Yisro תרל”ב

תרל”ב

בזוה”ק שבת כללא דכל אורייתא כולא כו’.
The Zohar (Raya Mehemna 2:92a) “Shabbos includes the entire Torah”
וכן בגמ’ הכופר בשבת הוי מומר לכל התורה.
So too the Gemara (Eruvin 69b) says that one who denies the Shabbos is as an apostate of the entire Torah.
כי קבלת התורה ועשרת הדברות הי’ קיום כל העולם כמ”ש חז”ל הששי כו’ כמ”ש מו”ז ז”ל כי עשה”ד נגד עשרה מאמרות כו’.
This is because the receiving of the Torah and the Ten commandments, are what maintain the world’s existence, as our sages taught (Shabbos 88a) “The Sixth day” teaches us the HaShem created the world only on condition that Bnei Yisrael accept the Torah. And as the Chidushei Harim said that the ten commandments are opposite the ten utterances HaShem created the world with. (This idea is explained above *)
וכמו האדם שנכנס בו מקודם יצה”ר ואח”כ בא יצ”ט שהוא תיקונו. וכמו מקודם תהו ובהו כו’ כן הי’ עש”מ קרובים אל הטבע. עד שהי’ עשרת הדברות להתחדש ולתקן חיות של העולם כנ”ל להיות נגלה ומבורר כי רק ממנו ית’ בכח התורה כמ”ש בראשית בשביל התורה כו’.
Just as a person is first born with an evil inclination and only when he is bar mitzvah does he get his good inclination (see Zohar 3:11b). This order is necessary so that the good inclination can convert all the negativity to positivity. So too first there was nothingness תהו ובהו and the ten utterances were ‘natural’ (paralleling the evil inclination. The first 2000 years are referred to as תהו ובהו). It is only after the receiving the Ten Commandments (paralleling the good inclination) which would renew and repair all the life force in the world and reveal that everything (the original creation and all of nature and all the events until now) is only from HaShem through the energy of the Torah.
As it says (Bereishis Rabbah 1:1) בראשית means for the Torah which is called ראשית (that is the purpose of creation).

ואיתא כי התורה החזירה נשמתן של ישראל שפרחו בשעת עשרת הדברות. וז”ש תורת ה’ כו’ משיבת נפש כו’ ע”ש במדרש.
It says (Shemos Rabba 29:4 when HaShem revealed Himself to Bnei Yisrael at har Sinai their neshama left their bodies – just as a candle gets drawn to a big flame) and the Torah returned their neshama back. This is the meaning of the pasuk (tehillim 19:8) “The Torah of Hashem is perfect, it restores one’s soul”.
והיינו שהתורה היא העצה להתלבש חיות הש”י תוך מעשים גשמיים ג”כ. שיוכל האדם להתדבק בו ית’ אף בעוה”ז.
This means that the Torah is the method (the vessel) that HaShem’s life force can be enclothed in physical actions. (Mitzvos). It is therefore through the Torah that one can connect to HaShem even in this (physical mundane) world!
וזהו משיבת נפש לשוב הנפש להיות מקושר בשורש חיות שלו.
This is the meaning “It restores one’s soul נפש”, that the soul will be connect to one’s very essence.
כי נפש מדרגה תחתונה כמ”ש בזוה”ק שיש נר”נ כו’.
The נפש nefesh is the lowest of one’s spiritual parts, there is nefesh, ruach and neshama.
והוא ממש בחי’ השבת דכ’ בי’ וינפש. שיש עלי’ לכל נפשות ישראל אליו ית’. והיינו שיש נ”ר להש”י מעבודת בנ”י. וממילא נמשך חיות מחדש לבחי’ נפש כנ”ל.
(Now we return to the original connection, between Shabbos and the Torah) This is really the idea of Shabbos, as it says “HaShem rested וינפש” nefesh. This means that everything is elevated on Shabbos to HaShem, for HaShem is ‘pleased’ with Bnei Yisrael’s actions, and this brings a new life force to the level of nefesh.
(The idea of nefesh being the lowest level, can be compared to someone who has several packages to carry, if he piles them all up and picks up the bottom all of them will be lifted up. So too the lowest level is nefesh, but when it gets lifted up (or more accurately when it gets converted to good) all the levels above it get converted with it).
כי נודע שע”י שבת נמשך חיות לימות החול שיש להם קישור ודיבוק בשורשן ע”י השבת כמ”ש בפ’ הקודמת.
For it is known that through the Shabbos there is a life force that is drawn to the days of the week, because the days of the week are all connected to the Shabbos at their source. As explained above.
ונמצא כי השבת הוא שורש התורה להמשיך חיות התורה במעשה בראשית.
Therefore the Shabbos is the source of the Torah to draw the life force of the Torah to the original creation.
(This means that the vehicle to connect between this world and the Torah is via the Shabbos).

וכ’ וינח ביום השביעי ע”כ ברך כו’. ולכאורה אדרבא כיון שנח ביום הז’ מסתמא הוא מבורך וראוי לכך.
It says (Shemos 20:10) “He rested on the seventh day, therefore He blessed it”, now this is seemingly the wrong way round, it should be because it was blessed therefore He rested?
אך שאינו טעם על קדושת היום בלבד. רק כי הוא טעם איך יכולין בנ”י לשוב בשבת למקום מנוחתם ולהתבטל להתדבק בו. ית’.
However the answer is that this pasuk is not merely teaching us the reason for the holiness of the day, rather it is also teaching us how Bnei Yisrael can return to their place of rest and be nullified and connect to HaShem
כי וינח כו’ ע”כ ניתן זה הכח להמשיך ממקור הברכות לכל העולם שזה פי’ ברכה:
It is because HaShem rested therefore there is this energy from the source of brocha that can be drawn on, which is the idea of all brocha.

