Son and servant: Shabbos and weekday

בזוה"ק שצריך אדם לעבוד להש"י בבחי' בן לחפשא בגניזין דילי' ובבחי' עבד לעשות ציווי המלך ע"ש.

In the Zohar HaKadosh: a person must serve Hashem in the aspect of a son — to search out His hidden treasures — and in the aspect of a servant — to carry out the command of the King; see there.

The Zohar describes two modes of avodah. As a "son," one searches lovingly into Hashem's concealed treasures, seeking His inner depths. As a "servant," one simply obeys the King's commands. Both modes are required.

והוא בחי' שבת.

And this (the aspect of a son) is the aspect of Shabbos.

The "son" mode of serving — searching out hidden treasures — corresponds to Shabbos, when the inner light is revealed.

וימי המעשה הם בחי' עבד אף שנסתר.

And the weekdays are the aspect of a servant, even though it is concealed.

The six workdays correspond to the "servant" mode: one serves Hashem even though His inner life-force remains hidden during the week.

ואינו מרגיש פנימיות החיות שיש בכל דבר רק שמאמין ועושה רצון הקב"ה.

And he does not feel the penimiyus (inner dimension) of the life-force that is in everything — he only believes and does the will of HaKadosh Baruch Hu.

During the week, a person cannot sense the inner life-force hidden within each thing; he serves purely through emunah and obedience, doing Hashem's will without perceiving the inner light.

ובשבת מתנה טובה בבית גנזי שנפתח מאור הגנוז והוא הפנימיות של דבר.

But on Shabbos there is "a good gift in My treasure-house" that opens — from the hidden light — and that is the penimiyus of each thing.

Shabbos is the "good gift" from Hashem's treasury (as Chazal say). On it the hidden light is unsealed, and a person can perceive the inner dimension — the penimiyus — within all things.

ונגלה כבוד ה'.

And the glory of Hashem is revealed.

On Shabbos, the kavod (glory) of Hashem, otherwise concealed, becomes manifest.

וההפרש כי בן הוא מיוחד להיות נמשך בטבעו אחר רצון אביו כי בן מלך הוא ואינו צריך עבודה להתקרב כי דעתו שוה לדעת אביו מצד כי בן מלך הוא.

And the difference is that a son is uniquely drawn by his very nature after his father's will, for he is a king's son, and he needs no labor to draw close, since his mind is aligned with his father's mind by virtue of being the king's son.

The "son" relationship is effortless and natural: a prince is instinctively attuned to his father the King, needing no struggle to come close, because his outlook is naturally one with his father's. This is the quality of Shabbos — closeness without exertion.

ובחול דצריכין לכוף היצר אף שיש כמה הסתרות ורצונות אשר לא לה' המה ולזה צריכין עבודה לצאת מהמשכת עצמו כנ"ל:

But on the weekday one must subdue the yetzer (hara), even though there are many concealments and desires that are not for Hashem, and for this one needs avodah to break free from being drawn after oneself, as above.

The "servant" relationship of the weekdays demands effort: one must subdue the yetzer hara and overcome the many concealments and self-serving desires. This requires real avodah — laboring to pull oneself away from the natural pull toward self-interest.

Summary: The Zohar teaches two modes of serving Hashem. The "son" — who lovingly searches out Hashem's hidden treasures and is naturally drawn to his Father's will without struggle — is the aspect of Shabbos, when the hidden light and Hashem's glory are revealed and one feels the penimiyus within all things. The "servant" — who obeys through pure emunah without perceiving the inner light — is the aspect of the weekdays, when one must labor to subdue the yetzer hara and break free from self-interest.