Opening The Inner Doorway
במדרש לשקוד על דלתותי דלת לפנים מדלת
The Midrash expounds on the verse "to be diligent at My doorways" (Mishlei 8:34) — a doorway within a doorway.
The Sfas Emes opens with the Midrash on "My doorways," noting the plural implies an inner door and an outer door — two stages of entry into closeness with Hashem.
דכ' פתחי לי אחותי כו' דרשו חז"ל פ' כחודה של מחט ואפתח לכם כפתחו של היכל ואולם
For it is written, "Open for Me, My sister" (Shir HaShirim 5:2), and Chazal expounded: Open for Me an opening like the eye of a needle, and I will open for you an opening like the entrance of the Heichal and the Ulam.
He brings Chazal's teaching that if a person makes even the tiniest opening of his own, Hashem responds by opening a vast entrance for him.
א"כ יש ב' דלתות והיינו דכ' א"א שומע לי שזוכה שנפתח לו מלמעלה הפתח
If so, there are two doorways — and this is the meaning of what is written: it is impossible that a person who hearkens to Me should not merit that an opening be opened for him from Above.
The two openings correspond to man's effort below and Hashem's response from Above; whoever truly listens to Hashem is assured that the upper door will open for him.
ובאמת פתחי לי נאמר בזמן הגלות כדכ' אני ישנה כו'
And in truth, "Open for Me" was said about the time of galus, as it is written, "I am asleep [but my heart is awake]" (Shir HaShirim 5:2).
The plea "Open for Me" belongs to galus, when Bnei Yisrael are like one asleep yet with a heart still awake and longing.
ואז צריכין בנ"י לפתוח פתח החיצון שהוא הכנה אל הגאולה
And then Bnei Yisrael must open the outer doorway, which is the preparation for the geulah.
In that state of galus, the avodah of Bnei Yisrael is to open the outer door themselves, and this opening is the very preparation for the geulah.
ומעין זה יש לעולם בימי המעשה נאמר ג"כ פתחי לי כו' [וכ"א בתיקונים]. ובשבת היא הפתח מלמעלה
And something of this nature exists always: during the weekdays it is likewise said "Open for Me," (and so it is stated in the Tikkunim), while on Shabbos the doorway is opened from Above.
This pattern repeats in time: the weekdays are like the "Open for Me" demanded of man, while Shabbos is the doorway that Hashem opens from Above without our effort.
ומעין זה יש בכל יום ג"כ כפי הכנת האדם לפתוח לבו לתפלה כך פותחין לו מלמעלה
And something of this nature exists each and every day as well: according to a person's preparation to open his heart to tefillah, so is it opened for him from Above.
The same dynamic plays out daily — the more a person prepares and opens his heart to tefillah, the more Heaven opens itself to him in return.
לשמור מזוזת פתחי כ' במדרש כמו שמזוזה אינה זזה מהפתח כך לא תהי' זז מן בתי כנסיות כו'
On the verse "to guard the doorposts of My openings" (Mishlei 8:34), the Midrash expounds: just as the mezuzah does not budge from the doorway, so too one should not budge from the batei knesios.
He cites the Midrash comparing one's steadfastness in the beis knesses to a mezuzah that never moves from its doorpost, teaching constancy in the place of tefillah.
פי' שהגם שיש זמני תפלה מ"מ הכנת האדם אל התפלה צריך להיות כל היום לשמור הוא להשתוקק להיות מוכן לתפלה ולפתיחת לבו מן השמים
The explanation is that even though there are fixed times for tefillah, nevertheless a person's preparation for tefillah must be present the entire day — "guarding" means to yearn to be ready for tefillah and for the opening of his heart from Shamayim.
He explains that "guarding" is not limited to the set times of davening; the readiness and yearning for tefillah must fill the whole day.
והיא שעה ראשונה ששהו החסידים הראשונים לפני התפלה שעה היא רצון והשתוקקות
And this is the "first hour" during which the early chassidim would tarry before tefillah — an hour that is ratzon and yearning.
This constant yearning is embodied by the early chassidim's practice of waiting a full hour before davening, transforming that hour into one of ratzon and longing.
ואחר התפלה לשמור אותה הפתיחה והרשימה שקיבל בתפילה שלא תאבד ממנו ושתהי' קשורה בו כל הימים:
And after the tefillah, to guard that opening and that impression which he received during the tefillah, so that it not be lost from him and that it remain bound to him all the days.
Finally, the avodah after tefillah is to preserve the opening and the spiritual impression gained, keeping it bound to oneself throughout all the days.
Summary: The Sfas Emes builds on the Midrash that reads "My doorways" as a door within a door, corresponding to the two openings of "Open for Me an opening like the eye of a needle, and I will open for you an opening like the Heichal." Man opens the small outer door through his own effort, and Hashem responds by opening a vast door from Above; this is the avodah of galus, when Bnei Yisrael are asleep yet yearning, and their self-made opening becomes the preparation for the geulah. The same pattern recurs in the rhythm of time and of each day: the weekdays and the heart's preparation are man's "Open for Me," while Shabbos and the Heavenly response are the door opened from Above. Drawing on the mezuzah that never budges from its doorpost, he teaches that readiness for tefillah must not be confined to its set times but fill the entire day with yearning — as embodied by the early chassidim who tarried an hour before davening in an hour of ratzon. The final avodah is to guard the opening and the impression received during tefillah so that it remains bound to a person all his days.