Receiving Hashem's gifts as He wills

במדרש לך אכול בשמחה כו' כבר רצה אלקים את מעשיך.

In the Midrash: "Go, eat your bread with joy... for God has already favored your deeds" (Koheles 9:7).

The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrash that links eating with joy to Hashem having already shown favor toward one's deeds.

זה כניסת ישראל לארץ ישראל ע"ש.

This refers to the entry of Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael — see there.

The Midrash applies this verse to Bnei Yisrael's entry into the Land of Israel.

דאיתא במד' מטות ג' מתנות בעולם חכמה וגבורה ועושר זכה בהם זכה בכולן אימתי כשהן מתנות שמים ע"ש.

For it is taught in the Midrash on Parshas Matos: there are three gifts in the world — chochmah (wisdom), gevurah (strength), and osher (wealth). One who merits them merits everything — when? When they are gifts of Heaven — see there.

These three blessings are truly worthwhile only when received as gifts from Hashem rather than as products of one's own power.

וכ"כ אל יתהלל חכם כו' בזאת יתהלל כו' השכל וידוע אותי.

And so it is written: "Let not the wise man boast... but in this let him boast... understanding and knowing Me" (Yirmiyahu 9:22-23).

The navi teaches that one should not pride himself on wisdom, strength, or wealth in themselves, but only on knowing Hashem through them.

וג' אלו נתן לנו הקב"ה.

And these three Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave to us.

Hashem bestowed these three gifts upon Bnei Yisrael at three formative moments.

ביצ"מ איזהו גבור הכובש יצרו וביד חזקה הוציאנו ה'.

At Yetzias Mitzrayim — "Who is mighty (gibor)? One who conquers his yetzer" — and "with a strong hand Hashem brought us out."

The Exodus, accomplished with Hashem's "strong hand," is the source of gevurah, the true strength of conquering one's yetzer hara.

ובקבלת התורה החכמה.

And at Kabbalas HaTorah (the receiving of the Torah) — wisdom.

The giving of the Torah at Sinai is the source of true chochmah.

ומתנת א"י הוא העושר.

And the gift of Eretz Yisrael is the wealth.

Entry into the Land, flowing with milk and honey, is the source of osher.

אבל כל הג' צריכין להיות דבוקים בהקב"ה דכתיב ואהבת את ה' אלקיך בכל לבבך נפשך מאודך.

But all three must be bound (devukim) to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, as it is written: "And you shall love Hashem your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might (me'odecha)" (Devarim 6:5).

Each of the three gifts must remain attached to Hashem, corresponding to the three expressions of love in the Shema.

והם שלש אלו.

And these correspond to the three.

"Heart, soul, and might" map onto strength, wisdom, and wealth respectively.

לבבך כבישת היצה"ר ביצ"מ.

"Your heart" — the conquest of the yetzer hara, at Yetzias Mitzrayim.

"With all your heart" corresponds to gevurah, mastering the yetzer hara, rooted in the Exodus.

נפשך במ"ת נפשי יצאה בדברו.

"Your soul" — at Matan Torah, "my soul departed when He spoke" (Shir HaShirim 5:6).

"With all your soul" corresponds to chochmah, received at Sinai, where the very soul went out at hearing Hashem's word.

מאודך בארץ ישראל.

"Your might (me'odecha)" — in Eretz Yisrael.

"With all your might" (also understood as "your money") corresponds to osher, the wealth of the Land.

ופי' ואהבת את ה' להיות כל רצון ותשוקת איש ישראלי להיות דבוק בו ית'.

And the meaning of "you shall love Hashem" is that the entire ratzon (will) and yearning of a Jew should be to cling to Him, Yisborach.

To love Hashem means that a Jew's whole desire is directed toward deveykus with Him.

את הטפל.

"Es" — that which is subordinate/secondary.

The word "es" hints that everything else (the gifts themselves) is secondary, valued only as a means to cling to Hashem.

וצריכין לבקש להיות דבוקים באלקותו ית' בכל הג' הנ"ל.

And one must seek to be bound to His Divinity, Yisborach, through all three of the above.

The goal is to use strength, wisdom, and wealth as channels of attachment to Hashem.

וזהו השכל וידוע אותי באותן הג' דברים.

And this is "understanding and knowing Me" — in those three matters.

"Knowing Me" is achieved precisely by recognizing Hashem within and through these three gifts.

