Torah Sustaining Creation Forever
בפסוק אל מוציאם ממצרים כתועפות ראם לו
Regarding the verse "Hashem who took them out of Mitzrayim is for them like the soaring strength of the wild ox" (Bamidbar 23:22).
The Sfas Emes opens with Bilam's verse describing how Hashem brought Bnei Yisrael out of Mitzrayim with overwhelming strength.
פי' כי הם אמרו עם יצא כו'
The explanation is that they (Balak and his people) had said, "A nation has gone out of Mitzrayim" (Bamidbar 22:5), implying that it was a mere happenstance.
Balak's complaint was that Bnei Yisrael had merely 'come out' on their own, framing the Exodus as a random event.
ובלעם הראה להם כי אין זה ענין מקרה אבל הקב"ה הוציאם לברר כבוד מלכותו בעולם כשם שמלכותו הוא קיום כל הבריאה כן יציאת מצרים היא רק לצורך זה
But Bilam showed them that this was no chance occurrence; rather, the Holy One, Blessed is He, took them out specifically in order to make the honor of His kingship manifest in the world. Just as His kingship is the very sustaining force of all of creation, so too the going out of Mitzrayim was solely for this purpose.
Bilam countered that the redemption was deliberate: Hashem took them out to reveal His kingship, which is the same force that holds all of creation in existence.
לכן תלוי זה בזה
Therefore the one is bound up with the other.
Because His kingship sustains creation and also drove the Exodus, the two are intrinsically linked.
והראה להם כי בנ"י הם יסוד העולם וז"ש ההוא אמר ולא יעשה ודיבר ולא יקימנה דאיתא אומר ועושה מדבר ומקיים
And he showed them that Bnei Yisrael are the foundation of the world. This is the meaning of "He has said, and will He not do it? And He has spoken, and will He not fulfill it?" (Bamidbar 23:19) — for it is taught that He says and does, He speaks and fulfills.
Bilam revealed that Bnei Yisrael are the world's foundation, citing the verse that Hashem not only speaks but also fulfills what He says.
פי' בעשרה מאמרות נעשה הכל ובעשרת הדברות מתקיים הכל
The explanation is that through the ten utterances of creation everything was made, and through the Ten Commandments everything is sustained.
He draws a parallel: the ten utterances brought the world into being, while the Ten Commandments are what keep it in existence.
פי' אמת כי גם בעשרה מאמרות הי' העולם קיים לעד מכח הטבע
The explanation is as follows: it is true that even through the ten utterances the world stood firm forever by the power of nature.
He concedes that the ten utterances already gave the world a permanent natural existence.
אך הדברות הם נותנים התחדשות והשגחה בכל יום כפי עסק בנ"י בתורה ומצות וזהו מדבר ומקיים לברר הנהגתו ית' את העולם
But the Ten Commandments grant renewal and Divine providence each and every day, in accordance with the involvement of Bnei Yisrael in Torah and mitzvos. This is the meaning of "He speaks and fulfills" — to make manifest the conduct of His blessed governance of the world.
Yet the Ten Commandments add daily renewal and active providence, dependent on Bnei Yisrael's engagement in Torah and mitzvos, revealing Hashem's ongoing governance.
וכמו שמעשה בראשית קיים לעד
And just as the act of creation stands firm forever,
Just as the original creation endures permanently,
כן עשרת הדיברות והנהגה המיוחדת לבנ"י קיים לעד ואין זה דבר מקרה כנ"ל:
so too the Ten Commandments and the unique mode of governance designated for Bnei Yisrael stand firm forever, and this is no matter of chance, as explained above.
so too the Ten Commandments and the special providence over Bnei Yisrael endure permanently and are not accidental.
Summary: The Sfas Emes addresses Bilam's prophecy that Hashem took Bnei Yisrael out of Mitzrayim with soaring strength, in response to Balak's dismissive claim that a nation had merely wandered out by chance. Bilam reveals that the Exodus was no happenstance but a deliberate act to manifest Hashem's kingship in the world, the very force that sustains all of creation. He further shows that Bnei Yisrael are the foundation of the world: just as the ten utterances of creation brought everything into being and grant it permanent natural existence, the Ten Commandments sustain everything and provide daily renewal and Divine providence, in proportion to Bnei Yisrael's involvement in Torah and mitzvos. Thus 'He says and does, He speaks and fulfills' expresses how Hashem's ongoing governance of the world is revealed through them. Just as the original creation endures forever, so too the unique providence over Bnei Yisrael endures forever and is in no way a matter of chance.