Three sanctities of deed speech thought

עוד במד' שהקב"ה נותן לישראל ב' קדושות מג' הקדושות שמכתירין אותו.

Further, the Midrash teaches that Hakadosh Baruch Hu gives Yisrael two of the three kedushos (sanctities) with which they crown Him.

In the Kedushah prayer Bnei Yisrael declare "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh" three times. The Midrash says Hashem grants two of those three levels of holiness back to Yisrael themselves.

וכ' מזה במ"א כי הם בחי' מעשה דיבור ומחשבה.

And I have written of this elsewhere, that these correspond to the aspects of deed, speech, and thought.

The three sanctities map onto the three faculties of a person: maaseh (action), dibbur (speech), and machshavah (thought).

ובנ"י בכח קדושת אות ברית קודש שהיא במעשה כמ"ש נפשות העושות וע"י שמירה מעריות זוכין לקדושת המעשה.

And Bnei Yisrael, through the power of the holiness of the os bris kodesh (the sign of the holy covenant), which is in the realm of deed — as it says "the souls who do" — by guarding against arayos (forbidden relations) merit the kedushah of action.

The bris milah is a holiness expressed through the body's deeds. By guarding shemiras habris and keeping away from forbidden relations, a Yid earns the first sanctity — kedushah of maaseh, holiness in action.

וע"י שמירת ברית הלשון זוכין לקדושת הדיבור.

And through guarding the covenant of the tongue, they merit the kedushah of speech.

By guarding one's speech — avoiding lashon hara and forbidden talk — a person attains the second sanctity, kedushah of dibbur.

וקדושת המחשבה להיות נשמר מכל הרהור א"א בעוה"ז כמ"ש אין אדם ניצול מזה בכל יום.

But the kedushah of thought — to be guarded from every stray thought — is impossible in this world, as Chazal say that no person is saved from this each day.

The third sanctity, purity of machshavah, is beyond human reach in olam hazeh. Chazal teach that every person stumbles in errant thoughts daily, so this level cannot be fully attained on our own.

אך בשבת קודש דיש בו נשמה יתירה.

But on Shabbos Kodesh, which has within it a neshamah yeseirah (an additional soul)...

Shabbos is different, because of the extra soul that descends upon a Yid on the holy day.

יתירה הוא מה שא"א להשיג בעצמו.

"Yeseirah" (additional) means that which one cannot attain by oneself.

The very word "additional" signals that this is a gift beyond one's own capacity — exactly the level of purity of thought that a person cannot reach through his own avodah.

לכן הוא מתנה טובה.

Therefore it is a precious gift (matanah tovah).

Because it is unattainable by human effort, Shabbos is called Hashem's good gift from His treasure house.

וכתיב לדעת כי אני ה' מקדישכם.

And it is written: "to know that I am Hashem who sanctifies you."

The pasuk about Shabbos stresses that it is Hashem Himself who sanctifies Yisrael — this sanctity comes from Above, not from man.

שזו הקדושה המיוחדת אל הקב"ה שאין תחתונים יכולין להשיג.

For this is the kedushah that belongs uniquely to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, which those below cannot attain.

The third sanctity — purity of thought — is Hashem's own holiness, which the lower beings cannot grasp through their own avodah and which He bestows on Shabbos.

לכן בש"ק צריכין לשמור עצמו מכל הרהור כמ"ש חז"ל שלא תהרהר אחר מלאכה.

Therefore on Shabbos Kodesh one must guard himself from every stray thought, as Chazal say that one should not even think about melachah (weekday work).

Since Shabbos grants the gift of pure machshavah, one must rise to it by guarding his thoughts on Shabbos — not even contemplating weekday labor — and thereby receive this otherwise-unreachable holiness.

וע"ז כתי' ישלח עזרך מקודש שהוא בעזר עליון:

And concerning this it is written: "May He send your help from the Sanctuary" — for it comes through supernal help.

Reaching the kedushah of thought is only possible with siyata diShmaya, the help that Hashem sends from Above, since man cannot achieve it on his own.

Summary: The three sanctities of the Kedushah correspond to deed, speech, and thought. A Yid can earn holiness of action through shemiras habris and holiness of speech through guarding his tongue, but the holiness of pure thought is beyond human reach. This third sanctity is the gift of Shabbos and its neshamah yeseirah — Hashem's own holiness, bestowed from Above on those who guard even their thoughts on the holy day.