Truth Justice And Righteousness

במדרש ונשבעת חי ה' באמת במשפט ובצדקה כו' אי אתה רשאי לישבע כו' ה"א תירא כאברהם יוסף כו' אותו תעבוד כו' מפנה עצמך לד"ת כו' ובו תדבק משיא בתו לת"ח ומהנהו מנכסיו כו'

The Midrash teaches on the verse "And you shall swear, 'As Hashem lives,' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness" (Yirmiyahu 4:2): you are not permitted to swear unless you are like Avraham and Yosef, and so too "Hashem your God you shall fear" (Devarim 6:13) means to fear Him as Avraham did; "and Him you shall serve" means to devote yourself to words of Torah; "and to Him you shall cleave" refers to one who marries his daughter to a talmid chacham and benefits him from his possessions.

The Sfas Emes opens with the Midrash that links the oath "As Hashem lives" - sworn in truth, justice, and righteousness - to the three verses of fearing, serving, and cleaving to Hashem, each illustrated by figures like Avraham and Yosef.

כי איך יוכל בו"ד לישבע בחי ה'

For how can flesh and blood swear by the verse "As Hashem lives"?

He raises the difficulty: how can a mere mortal swear by Hashem's very life?

רק באמת יש לו לכל דבר חיות מהשי"ת

Rather, the meaning is that in truth every single thing receives its life-force from Hashem Yisbarach.

The answer is that everything that exists draws its vitality entirely from Hashem, which is the deeper meaning of swearing "As Hashem lives."

ומי שיודע זה היטיב ואין לו חיות רק ממנו ית' הוא אצל האמת לידע כי בהסתלקות שורש החיות שהוא א' נשאר הכל בלי חיות

And one who knows this well, and recognizes that he has no life-force except from Him Yisbarach, stands by the truth, knowing that with the withdrawal of the root of life-force, which is One, everything is left without any vitality.

One who truly internalizes that all his life-force comes only from Hashem grasps the truth that the moment that single Source is withdrawn, nothing has any life at all.

וזה נותן יראת שמים כמ"ש ז"ל כי הרקיע עומד נקרש ע"י פחד ממאמרו ית' וכן ירא ה' לאמיתו כאברהם כו' היראה נכללת בכל מקום בגופו ואין לו מקום בלי יראה שהוא חיות כל גופו [והוא מרכבה להשי"ת] וזהו תיקון הגוף

This is what produces yiras Shamayim, as Chazal said that the firmament stands frozen and congealed out of dread of His utterance, Yisbarach; and likewise one who truly fears Hashem, as Avraham did, has the fear contained throughout every place in his body, with no part of him without fear, which is the life-force of his entire body [and he becomes a merkavah, a chariot, to Hashem Yisbarach] - and this is the rectification of the body.

This recognition generates yiras Shamayim, like the firmament frozen in awe of Hashem's word; such fear permeates the entire body and becomes its very life-force, making the person a merkavah - and this is the rectification of the body, the aspect of "in truth."

במשפט פי' על החכמה והדעת שבנפש האדם לבד שיודע והוא אצל האמת צריך להיות כל מעשיו במשפט רק להשי"ת [כמ"ש שמן על ראשך אל יחסר] וזהו אותו תעבוד שצריך האדם להוסיף משכלו איך לעבוד ליוצרו כי תיקון הגוף כנ"ל אינו התחדשות רק להיות אצל האמת כנ"ל

"In justice" refers to the wisdom and the daas in a person's nefesh alone, so that one who knows and stands by the truth must conduct all his deeds with justice, solely for Hashem Yisbarach [as it is written, "let oil upon your head not be lacking" (Koheles 9:8)]; and this is "and Him you shall serve," that a person must add from his own intellect how to serve his Maker, for the rectification of the body mentioned above is not a renewal but only to stand by the truth as explained.

"In justice" corresponds to the wisdom and daas of the soul: one who lives by the truth must direct all his actions justly toward Hashem alone, adding his own intellectual effort in how to serve his Maker.

וזהו תיקון הנפש והשכל שבאדם

And this is the rectification of the nefesh and the intellect within a person.

This is the rectification of the nefesh and the intellect within a person.

ובצדקה הוא העשירות שהוא חוץ מגוף ונפש ואינו נברא עמו

"And in righteousness" refers to wealth, which is outside the body and the nefesh and was not created together with him.

"In righteousness" corresponds to wealth, which unlike body and soul is external and was not created together with the person.

