From servant's obedience to son's understanding

במדרש ואלה מוסיף על הראשונים עשרת הדיברות כו' דאיתא מגיד דבריו ליעקב אלו עשרת הדיברות חקיו ומשפטיו לישראל זה המשפטים.

In the Midrash: "And these" (ve'eleh) adds to the previous ones — the Ten Commandments — as it is brought: "He tells His words to Yaakov" (Tehillim 147:19), these are the Ten Commandments; "His statutes and His judgments to Yisrael," this is the parsha of Mishpatim.

The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrash teaching that the opening word "ve'eleh" links Mishpatim to the Aseres HaDibros that preceded it, and with the pasuk that distinguishes "His words to Yaakov" (the Dibros) from "His statutes and judgments to Yisrael" (the mishpatim).

והם ב' מדריגות זו למעלה מזו כענין יעקב וישראל.

And these are two levels, one above the other, like the matter of Yaakov and Yisrael.

The two terms — "Yaakov" and "Yisrael" — represent two distinct spiritual levels, the lower and the higher, corresponding to the Dibros and the mishpatim.

כי מקודם צריך אדם לקיים מצות הבורא בלי חקירת השכל והוא ענין הדברות להיות נמשך אחר הנהגת הבורא מגיד דבריו הוא סדר הנהגתו כמ"ש דבר מלך שלטון.

For first a person must fulfill the commandments of the Creator without intellectual inquiry — and this is the matter of the Dibros, to be drawn after the conduct of the Creator. "He tells His words" is the order of His governance, as it is written: "the word of a king rules" (Koheles 8:4).

The first level of avodah is to obey Hashem's mitzvos simply, without demanding rational explanations — accepting the King's decree as binding precisely because He is the King. This is the level of "Yaakov" and the plain Dibros.

אח"כ זוכין להשיג טעמי המצות והם המשפטים שהם עפ"י שכל.

Afterward one merits to attain the reasons of the mitzvos, and these are the mishpatim, which are according to reason.

Only after that foundation of simple acceptance does one rise to the higher level of grasping the inner reasons of the mitzvos — the mishpatim, which are comprehensible to the intellect.

והתחכמות האדם ע"י התורה צריך ג"כ שמירה.

And a person's becoming wise through the Torah also requires guarding.

But this higher intellectual attainment carries a danger and therefore needs careful guarding, lest the intellect lead one astray.

ולכן אין יכולין לבוא לזה עד שמקבלין מקודם עול מלכות שמים ביראה כמאמר כל שיראת חטאו קודמת כו'.

Therefore one cannot come to this until he first accepts the yoke of the kingship of Heaven with yirah (awe), as in the saying: "Anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom..." (Avos 3:9).

One may safely reach the level of reasoned mitzvos only after first accepting the ol malchus Shomayim with yiras Shomayim — for only when fear of sin precedes wisdom does that wisdom endure.

ז"ש ואלה כי לא שייך אלה כי א"י להיות בפ"ע רק אם הוא בדרך תוספות על עבודת האדם אז יש לה קיום.

This is the meaning of "ve'eleh" (and these): for "eleh" alone is not fitting, since it cannot stand on its own; only when it comes as an addition to a person's avodah does it have endurance.

The "vav" of "ve'eleh" ("and these") teaches that the level of reasoned mishpatim cannot stand independently. Only when it is built as an addition upon the prior foundation of simple obedience does it have lasting validity.

וז"ש רש"י אמר ה' למשה רע"ה אל תעלה ע"ד כו'.

And this is what Rashi says: Hashem said to Moshe Rabbeinu, "Do not let it occur to you..."

He cites Rashi's account of a dialogue: Hashem cautioning Moshe, and Moshe expressing a concern about teaching the reasons of the mitzvos.

פי' שירא מרע"ה שאין בנ"י ראוין להשיג הטעמים ויש בזה סכנה.

The meaning is that Moshe Rabbeinu feared that Bnei Yisrael were not worthy to attain the reasons, and that there was danger in this.

Moshe worried that Bnei Yisrael might not yet be ready for the level of reasoned mitzvos, and that exposing them to it prematurely could be spiritually dangerous.

ואמר הקב"ה כי ראוין הם בנ"י לכך.

And the Holy One said that Bnei Yisrael are indeed worthy of this.

Hashem reassured Moshe that Bnei Yisrael were in fact fit and ready to receive the deeper, reasoned dimension of the mitzvos.

ואיתא בזוה"ק כי כל איש ישראל צריך לעבוד השי"ת בבחי' עבד לקיים פקודת המלך ובבחי' בן לחפשא בגנזין דמלכא.

