Bnei Yisrael Complete Creation through Torah

בפסוק וביום הביכורים כו'.

On the pasuk: "And on the day of the Bikkurim (first-fruits)..." (Bamidbar 28:26).

The Sefas Emes opens on the Torah's name for Shavuos, "Yom HaBikkurim," and will explain why this day is called the day of "first-fruits."

דהנה פירשו חז"ל בראשית בשביל התורה שנקראת ראשית ונגמר ביום הזה עיקר בריאות העולם דבכל מעשה בראשית כתיב וירא אלקים כי טוב פי' במ"א על החלק שנמצא בתורה מכל יום מימי בראשית.

For Chazal explained "Bereishis" (In the beginning) as "for the sake of the Torah, which is called reishis (beginning)," and on this day the essence of the world's creation was completed; for regarding every act of Creation it is written "and Elokim saw that it was good," which we explained elsewhere as referring to the portion found in the Torah corresponding to each day of the days of Creation.

The world was created for the Torah, and its creation is truly completed on Shavuos. Each day's "it was good" reflects the unique illumination of Torah embedded in that day of Creation.

ובששי כ' וירא אלקים כו' כל אשר עשה כו' טוב מאוד.

And on the sixth day it is written "and Elokim saw... all that He had made... it was very good" (Bereishis 1:31).

The sixth day uniquely receives the word "very" — "very good" — pointing to something beyond the goodness of the other days.

שבו עיקר קבלת התורה כמ"ש חז"ל תנאי התנה כו'.

For on it is the essence of Kabbalas haTorah, as Chazal said: "He made a condition..." [that the world's continued existence depends on Bnei Yisrael accepting the Torah].

The sixth day is bound to the receiving of the Torah, since Hashem made the world's very existence conditional on Bnei Yisrael accepting the Torah on the sixth of Sivan.

וגם דרשו מאוד זה אדם והוא נקרא כל אשר עשה שהוא כלל הבריאה ואין אדם אלא ישראל כמ"ש אדם אתם וכ' וידבר אלקים כו' לאמר ואיתא בזוה"ק כי במצרים הי' הדיבור בגלות כו'.

And they also expounded "me'od" (very) as referring to Adam (man), and he is called "all that He had made," for he is the totality of creation; and "Adam" refers to none but Yisrael, as it is written "you are called Adam"; and it is written "and Elokim spoke... saying," and it is stated in the Zohar HaKadosh that in Mitzrayim the speech (dibbur) was in galus.

"Very" alludes to Adam — and specifically to Yisrael, the purpose and sum of creation. The power of divine "speech" itself was in exile in Mitzrayim, hidden and unable to be revealed.

פי' שלא הי' מתגלה הנהגתו ית' את העולם רק ע"י ישראל שקיבלו התורה.

The meaning is that His conduct of the world was not revealed except through Yisrael, who received the Torah.

Hashem's guidance of the world becomes manifest only through Bnei Yisrael, the bearers of the Torah; without them it remains concealed, as in Mitzrayim.

ואמרו במד' כשאמר הקב"ה אנכי ה' אלקיך שמעו כל הברואים וכל אחד אמר לי מדבר עד שסיים אשר הוצאתיך כו' ע"ש.

And they said in the Midrash that when Hashem said "I am Hashem your G-d," all the creatures heard, and each one said "He is speaking to me," until He concluded "who took you out [of Mitzrayim]" — see there.

At Sinai every creature felt addressed, until the words "who took you out of Mitzrayim" revealed that the Torah was given specifically to Bnei Yisrael.

הענין הוא כמ"ש הים ראה כו' ההרים רקדו מה לך הים כו' מלפני אדון חולי ארץ מלפני אלוה יעקב.

The matter is as it is written: "the sea saw... the mountains skipped... what is with you, O sea... before the Master, tremble O earth, before the G-d of Yaakov" (Tehillim 114).

All of nature — sea, mountains, earth — responds and trembles "before the G-d of Yaakov," because creation is roused specifically by Yisrael's relationship with Hashem.

פי' שבאמת ע"י שקיבלו בנ"י מלכותו ית'. כל הבריאה נשלמת.

The meaning is that, in truth, through Bnei Yisrael's acceptance of His Kingship, all of creation is completed.

When Bnei Yisrael accept Hashem's malchus, the entire creation is brought to its intended completion.

ואנכי ה' אלקיך הוא לכל הבריאה באמצעות בנ"י כמ"ש אתם עדי ואני אל כו'.

And "I am Hashem your G-d" applies to all of creation through the medium of Bnei Yisrael, as it is written "you are My witnesses, and I am G-d" (Yeshayahu 43:12).

Hashem's revelation as G-d of all creation is channeled through Bnei Yisrael, who serve as His witnesses to the world.

שהקב"ה מסר בחי' הדיבור והנהגתו ית' ביד בנ"י.

For Hashem entrusted the aspect of speech and His conduct of the world into the hands of Bnei Yisrael.

The divine "speech" — the channel through which Hashem governs the world — was placed into the keeping of Bnei Yisrael.

כמ"ש ואשים דברי בפיך כו' לנטוע שמים כו'.

As it is written "and I have placed My words in your mouth... to plant the heavens..." (Yeshayahu 51:16).

Hashem placed His own words in the mouths of Bnei Yisrael, giving them a share in sustaining and "planting" heaven and earth.

לכן נק' יום הביכורים שבזה היום נגמר הבריאה כאלו נתחדש העולם.

