The days of tzaddikim unify both worlds

במדרש יודע ה' ימי תמימים כו' שחביב שנותיהן של צדיקים לפני הקב"ה בעוה"ז ובעוה"ב.

In the Midrash: "Hashem knows the days of the wholehearted (temimim)" etc. — that the years of tzaddikim are precious before HaKadosh Baruch Hu both in this world and in the World to Come.

The Sefas Emes opens with the teaching that the very lifespan of a tzaddik is cherished by Hashem, for it is lived with a single purpose in both worlds.

לפי שהצדיקים גם בעוה"ז כל מגמתם ותשוקתם להכין עצמם לעוה"ב כדאיתא העוה"ז כפרוזדור לפני עוה"ב ומתאחד להם עוה"ז עם עוה"ב.

For the tzaddikim, even in this world, direct their whole aim and longing toward preparing themselves for the World to Come — as is taught, "This world is like an antechamber before the World to Come" — so that for them this world becomes unified with the World to Come.

Because a tzaddik treats olam hazeh entirely as preparation for olam haba, the two worlds merge into one continuous avodah for him.

ובמדרש תנחומא איתא על שרה זממה שדה ותקחהו על מערת המכפלה.

And in Midrash Tanchuma it is stated regarding Sarah, "She considered a field and acquired it" (Mishlei 31:16) — referring to Me'aras HaMachpelah.

The pasuk from Eishes Chayil is read as a hint that Sarah's lifelong "acquisition" was the burial cave of Machpelah.

לומר שכל ימי חייה הי' כל מגמתה להכין לעצמה מקום בקבר.

This is to teach that all the days of her life her entire aim was to prepare for herself a place in the grave.

Sarah's avodah throughout life was oriented toward the eternal, "preparing her place" beyond this world.

כדאיתא על זאת יתפלל כו' לעת מצוא זו מיתה וקבורה.

As is taught on the pasuk "For this let every devout one pray to You at a time of finding" (Tehillim 32:6) — "a time of finding" refers to death and burial.

Chazal read "a time of finding" as death and burial, the moment when a person "finds" his true and lasting place.

עד שהוציאה מכח אל הפועל ומצאה זה המקום המובחר מכל המקומות.

Until she brought it from potential into actuality and found this place, the choicest of all places.

Sarah actualized her lifelong intent by literally acquiring Machpelah, the most select of resting places.

וכדאיתא בזוה"ק על רשב"י ע"ה עד דברירנא לי מקום אוריכו לי עד השתא.

And as is brought in the Zohar HaKadosh regarding Rashbi, peace upon him: "Until I have clarified a place for myself, wait for me until now."

Even Rashbi spoke of "clarifying" a fitting place for himself, showing this preparation is the work of the greatest tzaddikim.

ואיתא בזוה"ק ויקם שדה עפרון שהי' קימה למערת המכפלה שעד עתה היתה תחת יד עפרון ונכנסת עתה בקדושה וגם הי' קימה לאדם וחוה ע"ש.

And it is brought in the Zohar HaKadosh on "And the field of Efron arose" (Bereishis 23:17) — that there was a "rising" for Me'aras HaMachpelah, for until now it had been under Efron's hand and now entered into kedushah; and it was also a "rising" for Adam and Chavah; see there.

The cave's transfer from Efron to Avraham is a spiritual elevation — and it also raised up Adam and Chavah who lay buried there.

דכמו שהביאו מיתה לעולם אדם וחוה.

For just as Adam and Chavah brought death into the world,

The Sefas Emes draws a parallel: the first couple introduced mortality through their sin.

כמו כן אברהם ושרה הביאו תחיית המתים בעולם.

so too Avraham and Sarah brought techiyas hameisim (the resurrection of the dead) into the world.

Avraham and Sarah are the counterforce to Adam and Chavah — they planted in the world the power of resurrection.

ומצד תחיית המתים יש קוסטא דחיותא מנפש בגוף גם בקבר.

And by virtue of techiyas hameisim there remains a "spark of life" (kusta dechiyusa) from the soul in the body, even in the grave.

Because resurrection is real, a residue of the neshamah's vitality clings to the body even after death.

ולכן נעשה תיקון זה לאדם וחוה עתה כמ"ש שם בזוה"ק.

Therefore this tikkun (rectification) was effected for Adam and Chavah now, as is written there in the Zohar HaKadosh.

The acquisition of Machpelah began to repair the damage of the first sin, even for Adam and Chavah themselves.

דבאמת כל אלה הדברים מיתה ותחיה היו מוכנים להיות.

For in truth all these matters — death and resurrection — were destined to be.

Death and resurrection were both built into the plan of creation from the start.

שמכל זה נתברר העדות על הקב"ה.

For from all of this the testimony about HaKadosh Baruch Hu is made clear.

The whole cycle of life, death, and revival serves to bear witness to Hashem as Creator and Judge.

כדאיתא במשנה הילודים למות והמתים להחיות והחיים לידון והכל כדי לידע להודיע שהוא היוצר הבורא הדיין כו'.

As is taught in the Mishnah (Avos 4:22): "Those born are to die, the dead are to be revived, and the living are to be judged — all in order to know, to make known, and to be aware that He is the Fashioner, the Creator, the Judge," etc.

The Mishnah lays out four stages, all designed to publicize that Hashem is the One who forms, creates, and judges.

רק שע"י הצדיקים יצא הדבר מכח אל הפועל.

It is only that through the tzaddikim the matter was brought from potential into actuality.

