Shavuot
שבועותReceiving the Torah
76 translated essays · 160 total
תרל"א(1870)
Yirah as the preparation for ahavah· Essay 2
In the Gemara: "The earth feared and was still" (Tehillim 76:9). The Sefas Emes opens with the Gemara's question (Shabbos 88a) on a verse that says the earth both "feared" and "was still" — seemingly two opposite states. If it feared, why w…
Torah as the revealed life-force of Creation· Essay 4
"And on the day of the bikkurim (first fruits)… a new minchah (offering)…" (Bamidbar 28:26). The Torah calls Shavuos "the day of bikkurim," when a "new minchah" is brought — language the Sefas Emes will unpack as the theme of renewal throug…
Zachor and Shamor unite concealed and revealed Torah· Essay 6
[I have already written above on] "Remember and Guard in a single utterance" — that "guarding" is a preparation for "remembering," and it is the keeping of the prohibitions (lo sa'aseh), not to step outside the boundary, in order to be clea…
Shavuot תרל"א
תרל”א בעזה”י שבועות . לא נכתב כסדר. ליל א’ יום א’ בגמ’ ארץ יראה ושקטה. אם יראה למה שקטה. שקטה למה יראה. אלא בתחלה יראה ולבסוף שקטה כדריש לקיש תנאי התנה הקב”ה אם בנ”י מקבלין התורה מוטב ואם לאו מחזיר …
Shavuot Essay תרל"א
The Gemara teaches us that when HaShem created the world, its existence was dependent on Bnei Yisrael’s acceptance of the Torah. If they would not accept the Torah the world would return to a state of nothingness – tohu. The gemara ba…
Shavuot תרל"א
תרל”א בעזה”י שבועות . לא נכתב כסדר. ליל א’ בגמ’ ארץ יראה ושקטה. אם יראה למה שקטה. שקטה למה יראה. אלא בתחלה יראה ולבסוף שקטה כדריש לקיש תנאי התנה הקב”ה אם בנ”י מקבלין התורה מוטב ואם לאו מחזיר עולם לתוהו וב…
תרל"ג(1872)
Torah as the life-force sustaining creation· Essay 2
The Torah is the life-force (chiyus) and the sustaining of the act of creation (maaseh bereishis). The Sefas Emes states the core idea: the Torah is not separate from the world but is its very vitality and the force that keeps creation in e…
Fear that guards, love that draws near· Essay 3
On the pasuk: "Do not fear… in order to test you… so that His fear shall be upon your faces…" At Har Sinai, Moshe tells the people both not to fear and that Hashem's fear should be upon them — an apparent contradiction the Sefas Emes will r…
Sinai's revelation made sin impossible· Essay 4
In the Gemara: "And they stood…" — that He held the mountain over them — "this is a great protest (modaa rabba)…" The Gemara (Shabbos 88a) says Hashem held Har Sinai over Bnei Yisrael like a barrel, which provides a "great protest" — a lega…
Torah reveals the hidden good· Essay 5
In the Gemara, Rav Yosef said: "Were it not for this day [that I learned Torah], how many 'Yosefs' would there be in the marketplace!" Rav Yosef declared that if not for the day of Mattan Torah — the day Torah was given and which made him i…
Oral Torah and inner divine life· Essay 6
The matter of reading Megillas Rus on Shavuos. The Sefas Emes turns to explain why we read the Book of Rus specifically on Shavuos, the festival of receiving the Torah. It expresses the theme of Torah she-be'al peh (the Oral Torah). Rus emb…
Moshe drawing near as emissary· Essay 7
"You [Moshe], draw near and hear" (Devarim 5:24). After the revelation at Sinai, Bnei Yisrael asked Moshe to draw close and receive the rest of the Torah on their behalf. But was he not standing there together with them? They were the ones …
Torah enduring through Moshe not miracle· Essay 8
Concerning Bnei Yisrael's statement, "lest we die" (Shemos 20:16). At Sinai the people said they could not bear to keep hearing Hashem's voice directly, "lest we die." The Sefas Emes examines why they said this. This is surprising, since th…
Shavuot תרל"ג
מיו”ט שבועות בקיצור ראשי דברם שאני זוכר התורה היא חיות וקיום מעשה בראשית. ברוך אומר ועושה הוא על מעשה בראשית שנבראו בעשרה מאמרות. וגוזר ומקיים הוא על הדברות שמקיימים העולם: The Torah is the life force and the reason for the existence …
תרל"ד(1873)
Preparing for Torah through truth· Essay 2
"The earth feared and was still…" (Tehillim 76:9) The Sefas Emes opens with the verse describing the earth's awe and stillness — which Chazal connect to the giving of the Torah. [Had Yisrael not accepted the Torah, the world would] revert t…
Torah as the Tree of Life· Essay 3
