Shabbos, the single utterance, and Noach's rootedness

איתא במדרשים כי לע"ל יעלו לראות פני ה' בכל ר"ח כמ"ש והי' מדי חודש בחדשו כו'.

It is taught in the Midrashim that in the future (l'asid lavo) [Bnei Yisrael] will go up to see the face of Hashem on every Rosh Chodesh, as it is written, "And it shall be, from one new moon to another [all flesh shall come to bow before Me]" (Yeshayahu 66:23).

The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrash that in the future every Rosh Chodesh will be an occasion to "see Hashem's face," as on the festivals.

דכתיב אני בצדק אחזה פניך וכתב בזוה"ק תצוה כי הכל תלוי בהתעוררות התחתונים להתגלות הגוונין בשמים דכ' נודע בשערים פי' בזוה"ק כ"א לפום שיעורין דליבי'.

For it is written, "I, through righteousness, shall behold Your face" (Tehillim 17:15); and the Zohar HaKadosh in [parashas] Tetzaveh writes that everything depends on the arousal of the lower ones (the awakening from below) for the revelation of the "colors" (gevanin) in the heavens, as it is written, "[her husband] is known in the gates" (Mishlei 31:23) — which the Zohar explains: each one according to the measure of his heart.

Hashem's revelation above depends on the spiritual arousal of people below; "known in the gates" means He is revealed to each person according to the capacity of his own heart.

ואבותינו הקדושים בשעורין דילהון פתחו פתחים למעלה להיות גילוי פני ה' לכל בנ"י.

And our holy forefathers, with their [great] measures, opened "openings" above so that there would be a revelation of Hashem's face to all of Bnei Yisrael.

The Avos, through the immense capacity of their hearts, opened spiritual "gates" on high through which Hashem's presence could be revealed to all their descendants.

וזה הי' מצות ראי' שבא לראות ולהראות וז"ש בזוה"ק בפסוק וראיתי' כו' כי הם תלת גוונין חיור סומק ירוק.

And this was the mitzvah of re'iyah (the appearance at the Mikdash on the festivals), which is "to see and to be seen"; and this is what the Zohar HaKadosh says on the pasuk "and I shall see it [the rainbow]" (Bereishis 9:16) — that they are three colors: white, red, and green.

The festival mitzvah of "appearing" before Hashem is a mutual seeing. The Zohar connects this to the rainbow's three colors — white, red, and green.

היינו שאבות הקדושים המציאו מכח אל הפועל אלה הגוונין כי הקב"ה גבוה ונישא מכל אלה הגוונין.

That is, the holy Avos brought these colors from potential into actuality, for Hashem is exalted and lofty above all these colors.

The three colors correspond to the three Avos, who actualized these revealed attributes; Hashem Himself utterly transcends any such "color" or attribute.

ורק כפי הכנת התחתונים כך נעשה למעלה התלבשות והתגלות להיות מדה של חסד ושל רחמים כו'.

And only according to the preparation of the lower ones is there formed above a "garbing" and revelation, to become an attribute of chesed (kindness) and of rachamim (mercy), etc.

The particular way Hashem's attributes — chesed, rachamim — become revealed depends entirely on the preparation of those below.

והנה גם לכל שבט יש גוון מיוחד כמו שהי' בי"ב אבנים טור אודם פטדה כו' והם שערי צדק הי"ב תיבין של שם אדנות שנק' שערי צדק כידוע לי"ח ומרומז בזוה"ק פ' זו דף ע"א ע"ב.

And behold, each tribe (shevet) also has a unique color, as it was with the twelve stones [of the Choshen]: "a row of odem (ruby), pitdah (topaz)..." (Shemos 28:17); and these are the "gates of righteousness" — the twelve permutations of the Name of Adnus, which are called "gates of righteousness," as is known to those who understand hidden matters; and it is alluded to in the Zohar HaKadosh, this parashah, folio 71, side b.

