Vayeshev תרס”ה 1
בפסוק נסעו מזה.
“In the verse: ‘They traveled from here.’”
The Sefat Emet begins by noting the phrase “from here,” hinting at a specific spiritual level referred to as “zeh – this.”
בחי’ זה הדבר תורה שבכתב נבואת מרע”ה זה הדבר. אש דת.
“The aspect of ‘this’ refers to the matter of the Written Torah, the prophecy of Moses — ‘this is the matter,’ the fiery law.”
‘This’ signifies the direct revelation characteristic of the Written Torah and Moshe’s prophecy, described as a fiery divine transmission.
וזו הבחי’ למעלה מבחי’ השבטים שהם בחי’ תורה שבע”פ וזאת אשר דיבר להם אביהם.
“And this level is above the level of the tribes, who correspond to the Oral Torah — ‘and this (zot) is what their father spoke to them.’”
The tribes embody “zot,” the Oral Torah, rooted in human articulation. Moshe’s “zeh” is a higher, more direct revelation.
וזה נלכה דותינה.
“And this is [the meaning of] ‘Let us go to Dotan.’”
Dotan is interpreted as relating to ‘dat’ — religious law — meaning the dimension of Torah expressed through speech.
הדת שכנס”י מוציאין בכח הפה.
“The ‘dat’ that the community of Israel brings forth through the power of speech.”
The Oral Torah emerges through human expression, the voice of Israel shaping divine teachings.
והם לא האמינו כי מדריגת יוסף למעלה מזה.
“But they did not believe that Joseph’s level was above this.”
The brothers could not accept that Joseph’s spiritual level surpassed even their Oral Torah function.
וז”ש בעל החלומות הלזה בא.
“And this is the meaning of: ‘Behold, the master of dreams is coming.’”
Their words imply disbelief that Joseph’s dreams revealed a level higher than theirs.
שהחלומות היו מורין שהוא למעלה מבחי’ זאת.
“For the dreams indicated that he was above the level of ‘zot.’”
Joseph’s dreams pointed to a spiritual source rooted in ‘zeh,’ divine clarity, surpassing the Oral Torah tier.
וז”ש הלזה.
“And thus they said: ‘this one (halazeh).’”
The term ‘halazeh’ indirectly acknowledges Joseph’s connection to the higher ‘zeh’ level.
וכתיב בית יעקב אש. יוסף להבה. והשבטים הם הנרות שהאש מאיר עליהם. אבל יוסף יש לו חלק בעצם האור:
“As it is written: ‘The house of Jacob is fire; Joseph is a flame; and the tribes are the lamps illuminated by the fire. But Joseph has a share in the essence of the light.’”
The tribes receive illumination like lamps, but Joseph draws from the core divine light itself, the concentrated flame that ignites illumination.
The Sefat Emet distinguishes between ‘zeh’—the direct revelation of Written Torah—and ‘zot,’ the human‑mediated Oral Torah embodied by the tribes. Joseph’s dreams reveal that he belongs to the higher level of ‘zeh,’ a connection to the essence of divine light, surpassing the illumination received by his brothers.
