Protection Within Worldly Darkness

בפסוק אתם עוברים בגבול אחיכם בני עשו

On the pasuk, "You are passing through the border of your brethren, the children of Esav" (Devarim 2:4).

The piece opens with the pasuk describing Bnei Yisrael passing through the territory of Esav's descendants.

איתא בילקוט יש לכם חלק בעוה"ז שהוא לעשו כי יעקב בחר לו עוה"ב ועשו עוה"ז ע"ש

It is brought in the Yalkut: You have a portion in this world, which belongs to Esav, for Yaakov chose for himself Olam Haba, and Esav chose this world — see there.

The Yalkut teaches that this world is Esav's portion, since Yaakov chose Olam Haba while Esav chose this world.

הרמז כי דור המדבר היו מוכנים להיות למעלה מן הטבע לגמרי

The hint is that the generation of the midbar was prepared to be entirely above nature.

The Sfas Emes explains that the generation that left Mitzrayim was originally meant to live entirely above the natural order.

אמרתי אלקים אתם כו'

As it says, "I said, you are angelic beings" (Tehillim 82:6).

This is hinted in the pasuk in which Hashem addresses Bnei Yisrael as elevated, angelic beings.

ואחר החטא הוצרכו לעבור דרך עוה"ז ולכן צריכין שמירה

But after the cheit they had to pass by way of this world, and therefore they require protection.

Once they sinned, however, they were forced to make their way through this physical world, and that exposure is precisely why they needed shemirah, protection.

וע"ז מסיים המדרש ק"ו אנו שנטבענו ביניהם

And upon this the Midrash concludes with a kal vachomer: How much more so do we, who have become sunk among them.

On this the Midrash builds a kal vachomer applied to ourselves, who are far more deeply embedded in this world than they were.

כי אותו הדור הי' להם רק העברה בעוה"ז בדרך מעבר בלבד

For that generation merely had a passing through this world, by way of transit alone.

That generation was only passing through this world temporarily, like a traveler in transit.

היו צריכין שמירה

Yet they still required protection.

Even so, that brief passage already made shemirah necessary for them.

מכ"ש אנחנו שנטבענו תוך חשכת עוה"ז והטבע צריכין שמירה ביותר:

How much more so do we, who have become sunk within the darkness of this world and of nature, require protection all the more.

All the more so do we, sunk in the darkness of this world and of nature itself, stand in need of even greater shemirah.

Summary: Commenting on the pasuk that Bnei Yisrael were passing through the border of Esav's children, the Sfas Emes draws on the Yalkut that this world is the portion of Esav, while Yaakov chose Olam Haba. He explains that the generation of the midbar was originally destined to live entirely above nature, as hinted in the pasuk that calls Bnei Yisrael angelic beings. After the cheit they were forced to travel through this world, and that very exposure is why they required shemirah. The Midrash then frames a kal vachomer: if that generation, who merely passed through this world in transit, needed protection, how much more do we, sunk deep in the darkness of this world and nature, require shemirah all the more.