Recognizing Hashem by direct soul-recognition at Sinai

בפסוק וכל העם רואים את הקולות פירש מו"ז ז"ל כעין דאיתא בגמ' דאיכא טביעות עינא דקלא.

On the pasuk "and all the people saw the sounds," my grandfather, of blessed memory, explained, similar to what is brought in the Gemara, that there is "recognition by the eye" of a voice (tevias eina d'kala).

The Sefas Emes cites his grandfather (the Chiddushei HaRim): just as the Gemara speaks of recognizing a voice with the certainty of visual recognition, so at Sinai Bnei Yisrael "saw" the sounds — recognizing them with absolute clarity as the words of the living God.

ופירוש הדברים שהכירו והבינו שהם דברי אלקים חיים.

And the meaning of the matter is that they recognized and understood that these were the words of the living God.

Their "seeing the sounds" means they perceived with total certainty that this was the voice of Hashem Himself.

כי נפשות בנ"י הם חלק אלוה ממעל.

For the souls of Bnei Yisrael are a portion of God from above.

This certainty was possible because the Jewish soul is literally a portion of Hashem from on high.

וכשנתלבשו בעולם הטבע נכבה כח האלקות.

And when they became clothed in the natural world, the power of Godliness was dimmed.

Once the soul descends into the physical world, its inherent divine awareness is dimmed and obscured.

וכשעמדו על הר סיני ושמעו הדיברות הרגישו בנפשותם התקשרות הנפשות אל הבורא.

And when they stood at Har Sinai and heard the Dibros (Commandments), they felt in their souls the bond of the souls to the Creator.

At Sinai, hearing the Commandments reawakened in them the felt connection of their souls to Hashem.

וזה פי' הכיר את בוראו שנאמר באברהם אע"ה וכ"א במד' איזה דעת זה המכיר את בוראו ומי שזוכה להכרה זו א"י לשכוח את הבורא כי הוא דבקות בעצם הנפש.

And this is the meaning of "he recognized his Creator," which is said of Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him; and so it says in the Midrash: "what is da'as (knowledge)? This is one who recognizes his Creator." And one who merits this recognition cannot forget the Creator, for it is a clinging (devekus) in the very essence of the soul.

This is the same "recognizing his Creator" attributed to Avraham; such recognition, once attained, can never be forgotten, because it is devekus rooted in the very essence of the soul.

וז"ש שיצאה נשמתן.

And this is the meaning of "their souls departed."

The teaching that the souls of Bnei Yisrael "left them" at each utterance reflects how completely the soul was drawn toward its divine source.

והקב"ה כשאמר אנכי ה' אלקיך חקק בנפשות בנ"י אלה השמות שאינן נמחקין.

And HaKadosh Baruch Hu, when He said "Anochi Hashem your God," engraved into the souls of Bnei Yisrael these Names that cannot be erased.

The opening words of the Aseres HaDibros engraved indelible divine Names into the Jewish soul.

כדאיתא שיש שמות שאינם נמחקין.

As it is brought that there are Names that may not be erased.

Halachah recognizes certain Names of Hashem so holy they may never be erased.

פי' הגם שכל התורה שמותיו של הקב"ה.

Meaning: although the entire Torah is [composed of] the Names of HaKadosh Baruch Hu.

While in a sense the whole Torah is made up of Hashem's Names.

אבל יש שמות שאינם נמחקין והם רשימות וחקיקות לעולם.

But there are Names that cannot be erased, and they are impressions and engravings forever.

Some Names are permanent engravings — and so too the bond etched into the Jewish soul at Sinai is indelible and eternal.

וזה עצמו שכ' מיד לא יהי' לך אלהים אחרים על פני ומלבד שהוא אזהרה הוא ג"כ גזירה שאין יכול שום שעבוד וכוחות סט"א לשלוט באיש ישראל לפי שחקוק בנו שמו ית'.

And this itself is what is written immediately, "you shall have no other gods before Me" — which, besides being a warning (prohibition), is also a decree, that no subjugation or forces of the sitra achra (the "other side") can rule over a Jew, because His Name, may He be blessed, is engraved within us.

"You shall have no other gods" is not only a command but a guarantee: because Hashem's Name is engraved in the Jewish soul, no force of impurity can truly take hold of a Jew.

וכמ"ש אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים מבית עבדים.

As it is written "who took you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage."

The same verse recalls that Hashem freed Bnei Yisrael from slavery, asserting His exclusive claim on them.

שטרי קודם.

"My document comes first."

As Chazal say, Hashem's "claim" on Bnei Yisrael, sealed when He redeemed them from Egypt, takes precedence over any later master.

ואפילו גם עתה שאנחנו בגלות מ"מ כתיב עמו אנכי בצרה.

And even now, when we are in galus (exile), nonetheless it is written "I am with him in distress."

Even in exile Hashem remains with Bnei Yisrael, sharing in their suffering.

וכמו שהראה הקב"ה ליחזקאל הי' הי' דבר ה' לנחם את בנ"י בגלות.

And just as HaKadosh Baruch Hu showed to Yechezkel — "the word of Hashem surely came (hayoh hayah)" — to comfort Bnei Yisrael in exile.

Hashem's revelation to Yechezkel by the rivers of Bavel, with the emphatic "hayoh hayah," came to console Bnei Yisrael that the divine word reaches them even in galus.

