Elevating Worlds Through Offerings

בפסוק עולת תמיד העשוי' בהר סיני

On the verse, "a continual burnt-offering, which was instituted at Mount Sinai" (Bamidbar 28:6).

The Sfas Emes opens with the verse describing the continual offering, noting that it traces back to Har Sinai.

דבזמן המקדש היו מעלין בנ"י העולמות בפועל ממש כאשר נמצא עתה רק בפנימיות

For in the time of the Beis HaMikdash, Bnei Yisrael would actually elevate the worlds in deed, in literal fashion, in the way that this is now found only in the inner dimension.

When the Beis HaMikdash stood, Bnei Yisrael could elevate the spiritual worlds through actual physical service, whereas today that elevation happens only internally, in the soul.

ואז הי' תיקון במעשה ע"י תמידין ומוספין דאיתא מחדש בכל יום תמיד בטובו מעשה בראשית

And at that time there was a rectification within the realm of action by means of the daily offerings (temidin) and the additional offerings (musafin), as we say, "In His goodness He renews each day, continually, the work of Creation."

The temidin and musafin accomplished a tikkun in the physical realm, paralleling how Hashem renews the work of Creation anew each day.

בטובו הוא א"י וביהמ"ק כדכ' ההר הטוב והלבנון

"In His goodness" refers to Eretz Yisrael and the Beis HaMikdash, as it is written, "that good mountain and the Levanon" (Devarim 3:25).

The phrase "in His goodness" alludes to Eretz Yisrael and the Beis HaMikdash, drawing on the verse calling Eretz Yisrael "that good mountain."

שנמשך הארה מטוב הגנוז והתחדש בירור וליבון לכל מעשיהם

For from there an illumination is drawn from the hidden good, and a clarification and refinement is renewed for all their deeds.

From the Beis HaMikdash a light shines forth from Hashem's hidden good, bringing fresh clarity and refinement to all of Bnei Yisrael's actions.

וזה שקבלו בנ"י על עצמם בהר סיני אשר דיבר ה' נעשה

And this is what Bnei Yisrael took upon themselves at Mount Sinai, "All that Hashem has spoken, we will do" (Shemos 19:8),

This is the meaning of the commitment Bnei Yisrael made at Har Sinai with "we will do" — taking on the avodah of deed.

לתקן ולברר האמת שהקב"ה מנהיג כל הבריאה ומלכותו בכל משלה

to rectify and clarify the truth that the Holy One, Blessed is He, conducts all of creation, and His sovereignty rules over all.

Their task is to clarify and make manifest the truth that Hashem alone runs all of creation and that His kingship governs everything.

ובכח התורה יודעין בנ"י תיקון כל המעשים

And through the power of the Torah, Bnei Yisrael know how to rectify all deeds.

Through the Torah, Bnei Yisrael gain the knowledge of how to set right and elevate every deed.

וע"ז נאמר מה רב טובך אשר צפנת ליריאיך

And concerning this it is said, "How abundant is Your goodness, which You have hidden away for those who fear You" (Tehillim 31:20).

The verse "how abundant is Your goodness" refers to this hidden good that Hashem has stored away for those with yiras Shamayim.

כי עולם העשי' היא למטה מכל העולמות וכל התקונים תלוין בזה העולם לכן נק' עשוי' לשון תיקון

For the world of action (asiyah) is the lowest of all the worlds, and all the rectifications depend upon this world; therefore it is called "asuyah," an expression of rectification.

Because the world of asiyah is the lowest world, it is precisely there that all rectifications take hold — hence the word "asuyah," connoting being made and fixed.

וכמו חמש צאן עשויות

And it is like "five prepared (asuyos) sheep" (Shmuel I 25:18),

He brings a proof from the "five asuyos sheep" prepared for Dovid HaMelech, where "asuyos" means prepared or made ready.

שנתקנין ע"י דברים שמערבין בתוכם

which are made fit by means of things that are mixed into them,

Those sheep were made fit through the ingredients mixed into them, illustrating that asiyah means a thing brought to its proper, completed state.

כן הקב"ה הטמין בכל אלה המקומות דברים גנוזים והראה לבנ"י איך למצוח המטמוניות

so too the Holy One, Blessed is He, concealed within all these places hidden things, and He showed Bnei Yisrael how to find the hidden treasures.

Just so, Hashem hid spiritual treasures within all these physical places and taught Bnei Yisrael how to uncover them.

וכמו סדר תמידין ומוספין איך להעלות בכל זמן סדר הקרבנות שבאופן זה יכולין לקרב ולהעלות העולמות

And like the order of the daily and additional offerings, how to elevate at every time the order of the korbanos, for in this manner one is able to bring near and elevate the worlds.

The order of the offerings is precisely the method Hashem gave for elevating the worlds at every set time through the korbanos.

ונק' עולת תמיד

And it is called a "continual burnt-offering" (olas tamid).

This is why it bears the name olas tamid, the continual offering.

ובשבת קודש יש מוסף כדכ' על עולת התמיד שבשבת מתעלין ביותר העולמות

And on the holy Shabbos there is a musaf, as it is written, "in addition to the continual burnt-offering" (Bamidbar 28:10), for on Shabbos the worlds are elevated still more.

On Shabbos the additional musaf offering, brought "in addition to the continual offering," reflects that on Shabbos the worlds rise to an even higher level.

גם פי' על עולת התמיד שכפי העולת תמיד בכל יום כן מתעלין בש"ק יותר

There is also an interpretation of "in addition to the continual burnt-offering": that in accordance with the continual burnt-offering of each day, so too on the holy Shabbos they are elevated even more.

Alternatively, the phrase teaches that the elevation of Shabbos is built upon and proportional to the daily continual offering, rising yet higher.

וכ"ז נמצא גם עתה בתפלה קצת מענינים אלה בפנימיות

And all of this is found even now, in tefillah, a small measure of these matters in the inner dimension,

Even nowadays, a measure of all this avodah is accomplished through tefillah, operating in the inner, spiritual dimension.

הגם שאינו מתקיים במעשה כדאיתא בזוה"ק:

even though it is not fulfilled in actual deed, as is brought in the holy Zohar.

Though it is no longer carried out as physical deed, the Zohar confirms that this inner elevation still takes place.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that in the time of the Beis HaMikdash, Bnei Yisrael literally elevated the spiritual worlds through the temidin and musafin, effecting a tikkun in the very realm of action and drawing forth Hashem's hidden good — the illumination of Eretz Yisrael and the Beis HaMikdash — to refine all their deeds. This is the avodah Bnei Yisrael accepted at Har Sinai with "we will do": to clarify, through the power of the Torah, the truth that the Holy One, Blessed is He, conducts all of creation. Because the world of asiyah is the lowest of the worlds, it is precisely there that every rectification takes hold, as in the "asuyos sheep" that are made fit through what is mixed within them; so too Hashem concealed treasures within the physical world and taught Bnei Yisrael, through the order of the korbanos, how to uncover and elevate them. On the holy Shabbos, through the musaf brought alongside the continual offering, the worlds rise still higher. Even now, when this is no longer performed in deed, a measure of this very avodah is achieved in the inner dimension through tefillah, as the holy Zohar teaches.