Purified breath and the holy hevel

בפסוק הבל הבלים אמר קהלת הכל הבל.

On the verse "Vanity of vanities, said Koheles, all is vanity" (Koheles 1:2).

The Sefas Emes begins with the famous opening of Koheles, which declares all of this world to be "hevel" — vapor, breath, vanity.

שמעתי מפה קדוש אמו"ז ז"ל כי אחר ר"ה ויוהכ"פ שבני ישראל נטהרו מעונותיהם.

I heard from the holy mouth of my grandfather and teacher that after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when Bnei Yisrael have been purified of their sins —

The Sefas Emes transmits a teaching he heard from his grandfather, the Chiddushei HaRim: by the close of the Yamim Noraim, Bnei Yisrael have been cleansed of their aveiros.

נעשה הבל פיהם בלי חטא כמו תינוקת שהבל פיהם מקיימין העולם לכן קורין קהלת עכ"ד.

The breath (hevel) of their mouths becomes free of sin, like young children whose breath sustains the world; therefore we read Koheles — these are his words.

Once purified, the very breath of their mouths is sinless, like the pure breath of schoolchildren that upholds the world. This is why Koheles, the sefer of "hevel," is read on Sukkos — the "hevel" has been transformed into something pure.

והנה באמת בר"ה מתחדש חיות כל איש ישראל והוא שנאמר ויפח באפיו נשמת חיים כו'.

And behold, in truth, on Rosh Hashanah the life-force of every Jew is renewed, and this is what is said, "And He blew into his nostrils a breath of life," etc. (Bereishis 2:7).

Rosh Hashanah, the anniversary of man's creation, renews the chiyus (life-force) of every Jew — a fresh "blowing in" of the breath of life, as at the original forming of man.

והוא הדיבור כמ"ש לרוח ממללא.

And this is the power of speech, as it is rendered "a speaking spirit" (ruach memalela).

The Targum translates "a living soul" as "a speaking spirit," teaching that this renewed breath of life expresses itself specifically in the power of speech.

ובאמת על ידי שיודעין שהבל הבלים כל הבלי עוה"ז.

And in truth, through knowing that all the vanities of this world are "vanity of vanities" —

The key is recognizing that all of this world's pursuits are mere hevel, empty vapor with no lasting substance.

ע"י זה זוכין להבל התורה שהוא רומז על יום השבת הבל שבקדושה.

Through this one merits the hevel of Torah, which alludes to the day of Shabbos — the "hevel" of holiness.

By dismissing the empty hevel of the world, a person becomes able to receive the holy "hevel" — the pure breath of Torah, which is bound up with the sanctity of Shabbos.

כמ"ש במדרש שהכל הבל הוא נגד שבת קודש והוא הבל אמת.

As is written in the Midrash, that "all is hevel" corresponds to the holy Shabbos — and that is the true hevel.

The Midrash links the "hevels" of Koheles to Shabbos. There is a false, empty hevel of the world, and there is a true hevel — the holy breath of Shabbos and Torah.

ואחר ר"ה ויוהכ"פ ששבין בני ישראל ומשליכין הבלי עולם זוכין לדבר ה' בפיהם.

And after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when Bnei Yisrael do teshuvah and cast away the vanities of the world, they merit the word of Hashem in their mouths.

Having repented and discarded the world's empty hevel, Bnei Yisrael are now fit vessels for the dvar Hashem — the holy breath of Torah resting on their very speech.

ולכן צריכין הגנה ביותר.

And therefore they require extra protection.

Precisely because they now carry such holiness in their breath and speech, they need special shelter to guard it.

וז"ש ואשים דברי בפיך הוא בר"ה ויוהכ"פ.

And this is what is said, "And I placed My words in your mouth" (Yeshayahu 51:16) — this refers to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

The first half of the posuk, Hashem placing His words in their mouths, corresponds to the purification of the Days of Awe that fills their speech with kedushah.

ובצל ידי כסיתיך הוא בסוכות.

And "in the shadow of My hand I covered you" (Yeshayahu 51:16) — this refers to Sukkos.

The second half of the posuk, being covered in the shadow of Hashem's hand, corresponds to the sukkah, which provides the protection that the newly sanctified speech requires.

שלא יתפשט כח האדם לבר מן הקדושה:

So that the power of the person should not spread out beyond the holiness.

The encompassing shade of the sukkah guards a person so that his renewed energies remain contained within kedushah and do not scatter into the empty hevel of the world once more.

Summary: After the purification of the Yamim Noraim, the very breath and speech of Bnei Yisrael become sinless, like the pure breath of schoolchildren that sustains the world — and on Rosh Hashanah their life-force, expressed as the "speaking spirit," is renewed. By recognizing the worldly hevel as empty, they merit the true hevel of Torah and Shabbos; and the sukkah then covers and protects this newly sanctified speech so that their renewed power stays within holiness.