Indwelling Godliness Revealed on Shabbos

בענין זכור ושמור בדיבור אחד נאמרו

Regarding the teaching that "Zachor" (Remember) and "Shamor" (Guard) were spoken in a single utterance.

The Sfas Emes opens with the well-known teaching that the words "Zachor" and "Shamor" of the Shabbos commandment were spoken by Hashem simultaneously in one breath.

ובזוהר איתא דזכור ושמור כללא דכל אוריתא נגד אנכי ולא יהי' לך ע"ש

And in the Zohar it is stated that "Zachor" and "Shamor" are the general principle of the entire Torah, corresponding to "Anochi" (I am Hashem) and "Lo yihyeh lecha" (You shall have no other gods); see there.

He cites the Zohar that these two words encapsulate the entire Torah, paralleling the first two of the Aseres HaDibros: the positive "Anochi" and the negative "Lo yihyeh lecha."

הענין הוא דבעשרת הדברות כשאמר הקב"ה אנכי ה"א חל אלקותו ית' על נפשות בנ"י ונחקקו הדברים בלב כל איש ישראל כמ"ש ז"ל אנכי אנא נפשאי כו'

The matter is that in the Aseres HaDibros, when the Holy One, Blessed is He, said "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" (I am Hashem your God), His Godliness rested upon the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael and the words were engraved upon the heart of every Jew, as Chazal said: "Anochi" means "I have placed My very Self," and so forth.

When Hashem declared "Anochi," His Godliness was infused into the very neshamos of Bnei Yisrael, engraving itself on every Jewish heart -- for "Anochi" hints that Hashem placed His own Self within them.

וע"ז נאמר לא יהי' לך אלהים אחרים על פני

And concerning this it is said, "You shall have no other gods before Me."

The prohibition "Lo yihyeh lecha" -- no other gods before Me -- follows directly from this.

פי' על זה האלקות ששוכן בכל איש ישראל

The meaning is: before this Godliness that dwells within every single Jew.

He explains "before Me" to mean: before and against this Godliness that now dwells inside each Jew.

וזה אמת והבטחה ג"כ כי על צורה זו לא יוכל לחול שום דבר אחר רק שצריך כל א' להתעורר בכח תורה ומצות למצוא זו הנקודה בלבו

And this is both a truth and also a guarantee, for upon this form nothing else is able to rest; it is only that each person must arouse himself, through the power of Torah and mitzvos, to find this point within his heart.

This is not only a command but a promise: nothing foreign can take hold upon this inner Divine form, though each person must work through Torah and mitzvos to uncover this point in his heart.

ובאמת בש"ק מתגלה זאת בלבות בנ"י

And in truth, on the holy Shabbos this is revealed within the hearts of Bnei Yisrael.

On Shabbos this inner point of Godliness becomes openly revealed within the hearts of Bnei Yisrael.

והיא עצמו הנשמה יתירה וחזרת הכתרים שמחזיר מרע"ה לבנ"י כמ"ש במ"א בפסוק דיבר ה' אל כל קהלכם

And this itself is the neshamah yeseirah and the returning of the crowns that Moshe Rabbeinu restores to Bnei Yisrael, as is explained elsewhere on the pasuk "Hashem spoke to your entire assembly."

This revelation is identical to the neshamah yeseirah of Shabbos and the restoration of the crowns that were given at Sinai, which Moshe returns to Bnei Yisrael.

א"כ בש"ק דמתאחדין ברזא דאחד חל דבר ה' אנכי

If so, on the holy Shabbos, when they become unified in the secret of Oneness, the word of Hashem "Anochi" rests upon them.

Because Shabbos unifies Bnei Yisrael in the secret of Hashem's Oneness, the "Anochi" revelation rests upon them once again.

ולכן בשבת לית שולטנא אחרא כמ"ש לא יהי' לך א"א

And therefore on Shabbos there is no other dominion, as it says, "You shall have no other gods."

Consequently, on Shabbos no foreign power or dominion can hold sway, fulfilling "Lo yihyeh lecha."

ועל ב' אלו נאמר זכור ושמור שצריכין למצוא בש"ק הארה מקבלת התורה וזה זכור כמ"ש חז"ל מזה שבשבת ניתנה תורה

And concerning these two it is said "Zachor" and "Shamor": that one must find on the holy Shabbos an illumination from the receiving of the Torah, and this is "Zachor," as Chazal said, from this that the Torah was given on Shabbos.

"Zachor" instructs us to find on Shabbos an illumination of Kabbalas HaTorah, since Chazal teach the Torah was given on Shabbos.

ושמור לגרש אל זר

And "Shamor" is to drive away the strange god.

"Shamor" is the counterpart: to guard Shabbos by banishing any foreign influence.

וע"ז כתיב שמע ישראל כו' ואהבת

And concerning this it is written, "Shema Yisrael" (Hear, O Yisrael) and so forth, "and you shall love."

He connects this to the Shema and its command "v'ahavta" -- to love Hashem.

ובמד' חלקי ה' אמרה נפשי כו'

And in the Midrash: "Hashem is my portion, said my soul," and so forth.

He brings the Midrash that the neshamah declares Hashem to be its portion.

כי החוקרים מקשים איך שייך ציווי על אהבה

For the philosophers raise a difficulty: how is a command upon love applicable?

He raises the philosophers' question: how can love, an emotion, be commanded at all?

