Daily Renewal Through Letters
בפרשת והי' א"ש תשמעו
In Parshas Eikev, on the verse "And it shall be, if you will surely hearken" (Devarim 11:13).
The Sfas Emes opens on the verse that begins the second paragraph of Shema, where Bnei Yisrael are charged to listen to Hashem's mitzvos.
ברש"י מספרי אזהרה ליחיד אזהרה לרבים
Rashi cites from the Sifri that this is a warning to the individual and a warning to the community.
Rashi, drawing on the Sifri, notes that the charge addresses both the single Jew and the entire community together.
פי' בכל יום מתחדש אזהרת התורה בנפשות בנ"י בפרט ובכלל אבל כפי עבודת האדם זוכה להרגיש בזה הקול א' אנכי מצוך היום
The meaning is that each and every day the Torah's charge is renewed within the souls of Bnei Yisrael, both individually and collectively; but it is according to a person's avodah that he merits to feel this voice, "I am Hashem your God who commands you today."
He explains that the Torah's command is not a one-time event but is renewed daily within every neshamah; whether one actually senses this living voice depends on the quality of his avodah.
והכל תלוי בהאדם
And everything depends upon the person.
The whole matter rests on the person himself and his readiness to receive.
וז"ש שמוע תשמעו פי' להשמיע את הקול ולשמוע לקבל את הציוי
This is the meaning of "if you will surely hearken" (literally, "hearing you shall hear"): namely, to sound forth the voice and to listen, to accept the command.
The doubled language "hearing you shall hear" teaches two acts: to awaken and broadcast the inner voice, and then to listen and accept the command.
כמ"ש עושי דברו והדר לשמוע בקול דברו
As it is written, "those who do His word, in order then to listen to the voice of His word" (Tehillim 103:20) — first doing, and afterward listening.
The verse in Tehillim describes the malachim as first doing and only afterward listening, modeling the order of na'aseh before nishma.
מצוה אתכם היום כי הכל נברא בכ"ב אותיות התורה ויש לכל איש ישראל רשימות מאותיות השייכים אליו
"Which I command you today" — for all was created with the twenty-two letters of the Torah, and every man of Yisrael has impressions from the letters that pertain to him.
Since all of creation was formed through the twenty-two letters of the Torah, each Jew carries his own personal share of those letters.
ובכלל ישראל הכ"ב אתוון
And within the collective of Yisrael are all twenty-two letters.
Taken as a whole, the entire community of Yisrael contains the full set of twenty-two letters.
ואלה האותיות מתחדשין בכל יום ויום בצירופים שונים
And these letters are renewed every single day in different combinations.
These letters are constantly recombined in fresh arrangements each day, which is the source of daily spiritual renewal.
וזה מצוה אתכ"ם הכ"ב אתוון שבכם
And this is "which I command you (eschem) today" — alluding to the twenty-two letters that are within you.
The word "eschem" (you) hints that the twenty-two letters are embedded within Bnei Yisrael themselves.
ואם זוכין בנ"י לזה ההתחדשות מתברך להם כל הבריאה כמ"ש ונתתי עשב כו'
And if Bnei Yisrael merit this renewal, the entire creation becomes blessed for them, as it is written, "and I will give grass [in your field for your animals]" (Devarim 11:15).
When Bnei Yisrael tap into this daily renewal, blessing flows into all of creation, as the verse promises produce and sustenance.
וזה כימי השמים על הארץ
And this is the meaning of "like the days of the heavens upon the earth" (Devarim 11:21).
The Sfas Emes connects this to the promise of days "like the days of the heavens upon the earth."
ימים הם הארות
"Days" are illuminations.
He reads "days" as referring to spiritual illuminations rather than mere units of time.
שכפי מה שימי השמים מאירים על הארץ ויכולין להתגלות בעולם
For according to the measure in which the days of the heavens shine upon the earth and are able to become revealed in the world,
The amount of heavenly light that can shine down and be revealed in the physical world sets the measure of blessing.
כך זוכין בנ"י לנחול את הארץ:
so do Bnei Yisrael merit to inherit the land.
And by that same measure Bnei Yisrael merit to take possession of Eretz Yisrael.
Summary: On the verse "And it shall be, if you will surely hearken," the Sfas Emes teaches that the Torah's charge is renewed within the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael every single day, and that whether a person feels this living voice depends entirely on his avodah. The doubled "hearing you shall hear" calls for two movements: to awaken the inner voice and then to listen and accept the command, in the order of na'aseh before nishma. He explains that creation was formed through the twenty-two letters of the Torah; each Jew bears his own letters, while the whole community of Yisrael holds them all, and these letters are recombined in fresh ways each day. When Bnei Yisrael draw down this daily renewal, blessing flows into all of creation. Finally, reading "days" as illuminations, he teaches that the measure of heavenly light revealed in the world is the very measure by which Bnei Yisrael merit to inherit Eretz Yisrael.