Two formations: outer body, inner neshamah

במדרש אחור וקדם צרתני זכה נוחל ב' עולמות כו'.

In the Midrash: "Back and front You have formed me" (Tehillim 139:5) — if one merits, he inherits two worlds.

The Midrash reads "achor vakedem" as alluding to two dimensions of a person, and teaches that one who is worthy gains a share in both this world and the next.

דכתיב וייצר דרשו חז"ל ב' יצירות בעוה"ז ובעוה"ב וכן מצאתי בתנחומא כאן בפי' כי האדם כולל כל הציור שנמצא בעולם העליון מצד הנשמה ותרי"ג מצות.

For it is written "vayyitzer" (and He formed) [with two yuds], and Chazal expounded that this hints at two formations — one for this world and one for the World to Come; and so I found explicitly in the Tanchuma — that man contains within himself the entire "image" found in the upper world, by virtue of his neshamah and the 613 mitzvos.

The double yud in "vayyitzer" teaches that man was formed for two realms. Through his neshamah and the taryag mitzvos, a person mirrors the whole spiritual structure of the upper world within himself.

וכולל ציור הנמצא בעוה"ז בגוף ורמ"ח אברים ושס"ה גידים.

And he also contains the "image" found in this world — in the body, with its 248 limbs and 365 sinews.

At the same time, the human body, with its 248 limbs and 365 sinews, embodies the structure of the physical world, so man bridges both realms.

וכפי מה שמתקן בחי' אחור כן זוכה לבחי' הנשמה שהוא עיקר המכוון שע"ז נברא האדם.

And according to how much one rectifies the aspect of "achor" (the back/outer dimension), so does he merit the aspect of the neshamah, which is the essential purpose for which man was created.

By refining the outer, physical "achor" side of himself, a person earns access to the inner neshamah — and that inner attainment is the very reason for which he was created.

וע"ז דרשו חז"ל בשביל ישראל שנקראו ראשית שסוף מעשה במחשבה תחלה.

And about this Chazal expounded: "for the sake of Yisrael, who are called reishis (the first)," for "the end of the deed was first in thought."

Bnei Yisrael, called "reishis," are the ultimate purpose of creation — last to be enacted but first in the Divine intention, just as a craftsman's goal is conceived first though completed last.

והוא ג"כ בחי' ימי המעשה ושבת דכתיב מה גדלו מעשיך ה' בחי' ימי המעשה מאוד עמקו מחשבותיך הוא בחי' השבת שניתן רק לבנ"י.

And this corresponds also to the aspect of the weekdays (yemei hamaaseh) and Shabbos, as it is written "How great are Your works, O Hashem" — the aspect of the weekdays — "exceedingly deep are Your thoughts" — the aspect of Shabbos, which was given only to Bnei Yisrael.

The pasuk's two halves map onto the two realms: "Your works" is the outer world of the weekdays, while "Your thoughts" is the inner depth of Shabbos, a gift reserved for Bnei Yisrael alone.

וז"ש ביני ובין בני ישראל אות הוא.

And this is the meaning of "between Me and Bnei Yisrael it is a sign" (Shemos 31:17).

Shabbos serves as the unique sign of the bond between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael.

שהשבת מעיד על בני ישראל כי ששת ימים עשה כו'.

For Shabbos testifies concerning Bnei Yisrael, "for in six days He made [the heavens and the earth]."

Shabbos bears witness — both to Hashem as Creator and to Bnei Yisrael's special connection to Him through the inner dimension of creation.

ומצד עשיה יש לכל הברואים אחיזה.

From the side of "asiyah" (the doing/making), all created beings have a grasp.

In the realm of physical action and the weekdays, every creature has a foothold, since the outer world is shared by all.

וביום השבת שבת והוא בחי' הרצון והמחשבה ושמה לא יש דביקות רק לבני ישראל.

But on the day of Shabbos there is rest, and that is the aspect of ratzon (will) and machshavah (thought), and there only Bnei Yisrael have attachment.

Shabbos belongs to the inner realm of Hashem's will and thought, and to that deeper place only Bnei Yisrael can cleave.

ובנ"י זכו לזה ביציאת מצרים שבגלות היו מקודם לתקן החיצוניות בחי' אחור כנ"ל.

