Hashem's favor kindles the inner spark

במדרש ישא ה' פניו אליך כו' וכתיב לא ישא פנים כאן כשישראל עושין רצונו של מקום.

In the Midrash: "May Hashem lift His countenance toward you…" — but it is also written, "He does not lift the countenance (show favoritism)." Here — when Yisrael do the will of HaMakom (the Omnipresent).

The Midrash resolves an apparent contradiction: how can Hashem "lift His countenance" toward us (show favor) when elsewhere it says He shows no favoritism? The answer: "here," when Yisrael do His will, He shows favor.

וקשה כיון שנושא להם פנים א"כ הוא לפנים משורת הדין א"כ הדרא קושיא לדוכתא דכתיב לא ישא פנים.

And this is difficult: since He lifts His countenance to them, then it is lifnim mishuras hadin (beyond the letter of the law) — so the question returns to its place, for it is written, "He does not lift the countenance."

The resolution seems to fail: if Hashem favors them beyond strict justice, the original difficulty stands — Scripture insists He shows no favoritism.

אכן התירוץ הוא שגם ע"ז יש משפט לעשות עם זה לפנים משורת הדין כי הכל במדה שאדם מודד כו'.

However, the answer is that even this — acting beyond the letter of the law with such a person — is itself a din (a matter of justice), for everything is measure for measure, "in the measure that a person measures…"

The key: showing favor to such a person is not a violation of justice but an expression of it. Since Hashem deals with a person measure for measure, one who acts "beyond the law" earns to be treated "beyond the law" — that itself is the just response.

ואיתא עשה רצונו כרצונך שיעשה רצונך כרצונו.

And it is stated: "Make His will like your will, so that He will make your will like His will."

The Mishnah in Avos teaches a reciprocity: when a person makes Hashem's will his own, Hashem in turn fulfills that person's will as His own.

פי' עושין רצונו של מקום הוא העבודה בתמימות בלי שום נגיעה עצמיות רק לעשות רצונו ית' בלבד.

Meaning: "doing the will of HaMakom" is avodah performed in tamimus (wholehearted simplicity), without any personal self-interest, only to do His will alone.

"Doing Hashem's will" means serving with complete sincerity — no ulterior motive, no self-interest, purely for the sake of fulfilling ratzon Hashem.

ולכן השכר הוא ישא פניו אליך.

And therefore the reward is "He shall lift His countenance toward you."

Because the service was selfless, the fitting, measure-for-measure reward is that Hashem turns His "face" — His favor — toward the person.

כי יש להבין מאי ענין נשיאת פנים אך הוא עפ"י הכתוב ורחמיו על כל מעשיו כי עיקר התעוררות הרחמים והחסד לפניו ב"ה ע"י שאנחנו כולנו מעשה ידיו והוא מכיר הפנימיות שלנו שהוא החיות שיש בנו חלק אלוקי ממעל וע"ז הוא ית' מרחם.

For one must understand what "lifting of the countenance" means; but it is according to the verse "and His mercy is upon all His works," for the main arousal of mercy and chesed before Him, blessed is He, is because we are all the work of His hands, and He recognizes our penimiyus (inner essence), which is the life-force within us, a "portion of God from above," and upon this He has mercy.

"Lifting the countenance" is explained through "His mercy is upon all His works": Hashem's compassion is aroused because we are His handiwork, and He perceives our inner essence — the divine life-force, a "portion of God from above," within us. It is upon that inner spark that His mercy rests.

אמנם זאת תלוי בעבודת התחתונים כפי מה שמבורר אצלינו שהכל מעשה ידיו ויראתו על פנינו כמו כן חל עלינו שמו ית'.

However, this depends on the avodah of those below: to the degree that it is clarified within us that everything is the work of His hands, and His fear is upon our faces, so too His Name rests upon us.

This arousal of mercy is not one-sided; it answers to our service. The more deeply we internalize that all is Hashem's handiwork, and the more yiras Shomayim shows on our faces, the more His Name comes to rest upon us.

כמ"ש כל מי שהוא ירא שמים יש לו חן.

As it is said: anyone who is a yerei Shomayim (God-fearing) has chein (grace/favor).

One who carries yiras Shomayim is granted a special grace — a divine favor that rests upon him.

והוא נושא חן לפני הבורא ית' כמ"ש ויחונך.

And he "carries grace" before the Borei, blessed is He, as it is said, "and may He be gracious to you (vichuneka)."

Such a person finds grace before Hashem — the blessing of "vichuneka," that Hashem favors him with chein.

ולכן הוא ית' מרחם על פנימיות החיות שלנו שהוא חלקו ית'.

And therefore He, blessed is He, has mercy on the inner essence of our life-force, which is His own portion.

So Hashem's mercy is directed to the inner divine vitality within us — for that inner point is, as it were, His own "portion," and He cherishes it.

ישא לשון הבערה כמו משיאין משואות.

"Yisa" (He shall lift) is a term of kindling, as in "they kindle (masi'in) flares."

The Sefas Emes now reads "yisa" in a second sense: not only "lift up" but "kindle," as in the beacon-flares lit to announce the new month.

פי' שמתלהב כח האש והתלהבות שיש בלבות בנ"י כמ"ש שלהבת יה.

Meaning that the power of fire and the hislahavus (fervor) within the hearts of Bnei Yisrael is set ablaze, as it is said, "the flame of God (shalheves Kah)."

"May Hashem kindle His countenance toward you" hints that Hashem fans into flame the holy fire and fervor latent in the hearts of Bnei Yisrael — the "flame of God" within.

וזהו עצמו פי' שיעשה רצונך כרצונו פי' שיוכל להיות התגלות רצון העליון ית' בלי מניעה והוא התגלות הפנימיות כנ"ל:

And this itself is the meaning of "He will make your will like His will" — meaning that the revelation of the supernal ratzon (will), blessed is He, can come about without any obstruction; and this is the revelation of the penimiyus, as above.

This kindling is precisely "He makes your will like His will": when the inner divine point in a person blazes forth, the supernal ratzon Hashem is revealed through him without obstruction — the full disclosure of his penimiyus.

Summary: How can Hashem "lift His countenance" toward Yisrael if He shows no favoritism? Because favor shown to those who serve Him wholeheartedly is itself measure-for-measure justice. "Make His will like yours, and He makes yours like His." Hashem's mercy rests on the inner divine life-force within us — a "portion of God from above" — and the more we internalize His sovereignty and yiras Shomayim, the more His Name and grace rest upon us. Read as "kindling," the blessing means Hashem sets ablaze the holy fervor in our hearts, revealing the supernal will through our penimiyus without obstruction.