Just as each Av had his color, each of the twelve tribes has its own, mirrored in the twelve stones of the Choshen — corresponding to the twelve "gates of righteousness," the permutations of the Divine Name.

והשערים שפתחו האבות המה חזקים ביותר ואין העונות יכולים להסתירם.

And the gates that the Avos opened are exceedingly strong, and sins cannot conceal them.

The spiritual openings made by the Avos are so powerful that even our sins cannot block them.

והשערים של השבטים צריכין זכות התחתונים ביותר שיכולין לכנוס בהם ולכן לעתיד כשיהי' תיקון כל המדות יתגלו כל אלה הגוונין ויהי' מצות ראי' בכל חודש.

But the gates of the tribes require greater merit from the lower ones in order to be able to enter them; and therefore in the future, when there will be a rectification of all the attributes (middos), all these colors will be revealed, and the mitzvah of re'iyah will be every month.

The "tribal" gates demand more merit from us to access. When all the middos are perfected in the future, every color will shine forth and the mitzvah of appearing before Hashem will return monthly, on Rosh Chodesh.

כמ"ש בטור או"ח כי לולא חטא העגל הי' כל ר"ח יום טוב גמור ע"ש.

As is written in the Tur (Orach Chaim) that, were it not for the sin of the Golden Calf, every Rosh Chodesh would have been a full Yom Tov; see there.

The Tur teaches that Rosh Chodesh would have been a complete festival had Bnei Yisrael not sinned with the Eigel.

וכמו שהי' בנפשות האבות והשבטים שזכו להוציא אלה הגוונין מכח אל הפועל כן יש בזמן מועדים ור"ח שבהם נגלו אלה הגוונים.

And just as it was in the souls of the Avos and the tribes, who merited to bring these colors from potential into actuality, so too there is, within time, [the festivals] Moadim and Rosh Chodesh, in which these colors are revealed.

The revelation that the Avos and tribes achieved within their souls is paralleled in time itself — the festivals and Rosh Chodesh are the appointed times when these colors shine.

וכ' שער החצר כו' יהי' סגור ימי המעשה ביום השבת כו'.

And it is written, "The gate of the inner courtyard... shall be closed [during] the six working days, [but] on the day of Shabbos [it shall be opened]" (Yechezkel 46:1).

The prophet describes a gate that remains shut on weekdays and opens on Shabbos — a parallel in sacred time.

וכמו כן הוא בנפשות כמ"ש במ"א שהם ברית הלשון וברית המעור.

And likewise it is within souls, as we have written elsewhere, that they are the bris ha-lashon (the covenant of the tongue) and the bris ha-ma'or (the covenant of circumcision).

These "gates" exist within the human being too — corresponding to the covenant of speech and the covenant of circumcision.

דהנה יש רמ"ח אברים אבל פנימיות החיות מתעורר רק בלשון וברית.

For behold, there are 248 limbs, but the inner vitality (penimiyus ha-chiyus) is aroused only in the tongue and the bris (the organ of circumcision).

Of all the body's limbs, the deepest life-force is awakened specifically through the tongue and the bris — the two organs of speech and procreation.

לכן רוב כריתות הם באיסורי מאכלות וביאות אסורות כי החיות הפנימי מתגלה באלה ב' האברים.

Therefore most kareisos (the punishment of spiritual excision) are for forbidden foods and forbidden relations, for the inner vitality is revealed in these two organs.

Because these two organs carry the inner life-force, the gravest spiritual severance is incurred precisely through their misuse — forbidden eating and forbidden relations.

ולכן נתן לנו הקב"ה ברית התורה לתקן ברית הלשון וברית מילה לתקן ברית המעור.

Therefore Hashem gave us the bris of the Torah to rectify the bris ha-lashon (covenant of the tongue), and bris milah to rectify the bris ha-ma'or (covenant of circumcision).

