Opening the Torah Wellspring
במדרש הפותח והחותם בתורה מברך כו' חיים הם למוציאיהם בפה ע"ש
In the Midrash on the blessings that open and close the reading of the Torah, it states that the words of Torah "are life to those who bring them forth with the mouth" — see there.
The Midrash on the Torah blessings teaches that Torah is a source of life specifically for those who utter its words aloud with their mouths.
פי' כי התורה ניתנה לבנ"י ולכן בכח פיהם יכולין לפתוח מעיין המקור שנמצא בכל אותיות התורה
The explanation is that the Torah was given to Bnei Yisrael, and therefore through the power of their mouths they are able to open the wellspring of the source that is found in every one of the letters of the Torah.
Because the Torah was entrusted to Bnei Yisrael, their spoken words have the power to unlock the hidden wellspring contained within every letter of the Torah.
וזה פי' מוציאיהם שמוציא מכח אל הפועל אורות הגנוזין בתורה בכח הפה
And this is the meaning of "those who bring them forth" — that one draws out from potential into actuality the hidden lights concealed within the Torah, through the power of the mouth.
The phrase "those who bring them forth" means that a person uses the power of speech to actualize the concealed lights that lie dormant within the Torah.
וזה פי' חיים הם כי המקור נקרא חיים כמו מים חיים כשבאין מן מקור המעיין
And this is the meaning of "they are life," for the source is called "life," just as flowing water is called "living waters" (mayim chayim) when it comes forth from the source of the wellspring.
The Torah is called "life" because, like living waters that flow fresh from their source, it draws directly from the living source of all vitality.
וזה המקור הוא למי שמוציאם בפה וכשנפתח המקור ממילא מתברך ומתפשט לכל צד
And this source belongs to the one who brings them forth with the mouth, and once the source is opened, it automatically becomes blessed and spreads forth in every direction.
This wellspring belongs to the one who voices the Torah, and once it is opened even a little, blessing flows from it on its own and expands in every direction.
וע"ז נאמר פתחי לי ודרשו חז"ל פתחי לי כחודה של מחט
And regarding this it is said, "Open for Me" (Shir HaShirim 5:2), and Chazal expounded: "Open for Me" an opening as small as the point of a needle.
The Sfas Emes connects this to the verse "Open for Me," which Chazal explain as Hashem asking us to open an entrance only as tiny as the point of a needle.
ומה צריך הקב"ה לפתיחת בנ"י
And what need does the Holy One, Blessed is He, have for an opening made by Bnei Yisrael?
He raises the question: why would the Holy One, Blessed is He, need Bnei Yisrael to make any opening at all?
רק קאי על התורה שנמסרה לבנ"י שכפי פתיחתן כך מתפרשת ומתברכין מינה כ"ע
Rather, it refers to the Torah, which was handed over to Bnei Yisrael, for according to the measure of their opening, so is it expounded and explained, and from it all the worlds are blessed.
The answer is that the verse speaks of the Torah given to Bnei Yisrael — the size of the opening we make determines how much Torah is revealed, and from that revelation all the worlds receive blessing.
כמ"ש לא בשמים הוא:
As it is written, "It is not in heaven" (Devarim 30:12).
This is supported by the verse "It is not in heaven," teaching that the Torah and its wellspring have been placed into our hands here below.
Summary: The Sfas Emes teaches that the Torah was given to Bnei Yisrael so that, through the power of their mouths, they can open the hidden wellspring concealed within every letter of the Torah. When a person voices the words of Torah, he draws the concealed lights from potential into actuality, tapping into the living source that is called "life," much like living waters flowing fresh from their spring. Once even the smallest opening is made — as Chazal say, "Open for Me" an opening like the point of a needle — the source flows on its own and blessing spreads in every direction. Though one might wonder why the Holy One, Blessed is He, needs Bnei Yisrael to open anything, the answer is that the Torah itself was handed over to them, and the measure of their opening determines how much is revealed and how all the worlds are blessed. This is the meaning of "It is not in heaven" — the Torah and its wellspring of life have been placed into our hands below.