Opening And Sealing The Heart

במדרש כי המצוה הזאת כו' הפותח והחותם בתורה כו'

In the Midrash on the verse "For this mitzvah" (Devarim 30:11), it expounds that the Torah is referred to as "the One who opens and the One who closes," hinting at two distinct powers.

The Sfas Emes opens by citing a Midrash that calls the Torah "the One who opens and the One who closes," pointing to two opposite spiritual capacities embedded in it.

כי ב' אלו הכחות נמסרו לבנ"י אשר בכחם לגלות פנימיות הלב לדבוק בהבורא ית' וזה הפותח כמ"ש פתחי לי

For these two powers were handed over to Bnei Yisrael, who have within them the strength to reveal the innermost point of the heart in order to cleave to the Creator, may He be blessed. This is the aspect of "opening," as it is written, "Open for Me" (Shir HaShirim 5:2).

The first capacity is the power to open the heart and reveal its innermost point in order to cleave to Hashem, which is the meaning of "Open for Me" in Shir HaShirim.

והשנית לסגור ג"כ זאת הנקודה פנימיות שלא לגלות פנימיות הלב לעניני עוה"ז וע"ז נאמר גן נעול

And the second power is to also seal off this innermost point, so as not to expose the innermost point of the heart to the matters of this world; and concerning this it is said, "a locked garden" (Shir HaShirim 4:12).

The second capacity is the opposite: to seal that innermost point so that the deepest part of the heart is not given over to worldly matters, which is the meaning of "a locked garden."

וזה ב' האותות שיש לבנ"י תמיד בחול אות ברית מילה ותפילין ובשבת מילה ושבת

These are the two signs (osos) that Bnei Yisrael always possess: during the weekday, the sign of bris milah and the sign of tefillin; and on Shabbos, the sign of milah and the sign of Shabbos itself.

These two opposite powers correspond to the signs a Jew carries: bris milah and tefillin during the week, and milah together with Shabbos on Shabbos, embodying both opening and closing.

ולכן לא נפלאת היא ולא רחוקה כו'

And therefore "it is not beyond reach for you, nor is it far off" (Devarim 30:11), for the power to open and to close is already implanted within a Jew.

Because these powers are already built into every Jew, the Torah testifies that fulfilling it is not beyond reach nor far off.

שבכח איש ישראל לעורר שלהבת אש אהבה הגנוזה בלבו לקרב עצמו לאור התורה ולשמור אח"כ שלא להתרחק כנ"ל:

For it lies within the power of every Jew to awaken the flame of the fire of love that is hidden away in his heart, drawing himself close to the light of the Torah, and afterward to guard himself so as not to become distant from it, as explained above.

Every Jew has the ability both to ignite the hidden love for Hashem in his heart and draw close to the Torah, and then to protect that closeness from being lost.

Summary: The Sfas Emes builds on a Midrash that describes the Torah as "the One who opens and the One who closes," identifying two complementary powers that Hashem entrusted to Bnei Yisrael. The first is the power to open the heart and reveal its innermost point in dveikus to the Creator, captured in "Open for Me," while the second is the power to seal that point off from the pull of this world, captured in "a locked garden." These two capacities are mirrored in the signs a Jew bears: bris milah and tefillin during the week, and milah together with Shabbos on Shabbos. Precisely because both powers are already implanted within him, the Torah declares that it is "not beyond reach, nor far off." Every Jew can therefore awaken the hidden flame of love for Hashem and draw near to the light of the Torah, and then guard himself from drifting away from it.