Faith Beyond Revelation

במדרש גדול העונה אמן כו'

In the Midrash it states, "Greater is the one who answers Amen, etc."

The piece opens with a Midrash teaching that answering Amen is greater than reciting the blessing itself.

הענין בקיצור כי בחי' א"י הוא אמונה שבדור המדבר הי' הכל בהתגלות עין בעין כו' בחי' אמת הנהגת מרע"ה

The matter in brief is that the level of Eretz Yisrael is emunah (faith), for in the generation of the Wilderness everything was revealed openly, eye to eye, etc. — this was the level of emes (truth), the leadership of Moshe Rabbeinu.

Eretz Yisrael represents emunah, in contrast to the Wilderness generation where everything was experienced through open, revealed truth under Moshe Rabbeinu's leadership.

ואח"כ התחיל בחי' אמונה ובחי' זו אין לה הפסק כלל בכל הדורות כמ"ש העמידן על אחת

And afterward the level of emunah began, and this level has no interruption at all throughout all the generations, as it is written, "He established them all upon one" (referring to the single principle of faith).

Once that era of open revelation ended, the level of faith began, and faith, unlike open revelation, never ceases throughout the generations.

ובחי' זו גדולה מאוד לפני השי"ת לכן אמרו גדול עונה אמן יותר מן המברך

And this level is exceedingly great before Hashem Yisbarach; therefore Chazal said, "Greater is the one who answers Amen than the one who recites the blessing."

Because faith is so precious to Hashem, Chazal valued the one answering Amen even more than the one making the berachah.

כי המברך הוא לפי השגה שלו והנמשך אחריו בדרך אמונה אין לו הפסק כלל

For the one who recites the blessing does so according to his own grasp and comprehension, whereas the one who is drawn after him by way of emunah has no interruption at all.

The one reciting the blessing is limited by his own understanding, but the one following with faith is connected without any break or limit.

ובכניסתם לארץ שקיבלו עליהם התורה באלה ובשבועה

And upon their entering the Land, they accepted the Torah upon themselves with a curse and with an oath.

When Bnei Yisrael entered the Land they reaccepted the Torah upon themselves with a curse and an oath at Har Gerizim and Har Eival.

ואיתא בילקוט וענו הלוים בקול רם גז"ש דכ' התם משה ידבר והא' יעננו בקול כו' ע"ש

And it is brought in the Yalkut on "And the Leviim shall answer with a loud voice" — a gezeirah shavah, for it is written there, "Moshe would speak, and Hashem would answer him with a voice, etc."; see there.

The Yalkut links the Leviim answering "with a loud voice" to Sinai through a gezeirah shavah, showing the parallel between the two events.

הכלל שהי' חביב לפניו ית' שעה זו כמו קבלת התורה בהר סיני

The general principle is that this moment was as beloved before Hashem Yisbarach as the receiving of the Torah at Har Sinai.

This moment of acceptance in the Land was as beloved to Hashem as the original receiving of the Torah at Sinai.

רק שם הי' בחי' תורה שבכתב ועתה תו' שבע"פ

Only that there it was the level of Torah she'bichsav (the Written Torah), and now it was Torah she'be'al peh (the Oral Torah).

The difference is that Sinai was the level of the Written Torah, while the acceptance in the Land corresponded to the Oral Torah.

וכ' וזבחת שלמים

And it is written, "And you shall slaughter shelamim offerings."

The verse commands offering shelamim at this covenant ceremony.

ולא יש שלמי ציבור רק בשבועות ובשעת מתן תורה

And there are no communal shelamim offerings except on Shavuos and at the time of the Giving of the Torah.

Communal shelamim are brought only on Shavuos and at the Giving of the Torah, underscoring the link between this moment and Sinai.

וקבלה זו הי' בחי' תורה שבע"פ מצד התעוררות בנ"י מעצמם

And this acceptance was the level of Torah she'be'al peh, stemming from the arousal of Bnei Yisrael of their own accord.

