Rectifying mouth and heart through Torah

בענין דור המבול והפלגה הכל הי' הכנה לבני ישראל כמ"ש זכור ימות עולם כו' כי הדורות שקידם המבול היו גבוהים מאוד ואח"כ נתמעטו ע"י שקלקלו.

Regarding the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Dispersion — all of it was a preparation for Bnei Yisrael, as it is written, "Remember the days of old..." (Devarim 32:7); for the generations preceding the Flood were exceedingly lofty, and afterward they were diminished because they corrupted their ways.

The early generations had great spiritual heights, but their sins caused those heights to be reduced; yet the whole history was a hadrachah, a preparation, paving the way for Bnei Yisrael.

והלא הי' הכל גלוי וידוע לפניו ית' אך שאח"כ בקבלת התורה זכו בנ"י להשיג מהארה הראשונה שהי' קודם החטא כדאיתא שכל הארות המתגלים בעולם נשאר מהם רשימה.

And surely all of it was revealed and known before Him Yisborach; rather, it was that afterward, at the receiving of the Torah, Bnei Yisrael merited to attain something of the original illumination that existed before the sin — as it is brought, that of all the illuminations revealed in the world, an impression (reshimu) remains.

Hashem foresaw everything; the purpose was that through Kabbalas HaTorah, Bnei Yisrael could reach back and access the original light of before the cheit, because every revelation of light leaves a lasting trace in the world.

ונמסר לבסוף כל אלה הדרכים לבני ישראל וע"ז כ' נפלאותיך ומחשבותיך אלינו.

And in the end all these paths were handed over to Bnei Yisrael, and concerning this it is written, "Your wonders and Your thoughts are toward us" (Tehillim 40:6).

All the spiritual "paths" opened by earlier generations were ultimately entrusted to Bnei Yisrael; Hashem's plan throughout history was directed "toward us."

ולכן אמר זכור ימות עולם כי בנ"י יש להם בכח התורה דביקות לזכור ולעורר כל ההארות שנתגלו מאז.

Therefore it says "Remember the days of old," for Bnei Yisrael have, through the power of the Torah, the deveikus (attachment) to remember and to awaken all the illuminations that were revealed since then.

The mitzvah to "remember the days of old" is possible because the Torah gives Bnei Yisrael the power to reconnect with and reawaken every holy light revealed throughout history.

וכ' לא נפלאת היא כו' לא בשמים כו' מי יעלה לנו הש' ולא מעבר לים כו' קרוב אליך בפיך ובלבבך כו'.

And it is written, "It is not hidden from you... it is not in heaven... who shall ascend for us to heaven... nor is it across the sea... rather it is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart..." (Devarim 30:11–14).

The Torah declares that attaining it does not require ascending to heaven or crossing the sea; it is accessible "in your mouth and in your heart."

יתכן לפרש שהם ב' אלו הדורות דור הפלגה חטאו בפה ורצו לעלות השמים אך כי לא הי' לשם שמים.

It may be explained that these correspond to those two generations: the generation of the Dispersion sinned with the mouth and wished to ascend to heaven — but it was not l'shem Shomayim.

The Dor Haflagah misused the power of speech and sought to "ascend to heaven," but their motive was not for the sake of Heaven; the Torah's "not in heaven" answers their failed rebellion.

אבל בנ"י בפיך כו' זכו להמשיך תורה מן השמים.

But Bnei Yisrael, "in your mouth," merited to draw down the Torah from heaven.

Where the Dor Haflagah misused speech to storm heaven, Bnei Yisrael use the mouth properly — through Torah — to draw the heavenly light down to earth.

מעבר לים רמז לדורות שקודם המבול שנק' מעבר לים.

"Across the sea" hints at the generations before the Flood, who are called "across the sea."

The phrase "across the sea" alludes to the Dor HaMabul, the pre-Flood generations who were spiritually "on the far side."

וזהו בלבבך כי דור המבול חטאו בלב כמה שכתוב יצר מחשבות לבו רק רע.

And this is "in your heart," for the generation of the Flood sinned with the heart, as it is written, "the inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil" (Bereishis 6:5).

The Dor HaMabul corrupted the heart; the Torah's "in your heart" rectifies this, showing how Bnei Yisrael can turn the heart toward Hashem.

ובנ"י בכח התורה יכולין להטות ב' הלבבות להשי"ת.

And Bnei Yisrael, through the power of the Torah, are able to turn both inclinations of the heart toward Hashem Yisborach.

The Torah empowers Bnei Yisrael to bend even the yetzer hara — both "chambers" of the heart — to the service of Hashem.

כי בודאי פה ולב הם כלים להמשיך אור בעולם רק שהתורה מלמדת איך לתקן כל המעשים ע"י פה ולב.

For certainly the mouth and the heart are vessels to draw light into the world; it is only that the Torah teaches how to rectify all deeds by means of the mouth and the heart.

Speech and the heart are themselves kelim for bringing Hashem's light into the world; the earlier generations misused them, but the Torah teaches how to use them rightly to rectify everything.

זכור הוא בפה.

"Remember" (zachor) is with the mouth.

The command "remember" is fulfilled through verbal expression — the proper use of the mouth.

בינו הוא בלב:

"Understand" (binu) is with the heart.

The parallel command "understand the years" is fulfilled through the heart — completing the rectification of both kelim that earlier generations had corrupted.

Summary: The lofty but corrupted generations of the Flood and the Dispersion were a preparation for Bnei Yisrael, who through Kabbalas HaTorah can reach back to the original light of before the sin, since every revelation leaves a lasting impression. The Dor Haflagah sinned with the mouth and the Dor HaMabul with the heart; through the Torah ("in your mouth and in your heart"), Bnei Yisrael rectify both of these kelim and draw Hashem's light into the world.