ולכן דרשו חז"ל בכל מאודך בכל ממונך ד"א בכל מדה שמודד לך.

And therefore Chazal expounded: "with all your might (me'odecha)" — with all your money; alternatively, with every measure (midah) that He metes out to you.

Chazal read "me'odecha" both as serving Hashem with one's wealth and as accepting whatever measure — good or hard — Hashem allots.

להיות כל הרצון לקבל מתנות שמים כפי רצונו ית'.

That one's entire ratzon should be to receive the gifts of Heaven according to His will, Yisborach.

A Jew should desire to receive Hashem's gifts only in the manner and measure that Hashem wills.

וכן הי' בא"י דכתיב עמד וימודד ארץ אמרו חז"ל מדד הקב"ה א"י שמוכן בעבורינו.

And so it was with Eretz Yisrael, as it is written: "He stood and measured the earth" (Chavakuk 3:6); Chazal said: Hakadosh Baruch Hu measured out Eretz Yisrael, which is prepared for our sake.

Hashem Himself "measured out" the Land of Israel specifically for Bnei Yisrael — it is the portion He designated for us.

א"כ היו צריכין לקבל נחלתנו כרצונו ית' והיו צריכין בנ"י להאמין כי הקב"ה בחר לנו ארץ ומקום המיוחד לנו.

If so, they had to receive our inheritance according to His will, Yisborach, and Bnei Yisrael had to believe that Hakadosh Baruch Hu chose for us a land and a place specially designated for us.

Entering the Land required emunah that Hashem had personally chosen this exact place for us, and that we must accept it as His gift on His terms.

וזה מכוון הפסוק אכול בשמחה כו' כבר רצה כו'.

And this is the intent of the verse "eat with joy... He has already favored..."

The verse's "joy" is the joy of receiving exactly what Hashem, with His favor, has prepared for us.

פירש כשזוכין לקבל אותו הדבר שנתן לנו הקב"ה זה עיקר השמחה כשכבר הגיענו לכוון לקבל המתנות כמו שהי' רצונו ית'.

The meaning: when one merits to receive that very thing which Hakadosh Baruch Hu has given us, this is the essence of joy — when we have come to aim to receive the gifts just as was His will, Yisborach.

True simchah is receiving Hashem's gift in alignment with His will, content that it is precisely what He intended for us.

וכן בנסכים וחלה כשמפרישין חלק גבוה ממילא הנשאר לנו הוא חלקנו ואז נקרא עשיר השמח בחלקו המיוחד לו כפי רצון הבורא ית'.

And so too with the nesachim (libations) and challah: when one separates the portion belonging to the Most High, then automatically what remains for us is our portion — and then one is called "rich, who rejoices in his portion," the portion designated for him according to the will of the Creator, Yisborach.

By first giving Hashem His share (libations, challah), what is left becomes truly "ours," and one becomes the wealthy person who is happy with his lot — content with exactly what the Creator allotted.

וז"ש אך בה' אל תמרודו שזה העיקר.

And this is the meaning of "Only, do not rebel against Hashem" (Bamidbar 14:9) — that this is the essential thing.

The spies' generation failed precisely here; "do not rebel" means: accept the Land as the gift Hashem chose for you, trusting His will.

וכל המתנה תליא כפי הראשית שניתן להשי"ת ונעשה רצונו ממילא נירש את חלקינו:

And every gift depends upon the "first portion" (reishis) that is given to Hashem Yisborach; and once His will is done, automatically we inherit our portion.

The key to truly possessing any gift is dedicating its "first portion" to Hashem; once we fulfill His will in this way, our own rightful share naturally becomes ours.

Summary: The three gifts of the world — strength, wisdom, and wealth — are worthwhile only as gifts from Heaven, granted to Bnei Yisrael at Yetzias Mitzrayim (gevurah), Matan Torah (chochmah), and the entry into Eretz Yisrael (osher), corresponding to loving Hashem "with all your heart, soul, and might." Each must be bound to Hashem in deveykus, received exactly according to His will. Entering the Land — which Hashem "measured out" for us — required the emunah to accept it as His chosen gift. This is the joy of "eat with joy, for He has already favored": the contentment of the truly rich person happy with his lot. By first dedicating the "first portion" to Hashem (libations, challah), what remains becomes genuinely ours — so "do not rebel against Hashem" is the essential key to inheriting our portion.