Guarding and revealing the inner point

בענין הנגעים וההסגר. דכ' והזרתם את ב"י מטומאתם כו'. אין נזירה אלא פרישה כו'.

Regarding the matter of the nega'im (afflictions) and the hesger (quarantine/confinement): for it is written, "and you shall separate (v'hizartem) Bnei Yisrael from their impurity…" (Vayikra 15:31), and "nezirah" denotes nothing other than separation (perishah).

The word v'hizartem shares a root with nezirus, which always means "separation"; the Sefas Emes reads the laws of tumah as being fundamentally about a Jew's power to separate himself.

פי' שיהי' בכח איש ישראל לפרוש עיקר נקודת לבבו בזמן הטומאה וכמ"ש ולא כו' בטמאם כו' משכני כו' כי בכל איש ישראל יש נקודה קדושה.

The explanation: that it should be within the power of a Jew to withdraw the essential point of his heart during a time of impurity, as it is written, "and they shall not… in their making impure… My Mishkan…" (Vayikra 15:31), for within every Jew there is a holy point (nekudah kedoshah).

Even amid tumah, a Jew can protect the innermost "point" of his heart — the holy nekudah that exists in every Jew — keeping it pure and undefiled.

ואמו"ז ז"ל ביאר הפסוק ששת ימי המעשה יהי' סגור שבנ"י שנק' גן נעול הוא ששומרין הנקודה פנימיות הנ"ל שלא להתערב בחשק עוה"ז. ע"ש בפרשת ראה.

And my grandfather and teacher, of blessed memory, explained the pasuk "the six days of labor it shall be closed" (Yechezkel 46:1): that Bnei Yisrael, who are called "a locked garden" (gan na'ul), refers to their guarding the aforementioned inner point so as not to become intermingled with the desire for this world; see there, in parshas Re'eh.

His grandfather explained that during the six workdays the "gate" is closed, and Bnei Yisrael are a "locked garden" because they guard their inner point, keeping it sealed off from the cravings of olam hazeh.

והוא כמ"ש בזוה"ק פ' זו ביום טובה הי' בטוב. דכשיש עונש בעיר צריכין להסתיר כו' ע"ש.

And this is like what is written in the Zohar HaKadosh on this parsha, "on the day of good, be in good" (Koheles 7:14): that when there is punishment in the city, one must conceal oneself; see there.

The Zohar teaches that when judgment is present, one must "hide" — withdraw inward to a place of protection — just as one shelters the inner point during times of tumah.

ומזה הטעם עצמו בימי המעשה נסגר שער הפנימיות משום דשלטא בי' סט"א ותערובת טו"ר.

And for this very reason, during the workdays the inner gate is closed, because the sitra achra (the "other side") has dominion over it, and there is an admixture of good and evil (tov va'ra).

On weekdays, when the forces of impurity have some sway and good and evil are intermixed, the inner gate must remain shut to protect the holy point.

רק בשבת דכל סט"א מתעברת וערקת. לכן מתגלה בו הארה הפנימיות.

Only on Shabbos, when all the sitra achra is removed and flees, therefore the inner illumination is revealed on it.

On Shabbos the forces of impurity flee entirely, so the inner gate can open and the hidden inner light shines forth freely.

וביום טובה הי' בטוב הוא באמת בש"ק שנק' טוב כמ"ש טוב להודות.

And "on the day of good, be in good" is truly about Shabbos Kodesh, which is called "good (tov)," as it is written, "it is good to give thanks (tov l'hodos)" (Tehillim 92:1, the psalm of Shabbos).

The "day of good" on which one may be openly "in good" is Shabbos, the day called tov, when the inner point may be revealed without danger.

והוא רמז לעונתן של ת"ח משבת לשבת.

And this is a hint to the "set time" of the talmidei chachamim, from Shabbos to Shabbos.

This rhythm of an inner opening on Shabbos alludes to the practice of the chachamim, whose special "time" is from one Shabbos to the next — the recurring revelation of pnimiyus.

וזה עצמו הי' ההסגר. והסגירו הכהן. שהוא חסד הש"י מה שלפעמים נסגר לבו של אדם שיש זמנים שצריך להיות נסגר הפנימיות כמ"ש יהי' סגור.

And this itself was the hesger (confinement): "and the Kohen shall close him up (v'hisgiro)" (Vayikra 13:4) — which is a kindness of Hashem, that sometimes a person's heart is closed, for there are times when the inner dimension must be sealed shut, as it is written, "it shall be closed."

The "closing up" of the metzora is actually a chesed: just as the inner gate is closed on weekdays, there are times when a person's heart must be sealed for its own protection — a Divine kindness, not only a punishment.

וכל עובד ה' צריך להיות לו ב' בחי' הנ"ל.

And every servant of Hashem must have the two aforementioned aspects.

An oved Hashem needs both modes: times of opening the inner point and times of sealing it shut, each in its proper season.

והכל בכח התורה שעוזרת לפתוח הלב ולהרחיב התפשטות הקדושה בעת הראוי וזה עשה רצונך כרצונו כו'.

And all of this is by the power of the Torah, which helps to open the heart and to widen the spreading of holiness at the fitting time — and this is "do His will as your own will" (Avos 2:4).

The Torah empowers a person to open his heart and expand his kedushah when the moment is right; this is the meaning of making Hashem's will one's own — aligning oneself to reveal holiness in its proper time.

ובזמן דשריא סט"א צריכין לנעול הפנימיות.

And at a time when the sitra achra holds sway, one must lock the inner dimension.

When impurity is present, the avodah shifts to sealing and guarding the inner point rather than revealing it.

וזה בטל רצונך וכשעוסק במילין דעלמא ישמור נקודה פנימיות שלא להתערב בו הבלי עולם וזה והזרתם כנ"ל:

And this is "nullify your will" (Avos 2:4) — and when a person is occupied with worldly matters, he should guard the inner point so that the vanities of the world should not become intermingled in it; and this is "and you shall separate (v'hizartem)," as above.

The complementary teaching "nullify your will" means: when engaged in mundane affairs, guard the inner point and keep worldly emptiness from contaminating it. This protective separation is the true meaning of v'hizartem — the power of every Jew to keep his holy nekudah sealed and pure.

Summary: Reading v'hizartem as "separation," the Sefas Emes teaches that every Jew has the power to shelter the holy inner "point" of his heart even in times of tumah. There are two complementary modes in serving Hashem: opening the heart to reveal the inner light — as on Shabbos, the "day of good," when the sitra achra flees — and sealing it shut, as during the weekdays and the metzora's "confinement," when impurity holds sway. Both are gifts of Torah: "do His will as your own" is the avodah of revealing kedushah at the right time, and "nullify your will" is the avodah of guarding the inner point from worldly contamination.