ולכן חייבו רז״ל לקום ולעמוד מפני כל עוסק במצוה, אף אם הוא בור ועם הארץ
Therefore the Sages, of blessed memory, made it obligatory to rise and remain standing15 in the presence of anyone who is engaged in fulfilling a commandment, even if the latter is uncultured and illiterate. When such a person performs a mitzvah, such as bringing Bikkurim (the First Fruits) to the Beit HaMikdash, one must rise before him.
והיינו מפני ה׳ השוכן ומתלבש בנפשו בשעה זו
This is because G‑d dwells and clothes Himself in this man’s soul at such time.
רק שאין נפשו מרגשת
It is only that his soul is unconscious of this sanctity that resides within him at the time of his performance,
מפני מסך החומר הגופני שלא נזדכך, ומחשיך עיני הנפש מראות מראות אלקים
because of the barrier of the bodily grossness within which the soul dwells, which has of yet not been refined, and which dims the eyes of the soul preventing it from seeing Divine visions,
כמו האבות וכיוצא בהן, שראו עולמם בחייהם
as experienced by the Patriarchs and others of their stature, who “saw their world the spiritual World to Come during their lifetime.”
These great tzaddikim were able in this world to see Divine visions normally seen only in the World to Come. This was so because their bodies, having been purified, did not conceal G‑dliness. Truly, each and every Jew would be capable of witnessing such visions of holiness during the performance of a mitzvah, were it not for the coarseness of his body.
וזה שאמר אסף ברוח הקדש בעד כל כנסת ישראל שבגולה
This is also the meaning of what Asaf said,16 under Divine inspiration, on behalf of the whole community of Israel who were later to be in exile:17
The barriers that conceal holiness are particularly strong during the time of exile. Concerning that time Asaf said:
ואני בער ולא אדע, בהמות הייתי עמך, ואני תמיד עמך
“And I am foolish and know and feel not; I was as a beast before You. [Yet] I am continually with You.”
כלומר, שאף על פי שאני כבהמה בהיותי עמך
This means18 that even though I am as a “beast” when I am with You,
Even when I perform a mitzvah and am thus united with You, I am still like a beast.
ולא אדע ולא ארגיש בנפשי יחוד זה
my soul being unaware of, and insensitive to, this union achieved between my soul and G‑d through performing a mitzvah; for were I to be aware and sensitive, my soul would be affected in a manner
שתפול עליה אימתה ופחד תחלה, ואחר כך אהבה רבה בתענוגים או כרשפי אש
which should bring down upon it fear and awe first, followed by a great love of delights, a love wherein the soul derives great pleasure from G‑dliness, or a love like fiery flames of ardent longing for G‑dliness,
כמדת הצדיקים שנזדכך חומרם
like the quality of the tzaddikim whose corporeality has been refined;
When tzaddikim perform a mitzvah they actually feel how it unifies their soul with G‑d. This, in turn, awakens within their soul a feeling of fear and awe of G‑d, followed by a feeling of intense love of Him. This, of course, is not the case with these who “feel not.”
וכנודע שדעת הוא לשון הרגשה בנפש, והוא כולל חסד וגבורה
for, as is known, the term Daat connotes a sensitivity of the soul, and this is comprised of Chesed and Gevurah.
Chesed gives rise to love and Gevurah to fear. Only when one possesses the attribute of Daat and spiritual sensitivity, will one experience the kinds of love and fear of G‑d described above.
אף על פי כן אני תמיד עמך, כי אין החומר מונע יחוד הנפש באור אין סוף ברוך הוא, הממלא כל עלמין
Nevertheless, “I am continually with You,” for the corporeality of the body does not prevent the union of the soul with the light of the blessed Ein Sof, Who fills all worlds,
Corporeality can only prevent the soul from being conscious of its unity with G‑d, inasmuch as it hinders the revelation and awareness of the unity accomplished during the performance of a mitzvah. It cannot, however, hinder the actual unity objectively effected.
וכמו שכתוב: גם חושך לא יחשיך ממך
and as it is written:19 “Even darkness cannot obscure You.”
ובזה
Accordingly,20 since (as above) every Jew who performs a mitzvah is granted the unity and sanctity of “Supreme Holiness,” even when he does not perceive it, as does a tzaddik,
יובן חומר עונש איסור מלאכה בשבתות וחמץ בפסח, השוה לכל נפש
one will be able to understand the severity of the punishment for transgressing the prohibition of work on Sabbath or that of leavened bread on Passover, which equally applies to all.
(was not read in the class)
The very same severe punishment applies equally to the loftiest tzaddik and to the coarsest boor, were either of them, heaven forfend, to transgress one of the above-mentioned prohibitions. The reason:
-לפי שאף בנפש בור ועם הארץ גמור מאיר אור קדושת שבת ויום טוב, ונידון בנפשו בכרת וסקילה על חילול קדושה זו
For even in the soul of an uncultured and completely illiterate person shines the light of the sanctity of Sabbath or Festival; hence he faces capital punishment by Karet for eating leavened bread on Passover and stoning for doing a prohibited form of labor on Sabbath, for the profanation of this sanctity which illuminates his soul.
Though a particular individual may not feel this sanctity, still, as explained earlier, this sanctity does indeed illuminate his soul. This being the case, the soul of this individual is tainted by his misdeed in a manner equal to that of a tzaddik in similar circumstances. It is for this reason that the manner of punishment applies equally to all.
וגם משהו חמץ, או טלטול מוקצה, פוגם בקדושה שעל נפשו כמו בקדושת נפש הצדיק
Similarly, the transgression involving the slightest amount of leaven on Passover, or the moving of muktzeh on Sabbath, blemishes the sanctity which rests on his (the uncultured person’s) soul just as it would the sanctity of the soul of a tzaddik,
