Drawing Down Universal Blessing
במדרש שמעו כו' אל תגבהו
In the Midrash on the words "Listen... do not exalt yourselves."
The Sfas Emes opens by citing the Midrash's reading of the verse, which warns Bnei Yisrael not to exalt themselves.
אל תגבי' את הטובה מלבוא בעולם
Do not hold the good back from coming into the world.
He reinterprets "do not exalt yourselves" as a directive not to lift the good away and prevent it from entering the world.
כי הברכה וקללה שניתן ביד בנ"י היא ברכת כל העולם
For the blessing and the curse that were placed in the hands of Bnei Yisrael are the blessing of the entire world.
The blessing and curse given to Bnei Yisrael in this parsha are not for them alone; they are the channel of blessing for all of creation.
ובכחן של ישראל להמשיך הברכה לכל העולם
And it lies within the power of Bnei Yisrael to draw down the blessing to the whole world.
Bnei Yisrael possess the power to draw down Hashem's blessing into the entire world.
והברכה אשר תשמעו כי כל הברכות הם בתורה
"And the blessing, that you shall listen" (Devarim 11:27) — for all the blessings are contained within the Torah.
The verse ties blessing to listening because every blessing is rooted in and flows from the Torah.
ובמדרש תנחומא לב חכם ישכיל כו' ועל שפתיי יוסיף לקח
And in the Midrash Tanchuma: "The heart of the wise makes his mouth prudent, and upon his lips it adds learning" (Mishlei 16:23).
He brings a second source from the Tanchuma, citing the pasuk in Mishlei about the wise heart adding learning to the lips.
כי כפי יגיעת בנ"י בתורה נפתח שורש התורה כמ"ש נותן התורה תמיד
For according to the toil of Bnei Yisrael in the Torah, the root of the Torah is opened up, as we say "the Giver of the Torah" in the present tense, for He gives it continually.
The more Bnei Yisrael toil in Torah, the more its hidden root is opened — which is why we call Hashem the Giver of the Torah in the present tense, for He gives it anew at every moment.
והיא חיות העולם שיכולין בנ"י לעורר בכל יום אשר ע"ז נאמר נותן לפניכם היום כמ"ש מחדש בטובו בכל יום כמ"ש במ"א
And this is the very life-force of the world, which Bnei Yisrael are able to awaken each and every day, concerning which it is said "that I set before you this day" (Devarim 11:26), as we say "He renews in His goodness each day" — as is explained elsewhere.
This ongoing Torah is the world's life-force that Bnei Yisrael reawaken daily, alluded to in "this day" and in the bracha that Hashem renews creation each day in His goodness.
ולכן צריך איש הישראלי לשום על לבו אשר הכל מסור בידו ולא יעכב הטובה מלבא בעולם כי בו תלוי
Therefore the Yisraelite must take to heart that everything is entrusted into his hand, and he must not hold back the good from coming into the world, for it depends upon him.
Practically, each Yisraelite must internalize that the good of the world is placed in his hands, so he dare not obstruct it, since it hinges on his avodah.
וצריכין להיות תמיד מוכן לשמוע דבר ה' כמ"ש אשר תשמעו
And one must always be ready to hear the word of Hashem, as it says "that you shall listen" (Devarim 11:27).
This demands a constant readiness to receive Hashem's word, which is the meaning of "that you shall listen."
שמיעה היא האזנה להאזין תמיד לקבל דבר ה'
"Listening" means giving ear — to incline one's ear continually to receive the word of Hashem.
True "listening" is an active inclining of the ear, a continual posture of receptivity to the word of Hashem.
וכפי הבנה לקבל כך נשפע משמים
And according to the measure of one's understanding to receive, so is it poured forth from Heaven.
The flow of blessing from Heaven is measured precisely according to a person's capacity and willingness to receive it.
וכתי' והקללה אם ל"ת כו' אחרי אלהים אחרים כו'
And it is written: "And the curse, if you will not listen... after other gods" (Devarim 11:28).
He then turns to the verse of the curse, which comes "if you will not listen" and stray after other gods.
פי' כי לולי שנפלו בנ"י בחטא ע"ז
The explanation is that, were it not that Bnei Yisrael fell into the sin of avodah zarah,
He explains that the curse entered the world only because Bnei Yisrael fell into the sin of avodah zarah.
לא הי' נמצא הקללה בעולם והי' תיקון הכולל:
the curse would not be found in the world, and there would have been a complete rectification.
Had they not fallen, no curse would exist in the world at all, and a complete, universal tikkun would have been achieved.
Summary: The Sfas Emes teaches that the blessing and curse placed in the hands of Bnei Yisrael in Parshas Re'eh are nothing less than the blessing of the entire world, for it lies within their power to draw down Hashem's blessing to all of creation. Since every blessing is rooted in the Torah, and Hashem gives the Torah anew each day according to the toil of Bnei Yisrael, this ongoing Torah is the very life-force that they reawaken daily. The avodah demanded is one of constant "listening" — an active inclining of the ear to receive the word of Hashem — and the measure of one's receptivity determines the measure of what is poured forth from Heaven. The curse, by contrast, only entered the world through the sin of avodah zarah; had Bnei Yisrael not fallen, there would have been no curse at all and a complete, universal rectification.