Refining the body to reveal holiness

בפסוק ונקדשתי בתוך בנ"י דרשו חז"ל מסור עצמך וקדש שמי.

On the verse "and I shall be sanctified among Bnei Yisrael" (Vayikra 22:32), our Sages expounded: give over yourself and sanctify My Name.

Chazal derive from this verse the obligation of mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) — giving up one's very life to sanctify Hashem's Name, kiddush Hashem.

וסמך לי' מצות מקראי קודש.

And adjacent to it is the mitzvah of the mikra'ei kodesh (the holy festivals).

The Torah places the command about the festivals right next to "and I shall be sanctified," hinting at a connection between kiddush Hashem and Israel's power to sanctify the holy times.

ושמעתי מפי מו"ז ז"ל כי בכח בנ"י לקרוא הקדושה בזמנים המיוחדים מאחר שהם בעצם קודש כדכתי' ונקדשתי כו'.

And I heard from my grandfather and teacher, of blessed memory, that it is within the power of Bnei Yisrael to "call forth" the holiness at the designated times, since they are intrinsically holy, as it is written "and I shall be sanctified…"

His grandfather taught that Bnei Yisrael can draw down and proclaim the holiness of the festivals precisely because they themselves are essentially holy — the same intrinsic kedushah expressed in "and I shall be sanctified among Bnei Yisrael."

ולבאר הענין ע"פ מאמרם ז"ל לעולם יראה אדם עצמו כאילו קדוש שרוי בתוך מעיו.

And to explain the matter based on their saying: a person should always regard himself as though a holy one dwells within his innards.

Chazal teach that a person should see himself as housing something holy inside — a Divine presence within him that he must guard and honor.

כי בכל נפש ישראל נמצא הקדושה רק ע"י שנתלבש הנפש בגוף צריכין לתקן הגוף שיוכל להרגיש הקדושה.

For in every Jewish soul holiness is found; only because the soul is clothed in a body, one must rectify the body so that it can sense the holiness.

The kedushah is already present in every Jewish soul. The work is on the body: since the soul is "clothed" in physical matter, the body must be refined until it can perceive and feel the holiness within.

וע"ז ניתנו המצות כמ"ש בס' שער הקדושה לכוין בכל מ"ע להמשיך קדושה לאבר המיוחד למצוה זו ובל"ת לנקות הזוהמא מאותו הגיד כו' ע"ש.

For this purpose the mitzvos were given, as written in Sefer Sha'ar HaKedushah: to intend, with every positive mitzvah, to draw holiness into the limb designated for that mitzvah, and with every prohibition, to cleanse the impurity from that particular sinew; see there.

The mitzvos are the tools for refining the body. Each positive mitzvah channels holiness into a specific limb, and each prohibition removes spiritual contamination from a corresponding sinew — purifying the body part by part.

והיינו כמו בחיות הגוף נמשך ממוח ולב לכל אבר ואבר ע"י הגידין.

And this is like the vitality of the body, which is drawn from the brain and the heart to each and every limb by means of the sinews.

The Sefas Emes draws an analogy from physiology: physical life flows from the brain and heart out to every limb through the network of sinews.

כמו כן בנפש הקדושה מתפשטת בכל האדם בכח רמ"ח מ"ע שנקראו נרות שמאירין חשכת הגוף.

So too, with the soul, the holiness spreads throughout the entire person by the power of the 248 positive mitzvos, which are called "lamps" that illuminate the darkness of the body.

Spiritually, the soul's holiness radiates through all 248 limbs by means of the 248 positive mitzvos — described as lamps that light up the body's inherent darkness, paralleling the way sinews carry life to the limbs.

ולכן בנ"י נמצא בהם הקדושה.

And therefore holiness is found within Bnei Yisrael.

Through this system of mitzvos illuminating the body, the holiness of the soul becomes manifest within Bnei Yisrael.

