Chasidut for Beitzah 31:11
אי הכי לא לענשו נכרים עלה שבת אודועי אודעינהו מתן שכרה לא אודעינהו ואי בעית אימא מתן שכרה נמי אודעינהו נשמה יתירה לא אודעינהו
אי הכי לא לענשו נכרים עלה שבת אודועי אודעינהו מתן שכרה לא אודעינהו ואי בעית אימא מתן שכרה נמי אודעינהו נשמה יתירה לא אודעינהו
Kedushat Levi
Keeping such considerations in mind, we can understand the comment in the Talmud Beytzah 16 that with the onset of the Sabbath the Jew enjoys the presence within him of an additional “soul.” This additional soul is taken away again at the end of the Sabbath. The Talmud bases itself on the word וינפש in Exodus 31,17, where G’d’s state of mind on the first Sabbath after the six days of creation has been described as וינפש, “He was endowed with a soul.” Since G’d most likely had a “soul” during the six days of creation also, this word must refer to an additional soul. [Rashi (in his commentary there on the Talmud as opposed to his commentary on the Torah) understands the word as the regret experienced at the departure of the additional “soul.” Ed.] It is peculiar that according to the text in the Talmud, the sense of loss felt by the soul on the Sabbath was due to its owner observing rest on the Sabbath, whereas in fact this sense of loss surely was due to the loss of the additional soul at the end of the Sabbath? We must therefore resolve this puzzle by falling back on the Talmud in Shabbat 118 where we are told that if only the Israelites were to observe two consecutive Sabbaths in all its details the messiah would come immediately. In another place we are told if only all Israelites had observed the first Sabbath [in the desert at Marah (Exodus 17,20)] they would have been redeemed at once. In order to reconcile these two statements we must remember that the meaning of the word שבת is not only “to rest,” but it also means “to return, i.e. to repent.” The three root letters תשב when read in this order spell the word “teshuva.” This is a clear allusion that the Sabbath is meant to facilitate repentance. This repentance involves recognition that the objectives pursued during the six working days were in the main the pursuit of transient values as opposed to the enduring values that the Sabbath is to help us pursue by our abstaining from the “rat race” that we are part of during the week. When the Israelite becomes aware of this during the course of the Sabbath, he naturally bemoans the departure of the additional spiritual dimension that he had enjoyed during the Sabbath, the dimension the Talmud calls נשמה יתרה, an additional soul. The Israelite bemoans the fact that he does not enjoy this additional spiritual dimension during the six days he must face at the end of making הבדלה, the ritual signifying the departure of the Sabbath. In light of this, we understand that the Israelites require two Sabbath “days” in order to secure the arrival of the Messiah. The first Sabbath will serve as the day when they will do teshvuvah, after which they will understand the significance of this day for their spiritual well being. The “second” Sabbath will teach them to enjoy the additional spiritual dimension that concentrating on the study of the Torah brings with it. (On the same day).
When the Jewish people left Egypt in great haste, בחפזון, as stated by the Torah, (Deuteronomy 16,3) they were not in the frame of mind to appreciate such lofty concepts, seeing that according to all our sources they had descended to the 49th level of impurity, and if they had descended one more rung they would have been beyond redemption. They had been in a state where they greatly enjoyed the taste of the forbidden, the abominable in G’d’s eyes. Hence G’d said to them: “I am the One Who takes you out from this moral morass,” i.e. the סבלות מצרים. G’d promised that henceforth they would no longer find these abominations enjoyable but would shun them like death. Instead they would learn to enjoy spiritually uplifting experiences such as the study of G’d’s Torah and observance of its commandments. They would find satisfaction in prayer and the fact that G’d listens to their prayers, and responds positively to their good deeds. It is clear therefore that at that junction in their lives Moses had to address them by using the formula כה אמר ה', as they had not yet qualified for the benefits of prophecy from the lofty platform represented by זה, a communication from G’d directly without screen. Once they had ascended to far higher spiritual levels they would indeed be addressed by prophecies that had come to Moses under the heading of זה.
When the Jewish people left Egypt in great haste, בחפזון, as stated by the Torah, (Deuteronomy 16,3) they were not in the frame of mind to appreciate such lofty concepts, seeing that according to all our sources they had descended to the 49th level of impurity, and if they had descended one more rung they would have been beyond redemption. They had been in a state where they greatly enjoyed the taste of the forbidden, the abominable in G’d’s eyes. Hence G’d said to them: “I am the One Who takes you out from this moral morass,” i.e. the סבלות מצרים. G’d promised that henceforth they would no longer find these abominations enjoyable but would shun them like death. Instead they would learn to enjoy spiritually uplifting experiences such as the study of G’d’s Torah and observance of its commandments. They would find satisfaction in prayer and the fact that G’d listens to their prayers, and responds positively to their good deeds. It is clear therefore that at that junction in their lives Moses had to address them by using the formula כה אמר ה', as they had not yet qualified for the benefits of prophecy from the lofty platform represented by זה, a communication from G’d directly without screen. Once they had ascended to far higher spiritual levels they would indeed be addressed by prophecies that had come to Moses under the heading of זה.
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