Bittul through martyrdom versus a lifetime

במצות ונקדשתי בתוך בנ"י מסור עצמך וקדש שמי.

Regarding the mitzvah of "And I shall be sanctified amidst Bnei Yisrael": "Surrender yourself and sanctify My Name."

The mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem includes mesirus nefesh — the readiness to give over one's very life to sanctify Hashem's Name.

ובכל מקום אמרינן וחי בהם ולא שימות.

Yet everywhere else we say, "and he shall live by them" — and not that he should die.

Normally the rule is "and he shall live by them," meaning the mitzvos are meant for life and are set aside to preserve life — so why is martyrdom demanded here?

משמע שבמצוה זו של מס"נ לקדש שמו ית' יכול אדם לתקן כל מה שנברא בעבורו.

This implies that through this mitzvah of mesirus nefesh, to sanctify His blessed Name, a person can rectify everything for which he was created.

The very fact that one may forfeit life here shows that this act accomplishes the entire purpose of one's existence — it can rectify all that a person was created to achieve.

וע"ז אמרו יש קונה עולמו בשעה אחת.

And about this they said: "There is one who acquires his (eternal) world in a single hour."

This is the Gemara's statement that a person can win his entire share in the World to Come in one instant — through such total self-surrender.

ובאמת ע"י מס"נ באין לשורש האחדות שנותן כל חייו.

And in truth, through mesirus nefesh one comes to the root of unity, for he gives over his entire life.

By surrendering his whole life for Hashem, a person reaches the root of all unity — the place where everything is one with the Source.

בעבור קדושת שמו ית'.

For the sake of the sanctity of His blessed Name.

This self-surrender is done purely for the holiness of Hashem's Name.

ונקרא שעה אחת.

And it is called "one hour."

This moment of total bittul is what the Gemara designates as that precious "one hour."

כי שעה היא רצון.

For "sha'ah" (an hour) denotes ratzon (will/turning).

The Sefas Emes plays on the word sha'ah, connecting it to "turning" or "will" — a moment is essentially an act of the will.

וע"י ביטול כל הרצונות בפועל ממש בא למקומו ושורשו.

And through the nullification (bittul) of all one's wills in actual practice, he comes to his place and his root.

When a person actually nullifies all his own desires, he arrives at his true place and root in Hashem.

אכן הוא ענין חפזון ומהירות.

However, this is a matter of haste and speed.

Yet attaining the root all at once through martyrdom is a sudden, rushed accomplishment.

אבל מה שאדם פועל ביטול הרצונות בימי חייו בישוב הדעת ובמתינות הוא נאה ביותר.

But what a person accomplishes — the nullification of his desires — over the days of his life, with settled mind and deliberate calm, is far more beautiful.

Achieving that same bittul gradually, throughout a lifetime, with composure and patience, is even more praiseworthy than the instantaneous surrender.

וע"ז אמרו יפה שעה אחת בתשובה ומעש"ט בעוה"ז מכל חיי עוה"ב.

And about this they said: "Better one hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world than all the life of the World to Come."

This is why the Mishnah praises even one hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world above all of Olam Haba — the slow, deliberate avodah of this world has unique value.

ופשיטא שחיי עוה"ב העיקר הביטול אליו ית' כי בעוה"ב בוודאי א"א להיות נמצא במציאות נפרד בלתי בהמשכות חיות מחי החיים.

And it is obvious that the essence of the life of the World to Come is bittul to Him, may He be blessed — for in the World to Come it is certainly impossible to exist as a separate entity, without drawing vitality from the Life of all life.

Even in Olam Haba the core experience is bittul — total nullification to Hashem, since there one cannot possibly exist as something separate, detached from the Source of all life.

ע"ז רמזו שכשזוכין לרצון האמת ושעה אחת בעוה"ז ע"י תשובה ומעש"ט חשוב יותר:

About this they hinted that when one merits the true ratzon — even "one hour" in this world, through teshuvah and good deeds — it is more precious.

Their point is that to attain the true will of bittul here, in this world, through teshuvah and good deeds, is more valuable still — because here it is earned through effort.

Summary: Mesirus nefesh to sanctify Hashem's Name lets a person reach the root of unity and acquire his eternal world in a single instant by nullifying all his desires. Yet attaining that same bittul gradually, with a settled and deliberate mind throughout one's lifetime through teshuvah and good deeds, is even more beautiful — which is why "one hour" of avodah in this world surpasses all the life of the World to Come.