In the Gemara is the expression: "...that You did not place my portion among those who sit at the street-corners (yoshvei keranos)..." (Berachos 28b). The Sefas Emes takes up the formula recited by one leaving the beis midrash, thanking Has…
Uniting earthly and heavenly bread through Torah· Essay 4
For all agree that on Atzeres (Shavuos) we require "for you." The Gemara teaches that even those who generally favor devoting Yom Tov entirely to Hashem agree that Shavuos demands a dimension of "lachem" — physical, personal enjoyment "for …
Descent for the sake of ascent at Matan Torah· Essay 5
In the Gemara: with each and every utterance the world was filled with fragrance, so how could they receive the second utterance? (Shabbos 88b). The Gemara asks: if each of the Ten Commandments filled the world entirely, how was there room …
Shavuos as Atzeres, the inner point of the festivals· Essay 6
"And Moshe spoke the appointed times of Hashem…" (Vayikra 23:44). The verse states that Moshe Rabbeinu conveyed the festivals to Bnei Yisrael, which Chazal expound further. Moshe instituted for Yisrael that they should ask and expound conce…
תרל"ה(1874)
Fear as preparation for Matan Torah· Essay 2
In the Gemara: what is the meaning of "From heaven You proclaimed judgment; the earth feared and was still" (Tehillim 76:9) — at first "it feared," as Reish Lakish said, that He made a condition, etc., and in the end "it was still." The Gem…
The two crowns of naaseh v'nishma· Essay 3
At the moment that Bnei Yisrael placed "we will do" before "we will hear," six hundred thousand ministering angels came to each one of Bnei Yisrael and tied two crowns upon him — one for "naaseh (we will do)" and one for "nishma (we will he…
Seeing the sounds at Sinai· Essay 4
"And all the people saw the sounds" (Shemos 20:15). Rashi z"l explains: they saw that which is [normally only] heard — something impossible for flesh and blood. At Har Sinai, Bnei Yisrael experienced a miracle: they actually "saw" the sound…
Singular Dibros sustain Torah through one Jew· Essay 5
Why were [the Aseres HaDibros] written in the singular? To give Moshe an opening to plead at the incident of the Eigel (the Golden Calf)… The Sefas Emes cites Chazal's question on why the Ten Commandments are phrased in the singular ("Anoch…
Torah is given anew each Shavuos· Essay 6
Just as Chazal wrote that all the prophets received their prophecy from Mount Sinai. The Sefas Emes cites the teaching of Chazal (based on Shemos Rabbah and the Midrash on the nevi'im) that every navi throughout the generations drew his nev…
Giving and receiving the Torah· Essay 7
"Face to face Hashem spoke with you..." (Devarim 5:4) — in the Midrash: the rebbe gives and the talmid receives, etc.; see there. The Sefas Emes brings the Midrash that pictures Matan Torah as a teacher-and-student relationship: Hashem give…
Mesirus nefesh as gateway to valuing this world· Essay 8
"Lest we die" (Shemos 20:16). At Sinai Bnei Yisrael said they feared they would die if Hashem continued to speak directly to them — the puzzle the Sefas Emes sets out to resolve. And this is astonishing, for they had already given over thei…
Moshe hearing on behalf of the community· Essay 9
"You draw near and hear" (Devarim 5:24). After the giving of the Aseres Hadibros, Bnei Yisrael asked Moshe to draw near and hear in their stead. The Sefas Emes is troubled by the word 'draw near.' And the expression "draw near" (kerav) is d…
Mesirus nefesh as the power to hear Hashem· Essay 10
"This day we have seen... that God speaks [with man] and he lives — and now, why should we die?" (Devarim 5:21-22). The Sefas Emes points to an apparent inconsistency in the verse: the people declare that one can hear God's speech and survi…
תרל"ו(1875)
Man elevates the physical above the angels· Essay 2
On the pasuk "Hashem came from Sinai…" we have already explained elsewhere that the Torah encompasses all the worlds and all created beings. The Sefas Emes opens by reminding us that the Torah is not merely the words on the page; it is the …
Seeing the sounds at Sinai· Essay 3
On the verse "And all the people saw the sounds (kolos)." The Sefas Emes takes up the striking verse from Matan Torah in which Bnei Yisrael are said to have "seen" the thunderous sounds at Sinai. It is not written "they saw" (in the past te…
Two kinds of yiras Shomayim· Essay 4
On the pasuk: "You speak with us … and let Elokim not speak with us, lest we die" (Shemos 20:16). The Sefas Emes opens with Bnei Yisrael's request at Sinai that Moshe, not Hashem directly, convey the rest of the Torah to them. And this is d…