אכן באמת אהבת השי"ת תקועה בלב איש ישראל משעת קבלת התורה כשאמר הקב"ה אנכי ה' אלקיך

However, in truth, the love of Hashem Yisbarach is implanted in the heart of every Jew from the moment of receiving the Torah, when the Holy One, Blessed is He, said "Anochi Hashem Elokecha."

His answer: the love of Hashem was already implanted in every Jewish heart at the moment of "Anochi" at Sinai, so the mitzvah is to awaken what is already there.

וע"ז עצמו כתי' ואהבת את ה' אלקיך שקבלת בסיני

And concerning this very thing it is written, "and you shall love Hashem your God," the love which you received at Sinai.

Thus "v'ahavta" refers to reawakening the very love you received at Sinai.

וע"ז כתיב מים רבים לא יוכלו לכבות כו' האהבה

And concerning this it is written, "Many waters cannot extinguish the love," and so forth.

This explains "many waters cannot extinguish the love" -- this implanted love is indestructible.

והיא התורה

And this is the Torah.

He identifies this implanted love with the Torah itself.

שיש בכל נפש ישראל אותיות התורה רק שצריכין לעורר אלה הכחות בעבודת ה'

For within every neshamah of a Jew there are the letters of the Torah; it is only that one must arouse these powers in the avodah of Hashem.

Every Jewish neshamah contains the letters of the Torah within it; our task is to arouse these latent powers through avodas Hashem.

במחשבה דיבור מעשה

In thought, speech, and deed.

This arousal happens through the three channels of thought, speech, and deed.

כמ"ש והיו הדברים כו' על לבבך במחשבה ורצון

As it is written, "And these words shall be upon your heart" -- in thought and will.

"These words upon your heart" corresponds to thought and will.

ודברת ושננתם בדיבור

"And you shall speak of them and teach them sharply" -- in speech.

"You shall speak of them and teach them" corresponds to speech.

וקשרתם וכתבתם במעשה

"And you shall bind them and write them" -- in deed.

"You shall bind them and write them" corresponds to deed.

ובמד' מי לי בשמים כו'

And in the Midrash: "Whom have I in heaven," and so forth.

He cites the Midrash "Whom have I in heaven" to underscore Bnei Yisrael's exclusive bond with Hashem.

כי ז"ש אנכי ה"א שהקב"ה מנהיג אותנו בלי אמצעי

For this is the meaning of "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" -- that the Holy One, Blessed is He, leads us without any intermediary.

"Anochi Hashem Elokecha" teaches that Hashem leads Bnei Yisrael directly, with no intermediary.

כי לכל אומה יש שר

For every nation has a heavenly minister.

Every other nation is governed through an appointed heavenly minister.

אבל על בנ"י ייחד שמו ית'

But over Bnei Yisrael He singled out His Name, Yisbarach.

But over Bnei Yisrael, Hashem attached His own Name and leads them Himself.

וזה עצמו עדות השבת שניתן לבנ"י שהם מוכנים לקבל הנהגתו ית' בלי אמצעיות

And this itself is the testimony of Shabbos, which was given to Bnei Yisrael, for they are prepared to receive His leadership, Yisbarach, without any intermediaries.

Shabbos testifies to this unique direct relationship, given to Bnei Yisrael because they are fit to receive Hashem's unmediated leadership.

ולכן בראשונות כתי' כי ששת ימים עשה כו'

And therefore in the first set of Tablets it is written, "For in six days Hashem made," and so forth.

The first Luchos ground the Shabbos commandment in creation -- "in six days Hashem made."

ובאחרונות כתי' וזכרת כי עבד היית כו' ע"כ צוך כו' לעשות כו' השבת

And in the second set it is written, "And you shall remember that you were a slave," and so forth, "therefore Hashem commanded you," and so forth, "to keep the Shabbos."

The second Luchos ground it in the Exodus -- "remember you were a slave... therefore Hashem commanded you to keep Shabbos."

פי' כשהוציאנו השי"ת ממצרים נעשו בנ"י כלים לקבל הנהגה עליונה זו כנ"ל:

The meaning is: when Hashem Yisbarach took us out of Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisrael became vessels to receive this exalted leadership, as explained above.

He concludes: through Yetzias Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisrael were transformed into vessels capable of receiving this exalted, direct Divine leadership.

Summary: The Sfas Emes builds on the Zohar's teaching that "Zachor" and "Shamor" encapsulate the whole Torah, paralleling "Anochi" and "Lo yihyeh lecha." At Sinai, when Hashem proclaimed "Anochi Hashem Elokecha," His Godliness was engraved into the neshamah of every Jew, an inner point upon which no foreign power can take hold -- and on Shabbos, through the neshamah yeseirah and the restored crowns, this inner Divine point is openly revealed. From this he resolves the philosophers' question of how love can be commanded: the love of Hashem was already implanted in every Jewish heart at "Anochi," so "v'ahavta" merely awakens it, and this indestructible love is itself the Torah whose letters lie within each neshamah, to be aroused through thought, speech, and deed. Finally he explains that "Anochi" signals Hashem's direct leadership of Bnei Yisrael without any intermediary minister, a bond to which Shabbos itself testifies, made possible because Yetzias Mitzrayim fashioned Bnei Yisrael into vessels fit to receive this unmediated, exalted Divine leadership.