Recording What Remains

ב"ה עקב שכחתי הרבה רק קצת שנזכרתי.

With the help of Hashem. Eikev. I have forgotten much; only the little that I managed to recall [is set down here].

This is the author's own brief introductory note for the divrei Torah on Parshas Eikev, in which the Sfas Emes humbly remarks that most of the Torah he had heard or thought slipped from his memory, and only a small portion of it could be committed to writing here.

Summary: This short line is a personal preface from the Sfas Emes to his divrei Torah on Parshas Eikev. He opens with the customary acknowledgment that all is with the help of Hashem, and then notes with characteristic humility that he had forgotten the greater part of the Torah, retaining and recording only the little that he was able to recall. The note sets a tone of modesty, reminding us that what follows is but a fragment of what was originally said.