Uncovering Torah's Hidden Light
באר חפרוה שרים כו' אא"ז מו"ר ז"ל הגיד פי' הבאר שהוא תורה שבע"פ שצריכין למצוא מעצמו הארת התורה הגנוזה בכל דבר כו'
"The well that the princes dug" (Bamidbar 21:18) and so forth. My grandfather, my teacher and master, of blessed memory, taught the meaning of the well: that it is Torah she'baal peh (the Oral Torah), for a person must find by his own effort the illumination of the Torah that lies hidden away within every thing, and so forth.
The Sfas Emes opens with the verse about the well dug by the princes, citing his grandfather's teaching that the well symbolizes Torah she'baal peh, which a person must labor to uncover for himself, drawing out the Torah-light concealed within every thing.
שרים הם המושלים ביצרם
"The princes" (sarim) are those who rule over their yetzer (the evil inclination).
The "princes" who dig this well are those who have achieved mastery over their yetzer, for only one who rules over himself has the clarity to reach the hidden Torah.
כרוה נדיבי עם ע"י ששומרין הנדיבות והרצון שבלב רק להשי"ת עי"ז יכולין למצוא בכל מקום הארה הגנוזה
"It was dug by the nobles of the people" (Bamidbar 21:18) — by means of guarding the noble generosity and the desire of the heart so that they be directed solely toward Hashem Yisbarach; through this they are able to find in every place the hidden illumination.
The "nobles" represent those who keep the generous yearning and will of their heart directed solely toward Hashem; this purity of desire is what enables them to perceive the hidden illumination everywhere.
במחוקק ע"י כח החק שנתן השי"ת בכל דבר שצריך האדם לשמור עצמו שלא לצאת מחיות הפנימיות מחוקה הנ"ל לחוץ
"With the lawgiver" (b'mechokek) (Bamidbar 21:18) — by means of the power of the chok (the engraved decree) that Hashem Yisbarach placed within every thing, for a person must guard himself not to depart from the inner vitality, outside of that aforementioned engraving.
The "mechokek" refers to the engraved chok and inner vitality that Hashem placed within every created thing; a person's avodah is to stay bound to that inner life-force and not stray outside of it into externality.
ועכ"ז במשענותם שג"כ צריך האדם לידע כי אינו זוכה לשום דבר רק ע"י שבוטח בהשי"ת כי הוא עוזר לכל דבר כמ"ש מתנה כו':
And even so, "with their staves" (Bamidbar 21:18) — for here too a person must know that he merits nothing except through trusting in Hashem Yisbarach, for it is He who helps in every matter, as it is written, "Mattanah" (a gift) and so forth.
Even after all this avodah and self-mastery, a person must recognize — hinted by "with their staves" — that he attains nothing by his own merit, but only through bitachon in Hashem, who is the true Helper in every matter, as hinted by the word "Mattanah," since the well and its light are ultimately a gift.
Summary: Building on his grandfather's teaching, the Sfas Emes reads the verse about the well dug by the princes and nobles of Bnei Yisrael as a map of how a person uncovers the hidden illumination of Torah she'baal peh that is concealed within every created thing. This uncovering proceeds in stages: first one must rule over his yetzer ("princes"), then direct the generosity and will of his heart entirely toward Hashem ("nobles"), and then cleave to the engraved chok and inner vitality that Hashem placed in each thing ("mechokek"), guarding himself never to slip out of that inner life into externality. Yet the climactic teaching is one of bittul and humility: even after all this avodah, expressed by "with their staves," a person must know that he merits nothing through his own efforts. Everything is attained solely through bitachon in Hashem, who alone helps in every matter, for the Torah and its illumination are ultimately a gift (mattanah) bestowed by Hashem Yisbarach.