Yisro תר”ס 1

תר”ס

אנכי ה”א כו’ מבית עבדים.
“I am HaShem your G-d who took you out of Mitzrayim”
איתא במד’ כל הנשמות עמדו בקבלת התורה. א”כ לכולם נאמר הוצאתיך.
The Midrash (Shemos Raba 28:6) That all the souls of Bnei Yisrarl were present at the giving of the Torah. This means that the words “that took you our of Mitzrayim” were said to the entire Jewish Nation past present and future. (Every person in the Jewish Nation was redeemed on their level from Mitzrayim).
כי כמו שבנ”י למטה היו בגלות מצרים. כן היו הנשמות למעלה משועבדים תחת שר מצרים.
This is because just as in this world Bnei Yisrael were in the exile of the physical Mitzrayim, so too the souls of Bnei Yisrael were also subjected to the spiritual power of Mitzrayaim above.
ובקבלת התורה נתעלו בנ”י ונכנסו תחת כנפי השכינה. כמ”ש הוצאתי אתכם מא”מ להיות לכם לאלקים. כמ”ש אנכי ה’ אלקיך. שייחד אלקותו ית”ש עלינו בלי שום אמצעי.
Now at the receiving of the Torah, Bnei Yisrael, were uplifted, and came under the wings of the HaShem’s presence. As it says “I took you out of Mitzrayim, to be your G-d, as HaShem said “I am HaShem your G-d”. This means that HaShem singled out His G-dliness on Bnei Yisrael without any means in between. (As will be explained HaShem uplifted us above the laws of nature).
וזהו עיקר הפי’ מבית עבדים. כי כל הטבע נק’ בית עבדים כמ”ש חז”ל עוה”ז דומה לפרוזדור בפני עוה”ב. ופרוזדור הוא בית עבדים. וכל התחתונים משועבדים לשרים ומלאכי מעלה. ובנ”י יצאו מבית עבדים ונכנסו לטרקלין שהם בני עוה”ב.
This is the meaning of “Who redeemed you from the house of servitude”. For nature is called a ”house of servitude”, Just as this world is an entrance hall for the world to come, so too the entrance hall is “the house of servitude”. Now all of creation has their spiritual powers that effect the, yet Bnei Yisrael were redeemed from the House of servitude, and entered the Hall, for they are members of the world to come.
(Bnei Yisrael were not subjected to the laws of natures, or the spiritual powers above that control natur, they were exclusively under the power and direct guidance of HaShem.

וזה עדות השבת שהוא מעין עוה”ב.
The testimony to this (special relationship) is the Shabbos, which is a taste of the world to come (and exclusice to bnei Yisrael).
וז”ש וזכרת כי עבד כו’ ויוציאך ה”א כו’ ע”כ צוך לעשות כו’ יום השבת.
And just as it says in the pasuk (Devarim 5:14) You shall remember that you were slaves in Mitzrayim, and HaShem you G_d redeemed you, and He therefore commanded you to keep the day of Shabbos.

וזה ענין שנחלקו החוקרים אי נשמות למעלה מהמלאכים או מלאכים שכלים נבדלים למעלה מהנשמות.
This is connected to the discussion of the philosephers, whether the souls (of Bnei Yisrael) are greater than the angels, or since angels are intellectual and not subject to physicality and therefore higher than sould.
ובאמת שניהם כוונו אל האמת כי מצד הבריאה מדרגת השכלים למעלה מן הנשמות. אבל הקב”ה הוציא אותנו והרים אותנו למעלה ממדרגת המלאכים מצד התורה.
In truth they are both correct. For from the perspective of creation, angels are really greater than souls. However HaShem redeemed us and lifted us up to an even higher level than angels.

