Shemittah and the bittul of awe

וכי תאמרו מה נאכל כו' הן לא נזרע כו'.

"And if you should say, what shall we eat, etc.; behold, we may not sow, etc."

The Sefas Emes opens with the Torah's anticipated question of Shemittah: if Bnei Yisrael may neither sow nor reap in the seventh year, how will they sustain themselves?

דענין שבת ושמיטה הוא בחי' הביטול.

For the matter of Shabbos and Shemittah is the aspect of bittul (self-nullification).

Both Shabbos and the Shemittah year embody the principle of bittul — ceasing one's own labor and surrendering oneself before Hashem.

ודבר זה נוהג בכל פרט ג"כ שצריך לבטל עצמו מפני יראת הבורא ית'.

And this matter applies in every detail as well — that a person must nullify himself before the awe of the Creator, blessed is He.

This bittul is not confined to Shabbos and Shemittah; in every area of life a person must nullify himself out of yiras Hashem, stepping back before the Creator.

ואף שעי"ז מבטל קצת מקיום המצות ומעש"ט ע"י היראה.

And even though through this he forgoes a little of the fulfillment of mitzvos and good deeds on account of this awe.

The Sefas Emes acknowledges a tension: this self-nullifying awe may sometimes cause a person to hold back and accomplish slightly fewer mitzvos and good deeds, just as Shemittah halts productive work.

אעפ"כ אם הוא לש"ש אינו בא עי"ז לידי חסרון.

Nevertheless, if it is for the sake of Heaven (l'shem Shomayim), he does not come to any deficiency through this.

Yet if the holding-back is genuinely for Hashem's sake, the person suffers no real loss from it; the apparent reduction does not actually diminish him.

כי טוב מעט ביראת ה' שעי"ז שורה ברכה במעשיו.

For "better a little with the fear of Hashem," since through this a blessing rests upon his deeds.

A small amount infused with yiras Hashem is better than much without it, because the awe of Heaven draws Divine blessing down into whatever he does, making the little go far.

וע"ז נאמר יראי א"ה קדושיו כי אין מחסור ליראיו והבן.

And concerning this it is said, "Fear Hashem, you His holy ones, for there is no lack to those who fear Him" (Tehillim 34:10). And understand.

The verse promises that those who possess yiras Hashem will lack nothing — confirming that holding back out of awe creates no deficiency, for Hashem provides for those who fear Him.

וז"ש וכ"ת מה נאכל כו' הן לא נזרע כו' אף שממעט עי"ז בעבודת הפעולה.

And this is the meaning of "And if you should say, what shall we eat, etc.; behold, we may not sow, etc." — even though through this he diminishes in the avodah of action.

Returning to Shemittah: although refraining from sowing reduces one's active, productive labor, the Torah is teaching the very lesson of bittul — that ceasing work for Hashem's sake is not a loss.

אעפ"כ מעט דביקות שמשיג ע"י היראה שורה בו ברכה וצויתי א"ב כו' בשנה הששית שהיא בחי' התקשרות.

Nevertheless, the little deveikus (cleaving to Hashem) that he attains through the awe — a blessing rests upon it: "And I will command My blessing, etc., in the sixth year," which is the aspect of hiskashrus (binding/connection).

The small measure of deveikus gained through yiras Hashem draws blessing, just as Hashem promises to command His blessing in the sixth year to cover the seventh. The sixth year represents hiskashrus — the bond with Hashem that makes the restful, "unproductive" seventh year overflow with sustenance.

וע"ז טוב מעט ביראת ה':

And concerning this, "better a little with the fear of Hashem."

This is the essence of the teaching: a little done with yiras Hashem and bittul carries more blessing than abundant labor without it.

Summary: Shabbos and Shemittah embody bittul — self-nullification before Hashem — a principle that applies in every detail of life. Even when yiras Hashem leads a person to hold back and seemingly accomplish less, if it is l'shem Shomayim there is no real loss, for "better a little with the fear of Hashem": the awe and deveikus draw Divine blessing onto his deeds, just as Hashem commands His blessing in the sixth year so that those who fear Him lack nothing.