Hashem provided two covenants to sanctify these two channels: the Torah guards the tongue, and milah guards the bris.

ופי' ברית הוא דביקות בשורש.

And the meaning of "bris" (covenant) is dveikus ba-shoresh — attachment to the root.

A "covenant" essentially means cleaving to one's spiritual source.

דאיתא בעשרה מאמרות נברא העולם כדי להפרע כו'.

For it is taught (Avos 5:1): "With ten utterances (asarah ma'amaros) the world was created" — [and why?] in order to exact punishment [from the wicked who destroy a world created with ten utterances, and to grant reward to the righteous who sustain it].

The Mishnah teaches the world was created through ten divine utterances, framing the contrast between the wicked who destroy it and the righteous who uphold it.

וכ"ז נתקיים בדור המבול ונפרע לרשעים שמאבדין העולם.

And all this was fulfilled in the generation of the Flood, when punishment was exacted from the wicked who destroy the world.

The generation of the Mabul exemplified the resha'im who ruin the world and are therefore punished.

ונח הצדיק נתדבק בבחי' מאמר אחד ומאמר אחד הוא בחי' השבת דאתאחדת ברזא דאחד.

And Noach the tzaddik cleaved to the aspect of the "single utterance" (ma'amar echad), and the single utterance is the aspect of Shabbos, which "is unified in the mystery of the One" (Zohar).

In contrast, Noach the tzaddik attached himself to the unifying "single utterance" — which is Shabbos, the dimension bound up with Hashem's oneness.

אבל עבודת האדם בימי המעשה שאז מתלבש הפנימיות בבחי' עשרה מאמרות שהם עשר מיני מדריגות וצמצומים.

But the avodah of a person during the weekdays is when the penimiyus (inner dimension) is garbed in the aspect of the ten utterances, which are ten kinds of levels and tzimtzumim (contractions).

During the six workdays, the inner divine vitality is clothed in the multiplicity of the ten utterances — ten graded levels of concealment and contraction.

וע"י האדם יכולין להתאחד.

And through a person they can be unified.

It is the human being's task to draw this multiplicity back into unity.

כי עשרה במ"ק א' והיינו ע"י הביטול אל השורש יכולין לבוא אל האחדות ונעשה מעשרה א'.

For "ten" by gematria katan (reduced numerical value) equals "one" (alef); and this means that through bittul (self-nullification) to the root one can come to unity, and "ten" becomes "one."

Through bittul to the source, the ten utterances are reunited into one — hinted in the fact that "ten" reduces numerically to "one."

לכן השבת מקיים העולם מה שהרשעים מאבדין בימי המעשה כי השבת מקשר הבריאה בבחי' מאמר אחד.

Therefore Shabbos sustains the world that the wicked destroy during the weekdays, for Shabbos binds the creation to the aspect of the "single utterance."

Shabbos counteracts the destruction wrought by the wicked, because it reconnects all of creation to its unifying root, the single utterance.

כעין שכ' באוה"ח כי בכל שבת מתקיים העולם.

Similar to what is written in the Or HaChaim, that with each Shabbos the world is sustained.

The Or HaChaim likewise teaches that the world's continued existence is renewed through every Shabbos.

ומובן שפיר לפי מ"ש.

And this is well understood according to what we have said.

The Sefas Emes's explanation clarifies why Shabbos sustains the world.

אבל השבת נמסר לבנ"י שמייגעין עצמן בימי המעשה.

But Shabbos was given over to Bnei Yisrael, who toil during the weekdays.

The power of Shabbos belongs specifically to Bnei Yisrael, who labor in avodah through the week to earn it.

וכמו שהוא בזמן כך הוא בנפש הברית בחי' מאמר אחד.

And just as it is in [the dimension of] time, so it is in the soul: the bris is the aspect of the "single utterance."

What Shabbos is in time, the bris is within the soul — the point of unity, the single utterance.

וכן נח צדיק תמים הוא בחי' דביקות בשורש נק' תמים.

