Daily acceptance reopens deaf ears

בענין הנרצע אוזן ששמעה עבדי הם כו'.

Regarding the nirtza (the slave whose ear is pierced) — "the ear that heard 'they are My servants…'" (cf. Vayikra 25:55, Kiddushin 22b).

The Torah pierces the ear of an eved Ivri (Hebrew servant) who refuses to go free. Chazal explain: this is the ear that heard at Sinai that Bnei Yisrael are servants of Hashem, yet went and acquired a human master for himself.

שמעתי ממו"ז ז"ל מה שעושין בו פגם באוזן. מאחר שלא קיים המצוה טוב לו שלא ישמע כו'.

I heard from my grandfather, his memory a blessing, why a blemish is made specifically in his ear: since he did not fulfill the mitzvah, it is better for him that he not hear.

The Sefas Emes cites his grandfather (the Chiddushei HaRim): the ear is pierced because the servant heard the call to serve Hashem alone but failed to act on it. If hearing did not lead to doing, that hearing is of no use to him.

ונראה כי יש ללמוד מזה מאחר שמדה טובה מרובה.

And it appears that one can learn from this — since the measure of good is greater.

If the negative case teaches that misused hearing is forfeited, then by the principle that "the measure of reward for good is greater than that for punishment" (Sotah 11a), the positive case must be even more powerful.

נמצא מי שמקבל עליו בכל יום עבודת הבורא ואומר ואהבת כו' ה' אלקיך כו'. היפוך אהבתי את אדוני כו' אשתי כו'.

It follows that one who takes upon himself each day the avodah of the Creator, saying "And you shall love… Hashem your God…" (Devarim 6:5) — the opposite of "I love my master… my wife…" (Shemos 21:5).

The servant declared his love for his earthly master and his comforts. The Jew who recites the Shema each day declares the opposite — love for Hashem — re-accepting the avodas haBorei (service of the Creator) daily, the very opposite of binding himself to a human master.

ממילא מסייעין לו בכל יום שיפתחו אזניו וישמע למצות ה' כמ"ש אשר אנכי מצוך היום כו'.

It follows of itself that he is helped each day, that his ears be opened and he hear the mitzvos of Hashem, as it says, "which I command you today" (Devarim 6:6).

Just as the unfaithful servant has his ear blemished, one who reaffirms his devotion daily receives Heavenly siyata — his ears are opened anew so he can truly hear Hashem's mitzvos. "Today" hints that the command is freshly heard each day.

רק שצריך האדם לזכות לזה שיוכל לשמוע אלה הקולות כמ"ש אם שמוע תשמעו.

Only that a person must merit this — that he be able to hear these voices — as it says, "if you will surely listen" (Devarim 11:13).

The opening of the ears is something one must earn. The doubled language "shamo'a tishme'u" (if hearing you will hear) teaches that initial listening earns the capacity to hear more — each act of attentiveness opens the ear further.

ולזה ג"כ ניתן מצות המזוזה לבנ"י שיהיו דלת ומזוזה עדים כי מקבלין עליהם עול מלכותו.

For this reason too the mitzvah of mezuzah was given to Bnei Yisrael, that the door and the doorpost be witnesses that they accept upon themselves the yoke of His kingship.

The mezuzah parallels the pierced ear at the doorpost. Where the unfaithful servant's ear is bored at the door as a sign of servitude to man, the mezuzah on the Jew's doorpost testifies that he has accepted ol malchus Shomayim (the yoke of Heaven's sovereignty).

ויזכור להם המאמר עבדי הם כו'.

And it will recall for them the declaration, "they are My servants…"

The mezuzah serves as a constant reminder of the very statement the pierced servant betrayed — that Bnei Yisrael belong to Hashem as His servants.

לכן אף מי שאזניו סתומין ע"י קבלת מלכותו ית' בכל יום זוכה לפתיחת האזנים כנ"ל:

Therefore, even one whose ears are stopped up, through accepting His kingship each day, merits the opening of the ears, as above.

Even a person spiritually "deaf," whose ears are closed to Hashem's call, can be transformed. By accepting ol malchus Shomayim daily through Shema and mezuzah, he earns the reopening of his ears to hear and fulfill the ratzon Hashem.

Summary: The pierced ear of the unfaithful servant — who heard "they are My servants" yet chose a human master — teaches that hearing without doing is forfeited. By the rule that the measure of good is greater, one who reaffirms his service to Hashem each day through Shema and mezuzah earns the opposite: Heavenly help to open his ears anew, so that even the spiritually deaf can come to truly hear and accept the yoke of Heaven.