Mitzvos as openings to Hashem's secret

במדרש פתח האהל פתח טוב פתחת כו' סוד ה' ליריאיו כו' אם תמול תטול סוד ה' כו'.

In the Midrash: "the opening of the tent" — "a good opening You have opened…"; "the secret of Hashem is for those who fear Him" (Tehillim 25:14)…; "if you circumcise (timmol), you will take hold of the secret of Hashem…"

The Midrash links the "opening of the tent" where Avraham sat to milah (circumcision), reading the word as a wordplay: through milah one merits to grasp the hidden "secret of Hashem."

והענין הוא כי בודאי מה שנק' סוד ה' א"א להתגלות בעוה"ז ועיקר סוד ה' ליריאיו הוא מה שזוכין נשמות בנ"י בעוה"ב.

And the matter is that surely what is called "the secret of Hashem" cannot be revealed in this world, and the essence of "the secret of Hashem is for those who fear Him" is what the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael merit in olam haba.

The true "secret of Hashem" belongs to the next world; it cannot fully appear in olam hazeh. Its primary fulfillment is the reward awaiting the souls of Bnei Yisrael in olam haba.

אכן ובריתו להודיעם שנתן הקב"ה ע"י תורה ומצות.

However, "and His covenant, to make it known to them" — that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave through Torah and mitzvos.

Yet Hashem provided a way to taste that secret already now: through His bris, made known by means of Torah and mitzvos.

ובפרט המצות שנקראו ברית ואותות כמו שבת מילה ותפילין ודכוותיהו.

And in particular the mitzvos that are called "covenant" and "signs" (osos), such as Shabbos, milah, and tefillin, and the like.

Certain mitzvos are designated as "covenant" and "sign" — Shabbos, circumcision, tefillin — and these especially serve as the channel to the hidden secret.

על ידיהן יש לאדם דעת ודביקות להרגיש הארת הסוד.

Through them a person has knowledge (da'as) and attachment (deveikus) to sense the illumination of the secret.

These "sign" mitzvos give a person the awareness and bond with Hashem that lets him feel, even in this world, a glimmer of that supernal secret.

ובמשנה חביב אדם שנברא בצלם חבה יתירה נודעת שנברא בצלם דכתיב כי בצלם אלקים עשה כו'.

And in the Mishnah: "Beloved is man, for he was created in the image (tzelem); a greater love was made known to him, that he was created in the image, as it is written, 'for in the image of God He made man…'" (Avos 3:14).

The Mishnah teaches that man is beloved for being created in the Divine image, and that an extra love lies in his being told of it through the verse "for in the image of God He made man."

וקשה דמביא זה הפסוק והלא מתחילת כתיב בצלמינו.

And it is difficult, that it cites this verse, when at the very beginning it is already written, "in Our image."

The question: why does the Mishnah quote a later verse to prove man's tzelem, when the Torah said so already at creation, "Let us make man in Our image"?

ויברא את האדם בצלמו.

"And He created man in His image."

The earlier verse already states plainly that man was created in the Divine image — so why a second proof-text?

אכן פי' המשנה כמ"ש כי ודאי עיקר הבריאה בצלם אלקים הוא הנפש והנשמה כמ"ש חז"ל וייצר ב' יצירות כו'.

Rather, the explanation of the Mishnah is as we said: that surely the primary creation "in the image of God" is the nefesh and the neshamah (the soul), as Chazal said on "vayyitzer" — two formations…

The answer: the first verses, which speak of the soul, refer to man's spiritual creation in the Divine image — the nefesh and neshamah, as the doubled letter in "vayyitzer" indicates two acts of forming.

אכן גם בצלם הגוף נמצא לבני ישראל התקשרות ודביקות בציור הפנימי והוא באמת ע"י המילה שנתן הקב"ה לבנ"י וזה שהוכיח מדכתיב שופך דם האדם כו' כי בצלם אלקים עשה.

However, even in the "image" of the body there is for Bnei Yisrael a connection and attachment to the inner form (tziyur penimi), and this is truly through the milah that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave to Bnei Yisrael; and this is what is proven from the verse "one who spills the blood of man… for in the image of God He made man" (Bereishis 9:6).

The second verse, cited in the Mishnah, teaches something new: that even the physical body of a Jew bears the Divine image. This bodily tzelem is accessed through milah, and the proof-text speaks specifically of the body ("one who spills the blood of man").

מוכח כי בגוף נמצא ג"כ זה הצלם.

It is proven that in the body too this image is found.

Hence the verse demonstrates that the Divine tzelem resides even in the physical body, not only in the soul.

אך הוא נסתר כמ"ש אשר צפנת ליריאיך.

But it is hidden, as it is written, "which You have stored away for those who fear You" (Tehillim 31:20).

