Drawing Away and Drawing Close
ובמצוה ראשונה זו נכללו כל המצות.
“And in this first commandment all the commandments were included.”
The Sefat Emet teaches that the initial commandment connected to the Exodus contains within it the root of the entire Torah, because it establishes the foundational spiritual movement underlying all mitzvot.
וכ' משכו וקחו משכו ידיכם מע"ז וקחו צאן של מצוה.
“And it is written: ‘Draw and take’—draw your hands away from idolatry and take the sheep for the mitzvah.”
This expresses the dual spiritual motion: withdrawing from impurity and then directing oneself toward holiness.
והם בחי' שמור וזכור.
“And these are the aspects of ‘Guard’ and ‘Remember.’”
The two movements correspond to restraining from the negative and activating the positive dimensions of mitzvot.
כלל מל"ת ומ"ע.
“The general categories of negative and positive commandments.”
The Sefat Emet identifies these two spiritual forces as the roots of all Torah obligations.
וב' כוחות אלו נמסרו לבנ"י.
“And these two powers were given to the Children of Israel.”
Israel uniquely received the ability both to withdraw from worldliness and to awaken holiness.
שיכולין למשוך מן הטבע והגשמיות.
“That they can draw themselves away from nature and materiality.”
The first power is detachment from physical dominance.
ושיכולין לעורר הקדושה ולהתדבק בהקב"ה.
“And that they can awaken holiness and cleave to the Holy One.”
The second power is the ability to activate inner sanctity and attach oneself to God.
וב' תיקונים אלו הם לגוף ולנפש.
“And these two rectifications are for the body and for the soul.”
The Sefat Emet links these spiritual motions to the dual structure of the human being.
ולכן בש"ק שהוא זכר ליצ"מ נתעורר ב' אלו הכוחות.
“Therefore on Shabbat, which is a remembrance of the Exodus, these two powers are awakened.”
Shabbat reactivates both the withdrawal from worldliness and the elevation toward holiness.
וכמו שבדברות נאמר זכור ובמשנה תורה הוסיף מרע"ה שמור.
“And just as in the Tablets it says ‘Remember,’ and in Deuteronomy Moses added ‘Guard.’”
These parallel expressions reflect two complementary spiritual dimensions.
ושניהם בדיבור אחד נאמרו.
“And both were said in a single utterance.”
The unity of the two directives shows that they form a single divine act.
וכמו כן כאן אמר הקב"ה ויקחו להם.
“So too here, the Holy One said: ‘And they shall take for themselves.’”
This divine instruction corresponds to the positive aspect.
ומשה רבינו הוסיף להם משכו וקחו.
“And Moses added for them: ‘Draw and take.’”
Moses emphasized the preliminary withdrawal from impurity before engaging the mitzvah.
שצריכין מקודם לתקן הגוף להפרישו מן הגשמיות.
“For first one must rectify the body, separating it from materiality.”
Physical refinement precedes spiritual elevation.
אח"כ מתעורר כח הנפש והנשמה.
“Afterward the power of the soul and spirit awakens.”
Once the body is aligned, the inner spiritual faculties naturally rise.
וב' אלו הם ג"כ בחי' תש"י ושל ראש.
“And these two are also the aspects of the hand‑tefillin and head‑tefillin.”
The two tefillin sets correspond to body-work and soul-elevation.
כמ"ש בזוה"ק שהם בחי' עבד ובן ע"ש.
“As the Zohar says, they are the aspects of servant and son.”
The hand-tefillin reflect disciplined service; the head-tefillin reflect inner sonship.
כי בוודאי עיקר שיעבוד מצרים הי' על הגוף בעשי'.
“For surely the main bondage of Egypt was upon the body, in action.”
Egypt represents forced physical subjugation.
וע"ז כ' וקשרתם לקשר הגוף ולשעבד תאוות ומחשבות לבנו כמ"ש הטור א"ח בה' תפילין.
“And regarding this it is written: ‘You shall bind them,’ to bind the body and subdue the desires and thoughts of the heart, as the Tur writes in Orach Chaim, laws of tefillin.”
Binding the tefillin symbolizes mastery over physical impulses.
אבל בשל ראש כ' והי' לזכרון זה בחי' הנשמה שנשתלחה לעוה"ז בשליחות הבורא.
“But concerning the head‑tefillin it is written: ‘And it shall be as a remembrance’—this is the aspect of the soul sent into this world on the mission of the Creator.”
The head‑tefillin represent the higher divine mission of the soul.
וע"י התפילין בא לזכירה ודביקות זה בחי' זכור ובחי' בן כי עיקר הבן בני בכורי ישראל הוא כח הנשמה:
“And through the tefillin one attains remembrance and cleaving—this is the aspect of ‘Remember’ and the aspect of ‘Son,’ for the essence of ‘My firstborn son, Israel’ is the power of the soul.”
Tefillin integrate both the discipline of the body and the elevation of the soul, expressing Israel’s identity as God’s spiritual child.
The Sefat Emet explains that the Exodus revealed two fundamental powers in Israel: withdrawal from impurity and the awakening of holiness. These parallel the dual aspects of Guard/Remember, body/soul, hand‑tefillin/head‑tefillin, and servant/son. The mitzvah of the Passover offering encapsulates this entire dynamic.