Serving Hashem as servant and child

כי תבואו א"ה אשר אני נותן לכם ושבתה הארץ כו'.

"When you come into the land which I give to you, the land shall rest…" (Vayikra 25:2).

The Sefas Emes opens with the mitzvah of shemittah — the land's "Shabbos" once Bnei Yisrael enter Eretz Yisrael.

דכ' לא תהו בראה לשבת יצרה וכתי' והארץ היתה כו'.

For it is written, "He did not create it to be void; He formed it to be inhabited" (Yeshayahu 45:18), and it is written, "and the earth was [void and empty]…" (Bereishis 1:2).

The world was made to be settled and made productive, yet at first the earth was "tohu" — formless; settling it is part of its purpose.

ובמד' שהארץ מתרעמת עליונים ניזונין מטמיון ותחתונים אם אינם יגעים אין אוכלין.

And in the Midrash, the earth complains: the upper beings are sustained from the King's treasury, but the lower beings, if they do not toil, do not eat.

The earth "protests" that the heavenly hosts are fed effortlessly from Hashem's storehouse, while earthly creatures must labor for their bread.

ובנ"י בכח התורה עושין ישוב א"י כדכ' בראשית ברא בשביל התורה שנק' ראשית ובשביל ישראל שנק' ראשית הי' בריאה הראשונה אח"כ כתי' והארץ היתה תהו.

And Bnei Yisrael, through the power of the Torah, accomplish the settling of Eretz Yisrael, as it is written, "Bereishis bara" — for the sake of the Torah, which is called "reishis," and for the sake of Yisrael, who are called "reishis," was the first creation; afterward it is written, "and the earth was tohu."

The world was created "for the sake of the beginning" — Torah and Yisrael; through Torah, Bnei Yisrael fulfill the world's purpose of being settled, redeeming it from its initial state of tohu.

ולכן סמך שמיטה ויובל להר סיני שבכח התורה שקיבלו בהר סיני ושבתה הארץ.

Therefore the Torah juxtaposed shemittah and yovel with Har Sinai, for through the power of the Torah they received at Har Sinai, "the land shall rest."

Shemittah and yovel are linked to Sinai because it is the power of Torah — received at Sinai — that enables the land itself to "rest" and reach its higher purpose.

ויש רמז במסורה ריש פסוק והארץ היתה תהו.

And there is a hint in the Mesorah: the beginning of the verse "and the earth was tohu."

The Mesorah groups together two verses both beginning with "ve-ha'aretz" (and the land), hinting at a connection between them.

והארץ לא תמכר כו'.

"And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity…" (Vayikra 25:23).

The second verse the Mesorah pairs is the law of yovel — that the land may not be permanently sold, for it ultimately belongs to Hashem.

וענין גרים ותושבים אתם הוא שבנ"י זוכין לא"י מצד עצמם.

And the matter of "you are sojourners and residents [with Me]" (Vayikra 25:23) is that Bnei Yisrael merit Eretz Yisrael through their own efforts.

"Gerim" (sojourners) hints at the dimension of the land that Bnei Yisrael earn by their own avodah.

ומצד האבות ירושה היא להם מאבותיהם כדכתיב וכרות עמו הברית לתת כו' לתת לזרעו.

And from the side of the Avos it is an inheritance to them from their forefathers, as it is written, "and You made a covenant with him to give… to give to his seed" (Nechemiah 9:8).

"Toshavim" (residents) hints at the other dimension — the land as a covenantal inheritance promised to the Avos and bequeathed to their descendants.

שנתן לאבות שורש א"י שלמעלה ונתן לזרעו א"י שלמטה.

For He gave to the Avos the root of the supernal Eretz Yisrael, and He gave to their seed the lower Eretz Yisrael.

The Avos received the spiritual, heavenly root of the Land; their descendants inherit its earthly counterpart below.

וב' אלו המתנות נתחדשו תמיד.

And these two gifts are renewed continually.

Both the upper and lower gifts of the Land are perpetually renewed in time.

בשמיטה נתחדש המתנה שלמטה דכתי' אשר אני נותן לכם ושבתה.

In shemittah the lower gift is renewed, as it is written, "which I give to you, and the land shall rest."

Shemittah renews the earthly gift of the Land, the dimension earned through human effort.

וביובל נתחדש המתנה שלמעלה ושבתם איש אל אחוזתו.

And in yovel the upper gift is renewed: "and you shall return, each man to his ancestral holding" (Vayikra 25:13).

Yovel, when each person returns to his inherited portion, renews the supernal gift rooted in the Avos.

