Elevating This World
ואיתא בגמ' הרבה עשו כרשב"י ולא עלתה בידן
It is brought down in the Gemara that many tried to act in the way of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, yet it did not succeed in their hands.
The Gemara contrasts two approaches: many who tried to devote themselves entirely to Torah in the manner of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai found that they could not sustain it.
כר"י ואספת דגנך כפשוטו ועלתה בידן
Whereas they acted in the way of Rabbi Yishmael, who took "and you shall gather in your grain" (Devarim 11:14) according to its plain meaning, and this did succeed in their hands.
Those who followed Rabbi Yishmael's path -- combining Torah with earthly labor, taking the verse about gathering grain literally -- found that their efforts were sustained.
והוא פלא מי שעשה כרשב"י איך נאמר ולא עלתה
And this is a wonder: one who acted in the way of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, how can it be said that it did not succeed?
The Sfas Emes raises a difficulty: if a person genuinely lived on the lofty level of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, why would the Gemara say his approach failed?
רק הפי' שלא עלתה בידו להעלות עניני עוה"ז שזה עיקר עבודת האדם
Rather, the meaning is that it did not succeed in his hand to elevate the matters of this world, for that is the essence of a person's avodah.
He answers that the failure was not in his Torah but in his task of uplifting and sanctifying the affairs of this world, which is the true work Hashem placed upon a person.
רק רצון האדם צריך להיות מוכן להיות נפרש מכל עוה"ז אם יהי' כן רצונו ית'
Rather, a person's will must be prepared to be separated from all of this world, were such to be the will of Hashem Yisbarach.
What is really demanded is that a person's inner will be ready to detach entirely from worldly matters, if that is what Hashem should desire of him.
וזה קבלת מ"ש וקבלת עול מצות ושבת קודש ניתן לישראל יום א' לעזוב כל עניני עוה"ז והוא מעין עוה"ב כמ"ש חז"ל והוא סימן כפי מה שמדבק האדם עצמו בקדושת שבת יש לו חלק לעוה"ב והוא קבלת מלכות
And this is the acceptance of what is written, "and you accept the yoke of mitzvos" (cf. the morning blessings) -- and the holy Shabbos was given to Bnei Yisrael as one day to leave aside all the matters of this world, and it is a taste of Olam Haba, as Chazal have said; and it is a sign, that according to how a person cleaves himself to the kedushah of Shabbos, so does he have a portion in Olam Haba, and this is the acceptance of the kingship of Hashem.
This readiness is the acceptance of the yoke of mitzvos: Shabbos is the day to release all worldly involvement and taste Olam Haba, and the depth of one's attachment to Shabbos's kedushah is the very measure of his portion in the World to Come -- this is accepting Hashem's kingship.
ובימי המעשה קבלת מצות כנ"ל:
And on the weekdays there is the acceptance of mitzvos, as explained above.
During the six weekdays, the parallel avodah is the acceptance of the mitzvos themselves, as described above.
Summary: The Sfas Emes addresses the Gemara's teaching that many tried to follow Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's path of total immersion in Torah without earthly labor and did not succeed, while those who followed Rabbi Yishmael's path of combining Torah with work did succeed. He asks how it can be said that one who truly lived like Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai "did not succeed," and answers that the shortfall lay in the failure to elevate the matters of this world, which is the essence of a person's avodah. What Hashem truly asks is that a person's will be ready to separate entirely from this world should He desire it -- a readiness that is the acceptance of the yoke of mitzvos. Shabbos embodies this, a day to leave aside all worldly matters and taste Olam Haba, where one's attachment to its kedushah measures his portion in the World to Come and constitutes accepting Hashem's kingship; the weekdays bring the parallel avodah of accepting the mitzvos.