These cosmic realities lay dormant until tzaddikim drew them into the open through their lives.

הילודים למות על ידי אדם וחוה.

"Those born are to die" — through Adam and Chavah.

The reality of mortality entered actuality through the first couple.

והמתים להחיות על ידי אברהם ושרה.

"And the dead are to be revived" — through Avraham and Sarah.

The power of resurrection was actualized through Avraham and Sarah at Machpelah.

וכן רמזו ג"כ חז"ל תחה"מ מן התורה מנין דכתיב למען ירבו כו' לתת להם כימי השמים כו'.

And so too Chazal hinted: "From where do we know techiyas hameisim from the Torah? As it is written, 'so that your days may be multiplied… to give them like the days of the heavens'" (Devarim 11:21).

Chazal find the source for resurrection in the promise of the Land, "like the days of the heavens."

שנשבע הקב"ה לאבות שיתן להם הארץ בתחיית המתים.

For HaKadosh Baruch Hu swore to the Avos that He would give them the Land at the time of techiyas hameisim.

The oath to the Avos to give them the Land personally can only be fulfilled through resurrection.

כימי השמים רומז לשנות האבות כמו מהלך עץ החיים ת"ק שנה שהוציאו האבות כח עץ החיים בעולם.

"Like the days of the heavens" hints at the years of the Avos — like the span of the Eitz HaChaim (Tree of Life), a journey of five hundred years, for the Avos drew the power of the Tree of Life into the world.

The Avos restored access to the Tree of Life, whose "five hundred year" span symbolizes the eternal vitality they implanted.

ונאמר עוד החיים לידון בחי' יצחק מדה"ד הוא הדין הגדול אחר התחי'.

And it further says "the living are to be judged" — the aspect of Yitzchak, middas hadin (the attribute of strict justice); this is the great judgment after the resurrection.

The third stage, judgment, corresponds to Yitzchak and the attribute of din that follows the resurrection.

לידע להודיע להוודע זה תכלית האחרון בחי' יעקב וישראל וישורון שאז יתברר דעת שלימה כמ"ש ומלאה הארץ דעה והוא תיקון השלם נחלה בלי מצרים שיהי' לעתיד לבוא.

"To know, to make known, and to become known" — this is the final purpose, the aspect of Yaakov, Yisrael, and Yeshurun, when complete daas (knowledge of Hashem) will be clarified, as it says, "and the earth shall be filled with knowledge" (Yeshayah 11:9) — and this is the complete tikkun, "an inheritance without boundaries" (nachalah beli metzarim) that will be in the future.

The fourth and ultimate stage — perfect awareness of Hashem — corresponds to Yaakov, and is the boundless inheritance of the future redemption.

ויתכן עוד לומר שאלה הד' תיקונים בחי' קרית ארבע הוא תיקון עץ הדעת דכתיב בי' ומשם יפרד והיה לד' ראשים ויתוקן הדעת בד' בחי' אלו ע"י התמימים.

It may further be said that these four rectifications — the aspect of "Kiryas Arba" (the City of Four) — are the tikkun of the Eitz HaDaas (Tree of Knowledge), about which it is written, "and from there it separated and became four heads" (Bereishis 2:10); and daas is rectified through these four aspects by means of the temimim (the wholehearted).

The four stages repair the damage of the Tree of Knowledge, whose river split into four heads; the temimim mend daas through these four aspects.

וזהו יודע ה' ימי תמימים.

And this is the meaning of "Hashem knows the days of the temimim."

The temimim are precisely those who carry this fourfold tikkun of daas through their days.

והנה שבת הוא מעין עוה"ב נחלת יעקב וסהדותא אקרי בחי' לידע להודיע.

Now Shabbos is a foretaste (me'ein) of the World to Come, the inheritance of Yaakov, and it is called "testimony" (sahaduta) — the aspect of "to know and to make known."

Shabbos, the portion of Yaakov and a taste of olam haba, is itself a testimony to Hashem, embodying the final stage of daas.

וכ' בי' לדעת כי אני ה' מקדישכם.

And it is written regarding it, "to know that I am Hashem who sanctifies you" (Shemos 31:13).

The pasuk about Shabbos itself centers on daas — knowing that Hashem sanctifies us.

כמו שנמצא הדעת בנפשות הצדיקים.

Just as this daas is found in the souls of the tzaddikim.

The same illumination of daas that radiates on Shabbos shines within the neshamos of tzaddikim.

לפי שהם בני עוה"ב מתנוצץ בהם הארה גם בעוה"ז.

Because they are "children of the World to Come," an illumination sparkles within them even in this world.

Tzaddikim, belonging to olam haba, carry a glimmer of its light already in this world.

כמו כן בזמן בשבת שהוא מעין עוה"ב:

So too in time — on Shabbos, which is a foretaste of the World to Come.

What the tzaddik is among people, Shabbos is among the days: a window of olam haba shining into this world.

Summary: The precious "days of the temimim" reflect how tzaddikim live olam hazeh entirely as preparation for olam haba, fusing the two worlds. Sarah's acquisition of Machpelah actualized the power of techiyas hameisim, the counterpoint to the death brought by Adam and Chavah. The Mishnah's four stages — birth-to-death, resurrection, judgment, and ultimate daas — correspond to the Avos and repair the fourfold fracture of the Tree of Knowledge; and Shabbos, the inheritance of Yaakov and a foretaste of the World to Come, lets that final light of knowing Hashem shine into this world.