Binding Earthly Gifts Above
בענין בני ראובן ובני גד במד' ג' מתנות כו' בזמן שבאין בכח התורה כו' אל יתהלל חכם כו' ע"ש נחלה מבוהלת בראשונה
Regarding Bnei Reuven and Bnei Gad, the Midrash speaks of three gifts, etc., which come when one comes through the power of the Torah, etc.; as the pasuk says, "Let not the wise man boast" (Yirmiyahu 9:22), etc. See there regarding the verse, "An inheritance gotten hastily in the beginning" (Mishlei 20:21).
The Sfas Emes introduces the topic of the tribes of Reuven and Gad through the Midrash's theme of three gifts that come specifically through the power of Torah, linking it to the warning against boasting and to the danger of grasping an inheritance too hastily.
כי הנה באמת זה החלק הי' מוכן ומזומן בעבורם
For in truth, this portion was prepared and made ready for them.
He affirms that the eastern territory genuinely belonged to these tribes from the outset.
אך כי ירושת ארץ ישראל למטה היא הכנה להשורש למעלה
However, the inheritance of Eretz Yisrael below is a preparation for the root above.
He explains that holding a portion in Eretz Yisrael below is meant to serve as a vessel and preparation for its spiritual root Above.
וזה בא לבסוף כי הקב"ה באופן זה סידר העולם כמו שהאדם נברא בסוף שיכנוס לשבת מיד
And this comes at the end, for the Holy One, Blessed is He, arranged the world in this manner, just as man was created last so that he could enter and immediately sit at the ready table.
Just as Hashem created man last so he would enter a fully prepared world, so too the deeper spiritual completion of the Land comes only at the end of the process.
וכמו כן הי' סדר כיבוש הארץ
And so too was the order of the conquest of the Land.
The same staged order governed how the Land was conquered.
מקודם עבר הירדן אח"כ ארץ כנען וירושלים ומקום ביהמ"ק באחרונה שאז שרתה השכינה בארץ
First was Ever HaYarden (the eastern side of the Jordan), afterward the land of Canaan, and Yerushalayim and the place of the Beis HaMikdash last, for then the Shechinah rested in the Land.
The conquest moved from the eastern bank, to Canaan proper, and finally to Yerushalayim and the Beis HaMikdash, where the Shechinah ultimately came to rest.
וכשנכנסו בנ"י לארץ נתקדשה א"י בהתגלות כח הארץ הקדושה כמ"ש במ"א פי' זאת הארץ אשר תפול כו'
And when Bnei Yisrael entered the Land, Eretz Yisrael was sanctified through the revelation of the power of the holy Land, as is written elsewhere on the meaning of "This is the Land that shall fall (to you as an inheritance)," etc. (Bamidbar 34:2).
When Bnei Yisrael entered, the Land's inner holiness was revealed and activated, which is the deeper sense of the verse describing the Land that would fall to them.
והוא עיקר שלימות א"י שהוא מקושר בשורשו שלמעלה ולכן הוא מיוחד לבנ"י
And this is the essential completeness of Eretz Yisrael, that it is bound to its root above, and therefore it is designated specifically for Bnei Yisrael.
The true perfection of Eretz Yisrael is that it is connected to its source Above, which is why it is uniquely fitted to Bnei Yisrael.
שהם ג"כ דבוקים בשורש
For they too are cleaving to the root.
Bnei Yisrael are suited to it because they too are attached to that same root Above.
והקב"ה בחר לו בנ"י כמ"ש יעקב בחר לו כו' וכמו כן בחר בציון
And the Holy One, Blessed is He, chose Bnei Yisrael for Himself, as is written, "For Hashem has chosen Yaakov for Himself," etc. (Tehillim 135:4), and likewise He chose Tziyon.
Hashem chose Bnei Yisrael as His own and correspondingly chose Tziyon, pairing the chosen people with the chosen place.
וכפי השלימות שנמצא בבנ"י כך מתוקן להם הארץ כמ"ש גוי אחד בארץ
And according to the completeness that is found in Bnei Yisrael, so is the Land made fitting for them, as is written, "one nation in the land" (Shmuel II 7:23).
The measure of spiritual completeness in Bnei Yisrael determines how the Land is prepared and rectified for them, as a single nation united in the Land.
ולכן מבקשין יוליכנו קוממיות לארצנו
And therefore we ask, "Lead us upright to our Land" (from the prayers).
This is why we daven to be led "upright" back to our Land.
פי' קומה שלמטה מכוון לקומה שלמעלה
This means: the stature below should be aligned with the stature above.
"Upright" means that our stature below should stand in alignment with our spiritual stature Above.
