Shabbos Kodesh is the time when we can perceive Hashem’s existence, since Shabbos expresses the fact that the world was created. Therefore, someone who wants to find Hashem can find Him on Shabbos.
The Shabbos night meal is called “chakal tapuchin kaddishin,” literally translated, this means “orchard of holy apples.” When we see apples growing in an orchard, we know someone planted apple seeds there. On Friday night we recite Va’yechulu, declaring that on the Shabbos of Creation, Hashem completed His act of creating the world. When we declare that He completed His act of creating, we’re really saying that He is the One Who created it all, and He runs it to this day. In other words, we find Hashem through the physical world he planted and created.
Shabbos morning reflects a higher level: the Shabbos of giving of the Torah. This is something completely different! Here we see Hashem Himself, so to speak. “Ata hareisa la’daas ki Hashem hu HaElokim, Ein Od Milvado!” The meal of Shabbos morning is called “Atika Kaddisha,” literally translated, this means “the Holy Ancient One.” In other words, we are now talking about Hashem Himself. We’re seeing Hashem Himself, so to speak, as we do through the Torah. This level is what we call kabbalas p’nei Shechinah.
Although the preceding thoughts are lofty matters, they have a practical application as we will explain. On Friday night we work mainly on emunah. At night, a person cannot see — he needs emunah. It is written, “Your emunah is at night.”(Tehillim 92:3) We understand what is behind things, but we don’t actually see it. This is emunah. Shabbos morning is a time of joy. Yismach Moshe b’matnas chelko. We rejoice over the portion Hashem has given us, at seeing Hashem Himself, so to speak. On Shabbos morning we feel the joy of Ashreinu mah tov chelkeinu, of kabbalas p’nei Shechinah. Although there is kabbalas p’nei Shechinah on Friday night too, it’s not the main point then. This point is emphasized primarily on Shabbos morning. In other words, on Friday Night there’s more fear of Hashem, and on Shabbos morning there’s more love of Hashem.
Friday night is a time of avodah, while on Shabbos day we actually perceive the kedushah of Hashem, so to speak. We are in the Beis HaMikdash. When we experience kabbalas p’nei Shechinah, in which Hashem shows us such a shining and smiling face, there is such grandeur, such deveikus and kedushah! We have no choice but to behave differently!