והוא עדות על כל הגלות אפי' שאין לנו עוד נביא.

And this is testimony for all of exile, even though we no longer have a prophet.

Yechezkel's prophecy in exile testifies for the entire galus, even now when prophecy has ceased.

כי יחזקאל יצא מן הכלל ללמד על הכלל כולו יצא.

For Yechezkel "came out of the general rule to teach about the general rule" — he came out to teach about the whole.

Yechezkel's case of prophecy outside the Land is one of those that "leaves the rule to teach about the entire rule" — it establishes that Hashem's presence accompanies Bnei Yisrael throughout exile.

ולכן קורין מרכבת יחזקאל בחג הזה לומר כי כח אנכי לעולם בישראל כמ"ש ואנכי לא אשכחך.

And therefore we read the Merkavah (Chariot vision) of Yechezkel on this festival (Shavuos), to say that the power of "Anochi" is forever within Yisrael, as it is written "and I will not forget you."

We read Yechezkel's Merkavah on Shavuos to affirm that the power of "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" remains permanently within Bnei Yisrael — "I will not forget you."

וזהו ענין הטביעות עין להכיר את הבורא מיוחד רק לבני ישראל.

And this is the matter of "recognition by the eye" — to recognize the Creator — which is unique only to Bnei Yisrael.

This unmistakable, intimate recognition of Hashem belongs uniquely to Bnei Yisrael.

כעין דאיתא אין מחזירין אבידה לע"ה רק בסימנים ולת"ח בטביעות עין.

Similar to what is brought, that one does not return a lost object to an unlearned person except by [stated] signs, but to a talmid chacham (Torah scholar) by recognition of the eye.

Halachah distinguishes between proving ownership by describing signs and the higher recognition of a scholar who simply knows the object by sight.

הרמז כי באמת כל מה שברא הקב"ה לכבודו.

The hint is that in truth, everything HaKadosh Baruch Hu created [He created] for His honor.

All of creation exists to reveal Hashem's honor.

למענהו.

"For His sake."

Everything is made for Hashem's own sake.

לעדותו להעיד עליו.

For His testimony — to testify about Him.

All of creation serves as a witness pointing back to its Creator.

אבל הכל בסימנים ורמזים על כח אלקות.

But it is all through signs and hints of the power of Godliness.

Creation testifies to Hashem, yet only through indirect signs and hints, not openly.

ובסימנים יש חילוקים יש מובהקים ושאינם מובהקים ויוכלו להתדמות בשקר.

And among signs there are distinctions: there are clear (definitive) ones and ones that are not clear, and [the latter] can be falsely imitated.

Signs vary in reliability — some are decisive, others ambiguous and open to counterfeit, so the world's testimony can be misread.

אבל בנ"י שניתן להם התורה מכירין את הבורא בטביעות עין ממש.

But Bnei Yisrael, to whom the Torah was given, recognize the Creator by actual recognition of the eye.

Because they received the Torah, Bnei Yisrael perceive Hashem not merely by ambiguous signs but with the direct certainty of "recognition by the eye."

ולזה אין הכחשה בעולם.

And to this there is no denial in the world.

This kind of direct recognition admits no contradiction or denial.

לכן הם עדים מיוחדים על הבורא.

Therefore they are special witnesses to the Creator.

This is why Bnei Yisrael serve as Hashem's unique and reliable witnesses in the world.

וכ"כ אתה הראת לדעת כדי שיוכלו להעיד על הבורא.

And so it is written "you have been shown, to know" — in order that they be able to testify about the Creator.

At Sinai Bnei Yisrael were "shown to know," equipping them to bear witness to Hashem.

וגם בשבת דהוא סהדותא חל על בנ"י נשמה יתירה שיוכלו להכיר ולהעיד על הבורא ית"ש.

And also on Shabbos, which is "testimony (sahaduta)," there rests upon Bnei Yisrael a neshamah yeseirah (additional soul), so that they can recognize and testify about the Creator, may His Name be blessed.

Shabbos too is called a "testimony," and the extra soul that rests on a Jew on Shabbos enables this same recognition of and witness to Hashem.

ועל שבת אמרו מתנה טובה יש לי בבית גנזי.

And about Shabbos they said: "I have a good gift in My treasury."

Chazal teach that Shabbos is a precious gift Hashem drew from His own treasury to give Bnei Yisrael.

וכן נק' התורה חמדה גנוזה:

And likewise the Torah is called "a hidden treasure (chemdah genuzah)."

The Torah, like Shabbos, is a hidden treasure brought forth from Hashem's storehouse — both empowering Bnei Yisrael to recognize and testify to their Creator.

Summary: When Bnei Yisrael "saw the sounds" at Sinai, they recognized Hashem's voice with the absolute certainty of "recognition by the eye" (tevias ayin), because their souls are a portion of Hashem and the words "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" engraved indelible Names into them — a bond that can never be forgotten or overpowered by the sitra achra, even in galus (as Yechezkel's exile-prophecy and the Shavuos reading of the Merkavah attest). Unlike the world, which testifies to Hashem only through ambiguous "signs," Bnei Yisrael, through the Torah — and renewed each Shabbos through the neshamah yeseirah — recognize their Creator directly and so are His unique, undeniable witnesses; both Torah and Shabbos are the "hidden treasure" Hashem gave them for this.