אך בג' עבירות שמצווין למס"נ עליהם.

But concerning the three sins for which one is commanded to give up his life.

He turns to the three cardinal sins — idolatry, illicit relations, and murder — for which a Jew must sacrifice his life rather than transgress.

הוא שעל ידיהם הוסר כל הקדושה.

It is that through them all the holiness is removed.

These three sins are uniquely destructive: committing them strips away the entire holiness from the person.

וע"י שכל איש ישראל צריך לשמור הקדושה לכן צריך למסור נפשו.

And because every Jew must guard the holiness, therefore he must give over his life.

Since safeguarding the indwelling holiness is the very purpose of a Jew, he must surrender his life rather than commit a sin that would annihilate that holiness entirely.

נמצא ונקדשתי כו' הוא לעולם שכמו שברא הקדוש ב"ה הנפש מלובש בגוף הוא נכלל בקדושה אע"פ שנסתר ונתלבש בחומר.

It emerges that "and I shall be sanctified…" applies always: for just as the Holy One created the soul clothed in a body, it is included within holiness, even though it is hidden and clothed in physical matter.

"And I shall be sanctified among Bnei Yisrael" is not only about martyrdom — it is a constant reality. As Hashem made it, the soul-within-a-body is inherently part of the holiness, even while concealed beneath physical matter.

אבל כשבא עבירה שעי"ז יוסר הקדושה צריכין להשליך כל הגוף מנגד כדי להיות נשאר בקדושה כנ"ל.

But when a sin comes through which the holiness would be removed, one must cast aside the entire body in order to remain within holiness, as above.

When confronted with one of those sins that would obliterate the indwelling kedushah, a Jew must be willing to throw away his very body — to die — so as to preserve his bond with holiness intact.

וכמו שבג' עבירות הנ"ל נכרת הגוף מהקדושה.

And just as through the three sins above the body is severed from holiness.

The three cardinal sins cut the body off entirely from the soul's holiness.

כמו כן יש מצות גדולות אשר מאירין החשכות של הגוף.

So too there are great mitzvos that illuminate the darkness of the body.

Correspondingly, on the positive side, certain great mitzvos have the power to flood the body's darkness with light, the opposite of those three sins.

וכמו כן בג' רגלים שעלו בנ"י לבהמ"ק כדכתי' יראה כל זכורך.

And likewise on the three festivals (shalosh regalim), when Bnei Yisrael ascended to the Bais Hamikdash, as it is written: "all your males shall appear" (Shemos 23:17).

The three pilgrimage festivals, when all came up to the Bais Hamikdash, are prime examples of such body-illuminating mitzvos.

היינו שנזדככו הגופים ונתגלה בהם הפנימיות ולא הי' הגוף מחשיך הקדושה.

That is, the bodies became refined and the penimiyus (inner dimension) was revealed in them, and the body no longer darkened the holiness.

On the festivals the pilgrims' bodies were so purified that their inner holiness shone forth openly, and the body ceased to obscure the kedushah.

וזה השבח מה יפו פעמיך בנעלים.

And this is the praise: "How beautiful are your footsteps in sandals (ne'alim)" (Shir HaShirim 7:2).

The verse praising the beauty of Israel's footsteps "in sandals" alludes to the pilgrimage festivals — the regalim, the "feet" that came up to the Mikdash.

כי הגוף הוא מנעל ומלבוש להנפש.

For the body is a sandal and a garment for the soul.

The "sandal" is a metaphor for the body, which clothes and covers the soul just as a shoe covers the foot.

וברגלים נתקנו הגופות.

And on the festivals (regalim) the bodies were rectified.

The regalim were the occasions on which the "sandal" — the body itself — was refined and made beautiful.

וזה ההפרש בין השבת למועדות כי השבת הוא מתנה בבית גנזיו.

And this is the difference between Shabbos and the festivals: for Shabbos is a gift from His treasure house.

