Two kinds of bread, two kinds of shefa

בענין שתי הלחם.

On the matter of the Shtei HaLechem (the two loaves).

The Sefas Emes turns to the two loaves of bread brought on Shavuos and seeks to explain their inner meaning.

יובן עפ"י מה ששמעתי מפי מו"ז ז"ל פי' הפסוק את קרבני לחמי כו' ריח ניחוחי תשמרו.

It can be understood according to what I heard from my grandfather, of blessed memory, in his explanation of the passuk: "My offering, My bread… My pleasing aroma you shall keep."

He cites his grandfather, the Chiddushei HaRim, on the verse (Bamidbar 28:2) that calls the korbanos "My bread" and speaks of "My pleasing aroma."

ופי' כי הקב"ה משפיע שפע פרנסה וקיום לכל בריותיו.

And he explained: that Hashem pours forth an abundance of sustenance and existence to all His creatures.

There is a basic flow of shefa (Divine abundance) by which Hashem sustains every creature simply as part of creation.

אבל יש השפעה מיוחדת שניתוספת על ידי העלאת ריח ניחוח מבנ"י ושפע זאת היא תוספות מרובה על העיקר.

But there is a special flow that is added through the raising of a "pleasing aroma" by Bnei Yisrael, and this abundance is a great addition upon the basic measure.

Beyond that baseline there is a higher shefa, drawn down specifically through the avodah of Bnei Yisrael, who "raise a pleasing aroma" — and this added abundance far exceeds the basic sustenance.

וז"ש לחמי לאשי תראו שיהי' ע"י ריח ניחוח כו' ודפח"ח.

And this is the meaning of "My bread for My fires" — you must see to it that it come by way of a pleasing aroma — and these are beautiful words from his holy mouth.

The verse insists that "My bread" be brought specifically through the fire of the korban and its pleasing aroma — meaning that this elevated flow is unlocked only through the avodah of Yisrael. (The Sefas Emes closes the quotation with praise for his grandfather's teaching.)

נמצא שיש ב' מיני לחם.

It emerges that there are two kinds of bread.

Hence there are two types of "bread" — two types of Divine sustenance: the basic flow and the elevated flow earned through avodah.

וע"ז כתיב לכו לחמו בלחמי לחם מן השמים ומן הארץ.

And on this it is written: "Come, partake of My bread" — bread from Heaven and bread from the earth.

The two loaves correspond to these two breads: one given freely "from Heaven," and one that rises "from the earth" through human effort.

פי' מן הארץ מה שנשפע ע"י עבודת התחתונים.

That is: "from the earth" — that which is poured forth through the avodah of those below.

The "bread from the earth" is the higher abundance that flows down only because the people below labor to draw it, by raising the pleasing aroma of their service.

ובאמת זה נתחדש בקבלת התורה.

And in truth this was newly instituted at the giving of the Torah.

This whole arrangement — that human avodah can draw down an added flow — began at Matan Torah, which is why it is fitting that the Shtei HaLechem are brought on Shavuos.

לכן כתיב העשוי' בהר סיני.

Therefore it is written "[the burnt-offering] that was made at Har Sinai."

The Torah ties the tamid offering to Har Sinai, hinting that this very capacity — for the lower world to elicit Divine abundance — was established there.

וכמ"ש חז"ל שלכן יש כ"ו פעמים כל"ח בהלל הגדול שכ"ו דורות קודם שניתנה התורה היו ניזונין בחסדו של מקום בלבד.

And as Chazal said, this is why there are twenty-six occurrences of "ki le'olam chasdo" in the Great Hallel — for the twenty-six generations before the Torah was given were sustained by Hashem's kindness alone.

Chazal (Pesachim 118a) count twenty-six "for His kindness endures forever" in Hallel HaGadol, corresponding to the twenty-six generations from creation until Matan Torah, during which the world subsisted purely on Hashem's chesed — the "bread from Heaven" alone, with no avodah to earn the added flow.

ולכן כתיב בעשרת הדברות וידבר אלקים.

And therefore it is written at the Aseres HaDibros: "And Elokim spoke."

The Ten Commandments open with the Name Elokim, which denotes Hashem's conduct through the measure of din (strict justice) — the lawful order of reward.

שהתחיל להיות הנהגה שיזכו התחתונים עפ"י דין להשפיע להם משמים בכח העלאת ריח ניחוח כנ"ל:

For there began a mode of conduct by which those below would merit, by law (din), to have abundance poured down upon them through the power of raising a pleasing aroma, as above.

From Matan Torah onward a new hanhagah (Divine governance) began: no longer pure chesed alone, but a system of din in which Bnei Yisrael earn the higher shefa by right, through their avodah — and that is why the Name Elokim, the measure of lawful justice, opens the Dibros.

Summary: There are two kinds of "bread" — two kinds of Divine sustenance — represented by the two loaves of Shavuos: the basic abundance Hashem grants all creatures "from Heaven" out of pure chesed, and a far greater flow that rises "from the earth," drawn down by the avodah of Bnei Yisrael who raise a pleasing aroma. This second mode began at Matan Torah, when a hanhagah of din was instituted by which Yisrael earn the added shefa by right — for the twenty-six generations before the Torah lived on chesed alone.