Therefore it is called Yom HaBikkurim, for on this day the creation is completed, as if the world were renewed.

Shavuos is the "day of first-fruits" because the receiving of the Torah completes and renews creation — it is the world's true "first ripening."

ומצות תנופת שתי הלחם ואיתא שהוא בחי' תורה שבכתב ושבע"פ והענין כמ"ש את ה' האמרת וה' האמירך דכתיב כי לא דבר רק הוא מכם דרשו חז"ל אם רק הוא מכם שאין אתם יגיעין בה.

And the mitzvah of waving the shtei halechem (two loaves) — it is stated that it is the aspect of Torah she'biksav (Written Torah) and Torah she'be'al peh (Oral Torah); and the matter is as it is written "you have exalted Hashem, and Hashem has exalted you" (Devarim 26:17-18); and as it is written "for it is not an empty thing from you" (Devarim 32:47), which Chazal expounded: if it is "empty," it is "from you" — because you do not toil in it.

The two loaves correspond to the Written and Oral Torah, and to a mutual "exalting": Bnei Yisrael exalt Hashem and Hashem exalts them. If Torah seems "empty," the lack is on our side — we have not invested the effort to draw out its depths.

והיינו כי פיהם של בנ"י הם כלים למצוא אורות הגנוזים בדברי תורה.

That is, the mouths of Bnei Yisrael are the vessels for finding the lights hidden within the words of Torah.

The spoken words of Bnei Yisrael are the very vessels through which the concealed lights within the Torah are discovered and revealed.

וז"ש וידבר כו' לאמר. פרש"י שהיו עונין על הן כו'.

And this is the meaning of "and He spoke... saying (leimor)" — Rashi explains that they would answer "yes" [to the positive commands and "no" to the negative].

The word "leimor" indicates that Bnei Yisrael actively responded to Hashem's speech, making them participants in the giving of the Torah.

פי' שהקב"ה נתן דיבורו בפיהם של ישראל שיוכלו להוציא מעינות מים חיים מן התורה.

The meaning is that Hashem placed His speech in the mouths of Yisrael, so that they could draw out wellsprings of living waters from the Torah.

Hashem invested His speech in Bnei Yisrael, empowering them to bring forth ever-new "living waters" of meaning from the Torah.

וזהו ענין תורה שבע"פ ה' האמירך וע"ז כתיב דברי אשר שמתי בפיך כי שימה הוא סידור שבפי איש ישראל מתיישבין הדברי'.

And this is the matter of Torah she'be'al peh — "Hashem has exalted you"; and concerning this it is written "My words which I have placed (samti) in your mouth" (Yeshayahu 59:21), for "simah" (placing) denotes arrangement, that in the mouth of the Jewish person the words become settled and arranged.

The Oral Torah is how Hashem "exalts" Bnei Yisrael: the words He "placed" in their mouths are arranged and given order specifically through Jewish speech and interpretation.

ומכש"כ החכמים ז"ל שהם פירשו לנו כל סדר התורה ומוסיפין וגורעין ודורשין.

And all the more so the Chachamim, who explained for us the entire order of the Torah, and add and subtract and expound.

The Sages, through their interpretation — expounding, deriving, and arranging — are the supreme example of how the Oral Torah lives through Jewish speech.

ודרשו חז"ל מדי דברי בו די דיבורי שנתתי בו

And Chazal expounded "midei dabri bo" (as often as I speak of him) (Yirmiyahu 31:19) as "the sufficiency of My speech that I placed in him."

The pasuk is read as Hashem providing a "sufficiency" of His own speech within the Jew, enough to draw out the Torah's meaning.

וע"י שבנ"י זכו שיתן להם השי"ת התורה וזהו את ה' האמרת כמ"ש באבן עזרא שם עשית שיאמר אנכי ה' אלקיך.

And through Bnei Yisrael meriting that Hashem give them the Torah — this is "you have exalted Hashem," as the Ibn Ezra explains there: you have caused, as it were, that He says "I am Hashem your G-d."

By receiving the Torah, Bnei Yisrael "exalt" Hashem — they bring about the very revelation of "Anochi Hashem," making His Kingship manifest in the world.

ולכן ה' האמירך ג"כ שנתן לנו כח וחלק בתורתו.

And therefore "Hashem has exalted you" as well — that He gave us power and a portion in His Torah.

In return, Hashem "exalts" Bnei Yisrael by granting them a genuine share and active power in His Torah.

וזהו תנופת שתי הלחם שמתגלה ביום זה כחן של בנ"י מקבלי התורה ונתינת התורה שהם ב' בחי' הנ"ל האמרת והאמירך:

And this is the waving of the shtei halechem (two loaves), for on this day there is revealed both the power of Bnei Yisrael who receive the Torah and the giving of the Torah — these being the two aspects mentioned above: "you have exalted" and "He has exalted you."

The two loaves of Shavuos express the two-way bond: the giving of the Torah from Hashem and the active power of Bnei Yisrael who receive it and bring out its hidden light — "you exalt Him" and "He exalts you."

Summary: The world was created for the Torah and is truly completed on Shavuos, "Yom HaBikkurim," when Bnei Yisrael accept Hashem's Kingship and thereby complete all of creation. Hashem entrusted His "speech" and conduct of the world to Bnei Yisrael, whose mouths are the vessels for drawing out the Torah's hidden lights. The two loaves correspond to the Written and Oral Torah and to the mutual exalting — "you have exalted Hashem, and Hashem has exalted you" — the giving of the Torah and the empowered receiving of it.