Remembering Shabbos throughout the week

בפסוק זכור א"י השבת לקדשו.

On the verse, "Remember the day of Shabbos to sanctify it" (Shemos 20:8).

The Sefas Emes opens with the commandment to "remember" Shabbos and will ask what this remembering means and when it applies.

וסמוך לי' ששת ימים כו'.

And adjacent to it: "Six days you shall labor..." (Shemos 20:9).

The juxtaposition of "remember Shabbos" with "six days you shall labor" is itself meaningful.

לומר כי עיקר הזכירה היא בששת הימים.

This is to say that the essence of the "remembering" is during the six days.

The mitzvah to "remember" Shabbos is fulfilled chiefly throughout the working week — keeping Shabbos in mind during the weekdays.

כי הנה השבת ניתן לשכוח בו כל מלאכת ימי המעשה כמ"ש ז"ל שבות ממחשבות עבודה.

For Shabbos was given so as to forget on it all the work of the weekdays, as Chazal said: "rest from thoughts of labor (shevus mi-machshavos avodah)."

On Shabbos itself the goal is to let go of and "forget" all weekday work, even in one's thoughts.

והוא באמת עדות לישראל שיכולין לשכוח בשבת כל המעשים.

And this is truly testimony for Yisrael, that they are able to forget all their deeds on Shabbos.

The ability to set aside all worldly concerns on Shabbos testifies to the special spiritual capacity of Bnei Yisrael.

וכל איש ישראל יש לו חלק בזה.

And every Jew has a portion in this.

This capacity to rest from worldly thought belongs to every single Jew.

ולכן ניתן השבת רק לבנ"י שהם מוכנים לזה.

Therefore Shabbos was given only to Bnei Yisrael, who are prepared for this.

Because only Bnei Yisrael have this readiness to transcend worldly concerns, Shabbos was given specifically to them.

ובאמת שבת הוא עדות שבנ"י הם בני עוה"ב.

And in truth, Shabbos is testimony that Bnei Yisrael are "children of Olam Haba (the World to Come)."

The very fact that Bnei Yisrael can rest in Shabbos shows that they belong, in essence, to the World to Come.

והכנת ימי המעשה לשבת כמו הכנת עוה"ז לעוה"ב.

And the preparation of the weekdays for Shabbos is like the preparation of Olam Hazeh (this world) for Olam Haba.

Just as the six weekdays exist to prepare for Shabbos, so this entire world is a preparation for the World to Come.

וכפי מה שאדם זוכר בעודנו בעוה"ז הכנת עוה"ב.

And according to how much a person remembers, while still in this world, the preparation for Olam Haba.

One's portion in the next world depends on how much one keeps the next world in mind while living in this one.

כך זוכה לעוה"ב.

So does he merit Olam Haba.

The measure of remembering the World to Come now determines the measure of one's share in it later.

כדאיתא שא"י לעלות לגן עדן עד ששוכחין כל הרהורים מעוה"ז.

As it is taught, that one cannot ascend to Gan Eden until he forgets all thoughts of this world.

Entry into Gan Eden requires fully releasing all attachment to worldly matters.

וכפי זכירת עוה"ב בעוה"ז.

And according to one's remembering of Olam Haba while in this world.

The same principle of remembering the next world governs one's readiness to leave this one.

כך יכולין לשכוח עוה"ז בעת הסתלקותו מעוה"ז.

So is one able to forget this world at the time of his departure from this world.

One who lived focused on the eternal will, at death, be able to release this world and ascend.

וכמו כן כפי הזכירה של השבת בימי המעשה.

And likewise, according to one's remembering of Shabbos during the weekdays.

The same dynamic operates on the weekly scale: how much one keeps Shabbos in mind all week.

כך יכולין לשכוח בשבת כל מחשבות עבודה.

So is one able to forget on Shabbos all thoughts of labor.

The more one anticipates Shabbos during the week, the more fully one can release weekday concerns when Shabbos arrives.

וכפי מה שזוכה האדם לשבות בשבת.

And according to how much a person merits to rest (lishbos) on Shabbos.

The quality of one's Shabbos rest is itself a measure of spiritual attainment.

כך הוא סימן על עוה"ב.

So is it a sign regarding Olam Haba.

The completeness of one's Shabbos rest is a foretaste and indicator of one's share in the World to Come.

וזה עצמו עדות על יצ"מ.

And this itself is testimony about Yetzias Mitzrayim.

The power to rest on Shabbos also bears witness to the Exodus from Mitzrayim.

כמ"ש וזכרת כי עבד היית כו' ויוציאך כו' ע"כ צוך כו' לעשות כו' השבת.

As it is written, "And you shall remember that you were a slave... and Hashem took you out... therefore He commanded you... to make... the Shabbos" (Devarim 5:15).

The Torah explicitly grounds the keeping of Shabbos in the memory of slavery and the redemption from Egypt.

כי בכח יצ"מ יכולין לקיים השבת ולשכוח מעובדין דחול:

For through the power of Yetzias Mitzrayim, one is able to keep the Shabbos and to forget the "weekday labors (uvdin de-chol)."

The freedom granted at the Exodus is the very power that enables Bnei Yisrael to set aside weekday toil and rest on Shabbos — the freedom from slavery to the physical that Shabbos expresses.

Summary: The mitzvah to "remember" Shabbos is fulfilled mainly during the six weekdays — keeping Shabbos in mind all week. Shabbos is given to Bnei Yisrael alone because only they are prepared to "forget" all weekday labor, even in thought, which testifies that they are children of the World to Come. The Sefas Emes draws a threefold parallel: the weekdays prepare for Shabbos as this world prepares for the next; just as one cannot enter Gan Eden until he forgets all worldly thoughts, and one can release this world at death only to the degree he remembered the eternal in life, so one can rest fully on Shabbos only to the degree he remembered it during the week. This power to release worldly toil flows from Yetzias Mitzrayim, the freedom that makes Shabbos rest possible.