Drawing Down Divine Bounty
בפסוק את קרבני לחמי כו' העשוי' בהר סיני
On the verse, "My offering, My bread... that was made at Har Sinai" (Bamidbar 28:2, 6).
The Sfas Emes opens on the verse about the korbanos, which the Torah connects back to what was instituted at Har Sinai.
כי בני ישראל נבראו להמשיך השפע מלמעלה כמ"ש אם שמוע כו' והייתם לי סגולה והם המקרבים כל העולם אל השורש
For Bnei Yisrael were created in order to draw down the divine flow of bounty from Above, as it is written, "If you will surely listen... then you shall be to Me a treasure" (Shemos 19:5) — and they are the ones who bring the entire world close to its root.
Bnei Yisrael have a purpose: to channel Hashem's bounty into the world and bring all of creation back to its source. The verse promising they will be a treasured nation is tied to this mission.
ובמד' אם ארעב לא אומר לך יש רחמן מוסר מזונותיו לאכזרי כו'
And in the Midrash: "'If I were hungry, I would not tell you' (Tehillim 50:12) — is there any compassionate person who would hand over his food to a cruel one?"
The Midrash teaches that Hashem does not entrust His bounty to those who are unworthy — like one who would not hand his food to a cruel person.
הענין כמ"ש בזוה"ק בפסוק שחת לו לא חייביא עבדו ולא עבדו
The matter is as is written in the Zohar HaKadosh on the verse, "He has been corrupted; not His — His children's is the blemish" (Devarim 32:5): the corruption is theirs, not His.
The Zohar explains that any flaw or interruption in the flow lies in the recipients, not in the Giver. Hashem's side is never lacking.
השפע הנמשך מלמעלה אינו פוסק
The flow of bounty drawn down from Above never ceases.
From Hashem's side, the shefa flowing down from Above is constant and never stops.
אבל אם אין זוכין אין יכולין לקבלה
But if one does not merit it, one is unable to receive it.
The blockage is only on our end: when a person has not made himself worthy, he simply cannot take in what is always being given.
ז"ש לחמי לאשי כו' תשמרו שיתמשך השפע למטה ע"י הקרבנות
This is the meaning of "My bread for My fire-offerings... you shall guard" (Bamidbar 28:2) — that the flow of bounty be drawn down below by means of the korbanos.
The verse commands us to "guard" the korbanos because they are the means by which the ever-flowing bounty is actually drawn down into this world.
והנה מרע"ה קודם הסתלקות סידר הקרבנות
Now, Moshe Rabbeinu, before his passing, set in order the korbanos.
Right before his passing, Moshe Rabbeinu arranged the order of the korbanos, leaving Bnei Yisrael this avenue for drawing down shefa.
שדרך הקרבנות מדריגה למטה מדרך התורה
For the way of the korbanos is a level below the way of the Torah.
Korbanos operate on a rung lower than Torah; Torah draws from a higher place, while korbanos work from a level beneath it.
והוא בחי' לחם מן הארץ, פי' שבא ע"י התעוררות התחתונים כמ"ש במ"א
And it is the aspect of "bread from the earth" — meaning that it comes about through the awakening of those below, as is explained elsewhere.
The korban is called "bread from the earth" because it rises up through an arousal initiated by those below, in this world.
ואח"כ כשחרב ביהמ"ק אנשי כנה"ג תיקנו תפלות במקום תמידין שהוא מדריגה למטה מהקרבנות
And afterward, when the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, the men of the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah established the tefillos in place of the daily korbanos, which is a level below the korbanos.
Once the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah instituted the tefillos to replace the daily korbanos — a still lower rung than the korbanos themselves.
ולעולם בנ"י צריכין למשוך השפע מלמעלה
And forever, Bnei Yisrael must draw down the flow of bounty from Above.
Throughout all generations and in every situation, the constant avodah of Bnei Yisrael remains to draw Hashem's bounty down from Above.
ויש היכלות ושערים שנפתחים בכח התורה ויש בכח הקרבנות ויש בכח התפלות:
And there are heichalos and gates that are opened through the power of Torah, and there are those opened through the power of the korbanos, and there are those opened through the power of the tefillos.
There are different heichalos and gates in the upper worlds: some open only through Torah, some through korbanos, and some through tefillah — each avenue reaching what the others cannot.
Summary: The Sfas Emes teaches that Bnei Yisrael were created to draw the divine flow of bounty down from Above and to bring all of creation back to its root. That shefa never ceases from Hashem's side; any blockage lies entirely in the recipient, who must make himself worthy to receive what is always being given. The korbanos, which Moshe Rabbeinu arranged before his passing, are one means of drawing this bounty below — a rung beneath Torah, working through an arousal from those below in this world, and thus called "bread from the earth." When the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah established the tefillos in place of the daily korbanos, a still lower rung. In every generation Bnei Yisrael must continue this avodah, for there are heichalos and gates in the upper worlds that open specifically through Torah, others through korbanos, and others through tefillah.