He now contrasts Shabbos with the Yamim Tovim. Shabbos is described as a precious gift drawn from Hashem's hidden treasury — a holiness from a concealed source.

והוא יומא דנשמתין ולאו דגופא כדאיתא בזוה"ק והוא קודש.

And it is "the day of souls and not of the body," as stated in the Zohar, and it is "holy."

Per the Zohar, Shabbos is a day of the soul rather than the body — an inward, soul-centered holiness, called simply "kodesh."

ומועדות הם מקראי קודש אשר תקראו שהוא קרוב יותר לנפשות בנ"י.

And the festivals are "mikra'ei kodesh which you shall proclaim" — which is closer to the souls of Bnei Yisrael.

The festivals, by contrast, are "called" or proclaimed by Israel themselves, making their holiness more accessible and nearer to the level of Bnei Yisrael, body included.

ויכולין לקבל הארת הקדושה גם בגוף.

And they can receive the illumination of holiness even in the body.

Because the festivals' holiness reaches the bodily level, the body itself can absorb their sacred light — unlike Shabbos, whose light is purely of the soul.

לכן מלאכת אוכל נפש מותר ביו"ט כי אין הגוף מעכב הקדושה הבאה במועדות.

Therefore the labor of preparing food (meleches ochel nefesh) is permitted on Yom Tov, for the body does not obstruct the holiness that comes on the festivals.

This explains a halachic difference: cooking is permitted on Yom Tov but not Shabbos, because the festival's holiness can flow even through bodily, physical activity — the body is no barrier to it.

[ובזה נראה לבאר קושית התוס' בענין הנשמה יתירה אי יש ביו"ט א"כ במוצאי יו"ט נברך על הבשמים ואי אינה ביו"ט א"כ בין שבת ליו"ט נברך על הבשמים.

[And with this we may explain the difficulty of Tosafos regarding the neshamah yeseirah: if there is one on Yom Tov, then at the conclusion of Yom Tov we should make a blessing over spices; and if there is none on Yom Tov, then between Shabbos and Yom Tov we should make a blessing over spices.

Tosafos pose a dilemma about the besamim (spices) of Havdalah, which are meant to console the soul for the departure of the neshamah yeseirah: either Yom Tov has an additional soul (then we should smell spices when it ends) or it does not (then we should smell spices when Shabbos passes into Yom Tov).

וכפי הנ"ל נראה כי וודאי יש נשמה יתירה אבל ע"י שההארה מתפשט בגוף נשאר לעולם רשימה כמ"ש אסרו חג בעבותים כו' לכן אין צריך לבשמים במיו"ט רק במוצאי שבת וי אבדה נפש שאין הגוף יכול לקבל הארה עליונה כזו של השבת כנ"ל]

And according to the above it appears that there certainly is a neshamah yeseirah [on Yom Tov], but because the illumination spreads into the body, an impression always remains, as it is written "bind the festival offering with cords…" (Tehillim 118:27); therefore one does not need spices at the close of Yom Tov, but only at the conclusion of Shabbos, when "woe, the soul is lost!" — for the body cannot retain such a lofty illumination as that of Shabbos, as above.]

The resolution: Yom Tov does have an additional soul, but since its light penetrates the body, a residue lingers afterward — so no spices are needed when Yom Tov ends. Shabbos' light, however, is too sublime for the body to hold, so when it departs the soul feels a loss and we revive it with spices.

ואיתא בשם האר"י ז"ל כי בשבת העלי' בפנימיות כי אם הי' גם בחיצוניות היו רואין העליות.

And it is brought in the name of the Arizal that on Shabbos the ascent is in the inner dimension (penimiyus), for if it were also in the external dimension, the ascents would be visible.

The Arizal teaches that the spiritual elevation of Shabbos occurs internally and invisibly; were it external, people would actually see the worlds rising — but Shabbos' elevation is hidden within.

