנ”ל:
It is for this reason that HaShem gave us the Mitzvos. For they help a person bring the holiness of the Torah into everything, as explained above.