Eretz Yisrael Withstands Din

שופטים וש' תתן כו' בכל שעריך א"ה כו' נותן לך לשבטיך דכ' אמת ומשפט שלום ש' בשעריכם ומזה דרשו חז"ל על ג' דברים העולם קיים על הדין ואמת ושלום

The pasuk states, "Judges and officers you shall appoint... in all your gates" (Devarim 16:18), and it then says "that Hashem is giving you, for your tribes," while elsewhere it is written, "Truth and the judgment of peace shall you judge in your gates" (Zechariah 8:16). From this Chazal expounded that the world stands upon three things: upon din (justice), upon emes (truth), and upon shalom (peace).

The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk about appointing judges in the gates, linking it to Chazal's teaching that the world rests on three pillars: justice, truth, and peace.

וכתי' בשעריכם וכן כתי' שעריך אשר ה' כו' נותן לך

It is written "in your gates," and likewise it is written, "your gates that Hashem... is giving you."

He notes that the Torah twice ties the gates to the land that Hashem gives, hinting that these three pillars are bound up with Eretz Yisrael.

כמ"ש במ"א כי אלה הג' הם למעלה מעוה"ז שהוא עלמא דשיקרא ודקטטה וגם בדין אחז"ל שראה הקב"ה שאין העולם יכול להתקיים בדין

As is explained elsewhere, these three are above this world, which is a world of falsehood and of strife; and even regarding din, Chazal said that the Holy One, Blessed is He, saw that the world could not endure through din alone.

These three pillars belong to a higher realm above this lower world of falsehood and strife; even din could not, on its own, sustain the world.

אבל בנ"י בא"י הי' להם אחוזה באלה הג'

But Bnei Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael had a portion and a hold in these three.

Bnei Yisrael in their land, however, were granted an actual hold and portion in these three lofty pillars.

שהוא המקום שבחר בו הש"י ויצא מכלל העולם הזה ויש בה הארה מעולם העליון והם השערים שיש בכל עיר ישראל פתיחות שער מלמעלה וירושלים ובהמ"ק למעלה מכולם

For it is the place that Hashem chose, and it stands apart from the general category of this world, and there is within it an illumination from the upper world; and these are the gates, for in every city of Yisrael there is an opening of a gate from above, and Yerushalayim and the Beis HaMikdash are above them all.

Eretz Yisrael is the place Hashem chose, removed from the ordinary world and lit by an illumination from above; its gates are openings to that higher light, with Yerushalayim and the Beis HaMikdash highest of all.

ולכן כי יפלא ממך דבר כו' וקמת ועלית כו' שזה בחי' האבות

Therefore, "If a matter of judgment be too wondrous for you... then you shall arise and go up" (Devarim 17:8) — this is the level of the Avos.

The law of going up to the high court for a wondrous matter reflects the lofty level of the Avos, the source of that elevation.

וכל ערי ישראל בחי' של השבטים כמ"ש לשבטיך

And all the cities of Yisrael are the level of the Shevatim, as it is written "for your tribes."

The ordinary cities of Yisrael correspond to the level of the Shevatim, as hinted by the words "for your tribes."

דארץ ישראל על דינא קיימא

For Eretz Yisrael stands upon din.

He states the underlying principle: Eretz Yisrael stands specifically upon the attribute of strict din.

ולכן כתי' השמרו לכם כו' ועצר את השמים ולא יהי' מטר כי הוא בדין

And therefore it is written, "Guard yourselves... lest He restrain the heavens and there be no rain" (Devarim 11:16-17), for it is by din.

This is why rainfall in the land is conditioned on conduct — withheld for sin — because the land operates through din.

ולכן אמרו המרגלים ארץ אוכלת יושבי' היא כיון שאין תחתונים יכולין לעמוד בדין

And therefore the Meraglim said, "It is a land that consumes its inhabitants" (Bamidbar 13:32), since the lower beings cannot withstand din.

Because the land is governed by strict din, the Meraglim feared it "consumes its inhabitants," since ordinary people cannot survive such exacting judgment.

אבל באמת א"י הי' מסייע לבנ"י להיות זוכין בדין

But in truth, Eretz Yisrael would assist Bnei Yisrael to be found meritorious in din.

Yet in reality the holiness of Eretz Yisrael helps Bnei Yisrael actually emerge meritorious when judged by that din.

ובנ"י יצאו מזה הכלל

And Bnei Yisrael went out from this general category.

Bnei Yisrael are an exception, standing outside the general category that cannot endure pure din.

וזה עצמו שדרשו חז"ל עלה במחשבה לברא במדה"ד וראה שאין העולם מתקיים ושיתף מדה"ר

And this itself is what Chazal expounded: it arose in thought to create with the attribute of strict justice (middas hadin), and He saw that the world could not endure, so He partnered it with the attribute of mercy (middas harachamim).

This mirrors the Midrash that Hashem intended to create with strict justice but, seeing the world could not endure, joined mercy to it.

כי בוודאי ישראל הם שעלו במחשבה והם יכולין לעמוד בדין והקב"ה שיתף מדה"ר להיות מרחם על כל העולם בעבור ישראל והם יצאו מן הכלל ללמד על הכלל כולו:

For surely it is Yisrael who arose in thought, and they are able to withstand din; and the Holy One, Blessed is He, partnered in the attribute of mercy so as to have compassion upon the whole world for the sake of Yisrael — and they went out from the general rule in order to teach about the entire rule.

The resolution: Yisrael are the ones who arose in the original thought of creation and can withstand din; Hashem added mercy for the rest of the world for Yisrael's sake, so that the exception teaches the rule for all.

Summary: The Sfas Emes builds on Chazal's teaching that the world stands on three things — din, emes, and shalom — explaining that these pillars belong to a higher realm above this lower world of falsehood and strife. Eretz Yisrael, the place Hashem chose, is illuminated from that upper world; its gates are openings to the higher light, with Yerushalayim and the Beis HaMikdash at the summit, corresponding to the level of the Avos, while the ordinary cities reflect the Shevatim. He teaches that the land specifically stands upon the attribute of strict din, which is why its rainfall is conditioned on conduct and why the Meraglim feared it "consumes its inhabitants" — ordinary beings cannot withstand such exacting judgment. Yet the kedushah of Eretz Yisrael actually helps Bnei Yisrael emerge meritorious in that din, for they are the exception that endures strict justice. This parallels the Midrash that Hashem first thought to create with din and then joined mercy: Yisrael, who arose in that original thought, can stand in din, and Hashem added mercy for the sake of the rest of the world — the exception that teaches the rule for all.