Servant and son ascending together

בפסוק כ"ל בנ"י עבדים עבדי הם כו'.

On the verse, "For Bnei Yisrael are servants to Me, they are My servants…" (Vayikra 25:55).

The Sefas Emes takes up the pasuk declaring that Bnei Yisrael are Hashem's servants, the basis for the laws of the Hebrew bondsman in the parsha.

שטרי קודם.

"My document comes first" — [as Chazal say, "they are My servants, and not servants to servants," for Hashem's bond upon them precedes any other claim].

Chazal teach that Hashem's claim on Bnei Yisrael takes precedence over any human master's; His "bill of sale" predates all others, so a Jew can never be wholly enslaved to another.

וזה נוהג גם עתה כפי קבלת מלכות שמים שמקבלין כך פורקין שיעבוד מלכיות כמאמרם ז"ל המקבל עליו עול תורה מעבירין ממנו ע"מ.

And this applies even now: in accordance with one's acceptance of malchus Shomayim (the yoke of Heaven), to that extent one casts off the subjugation of the [worldly] kingdoms, as Chazal said, "Whoever accepts upon himself the yoke of Torah, they remove from him the yoke of [worldly] government."

The principle is timeless: the more a person accepts Hashem's sovereignty, the freer he becomes from the domination of worldly powers. Accepting the yoke of Torah lifts the yoke of the nations.

ויש בחי' עבד ובן.

And there are two aspects: that of a servant (eved) and that of a son (ben).

The Sefas Emes introduces the central duality of the piece: a Jew relates to Hashem both as a servant who serves out of duty and as a beloved son.

כמ"ש במ"א כי בימי המעשה הוא בחי' עבד.

As we have written elsewhere, that on the weekdays it is the aspect of a servant.

The weekdays, with their labor and obligation, correspond to the avodah of the eved — serving Hashem through duty and toil.

ומ"מ כ' עבד משכיל ימשול בבן מביש כדאיתא שת"ח בחול יש לו כ"כ נשמה יתירה כמו ע"ה בשבת.

Yet it is written, "A wise servant shall rule over a son who acts shamefully" (Mishlei 17:2), as it is stated that a talmid chacham on a weekday has as much neshamah yeseirah as an ignoramus has on Shabbos.

The "servant" level is not inferior. A wise eved can surpass an unworthy son. A Torah scholar even on an ordinary weekday possesses a measure of the "extra soul" that a simple person attains only on Shabbos — so the eved-avodah of the wise can outshine the son-level of the unworthy.

וב' ענינים אלו הם בחי' התורה והמצות כי העוסק בתורה הוא בן חורין.

And these two matters correspond to the aspects of Torah and mitzvos, for one who is engaged in Torah is a free man (ben chorin).

The "son" is the dimension of Torah, which makes a person free, while the "servant" is the dimension of mitzvos, performed under the yoke of obligation.

ומ"מ צריך כ"א לקבל עול מ"ש ועול מצות.

And nonetheless, every person must accept upon himself the yoke of malchus Shomayim and the yoke of mitzvos.

Even the freedom that comes through Torah does not exempt one from the eved-role; every Jew must still take on the yoke of Heaven and the yoke of mitzvos.

וזה פי' הפסוק עבדי הם כמ"ש ישראל אשר בך אתפאר שזה תפארת למקום ב"ה במה שבנ"י מקבלין עול עבדות עליהם אם כי הם באמת בנים.

And this is the meaning of the verse "they are My servants," as it is written, "Yisrael, in whom I take glory" (Yeshayahu 49:3) — for this is a glory (tiferes) to the Omnipresent, blessed be He, that Bnei Yisrael accept upon themselves the yoke of servitude even though they are in truth sons.

Hashem's special pride in Bnei Yisrael lies precisely here: though they are truly His beloved sons and could relate to Him as free children, they willingly take on the humble yoke of servitude. That voluntary submission is what brings Him glory.