Refining the world rather than becoming angels· Essay 5
It also appears that the reason Bnei Yisrael said "you speak with us" is that they knew they were created in this world to rectify all the creatures, and not to be literally like angels. When Bnei Yisrael asked that Moshe Rabbeinu serve as …
Guarding the Divine Name within the soul· Essay 6
On the pasuk: "You shall not take... the Name of Hashem your God in vain" (Shemos 20:7). The Sefas Emes reads this not only as a prohibition against false oaths but as a directive about how one bears the Divine Name carried within his soul.…
Lingering fragrance of Matan Torah· Essay 7
In the Gemara: with every utterance that came forth from the mouth of Hashem the world was filled with fragrance... and He transferred it to Gan Eden (Shabbos 88b). At Matan Torah each word Hashem spoke released a heavenly fragrance into th…
Weaving the letters of Torah through speech· Essay 8
"All that Hashem has spoken, we shall do" (Shemos 19:8). The Sefas Emes hears in na'aseh ("we shall do") not merely obedience but an act of making — Bnei Yisrael are partners in bringing the Torah into completed form. The explanation: "doin…
Torah as the form that shapes creation· Essay 9
"He found him in a desert land..." (Devarim 32:10). The pasuk describes how Hashem found Bnei Yisrael in the wilderness — the Sefas Emes will read this as the moment before Torah gave form to the world. "He guarded him as the pupil of His e…
Two-directional closeness on Shavuos· Essay 10
On Shavuos there are two kinds of drawing-close. The Sefas Emes opens by noting that the festival of Mattan Torah contains two distinct movements of closeness between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael. The hearts of Bnei Yisrael drawing close to Hash…
תרל"ז(1876)
World entrusted to Bnei Yisrael· Essay 1
"The earth feared and was still" — at first it feared, etc., as Reish Lakish said: He (Hashem) made a condition, etc. The Sefas Emes cites the pasuk (Tehillim 76:9) and the teaching of Reish Lakish that at Creation Hashem made a condition w…
Two breads, two forms of bittul· Essay 2
"And you shall count for yourselves…" "and you shall bring a new minchah (meal-offering)…" The Sefas Emes opens with the verses of the Omer count and the new meal-offering brought on Shavuos, setting the theme for the piece. The matter of t…
Shabbos remembers and safeguards Torah· Essay 3
"Zachor (remember)" and "Shamor (guard)" were said in a single utterance. Chazal teach that the two formulations of the Shabbos commandment — "remember" and "guard" — were spoken by Hashem simultaneously, in one word. "Whoever is included i…
Torah renews and rectifies Creation· Essay 4
"Face to face Hashem spoke with you" (Devarim 5:4). In the Pesikta: There are times when the rebbi wishes to teach but the talmid does not desire, and times the talmid desires but the rebbi does not; but here both wished it, etc. At Matan T…
תרל"ח(1877)
Submission lets the material world receive Torah· Essay 2
It is stated in the Gemara: "The earth feared and was still" (Tehillim 76:9) — at first it feared, and in the end it was still. The Sefas Emes cites the Gemara's reading of the pasuk: the earth first trembled in fear and only afterward grew…
Black fire and white fire of Torah· Essay 3
The Torah was given as black fire upon white fire. (Yerushalmi Shekalim 6:1) The Sefas Emes draws on the Chazal that the Torah was written in black fire on a background of white fire — the black being the visible letters, the white the hidd…
Torah actualizes and renews creation on Shavuos· Essay 4
"And on the day of the first-fruits (yom ha'bikkurim)." The verse refers to Shavuos, called the day of the bikkurim, the festival of the giving of the Torah. For the purpose of the creation of heaven and earth was for the sake of the Torah,…
Shabbos as the root of Torah· Essay 5
All agree that the Torah was given on Shabbos, as it is written "Remember" — on that very day, etc. Chazal (Shabbos 86b) state that everyone concedes the Torah was given on Shabbos, derived from the link between "Zachor" (Remember the Shabb…
Sanctifying Shabbos through self-sanctification· Essay 6
