Bnei Yisrael As Witnesses

איתא בגמ' בקשו לקבוע פרשת בלק בק"ש רק משום טורח ציבור

It is brought down in the Gemara that they wished to fix the parsha of Balak as part of Krias Shema, and only because of the burden it would place on the tzibbur did they refrain.

Krias Shema is so central to bearing witness about Hashem that the Sages considered including the parsha of Balak within it, holding back only out of concern for overburdening the tzibbur.

וגם בפסוק כ' זכור נא מה יעץ בלק כו' שמצוה לזכור מעשה זו

And likewise the pasuk writes, "Remember now what Balak counseled" (Michah 6:5), which teaches that there is a mitzvah to remember this episode.

The navi's call to remember the Balak episode shows it is not mere history but a standing mitzvah to keep in mind.

והענין הוא דכתיב מקודם עמי כו' ומה הלאתיך ענה בי דרשו חז"ל אסהיד בי כי בנ"י נבראו להעיד על הבורא כדכ' עם זו יצרתי כו'

The matter is as follows: beforehand it is written, "My nation... and how have I wearied you, testify against Me" (Michah 6:3), which Chazal expound as "bear witness regarding Me" — for Bnei Yisrael were created to testify about the Creator, as it is written, "This nation I formed for Myself" (Yeshayahu 43:21).

The Sfas Emes anchors the theme: Bnei Yisrael were created for the very purpose of testifying about the Creator, as the pesukim in Michah and Yeshayahu indicate.

והרשעים כל מגמתם לבטל זאת העדות

And the wicked direct all their aim toward nullifying this testimony.

The whole effort of the wicked is aimed at undoing this testimony that Bnei Yisrael bear.

ואיתא במד' כי אמר אותו רשע ראוי לך להיות נעבד מע' אומות אבל באמת הלכה עדים שנמצא בהם פסול עדותן בטילה לכן ייחד הקב"ה עדיו כמ"ש אתם עדי דייקא

And it is brought down in the Midrash that this wicked one (Balak) said, "It is fitting that you should be worshipped above seventy nations" — but in truth, the halachah is that witnesses among whom a disqualified one is found, their entire testimony is void; therefore the Holy One, Blessed is He, set apart His witnesses, as it is written, "You are My witnesses" (Yeshayahu 43:10) — precisely you.

Since halachah voids all testimony if even one witness is invalid, Balak's attempt to make Bnei Yisrael into idol-worshippers was an attack on their fitness as witnesses; Hashem responded by designating them specifically as His witnesses.

והבדיל אותנו מן הפסולים

And He separated us from those who are disqualified.

Hashem set Bnei Yisrael apart from the disqualified, so their testimony would remain valid.

וכן בכל עדות בעולם שנה נפש יש הבדלה בהמ"ק משכן העדות

And so it is with every testimony in the world — in the dimension of "year" (time) and in the dimension of "soul" — there is a separation: the Beis HaMikdash is the "Mishkan of Testimony."

Just as valid testimony requires separating the qualified from the disqualified, so too in time and in soul there is a setting-apart, and the Beis HaMikdash itself is called the Mishkan of Testimony.

וכ' לא לכם ולנו לבנות ואסור להשתתף מנדבתם

And it is written, "It is not for you together with us to build" (Ezra 4:3), and it is forbidden to join with their donation.

When the enemies offered to help build the Beis HaMikdash, they were refused, because the place of testimony cannot be mixed with those who are unfit.

ובשנה שבת ומועדות ביני ובין בני ישראל אות היא

And in the dimension of "year," Shabbos and the Yamim Tovim are "a sign between Me and Bnei Yisrael" (Shemos 31:17).

In the realm of time, Shabbos and Yom Tov serve as the sign of testimony between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael alone.

ומכש"כ בנפש עדות דק"ש מיוחד רק לבנ"י

And all the more so in the dimension of "soul" — the testimony of Krias Shema is set apart exclusively for Bnei Yisrael.

Even more so in the realm of the soul, the testimony of Krias Shema belongs exclusively to Bnei Yisrael.

ולכן מקדימין הבוחר בעמו ישראל קודם העדות

Therefore we precede with "Who chooses His nation Yisrael" before the testimony.

Before reciting the Shema we first say "Who chooses His nation Yisrael," affirming the chosenness that qualifies us as witnesses before we give testimony.

וז"ש מקודם ענה בי ואח"כ זכר כו' מה יעץ כו' הוא בירור העדות וז"ש למען דעת צדקות ה'

And this is what is meant: first "testify against Me," and afterward "remember... what he counseled" — this is the clarification of the testimony, and this is the meaning of "so that you may know the righteous acts of Hashem" (Michah 6:5).

