Shabbos HaGadol and the supernal Shabbos

עוד י"ל על שבת הגדול כי גם מקודם שמרו שבת כמ"ש במד' כי משה רבינו ע"ה תיקן להם.

Further one may say regarding Shabbos HaGadol: that even beforehand they had kept Shabbos, as it says in the Midrash that Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, instituted it for them.

The Sefas Emes notes that Bnei Yisrael already observed Shabbos in Mitzrayim, since the Midrash relates that Moshe Rabbeinu arranged for them to rest on Shabbos even before the Torah was given.

אך הי' בלי ציווי וגם היו משועבדין תחת יד מצרים.

But it was without a command, and moreover they were still enslaved under the hand of Mitzrayim.

That earlier Shabbos, however, lacked two things: it was not yet a divine tzivuy (commandment), and the people were still subjugated to Mitzrayim, so their observance could not yet reach its full depth.

ועתה דכ' החודש הזה לכם כו' משכו וקחו ובזוה"ק משכו יומין עלאין לתתאין כו' בפ' פנחס ע"ש.

But now, as it is written "This month is for you... draw forth and take," and in the Zohar HaKadosh (Parshas Pinchas): "draw the supernal days down to the lower ones," see there.

Now, at the redemption, the Torah says "This month is for you" and "draw forth and take" (Shemos 12:2, 12:21). The Zohar reads "draw forth" (mishchu) as drawing the supernal, lofty days down into the lower world — channeling the higher light into the realm below.

כי יש שבת עליון כמ"ש מעין עוה"ב יום שכולו שבת.

For there is a supernal Shabbos, as it is said: "a foretaste of the World to Come, a day that is entirely Shabbos."

There exists a Shabbos elyon (supernal Shabbos) — the root of all Shabbos — which our Shabbos reflects as "a foretaste of olam haba, a day that is wholly Shabbos."

וע"י מצות שבת מתדבקין שומרי שבת בשורש השבת.

And through the mitzvah of Shabbos, those who keep Shabbos cleave to the root of Shabbos.

By fulfilling the mitzvah of Shabbos, the shomrei Shabbos attach themselves to that supernal root, drawing its light down into their own observance.

ובשבת זה שקיימו מצוה ראשונה וכל מצות תלוין בכל אחד מהם כמ"ש תרי"ג מצות התלוין בה לכך נק' שבת הגדול כנ"ל.

And on this Shabbos, when they fulfilled the first mitzvah — and all the mitzvos depend upon each one of them, as it is said that the 613 mitzvos hang upon it — therefore it is called Shabbos HaGadol (the Great Shabbos), as above.

On this particular Shabbos before the Exodus, Bnei Yisrael fulfilled their first mitzvah (taking the korban Pesach). Since all 613 mitzvos are bound up with it, this Shabbos carries exceptional greatness — hence its name "Shabbos HaGadol."

[נשכח ממני סיום הדברים בזה].

[The conclusion of these words has been forgotten by me.]

The Sefas Emes notes, with characteristic candor, that he no longer remembers how he originally finished this thought.

משכו הוא בחי' שבת אמונה להיות נמשך אחר השורש.

"Draw forth" is the aspect of Shabbos — emunah (faith) — to be drawn after the root.

The word "mishchu" expresses the inner quality of Shabbos, which is emunah: allowing oneself to be drawn after one's spiritual root and source in Hashem.

ממילא משכו ידיכם מע"ז כי יתפרדו כל פועלי און.

Consequently, "withdraw your hands from avodah zarah," for "all workers of iniquity shall be scattered."

When a person is drawn after his holy root, he is automatically pulled away from avodah zarah — the Midrash reads "mishchu" also as "draw your hands away" from idolatry. As one cleaves to Hashem, the forces of falsehood disperse, for "all workers of iniquity shall be scattered" (Tehillim 92:10).

ומסתמא יש זה בכל שנה שיכולין בשבת זה להתדבק בשבת עליון הכנה לגאולה כמ"ש אא"ז מו"ר ז"ל ע"ש:

And presumably this is present every year, that on this Shabbos one is able to cleave to the supernal Shabbos as a preparation for the geulah (redemption), as my grandfather, my teacher and master of blessed memory, wrote, see there.

This spiritual opening recurs annually: every Shabbos HaGadol one can again connect to the supernal Shabbos, and this connection serves as a hachanah (preparation) for the future geulah — as the Sefas Emes's grandfather taught.

Summary: Although Bnei Yisrael kept Shabbos already in Mitzrayim, it lacked a command and freedom; at the redemption "draw forth and take" enabled them to draw down the supernal Shabbos — a foretaste of olam haba — into the lower world. By fulfilling their first mitzvah on this day, when all 613 mitzvos hang upon it, it became "Shabbos HaGadol"; and each year this Shabbos lets one cleave to the supernal Shabbos through emunah, withdrawing from avodah zarah and preparing for the geulah.