Hidden Faults Before God

יש ללמוד מ"ש במד' האלקים מצא את עון עבדיך כממצה החבית כו'.

“We must learn from what is said in the Midrash: ‘God has found the sin of your servants,’ like one who presses a barrel, etc.”

The Sefat Emet introduces a Midrash that compares God’s uncovering of hidden sin to squeezing a barrel and forcing out what is concealed, pointing to a divine process of revealing what is not visible to the person himself.

ובאמת אף מי שאינו יכול למצוא לעצמו חטא.

“And in truth, even one who cannot find any sin in himself...”

A person may genuinely fail to detect wrongdoing within himself.

אף אם באמת א"י למצוא.

“Even if in truth he is unable to find it...”

Even sincere self‑examination may come up empty, yet that does not reflect the full reality.

מ"מ אצל הבורא נתגלה שמלא חטאים.

“Nevertheless, before the Creator it is revealed that he is full of sins.”

Before God, who knows the inner truth, all hidden faults stand exposed.

והם העיד הכ' עליהם כי גם לפני השי"ת הי' רק שמצא להם חטא.

“And Scripture testifies about them that even before God it was only that He found sin for them.”

The verse shows that the accusation was not based on what they recognized but on what God uncovered.

ועכ"ז אמרו מה נצטדק שלא היו יכולין להרים פניהם.

“And nevertheless they said, ‘How shall we justify ourselves?’ for they could not lift their faces.”

Even without conscious guilt, the awareness of divine judgment humbled them completely.

ויכולין ללמוד ק"ו מזה איך ליבוש מהשי"ת בכל עת:

“And from this we may learn a fortiori how ashamed one should be before God at all times.”

If they felt such shame without knowing their sin, all the more should we feel reverence and humility before God continually.

Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that even when a person cannot perceive his own faults, God reveals the hidden truth. This awareness should cultivate continual humility and reverence before the Divine.