2
אא”ז מו”ר ז”ל הגיד ע”ש יתרו עפמ”ש לשארית נחלתו דרשו חז”ל מי שמשים עצמו כשיריים.
The Chidushei Harim explained the idea of the name Yisro according to the pasuk “For the remnant of his inheritance”, as the Gemara (Rosh HaShana 17a) explains this refers to one who regards himself as a remainder (unimportant).
ויתרו הי’ בעיניו כשיריים ועש”ז נק’ יתרו.
Yisro also considered himself as extra or unworthy. As (The Midrash explains one of his seven names was Yeter literally extra) this is why he was called Yeter.
רק מקודם שנתגייר לא הי’ זה חשיבות. כי הי’ באמת מיותר.
Yet before Yisro converted, the fact that he did not hold himself in high esteem is not so noteworthy, for he was indeed at that stage of extra and unimportant. (However once he converted, and he still considered himself unworthy, that was truly noteworthy)
ורק נחלתו כתיב.
That is why the pasuk says “The remnants of His legacy נחלתו”. (the importance comes about when it is connected to HaShem).
ואח”כ ניתוסף לו וא”ו לשון המשכה:
And then afterwards Yeter had the letter vav added to his name (to become Yisro) for the vav
symbolises the connection to HaShem. (vav at the beginning of a word connects it to the previous statement).
(Someone who is extra and considers himself extra, he cannot affect and connect. However if someone does actually have value, yet continues to consider himself lowly, then he truly can draw on the connection to haShem and make an impact. It is the connection to HaShem that is of importance, so too we see that Yisro sanctified HaShem’s name after being connected to the Jewish nation).

3
גבורי כח עושי דברו לשמוע בקול דברו. שהקדימו נעשה לנשמע.
(tehillim 103:20) “Mighty creatures who do His bidding, ever obedient to His bidding”. The Gemara (Shabbos 88a) Says that this is referring to Bnei Yisrael’s commitment to accepting the Torah by first saying na’aseh – we will do, before saying nishma – we will hear.
אם כי בוודאי יש לבטוח ולהאמין כי לא יצוה הש”י רק אשר יהי’ בכחם.
Now one must believe and trust that HaShem will not command one to do more than one is able to (if so what was so remarkable about Bnei Yisrael accepting to do whatever it says in the Torah, they knew that HaShem wouldn’t ask them to do more than their ability?)
אך כי קבלו על עצמם לזכות לשמוע ע”י המעשה. וזה הקדמת נעשה לנשמע.
The answer is that their commitment was that they are prepared to reach the level of nishma – to hear- by first preceding it with action. They wanted to attain the level of nishma through their deeds and not just receive it as a pure gift from HaShem. (Obviously every level one attains is a gift, however there is a difference in their level of commitment).
וזהו עושי דברו.
This is the meaning of “creating His words” (How can one create HaShem’s words?)
כי הנה בכל מעשה יש כח דבר ה’.
For in every action there is the energy of HaShem. (This is on an individual level that in every action of a person there is the energy of HaShem. See Tanya Sha’ar hayichud ve’emuna Perek 1. That HaShem’s word is constantly maintaining the existence of every single action)
כמ”ש בדבר ה’ שמים נעשו כו’ כל צבאם.
And as it says (on a general level) (Tehillim 33:6) “With the word of HaShem the Heaven was made, and with the breath of His Mouth all their hosts”.

וכשעושין המעשים כראוי זוכין לשמוע הקול שהוא למעלה מהדיבור. כמ”ש בזוה”ק.
(The Sfas Emes now explains the difference between kol and dibbur). When one does the actions correctly, one is able to hear the voice קול which is even above the words דיבור. (words are when the voice is divided into specific syllables, whereas the voice is from a much more primal source). (Zohar 2:3a)
ומובן גם לכל אדם כי הקול בפנימיות מהדיבור. שמתחלק לפרטי דברים.
Everyone understands that the inner part of words before they are broken into words, is the voice – kol.

והנה בנ”י זכו במעשיהם וקבלת מלכותו. לשמוע קול הש”י.
Now Bnei Yisrael through their actions (doing them properly) merited to hear the voice קול of HaShem! (On the level of kol, which is much higher and not subject to the hiddenness of this world)
וזה ג”כ זכור ושמור בדיבור אחד.
This also explains the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 27a) the words “remember זכור and guard שמור the Shabbos” were said at the same instant
ומי שישנו בשמירה ישנו בזכירה. כי שמירה צריך בבחי’ דיבור הנ”ל שנעלם תוך מעשה בראשית.
For one who guards is able to afterwards attain the level of remembering. For the guarding is only the level of dibur words which are hidden in the creation (As explained in the above mentioned Tanya, that the words dibur of HaShem are what gives the world existence, however it is hidden in creation)
וכפי השמירה זוכין לזכירה הוא מקום שא”צ שמירה כנ”ל:
Yet in as much as one practices guarding properly (ie. by doing one’s actions to the best of one’s ability) then one can subsequently merit to the level of remembrance, which is much higher on (the level of Kol) a place which doesn’t require guarding (for it hasn’t materialised into something that requires guarding, it remains on an elevated higher level.)