ועל ב' אלו כתי' תביאמו ותטעמו וכ"כ מכון לשבתך פעלת כו' מקדש א' כוננו כו' דרשו חז"ל בהמ"ק שלמטה מכוון לבהמ"ק שלמעלה.

And concerning these two it is written, "You shall bring them and plant them" (Shemos 15:17), and likewise, "the foundation of Your dwelling You have made… the Sanctuary, O Lord, Your hands established…" — Chazal expounded that the lower Bais Hamikdash is aligned with the upper Bais Hamikdash.

As Chazal teach that the earthly Mikdash stands directly beneath its heavenly counterpart, so the upper and lower gifts of the Land correspond and align with one another.

כמו כן א"י שלמטה מכוון לא"י שלמעלה.

Likewise the lower Eretz Yisrael is aligned with the upper Eretz Yisrael.

The physical Land below mirrors and is positioned beneath the spiritual Land above.

כדאיתא בזוה"ק שמא קדישא ואורייתא וישראל סתים וגלי' כמו כן א"י סתים וגלי'.

As it is said in the Zohar HaKadosh that the holy Name, the Torah, and Yisrael have a hidden and a revealed dimension; likewise Eretz Yisrael has a hidden and a revealed dimension.

Just as Hashem's Name, the Torah, and Yisrael each have a concealed inner aspect and a revealed outer one, so too the Land has both a hidden (heavenly) and revealed (earthly) face.

והאבות זכו לא"י העליונה ובזכותם ניתן לזרעם א"י שלמטה.

And the Avos merited the upper Eretz Yisrael, and in their merit the lower Eretz Yisrael was given to their seed.

The Avos attained the hidden, supernal Land, and through their zechus their children received the revealed Land below.

גרים כשזוכין לבחי' שמיטה שהיא התיקון שלמטה כדאיתא במד' גבורי כח בשומרי שביעית הכתוב מדבר רואה שדהו בייר ושותק ועי"ז יוצאין מהנהגה הטבעיות וזוכין לשמיטה כמ"ש והיתה שבת הארץ לכם לאכלה כעין העליונים שניזונין מטמיון של מלך.

"Gerim" — when they merit the aspect of shemittah, which is the tikkun below, as the Midrash says, "mighty in strength" (Tehillim 103:20) refers to the keepers of the seventh year — one who sees his field lying fallow and remains silent; and through this they leave natural conduct behind and merit shemittah, as it is written, "and the rest of the land shall be for you to eat" (Vayikra 25:6) — like the upper beings who are sustained from the King's treasury.

The one who keeps shemittah — watching his field lie fallow in silence — rises above the natural order of "toil to eat," and like the heavenly hosts is sustained directly from Hashem's treasury; this is the "tikkun below" hinted at by "gerim."

ועליהם כתי' ברכו ה' מלאכיו ולא כל מלאכיו כדאיתא במד' שאע"פ שהם בעולם הטבעי וזורעין ואוספין מ"מ כשבא שמיטה ושובתין נתלבשו בבחי' מלאכיו.

And of them it is written, "Bless Hashem, His angels" (Tehillim 103:20) — and not "all His angels," as the Midrash teaches, for even though they are in the natural world and sow and gather, nevertheless when shemittah comes and they rest, they are clothed in the aspect of "His angels."

The shemittah-keepers, though they live in the natural world of farming, become like Hashem's angels when they cease their labor and rely on Him alone.

וזה העצה של התורה שע"י השמיטה יתמשכו כל הששה שנים ג"כ אחר הקדושה לכן כתיב ושבתה משמע תמיד ע"י שששת שנים תזרע ובשביעית תשבות נמשך הארה משביעית לכל השנים.

And this is the counsel of the Torah, that through shemittah all six years too are drawn after holiness; therefore it is written "and it shall rest," implying continually, for by means of "six years you shall sow and in the seventh you shall rest," illumination is drawn from the seventh to all the years.

Keeping shemittah elevates the entire seven-year cycle: the holiness of the seventh year radiates back into the six working years, drawing them all after kedushah.

וזה ענין הספירה להמשיך כל השנים אחר השמיטה.

And this is the matter of the counting — to draw all the years after the shemittah.

Just as we count toward shemittah and yovel, the goal is to pull every year along after the holiness of the seventh.

וכן בימי המעשה להמשיך בהם הארת השבת קודש.

And likewise in the weekdays — to draw into them the illumination of the holy Shabbos.

On the smaller scale of the week, the same idea applies: the light of Shabbos is meant to be drawn into the six workdays.

וזה ענין מלאכיו ולא כל מלאכיו.

