Daily Renewal and Redemption

במדרש הרועה אותי כו' הגואל אותי הקיש גאולה לפרנסה מה פרנסה בכל יום כו'.

“In the Midrash: ‘The Shepherd who tends me… the Redeemer who redeems me’ — it compares redemption to sustenance, just as sustenance comes each day.”

The Sefat Emet begins by noting that the Midrash links redemption with daily sustenance, teaching that redemption is also a continual, daily process.

פרנסה אינו בגוף בלבד כי גם התחדשות הנפשות בכל יום הוא בכלל פרנסה כמ"ש המחדש בטובו בכל יום מ"ב.

“Sustenance is not only bodily, for the daily renewal of souls is also included in sustenance, as it is said: ‘He renews in His goodness each day…’”

Sustenance is understood not merely as physical support but as the daily spiritual revitalization that God grants every soul.

וגאולה ג"כ בכל יום שיש בכל יום הארת הגאולה בפרט הגלות שיש בכל זמן איזה הסתר לכל עובד ה' כמ"ש יצרו מתגבר עליו בכ"י ומול זה יש גאולה ג"כ בכל יום כמ"ש גואל ישראל בתפלה לשון הוה.

“And redemption is likewise daily, for each day there is a radiance of redemption — especially since in exile there is always some concealment for every servant of God, as it is said: ‘His inclination overpowers him every day’; and opposite this there is also daily redemption, as we say in prayer ‘Redeemer of Israel’ in present tense.”

Just as there is daily spiritual struggle and concealment, there is also a daily illumination of redemption that counters it, reflected in the prayer’s continuous tense.

אם כי אינו גאולה שלימה מ"מ נמצא הארת הגאולה בכל יום.

“Though it is not complete redemption, still the radiance of redemption is present each day.”

Even in the absence of final redemption, a partial glow of redemption is accessible daily.

והקדים פרנסה לגאולה כמו שהקדים אפרים למנשה כי שם מנשה כי נשני אלקים כל עמלי הוא בחי' גאולה. ואפרים ע"ש הפרני היא פרנסה.

“And sustenance precedes redemption, just as Ephraim was placed before Manasseh: for ‘Manasseh,’ meaning ‘God has made me forget my toil,’ is an aspect of redemption, while ‘Ephraim,’ from ‘He has made me fruitful,’ is sustenance.”

The precedence of Ephraim over Manasseh symbolizes that spiritual and material nourishment must come before the redemptive state of release from struggle.

ושמעתי מפי מו"ז ז"ל כי ב' ענינים אלי הם סור מרע ועשה טוב ויוסף הי' דרכו להיות מקודם סור מרע.

“And I heard from my grandfather, of blessed memory, that the two principles — turn from evil and do good — and Joseph’s way was first to turn from evil.”

The Sefat Emet cites his grandfather’s teaching that Joseph’s spiritual path began with resisting negativity before moving toward positive action.

ויעקב אע"ה תיקן שיתן השי"ת פתיחת הלב לתורה הגם שאין מתוקנים כראוי ועי"ז ההארה נוכל אח"כ להיות סור מרע כו'.

“But Jacob, peace be upon him, instituted that God grant an opening of the heart to Torah even when one is not yet properly refined, and through this illumination one can afterward turn from evil.”

Jacob’s approach reverses the order: the light of Torah comes first, enabling the person to later purify themselves and avoid evil.

וזה ענין הקדמת הפרנסה לגאולה כמ"ש:

“And this is the matter of sustenance preceding redemption, as was said.”

Thus, the precedence of sustenance symbolizes the primacy of divine illumination before complete spiritual redemption.

The Sefat Emet teaches that both sustenance and redemption occur daily, with sustenance — both physical and spiritual — coming first. This mirrors the spiritual order in which divine illumination precedes purification from evil, enabling redemption to unfold.