Daily Renewal Through Yearning

בפסוק והי' א"ש תשמעו אל מצותי כו'

On the pasuk, "And it shall be, if you surely listen to My mitzvos" (Devarim 11:13).

The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk in Eikev that promises blessing when Bnei Yisrael truly listen to Hashem's mitzvos.

ברש"י שמוע בישן תשמע בחדש

Rashi explains: if you listen to the old, you will merit to listen to the new.

He cites Rashi's reading that the doubled language of 'listening' means that listening to the old earns the merit to hear something new.

דכתי' עושי דברו לשמוע בק"ד

As it is written, "those who fulfill His word, to listen to the voice of His word" (Tehillim 103:20).

He brings a pasuk from Tehillim showing that fulfilling Hashem's word leads to the ability to keep listening to it.

שכפי מה שמקיימים המצות לשמה כך זוכין לשמוע כי התורה גנוזה במצות

For according to the measure in which one fulfills the mitzvos for their own sake, lishmah, so too does one merit to hear, for the Torah lies hidden within the mitzvos.

The principle: doing mitzvos lishmah unlocks the hidden Torah embedded within those very mitzvos.

וע"ז איתא אשרי שישמע למצותיך

And concerning this it is stated, "Praiseworthy is the one who listens to Your mitzvos."

The praise of one who 'listens' to the mitzvos reflects this ongoing capacity to hear.

כי בוודאי אין שיעור לטעמי המצות ויכולין להשיג בכל יום טעמים חדשים ונק' ממש מצוך היום

For surely there is no limit to the depths of meaning within the mitzvos, and one can attain new insights into them each and every day, and this is the very meaning of "which I command you this day" (Devarim 11:13).

Because the meanings within the mitzvos are infinite, one can discover fresh insight daily, which is why the Torah calls them mitzvos 'of this day.'

רק זה למי שמחפש לקיים מצות ה' ולא לעשות המוטל עליו בלבד

But this is only for one who seeks to fulfill the mitzvos of Hashem, and not merely to discharge the obligation that lies upon him.

But this fresh hearing comes only to one who seeks to truly serve Hashem, not one who merely wants to be rid of his obligation.

וזה נקרא קבלת עול מצות

And this is what is called accepting the yoke of the mitzvos.

This active seeking is the true definition of accepting the yoke of the mitzvos.

להיות משתוקק תמיד לשמוע ולקיים רצון הבורא ית'

To yearn always to listen to and to fulfill the will of the Creator, may He be blessed.

It means a constant yearning to hear and carry out the ratzon of the Creator.

ואז זוכין לשמוע בכל יום

And then one merits to hear anew each and every day.

Such a person is granted new understanding every single day.

ואמרו ושבעת השמרו לכם אין אדם מורד רק מתוך שביעה

And Chazal expounded on the pasuk, "And you shall eat and be satisfied... guard yourselves" (Devarim 11:15-16): a person does not rebel except out of satiety.

He brings Chazal's teaching that rebellion against Hashem grows out of satiety and self-satisfaction.

אין זה דווקא באכילה ושתי' גשמיות

This does not refer specifically to physical eating and drinking.

This 'satiety' is not limited to literal food and drink.

רק גם במילא כריסו בתורה ועבודה צריך להיות תמיד אצל הפתח ולחפש לשמוע דבר ה' ואז יורד השפעה חדשה תמיד

Rather, even when one has filled his belly with Torah and avodah, he must always remain standing at the entrance, seeking to listen to the word of Hashem, and then a fresh flow of bounty descends continually.

Even one full of Torah and avodah must stay humbly 'at the entrance,' still seeking, and only then does new bounty keep flowing to him.

וח"ו להיפך ועצר את השמים כו'

And, chas v'shalom, the reverse: "and He will hold back the heavens" (Devarim 11:17).

The reverse warning is the pasuk that Hashem will close the heavens when a person grows complacent.

כי כפי מה שחסר לאדם ומשתוקק אל השלימות כך משפיעין לו משמים

For according to the measure of what a person lacks and yearns toward completeness, so too do they bestow upon him from Shamayim.

A person's sense of lack and his yearning for completeness is the very measure by which Heaven bestows upon him.

כדאיתא יותר משהעגל רוצה לינק כו'

As it is stated, "More than the calf wishes to nurse, the cow wishes to give suck."

He supports this with the Gemara's image that the cow longs to nurse even more than the calf longs to suckle, so Hashem longs to give more than we long to receive.

לכן מחויב כ"א בכל יום לקבל עול מ"ש ועול מצות כי אין שיעור לדבר

Therefore every person is obligated each and every day to accept the yoke of the Kingship of Heaven and the yoke of the mitzvos, for there is no limit to the matter.

Therefore everyone is duty-bound to renew his acceptance of the yoke of Malchus Shamayim and mitzvos daily, since the matter has no limit.

ואיתא כיון שאדם פורש מן התורה כו'

And it is stated, "Since a person separates himself from the Torah..."

He cites the teaching that the moment a person separates from Torah, distance sets in.

היינו כנ"ל שצריכין בכל יום לעסוק בתורה להשיג מה שהוא רצון הבורא ית' תמיד שיש תמיד התחדשות בתורה כמ"ש ז"ל בכל יום הקב"ה מחדש הלכה כו' והכל בתורה ומצות:

This is as explained above, that one must occupy himself with Torah each and every day to attain what is the will of the Creator, may He be blessed, at all times, for there is always renewal in the Torah, as Chazal said, "each day the Holy One, Blessed is He, renews a halachah," and everything is found within Torah and mitzvos.

The resolution is constant daily engagement in Torah to grasp Hashem's will, since there is endless renewal in Torah, as Hashem renews a halachah each day, and all of it lives within Torah and mitzvos.

Summary: The Sfas Emes teaches that the doubled language of 'listening' to the mitzvos in parshas Eikev points to a continual, renewing avodah: by fulfilling mitzvos lishmah a person unlocks the Torah hidden within them and merits to 'hear' fresh meaning every single day. This new hearing is granted only to one who actively seeks to do the ratzon of Hashem, rather than one who merely discharges his obligation, and this constant yearning is the true acceptance of the yoke of the mitzvos. He warns, through Chazal's teaching that rebellion springs from satiety, that even one filled with Torah and avodah must remain humbly 'at the entrance,' still seeking, for only a sense of lack draws down new bounty from Shamayim. Just as the cow yearns to nurse even more than the calf yearns to suckle, Hashem longs to bestow upon one who yearns for completeness. Therefore every person is obligated to renew his acceptance of the yoke of Malchus Shamayim and mitzvos daily, for the Torah is infinitely renewing and everything is found within Torah and mitzvos.