Receiving chesed from merit, not need

מה יקר חסדך אלקים ובני אדם בצל כנפיך יחסיון.

"How precious is Your kindness, Elokim, and the children of man take refuge in the shadow of Your wings" (Tehillim 36:8).

The Sefas Emes opens with this posuk, which speaks of the great preciousness of Hashem's chesed and of people sheltering beneath His protective "wings" — a hint to the shade of the sukkah.

דאיתא נסכו לפני מים בחג שיתברכו לכם גשמי שנה.

As it is brought: "Pour before Me water on the Festival, so that the year's rains be blessed for you."

Chazal teach that the water libation (nisuch ha-mayim) on Sukkos is the means by which Hashem blesses the coming year's rainfall.

דהנה מי שצריך לחסד פשיטא שצריך לחסות בחסד עליון.

For behold, one who is in need of chesed obviously must take shelter in the supernal kindness.

A person who lacks merit and needs Hashem's kindness naturally turns to Him for chesed — there is nothing surprising in that.

אמנם בנ"י אחר שזכו בדין בר"ה ויוה"כ.

However, Bnei Yisrael, after they were already vindicated in judgment on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur —

By the time Sukkos arrives, Bnei Yisrael have already passed through the Days of Judgment and emerged acquitted, so they would seem to have no further need to beg for chesed.

ואעפ"כ מיחלים לחסדי ה' מצד יקרת חסד אלקים.

And nevertheless they still yearn for the kindnesses of Hashem, because of the preciousness of the chesed of Elokim.

Even though they have been judged favorably, they still long for Hashem's chesed — not out of desperation, but because His kindness is so precious in their eyes.

כי יודעין הם שאין שיעור לחסדי ה'.

For they know that there is no measure to the kindnesses of Hashem.

They recognize that Hashem's chesed is infinite and far exceeds anything they could attain on their own.

ואין דמיון מה שהקב"ה משפיע בחסדו ממה שיכולין לזכות במעשה עצמו.

And there is no comparison between what the Holy One bestows through His kindness and what one is able to merit through the deed itself.

What Hashem grants as a free gift of chesed is incomparably greater than the reward a person could ever earn strictly through his own actions.

אמנם ודאי מי שזוכה במעשיו יכול אח"כ להפיק רצון מה' לזכות לחסדו.

Yet certainly one who is found meritorious through his deeds is then able to draw forth favor from Hashem to merit His chesed.

The good deeds are not pointless — only one who has first earned favor through his actions is then positioned to receive the higher gift of pure chesed.

כי מי שמבקש חסד בעבור שחטא וצריך לחסד ע"ז נאמר חסד לאומים חטאת.

For one who asks for kindness because he has sinned and needs the chesed — concerning this it is said, "The kindness of the nations is sin" (Mishlei 14:34).

When chesed is sought merely as a cover for sin, out of sheer need, it is a lower form of kindness — the kind the verse associates with the nations.

והנה בסוכות מתגלה חסדי ה' על כל הברואים ובנ"י שמחו מאוד בשמחת בית השואבה.

And behold, on Sukkos the kindnesses of Hashem are revealed upon all creatures, and Bnei Yisrael rejoiced greatly at the Simchas Beis Hashoeivah.

Sukkos is the season when Hashem's chesed pours out over all of creation, and Bnei Yisrael celebrated this with the great joy of the water-drawing festivities in the Bais Hamikdash.

ולכאורה מה שמחה זו לבנ"י הלא הוא רק נגד ע' אומות כידוע.

And seemingly, what joy is this for Bnei Yisrael — for it corresponds only to the seventy nations, as is known?

The Sefas Emes raises a difficulty: the seventy bulls of Sukkos correspond to the seventy nations, so why should this be such a cause of joy specifically for Bnei Yisrael?

אך הוא כנ"ל שהם שמחין בחסד ה' מצד זה שאינם צריכין לחסד.

But it is as explained above: they rejoice in the chesed of Hashem precisely from the standpoint that they do not need the chesed.

Their joy is of a higher order. Having been acquitted in judgment, they delight in Hashem's chesed not from need but from appreciation of its preciousness.

ולכך יכולין לקבל החסד כראוי.

And therefore they are able to receive the chesed properly.

Because they are not grasping at chesed out of desperation, they can receive it in its fullest and most fitting way.

והוא ענין חסיד לפנים משורת הדין.

And this is the matter of a chossid (devout one), who acts beyond the letter of the law.

This is the essence of the chossid: one who, having fulfilled what strict justice demands, then goes further into the realm of chesed that lies beyond the law.

פי' אחר שזוכה בדין נכנס אח"כ לבחי' חסד.

The explanation: after one is vindicated in judgment, he then enters into the dimension of chesed.

First one stands and passes the test of din (strict justice); only then can he ascend into the higher level of chesed that goes beyond it.

ועל זה נאמר מה יקר חסדך אלקים כנ"ל.

And concerning this it is said, "How precious is Your kindness, Elokim," as above.

This is the depth of the opening posuk: the "preciousness" of the chesed is felt by those who already merit, and so receive it as something precious rather than as a desperate necessity.