And Bnei Yisrael merited this at Yetzias Mitzrayim — for beforehand, in galus, they were [engaged] in rectifying the externality, the aspect of "achor," as above.

The galus of Mitzrayim was the work of refining the outer "achor" dimension; only after that labor were Bnei Yisrael ready to receive the inner light at the Exodus.

ואח"כ כתיב החודש הזה לכם שהוא הדרך של התורה ומצות בחי' הנשמה והפנימיות כנ"ל.

And afterward it is written "this month is for you" (Shemos 12:2), which is the path of Torah and mitzvos, the aspect of the neshamah and the penimiyus (inwardness), as above.

"Hachodesh hazeh lachem," the first mitzvah, opened the path of Torah and mitzvos — the inner, neshamah-dimension of penimiyus that Bnei Yisrael now entered.

ובמדרש רבות עשית כו' ה"א נפלאותיך ומחשבותיך אלינו חשבונותיך כו'.

And in the Midrash on "Many things You have done, O Hashem my God — Your wonders and Your thoughts are toward us" (Tehillim 40:6):

The Midrash distinguishes Hashem's "works" from His "wonders" and "thoughts," which are directed specifically toward Bnei Yisrael.

הענין הוא כנ"ל.

The matter is as above.

This same distinction between the outer and inner realms applies here.

שבעשי' יש חלק לכל הברואים.

That in the "asiyah" all creatures have a portion,

The outer world of action is the shared domain of all creation.

והנפלאות מיוחדים רק לבנ"י כמ"ש נגד כל עמך אעשה נפלאות כו'.

but the wonders (nifla'os) are unique to Bnei Yisrael, as it is written "before all your people I will perform wonders" (Shemos 34:10).

Miracles, which transcend nature, belong specifically to Bnei Yisrael, for they correspond to the inner realm beyond the natural order.

וזה הדרך נתברר ביציאת מצרים שהודיע הקב"ה שהוא משנה הטבע.

And this path was made clear at Yetzias Mitzrayim, when the Holy One, blessed be He, made known that He changes nature.

The Exodus revealed openly that Hashem is master over nature and can override it at will.

וכתיב החודש הזה לכם שזה הדרך של הנסים תלוי בעבודת בנ"י אז זוכין להתגלות זה הדרך של הנסים כנ"ל.

And it is written "this month is for you," for this path of miracles depends on the avodah of Bnei Yisrael — then they merit the revelation of this path of nissim, as above.

The capacity for open miracles is entrusted to Bnei Yisrael and is unlocked through their avodah; the mitzvah of "hachodesh hazeh lachem" placed this power in their hands.

וכפי ביטול הטבע והגשמיות באיש הישראלי בכל אחד לפי מה שהוא.

And according to the bittul of nature and physicality within each Jew, each one according to his level —

The more a person nullifies the grip of nature and materiality within himself through bittul, each at his own level,

כך נפתח לו שער הנסים ונפלאות והתחדשות שינוי הטבע.

so is opened for him the gate of miracles and wonders and the renewal of the changing of nature.

the more the gate of the miraculous opens for him, allowing the natural order to be transcended and renewed.

ולכן בש"ק שמבטלין המלאכות שהוא מעין ביטול הטבע נפתח שער הפונה קדים כו'.

And therefore on Shabbos Kodesh, when we nullify the melachos (creative labors) — which is a semblance of nullifying nature — the "gate facing east" is opened.

By ceasing all melachah on Shabbos, a Jew enacts a kind of bittul of the natural world, and through it the inner "eastern gate" of the miraculous opens to him.

אך שצריכין לתקן מקודם בחי' הגוף כנ"ל.

But one must first rectify the aspect of the body, as above.

This inner opening, however, requires first doing the groundwork of refining the body and the outer "achor" dimension.

ובאמת הכל לטובה כמ"ש ואומר כו' חושך ישופני דרשו חז"ל אני אמרתי בעוה"ב חושך ישופני ולבסוף אפילו עוה"ז שדומה ללילה אור בעדני.

And in truth it is all for the good, as it is written "and I said… surely darkness will conceal me" (Tehillim 139:11) — Chazal expounded: I had thought that in the World to Come "darkness will conceal me," but in the end, even this world, which resembles night, "is light about me."

