Divine Unity and Shabbat Light

בזמר האר"י ז"ל אזמר בשבחין למיעל גו פתחין דבחקל תפוחין.

“In the song of the Arizal: ‘I will sing praises to enter within the gates of the Orchard of Apples.’”

The Sefat Emet opens with the Arizal’s phrase, noting that the entry is described as being ‘within the gates’ of the sacred orchard, hinting at inner spiritual access.

וקשה מאי גו פתחין הול"ל למיעל בחקל תפוחין.

“And it is difficult: why ‘within the gates’? It should have said ‘to enter the Orchard of Apples.’”

He raises a textual difficulty: why mention entering ‘within gates’ rather than the orchard itself?

אבל האמת כי חקל תפוחין הוא בכל מקום כמ"ש מלא כל הארץ כבודו וכדאיתא ראה ריח בני כריח שדה כו'.

“But the truth is that the Orchard of Apples is everywhere, as it is written ‘The whole earth is filled with His glory,’ and as stated regarding ‘the scent of my son is like the scent of a field.’”

The orchard is not a location but a spiritual reality permeating all creation, detectable by those with the inner sense of holiness.

רק שעיקר העבודה לפתוח נקודה זאת.

“Only the essence of the work is to open this point.”

The task is to awaken the inner point of holiness already present everywhere.

ובשבת נפתח זה השער כמ"ש שער החצר הפנימית כו' ששת ימי המעשה יהיה סגור וביום השבת יפתח.

“And on Shabbat this gate opens, as it says: ‘The gate of the inner courtyard… for six weekdays it shall be closed, and on Shabbat it shall be opened.’”

Shabbat naturally reveals this hidden point, opening an inner spiritual gate inaccessible during the week.

וכמו שראינו קדושת שבת בין הימים.

“And as we see, the holiness of Shabbat is among the days.”

Shabbat stands within time yet transcends ordinary time.

אף שהוא תוך הזמן אעפ"כ הוא מעין עוה"ב.

“Although it is within time, nevertheless it is a taste of the World to Come.”

Shabbat grants a foretaste of a higher reality while still embedded in temporal existence.

וההפרש בין ימות החול לשבת שנפתח בו הפנימיות ואין דומה מאור פניו של אדם בשבת כבחול שבנקל להרגיש הקדושה בשבת.

“The difference between weekdays and Shabbat is that on Shabbat the innerness opens, and a person’s radiance is incomparable to that of a weekday, for one easily senses holiness on Shabbat.”

Human countenance and awareness shift on Shabbat due to this inner opening.

וכמו כן יכולין להבין כי כבוד מלכותו ית' הוא בכל מקום אף שאינו נגלה וזה האמונה של כל איש ישראל בה' אחד.

“So too we may understand that His blessed Sovereign Glory is everywhere, even if not revealed—and this is the faith of every Jew in the One God.”

The unity of God affirms that divine presence fills all places, though hidden.

פי' אחד שאין דבר רק השי"ת בעצמו הוא הכל ואף שאין יכולין להשיג את זה כראוי צריכין להאמין בזה וע"י אמונה באין אל האמת.

“‘One’ means there is nothing but God Himself—He is all; and though we cannot fully grasp this, we must believe it, and through faith we come to truth.”

Unity is absolute; faith bridges the gap between limited human perception and divine truth.

וכמ"ש במקום אחר כי אמת ואמונה הם ב' מדריגות והוא ענין יוסף ויהודה דכ' במדרש אחד באחד יגשו.

“As written elsewhere: truth and faith are two levels, and this is the matter of Joseph and Judah, as the Midrash says: ‘One toward one they approach.’”

Joseph represents truth revealed; Judah represents faith in concealment. Their union expresses spiritual wholeness.

כענין שנאמר ה' אחד ושמו אחד.

“As in the verse: ‘The Lord is One and His Name is One.’”

This unity will ultimately be complete and manifest.

ולעתיד יתברר זה האחדות שיש בתוך הבריאה וזה נקרא רזא דאחד כי הוא עתה בסוד נסתר.

“In the future this unity within creation will be clarified; this is called the ‘secret of Oneness,’ for now it is hidden.”

Presently concealed, divine unity will eventually become revealed in the world.

וה' אחד הוא למעלה מהשגת הנבראים כמ"ש כל הנקרא בשמי כו' כי העולם הזה נברא בשמו ית'.

“And the One God is beyond the comprehension of creations, as it says: ‘Everything called by My Name…’ for this world was created by His Name.”

Creation is an expression of God’s Name, not His essence, which remains transcendent.

וז"ש בי אדוני ופי' האריז"ל ה' בי באותיות יהודה.

“And this is the meaning of ‘Bi Adoni,’ and the Arizal explained: ‘God is within me’—in the letters of Yehudah.”

The name Yehudah contains the divine Name, revealing hidden divinity within the human soul.

והפירוש שעי"ז יכול כל אדם לתקן עצמו אף בעת ההסתר ע"י האמונה שהשי"ת משגיח בכל.

“Meaning that through this every person can repair himself even in times of concealment, through faith that God oversees everything.”

Faith enables spiritual repair even when God’s presence is obscured.

ויאמין כי יש בו נשמת אל חי כמ"ש כל אחד מישראל נשמה שנתת בי טהורה.

“And he should believe he possesses a living divine soul, as it says: ‘The soul You placed within me is pure.’”

Recognizing one’s divine soul is foundational to spiritual clarity.

וע"י שמבטל עצמו לנקודה חיות מהשי"ת ורוצה להכיר את האמת.

“And by nullifying himself to the point of divine vitality and desiring to know the truth…”

Self‑nullification to divine life awakens higher perception.

מתגלה לו כמו שמצינו ביהודה ולא יכול יוסף להתאפק כו'.

“It becomes revealed to him, as we find with Judah—‘And Joseph could not restrain himself…’”

Judah’s faith drew forth the revelation of Joseph, symbolizing concealed truth becoming manifest.

כמ"ש במ"א באורך שיוסף ויהודה הם כענין יום השבת עם ימי המעשה.

“As written elsewhere at length: Joseph and Judah correspond to Shabbat and the weekdays.”

Joseph is revelation (Shabbat); Judah is faith during concealment (weekdays).

ובכל ש"ק יורד נקודה לכל איש ישראל וצריך הוא להמשיך זאת הנקודה בכל ימי המעשה ואז זוכה בשבת הבא לקבל נקודה אחרת.

“And each Shabbat a point descends to every Jew, and one must draw this point into the weekdays; then on the next Shabbat he merits receiving another point.”

Each Shabbat brings a new spiritual seed, which must be carried into the week and cultivated to receive the next level.

The passage explains that divine holiness fills all existence, but the inner gate to perceive it must be opened. Shabbat naturally reveals this inner point, mirroring the relationship between faith (Judah) and revealed truth (Joseph). Through faith, self‑nullification, and weekly spiritual work, a person draws down successive points of holiness.