Holy points of space, time, soul

במדרש זית רענן כו' הה"ד יפה נוף כו' שמן המקדש יצא אור לכל העולם ע"ש.

In the Midrash: "a fresh olive tree..." (Yirmiyahu 11:16) — this is the meaning of "beautiful in elevation [the joy of all the earth]" (Tehillim 48:3); from the oil of the Mikdash light went out to the entire world; see there.

The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrash that the Bais Hamikdash, source of the menorah's oil, radiated spiritual light to the whole world.

ולכן נמשלו בנ"י לזית כי הם כלים שעל ידיהם יוצא האור מן המקדש לעולם.

Therefore Bnei Yisrael are compared to an olive, for they are the vessels through which the light goes out from the Mikdash to the world.

Bnei Yisrael are likened to the olive (which yields oil/light) because they are the conduits that carry the Mikdash's holy light out into the world.

כי עולם שנה נפש יש בהם המיוחדים אל הקדושה.

For in the dimensions of olam (space), shanah (time), and nefesh (soul), there are within each of them those that are designated for holiness.

In each of the three axes of creation — space, time, and soul — a particular point is set apart for kedushah: a holy place, a holy time, and holy souls.

ומבית המקדש אורה ושמחה לכל המקומות.

And from the Bais Hamikdash, light and joy go out to all places.

In the dimension of space (olam), the Bais Hamikdash is the holy point from which light and joy radiate to every location.

וכן בזמן שבתות וימים טובים מאירים לכל הזמנים.

And likewise in time, Shabbosos and Yamim Tovim illuminate all the times.

In the dimension of time (shanah), the holy days of Shabbos and Yom Tov are the points from which spiritual light shines into all the ordinary days.

ולכן נר שבת חובה כי היא משוש לכל הזמנים.

Therefore the Shabbos candle is an obligation, for it (Shabbos) is the joy of all times.

The mitzvah of the Shabbos lamp expresses how Shabbos is the radiant source of joy and light for all the days of the week.

ולכן נאמר וביום שמחתכם על יום השבת.

Therefore it is said: "and on the day of your rejoicing" (Bamidbar 10:10) — [which Chazal apply] to the Shabbos day.

Chazal interpret "the day of your rejoicing" as Shabbos, underscoring that Shabbos is the wellspring of joy in time.

וכמ"ש במד' שבאין לביהמ"ק מלא עונות ויוצא נקי מן העונות.

And as it is written in the Midrash, that one comes to the Bais Hamikdash full of sins and leaves clean of the sins.

The Midrash describes the cleansing power of the Mikdash: a person enters laden with sin and departs purified.

כמו כן בשבת קודש השומר שבת מוחלין על כל עונותיו כמ"ש מחול לו.

Likewise on Shabbos Kodesh, for one who guards Shabbos, all his sins are forgiven, as it is taught: "it is forgiven for him (machul lo)."

Shabbos in time parallels the Mikdash in space — guarding Shabbos brings forgiveness, just as the Mikdash cleansed those who entered it.

ובאמת בוודאי לא היו יכולין לכנוס לביהמ"ק להביא קרבן רק עם התשובה דזבח רשעים תועבה.

And in truth, certainly one could not enter the Bais Hamikdash to bring a korban except with teshuvah, for "the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination" (Mishlei 21:27).

The cleansing was never automatic: one had to come with teshuvah, since an offering brought without repentance is repugnant.

רק שבעל תשובה צריך סייעתא דשמיא להיות נקי מליכלוך העונות.

Rather, the ba'al teshuvah needs siyata diShmaya (heavenly assistance) to become clean from the defilement of the sins.

Even after sincere teshuvah, a person needs Divine help to be fully scrubbed of the lingering grime of sin.

וע"י הקרבן מתנקה.

And through the korban he is cleansed.

The korban provides that finishing heavenly assistance, completing the purification begun by teshuvah.

וז"ש מלא עונות כי הקרבן בא על חטא בשוגג.

And this is the meaning of "full of sins," for the korban comes for an unintentional sin (shogeg).

The phrase "full of sins" needs explanation, since korbanos atone only for inadvertent transgressions, not the full load of one's sins.

ולא על עון מזיד.

And not for an intentional sin (meizid).

Korbanos do not atone for deliberate sins, so "full of sins" cannot mean the korban erases them all directly.

רק הפי' כנ"ל.

Rather, the meaning is as stated above.

The resolution is the earlier point: it is the cleansing power of the holy place itself — together with teshuvah — that removes the defilement, not the korban acting on intentional sins.

וכן הוא בשבת קודש שע"י תשובה כולין להתדבק בקדושת שבת.

And so it is on Shabbos Kodesh, that through teshuvah one is able to cleave to the kedushah of Shabbos.

The same pattern holds for Shabbos: teshuvah is the prerequisite that allows a person to attach himself to Shabbos's holiness.

ואז השבת מוחל ומנקה אותו מן העונות.

And then the Shabbos forgives and cleanses him from the sins.

Once one has done teshuvah and cleaved to Shabbos, the holiness of the day itself completes the cleansing of sin's residue.

ובנ"י צריכין להוציא מכח אל הפועל ההארות הגנוזין במקדש ובזמנים כי המה בנפש.

And Bnei Yisrael need to bring out from potential into actuality the illuminations that are hidden in the Mikdash and in the [holy] times, for they are in the soul.

The light latent in the holy place and holy times must be actualized by Bnei Yisrael, because the corresponding holy point also resides within the soul (nefesh) — the third dimension.

נפשות המיוחדים לקדושה.

The souls designated for holiness.

Bnei Yisrael are the holy "point" in the dimension of nefesh — the chosen souls set apart for kedushah.

כמו מקדש בעולם.

Just like the Mikdash in [the dimension of] space (olam).

The holy souls correspond, in the soul-dimension, to what the Bais Hamikdash is in space.

ושבת בשנה:

And [like] Shabbos in [the dimension of] time (shanah).

And they correspond to what Shabbos is in time — so that Bnei Yisrael, as the holy souls, are charged with drawing the hidden light of the Mikdash and the sacred days out into the world.

Summary: Creation has three dimensions — olam (space), shanah (time), and nefesh (soul) — and in each there is a point designated for holiness: the Bais Hamikdash in space, Shabbos and Yom Tov in time, and the holy souls of Bnei Yisrael in the realm of soul. From these points, light and joy radiate to all places, all times, and all people. Just as one entered the Mikdash burdened with sin and left cleansed, Shabbos forgives the one who guards it — though in both cases teshuvah is required first, with the holiness of place or day providing the heavenly assistance to complete the purification. Bnei Yisrael, as the holy souls, are charged with actualizing the latent light of the Mikdash and the sacred times and bringing it into the world.