And so too Noach, "a righteous, wholesome man" (tzaddik tamim), is the aspect of attachment to the root, [which is why he is] called "tamim" (wholesome/complete).

Noach's title "tamim" reflects his dveikus to the unifying root.

לכן כתיב אלה תולדות נח כי עיקר הברכה והריבוי בהתדבקות בשורש כמ"ש בשבת דכל ברכאין בי' תליין.

Therefore it is written, "These are the generations (toldos) of Noach" — for the essence of blessing and increase lies in attachment to the root, as is said of Shabbos, that "all blessings depend upon it" (Zohar).

Noach's "generations" follow from his rootedness, for all fruitfulness and bracha flow from connection to the source — just as Shabbos is the wellspring of all blessing.

שהוא שורש ואחדות שממנו מתפשט כל הברכות.

For it is the root and the unity from which all blessings spread forth.

The unifying root is the single source from which all blessing radiates.

וכזה מצינו בברכת נח לבניו.

And we find this same [idea] in Noach's blessing to his sons.

The Sefas Emes now applies the principle to the blessings Noach gave Shem and Yefes.

בשם כתיב ברוך ה' אלהי שם וביפת כ' יפת א' ליפת ולכאורה נתברך יפת יותר משם.

Of Shem it is written, "Blessed is Hashem, the God of Shem" (Bereishis 9:26); but of Yefes it is written, "May God expand (yaft) Yefes" (Bereishis 9:27) — and at first glance Yefes was blessed more than Shem.

Yefes received a blessing of expansion, while Shem's "blessing" only mentions Hashem's Name — making Yefes seem more blessed.

אכן ברכת שם הי' כמו הברכה בשבת דהוא שמא דקוב"ה שלום.

However, the blessing of Shem was like the blessing of Shabbos, which is the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He — [the Name] "Shalom."

Shem's blessing was of a higher order, like Shabbos, which is itself one of Hashem's Names — "Shalom," peace and wholeness.

וזה שורש כל הברכות.

And this is the root of all blessings.

To be encompassed within Hashem's own Name is the very source of every blessing, surpassing any particular gift.

ולכן לא אשתכח בי' מנא.

And therefore "no vessel (mana) is found in it."

Like the manna-less or vessel-less quality of the highest root, Shem's blessing transcends any limited "container" — it is the boundless source itself.

כמו כן לא הי' ברכה פרטיות לשם רק מה שהוזכר עליו שמו של הקב"ה וע"ז כ' בכ"מ אשר אזכיר את שמי כו' והכל ענין אחד:

Likewise, there was no particular [delineated] blessing for Shem, only that the Name of Hashem was invoked upon him; and regarding this it is written, "in every place where I cause My Name to be mentioned [I will come to you and bless you]" (Shemos 20:21), and it is all one matter.

Shem received no specific gift, only the resting of Hashem's Name upon him — which is itself the supreme blessing, "in every place where I mention My Name I will bless you." All these themes — Shabbos, the bris, the single utterance, and Shem's blessing — are one and the same idea.

Summary: Hashem's revelation depends on arousal from below: the Avos and tribes opened "gates" and actualized the supernal "colors" (Hashem's revealed attributes), and these shine through sacred time — the festivals, Rosh Chodesh (a full Yom Tov but for the Eigel), and Shabbos. Within the soul, the parallel "gates" are the bris ha-lashon and bris ha-ma'or, the two organs carrying the inner life-force, rectified by the Torah and bris milah. A "covenant" means cleaving to the root. The world was created with ten utterances, but the unifying "single utterance" is Shabbos, to which Noach the tzaddik tamim attached himself; through bittul, the ten become one, and Shabbos sustains what the wicked destroy. Thus Noach's blessing of Shem — like Shabbos and like the Name "Shalom" — gave no particular gift, only the resting of Hashem's Name upon him, which is the root and source of all blessing.