וזהו דרך ללמוד איך להתדבק בהשי"ת אף כי אש אוכלה הוא

And this is a path to learn how to cleave to Hashem Yisbarach, even though He is a consuming fire.

Wealth therefore teaches the path of cleaving to Hashem even though He is a consuming fire that one would otherwise be unable to approach.

רק כמו שהממון מתדבק באדם אף שאין לו שייכות אל האדם וכיון שהוא חוץ ממנו ע"י שנותן הממון עבור מצות השי"ת ומניח מלהתדבק בו עי"ז יוכל להתדבק בו ית'

Rather, just as money attaches itself to a person even though it has no real connection to the person, and since it is outside of him, through giving the money for the sake of the mitzvos of Hashem Yisbarach and letting go of cleaving to it, through this he is able to cleave to Him Yisbarach.

Since money attaches to a person yet remains essentially external to him, giving it away for mitzvos and releasing one's grip on it enables a person to instead cleave to Hashem.

כי הכל במדה כמו שאדם נותן מה שנדבק בו כן יוכל להתדבק במה שלמעלה מהדרגתו

For everything is measure for measure: just as a person gives away that which is attached to him, so too he is able to cleave to that which is above his level.

Everything works measure for measure: by giving away what is attached to him, a person earns the ability to cleave to what is above his own level.

וג' הנ"ל הם ג' מתנות שכ' במדרש גבי בני גד גבורה חכמה עושר

And these three mentioned above are the three gifts that the Midrash writes regarding Bnei Gad: might, wisdom, and wealth.

These three - body, intellect, and wealth - are the three gifts the Midrash attributes to Bnei Gad: might, wisdom, and wealth.

והם גבורה בגוף וחכמה בשכל ועושר לבד מהגוף

And these are might in the body, wisdom in the intellect, and wealth which is apart from the body.

He maps them out: might in the body, wisdom in the intellect, and wealth standing apart from the body.

והוא כמו בכל לבבך נפשך מאודך

And this corresponds to "with all your heart, with all your nefesh, and with all your might" (Devarim 6:5).

These three parallel the three expressions of love in Shema: with all your heart, your nefesh, and your might.

ואח"כ זוכה להיות מתעורר חיות הפנימיות בדיבורו

And afterward one merits that the inner life-force is awakened in his speech.

Once a person rectifies all three, he merits that the inner life-force becomes awakened within his very speech.

ולכך חל שם שמים על דבורו ונאמר לא יחל כי בהסכמתו חל ציוי השי"ת שנעשה מדיבורו איסור מצד חלק אלקי שיש בו כנ"ל

And therefore the Name of Heaven rests upon his speech, and it is stated "he shall not profane" (Bamidbar 30:3), for through his assent the command of Hashem Yisbarach takes effect, so that through his speech a prohibition is created on account of the divine portion within him, as explained above.

Because the Name of Heaven now rests on his speech, the verse "he shall not profane" applies, for his assent activates Hashem's command, and through the divine portion within him his words can create a binding prohibition.

שאח"כ כתיב והי' הד' האלה כו' על לבבך כו' שכשמתקן גופו ונפשו שורה רוח הקודש בקרבו ומאירין דברי תורה בלבו עד שדבורו עושה רושם כנ"ל:

For afterward it is written "and these words... shall be upon your heart" (Devarim 6:6), that when a person rectifies his body and his nefesh, ruach hakodesh rests within him and words of Torah shine in his heart, until his speech leaves an impression, as explained above.

This is why the verse continues that the words shall be upon your heart: when body and soul are rectified, ruach hakodesh dwells within, words of Torah illuminate the heart, and a person's speech leaves a real impression.

Summary: The Sfas Emes builds on the Midrash linking the oath "As Hashem lives," sworn in truth, justice, and righteousness, to fearing, serving, and cleaving to Hashem. He explains that since every creation draws its entire life-force from Hashem, recognizing this truth produces yiras Shamayim that permeates the body (truth), wisdom that directs the soul's service toward Hashem (justice), and the giving away of wealth that, being external, trains a person to release his grip and cleave to Hashem (righteousness). These three correspond to the gifts of Bnei Gad - might, wisdom, and wealth - and to loving Hashem with all one's heart, nefesh, and might. When a person rectifies body, intellect, and possessions in all three ways, the inner divine life-force awakens in his speech, so that ruach hakodesh rests within him, words of Torah shine in his heart, and his very words carry the weight to create a binding vow that may not be profaned.