Nullifying one's will earns the heart's desires

ובמדרש נרננה בישועתך כו' וישע ה' כו' נתאוו בנ"י לדגלים והקב"ה מילא משאלות לבם ע"ש.

And in the Midrash on "we will rejoice in Your salvation" (Tehillim 20:6), and "and Hashem turned [to Hevel and his offering]" (Bereishis 4:4): Bnei Yisrael yearned for the degalim (tribal banners), and the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfilled the desires of their heart — see there.

The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrash that Bnei Yisrael longed for the banners of the tribes, and Hashem granted that longing.

דאיתא המענג את השבת נותנין לו משאלות לבו דכתיב אז תתענג כו' פירוש כדכתיב וכבדתו כו' ממצוא חפציך.

For it is brought: one who makes Shabbos a delight is granted the desires of his heart, as it is written, "then you shall delight [in Hashem]" (Yeshayahu 58:14); the explanation being, as it is written, "and you shall honor it... refraining from pursuing your own affairs" (Yeshayahu 58:13).

Chazal teach that one who delights in Shabbos receives the desires of his heart. The Sefas Emes explains this through the adjacent verse: such delight comes specifically by honoring Shabbos and holding back from one's own pursuits.

שצריכין לבטל חפצינו מפני השבת שהוא רצונו ית' וממילא כשאדם צריך איזה מבוקש ומפני רצונו ית' מונע מלבקש.

For we must nullify our own desires before Shabbos, which is His will, blessed be He — and consequently, when a person needs something and, on account of His will, refrains from requesting it,

The key is bittul: setting aside one's personal wants out of deference to Hashem's will as expressed in Shabbos. When a person holds back even his legitimate requests for the sake of that ratzon Hashem,

ממילא ממלאין לו משאלותיו אפילו לא התפלל עליהם וכמו כן הי' בקבלת התורה.

then his requests are fulfilled of themselves, even though he did not pray for them — and so it was at Kabbalas HaTorah (the receiving of the Torah).

Precisely because he subordinated his own will, Hashem fulfills his desires unbidden. The same dynamic, the Sefas Emes says, was at work when Bnei Yisrael received the Torah.

שהי' מעלתם של בנ"י למעלה ממלאכי השרת כדכתיב אני אמרתי כו'.

For the level of Bnei Yisrael was above that of the ministering angels, as it is written, "I said [you are angelic beings]," etc. (Tehillim 82:6).

At Mattan Torah, Bnei Yisrael rose even higher than the angels, as the verse hints in calling them godly, exalted beings.

אכן לב יודע מרת נפשו ולכן לבות בנ"י היו מתאוין לדגלים שהוא מדריגה שלמטה מקבלת התורה מפיו ית"ש.

Yet "the heart knows its own bitterness" (Mishlei 14:10), and therefore the hearts of Bnei Yisrael yearned for the degalim, which is a level below receiving the Torah directly from His mouth, blessed be He.

Despite reaching this exalted rung, Bnei Yisrael inwardly sensed their own limitation, and so they longed for the banners — a more attainable, lower level than receiving the Torah straight from Hashem.

ועכ"ז בטלו בני ישראל רצונם ומסרו נפשם שהרי יצאה נשמתן באמת.

And nevertheless Bnei Yisrael nullified their will and gave over their souls, for indeed their souls departed [at the giving of the Torah].

Even though they yearned for the lower level of the banners, Bnei Yisrael still nullified their own desire and offered themselves entirely — to the point that their souls actually left them when they heard Hashem's words.

כדכ' נרננה בישועתך דייקא כמ"ש המד' ויושע ה' כו'.

As it is written, specifically "we will rejoice in Your salvation (bishuasecha)," as the Midrash said, "and Hashem saved (vayosha)," etc.

The wording "in Your salvation" is precise: it was Hashem who "saved" — that is, He restored their departed souls and fulfilled their longing — because they had given themselves over so completely.

וכיון שראו שכן רצונו ית' נמשכו אח"ז הגם שנתאוו כו' ומילא השי"ת משאלותם.

And since they saw that such was His will, blessed be He, they were drawn after it — even though they had yearned [for the banners] — and Hashem fulfilled their desires.

Once Bnei Yisrael recognized that receiving the Torah directly was Hashem's will, they followed it despite their own inclination toward the banners; and because of that bittul, Hashem nonetheless granted them the banners they had desired.

ונאמר עוד עפ"י מ"ש עוד במד' יפה את רעיתי כתרצה כו' דאיתא במשנה עשה רצונו כו' שיעשה רצונך כרצונו.

And we may further say, based on what the Midrash also said on "you are beautiful, My beloved, as Tirtzah (ke-Tirtzah)" (Shir HaShirim 6:4), in light of the Mishnah: "do His will... so that He will do your will as His will."

The Sefas Emes brings the Mishnah in Avos that teaches: make Hashem's will your own, and He in turn will treat your will as His. He reads "ke-Tirtzah" (as Tirtzah) as related to ratzon (will/desire).

בטל רצונך כו'.

"Nullify your will [before His will]," etc.

The Mishnah continues that one should nullify his own will before Hashem's, so that Hashem will nullify the will of others before his.

פי' כשבנ"י עושין רצונו ית' בשמחה כענין הנ"ל נרננה בישועתך אפילו אין עדיין רצונם מסכים כענין שנאמר משכני כו' כבהמה נמשכנו אחריך.