ואין זה שבח של בנ"י בלבד אבל הוא עדות אמת על הבורא ית' והאמת עד לעצמו שכיון שה' אלקים אמת לכן כפי מה שמתעלה האדם רואה ומשיג כבוד הבורא ית' ומכניס עצמו לקבל עול מלכותו ית' ואין לזה שיעור.

And this is not merely praise of Bnei Yisrael, but it is a true testimony about the Creator, may He be blessed — and the truth is its own witness — for since Hashem is the true God, therefore in accordance with how much a person rises, he sees and grasps the glory of the Creator and brings himself to accept the yoke of His kingship, and there is no limit to this.

The willingness to submit testifies to a truth about Hashem Himself. Because He is absolute truth, the higher a person ascends, the more he perceives Hashem's greatness — and the more he perceives, the more he naturally submits. The greater the soul, the greater its bittul, without end.

ויש לעולם בחי' עבד ובן עבד ובן שכפי מה שמשיגין יותר ברזין דמלכא יותר משפילין עצמם לקבל עול מלכותו בבחי' עבד.

And there is always the aspect of servant and son, servant and son [in alternation]: for in accordance with how much more one grasps of the "secrets of the King" (razin d'malka), the more one lowers oneself to accept the yoke of His kingship in the aspect of a servant.

The two states cycle endlessly upward. Deeper insight into Hashem's hidden greatness produces deeper humility, returning a person to the servant's submission — but now from a higher rung.

וממילא זוכין יותר לראות ולהשיג בחי' בן וחוזרין להיות עבד כנ"ל.

And as a result, one merits all the more to see and grasp the aspect of a son, and then returns again to being a servant, as above.

That deeper submission earns a still higher "son" perception, which in turn yields still deeper "servant" humility — an ascending spiral of son and servant, each lifting the person higher.

וע"ז נאמר אדם ובהמה תושיע שערומין בדעת ומשימין עצמם כבהמה.

And concerning this it is said, "Man and beast You save" (Tehillim 36:7) — for they are cunning in knowledge yet make themselves like a beast.

"Man and beast" describes those who possess true wisdom yet, precisely because of it, make themselves lowly like an animal. Their humility flows from understanding, not from lack of it.

ואין זה מחסרון דעת רק שהידיעה האמיתית מביא הכנעה זאת להבחין כי מותר האדם אין.

And this is not from a lack of knowledge; rather, the true knowledge itself brings about this submission, to recognize that "man has no advantage [over the beast]" (Koheles 3:19).

Genuine daas leads a person to recognize, before Hashem's infinite greatness, that his own advantage is nothing. The deepest wisdom produces the deepest humility.

ולכן לעולם לי בנ"י עבדים אף אם יעלו בגבהי מרומים נשארים עבדים נאמנים.

Therefore, forever "Bnei Yisrael are servants to Me" — even if they ascend to the loftiest heights, they remain faithful servants.

No matter how high Bnei Yisrael rise, they never outgrow the servant relationship; the greater their elevation, the more faithfully they remain Hashem's eved.

וע"ז נאמר עבדי אתה ישראל אשר בך אתפאר.

And concerning this it is said, "You are My servant, Yisrael, in whom I take glory" (Yeshayahu 49:3).

The same verse joins "My servant" with "in whom I take glory" — Hashem's pride is bound up precisely with Yisrael remaining His devoted servant.

וכן דבר זה נוהג בכל שנה.

And so too this matter recurs every year.

The cycle of servant and son is not only personal but is woven into the yearly calendar, as the Sefas Emes now shows through the three festivals.

הג' מועדות.

The three festivals.

Pesach, Shavuos, and Sukkos together enact the same rhythm of servant and son across the year.

בניסן יוצאין לחירות ומקבלים עול מלכותו ית' כל ימי הספירה בחי' עבדים עושי דברו כמ"ש לעיל עד שמתקיים ז' שבתות תמימות שהיא השבועה שמושבעין ועומדין מהר סיני.