The proper order is first to give testimony and then to recall the Balak episode, which clarifies and confirms the testimony, leading to knowing the righteous acts of Hashem.

כי עדות היא בכח הדעת כמ"ש אתה הראת לדעת

For testimony rests in the power of daas (knowing/recognition), as it is written, "You were shown, in order to know" (Devarim 4:35).

Testimony depends on daas — a clear inner recognition — just as the giving of the Torah came with "You were shown, in order to know."

ובחי' דעת צריך בירור מתערובות טו"ר

And the dimension of daas requires clarification from the admixture of good and evil.

True daas demands being refined and clarified from the mixture of good and evil within.

לכן קא"פ פוסל כל העדות ועדים צריכין דרישה וחקירה

Therefore a witness who is a relative disqualifies the entire testimony, and witnesses require careful inquiry and examination (derishah va'chakirah).

The halachos that a related witness invalidates everything and that witnesses must be carefully examined reflect how testimony must be free of any flaw.

הכל מפני כי העדות צריך להיות מבורר משפת שקר

All of this is because the testimony must be clarified and refined away from any tongue of falsehood.

The underlying reason for all these halachos is that testimony must be purified of any trace of falsehood.

וצריך איש ישראל לידע ולזכור זאת בכל יום כי הוא נברא ונברר מכל גוי לברר זה העדות

And a Yisrael must know and remember this every day — that he was created and refined out from every nation in order to clarify this testimony.

Each Yisrael must daily recognize that his very creation and separation from the nations was for the purpose of clarifying this testimony about Hashem.

וכתיב שמע עמי ואעידה בך כי באמת מי יכול להעיד על הבורא ית"ש רק כמ"ש חז"ל הוא העד הוא הדיין וכביכול הקב"ה בעצמו הוא העד כמ"ש עד ה' בכם

And it is written, "Hear, My nation, and I will testify against you" (Tehillim 81:9), for in truth, who can testify about the Creator, may His Name be blessed, except as Chazal said, "He is the witness, He is the judge" — and so to speak the Holy One, Blessed is He, Himself is the witness, as it is written, "Hashem is a witness against you" (Shmuel I 12:5).

Ultimately only Hashem can truly testify about Himself; He is both witness and judge, and the pasuk "Hashem is a witness against you" shows He Himself bears the testimony.

וזה רמז הע' והד' רברבי דק"ש רק שבנ"י הם כלים כשנעשין אחד חל עליהם שמו ית' כמ"ש אנכי ה' אלקיך

And this is alluded to by the enlarged Ayin and Daled of Krias Shema (spelling eid, "witness") — only that Bnei Yisrael are the vessels, and when they become one, His blessed Name rests upon them, as it is written, "I am Hashem your God" (Shemos 20:2).

The enlarged letters Ayin and Daled in the Shema spell "eid" (witness); Bnei Yisrael serve as the vessels, and when unified, Hashem's Name rests upon them and the testimony is His.

וז"ש אתם עדי נאום ה'

And this is the meaning of "You are My witnesses, says Hashem" (Yeshayahu 43:10).

This is the plain meaning of "You are My witnesses, says Hashem" — the testimony is Hashem's, borne through Bnei Yisrael.

וזהו עדות דשמע ישראל בכל יום

And this is the testimony of "Shema Yisrael" each and every day.

All of this is enacted in the daily testimony of saying Shema Yisrael.

ענה בי

"Testify against Me" —

The phrase "testify against Me" — the call to bear witness about Hashem —

עד ה' בכם

"Hashem is a witness against you" —

joins with "Hashem is a witness against you" — the testimony being mutual —

הוא ענין את ה' האמרת כו' וה' האמירך:

this is the matter of "You have proclaimed Hashem... and Hashem has proclaimed you" (Devarim 26:17-18).

expressing the reciprocal bond of "You have proclaimed Hashem and Hashem has proclaimed you," the mutual testimony between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael.

Summary: The Sfas Emes teaches that Bnei Yisrael were created for one essential purpose: to be Hashem's witnesses in the world, testifying about the Creator. Because halachah voids any testimony in which even a single witness is disqualified, Balak's scheme to corrupt Bnei Yisrael was really an assault on their fitness to bear this testimony; Hashem responded by setting them apart as His designated and refined witnesses, separated in the dimensions of place, time, and soul. This testimony reaches its fullest expression in the daily Krias Shema, whose enlarged letters Ayin and Daled spell "eid" — witness — and where, when Bnei Yisrael are united, Hashem's own Name rests upon them so that He Himself becomes the witness. Each Jew must therefore know and remember every day that his creation and his separation from the nations were for the sake of clarifying and bearing this testimony, free of any tongue of falsehood. This is the mutual bond of "You have proclaimed Hashem and Hashem has proclaimed you."