And this is the meaning of "His angels" but not "all His angels."

Only those who draw the holiness of the seventh into the rest of the cycle become "His angels" — hence not "all" His angels.

ומדה בתורה כל שיצא מן הכלל ללמד על הכלל כולו יצא.

And there is a principle in the Torah: whatever leaves the general category to teach, comes to teach not only about itself but about the entire category.

The seventh year "stands out" not for its own sake alone but to illuminate and elevate the whole — the six years it leaves behind.

וכן הוא בכל הדברים שאע"פ שא"י להתקדש בשלימות. עכ"ז ע"י חלק הקדושה יכולין לבטל כל המעשים אל הנקודה קדושה שנמצא בכל איש ישראל.

And so it is in all matters, that even though one cannot be sanctified completely, nevertheless through a portion of holiness one can nullify all of one's deeds to the holy point that is found in every Jew.

Even a single holy point — like the seventh year or Shabbos — suffices to draw all of one's mundane deeds toward it, through bittul to the nekudah kedoshah (holy point) within every Jew.

תושבים הוא נחלת אבות והתדבקות בא"י שלמעלה.

"Toshavim" (residents) is the inheritance of the Avos and the attachment to the upper Eretz Yisrael.

The "resident" dimension corresponds to the inherited, supernal Land — deveikus to the heavenly Eretz Yisrael of the Avos, renewed in yovel.

וע"ז כתי' אשריך ארץ שמלכך בן חורים.

And of this it is written, "Fortunate are you, O land, whose king is a free man (ben chorim)" (Koheles 10:17).

Yovel — "deror," liberty — corresponds to this elevated "free" state, the world of freedom.

יובל עלמא דחירות.

Yovel is "the world of freedom."

Yovel represents the realm of cheirus — true freedom, the breaking of all enslavement.

ומקודם כתיב אי לך ארץ שמלכך נער.

And earlier it is written, "Woe to you, O land, whose king is a youth (na'ar)" (Koheles 10:16).

The preceding verse describes the opposite extreme: a land ruled by a "youth" — subservience to the natural order.

וקשה מה הממוצע אי לך ארץ הוא הפלגה לרעה ואשריך הפלגה לטובה וצריך להיות מדה בינונית.

And this is difficult: what is the middle ground? "Woe to you, O land" is an extreme to the bad, and "Fortunate are you" is an extreme to the good, and there should be an intermediate level.

The Sefas Emes asks: these two verses present polar opposites — surely there is a middle state between woe and fortune?

אבל אי לך ארץ הוא כשמשועבדין אל הטבע זה שמלכך נער הנהגה הטבעיות.

But "Woe to you, O land" is when they are enslaved to nature — this is "whose king is a na'ar," natural conduct.

"Woe" describes being wholly subjugated to nature, governed by the "youthful" natural order.

אבל ע"י שמיטה יוצאין מהשתעבדות הטבע וע"ז כתי' אשר הוצאתיך כו' מבית עבדים.

But through shemittah they leave the enslavement of nature, and of this it is written, "[I am Hashem your God] who took you out… from the house of bondage" (Shemos 20:2).

Shemittah is the intermediate step that lifts a person out of bondage to nature — the exodus "from the house of slavery."

וזוכין להיות עבדי ה' כמ"ש עבדי הם ועבד מלך מלך.

And they merit to become servants of Hashem, as it is written, "they are My servants" (Vayikra 25:55), and "the servant of a king is [himself like] a king."

Freed from nature's bondage, a person rises to be Hashem's servant — and a king's servant shares in royalty.

אבל יובל הוא בחי' בנים וזהו הפלגה גדולה שמלכך בן חורים.

But yovel is the aspect of children, and this is the great extreme, "whose king is a ben chorim."

Yovel is the higher peak — the level of "children," utter freedom — which is the "extreme to the good."

ואיתא בזוה"ק שצריכין להיות עובד ה' בבחי' בן ובבחי' עבד.

And it is said in the Zohar HaKadosh that one must serve Hashem both in the aspect of a child and in the aspect of a servant.

True avodah requires both modes — the love of a child and the submission of a servant.

שהגם שצריך איש ישראל להתלהב באהבה ודביקות לאביו שבשמים. מ"מ אפי' בזמן שאין האהבה מתגלה בלב צריכין להיות עובד ה' בבחי' עבד לבטל הרצון ולעשות בע"כ רצון המלך.

For although a Jew must be aflame with love and deveikus to his Father in Heaven, nevertheless even at a time when the love is not revealed in the heart, one must serve Hashem in the aspect of a servant — to nullify his own will and to do the will of the King even against his own inclination.