And it is brought in the Zohar that every Jew must serve Hashem in the aspect of a servant — to fulfill the command of the King — and in the aspect of a son — to search in the treasures of the King.

The Zohar teaches that a Jew serves Hashem in two modes: as an eved (servant) who simply carries out the King's orders, and as a ben (son) who lovingly delves into the King's hidden treasures of Torah.

והם בחי' הדברות והמשפטים כנ"ל.

And these are the aspects of the Dibros and the mishpatim, as above.

The servant-mode corresponds to the plain Dibros (simple obedience), and the son-mode corresponds to the mishpatim (delving into the reasons).

והוא עבודת ימי החול.

And this is the avodah of the weekdays.

Both of these modes belong to the avodah of the ordinary weekdays — the realm of effort and struggle.

ושבת בחי' בן שאנו זוכין בשבת להתגלות דעת האדם שיסכים השכל לקיים רצון אבינו שבשמים בלי מלחמות.

And Shabbos is the aspect of a son, for on Shabbos we merit the revelation of a person's daas, so that the intellect agrees to fulfill the will of our Father in Heaven without struggles.

Shabbos itself is the full "son" level: on Shabbos a person's daas is revealed so that his very intellect harmoniously agrees to do the ratzon of Hashem effortlessly, without the inner battles of the weekdays.

וזהו שנק' שבת שלום כי משפטי ה' אמת ובשמים הכל מעידין על צדקת הבורא וכ' ה' עוז לעמו יתן כו' יברך כו' בשלום.

And this is why it is called "Shabbos Shalom," for the judgments of Hashem are true, and in Heaven all bear witness to the righteousness of the Creator; and it is written: "Hashem will give strength to His people... He will bless His people with peace" (Tehillim 29:11).

Shabbos is called "Shabbos Shalom" because on it the truth of Hashem's mishpatim is fully evident, with no inner conflict — peace reigns. The strength gained through Torah during the week culminates in the blessing of Shabbos peace.

פי' ע"י שגוברין בכח התורה על היצה"ר זוכין אח"כ לשבת בחי' שלום.

The meaning is that through prevailing by the power of Torah over the yetzer hara, one afterward merits Shabbos, the aspect of peace.

By using the strength of Torah to overcome the yetzer hara during the weekdays, a person earns the tranquil "peace" of Shabbos, where the inner war has been won.

וע"ז איתא מחלוקת לשם שמים בחול סופו להתקיים פי' בשבת כמ"ש חז"ל שלא הי' לעולם קיום עד שבא השבת.

And about this it is brought: "A dispute for the sake of Heaven will ultimately endure" (Avos 5:17) — meaning, it endures on Shabbos, as Chazal said that the world had no endurance until Shabbos came.

A "machlokes l'shem Shomayim" — the legitimate spiritual struggle of the weekdays — "endures," meaning it reaches its lasting resolution and permanence in Shabbos, just as creation itself had no stable existence until Shabbos arrived.

פי' שיש בעולם בחי' המחלוקת מעלמא דשיקרא ובשבת לית שולטנא אחרא בכולהו עלמין.

The meaning is that there is in the world the aspect of dispute, which is from the "world of falsehood," but on Shabbos there is no other dominion in all the worlds.

During the week the world contains conflict and division stemming from the "world of falsehood," but on Shabbos no foreign power holds sway in any of the worlds — falsehood and division have no grip.

וזהו מקיים העולם כמ"ש שבת קביעא וקיימא.

And this is what sustains the world, as it is said: "Shabbos is fixed and established."

This unshakable quality of Shabbos — "fixed and established," needing no human sanctification like the festivals — is what gives the world its enduring existence.

והעבד מוכן ללחום מלחמת המלך.

And the servant is ready to fight the war of the King.

The "servant" aspect, belonging to the weekdays, stands ready to wage the King's battle against the yetzer hara.

ובשבת בחי' מנוחה לבנים על שולחן אביהם:

And on Shabbos there is the aspect of rest, for the sons at their Father's table.

Once the weekday battle is won, Shabbos brings the restful "son" aspect — Bnei Yisrael sitting in peace as beloved children at their Father's table, with no more struggle to wage.

Summary: The Dibros and the mishpatim represent two ascending levels of avodah — simple obedience to Hashem's word ("servant," Yaakov) and grasping the reasons behind the mitzvos ("son," Yisrael). The word "ve'eleh" teaches that the higher, intellectual level cannot stand alone; it must be built upon the foundation of accepting the ol malchus Shomayim with yirah. These two modes are the avodah of the weekdays, the time of battling the yetzer hara, while Shabbos — "Shabbos Shalom," fixed and established — is the restful culmination, when the intellect peacefully aligns with Hashem's will and Bnei Yisrael sit as sons at their Father's table.