וכשבאין לזה התיקון זוכין לארץ ישראל שהוא ג"כ מקושר בחלק שלמעלה
And when they come to this rectification, they merit Eretz Yisrael, which is likewise bound to the portion above.
When a person achieves this alignment, he becomes worthy of an Eretz Yisrael that is itself joined to its portion Above.
והנה אלה הג' חכם גבור עשיר הוא ג"כ בעבודת הבורא
Now these three, the wise man, the mighty man, and the wealthy man, also apply to the service of the Creator.
The Sfas Emes now applies the three categories of wise, mighty, and wealthy to one's avodas Hashem.
חכם בתורה
Wise in Torah.
"Wise" corresponds to wisdom in Torah.
וגבור לכבוש יצרו
And mighty, to conquer one's yetzer.
"Mighty" corresponds to the strength to overcome one's yetzer hara.
ועשיר במצות ומעשים טובים
And wealthy, in mitzvos and good deeds.
"Wealthy" corresponds to a wealth of mitzvos and good deeds.
וגם בזה נאמר אל יתהלל
And of this too it is said, "Let him not boast."
Concerning these too the navi warns a person not to boast.
דלפי' הפשוט קשה וכי צריך אדם להתגאות במה שחננו הבורא
For according to the plain meaning it is difficult: does a person need to take pride in that which the Creator graciously granted him?
He raises a difficulty: on a simple level, why should a person be told not to take pride in gifts that Hashem Himself granted him?
אך הלול הוא התגלות והתרוממות לב האדם
Rather, "praise" (hilul) refers to the revelation and elevation of a person's heart.
He answers that "praise" here refers to the inner revelation and uplift of a person's heart, not mere bragging.
וכל החכמה והגבורה ומעש"ט אין מתקנים נפש האדם רק אם תכלית הכוונה לשמו ית' וז"ש אל יתהלל בחכמתו גבורתו עשרו כשהוא נפרד ומתחכם לעצמו ואפילו כובש יצרו כדי להיות נקי מחטא
And all the wisdom and the might and the good deeds do not rectify the soul of a person unless the ultimate intent is for the sake of His Name, may He be blessed. And this is the meaning of "Let him not boast in his wisdom, his might, his wealth" (Yirmiyahu 9:22) when he is separate and makes himself wise for his own sake, and even if he conquers his yetzer merely in order to be clean of sin.
Wisdom, strength, and good deeds only rectify the soul when their ultimate aim is for Hashem's Name; the navi warns against the one who uses them for himself, even conquering his yetzer only to be personally free of sin.
רק הכל צריך להיות כדי לדעת הבורא ית' כמ"ש בזאת יתהלל כו' השכל וידוע כו' שיהי' לו דביקות והתקשרות בשורש כמ"ש אהללה ה' בחיי
Rather, everything must be in order to know the Creator, may He be blessed, as is written, "But in this let him boast, etc.: understanding and knowing (Me)," etc. (Yirmiyahu 9:23) so that he should have dveikus and a binding to the root, as is written, "I will praise Hashem while I live" (Tehillim 146:2).
Everything must instead serve the goal of knowing Hashem, so that a person attains dveikus and binds himself to the root Above, as in "I will praise Hashem while I live."
ולכן הגם כי בני גד וראובן מצאו חלקם למטה
And therefore, although Bnei Gad and Reuven found their portion below,
He returns to the case of Gad and Reuven, who secured their portion on the near side of the Jordan.
כאשר מרע"ה ידע כי עוד לא זאת המנוחה ומציאות חלק שלמעלה רק למטה בלבד לכן קשר אותו ותלאו כשיכבשו בנ"י כל ארץ כנען אז יהי' להם חלקם למפרע כדי שלא יהי' חלקם נפרד מהשורש שלמעלה כנ"ל
Since Moshe Rabbeinu knew that this is not yet the resting place and the realization of the portion above, but only below alone, therefore he bound it and made it contingent: that when Bnei Yisrael would conquer all the land of Canaan, then their portion would take effect retroactively, so that their portion would not be separated from the root above, as above.
Because Moshe Rabbeinu understood that this lower portion was not yet a true resting place connected Above, he made it conditional on the full conquest of Canaan, so that their portion would take effect retroactively and remain joined to its root Above.
והקב"ה רוצה שבני ישראל יקבלו הכל בכח התורה מאתו ית'
And the Holy One, Blessed is He, wants Bnei Yisrael to receive everything through the power of the Torah from Him, may He be blessed.
Hashem desires that Bnei Yisrael receive everything directly from Him through the power of Torah.