The explanation: when Bnei Yisrael do His will, blessed be He, with joy — as in the aforementioned "we will rejoice in Your salvation" — even when their own will does not yet consent, as in the matter of "draw me [after You]" (Shir HaShirim 1:4): "like an animal we are drawn after You" —

When Bnei Yisrael joyfully carry out Hashem's will even before their own desire has caught up — allowing themselves to be "drawn" after Him almost instinctively, as the verse "draw me after You" suggests —

אז מסכים הקב"ה לרצונם ג"כ.

then the Holy One, blessed be He, consents to their will as well.

In response to that self-effacing joy, Hashem in turn aligns Himself with their desires.

וז"ש כתרצה שהשי"ת רוצה ויפה בעיניו ככל אשר חפצים בעצמם.

And this is the meaning of "ke-Tirtzah" — that Hashem desires, and it is beautiful in His eyes, according to everything that they themselves wish.

The word "ke-Tirtzah" thus hints that, in reward for their bittul, Hashem comes to desire and find pleasing whatever Bnei Yisrael themselves want.

ולכן הדרך שבחרו להם בנ"י הסכים השי"ת עמהם וז"ש שיעשה רצונך כרצונו:

Therefore, the path that Bnei Yisrael chose for themselves, Hashem agreed to along with them — and this is the meaning of "He will do your will as His will."

Because they first made His will their own, Hashem endorsed the path they chose (the banners), fulfilling the Mishnah's promise that He makes our will into His.

;במדרש ימצאהו בארץ מדבר כו' דאיתא תורה נק' במדבר אם אינו עושה עצמו הפקר כמדבר אינו זוכה לתורה כו' דכתיב זכרתי לך חסד נעוריך אהבת כלולותיך לכתך כו'.

In the Midrash on "He found him in a desert land" (Devarim 32:10): it is brought that the Torah is called a "wilderness (midbar)" — if a person does not make himself ownerless (hefker) like a wilderness, he does not merit the Torah, as it is written, "I remember for you the chesed of your youth, the love of your bridal days, your following [Me] [into the wilderness]," etc. (Yirmiyahu 2:2).

The Sefas Emes turns to a second teaching: the Torah is acquired only by one who makes himself hefker — free of ego and self-interest — like an open wilderness. He links this to the verse recalling Bnei Yisrael's youthful devotion in following Hashem into the desert.

פי' מה שנמשכו בנ"י אחריו ית' קודם שקיבלו התורה ולא הי' להם דעת שלימה.

The explanation: that Bnei Yisrael were drawn after Him, blessed be He, before they received the Torah, when they did not yet have complete da'as (understanding).

"The love of your bridal days" refers to how Bnei Yisrael followed Hashem into the wilderness even before receiving the Torah, while they still lacked full understanding — purely out of love.

זה עדות של אהבה הקבועה בנפשות בנ"י אליו ית'.

This is testimony to the ahavah (love) that is fixed within the souls of Bnei Yisrael toward Him, blessed be He.

Their willingness to follow without full comprehension testifies to an innate, permanent love for Hashem embedded in the very souls of Bnei Yisrael.

ונק' אהבת כלולותיך כי בזה הכל שוין.

And it is called "the love of your bridal days," for in this all are equal.

This deep-rooted love is the "bridal love" because it is shared equally by every Jew, regardless of level of understanding or accomplishment.

וכדכתיב ויענו כל העם כו' ואיתא במכילתא לא קיבלו זה מזה ע"ש.

And as it is written, "and all the people answered [together]" (Shemos 19:8), and it is brought in the Mechilta that they did not take [the words] one from another — see there.

When Bnei Yisrael declared "na'aseh," all answered as one; the Mechilta notes that no one merely echoed his neighbor — each spoke from his own inner love, which is identical in all.

היינו כנ"ל שזה היא אהבה קבועה בלבות בני ישראל.

That is, as stated above, that this is a love fixed within the hearts of Bnei Yisrael.

Their unanimous, independent response reflects that same fixed love planted in every Jewish heart.

וזה הזכות מסייע לכל הדורות כדכתיב זכרתי לך כו'.

And this merit assists all the generations, as it is written, "I remember for you," etc.

This original love serves as an enduring merit that aids every later generation, as Hashem "remembers" it on their behalf.

וזה ענין הקדמת נעשה כו'.

And this is the matter of placing "na'aseh (we will do)" before [nishma (we will hear)].

Putting "we will do" before "we will understand" expresses precisely this — acting out of pure, ingrained love before fully grasping the reasons.

וכן הוא בכל פרט ישראל כשניער משנתו ומקבל מיד עול מ"ש קודם שזוכה לדעת שלימה מביא לו זה הדעת אח"כ:

And so it is with each individual Jew: when he awakens from his sleep and immediately accepts the ol malchus Shomayim (yoke of the kingship of Heaven), before he attains complete da'as — this brings him to that da'as afterward.

The same pattern repeats in every Jew's daily life: upon waking, he first accepts Hashem's kingship — like "na'aseh" before "nishma" — and that very acceptance, made before full understanding, leads him to attain that understanding later.

Summary: Just as one who delights in Shabbos by nullifying his own desires receives the wishes of his heart unbidden, so too at Mattan Torah Bnei Yisrael nullified their will and gave over their souls — and though they yearned for the lower level of the degalim, Hashem fulfilled that very wish, making their will into His ("do His will... so He will do yours"). The Torah, called a "wilderness," is acquired only by one who makes himself hefker; and the love by which Bnei Yisrael followed Hashem into the desert before receiving the Torah — placing "na'aseh" before "nishma" — is a fixed, equal love in every Jewish heart that endures as a merit for all generations and is renewed each day when a person accepts Hashem's kingship before attaining full understanding.