This bodily image, however, lies concealed — it is part of the "treasure stored away" for those who fear Hashem.

כי הערלה מכסה.

For the orlah (foreskin) covers it.

What conceals the Divine image in the body is the orlah — the physical and spiritual barrier of coarseness.

ולבנ"י ניתן כח להסיר זו הערלה ולהתגלות להם צלם אלקים.

And to Bnei Yisrael was given the power to remove this orlah and to have the image of God revealed to them.

Bnei Yisrael uniquely received the ability, through milah, to strip away that covering and uncover the Divine image hidden in the body.

ולכן נקרא אות ברית קודש כי עי"ז הברית נודעת להם זה הצלם כנ"ל.

Therefore it is called "a sign of the holy covenant" (os bris kodesh), for through this covenant this image becomes known to them, as above.

Milah is called the "sign of the holy covenant" precisely because it is the means by which the hidden Divine image in the body is made known.

וכן הוא בענין השבת קודש שדרשו חז"ל לדעת כי אני ה' מקדישכם מתנה טובה כו' בבית גנזי לך והודיעם.

And so it is with the matter of Shabbos Kodesh, regarding which Chazal expounded: "to know that I am Hashem who sanctifies you" — "a good gift… in My treasure house I have, and make it known to them."

The same pattern applies to Shabbos: it is a precious gift kept in Hashem's "treasury," and He commanded that it be made known to Bnei Yisrael so they may "know that I am Hashem who sanctifies you."

היינו שבאמת השבת מיוחד לנשמות בנ"י שעולין בשבת קודש לג"ע עליון.

That is, that in truth Shabbos is reserved for the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael, who ascend on Shabbos Kodesh to the upper Gan Eden.

The inner essence of Shabbos belongs to the souls of Bnei Yisrael, who rise on it to the supernal Gan Eden — a level beyond this world.

אכן גם בעוה"ז נתן השי"ת לנו השבת להיות לנו ידיעה ודביקות בשבת העליון.

However, even in this world, Hashem gave us the Shabbos so that we may have knowledge and attachment to the supernal Shabbos.

Yet Hashem also granted us Shabbos here below as a tangible "sign," giving us awareness of and bond with that higher, hidden Shabbos.

וז"ש ושבת קדשו הנחילנו בלשון נסתר שהוא סוד ה' ואח"כ שבת קדשך הנחלתנו שיהי' לנו בעוה"ז ג"כ חלק בהארה זו כדאיתא שבת הוא מעין עוה"ב וכן רמזו חז"ל מתן שכרו לא עבידי לגלויי ע"ש.

And this is the meaning of "and His holy Shabbos He bequeathed us" (in the hidden, third-person form), which is "the secret of Hashem"; and afterward "Your holy Shabbos You bequeathed us," that we should have a portion in this illumination in this world too, as it is taught, "Shabbos is a foretaste of olam haba," and likewise Chazal hinted that "the giving of its reward is not destined to be revealed"; see there.

The shift in the prayer from "His Shabbos" (hidden) to "Your Shabbos" (intimate) mirrors the two levels: the concealed supernal Shabbos that is the "secret of Hashem," and the revealed portion we receive in this world. Shabbos is a sample of olam haba, whose full reward remains hidden.

וכן הוא בכל המצות אשר קדשנו במצותיו הוא בסוד המצות.

And so it is with all the mitzvos: "who sanctified us with His mitzvos" refers to the secret (sod) of the mitzvos.

Every mitzvah has this same double character. The blessing "who sanctified us with His mitzvos" alludes to the hidden, supernal root of the mitzvah.

וצונו בפרט שעל ידי מעשה המצוה בעוה"ז יהי' לנו דביקות וידיעה בשורשה העליון.

"And commanded us" refers specifically to the fact that through the act of the mitzvah in this world we shall have attachment and knowledge of its supernal root.

And "and commanded us" points to the physical performance here, by which we gain deveikus and da'as connecting us to the mitzvah's lofty source.

ואאע"ה הי' הראשון שפתח זה הפתח בעוה"ז להיות בו התגלות מעוה"ב דכתיב פתחי לי אחותי דרשו חז"ל כפתחו של מחט ואני אפתח לכם כפתחו של אולם.

And Avraham Avinu was the first to open this opening in this world, to have within it a revelation from olam haba, as it is written, "open for Me, My sister" — Chazal expounded: like the eye of a needle, "and I shall open for you like the opening of a great hall."

Avraham, through his milah, was the first to open this "doorway" in the world, drawing a revelation of olam haba into olam hazeh. Hashem responds measure for measure: open even a tiny opening, and He opens a vast one in return.

דכתיב ג"כ פתחו לי שערי צדק כו'.

As it is also written, "open for me the gates of righteousness…" (Tehillim 118:19).

The same theme of opening gates appears here: a person asks Hashem to open the "gates of righteousness" for him.