"Remember the day of Shabbos to sanctify it." The Sefas Emes opens with the pasuk (Shemos 20:8) that commands us to sanctify the Shabbos, and proceeds to ask how we could possibly add holiness to it. Even though the kedushah of Shabbos is s…
Torah depends on Bnei Yisrael· Essay 7
"You speak with us… lest we die," etc. At Sinai Bnei Yisrael said to Moshe Rabbeinu, "You speak with us… but let Hashem not speak with us, lest we die" (Shemos 20:16). And this is difficult, for Bnei Yisrael gave over their very lives for t…
Bnei Yisrael complete and reveal Torah· Essay 8
"Hashem will give strength to His people." The Sefas Emes opens with the pasuk (Tehillim 29:11) and will read "oz" (strength) as an allusion to the Written Torah. This refers to the Written Torah. The "strength" Hashem gives is the Torah sh…
תרל"ט(1878)
Shavuos and the unified fiftieth gate· Essay 1
On the night of this Yom Tov, taharah (purity) descends upon Bnei Yisrael, as the Zohar HaKadosh states: "to guard the pure one upon whom it comes on this night." The night of Shavuos brings a special downpour of purity onto Bnei Yisrael, r…
Choosing revealed Torah in this world· Essay 2
On the verse, "You speak with us…" (Shmos 20:16) — and their words were pleasing to Hashem. At Har Sinai, Bnei Yisrael asked that Moshe Rabbeinu, rather than they themselves, hear the rest directly from Hashem, and the Torah testifies that …
The hidden inner good revealed at Sinai· Essay 3
It is written, "Face to face Hashem spoke with you" (Devarim 5:4), and our Sages teach: "Let the good one come and receive the good, from the Good One, for the good ones." The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrashic play that the giving of the …
Torah is the gateway to yiras Shomayim· Essay 4
In the text of the prayer: "May He open our hearts through His Torah, and place within our hearts love and awe of Him." The Sefas Emes examines the order of this tefillah — first Torah opens the heart, and only then love and yirah are place…
Crowns of na'aseh v'nishma· Essay 5
It is brought down: at the moment that Bnei Yisrael placed "we will do" before "we will hear," two crowns were bound to them. When Bnei Yisrael accepted to do the Torah even before understanding it, they were rewarded with two crowns — a le…
תר"מ(1879)
Re-accepting the old Torah prepares for the new· Essay 2
The learning done on the night of Shavuos is based on what Chazal said: "If you will surely listen" — if you listen to the old, you will merit to hear the new. The Sefas Emes explains the custom of learning Torah through the night of Shavuo…
Matan Torah revealing the hidden light and nullifying the yetzer hara· Essay 3
It is brought in the Midrashim that on Atzeres (Shavuos) there is the nullification of the yetzer hara. The matter is as it is taught: "Let the good one come and receive the good, from the Good One, for the good ones" — for the Torah is cal…
Every soul stood at Sinai· Essay 4
Regarding the verse: "And all the people saw the sounds... and the people saw and they trembled," etc. (Shemos 20:15) At Matan Torah the people "saw" the thunder and recoiled in awe. And it requires explanation, for it should have said "the…
Torah's purpose is refined deeds· Essay 5
In the text of the request, "May He open our hearts through His Torah, and place in our hearts His love and His fear," there is clearly expressed the saying of our Rabbis: "Woe to one who has no courtyard yet makes a gateway for the courtya…
Three loves of the three festivals· Essay 6
In the Mishnah: "Beloved are Bnei Yisrael, for they were given a precious vessel (the Torah)." (Avos 3:14) The Mishnah praises the love Hashem showed Bnei Yisrael by entrusting them with the Torah, the "precious vessel." "An extra measure o…
Seeing the sounds at Matan Torah· Essay 7
On the pasuk "and all the people saw the sounds." At Matan Torah, Bnei Yisrael experienced the extraordinary phenomenon of "seeing" the sounds (Shemos 20:15). We explained "all the people" to mean "the whole person." The Sefas Emes reads "k…
תרמ"א(1880)
Purifying the heart to receive Torah· Essay 2
It is stated in the Zohar HaKadosh (Emor) that on the night of Shavuos a taharah (purity) is poured down from Heaven into the hearts of Bnei Yisrael who hope and yearn for taharah. The Sefas Emes begins with the Zohar's teaching that Shavuo…
Overcoming Amalek to merit the Torah on Shavuos· Essay 3
