Rectifying Thought Speech Action

בפסוק הנה כסה את עין הארץ

On the pasuk, "Behold, it has covered the eye of the land" (Bamidbar 22:5).

The Sfas Emes opens with Balak's words describing Bnei Yisrael as having "covered the eye of the land," which he will use as his springboard.

דאיתא בזוה"ק בלק הי' כוחו בעשי' ובלעם בדיבור

For it is brought down in the Zohar HaKadosh (Balak) that Balak's strength lay in the realm of action (maaseh), while Bilam's strength lay in the realm of speech (dibbur).

The Zohar identifies that Balak's power was rooted in action while Bilam's was rooted in speech, marking them as forces opposing two of the three holy faculties.

דכמו שיש בקדושה בחי' מחשבה דיבור ומעשה

For just as within kedushah there are the dimensions of thought, speech, and action (machshavah, dibbur, maaseh),

Within the realm of holiness there exist three faculties: thought, speech, and action.

כמו כן בסט"א זה לעומת זה שהיו רשעים גדולים באלה הג' כחות

so too within the sitra achra it is "this corresponding to that" — they were great resha'im in these three powers.

The forces of impurity mirror the holy structure exactly, and Balak and Bilam embodied evil in these faculties.

וגם מ"ש רז"ל מי שיש בו ג' דברים הללו עין טובה רוח נמוכה נפש שפלה מתלמידיו של אאע"ה

And likewise that which Chazal taught: "Whoever possesses these three traits — a good eye, a humble spirit, and a lowly soul — is among the disciples of Avraham Avinu" (Avos 5:19),

The mishnah in Avos lists three traits — a good eye, a humble spirit, and a lowly soul — that mark a person as a disciple of Avraham Avinu.

הוא ג"כ בחי' הנ"ל

this too corresponds to the dimensions mentioned above.

These three traits map directly onto the three faculties of thought, speech, and action.

כי עין טובה הוא בחי' מחשבה ורוח ממללא ונפש בעשי'

For a good eye is the dimension of thought (machshavah), a humble spirit is the speaking soul (the dimension of dibbur), and a lowly soul is the dimension of action (maaseh).

A good eye reflects pure thought, a humble spirit reflects the power of speech, and a lowly soul reflects rectified action.

והם בחינות נפש רוח נשמה

And these are the dimensions of nefesh, ruach, and neshamah.

These three correspond to the three levels of the soul: nefesh, ruach, and neshamah.

וכמו שהי' אאע"ה שורש כל הג' אבות

And just as Avraham Avinu was the root of all three Avos,

Avraham Avinu was the spiritual root from which all three Avos derived.

כמו כן להבדיל בלעם הרשע שורש הג' קליפות הנ"ל

so too — though they are not to be mentioned in the same breath — Bilam the rasha was the root of the three kelipos mentioned above.

In stark contrast, Bilam the rasha was the root of the three corresponding forces of impurity.

וסיחון מלך חשבון שמעתי מפי <b>מו"ז ז"ל</b> שהוא עומד לבלבל מחשבות הקדושים ז"ש אשר יושב בחשבון ע"ש

And regarding Sichon, king of Cheshbon, I heard from my grandfather, of blessed memory, that he stands to confound the thoughts (machshavos) of the holy ones; this is the meaning of "who dwells in Cheshbon" (Bamidbar 21:26) — understand this from its place.

Citing his grandfather, the Sfas Emes explains that Sichon represents a force that confuses the thoughts of holy people, hinted at in the name of his city, Cheshbon.

וז"ש כסה כו' עין הארץ

And this is the meaning of "it has covered… the eye of the land" — that the kelipah seeks to cover over the holy eye.

Balak's accusation that Bnei Yisrael "covered the eye" reflects the kelipah's goal of obscuring the holy faculty of thought.

לכן עמדו בלק ובלעם ימ"ש שלא יתקנו בנ"י בחי' הדיבור ומעשה ג"כ

Therefore Balak and Bilam, may their names be blotted out, arose to prevent Bnei Yisrael from also rectifying the dimensions of speech and action.

Balak and Bilam rose specifically to block Bnei Yisrael from perfecting the faculties of speech and action as well.

ובנ"י נבראו לתקן אלה הג'

And Bnei Yisrael were created to rectify these three:

The very purpose of Bnei Yisrael's creation is to rectify all three faculties.

מעשה דיבור ומחשבה

action, speech, and thought (maaseh, dibbur, machshavah).

These three are action, speech, and thought.

ואז מתקרב האדם אל השורש ויכולה הנשמה להתגלות באדם בתיקון אלה הג'

And then a person draws close to his root, and the neshamah is able to be revealed within the person through the rectification of these three.

Through this rectification a person reconnects to his spiritual root and allows his neshamah to shine forth within him.

ולכן תלמידיו של אאע"ה אוכלין בעוה"ז ונוחלין לעוה"ב

And therefore the disciples of Avraham Avinu eat in this world and inherit the World to Come.

This is why the disciples of Avraham Avinu both eat in this world and inherit the World to Come.

פי' שיכולין לקבל השפע בעוה"ז להיות דבוק בשורש

The meaning is that they are able to receive the divine flow (shefa) in this world so as to remain bound to the root.

They are able to draw down spiritual flow even in this world without it severing their bond to the root.

ובשבת מתקיים זאת בישראל שהוא מעין עוה"ב

And on Shabbos this is fulfilled within Bnei Yisrael, for Shabbos is a foretaste of Olam Haba.

Shabbos is when this elevated state is realized in Bnei Yisrael, since it is itself a taste of Olam Haba.

וזהו רמז הג' סעודות אוכלין בעוה"ז ונוחלין לעוה"ב

And this is the hint contained in the three meals — "they eat in this world and inherit the World to Come."

The three Shabbos meals embody this idea of eating in this world while inheriting the next.

כי הם מול הג' תקונים נפש רוח נשמה

For they correspond to the three rectifications of nefesh, ruach, and neshamah,

The three meals align with the rectification of the three soul-levels: nefesh, ruach, and neshamah.

מעשה דיבור ומחשבה כנ"ל

which are action, speech, and thought (maaseh, dibbur, machshavah), as above.

These soul-levels correspond to the faculties of action, speech, and thought.

ובימי המעשה העבודה לברר אלה הג' והשבת הוא להודיע מה בין תלמידיו של אאע"ה כנ"ל:

And during the weekdays the avodah is to refine these three, while Shabbos serves to make known the difference between the disciples of Avraham Avinu and others, as above.

The weekday avodah is to refine these three faculties, and Shabbos reveals the distinction between Avraham Avinu's disciples and others.

Summary: The Sfas Emes teaches that within kedushah there are three faculties — thought, speech, and action (machshavah, dibbur, maaseh) — paralleling the three soul-levels of nefesh, ruach, and neshamah, and corresponding to the three traits of Avraham Avinu's disciples: a good eye, a humble spirit, and a lowly soul. The sitra achra mirrors this structure exactly: Bilam was the root of the three kelipos just as Avraham Avinu was the root of the three Avos, and figures like Balak and Sichon stand to corrupt and confound these holy faculties. Bnei Yisrael were created precisely to rectify all three, and through this avodah a person draws close to his root and allows his neshamah to be revealed within him. Such a person, like the disciples of Avraham Avinu, can receive shefa even in this world while remaining bound to the root, eating in this world yet inheriting Olam Haba. This is realized through the three Shabbos meals, for Shabbos is a foretaste of Olam Haba that makes known the difference between the disciples of Avraham Avinu and others.