Finding Torah In Galus

בפסוק כי המצוה הזאת כו' ובמד' ונעלמה מעיני כל חי כו'

On the verse "For this mitzvah" etc. (Devarim 30:11), and in the Midrash, "and it is hidden from the eyes of all living" (Iyov 28:21) etc.

The Sfas Emes opens with two sources: the verse describing the mitzvah as accessible and a Midrash teaching that wisdom is hidden from all living things. He will reconcile how Torah can be both near and hidden.

כי באמת התורה היא בכל מקום וכל זמן כי הכל נברא בתורה

For in truth the Torah is present in every place and at every time, since everything was created through the Torah.

Torah is not confined to one place or era; because the entire creation was brought into being through Torah, its light is woven into all of reality.

אך אינו מתגלה רק לבנ"י כמ"ש מגיד דבריו ליעקב

However, it is revealed only to Bnei Yisrael, as it is written, "He tells His words to Yaakov" (Tehillim 147:19).

Even though Torah is everywhere, its revelation belongs uniquely to Bnei Yisrael, to whom Hashem discloses His words.

וכמ"ש במד' הכל בחזקת סומין עד שהקב"ה מאיר עיניהם

And as it says in the Midrash, all are in the category of the blind until the Holy One, Blessed is He, illuminates their eyes.

Without divine illumination, everyone is spiritually blind to the Torah hidden within creation; only when the Holy One, Blessed is He, opens their eyes do they perceive it.

ולכן אפי' אחר שחטאנו ונגרשנו בין העמים מ"מ ע"י תשובה כתיב משם יקחך

Therefore, even after we sinned and were exiled and scattered among the nations, nevertheless, through teshuvah it is written, "from there He will gather you" (Devarim 30:4).

Even after our sins brought galus and dispersion among the nations, teshuvah draws us back, as the Torah promises Hashem will gather us from wherever we are.

הוא בחי' תורה שנק' לקח טוב

This is the aspect of Torah, which is called "a good acquisition" (Mishlei 4:2).

This gathering corresponds to Torah itself, which the pasuk calls a "good acquisition."

שע"י התשובה הש"י מגלה עיני האדם למצוא דברי תורה בכל מקום שהוא

For through teshuvah Hashem opens a person's eyes to find words of Torah in whatever place he is.

Through teshuvah Hashem opens a person's eyes so that he can discover Torah even in the lowliest place where he finds himself.

ובאמת דורות הראשונים שזכו הי' להם התורה בהתגלות במדרגה עליונה

And in truth, the early generations, who merited it, had the Torah in a revealed manner, on a lofty level.

The earlier generations were worthy to receive Torah openly and at an exalted spiritual level.

ואנחנו נמצאת לנו התורה בדרך רחוקה

And as for us, the Torah is found by us along a distant path.

We, by contrast, encounter the Torah only through a remote and roundabout path.

אבל הכל תורת ה'

But it is all the Torah of Hashem.

Yet despite the distance, what we attain is no less the authentic Torah of Hashem.

ועל זה כתיב ואהבת את ה"א בכל מאדך

And concerning this it is written, "And you shall love Hashem your God with all your might" (Devarim 6:5).

This reality underlies the command to love Hashem "with all your might."

דרשו חז"ל בכל מדה ומדה שמודד לך כו'

Chazal expounded: "with every single measure that He measures out to you" etc. (Berachos 54a).

Chazal read "with all your might" as loving Hashem through every measure He metes out to you, whatever portion it may be.

הרמז הוא כי הקב"ה משפיע אלקותו ית' לכל א' כפי מדת המוכן לו

The hint is that the Holy One, Blessed is He, bestows His Godliness upon each and every individual according to the measure that is prepared for him.

The deeper hint is that the Holy One, Blessed is He, pours out His Godliness to each person precisely according to the capacity prepared within that person.

כי התורה מים שאין להם סוף

For the Torah is waters that have no end.

Torah is compared to endless waters, infinite and beyond any limit, so each soul draws from it only according to its vessel.

וצריכין לאהוב אותו ית' במדידת אלקותו ית"ש עלינו כפי מה שמודד לנו

And we must love Him, may He be blessed, in accordance with the measuring out of His Godliness, may His Name be blessed, upon us, according to what He measures out to us.

Our task is to love Hashem in proportion to the very measure of Godliness He apportions to us.

וז"ש ובקשת משם את ה"א:

And this is the meaning of "and you shall seek from there Hashem your God" (Devarim 4:29).

This is the meaning of "and you shall seek from there": even from a distant place we seek and find Hashem according to our measure.

Summary: The Sfas Emes resolves the tension between the Torah being "this mitzvah" that is near and accessible and the Midrash that wisdom is "hidden from the eyes of all living." In truth, since all of creation was formed through Torah, the Torah is present in every place and time, yet it is revealed only to Bnei Yisrael, and even to them only when the Holy One, Blessed is He, illuminates their otherwise blind eyes. This is why even after sin and galus, teshuvah enables Hashem to open a person's eyes to find Torah wherever he is; though earlier generations received Torah openly and on a lofty level while we reach it only by a distant path, it is all equally the Torah of Hashem. This is tied to loving Hashem "with all your might," which Chazal explain as loving Him through every measure He metes out, since Hashem bestows His Godliness upon each individual according to the capacity prepared for him. The Torah is endless waters, and our avodah is to love Hashem according to the measure of His Godliness apportioned to us, which is the meaning of "and you shall seek Him from there."