What seems like darkness turns out to be for the good — even this world, dark as night, can become luminous, for Hashem's light reaches into it as well.

פי' שמה שנשתלחו בנ"י בעוה"ז ובגלות וחושך.

The meaning: that Bnei Yisrael were sent into this world, into galus and darkness,

Bnei Yisrael's descent into this world's darkness and galus has a purpose.

הוא למצוא הארה גם בעוה"ז.

was in order to find illumination even in this world.

The very point of the descent is to draw down and discover Hashem's light within the lowest, darkest places.

שהלא ב' היצירות הם מהשי"ת והשי"ת מאיר לנו גם בעוה"ז ע"י התורה ומצות.

For both formations are from Hashem Yisborach, and Hashem illuminates us even in this world through the Torah and mitzvos.

Since both the worldly and the spiritual formations come from Hashem, He shines His light even into this world by means of Torah and mitzvos.

והכל אמת.

And it is all true.

Both the fear of darkness and the ultimate revelation of light are real and necessary stages.

שבוודאי כן צריך האדם להיות בזה הפחד ואומר אך חושך כו' ואח"כ נפתח לו שערי אורה.

For surely a person must pass through this fear, saying "surely darkness…," and afterward the gates of light are opened for him.

The dread of the darkness is itself a necessary step; only after a person has felt it do the gates of light open to him.

וכמ"ש במ"א על מאמר הגמ' קרא בספרא החרש הי' לבם.

And as explained elsewhere on the statement of the Gemara, "[one who] reads in a scroll — was their heart deaf?"

The Sefas Emes references a teaching about deafness and the heart, which he applies to the darkness of galus.

שהרמז שע"י החשכות שהי' לבם חרש במצרים זכו אח"כ להתחדשות.

The hint being that through the darkness — that "their heart was deaf" in Mitzrayim — they afterward merited renewal (hischadshus).

The very "deafness" and concealment Bnei Yisrael experienced in Mitzrayim became the soil from which their later renewal and redemption grew.

וכ"כ החרשים שמעו.

And so it is written: "you deaf ones, hear!" (Yeshayahu 42:18).

Those who were "deaf" in concealment are precisely the ones called to hear, for their hidden state prepares them to perceive Hashem's word.

כי בנ"י שהם בגלות ומצפין לשמוע דבר ה' ונסתר מהם.

For Bnei Yisrael, who are in galus and yearn to hear the word of Hashem though it is concealed from them,

In galus Bnei Yisrael long to hear Hashem's word even though it remains hidden.

יש להם להבין כי מוכן להם הארת התורה בכל אלה ההסתרות.

they should understand that the illumination of the Torah is prepared for them within all these concealments.

They must trust that the light of Torah is waiting for them precisely inside the hester, the concealment itself.

ואדרבא ע"י שהוא עיקר חיות המיוחד להם לכן מוכרח למצוא ע"י יגיעה ועבודה.

And on the contrary — since it is the essential life-force unique to them, it must therefore be found through toil and avodah.

Because this hidden Torah-light is their very lifeblood, it can only be uncovered through genuine effort and avodah, not effortlessly.

כמאמר מי חרש כמלאכי כו' וכ' אכן אתה אל מסתתר כו':

As in the saying "who is deaf like My messenger?" (Yeshayahu 42:19), and as it is written "indeed You are a God who conceals Himself" (Yeshayahu 45:15).

Even the concealment is from Hashem — "a God who hides Himself" — and the seeming "deafness" of His servants is part of the avodah of seeking Him through the hester.

Summary: "Achor vakedem tzartani" teaches that man was formed for two worlds — an outer, physical dimension (the body, the weekdays, the realm shared by all creatures) and an inner, spiritual one (the neshamah, Shabbos, the realm of Hashem's will and thought reserved for Bnei Yisrael). By rectifying the outer "achor" in galus, Bnei Yisrael merited at Yetzias Mitzrayim the inner path of Torah and mitzvos opened by "hachodesh hazeh lachem." The more a Jew achieves bittul of nature — as on Shabbos — the more the gate of miracles opens. And it is all for the good: the very darkness and concealment of galus is the means by which Bnei Yisrael find Hashem's hidden light, which can only be uncovered through toil and avodah.