Pursuing Hidden Righteousness Within

ושפטו כו' העם משפט צדק ע"פ מ"ש בס' נועם אלימלך פי' עם הארץ מלשון גחלים עוממות כו' ע"ש

"And they shall judge the people with righteous judgment" (Devarim 16:18) — this can be explained based on what is written in the sefer Noam Elimelech, that an am ha'aretz (an unlearned person) is related to the expression of "smoldering coals" (gechalim omemos), a kedushah whose glow is dimmed and concealed; see there.

The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk about judging with righteous judgment, citing the Noam Elimelech that the word for an unlearned person hints at coals whose fire still glows beneath the surface — a kedushah that is dimmed but not extinguished.

כן י"ל כאן שעיקר המשפט והשגחה על הגשמיות שאין ניכר ונגלה הארה הקדושה שנגנז בה

Likewise it can be said here, that the essential point of "judgment" and Divine providence is over the physical realm, where the holy glow that lies hidden within it is not recognizable or revealed.

He applies this idea: the whole point of judgment and Hashem's hashgachah is directed at the physical world, precisely because the holy spark within it is hidden and not openly visible.

וכן מ"ש צדק צדק תרדוף מקום שצריך רדיפה למצוא הצדק

And so too what is written, "Righteousness, righteousness shall you pursue" (Devarim 16:20) — a place where pursuit is required in order to find the righteousness.

The double language of "righteousness, righteousness shall you pursue" teaches that this is a domain where one must actively chase after the righteousness in order to find it.

הוא בעניני עוה"ז

This refers to the matters of this world.

He clarifies that this pursuit refers to the affairs of this physical world.

שנק' עלמא דשיקרא

It is the world that is called "the world of falsehood" (alma d'shikra).

This world is the one the seforim call "the world of falsehood," where truth is concealed.

עכ"ז צריך האדם להאמין שיש בכ"ד הארה גנוזה כנ"ל

Even so, a person must believe that in every single thing there is a hidden glow, as mentioned above.

Nevertheless, a person is obligated to believe that within every single thing a hidden glow of kedushah is buried.

וע"י הרדיפה למצוא הצדק

And through the pursuit to find the righteousness,

By means of the effort to pursue and seek out the righteousness,

מתגלה לו בכל מקום

it becomes revealed to him in every place.

that hidden glow becomes revealed to him everywhere he turns.

והוא בתנאי שלא להתדבק בגשמיות

And this is on the condition that he not become attached to the physical.

But this revelation depends on a condition: that he not allow himself to become bound up in physicality.

וזה ולא תקח שוחד כו'

And this is the meaning of "and you shall not take a bribe" (Devarim 16:19),

This is the deeper meaning of the prohibition against taking a bribe.

שע"י הנאות עוה"ז מתכסה האמת והצדק

for through the pleasures of this world the truth and the righteousness become covered over,

Through chasing after the pleasures of this world, a person allows the truth and the righteousness to become covered over and obscured.

ומתחזק כח השקר וחיצוניות כמ"ש החושך יכסה ארץ כו':

and the power of falsehood and externality grows strong, as it is written, "For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth" (Yeshayahu 60:2).

And then the power of falsehood and the outer shell grows stronger, as the navi says that darkness covers the earth.

Summary: The Sfas Emes teaches that the mitzvah to judge with righteous judgment, and the call "righteousness, righteousness shall you pursue," both point to avodah within the physical world — the alma d'shikra, the world of falsehood — where the holy glow of kedushah lies hidden like coals smoldering beneath the surface. Hashem's hashgachah is directed precisely at this realm because the kedushah within it is concealed and not openly recognizable. A person must believe that within every single thing there is a buried spark, and through actively pursuing the righteousness he merits to have it revealed to him everywhere. This revelation, however, is conditioned on not becoming attached to the physical — which is the inner meaning of "you shall not take a bribe," for the pleasures of this world cover over the truth and strengthen the power of falsehood and externality, as the navi says, "the darkness shall cover the earth."