Bittul Reveals the Concealed

בפסוק הנסתרות לה"א כו' זה נוהג בכל דבר שיש בחי' סתים וגליא כמ"ש בזוה"ק שמא דקוב"ה ואורייתא סתים וגליא

Regarding the verse, "The hidden things belong to Hashem our God" (Devarim 29:28), this principle applies to everything in which there is an aspect of the concealed (sasim) and the revealed (galya), as the Zohar HaKadosh states that the Name of the Holy One, Blessed is He, and the Torah each consist of a concealed dimension and a revealed dimension.

The verse teaches that hidden matters belong to Hashem, and the Sfas Emes notes that the Zohar HaKadosh applies this duality of concealed and revealed both to Hashem's Name and to the Torah.

וכמו שהקב"ה שגבהו דרכיו מדרכינו כביכול בעבור חיבת בנ"י תיקן בשמו ית' ובתורה בחי' גליא

Just as the Holy One, Blessed is He, whose ways are loftier than our ways, nevertheless, as it were, out of His love for Bnei Yisrael, established within His blessed Name and within the Torah an aspect of the revealed,

Although Hashem's ways are infinitely beyond ours, out of His love for Bnei Yisrael He created a revealed, accessible dimension in His Name and in the Torah so we can grasp hold of Him.

כמו כן צריכין בנ"י למצוא בכל מעשיהם בחי' סתים לתת חלק להשי"ת בכל מעשיהם

so too must Bnei Yisrael find within all their deeds an aspect of the concealed, in order to give a portion to Hashem Yisbarach within everything they do.

In parallel, Bnei Yisrael must locate a hidden dimension within all their own actions, dedicating a portion of every deed to Hashem.

ואם שא"י האיך עכ"ז ע"י הביטול אליו ית' זוכין להמשיך לחול על הכנה זו ש"ש

And even when a person does not know how to do this, nonetheless, through bittul to Hashem Yisbarach, one merits to draw down the Name of Heaven to rest upon this preparation.

Even one who cannot consciously achieve this can still succeed through bittul, self-nullification before Hashem, which draws Hashem's presence to rest upon his efforts.

שכך שלימות האדם צריך להיות ע"י בחי' הביטול ובמ"א נאריך בזה אי"ה:

For such is the completeness of a person, that it must come about through the aspect of bittul; and elsewhere we will expand upon this, im yirtzeh Hashem.

A person's true wholeness is reached specifically through bittul, a theme the Sfas Emes says he will develop further elsewhere.

Summary: The Sfas Emes builds on the verse "The hidden things belong to Hashem our God," explaining through the Zohar HaKadosh that both Hashem's Name and the Torah contain a concealed dimension and a revealed dimension. Out of His love for Bnei Yisrael, Hashem, whose ways are far above ours, established a revealed, graspable aspect within His Name and Torah. In response, Bnei Yisrael are called upon to find a hidden, inner dimension within all their deeds, dedicating a portion of every action to Hashem Yisbarach. Even when a person cannot consciously accomplish this, bittul, his self-nullification before Hashem, draws the Name of Heaven to rest upon his preparation. Ultimately, the true completeness of a person is attained precisely through this avodah of bittul.