Shabbos As Israel's Share In Hashem

ונכתב שבת בעשרת הדיברות.

And Shabbos was written into the Aseres HaDibros (Ten Commandments).

The Sefas Emes notes that Shabbos was included among the Ten Commandments at Sinai.

הגם כי עוד במרה נצטוו על שבת.

Even though they had already been commanded concerning Shabbos at Marah.

Bnei Yisrael had received the mitzvah of Shabbos earlier, at Marah, before Sinai.

אבל זה טעם מצות שבת לבנ"י.

But this is the reason for the mitzvah of Shabbos for Bnei Yisrael.

Its place in the Dibros reveals the deeper rationale of Shabbos as it pertains specifically to Bnei Yisrael.

כי אנכי ה"א.

For "I am Hashem your God" (Shemos 20:2).

The reason for Shabbos flows from the first commandment — Hashem's special bond as "your God."

ואמרו במד' אלוה אני על כל באי עולם אבל עליך ייחדתי שמי ביותר.

And they said in the Midrash: "I am God over all who enter the world, but upon you I have singled out My Name in particular."

While Hashem is God of all creation, He attaches His Name uniquely and intimately to Bnei Yisrael.

פי' כי אין כל ברי' יכולה לקבל אלקותו ית"ש. רק ע"י צימצומים והתלבשות בדרך הטבעי.

This means that no creature can receive His Divinity, may His Name be blessed, except through tzimtzumim (contractions) and clothing in a natural manner.

Ordinary creation can only contain Hashem's presence in a hidden, "natural" way, filtered through layers of concealment.

אבל על בנ"י חל אלקותו בהתגלות.

But upon Bnei Yisrael His Divinity rests in a revealed manner.

Bnei Yisrael are able to receive Hashem's presence openly, not only through the veil of nature.

והטעם אשר הוצאתיך מא"מ להיות נחלה בלי מצרים.

And the reason is "Who took you out of the land of Egypt" — to be an inheritance without boundaries (beli metzarim).

The Exodus elevated Bnei Yisrael above natural limitation, giving them a "boundless inheritance" — a play on Mitzrayim / meitzarim (constraints).

ולכן סמך פ' לא תשא למצות שבת שכיון שיש באיש ישראל חלק אלקות לכן נאסרו במלאכה ביום השבת כי בו שבת.

And therefore the passage of "Do not take [My Name in vain]" is juxtaposed to the mitzvah of Shabbos, for since there is a portion of Divinity within a Jew, therefore they were forbidden to do melachah on Shabbos, for on it He rested.

Because a Jew carries an actual "portion of G-dliness," he shares in Hashem's resting on Shabbos and must therefore cease from melachah.

כמ"ש במ"א שזה מ"ש רש"י בהנחילי לכם יום מנוחתי למנוחה.

As we wrote elsewhere, that this is what Rashi means: "when I bequeath to you My day of rest, for rest."

Rashi teaches that Hashem gives over "His" day of rest to Bnei Yisrael — making His menuchah theirs.

כי הלא אם הי' רצונו ית' להיות שביתה ביום השבת. הי' יכול למנוע כל הברואים בע"כ ממלאכה בשבת.

For behold, if it were merely His will, may He be blessed, that there be cessation on Shabbos, He could have prevented all the creatures by force from doing melachah on Shabbos.

If Shabbos rest were simply a cosmic decree, Hashem could have imposed it on all creation universally.

אך שהם בהמה המה להם.

But they [the other creatures] are like animals to themselves.

The rest of creation has no inner share in Hashem's rest; relative to Shabbos they are like mere beasts.

אבל איש ישראל שיש בו כח אחדות באלקות צריך לשבות בשבת:

But a Jew, who has within him a power of unity with the Divine, must rest on Shabbos.

Because the Jew is bound up in oneness with Hashem, his Shabbos rest is a genuine sharing in Hashem's own menuchah — that is the true reason for the prohibition of melachah.

Summary: Although Shabbos was commanded already at Marah, its inclusion in the Aseres HaDibros, beside "I am Hashem your God," reveals its true reason for Bnei Yisrael: Hashem singled out His Name upon them and rests His Divinity on them openly, not merely through the veil of nature. Because a Jew carries an actual portion of G-dliness and is bound in unity with Hashem, he genuinely shares in Hashem's own rest, and therefore must cease from melachah on Shabbos.