Shabbos Peace Beyond Olam

בפסוק לכן אמור כו'

On the pasuk, "Therefore say [to him: Behold, I give him My covenant of peace]" (Bamidbar 25:12).

The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk in which Hashem grants Pinchas His covenant of peace following his act of zealotry.

דאיתא בגמ' מתנה טובה יש לי בבית גנזי שבת שמה ואני מבקש ליתנה לישראל לך והודיעם כו' והיא עצמה השלום שניתן לפינחס דשבת שלום איקרי

For it is brought down in the Gemara (Shabbos 10b): "I have a precious gift in My treasure-house, and Shabbos is its name, and I wish to give it to Bnei Yisrael — go and inform them." And this gift itself is the very peace that was given to Pinchas, for Shabbos is called "Shabbos Shalom" — a Shabbos of peace.

The Gemara teaches that Shabbos is a hidden treasure that Hashem wished to give Bnei Yisrael, and the Sfas Emes links this gift to the peace given to Pinchas, since Shabbos itself is called a Shabbos of peace.

והענין דשבת הוא מעין עוה"ב כי בעוה"ז חסר השלימות כמ"ש במ"א

And the explanation of the matter is that Shabbos is a taste of Olam Haba, for in this world there is a lack of completeness, as is written elsewhere.

Shabbos is a foretaste of Olam Haba, because this world is inherently lacking in completeness and wholeness.

ולכן שבת צריך הכנה

And therefore Shabbos requires preparation.

Since Shabbos carries this elevated light of the World to Come, a person must prepare himself in advance to receive it.

וזהו הודעה שקודם המתנה להיות מוכן לקבל הארה שלמעלה מעוה"ז

And this is the "informing" that precedes the gift — that one should be ready to receive an illumination that is above this world.

The "informing" that Hashem commanded before giving the gift means that a person must make himself ready to absorb an illumination that transcends the level of this world.

וז"ש לכן אמור הנני נותן כו':

And this is what the pasuk means, "Therefore say: Behold, I give [him My covenant of peace]" (Bamidbar 25:12).

This is the meaning of the pasuk's wording, "Therefore say: Behold, I give" — the prior announcement is itself the necessary preparation for receiving the gift of peace.

Summary: The Sfas Emes connects the covenant of peace given to Pinchas with the gift of Shabbos, which the Gemara describes as a precious treasure that Hashem wished to bestow upon Bnei Yisrael. Both are bound up in the concept of shalom, since Shabbos itself is called a Shabbos of peace. Shabbos is a taste of Olam Haba, an illumination that stands above the deficient, incomplete nature of this world. Because this light is so elevated, it cannot simply be received; Shabbos demands preparation beforehand. The "informing" that Hashem commanded before granting the gift teaches that the very announcement is the readiness a person must achieve in order to receive a light that is higher than this world.