Two loaves as na'aseh and nishma

ענין שתי הלחם לחם מן השמים ולחם מן הארץ.

The matter of the Shtei HaLechem (two loaves): bread from heaven and bread from the earth.

The Sefas Emes interprets the two loaves brought on Shavuos as representing two dimensions — one heavenly and one earthly.

והם בחי' נעשה ונשמע בחי' משה ואהרן כדאיתא שלכן היו ב' לוחות בחי' משה ואהרן.

And they are the aspects of "we will do" and "we will hear" (na'aseh v'nishma), the aspects of Moshe and Aharon, as it is brought that this is why there were two Luchos — the aspects of Moshe and Aharon.

The two loaves correspond to na'aseh and nishma, and to Moshe and Aharon — the same duality reflected in the two Tablets.

נשמע הוא בחי' משה תורה שבכתב.

"We will hear" is the aspect of Moshe — the Written Torah (Torah Shebichsav).

"Hearing" corresponds to Moshe and to the Written Torah, received directly from Above.

ונעשה בחי' עובדא עושי דברו ולזה מיוחד אהרן הכהן.

And "we will do" is the aspect of deed — "those who do His word" — and to this Aharon HaKohen is suited.

"Doing" corresponds to action and to Aharon, whose avodah is the realm of deed and service.

ולפי שחטאנו בנעשה.

And because we sinned in "we will do."

The flaw introduced by sin was specifically in the realm of "doing" — the dimension of action.

ונשמע נשאר קיים לעולם.

But "we will hear" remained intact forever.

The dimension of "hearing" — the Written Torah, the level of Moshe — was never compromised and endures permanently.

לכן כתיב תורה צוה כו' משה מורשה כי בחי' משה נשאר קיים לדורות.

Therefore it is written: "The Torah that Moshe commanded us is a heritage (morashah)," for the aspect of Moshe remained established for all generations.

Because the "Moshe" dimension of Torah was never lost, the Torah remains an enduring inheritance for every generation.

ובחי' הקרבנות הוא התעוררות התחתונים להתקרב למעלה לימשך עי"ז שפע ברכה משמים זה בחי' לחם מן הארץ.

And the aspect of the korbanos (offerings) is the arousal of those below to draw near to Above, so that through this a flow of blessing is drawn down from heaven — this is the aspect of "bread from the earth."

The offerings represent an isarusa diltata, an awakening from below that rises up and draws blessing down — the earthly dimension, corresponding to "doing."

וזהו שכתוב העשוי' בהר סיני.

And this is what is written: "that was made at Har Sinai."

The verse's phrase "made at Sinai" hints at the dimension of "doing" rooted in the revelation at the mountain.

כי זכו בני ישראל אז לגרום נחת רוח לפניו עד שהוריד להם תורה מן השמים.

For Bnei Yisrael merited then to give nachas ruach (satisfaction) before Him, until He brought down to them the Torah from heaven.

At Sinai, Bnei Yisrael's "arousal from below" gave such pleasure before Hashem that He responded by lowering the Torah from Above — "bread from heaven."

ובחי' נעשה והקרבנות נמסרו לבני אהרן כנ"ל:

And the aspect of "we will do" and the korbanos were entrusted to the sons of Aharon, as above.

The dimension of "doing," embodied in the Temple service, was placed in the hands of the Kohanim, the descendants of Aharon.

Summary: The two loaves of Shavuos represent "bread from heaven" and "bread from the earth," corresponding to nishma and na'aseh, to Moshe and Aharon, and to the Written Torah and the realm of deed. Though we sinned in the realm of "doing," the "hearing" dimension of Moshe and the Written Torah remained an eternal heritage; the korbanos, entrusted to Aharon's descendants, embody the "doing" — the arousal from below that draws Hashem's blessing down from heaven.