This acceptance was Torah she'be'al peh because it arose from Bnei Yisrael's own initiative and arousal, not solely from above.

לכן כ' הסכת ושמע דרשו בתנחומא עשו כתות

Therefore it is written, "Be attentive (hasket) and hear" — which the Tanchuma expounds as asu kitos, "form yourselves into groups."

The word "hasket" is expounded as forming groups, hinting that Torah comes through Bnei Yisrael gathering together.

פי' ע"י התאספות בנ"י יזכו לשמוע דברי אלקים חיים

The meaning is that through the gathering together of Bnei Yisrael they merit to hear the words of the living Hashem.

Through the unity and assembly of Bnei Yisrael they merit to hear the words of the living Hashem.

וזה הכח נשאר לעולם בישראל ומקודם ניתן עשרת הדיברות בע' לשון כמ"ש חז"ל ה' יתן אומר כו'

And this power remained forever within Bnei Yisrael; and beforehand the Ten Commandments were given in seventy languages, as Chazal expounded, "Hashem gives the word, etc."

This capacity remains forever in Bnei Yisrael; the Ten Commandments were first given in all seventy languages.

אח"כ באמצעיות בנ"י השלים כל התורה שהיא התפשטות עשרת הדברות לכל הפרטים ונתפרש ג"כ בע' לשון כמ"ש רש"י פי' באר היטב

Afterward, by means of Bnei Yisrael, He completed the entire Torah, which is the spreading out of the Ten Commandments into all their particulars, and it too was elucidated in seventy languages, as Rashi explains, "explained well (ba'er heiteiv)."

Through Bnei Yisrael, Hashem completed the whole Torah as an expansion of the Ten Commandments into every detail, also rendered in seventy languages, as Rashi notes on "ba'er heiteiv."

ובכח זה עמדו נגד מלכי כנען לכן כ' למען אשר תבוא כו'

And with this power they withstood the kings of Canaan; therefore it is written, "in order that you shall come, etc."

By the strength of this acceptance Bnei Yisrael were able to stand against the Canaanite kings upon entering the Land.

וזה הי' בכח בנ"י בעצמם שהאמינו וקיבלו עליהם הברית והאלה

And this came about through the power of Bnei Yisrael themselves, who believed and accepted upon themselves the covenant and the oath.

This strength came from Bnei Yisrael themselves, who believed and took the covenant and oath upon themselves.

לכן שם נעשו בנ"י ערבים זה לזה שזה הקבלה הי' מצד התכללות בנ"י בעצמם ואמונתם בה' והיא בחי' תושבע"פ ואמונה:

Therefore there Bnei Yisrael became areivim (responsible sureties) one for another, for this acceptance came from the binding together of Bnei Yisrael themselves and their emunah in Hashem, and it is the level of Torah she'be'al peh and emunah.

Because the acceptance flowed from the unity and faith of Bnei Yisrael, they became areivim, mutually responsible for one another — the very essence of Torah she'be'al peh and emunah.

Summary: The Sfas Emes contrasts the generation of the Wilderness, which lived in open, revealed truth (emes) under Moshe Rabbeinu, with entry into Eretz Yisrael, which inaugurated the enduring level of emunah that never ceases through the generations. This is why answering Amen with faith is greater than the berachah itself: the one who grasps is bound by his own comprehension, while the one who follows in faith is connected without interruption. The covenant of curse and oath that Bnei Yisrael accepted upon entering the Land was as beloved to Hashem as Sinai, but corresponded to Torah she'be'al peh — arising from the arousal and unity of Bnei Yisrael themselves rather than from above alone. Through gathering together as one, Bnei Yisrael merit to hear the words of the living Hashem and to complete the Torah as an expansion of the Ten Commandments into all their particulars. This power of faith and mutual responsibility (areivus), born of their own unity and emunah, is what enabled them to stand against the kings of Canaan and remains forever within Bnei Yisrael.