When the heart's love burns, one serves as a child; but when that love is hidden, one must still serve as a servant — submitting his ratzon and carrying out the King's will regardless.

וב' אלו העבודות קיבלו בנ"י בהר סיני במאמר אנכי ה' אלקיך.

And these two forms of avodah Bnei Yisrael received at Har Sinai in the utterance "I am Hashem your God."

Both modes of service were embedded in the very first commandment given at Sinai.

והם בחי' שמיטה ויובל לכן סמכם להר סיני.

And they are the aspects of shemittah and yovel; therefore He juxtaposed them with Har Sinai.

Shemittah (servant) and yovel (child) correspond to these two modes of avodah received at Sinai — which is why both are linked to Har Sinai.

וזהו בחי' זכור ושמור שמור בחי' עבד כמ"ש הטעם וזכרת כי עבד היית כו' ע"כ צוך כו' לעשות את כו' השבת לקיים גזירת המלך.

And this is the aspect of "Zachor" and "Shamor": "Shamor" is the aspect of the servant, as the reason given is, "and you shall remember that you were a slave… therefore He commanded you… to keep the Shabbos" (Devarim 5:15) — to fulfill the King's decree.

"Shamor" (guard the Shabbos) reflects the servant's submission — keeping Shabbos as the King's decree, recalling that we were once slaves.

וזכור בחי' בן כמ"ש הטעם כי ששת ימים עשה כו'.

And "Zachor" is the aspect of the child, as the reason given is, "for in six days [Hashem] made [the heavens and the earth]…" (Shemos 20:11).

"Zachor" (remember the Shabbos) reflects the child's intimacy — celebrating creation itself, the loftier reason.

הרי מבאר הטעם של השבת והוא בן לחפשא בגניזין דמלכא.

Here the reason for the Shabbos is explained — and this is the child who searches in the King's hidden treasures.

"Zachor" gives the inner reason for Shabbos, the privilege of a child who delves into the King's concealed treasures.

וב' הדיברות ראשונים ואחרונים ניתנו בהר סיני עבד ובן.

And the two versions of the commandment — the first and the latter — were given at Har Sinai: servant and child.

The two formulations of the Shabbos commandment (in Shemos and Devarim) embody the two avodos of servant and child, both given at Sinai.

ועיקר חביבות עבודת איש ישראל בבחי' עבד כמ"ש עבדי אתה.

And the main preciousness of a Jew's avodah is in the aspect of the servant, as it is written, "You are My servant" (Yeshayahu 49:3).

Surprisingly, the most beloved part of a Jew's service is davka the servant's submission, not only the child's love.

וכן אומרים ישמחו במלכותך שומרי שבת.

And likewise we say, "Those who keep the Shabbos shall rejoice in Your kingship."

The Shabbos prayer praises specifically the "keepers" (shomrei Shabbos) — the servant's aspect — who rejoice in Hashem's malchus.

הגם דבחי' שמור למטה מבחי' זכור.

Even though the aspect of "Shamor" is lower than the aspect of "Zachor."

Although "Shamor" (servant) ranks below "Zachor" (child) in spiritual level.

אעפ"כ צריכין אנחנו לשמוח בבחי' זו.

Nevertheless, we must rejoice specifically in this aspect.

Our joy belongs precisely to the servant's avodah, lower though it is.

כי בן ירושה הוא ואין הבן יכול להשתנות.

For "child" is an inheritance, and the child cannot change.

Being a child is an automatic inheritance — it requires no effort and cannot be altered, so it leaves no room for personal accomplishment.

אבל בחי' עבד הוא בכח מעשה האדם להכניע עצמו תחת מלכות שמים ובזה אנו שמחים:

But the aspect of the servant is through the power of a person's own deeds — to subdue himself beneath the malchus of Heaven — and in this we rejoice.

The servant's role is earned through a person's own effort of self-submission to Hashem's kingship; because it is our own achievement, it is the source of our deepest joy.

Summary: Through the power of Torah received at Sinai, Bnei Yisrael settle Eretz Yisrael and fulfill creation's purpose. The Land has a hidden (supernal, inherited from the Avos) and revealed (earthly, earned) dimension, renewed respectively through yovel and shemittah; keeping the seventh year lifts a person above nature and radiates holiness into all the years, just as Shabbos illuminates the week. These two dimensions correspond to serving Hashem as a child (Zachor, an inheritance) and as a servant (Shamor, self-submission) — and it is davka the servant's hard-won avodah, our own achievement, in which we most rejoice.