In Nissan they go out to freedom and accept the yoke of His kingship; all the days of Sefirah they are in the aspect of servants who do His word, as above, until the seven complete weeks are fulfilled — which is the oath (shevuah) by which they were sworn and bound at Har Sinai.

Yetzias Mitzrayim brings freedom, yet immediately Bnei Yisrael take on the yoke of Heaven, serving as devoted "servants who do His word" throughout the Omer. The "seven complete weeks" (sheva shabbasos) hint at the shevuah/Shavuos — the binding oath of Sinai toward which the servant-period builds.

אז זוכין בשבועות לקבל התורה בחי' בנים לחפשא בגינזין דמלכא.

Then on Shavuos they merit to receive the Torah, in the aspect of sons, to search through the treasuries of the King (ginzin d'malka).

The servant-avodah of the Omer culminates in Shavuos and the gift of Torah, which raises Bnei Yisrael to the "son" level — free children granted access to rummage through their Father's hidden treasures.

ומ"מ אח"כ חוזרין לבחי' עבד והוא חג הסוכות ששבין בתשובה בר"ה ויו"כ ומקבלין עול מלכותו מחדש והוא התפארת הנ"ל שהקב"ה מתפאר בהם.

And nonetheless, afterward they return to the aspect of a servant — and this is the festival of Sukkos: for through doing teshuvah on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur they accept the yoke of His kingship anew, and this is the aforementioned tiferes, that the Holy One takes glory in them.

After the "son" level of Shavuos, the year cycles back to the servant through the Yamim Nora'im. Teshuvah on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is a fresh acceptance of malchus Shomayim, leading to Sukkos — and this renewed submission is exactly the tiferes in which Hashem glories.

וזה חג הסוכות חבה יתירה שכפי מה שבנ"י עושין כך הקב"ה פורע להם מדה במדה.

And this is the festival of Sukkos, an extra affection (chibah yeseirah) — for in accordance with what Bnei Yisrael do, so the Holy One repays them measure for measure.

Sukkos expresses Hashem's special love: because Bnei Yisrael renewed their acceptance of His yoke, He responds in kind, measure for measure, drawing them close with added affection.

וכן יש מענין זה בכל יום שהוא קבלת עמ"ש בבקר.

And so too there is something of this matter every day, which is the acceptance of the yoke of malchus Shomayim in the morning.

The same rhythm plays out daily: the morning Krias Shema is an acceptance of the yoke of Heaven, the servant-stage of each day.

וזוכין עי"ז לתורה כ"א כפי מדרגתו.

And through this each one merits Torah, each according to his level.

Just as the Omer's servant-stage leads to the "son" level of Torah, the morning's acceptance of the yoke earns each person Torah at his own rung.

ובערב חוזרין לקבל עול מלכותו ית'.

And in the evening they return to accept the yoke of His kingship.

By the evening Shema the cycle renews, returning the person to the servant's acceptance of Hashem's yoke — the daily echo of the yearly pattern.

ובחי' עבד הב' הוא יותר מעלה כמובן למשכילים:

And this second aspect of "servant" is of a higher level, as is understood by the discerning.

The servant-stage that comes after attaining the "son" level — the evening's renewed submission — is loftier than the first, because it flows from the deeper perception gained as a "son." The discerning grasp that the second eved stands higher than the first.

Summary: Bnei Yisrael relate to Hashem as both servant and son — the eved of mitzvos and weekday toil, and the free ben of Torah. Hashem's special glory is that, though truly His sons, they willingly accept the yoke of servitude; and the higher a soul ascends and perceives His greatness, the deeper its humility, so the relationship spirals endlessly upward — son and servant, each lifting the next. This rhythm is enacted yearly (the servant-Omer leading to the son-level of Shavuos, then returning through teshuvah to the renewed servitude of Sukkos) and daily (the morning and evening Shema). Crucially, the servant-state reached after the son-level is higher than the first, for true wisdom produces the deepest bittul.