Raising Power Upward

והנה אחז"ל תרומת ידך אלו הביכורים

Now, our Sages of blessed memory expounded: "the terumah of your hand" (Devarim 12:17) — this refers to the bikkurim, the first fruits.

The Sages identify the "terumah of your hand" in the verse as a reference to the mitzvah of bringing bikkurim. This sets the theme of "hand" that the piece will develop.

וכבר כתבנו מזה ע"פ המד' עשו מתגאה בירושתו ובנ"י מתגאין ונצעק אל ה'

And we have already written about this based on the Midrash: Eisav takes pride in his inheritance, while Bnei Yisrael take pride and cry out to Hashem.

Drawing on a Midrash, the Sfas Emes contrasts Eisav, whose pride rests in his physical inheritance, with Bnei Yisrael, whose strength is crying out to Hashem.

כי זה כח הקול נק' יד רמה כמ"ש בזוה"ק שיש יד הגדולה והחזקה ויד רמה

For this is the power of the voice, which is called "a raised hand," as it is stated in the Zohar HaKadosh that there is "the great and mighty hand" and "a raised hand."

The voice with which Bnei Yisrael cry out is itself a kind of "hand" — the Zohar speaks of an elevated, raised hand beyond the physical mighty hand.

כי גם הלשון נק' יד כמ"ש מות וחיים ביד לשון כי יד הוא מקום ורשות כמ"ש ויד תהי' לך

For the tongue too is called "hand," as it is written, "death and life are in the hand of the tongue" (Mishlei 18:21) — for "hand" denotes a place and a domain, as it is written, "and you shall have a place [yad]" (Devarim 23:13).

Even speech is called a "hand," since "hand" really signifies a domain or place of power, as proven from several verses where yad means a place rather than a literal hand.

וכ' כאשר ירים משה ידו וגבר ישראל זה כח פיהן של בנ"י

And it is written, "when Moshe Rabbeinu raised his hand, Yisrael prevailed" (Shemos 17:11) — this is the power of the mouths of Bnei Yisrael.

When Moshe Rabbeinu raised his hands at the war with Amalek and Yisrael prevailed, that victory expressed the spiritual power residing in the mouths and prayer of Bnei Yisrael.

וזה היפוך מעמלק שסומך על כח זרועו כו' אבל בנ"י מתרוממים בכח התורה

And this is the opposite of Amalek, who relies on the strength of his own arm; but Bnei Yisrael are uplifted through the power of the Torah.

Amalek leans on his own brute physical strength, whereas Bnei Yisrael rise above the natural order through the strength of Torah.

וע"ז כ' ואתה מרום לעולם ה' כמ"ש במד' קדושים רוממות אתה נוהג בעולמך

And concerning this it is written, "and You are exalted forever, Hashem" (Tehillim 92:9), as it is stated in the Midrash on parashas Kedoshim: "exaltedness do You conduct in Your world."

The verse "You are exalted forever, Hashem" teaches that exaltedness above nature is Hashem's way of conducting His world, and Bnei Yisrael share in it.

והרוממות שבא בכח התורה והקב"ה קיים לעד היפוך ממ"ש בעמלק להשמדם ע' עד

And the exaltedness that comes through the power of the Torah — through which the Holy One, Blessed is He, endures forever — is the opposite of what is said regarding Amalek, that they shall be destroyed forever (see Bamidbar 24:20).

The exaltedness drawn from Torah is eternal, just as Hashem endures forever — precisely the reverse of Amalek, who is destined for total destruction.

וזה מצות הביכורים להביא הראשית להקב"ה כמ"ש שאו ידיכם קודש

And this is the mitzvah of bikkurim: to bring the first to the Holy One, Blessed is He, as it is written, "lift up your hands in holiness" (Tehillim 134:2).

Bringing the very first of the fruits to Hashem is an act of lifting one's hands in holiness, dedicating the beginning of everything to Him.

זה פי' תרומת ידך להרים הכח לאבינו שבשמים כמ"ש חז"ל ירים משה ידו לומר לך כשישראל מסתכלין כלפי מעלה ומשעבד' לבן לאביהם שבשמים מתגברין

This is the meaning of "the terumah of your hand" — to raise up the power to our Father in Heaven, as our Sages of blessed memory said on "Moshe Rabbeinu raised his hand": this comes to teach you that when Bnei Yisrael look upward and subjugate their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they prevail.

"The terumah of your hand" means raising one's own power up to Hashem; when Bnei Yisrael turn their gaze upward and submit their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they overcome.

ואין לגבור על עמלק רק בזה הכח מאתו ית' כמ"ש מלחמה לד' בעמלק

And one can prevail over Amalek only through this power that comes from Him, Yisborach, as it is written, "Hashem has a war against Amalek" (Shemos 17:16).

Victory over Amalek is impossible through human strength alone and can come only through this power granted by Hashem, as the verse declares Hashem's own war against Amalek.

[ויש רמז למ"ש לעיל בחי' יד רמה במה שהתחיל הכ' והי' כי תבא כמ"ש בתיקונים בהקדמה ד' ט' כי והי' בחי' יד רמה]:

[And there is an allusion to what was said above regarding the aspect of "a raised hand" in the fact that the verse opens, "And it shall be when you come" (Devarim 26:1), as is stated in the Tikkunim, in the introduction, page 9, that the word "vehayah" is the aspect of "a raised hand."]

A closing hint: the opening word "vehayah" of the parashah itself corresponds, per the Tikkunim, to the very aspect of the "raised hand" discussed throughout the piece.

Summary: The Sfas Emes builds on the Sages' identification of "the terumah of your hand" with bikkurim to explore the deeper meaning of "hand" (yad). Beyond the physical hand, "hand" denotes a domain of power, and so the voice and the tongue of Bnei Yisrael — their tefillah and Torah — are themselves a "raised hand," an exaltedness above nature. This stands in direct contrast to Amalek, who relies on the brute strength of his own arm and is therefore destined for destruction, while Bnei Yisrael, lifted by the power of the Torah, share in Hashem's own eternal exaltedness. The mitzvah of bikkurim, bringing the first fruits to the Holy One, Blessed is He, is thus an act of raising one's power up to our Father in Heaven. When Bnei Yisrael look upward and subjugate their hearts to Him — as when Moshe Rabbeinu raised his hand against Amalek — they prevail through the strength that comes from Hashem alone.