Hashem The True Shepherd

בפסוק יפקוד ה' כו' יצא לפניהם כו' ולא תהי' עדת ה' כצאן אשר אין להם רועה

On the pasuk, "Let Hashem appoint... a man who will go out before them... that the congregation of Hashem not be like sheep that have no shepherd" (Bamidbar 27:16-17).

The pasuk has Moshe Rabbeinu ask Hashem to appoint a leader so Bnei Yisrael will not be like a flock without a shepherd.

כי באמת השי"ת רועה ישראל

For in truth, it is Hashem Himself who is the Shepherd of Bnei Yisrael.

On a deeper level, the true Shepherd is always Hashem Himself, not the human leader.

רק ע"י הצדיק אשר יצא לפניהם מכין מקום (שיתגלה) [*שיגלה] הקב"ה הנהגה שלו

It is only through the tzaddik who goes out before them that a place is prepared for the Holy One, Blessed is He, to reveal His guidance.

The tzaddik's role is not to replace Hashem but to prepare a vessel through which Hashem's guidance can become revealed.

ובגלות אין ניכר ואומרים האומות אי' אלקיך

But in galus this is not recognizable, and the nations of the world say, "Where is your God?"

During galus this Divine guidance is hidden, which gives the nations grounds to taunt, "Where is your God?"

וע"י שיהי' איש על העדה כו' לא תהי' כו'

And through there being "a man over the congregation," it will not be "like sheep that have no shepherd."

When a proper leader stands at the head of the congregation, that hiddenness is removed and the flock is no longer abandoned.

וז"ש עדת ה' שבאמת השי"ת הוא הרועה

This is the meaning of "the congregation of Hashem" - that in truth it is Hashem who is the Shepherd.

The phrase "congregation of Hashem" itself teaches that Hashem is the real Shepherd standing behind the appointed leader.

ומסתמא בקשה זו הי' לדורות

And presumably this request of Moshe Rabbeinu was meant for all the generations.

Moshe Rabbeinu's request was not only for his own time but was meant to secure leadership for every future generation.

ופעל כן כמ"ש הקב"ה וסמכת כו' ידך כו'

And so it took effect, as the Holy One, Blessed is He, said, "and you shall lay... your hand..." (Bamidbar 27:18).

Hashem fulfilled the request by commanding Moshe to lay his hands on Yehoshua, transmitting his power onward.

ואיתא מסרה ליהושע ויהושע לזקנים

And it is brought down (Avos 1:1) that Moshe transmitted the Torah to Yehoshua, and Yehoshua to the Elders.

The Mishnah in Avos traces the chain of transmission from Moshe to Yehoshua to the Elders, showing the continuity of that power.

א"כ פעל שיהי' הארה מכחו של מרע"ה לכל הדורות

If so, Moshe Rabbeinu brought it about that there should be an illumination from his power for all the generations.

Thus Moshe Rabbeinu accomplished that a spark of his spiritual strength would illuminate Bnei Yisrael in all later generations.

ואמרו ונביאים מסרוה לאנשי כנה"ג הם אמרו כו'

And they said, "and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly; they said..." (Avos 1:1).

The chain continues through the Prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly, who in turn issued their own teachings.

פי' שהניחו הכח באלה המאמרים ולכן נק' המסכת אבות שבאלה המדות שבאבות יכולין להכיר את הקב"ה ולברר השגחתו ית' עלינו

The meaning is that they deposited that power within these sayings, and therefore the masechta is called Avos - that through these middos of the Avos one is able to recognize the Holy One, Blessed is He, and to clarify His Divine Hashgachah over us.

These sages embedded Moshe's power within their sayings, which is why the tractate is named Avos - through the middos of the Avos one can come to recognize Hashem and perceive His Hashgachah.

ולהמשך אחר האבות דכ' בהם אשר התהלכו כו' לפניו

And to draw oneself after the Avos, of whom it is written that they "walked... before Him" (Bereishis 48:15).

One reaches this recognition by attaching oneself to the path of the Avos, who are described as having walked before Hashem.

וכ' הרועה אותי מעודי כו'

And it is written, "the One who has shepherded me from my beginning..." (Bereishis 48:15).

Yaakov Avinu testifies that Hashem shepherded him throughout his entire life.

וכ' ה' רועי לא אחסר:

And it is written, "Hashem is my Shepherd; I shall not lack" (Tehillim 23:1).

And Dovid HaMelech declares that with Hashem as his Shepherd he lacks nothing, sealing the theme that Hashem is the true Shepherd.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that when Moshe Rabbeinu asks Hashem to appoint a leader so that Bnei Yisrael not be like sheep without a shepherd, the deeper truth is that Hashem Himself is always the true Shepherd. The role of the tzaddik is merely to prepare a place through which Hashem's guidance can be revealed, something obscured in galus when the nations taunt, "Where is your God?" Moshe Rabbeinu's request was meant for all generations, and through semichah he transmitted a spark of his power down the chain from Yehoshua to the Elders, the Prophets, and the Men of the Great Assembly, who embedded that power in their teachings - which is why the tractate is called Avos. By attaching ourselves to the middos of the Avos, who walked before Hashem, we are able to recognize the Holy One, Blessed is He, and perceive His Hashgachah, as expressed in "Hashem is my Shepherd; I shall not lack."