חלק ב — תורה 2

6. Drawing the sanctity of Shabbat into the six weekdays causes the simple unity of God to be revealed.

The six weekdays are [days of] diverse phenomena, for on each day a different phenomenon was created. Yet the idea that all diverse phenomena stem from the Blessed and Exalted One’s simple unity runs counter to human reasoning and defies comprehension. The human mind cannot apprehend this.

However, by means of Shabbat—the great gift that God gave us, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Shabbat 10b) : “I have a precious gift in My treasure-house. Shabbat is her name”—the simple unity is revealed. Shabbat teaches faith in God’s Oneness: our belief that all the diverse phenomena stem from God’s simple unity; that He created them all during the six weekdays and ceased [creating] on Shabbat. It follows that through Shabbat, God’s simple unity is revealed.

This revelation of the simple unity is extremely precious, even to God. This is as we find: [In disputes between] an individual and a majority, the law follows the majority (Berakhot 9a and 37a). The reason for this is that they are a majority. Each one has a distinct outlook—this being the concept of diverse phenomena. In arriving at a common opinion, the diverse phenomena become a simple unity. God values this greatly, and the law therefore accords with them.

This also keeps disputes from proliferating in Israel. Without this [principle], every individual would assert his own opinion and there would be no resolution to any matter. Dissention would spread in Israel (see Bava Metzia 59b). This is not God’s will. His sole desire is simple unity, because when simple unity is revealed in this world, it is revealed also on high. This is as in “You are One and Your Name is One; who is like Your people Israel, one nation on earth” (Shabbat Minchah Prayer). The revelation of Israel’s unity in this world causes God’s simple unity to be revealed on high.

This aligns with the story of Rabbi Eliezer the Great and the Akhnai- Oven, [where it is taught] that the halakhah accords with Rabbi Eliezer in every instance (Bava Metzia, op. cit.). He wanted to prove that he had attained perfected speech—i.e., the perfection of fourfold speech one merits through halakhah.

This is why he said: “let the carob tree prove it… let the stream of water prove it… let the walls of the house of study prove it… let the Heavenly Voice prove it.” These four things correspond to fourfold speech, i.e., the four categories of speech. This is because the righteous are “mighty ones who do His word” (Psalms 103:20)—as the Holy Zohar brings (Zohar I, 90a) : through the faculty of speech they do and lead as they please. This is why Rabbi Eliezer wanted to prove that he possessed perfected fourfold speech and that through speech could do as he pleased—i.e., alter nature in whatever way he chose to by means of his perfected speech. He showed this in four things, corresponding to fourfold speech.

“Let the carob tree prove it” alludes to the speech of charity. The carob tree signifies charity because it is planted only for posterity, as the Talmud relates: “I found a world with carob trees. Just as my ancestors planted for me, so too, I am planting for my children” (Taanit 23a). Thus the carob tree is only for posterity and is just like charity, which is only for posterity, as Rabbi Chiya said: “When a pauper approaches, be quick to offer him bread, so that others will be quick to offer bread to your children.” …[For poverty] is a wheel that turns round in the world (Shabbat 151b).

“The stream of water” alludes to repentance, as in “pour out your heart like water before God” (Lamentations 2:19).

“KoTLei (The walls of) the house of study” alludes to the wealthy. They are K’TeL (like the mound) to which everyone turns (cf. Zohar II, 116a), because “the rich man has many friends” (Proverbs 14:20), since everyone turns to the wealthy. This is also the significance of “the walls of the beit miDRaSh (house of study),” as in “DoRShei (those who seek) God will not lack any good” (Psalms 34:11). This refers to the righteous, “those who seek God”; “any good” stems from them. However, the merit of the righteous benefits the world, not themselves (Chullin 86a). The righteous themselves have nothing, but draw good to the world. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, said concerning Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa (ibid.) : All the world is sustained on account of Chanina, My son, yet Chanina, My son, suffices with a [mere] measure of carobs. The wealthy are thus called “kotlei the house of study,” for they are like the tel to which everyone turns on account of their wealth. And whatever good they have stems from the beit hamidrash, as in “dorshei God will not lack any good.” All bounty is derived from them.

“The Heavenly Voice” alludes to Malkhut. The voice emerges from the six rings of the windpipe, which is Malkhut, as in (1 Kings 10:19), “The throne had six steps” (see Zohar III, 121b; Tikkuney Zohar #22, p.63b).

Thus, with these four things Rabbi Eliezer showed that he possessed perfected fourfold speech—i.e., the aforementioned four categories of speech. But even so, they paid no attention to this, because [in disputes between] an individual and a majority, the law follows the majority. This is precious in God’s eyes, because it is the revelation of the simple unity that underlies diverse phenomena, which is the concept of Shabbat, as discussed above. And this is the meaning of what the Holy One, blessed be He, said: “My sons have defeated Me!”—their element of “son” was victorious. As discussed above, the fact that a group arrives at a consensus is the concept of Shabbat/son.

{“Serve God with joy, come into His presence with joyous song. Know that God, He is the Lord” (Psalms 100:2-3) .} This is also the meaning of “Serve God with joy”—i.e., channeling joy into servant/Metat/six weekdays, as discussed above. And this is: “Know that God, He is the Lord”—this signifies the simple unity, i.e., that all diverse forms are one. This is revealed when Shabbat joy is channeled into the six weekdays/servant, as discussed above.