Emunah reveals hidden light beyond nature

במדרש לך לך שמעי בת כו' ושכחי עמך כו'.

In the Midrash on "Lech lecha" (Go for yourself): "Hear, O daughter… and forget your people" etc.

The Midrash applies to Avraham's journey the verse calling on a person to leave behind his familiar world and listen to Hashem.

כי בעוה"ז נסתר הנהגת הבורא יתברך ונתלבש בטבע.

For in this world the conduct of the Creator is hidden and clothed within nature (teva).

In Olam Hazeh, Hashem's governance is concealed beneath the garment of nature.

אבל המאמין בו יתברך ומשליך את הטבע זוכה להתגלות לו הארה מעולם הבא כדאיתא שעוה"ב הוא היפוך מעוה"ז וכפי ביטול הטבע מתגלה הארה מעולם העליון.

But one who believes in Him and casts away nature merits that an illumination from the World to Come be revealed to him, as is taught that Olam Haba is the inverse of Olam Hazeh; and according to the degree to which nature is nullified, an illumination from the upper world is revealed.

Through emunah and bittul of nature, a person draws down light from Olam Haba — the more he nullifies the natural facade, the more the supernal light shines through.

ולכן בש"ק שהוא מעין עוה"ב צריכין לבטל המעשה והמלאכה כי ששת ימי המעשה מתלבש ההנהגה בהטבע.

Therefore on Shabbos Kodesh, which is a foretaste of Olam Haba, we must nullify activity and labor (melachah), for during the six weekdays the conduct of the world is clothed in nature.

We cease melachah on Shabbos — a taste of Olam Haba — precisely to set aside the natural workweek through which Hashem's hand is normally hidden.

וכ' כתפוח בעצי היער כן דודי בין הבנים.

And it is written, "Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my Beloved among the sons."

Hashem, the "Beloved," is compared to an apple tree standing among ordinary forest trees.

היינו כשההנהגה ע"י התלבשות נקרא דודי בין הבנים ושם הוא הדמיון לתפוח שאין לו צל.

That is, when the conduct is by way of concealment it is called "my Beloved among the sons," and there the comparison is to the apple, which gives no shade.

When Hashem governs through the disguise of nature, He is like the apple tree that offers little shade — His presence barely visible.

ומ"מ נאמר בצלו חמדתי שבנ"י מאמינים כי הכל הנהגתו ית' אף שהוא בהסתר ועי"ז וישבתי הוא בחי' השבת כמ"ש שבו איש תחתיו כו' ואז השי"ת פורם סוכת שלום עלינו ומתגלה הנהגה עליונה.

Nevertheless it says, "In His shade I delighted" — for Bnei Yisrael believe that everything is His conduct, even though it is in concealment; and through this, "and I sat" is the aspect of Shabbos, as it is written, "let each man stay in his place" etc.; and then Hashem spreads over us the sukkah of peace, and the upper conduct is revealed.

Despite the scant shade, Bnei Yisrael's emunah that all is Hashem's doing lets them rest in His shade; this resting is the essence of Shabbos, when Hashem spreads His canopy of peace and His higher governance becomes manifest.

וכן היה אברהם אבינו ע"ה בעודנו בחו"ל ששם ההנהגה נסתרת וע"י האמונה נאמר לו לך לך כו' אשר אראך שנתגלה לו הארה מעולם הנסתר כנ"ל:

And so it was with Avraham Avinu, while he was still outside the Land, where the conduct is hidden; and through emunah it was said to him, "Go for yourself… to the land that I will show you," for an illumination from the hidden world was revealed to him, as above.

Avraham, living amid concealment outside Eretz Yisrael, merited through his emunah that Hashem reveal to him light from the hidden world — the meaning of "the land that I will show you."

Summary: In this world Hashem's governance is concealed beneath nature, but one who has emunah and nullifies the natural facade draws down light from Olam Haba — the inverse of this world. Shabbos, a foretaste of Olam Haba, is when we cease melachah and Hashem spreads His sukkah of peace, revealing His higher conduct; so too Avraham, through emunah amid the concealment of exile, merited revelation of the hidden world.