ויתכן לומר כי ברגלים הי' העלי' בפועל ממש גם בחיצוניות שנתעלו להראות פני ה' וז"ש בנעלים.

And it may be said that on the festivals the ascent was actual, even in the external dimension, for they were elevated to "appear before the face of Hashem" — and this is the meaning of "in sandals."

By contrast, on the regalim the elevation was openly real and external: the pilgrims physically rose up to appear before Hashem in the Mikdash — the outward, visible ascent hinted at by the praise of the beautiful "sandals" (the bodies/feet).

ומה"ט בשבת כ' בכל מושבותיכם.

And for this reason, regarding Shabbos it is written "in all your dwelling places" (Vayikra 23:3).

Because Shabbos' holiness is inward and not dependent on a place, it applies everywhere a person dwells.

ובמועדות היו עולין לבהמ"ק כי ע"י שהארת השבת היא ממקום הגנוז כמ"ש ביני ובין בנ"י אות היא לכן אין שום מגע נכרי יכול לשלוט.

And on the festivals they would ascend to the Bais Hamikdash; for since the illumination of Shabbos is from the concealed place, as it is written "it is a sign between Me and Bnei Yisrael" (Shemos 31:17), therefore no foreign contact can take hold.

Shabbos' light comes from a hidden, sealed source — a private "sign" between Hashem and Israel — so it is impervious to any outside, alien influence and needs no special place of refuge.

אבל ברגלים שהוא בהתגלות היו צריכין לעלות ולהבדל מעמי הארצות.

But on the festivals, which are in a revealed manner, they needed to ascend and to separate themselves from the nations of the land.

The festival holiness, being open and external, was exposed to alien influence; therefore the pilgrims had to physically go up to the Mikdash and set themselves apart from the surrounding peoples.

ובאמת עתה שחסר לנו בעוה"ר עליות רגלים נתקיים כל ההארה רק בפנימיות ע"י התפלות במקום קרבנות כדאיתא בר"מ פ' בהר ע"ש.

And in truth, now that we lack, to our sorrow, the festival pilgrimages, all the illumination is fulfilled only in the inner dimension (penimiyus), through the tefillos in place of the korbanos (offerings), as stated in the Ra'aya Mehemna, parshas Behar; see there.

In our time, without a Bais Hamikdash or pilgrimage, the festival light can no longer be drawn externally; it is now realized only inwardly, through tefillah, which stands in place of the offerings.

ומש"ל כי הג' רגלים היפוך הג' עבירות.

And as explained above, that the three festivals are the opposite of the three sins.

He returns to his earlier point: the three regalim, which illuminate the body with holiness, are the exact counterpart of the three cardinal sins, which sever the body from holiness.

כי שס"ה ימים בשנה נגד שס"ה גידין כמ"ש חז"ל:

For the 365 days of the year correspond to the 365 sinews, as our Sages said.

The 365 days of the year parallel the 365 sinews of the body (which correspond to the 365 prohibitions) — closing the circle: just as the positive mitzvos illuminate the limbs, the sanctified times of the year refine the body's sinews, the festivals being the great counterforce to the three sins that would sever the body from its holiness.

Summary: Holiness already dwells within every Jewish soul; the avodah is to refine the body — the "garment" of the soul — so it can sense that kedushah, which the mitzvos accomplish, each positive mitzvah lighting up a limb. The three cardinal sins sever the body from holiness entirely (hence mesirus nefesh to preserve it), while the three festivals do the opposite: they so refine the body that its inner light shines forth, "beautiful footsteps in sandals." Shabbos' holiness is inward, soul-centered, and from a concealed source — applying everywhere — whereas the festivals' holiness is revealed and reaches even the body, which is why cooking is permitted on Yom Tov, why no Havdalah spices are needed after Yom Tov, and why the pilgrims had to ascend openly to the Mikdash; today, lacking the pilgrimage, this illumination is drawn down only inwardly through tefillah.