ולכן איתא במד' שהפיל שרו של ארץ כנען כי כשנכנסו ישראל ניטל ההנהגה שע"י שר כמ"ש במד' כשבא בנו נותן לו מתוך פיו וכן צריך להיות לעולם ג' המתנות בכח התורה
And therefore it is brought in the Midrash that He cast down the heavenly minister of the land of Canaan, for when Bnei Yisrael entered, the governance that comes by way of a (heavenly) minister was removed, as is brought in the Midrash: when his son comes, he gives to him from his own mouth; and so it must always be, the three gifts through the power of the Torah.
The Midrash teaches that Hashem cast down the heavenly minister of Canaan, for once Bnei Yisrael entered, governance through an intermediary minister ceased; like a father who feeds his son directly from his own mouth, the three gifts should always come through the power of Torah.
ובשבת איתא מתנה טובה יש לי והיינו דכתיב ויברך כו' יום השביעי
And regarding Shabbos it is brought, "I have a good gift (in My treasury)," and this is what is written, "And He blessed (the) seventh day" (Bereishis 2:3).
Regarding Shabbos, the Midrash teaches that Hashem has a precious gift in His treasury, which is the meaning of "and He blessed the seventh day."
וניתן לבנ"י באהבה שבנ"י יקבלו כל הברכה בכח השבת
And it was given to Bnei Yisrael with love, that Bnei Yisrael should receive all the blessing through the power of Shabbos.
Shabbos was given to Bnei Yisrael with love so that they could receive all blessing through its power.
ואלה הג' מתנות הם ג' ימים דקמי שבתא ודבתר שבתא
And these three gifts are the three days that precede Shabbos and the (three) that follow Shabbos.
These three gifts correspond to the three days leading up to Shabbos and the three days following it.
והם הג' דברים שדורש המד' בפרשת מסעי שצריכין להזכיר בבהמ"ז חיים זה החכמה תחי' בעלי'
And they are the three things that the Midrash expounds in Parshas Masei, that one must mention in Birkas HaMazon: "life" (chaim), this is wisdom, "that it may give life to its possessors" (Koheles 7:12);
They are also the three things the Midrash in Masei says must be mentioned in Birkas HaMazon: "life" represents wisdom, which gives life to those who possess it.
ברית היא הגבורה הכובש את יצרו וניתן לבנ"י בכח הברית להסיר הערלה
"covenant" (bris) is the might, conquering one's yetzer, and it was given to Bnei Yisrael through the power of the bris (milah) to remove the orlah.
"Covenant" represents might, the conquering of the yetzer, granted to Bnei Yisrael through the bris milah that removes the orlah.
וכן כתיב חגור חרבך
And so it is written, "Gird your sword (upon your thigh, O mighty one)" (Tehillim 45:4).
This is reflected in the verse "Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one."
וע"ז מברכין אוזר ישראל בגבורה
And upon this we recite the berachah, "Who girds Yisrael with might."
Corresponding to this we say the berachah "Who girds Yisrael with might."
ארץ חמדה היא עשירות
"A desirable land" is the wealth.
"A desirable land" represents wealth.
והכל בכח התורה שנק' לקח טוב [ונרמזין בשבת זכרון למעשה בראשית תחלה למקראי קודש זכר ליציאת מצרים ]:
And it is all through the power of the Torah, which is called "a good acquisition" (lekach tov) (Mishlei 4:2). [And these are alluded to in Shabbos: "a remembrance of the act of Creation," first among the holy convocations, "a remembrance of the Exodus from Mitzrayim."]
All of these flow through the power of Torah, called "a good acquisition," and they are hinted at in Shabbos, which joins remembrance of Creation, the holy convocations, and remembrance of the Exodus.
Summary: The Sfas Emes teaches that a portion in Eretz Yisrael below is meant to serve as a vessel for its spiritual root Above, and that the Land's true perfection lies in being bound to that source, which is why it is uniquely fitted to Bnei Yisrael, who are likewise attached to the root. He reads the navi's warning against the wise, mighty, and wealthy man boasting as a lesson in avodas Hashem: wisdom in Torah, the strength to conquer the yetzer, and a wealth of mitzvos rectify the soul only when their entire purpose is to know Hashem and cleave to Him, not to elevate oneself. This is why Moshe Rabbeinu bound the portion of Gad and Reuven to the full conquest of Canaan, so their inheritance would not be severed from its root Above, and why Hashem wants Bnei Yisrael to receive everything directly through the power of the Torah rather than through any intermediary heavenly minister. He connects this to the three gifts of life, covenant, and a desirable land that we mention in Birkas HaMazon, corresponding to wisdom, might, and wealth. Ultimately all of these flow through the power of the Torah and are gathered into the blessing of Shabbos, given to Bnei Yisrael with love.