Awakening Earlier Generations On Shabbos
במדרש גדול העונה אמן כו'
The Midrash teaches: "Greater is the one who answers Amen than the one who recites the blessing," and so on.
The Sfas Emes opens with the Midrash's statement that answering Amen is even greater than reciting the blessing itself, setting up his theme of the participant who responds.
כבר כתבנו כי בכניסתן לא"י התחיל בחי' אמונה שהוא ענין תורה שבע"פ
We have already written that with the entry of Bnei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael there began the aspect of emunah, which is the matter of Torah she'b'al peh (the Oral Torah).
He recalls his earlier teaching that entering Eretz Yisrael initiated the dimension of emunah, which corresponds to the Oral Torah.
וכ' וענו הלוים אח"כ וענו כל העם שהם מדרגות זו למעלה מזו
And the verse writes, "And the Levi'im shall respond," and afterward, "And all the people shall respond" — these being levels, one higher than the other.
He points to the Torah's structure at the blessings and curses: first the Levi'im respond, then all the people respond, forming ascending tiers of involvement.
וענית הלוים הי' התדבקות לקבלת התורה מסיני ופשוטי בנ"י התמשכו ע"י ענית האמן
The responding of the Levi'im was an attachment (deveikus) to the receiving of the Torah from Sinai, while the simple folk among Bnei Yisrael were drawn along by means of answering Amen.
The Levi'im's response represented direct deveikus to the Sinai revelation, while the ordinary people were drawn into that connection through the act of answering Amen.
וכמו כן לעולם ע"י הדבקים בהש"י ומעוררין בשמים הקולות של התורה כמ"ש קול רם הי' בוודאי סיוע ועזר מן השמים שניתן להם
And so it is forever: through those who cling to Hashem and arouse in Heaven the sounds (kolos) of the Torah, as it is written, "a loud voice," there is surely assistance and aid from Heaven that is granted to them.
This is a permanent pattern: when tzaddikim cling to Hashem and awaken the Torah's voices above, Heaven responds with help and assistance for everyone.
וזה נעשה בעשור לחודש ע"י שקיבלו עליהם מצוה הראשונה במצרים הי' הכנה לקבלת המצות בכניסתן לארץ שהוא שורש תושבע"פ כמ"ש נר מצוה
And this came about on the tenth of the month, for through their having accepted upon themselves the first mitzvah in Mitzrayim, there was a preparation for the receiving of the mitzvos upon their entry into the Land — which is the root of Torah she'b'al peh, as it is written, "the mitzvah is a lamp" (Mishlei 6:23).
He traces this back to the tenth of Nissan, when accepting the first mitzvah in Mitzrayim prepared Bnei Yisrael to receive the mitzvos in the Land, the root of the Oral Torah.
ולכן נתאוה מרע"ה למה שנעשה ביום הזה כמ"ש והי' ביום אשר תעברו שהי' שמחה לפניו ית' במרום
Therefore Moshe Rabbeinu yearned for that which was accomplished on this day, as it is written, "And it shall be on the day when you cross over" — for there was joy before Him, may He be blessed, on high.
Because of what was accomplished that day, Moshe Rabbeinu longed for it, and the verse hints that this day brought joy before Hashem on high.
ולפי דעתי יתכן שיש חלק גדול לזה במה שקבעו שבת הגדול למה שנעשה בזה היום
And in my opinion it is plausible that there is a great portion in this for that which they established Shabbos HaGadol on account of what was accomplished on this day.
The Sfas Emes suggests that this very accomplishment plays a large role in why Shabbos HaGadol was established.
והגם שהט"ז כ' שלא יחסו הגדולה בעבור זה
And although the Taz wrote that they did not attribute the greatness on account of this,
He acknowledges the Taz's objection that the title "HaGadol" was not given on account of this event.
האמת יורה דרכו כי מה שקבעו בש"ק יש טעמים הרבה
the truth shall guide its own way: that for what they established it on the holy Shabbos there are many reasons.
Yet he answers that the truth makes its own way clear: there are many reasons why this commemoration was fixed specifically on Shabbos.
והעיקר כי לא בכל עת יכולין לעורר מה שנעשה בדורות הראשונים
And the main point is that not at every time is one able to arouse that which was accomplished in the earlier generations,
His central insight is that one cannot arouse the spiritual accomplishments of earlier generations at just any time.
רק בש"ק מתעורר מה שנעשה בימים קדמונים
rather only on the holy Shabbos does that which was accomplished in the days of old become aroused.
It is specifically on the holy Shabbos that the deeds of the days of old become reawakened and accessible.
אבל עיקר יחוס הגדולה היא בעשור לחודש שהי' שורש המצות ובחי' תושבע"פ:
But the primary attribution of the greatness is to the tenth of the month, which was the root of the mitzvos and the aspect of Torah she'b'al peh.
Still, the true source of the greatness belongs to the tenth of the month, which was the root of all the mitzvos and the aspect of the Oral Torah.
Summary: The Sfas Emes builds on the Midrash that answering Amen is greater than reciting the blessing, teaching that when tzaddikim cling to Hashem and awaken the voices of Torah on high, the simpler Bnei Yisrael are drawn into that deveikus through their response, and Heaven sends down help and assistance. He traces this dynamic to the tenth of Nissan, when accepting the first mitzvah in Mitzrayim became the root of receiving the mitzvos in Eretz Yisrael and the aspect of Torah she'b'al peh, which is why Moshe Rabbeinu yearned for this day and joy arose before Hashem on high. He then suggests this accomplishment underlies the establishment of Shabbos HaGadol, and, addressing the Taz's objection, explains that Shabbos is uniquely the time when the deeds of earlier generations can be reawakened. Nevertheless, he concludes that the primary source of the greatness lies in the tenth of the month itself, the root of the mitzvos and of the Oral Torah.