Reward Through Completed Perfection

במדרש מנורה של פרקים אסור להרכיב בשבת כו' לטובתך נתתי לך השבת כו' מתן שכר המצות בעקב כו'

The Midrash teaches regarding a menorah made of separate sections that it is forbidden to assemble it on Shabbos, and so forth, saying, "For your benefit I gave you the Shabbos," and so forth; and that the reward for mitzvos lies in what is trodden underfoot (eikev), and so forth.

The Sfas Emes opens with a Midrash about a sectioned menorah that may not be assembled on Shabbos, linking it to the idea that Shabbos was given for our benefit and that the reward for mitzvos lies in the "eikev," the heel or end.

ביאור הענין כי השי"ת במדת טובו הי' נותן לצדיקים כל טוב גם בעוה"ז

The explanation of the matter is that Hashem, in His attribute of goodness, would readily have given the tzaddikim every good even in this world.

He begins to explain that, by His goodness, Hashem would gladly have granted tzaddikim every good thing even in this world.

אבל כי עוה"ב א"א להיות רק אחר כל השלימות

However, Olam Haba cannot come about except after the attainment of complete perfection.

But Olam Haba, by its very nature, can only arrive after a person reaches complete perfection.

לאשר הוא הטוב בכל מיני השלימות

For it is the good that consists of every manner of perfection.

Olam Haba is precisely that good which is made up of every form of perfection together.

ועבודת האדם בעוה"ז לסדר הפרקים

And the avodah of a person in this world is to arrange the sections in their proper order.

A person's task in this world is to put all the "sections" or stages of avodah into their proper order.

ובשלימות המנורה אז מאיר אור העליון

And when the menorah is in its complete state, then the supernal light shines forth.

Only once the menorah stands complete and assembled does the supernal light shine through it.

ולכן השכר בעקב אחר כל תיקון השלם

Therefore the reward comes in the eikev, after all the complete rectification (tikkun) has been achieved.

So too the reward comes at the "eikev," the very end, after all the rectification has been completed.

אכן מתנה טובה נתן השי"ת לבנ"י והוא השבת שיש בו מעין עוה"ב ע"י ביטול המלאכה נותן לבנ"י הארה משלימות שלעתיד

Nevertheless, Hashem gave a good gift to Bnei Yisrael, namely the Shabbos, which contains a foretaste of Olam Haba, for through the cessation of melachah He grants Bnei Yisrael an illumination drawn from the perfection of the future world.

As a gift, Hashem gave Bnei Yisrael the Shabbos, a taste of Olam Haba, because by resting from melachah they receive an illumination drawn from the perfection of the future.

וע"ז נאמר פורס סוכת שלום כו'

And concerning this it is said, "He spreads the sukkah of peace," and so forth.

This is the meaning of the phrase "He spreads the sukkah of peace" said about Shabbos, alluding to that future illumination already extended over us now.

וימי המעשה הם ששת קני מנורה וכפי העבודה בחול להרכיב הקנים ולבטלם אל הנקודה הפנימיות שהוא השבת

And the days of the week are the six branches of the menorah, and according to one's avodah during the weekday in joining the branches and nullifying them toward the inner point, which is the Shabbos,

The six weekdays correspond to the six branches of the menorah, and our weekday avodah is to join those branches and nullify them toward the inner central point, which is Shabbos.

אז מאיר השבת שהוא אור שבעת הימים

then the Shabbos shines, for it is the light of the seven days.

When that is done, Shabbos itself shines, for it is the light that gathers and illuminates all seven days.

לכן ההרכבה אסור בשבת

Therefore the assembling is forbidden on Shabbos,

This is why assembling the menorah is forbidden specifically on Shabbos.

כי הארת השבת אחר השלימות בימי המעשה כנ"ל

because the illumination of Shabbos comes only after the perfection achieved during the days of the week, as explained above.

The reason is that Shabbos's light only emerges after the labor of perfecting things during the six weekdays.

וימי המעשה עם השבת הם כדמיון עוה"ז ועוה"ב

And the days of the week together with the Shabbos are like a parallel to this world and the world to come.

The weekdays and Shabbos together form a model of this world and the world to come.

וכמו כן בכל אדם בפרט א"א לבא להשגה אמתית עד אחר תיקון השלימות כפי ערך ההשגה

And likewise, with every individual person in particular, it is impossible to arrive at true attainment until after the rectification of perfection, in accordance with the measure of that attainment.

The same pattern holds for each individual: one cannot reach genuine spiritual attainment until first completing the rectification appropriate to the level he seeks.

וע"ז נאמר ג"כ והי' עקב תשמעון כי השמיעה הוא בעקב כנ"ל:

And concerning this it is likewise said, "And it shall be, eikev (because) you will hearken," for the hearkening is in the eikev, as explained above.

This is also hinted in the verse "And it shall be, eikev you will hearken" the hearkening and its reward come at the eikev, the end, after the work is done.

Summary: The Sfas Emes builds on a Midrash that one may not assemble a sectioned menorah on Shabbos to explain why the Torah says the reward for mitzvos comes in the "eikev," at the very end. Hashem's good, Olam Haba, is by its nature a state of complete perfection, and therefore it can only be granted after a person has finished arranging all the "sections" of his avodah in proper order, just as the supernal light shines only through a fully assembled menorah. As a gift, Hashem gave Bnei Yisrael the Shabbos, which contains a foretaste of that future perfection: the six weekdays are the six branches of the menorah, and our weekday avodah is to draw and nullify them toward the inner point of Shabbos, so that on Shabbos the unified light of all seven days shines. This is precisely why assembling is forbidden on Shabbos, for Shabbos's light comes only after the work of the weekdays, mirroring how Olam Haba follows this world. The same principle applies to every individual, who reaches true attainment only after completing the rectification fitting his level, which is the deeper meaning of "eikev tishme'un."