וב' הפתחים תלוין זה בזה כי כפי שאדם פותח כך נפתח לו מלמעלה.

And the two openings depend on one another, for according to how a person opens, so it is opened for him from Above.

Human effort and Divine response are linked: the measure of opening a person makes from below determines the opening granted to him from Heaven.

וכיון שהמילה נתן הקב"ה ביד האדם שלא נברא מהול רק לימול עצמו.

And since the Holy One, blessed be He, placed the milah in the hand of man — for he was not created already circumcised, but rather to circumcise himself.

Hashem deliberately left milah for man to perform; a person is not born circumcised, so that the act of opening would be his own initiative.

הרמז שבזה הפתח שפותח האדם להתקדש בבריתו של אאע"ה כך נפתחים לו שערי צדק.

The hint is that through this opening, which a person opens to sanctify himself with the covenant of Avraham Avinu, so the gates of righteousness are opened for him.

By making the human "opening" of milah — entering Avraham's covenant — a person triggers the corresponding heavenly opening of the gates of righteousness.

דבאמת העיקר הוא סייעתא דשמיא.

For in truth the essential thing is siyata diShmaya (Heavenly assistance).

Ultimately the real accomplishment comes from Heaven; the human opening only invites the far greater Divine response.

ומ"מ הכל תלוי גם בעבודת האדם.

Nevertheless, everything depends also on the avodah of man.

Even so, the Divine help is not automatic; it hinges on a person first doing his part through his own avodah.

דכתיב ויהי נועם ה' עלינו והם ג' מדריגות כדאיתא קוב"ה ואורייתא וישראל כולהו חד.

As it is written, "may the pleasantness of Hashem be upon us" (Tehillim 90:17), and these are three levels, as it is taught: the Holy One, blessed be He, the Torah, and Yisrael — all three are one.

The verse "may the pleasantness of Hashem be upon us… establish the work of our hands" contains three phrases corresponding to the three united aspects: Hashem, Torah, and Yisrael.

נועם ה' עלינו הוא סוד ה' שלמעלה מהשגת האדם.

"The pleasantness of Hashem upon us" is the secret of Hashem, which is above human comprehension.

The first phrase corresponds to the highest level — the "secret of Hashem" itself, which transcends what a person can grasp.

ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו הוא הפתח שהתחתונים מעוררים בעצמם.

"And the work of our hands, establish it upon us" is the opening that those below arouse by themselves.

The second phrase corresponds to the human "opening" — the initiative that we below arouse through our own deeds.

ומעשה ידינו כוננהו הוא הידיעה ודביקות שנתן לנו השי"ת ע"י תורה ומצות כנ"ל.

"And the work of our hands, establish it" is the knowledge and attachment that Hashem gave us through Torah and mitzvos, as above.

The third phrase corresponds to the middle bridge: the da'as and deveikus Hashem grants through Torah and mitzvos, connecting the human opening to the supernal secret.

ואפשר זה רמז הג' ראיות.

And perhaps this is the hint of the three "seeings."

The Sefas Emes suggests that the three expressions of "seeing" in the parsha correspond to these same three levels.

וירא אליו ה' הוא בכח עליון.

"And Hashem appeared to him" is by the supernal power.

"Vayeira eilav Hashem" — Hashem revealing Himself to Avraham — corresponds to the highest, Divine level coming from Above.

וישא עיניו וירא הוא כח התחתונים.

"And he lifted his eyes and saw" is the power of those below.

Avraham lifting his own eyes to see corresponds to the human level — the arousal that comes from below.

ואח"כ כתיב סתם וירא שהוא הממוצע המחבר ב' אלו המדריגות.

And afterward it is written simply "and he saw," which is the intermediary that joins these two levels.

The unqualified "vayar" ("and he saw") corresponds to the bridging middle level — Torah and mitzvos — that unites the Divine revelation with the human arousal.

[ולכן אומרים זה הפסוק ויהי נועם במוצ"ש להמשיך הארה מהש"ק לימי המעשה כנ"ל]:

[Therefore we recite this verse, "may the pleasantness be," at the conclusion of Shabbos (Motzaei Shabbos), to draw down an illumination from Shabbos Kodesh into the weekdays, as above.]

Because this verse encodes the union of the three levels, we say it as Shabbos ends, channeling the Shabbos light into the coming workdays.

Summary: The "secret of Hashem" belongs essentially to olam haba, yet Hashem made it accessible already in this world through the "sign" mitzvos — milah, Shabbos, and the rest — which let a person sense the hidden Divine illumination. Even the body bears a concealed Divine image, uncovered through milah, the human "opening" that Avraham was first to make. Through Torah and mitzvos a person arouses an opening from below, and Hashem responds with a far greater opening from Above, bridging the supernal secret and human avodah.