Forgetting the world to cleave to Hashem

במדרש שמעי בת כו' ושכחי עמך כו' משל למי שראה בירה דולקת כו' הציץ עליו בעל הבירה אני הוא בעל הבירה כו'.

In the Midrash: "Listen, O daughter… and forget your people…" (Tehillim 45:11) — a parable of one who saw a lit-up palace; the owner of the palace looked out at him and said, "I am the owner of the palace."

This is the famous Midrash about Avraham: seeing the world ablaze with order and beauty, he wondered who its master was, and Hashem revealed Himself as the "owner." The verse "forget your people" sets the theme: forgetting in order to recognize Hashem.

עיקר תיקון האדם כפי מה ששוכח הבלי עולם כמ"ש שכחי עמך ולזכור כי נשתלח בעוה"ז לעשות שליחותו וזה בחי' זכור ושמור מ"ע ומל"ת הוא בחי' זכירה ושכחה ששניהם צריכין לאדם לשכוח הבלי עולם ואז יכול לזכור ולהתדבק בעולם העליון וזה שרמזו מי שישנו בשמירה ישנו בזכירה

The main rectification of a person is according to how much he forgets the vanities of the world, as it says "forget your people," and to remember that he was sent into this world to fulfill His mission (shlichus). This is the aspect of "Zachor" and "Shamor" (Remember and Guard) — positive mitzvah and prohibition — which are the aspects of remembering and forgetting, both of which a person needs: to forget the vanities of the world, and then he can remember and cleave to the upper world. This is the hint, "Whoever is included in 'Guard' is included in 'Remember.'"

A person's avodah has two motions: forgetting worldly emptiness ("Shamor" — restraint, prohibition) and remembering his Divine mission ("Zachor" — positive action). The Gemara's rule about Shabbos ("included in Shamor, included in Zachor") teaches that the two go together: only one who clears away the world's distractions can truly cleave above.

ובאמת בשבת שכל ישראל שובתין ממלאכה והוא בחי' שכחה מעוה"ז לכן זוכין לנשמה יתירה זכירה ודביקות בעוה"ב בשבת קודש שהוא מעין עוה"ב.

And indeed on Shabbos, when all of Bnei Yisrael rest from work — which is an aspect of forgetting this world — they therefore merit the neshamah yeseirah (the extra soul): remembrance and attachment to the World to Come on the holy Shabbos, which is a taste of the World to Come.

Resting from melachah is itself the "forgetting" of the world. Because Shabbos empties a Jew of weekday concerns, he receives the extra soul and the clinging to Olam Haba that Shabbos foreshadows.

וזה זכור ושמור בשבת.

This is "Zachor" and "Shamor" on Shabbos.

Both motions converge in Shabbos: guarding it by ceasing labor (forgetting), and remembering its sanctity (cleaving above).

אבל באמת השבת ללמד על הכלל כולו יצא.

But in truth, Shabbos "went out to teach about the whole rule."

Using a Talmudic principle of derivation, the Sefas Emes says Shabbos is not an isolated case; it teaches a lesson that applies to every day.

שאיש ישראל צריך לעולם לשמור ב' בחי' הנ"ל שמעי בת.

For a Jew must always keep these two aspects mentioned above — "Listen, O daughter."

The double avodah is not for Shabbos alone; every day a Jew must "listen" — turn toward Hashem — which is the "Zachor" of remembering.

ושכחי.

"…and forget."

And every day he must also "forget" — let go of the vanities of the world — which is the "Shamor."

ואברהם הי' הראשון שהשליך הבלי העולם וזכה למשוך אור בעולם ועליו נאמר מי העיר ממזרח כו'.

And Avraham was the first to cast off the vanities of the world, and he merited to draw light into the world; about him it is said, "Who roused one from the east…" (Yeshayahu 41:2).

Avraham pioneered this avodah: by discarding worldly emptiness he became a channel of Divine light, the one whom Hashem "roused" to awaken the world to its Master.

וזה הענין של בירה דולקת כי כל עוה"ז נברא רק כדי לשכוח ולבטל הבלי עולם וזה קיום העולם שהוא הפרוזדור כדי לכנוס לטרקלין וכן רצון בעל הבירה שתהי' הבירה דולקת ומתבטלת.

This is the matter of the "lit-up palace": for all of this world was created only so that one should forget and nullify the vanities of the world, and this is the very existence of the world — which is the antechamber (prozdor) through which one enters the banquet hall (traklin); and so too the desire of the Owner of the palace is that the palace be aglow yet nullified.

The "burning palace" is a double image: the world blazes with Divine light, yet it is also meant to be "burned up" — nullified through bittul. This world is only a corridor to the next; its true purpose is to be transcended, and that very self-nullification is what its Master desires.

וזה בחי' הנר אשא חוורא על אשא אוכמא שהוא אש שורף וכפי מה ששורף כך יאור עליו אשא חוורא והם בחי' זכור ושמור כנ"ל וזה רמז אור הנר בשבת:

This is the aspect of the candle: a white flame upon a black flame (eisha chivra al eisha ukma), which is a consuming fire; and to the degree that it consumes, so does the white flame shine upon it. These are the aspects of "Zachor" and "Shamor" as above — and this is the hint of the Shabbos candle's light.

Borrowing the Zohar's image of the candle, the lower black flame "consumes" the wick (the work of forgetting/nullifying — Shamor), and to the extent it consumes, the upper white flame of revealed light (remembering/cleaving — Zachor) rests upon it. The Shabbos lights embody both motions of avodah.

Summary: A person's avodah is built of two motions — "Shamor," forgetting and nullifying the vanities of this world, and "Zachor," remembering his Divine mission and cleaving above. Avraham pioneered this by casting off worldliness; Shabbos and its candle (black flame and white flame) embody both, and the "burning palace" of creation is meant precisely to be nullified so that its inner light shines.