Hidden Faith Returning Home

בפסוק ויאמר אסתירה פני כו' אראה מה אחריתם

On the pasuk, "And He said: I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be" (Devarim 32:20).

The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk in Ha'azinu where Hashem says He will hide His face from Bnei Yisrael and watch to see what their end will be.

וצריך פי' כי מי בא להלחם עמו ית' שיאמר אראה

This requires explanation, for who comes to wage war against Him, may He be blessed, that He should say, "I will see"?

He raises a difficulty: the phrase "I will see what their end will be" implies waiting to observe an outcome, which seems strange to say about Hashem, who has no adversary that He must wait to see how things resolve.

אבל יתכן לפרש הכל לשבחן של ישראל שהרי נקראת שירה

But it is possible to explain the entire matter as praise of Bnei Yisrael, for indeed this passage is called a shirah, a song.

He answers that the whole passage can be read as praise of Bnei Yisrael, since the Torah itself calls it a shirah, and a song is sung in praise.

וזו השירה עדות כי בנ"י ישארו לעולם להיות חלק ה' ונחלתו

And this shirah is testimony that Bnei Yisrael will remain forever, to be the portion of Hashem and His inheritance.

The song is a guarantee that Bnei Yisrael will endure forever as Hashem's own cherished portion and inheritance.

אבל בנ"י צריכין לתקן כל הדרכים כענין שאמרו הפוך בה והפוך בה

But Bnei Yisrael need to rectify all the pathways, as in the matter of which the Chachamim said, "Turn it over and turn it over," for everything is in it.

Yet they have the avodah of refining every path of life, like the Mishnah's teaching to turn the Torah over and over because everything is contained within it.

ויש דורות שהקדושה נגלה בהם פנים בפנים

And there are generations in which kedushah is revealed within them face to face, openly.

In some generations the kedushah shines openly and clearly, a relationship of face to face.

אבל יש דור תהפוכות שנראין רע אבל אין תוכן כברן ועתידין לחזור למוטב

But there is a generation of perversions, who appear to be evil, yet their inner essence is not like their outer surface, and they are destined to return to the good.

But other generations look outwardly corrupt, while their true inner core is not as bad as their surface appears, and they are destined to return to good.

וז"ש לא אמון בם

And this is the meaning of "a generation with no faithfulness in them" (Devarim 32:20).

This is the meaning of the words "a generation with no faithfulness in them" -- their faith is hidden beneath the surface, not absent.

וזה אראה מה אחריתם דכתיב טוב אחרית דבר מראשיתו

And this is "I will see what their end will be," as it is written, "Better is the end of a thing than its beginning" (Koheles 7:8).

"I will see what their end will be" points to the truth that the end of a matter can be greater than its beginning, so the hidden generation's conclusion will be elevated.

ושירה ראשונה הי' ראשיתן של בנ"י ושירה זו היא אחריתן

The first shirah was the beginning of Bnei Yisrael, and this shirah is their end.

The original shirah marked the start of Bnei Yisrael, while this shirah of Ha'azinu speaks to their ultimate end.

וע"י החטא ניטל מהם בחי' פנים בפנים ואסתירה פני והתחיל בחי' אחרית

And through the cheit, the aspect of face to face was taken from them, and "I will hide My face" came about, and the aspect of "end" began.

Because of cheit, the open face-to-face closeness was removed and Hashem's face became hidden, ushering in the era of the "end."

וזרוק חוטרא אאוירא אעיקרו קאים:

And as the Chachamim said, throw a stick into the air and it returns to stand upon its root, for the end of Bnei Yisrael will return to their original holy source.

He closes with the Chachamim's image of a stick thrown into the air that falls back to its root: however far Bnei Yisrael appear to stray, they will return to their holy origin.

Summary: The Sfas Emes addresses the pasuk in Ha'azinu in which Hashem hides His face and says, "I will see what their end will be," asking why such language of waiting and watching is used about the Ribono shel Olam. He answers that the entire passage is in truth a shirah, a song of praise testifying that Bnei Yisrael will endure forever as Hashem's portion and inheritance. Even a generation that appears corrupt has an inner essence far better than its outer surface, so its faith is merely hidden rather than gone, and it is destined to return to good. Drawing on "Better is the end of a thing than its beginning," he explains that while cheit removed the open face-to-face closeness and brought about the era of hiddenness, this very "end" is greater than the beginning. Like a stick thrown into the air that returns to its root, Bnei Yisrael will inevitably return to their original holy source.