ועיקר התורה היא אנכי ה”א לקבל אלקותו ית”ש. ואז בהר סיני השיגו בחוש בחי’ אלקות. ויצאו מהגשמיות.
Now the main part of Torah is “I am HaShem your G-d”. That we receive the G-dliness of HaShem. (This is the definition of the relationship between Bnei Yisrael and HaShem.)
And at Har Sinai, Bnei Yisrael actually reached and felt the G-dliness of HaShem, and were completely removed from physicality (and became completely spiritual).
ולולא החטא הי’ עולם שכולו שבת כמ”ש אמרתי אלקים אתם. אך אחר החטא נפלו ממדרגה זו.
Had Bnei Yisrael not sinned (at the golden calf), we would have merited to a world that is only Shabbos. As it says (Tehillim 82:6) “I said you re G-dly”. However after the sin they fell from this level.
ובש”ק שיורדת נשמה יתירה היא הנשמה שקיבלו בהר סיני שהיא למעלה מבית עבדים. לכן שבת עדות על יצ”מ וקבלת התורה. לכן שבת סהדותא איקרי דכ’ אתם עדי נאום ה’.
On Shabbos, an extra soul comes down to Bnei Yisrael, this is the soul that they received on Har Sinai, which is above the House of servitude. ANd therefore Shaboos testifies to the exodus from Mitzrayim and the receiving of the Torah (for it demonstrates our unique relationship with HaShem that is above nature). Therefore Shabbos is called a witness, just as we are HaShem’s witnesses. (Yeshaya 43:10). (For everyone of Bnei Yisrael testifies to our unique relationship with HaShem.)
וכל העדות בכח התורה שנק’ עדות דכ’ וידבר אלקים כו’ כ”ה האלה לאמר. אנכי ה”א. פי’ שתכלית כל הדברים האלה להעיד ולברר כי אנכי ה”א.
The entire testimony of HaShem comes from the power of the Torah. (We see this in the pasuk preceding the giving of the Torah) (Shemos 20:1) “HaShem spoke all of these words saying. I m HaShem you G-d…”. This teaches us the point of “all these words” is to testify and clarify that HaShem is our G-d.
(The words “all these words saying” are extra, for it could have simply said “HaShem said: I am HaShem your G-d etc”. The meaning of these extra words is therefore that all of these words that are in the Torah that follow, are all to verify the following statement : “I am HaShem you G-d”)
כמו שראו בעין בהר סיני ונעשו עדים כמ”ש אתה הראת לדעת.
Just as Bnei Yisrael saw HaShem’s revelation on Har Sinai, and they becaem witnesses to His G-dliness, as it says (Devarim 4:35) “It has been clearly demonstrated to you that HaShem alone is G-d; there is none beside Him.”
והניח הקב”ה זה העדות בתורה.
And HaShem placed this testimony in the Torah!
כי כל ישראל יש להם חלק בתורה. וכפי היגיעה בתורה נעשה עד.
This is because every Jew has their own portion of the Torah and in as much as one toils in the Torah, one becomes more of a witness.
ואיתא בגמ’ כותב אדם עדותו בשטר ומעיד עליו אפי’ אחר כמה שנים. ואפי’ אינו זוכרה מעצמו רק שע”י הכתב נזכר. חשוב עד.
The Gemara (Kesuvos 20a) says that a person can write testimony on a document, and use this as a basis for his testimony after many years. Even if he doesn’t remember the actual events but he is reminded of the events through his document, that is sufficient to rely on as testimony.
וכמו כן ע”י היגיעה בתורה בא איש ישראל לזכור זה העדות שחקוק בנפשו בקבלת התורה.
And so too (us a Jews who testify to HaShem’s G-dliness) through toiling in Torah (which is our document that contains the testimony), a Jew remembers the testimony that is engraved in his soul at the event of receiving the Torah.
(As explained above every Jew’s soul was present at the giving of the Torah, and we are all witnesses to HaShem’s G-dliness and unique relationship with us. Therefore when we learn the words of Torah, which contains the testimony it awakens and reminds us of the events that are engraved in the essence of our soul!!)
ואיתא עוד בגמ’ עצמו מאי. ומסקינן דצורבא מרבנן אפי’ הבע”ד עצמו יכול להזכיר לו עדותו.
The Gemara further asks what about the litigant, can he remind the witnesses of the events (if they don’t have a document to remind them)? the Gemara concludes that if the witnesses are Torah scholars (who will not rely on the litigants words, and will only testify if they remember the actual events), then they can be reminded by the litigant.
וזהו בחי’ תורה שבע”פ. שחכמי ישראל זוכין אשר הקב”ה בעצמו מזכיר אותם בלבם זה העדות כמ”ש:
(If so following the reasoning above we can explain that) this is referring to the oral Torah. It is the Torah scholars that merit (through toiling in the Torah) that HaShem Himself (the litigant) reminds them of the testimony!!