Remember and Guard Shabbos

זכור ושמור בדיבור א' נאמרו

"Zachor" (Remember) and "Shamor" (Guard) were spoken in a single utterance.

The two versions of the Shabbos mitzvah — "Remember" in Shemos and "Guard" in Devarim — were uttered by Hashem simultaneously at Har Sinai.

ובזכור כ' כי ששת ימים כו' ע"כ ברך

Regarding "Zachor" it is written, "For in six days [Hashem made the heavens and the earth]" (Shemos 20:11), and therefore He blessed [the day of Shabbos].

The "Remember" version ties Shabbos to creation: because Hashem made the world in six days and rested, He blessed the day.

ובשמור כ' וזכרת כו' עבד היית כו' ע"כ צוך כו' לעשות כו' השבת

And regarding "Shamor" it is written, "And you shall remember that you were a slave [in the land of Mitzrayim]" (Devarim 5:15), and therefore Hashem commanded you to keep the day of Shabbos.

The "Guard" version ties Shabbos to the exodus: because Bnei Yisrael were slaves and Hashem redeemed them, He commanded them to keep Shabbos.

והענין הוא כי בקבלת התורה הי' התגלות הקדושה והיו בנ"י מתוקנים והיו מוכנים לתקן כל הבריאה כמ"ש שעשרת הדברות היו תיקון עשרה מאמרות

The matter is this: at the receiving of the Torah there was a revelation of kedushah, and Bnei Yisrael were made whole and were prepared to rectify the entire creation, as the holy seforim write, that the Ten Commandments were the rectification of the Ten Utterances [with which the world was created].

At Matan Torah, kedushah was revealed and Bnei Yisrael were poised to repair all of creation, since the Ten Commandments correspond to and fix the Ten Utterances of creation.

ובאמת כך הי' בריאת שמים וארץ להיות ניכר מתוך הבריאה כבוד הבורא

And in truth, this is how the creation of heaven and earth was meant to be — that the glory of the Creator should be recognized from within the creation itself.

The original purpose of creation was that Hashem's glory should be plainly visible through the world itself.

וזה נק' שבת בראשית ששבת והי' לו נייחא מתוך הבריאה

This is what is called "the Shabbos of Bereishis," that He rested and had repose from within the creation.

This original state of repose, where Hashem rested within a world that revealed Him, is the "Shabbos of Bereishis."

אכן ע"י עמלק הרשע שבלבל את בנ"י וכביכול נתמעט ע"י כבוד שמו הגדול והוא שגרם לבנ"י לחטא

However, through the wicked Amalek, who threw Bnei Yisrael into confusion — and, as it were, the glory of His great Name was diminished thereby — it was he who caused Bnei Yisrael to sin.

Amalek's attack confused Bnei Yisrael and, so to speak, dimmed the open revelation of Hashem's Name, leading them into sin.

ועי"ז הי' העצה ע"י בנ"י בלבד כי הי' מזיק להם התערובות כיון שלא נכפפו האומות וחזר להיות נסתר כבוד שמים בעולם

Through this, the remedy now had to come through Bnei Yisrael alone, for the intermingling [with the nations] was harmful to them, since the nations were not subdued, and the glory of Heaven once again became hidden in the world.

Because the nations were not subdued, mixing with them became harmful, the world's revelation of Hashem went into hiding, and so the repair could only proceed through Bnei Yisrael themselves.

לכן נעשה השבת בבחי' יציאת מצרים בפרט לישראל כמ"ש ע"כ צוך כו'

Therefore Shabbos was made into the aspect of the exodus from Mitzrayim, specifically for Yisrael, as it is written, "therefore Hashem commanded you."

Consequently Shabbos took on the character of the exodus, a redemption belonging specifically to Yisrael, as the "Guard" passage states.

ולכן כ' שמור שצריכין שוב שמירה

And for this reason it is written "Shamor" (Guard), for now they once again require guarding.

This is why the language is "Guard" — in the present, lower state, Shabbos must be actively protected.

ומקודם כ' זכור כי לא היו צריכין שמירה והי' כל העבודה רק להטות כל הברואים אליו יתברך ובמ"א הארכנו לכן קצרתי:

And earlier it is written "Zachor" (Remember), for then they did not require guarding, and the entire avodah was only to turn all the creatures toward Him, may He be blessed; and we have elaborated on this elsewhere, so here I have been brief.

By contrast, the earlier "Remember" reflects the original state where no guarding was needed, and the only avodah was to direct all creation toward Hashem; the Sfas Emes notes he has expanded on this elsewhere.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains why the Aseres HaDibros present Shabbos in two ways — "Zachor" linked to creation and "Shamor" linked to the exodus from Mitzrayim — even though both were spoken in one utterance. Originally, the purpose of creation was that Hashem's glory be openly recognized from within the world itself, and at Matan Torah Bnei Yisrael were prepared to perfect creation, since the Ten Commandments rectify the Ten Utterances; this original repose is the "Shabbos of Bereishis" expressed by "Zachor." But Amalek's confusion diminished, as it were, the revelation of Hashem's Name and caused Bnei Yisrael to sin, so that intermingling with the unsubdued nations became harmful and the glory of Heaven went into hiding. As a result, the repair of the world had to come through Bnei Yisrael alone, and Shabbos took on the aspect of the exodus, belonging specifically to Yisrael — which is why the Torah adds "Shamor," since now Shabbos must be guarded. Whereas "Zachor" reflects the earlier state that needed no guarding, when the entire avodah was simply to turn all creation toward Hashem.