Concerning the waving of the Shtei HaLechem (the two loaves) on Shavuos. The Sefas Emes opens by focusing on the mitzvah of the two loaves waved on Shavuos, the festival of receiving the Torah. For it is written, "When Moshe raised his hand…
General and particular in Torah and creation· Essay 4
Regarding the Aseres HaDibros (Ten Commandments), Rashi explains: all the statements were said in a single utterance, and afterward He repeated and specified each statement on its own. Rashi teaches that at Sinai Hashem first spoke all Ten …
Matan Torah as the world's inner soul· Essay 5
It is brought in the Gemara that all agree the Torah was given on Shabbos, as it is written "Remember [the Shabbos day]" — "on that very day" (Shabbos 86b). The Gemara establishes that the giving of the Torah at Sinai took place on Shabbos,…
Two crowns, tefillin, and Shabbos lights· Essay 6
It is brought: at the time when Bnei Yisrael placed "na'aseh" (we will do) before "nishma" (we will hear), two crowns were bound upon them (Shabbos 88a). The Sefas Emes begins from the well-known teaching that, in response to their declarat…
תרמ"ב(1881)
Rectifying Speech for Receiving Torah· Essay 2
Concerning the custom to learn Torah on the night of Shavuos. The Sefas Emes addresses the well-known minhag of staying up to learn Torah throughout the night of Shavuos. On the simple level, this is based on what Chazal said: "From the tim…
Shavuos reveals the hidden first light· Essay 3
"And on the day of the Bikkurim (first-fruits)." The Sefas Emes begins from the Torah's name for Shavuos — Yom HaBikkurim, the day of "firsts" — and will unfold why this day is bound up with the very concept of "first." For this day is one …
Reading Rus and earning the geulah through Torah· Essay 4
The reading of Megillas Rus on the festival of Shavuos. The Sefas Emes opens by addressing why we read Rus specifically on Shavuos. It is based on the pasuk "And it shall be… if he will redeem you, good…", as it is written, "in its time I w…
Shavuos as the oath of Sinai and tefillin of the head· Essay 5
This Yom Tov is called Chag HaShavuos on account of the shevuah (oath) by which we stand sworn from Har Sinai. The Sefas Emes reads "Shavuos" not only as "weeks" but as related to "shevuah" — the oath binding Bnei Yisrael to Hashem ever sin…
Torah's da'as makes the world bear fruit· Essay 6
It is taught that on Atzeres (Shavuos) [judgment is passed] on the fruits of the tree. The Mishnah teaches that Shavuos is the time of judgment for the fruit of trees; the Sefas Emes will draw out the inner meaning of fruitfulness on this d…
תרמ"ג(1882)
Yearly preparation and purity for the Torah· Essay 1
On the pasuk: "Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow" (Shemos 19:10). The Sefas Emes examines Hashem's command to prepare the people for Matan Torah "today and tomorrow." Presumably, holiness descends from heaven to Bnei Yis…
Derech eretz as preparation for Torah· Essay 2
On the pasuk "And Moshe brought back the words of the people to Hashem," Rashi writes, citing the Mechilta: Did Moshe really need to bring back a reply? Rather, it comes to teach you derech eretz (proper conduct) from Moshe Rabbeinu, alav h…
Revealing Hashem's hidden governance through emunah· Essay 3
On the pasuk, "those who do His word, to hearken to the voice of His word" (Tehillim 103:20). The Sefas Emes opens with the verse describing those who first "do" Hashem's word and thereby merit to "hear" His word. For it is brought in the M…
Rus joins Torah, tefillah, and tzedakah· Essay 4
Concerning the reading of Rus on Shavuos, I heard from my grandfather, z"l, that it is to join together Torah and tefillah, etc. — for of Dovid HaMelech, may peace be upon him, it is written "and I am tefillah (prayer)." The Sefas Emes brin…
Shavuos as the root of Torah and tefillah· Essay 5
And it is written: "And on the day of the Bikkurim (first-fruits)… a new meal-offering," etc. (Bamidbar 28:26). The Sefas Emes begins with the Torah's description of Shavuos, the day on which a "new" minchah (meal-offering) is brought. For …
Bnei Yisrael reveal Hashem's honor in all creation· Essay 6
In the text of the tefillah: "Blessed is our God, who created us for His honor." The Sefas Emes examines the wording of the berachah that says Hashem created us — Bnei Yisrael — specifically "for His honor." And at first glance this is diff…
תרמ"ד(1883)
84 more essays from this section await translation.