Shabbos Remembrance And Testimony

בענין זכור ושמור כולל כל התורה

The matter of "Zachor" (Remember) and "Shamor" (Guard) encompasses the entire Torah.

The two words spoken at Sinai, "Zachor" and "Shamor," together contain the whole Torah.

זכור מ"ע שמור מל"ת כדאיתא בזוה"ק

"Zachor" corresponds to the positive commandments, while "Shamor" corresponds to the prohibitions, as is brought in the holy Zohar.

"Zachor" maps onto the positive mitzvos and "Shamor" onto the prohibitions, as the Zohar teaches.

ופי' זכור כו' יום השבת כמו וזכרת את ה"א דשבת שמא דקוב"ה

And the meaning of "Zachor (Remember) the day of Shabbos" is like "And you shall remember Hashem your God," for Shabbos is itself a Name of the Holy One, Blessed is He.

To "remember" Shabbos is to remember Hashem Himself, since the day is a Name of the Holy One, Blessed is He.

ה' זכרנו שהוא עיקר הזכירה ופנימיות של בנ"י שקיבלו התורה בסיני כמ"ש אנכי בעלתי בכם שנטע הקב"ה כח אלקות בנפשות בנ"י דכתי' ואנכי לא אשכחך ובמקום שאין שכחה יש זכרון

"Hashem has remembered us" — this is the essential remembrance and the inner essence of Bnei Yisrael, who received the Torah at Sinai, as it is written, "I am the One who wedded you," for the Holy One, Blessed is He, implanted the power of Godliness into the souls of Bnei Yisrael, as it is written, "And I shall not forget you," and in a place where there is no forgetting, there is remembrance.

The true remembrance is the Godly power Hashem implanted in the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael at Sinai; since Hashem never forgets them, that bond is a place of permanent remembrance.

ובשבת נתעורר זכירת מתן תורה והוא יומא דזכירה ולכן ויברך כו' את יום השביעי כמ"ש ה' זכרנו יברך

And on Shabbos the remembrance of the giving of the Torah is awakened, and it is the day of remembrance; therefore "And He blessed the seventh day," as it is written, "Hashem has remembered us; He shall bless."

Shabbos reawakens the remembrance of Mattan Torah, and Hashem blessed the day precisely because it is the day of remembrance.

וכ"כ בכל המקום אשר אזכיר את שמי אבוא אליך וברכתיך

And so too it is written, "In every place where I shall cause My Name to be remembered, I shall come to you and bless you."

Wherever Hashem's Name is remembered, He brings His presence and blessing.

כמו שבבהמ"ק מקום זכירת שמו ית' כמו כן בשבת בבחי' הזמן

Just as the Beis HaMikdash is the place of remembrance of His blessed Name, so too is Shabbos in the dimension of time.

Just as the Beis HaMikdash is the place in space where His Name is recalled, Shabbos is that same point of remembrance in the dimension of time.

ובנפשות בנ"י בבחי' נפש

And so too within the souls of Bnei Yisrael, in the dimension of the soul.

And the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael are that same place of remembrance in the dimension of the soul.

ושמור היא לשמור מן השכחה שכן כתיב השמר כו' ושמור נפשך מאוד פן תשכח כו'

And "Shamor" (Guard) is to guard against forgetting, for so it is written, "Guard yourself and guard your soul exceedingly, lest you forget."

The duty of "Shamor" is to guard the inner essence against being forgotten, as the Torah warns us to guard our souls lest we forget.

כי הטבע מסתיר ומשכח הפנימיות וזה שליט בימי המעשה

For nature conceals and causes forgetting of the inner essence, and this holds sway during the weekdays of activity.

The physical natural world hides the inner Godly essence, and that concealment dominates the workdays.

ובשבת נפתח לבנ"י הפנימיות והוא יומא דזכירה

But on Shabbos the inner essence is opened up to Bnei Yisrael, and it is the day of remembrance.

Shabbos lifts the veil, opening the inner essence to Bnei Yisrael, making it the day of remembrance.

אבוא אליך וברכתיך הוא בחי' נשמה יתירה בש"ק

"I shall come to you and bless you" — this is the aspect of the additional soul (neshamah yeseirah) on the holy Shabbos.

Hashem's coming and blessing is expressed through the extra soul granted to a Jew on Shabbos.

ובש"ק כתי' הטעם דיציאת מצרים שלכן ניתן הכח לנפשות בנ"י לצאת מן הטבע המשכח ומסתיר הפנימיות ולכנוס לזכירה

And regarding the holy Shabbos it is written as the reason the going out of Mitzrayim, for through it the power was given to the souls of Bnei Yisrael to go out from the nature that causes forgetting and conceals the inner essence, and to enter into remembrance.

Shabbos carries the reason of yetzias Mitzrayim because it empowers Bnei Yisrael to break out of forgetful nature and enter a state of remembrance.

וזהו עיקר המנוחה דכתי' וינח ביום השביעי

And this is the essence of the rest (menuchah), as it is written, "And He rested on the seventh day."

The real meaning of Shabbos rest is found in the verse "And He rested on the seventh day."

וינח גי' עד שהכל לכבודו ברא

"Vayanach" (And He rested) has the numerical value of "ad" (until), for everything He created is for His honor.

The word "Vayanach" equals the word "ad," hinting that all of creation exists for Hashem's honor.

מכ"ש בנ"י שנבראו להעיד על הבורא ית' כמ"ש עם זו יצרתי כו' תהלתי יספרו

All the more so Bnei Yisrael, who were created to bear witness to the blessed Creator, as it is written, "This people that I formed for Myself shall tell of My praise."

Even more so Bnei Yisrael, whose very purpose is to testify to the Creator and tell His praise.

והטבע מסתיר

And nature conceals.

But the natural world works to conceal that purpose.

וזהו המלחמה בעוה"ז שהסט"א עומד לבטל זה העדות

And this is the war in this world, that the Other Side stands to nullify this testimony.

This is the battle of this world: the Other Side tries to nullify Bnei Yisrael's testimony.

ובשבת וינח כמו והנחה למדינות עשה

But on Shabbos there is "Vayanach" (And He rested), like "and he made a respite (hanachah) for the provinces."

On Shabbos comes "Vayanach" — a respite, like the relief Achashverosh granted the provinces.

וסהדותא איקרי שבשבת יכולין להעיד על הבורא וזה תכלית המנוחה:

And it is called "testimony," for on Shabbos one is able to bear witness to the Creator, and this is the ultimate purpose of the rest.

Shabbos is called "testimony" because on it a Jew can bear witness to the Creator, and that witnessing is the true goal of the rest.

Summary: The Sfas Emes teaches that "Zachor" and "Shamor" of Shabbos contain the entire Torah, with "Zachor" as the inner remembrance of the Godliness that Hashem implanted in the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael at Sinai. Just as the Beis HaMikdash is the place of remembering Hashem's Name in space, Shabbos is that place in the dimension of time, when the inner essence hidden by nature during the workweek is reopened. "Shamor" is the guarding of this remembrance against the forgetfulness that nature imposes. Bnei Yisrael were created to testify to the Creator, and the Other Side wages war in this world to nullify that testimony. The true menuchah of Shabbos is that it grants Bnei Yisrael the strength to break free of concealing nature and bear clear witness to Hashem, which is the ultimate purpose of the rest.