The soul's indelible bond from Sinai

בפסוק וכל העם רואים כו' לשון הוה.

On the pasuk "And all the people were seeing..." — the present (continuous) tense.

The Torah uses the ongoing form "were seeing" rather than the past, hinting that this seeing is not a one-time event but a perception that continues.

וע"ז כ' אנכי מצוך היום.

And about this it is written "[which] I command you today."

"Today" signals that the revelation is ever-present and renewed in each generation, not locked in the past.

אנכי דעשרת הדיברות כי ראי' זו היא בכח הנשמות שרואים את הנשמע והוא חלק ה' ממעל.

The "Anochi" of the Ten Dibros (Commandments) — for this seeing is by the power of the neshamos, who "see that which is heard," and it is the portion of Hashem from above.

At Sinai Bnei Yisrael "saw what is heard" because their neshamos, which are literally a portion of Hashem, perceive the spoken word as a visible reality.

וזו הנשמה משגת עבר ועתיד מעין שם הוי' ית' שמו כמ"ש חלק ה' עמו.

And this neshamah grasps past and future, akin to the Name Havayah, may His Name be blessed, as it is written "the portion of Hashem is His people."

Because the soul is a portion of Hashem, whose Name spans past, present, and future, the soul too transcends the limits of time.

ונשאר ראי' בנשמות בנ"י.

And [the power of] seeing remained in the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael.

The visionary perception granted at Sinai was not lost but stays embedded within every Jewish soul.

אך האדם צריך לייגע עצמו בתורה ומצות להמשיך הארת הנשמה בגוף.

But a person must toil in Torah and mitzvos to draw the illumination of the neshamah down into the body.

The soul's light is present but hidden; only through effort in Torah and mitzvos does a person bring that light into his physical self.

וז"ש והיו הדברים כו' אשר אנכי מצוך כו' על לבבך.

And this is the meaning of "and these words... which I command you... shall be upon your heart."

The Torah's words must be brought "upon your heart" — drawn into one's inner being through constant engagement.

וכ' שמעי בת וראי אח"כ והטי אזנך ושכחי כו'.

And it is written "Listen, O daughter, and see," and afterward "incline your ear, and forget..."

First comes the soul's seeing and hearing; then one must incline the body to follow and forget what distracts.

שאחר שזוכין להסתכלות הנ"ל בכח הנשמה צריכין להטות הגוף להתדבק בכח הנשמה להיות שכחי עמך.

For after one merits the aforementioned perception by the power of the neshamah, one must incline the body to cling to the power of the neshamah, to be "forget your people."

Once the soul attains its higher vision, the work is to bend the body to that vision — clinging to the soul and forgetting lower attachments.

ואז ויתאו המלך יפיך.

And then "the King will desire your beauty."

When body and soul are united in this way, Hashem desires and draws close to the person.

וכפי הארת הנשמה בגוף כך יכולין לשכוח הבלי עולם.

And according to the illumination of the neshamah in the body, so can one forget the vanities of the world.

The more the soul's light fills the body, the easier it becomes to let go of worldly distractions.

וב' אלו הם בחי' זכור ושמור.

And these two are the aspects of "Zachor" (remember) and "Shamor" (guard).

Drawing in the soul's light and forgetting the physical correspond to the two commands of Shabbos: remember and guard.

זכירה הארת הנשמה.

"Remembering" is the illumination of the neshamah.

Zachor is the positive drawing-down of the soul's light.

שמירה שכחת הגוף והטבע הגשמיות.

"Guarding" is the forgetting of the body and the physical nature.

Shamor is the corresponding work of setting aside the body's pull toward the material.

ואיתא ע"פ גם אלה תשכחנה מעשה עגל.

And it is brought, on the pasuk "even these may forget" — [referring to] the deed of the Golden Calf.

The Sefas Emes brings a teaching connecting "even these may forget" to the sin of the Egel.

ואנכי לא אשכחך אנכי דעשרת הדיברות.

"But I will not forget you" — the "Anochi" of the Ten Dibros.

Hashem's promise "I will not forget you" is bound up with the "Anochi" of the Ten Commandments.

פי' כשהקב"ה אמר אנכי ה"א נטע זה הכח בנפשות בנ"י נטיעה קיימת שא"א לשכוח.

Meaning: when HaKadosh Baruch Hu said "Anochi Hashem your God," He planted this power in the souls of Bnei Yisrael as a permanent planting that cannot be forgotten.

The first word of the Aseres HaDibros implanted an indelible connection to Hashem in every Jewish soul.

כי כל דברים הטבעיים יש בהם שכחה.

For all natural things contain forgetting.

Anything bound to the natural, physical world is subject to fading and being forgotten.

כמ"ש התשכח אשה עולה.

As it is written "can a woman forget her nursing infant?"

Even the strongest natural bond, a mother's, the pasuk concedes might be forgotten.

ומסיים גם אלה תשכחנה.

And it concludes "even these may forget."

The pasuk admits that even such natural attachments can eventually fade.

שעכ"פ סופה להשכיח.

For in any case it is destined to be forgotten.

Whatever is rooted in nature must ultimately pass into forgetfulness.

כי. שמים כעשן נמלחו והארץ כבגד תבלה.

For "the heavens will dissolve like smoke and the earth will wear out like a garment."

The entire physical creation is impermanent and will eventually dissolve.

וסוף הגשמיות להתבטל מן העולם.

And the end of the physical is to be nullified from the world.

Everything material is destined to pass away.

אבל אנכי לא אשכחך שלא תוכל זו הנטיעה לבוא לידי שכחה.

But "I will not forget you" — that this planting cannot come to be forgotten.

The bond implanted by "Anochi" is exempt from this fading, for it is not of the natural order.

שהיא למעלה מן הטבע.

For it is above nature.

This soul-connection transcends the physical world and so is immune to its decay.

רק איש ישראל צריך לייגע עצמו כל הימים לזכור זו הנטיעה ולשכוח מהבלי עולם.

Only, the Jew must toil all his days to remember this planting and to forget the vanities of the world.

The connection is permanent, but it falls to a person to keep it alive in awareness through ongoing effort, while releasing worldly distractions.

ועכ"פ ביום השבת שמתגלה הנשמה יתירה צריכין לשכוח בהבלי עולם:

And in any case, on Shabbos, when the neshamah yeseirah (additional soul) is revealed, one must forget the vanities of the world.

On Shabbos especially, when the extra soul shines forth, a person should put aside worldly concerns and let that light fill him.

Summary: The neshamah, being a portion of Hashem, "sees what is heard" and transcends time; the word "Anochi" at Sinai planted in every Jewish soul an indelible bond above nature that can never be forgotten. The avodah — embodied in Zachor and Shamor — is to draw that soul-light into the body and to forget the fleeting vanities of the world, especially on Shabbos when the neshamah yeseirah shines.