ולכן שמחין בנ"י כי מאן דאכיל דלאו דילי' רק בחסד בהית לאסתכולי' בי'.

And therefore Bnei Yisrael rejoice, for one who eats that which is not his own, only by way of charity, is ashamed to look at the giver (nahama de-kisufa — "bread of shame").

The Aramaic maxim teaches that receiving something purely as a handout brings embarrassment — one is ashamed to face the benefactor.

אבל מי שאינו צריך לחסד רק כדרך הצדיקים.

But one who does not need the chesed, only in the manner of the tzaddikim —

The tzaddikim are different: they do not require the chesed out of lack, so they are spared that shame.

שאף שיש לתלות במעשיהם מבקשין רק מתנת חנם.

For though there is upon what to rely in their deeds, they ask only for a free gift (matnas chinam).

Even though the tzaddikim could legitimately point to their own deeds, they humbly request only a free gift from Hashem rather than payment owed.

אלו אין בושין רק מקבלין החסד בשמחה רבה כנ"ל.

These are not ashamed; rather they receive the chesed with great joy, as above.

Because their request for a free gift rests on a foundation of genuine merit, there is no shame in it — they receive Hashem's kindness with abundant simcha.

למשל יש מזמין אורח מצד שאין לו לאכול.

For example: one invites a guest because the guest has nothing to eat.

The Sefas Emes brings a parable. One host invites a guest out of pity, because the poor man has no food of his own.

ויש מזמין אורח לכבדו אף שאינו צריך לו והוא רק לכבדו.

And another invites a guest in order to honor him, even though the guest does not need it — it is only to honor him.

A second host invites a guest who is perfectly self-sufficient, purely as a gesture of honor and affection. This second relationship is the one Hashem has with the tzaddikim.

וזהו ג"כ הטעם שסוכות אחר ר"ה ויוה"כ.

And this too is the reason that Sukkos comes after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

The placement of Sukkos right after the Days of Awe is no accident — it depends on the prior judgment.

ע"י שבנ"י זכו בדין ואעפ"כ שמחין ומצפין לחסד ה' מצד יקרת חסד אלקים בעיניהם.

Through the fact that Bnei Yisrael were vindicated in judgment, and nevertheless rejoice and look forward to the chesed of Hashem because of the preciousness of the chesed of Elokim in their eyes.

Having already been acquitted, they still eagerly await Hashem's chesed — not from need, but because they treasure His kindness for its own sake.

והוא תשובה מאהבה.

And this is teshuvah me-ahavah (repentance out of love).

This longing for chesed from a place of merit rather than fear is the hallmark of teshuvah motivated by love of Hashem.

וזהו ג"כ מסיר הקטרוג מבנ"י על ידי שמראים שגם הם צריכין לחסד.

And this also removes the accusation from Bnei Yisrael, through their showing that they too need the chesed.

By acknowledging that they still depend on Hashem's chesed, Bnei Yisrael disarm the prosecuting angel, since they make no arrogant claim to deserve everything by right.

לכן האומות מדמין בעיניהם אשר כולם שוין.

Therefore the nations imagine in their eyes that all are equal.

Since Bnei Yisrael also seek chesed, the nations mistakenly conclude that there is no difference between them and Israel.

ובאמת אין זה החסד דומה לזה.

But in truth, this chesed is not comparable to that one.

In reality the two are worlds apart: the nations' chesed is the lower "kindness that covers sin," while Israel's is the precious chesed received from a place of merit and love.

ועי"ז הם בנ"י זוכין לקבל כל ההשפעות שניתן משמים בראשונה.

And through this, Bnei Yisrael merit to receive all the bounty that is given from Heaven first.

Because their chesed is of the higher kind, Bnei Yisrael are the first and primary recipients of all the shefa (Divine flow) that descends from Heaven.

וזה שאמרו נסכו מים בחג כדי שיתברכו לכם גשמי שנה.

And this is what they said: "Pour water on the Festival, so that the year's rains be blessed for you."

This returns to the opening teaching about the water libation, now understood in light of the above.

פי' שיהי' הברכה בגשמים לכם.

The explanation is that the blessing in the rains should be "for you."

The word "lachem" ("for you") emphasizes that the rain's blessing flows first and foremost to Bnei Yisrael, who receive Hashem's chesed in its proper, elevated form.

הרב המגיד מקאזניץ ז"ל אמר כי בנ"י צריכין לראות שיזכו הכל בדין.

The Maggid of Kozhnitz said that Bnei Yisrael must strive that everything be merited through din (justice).

The Sefas Emes cites the Maggid of Kozhnitz: a Jew should aim to earn what he receives legitimately, through justice and merit.

כי בחסד מתקרבין גם כל האומות ע"ש בספריו הקדושים.

For through chesed alone, even all the nations are drawn near — see this in his holy seforim.

Pure undeserved chesed is open even to the nations; what distinguishes Israel is that they first earn their standing through din, and only then ascend to chesed.

והיינו שיזכו שלא יצטרכו אל החסד אבל בוודאי כל המעשים טובים הם כדי לזכות לחסד עליון.

And this means that they should merit not to be in need of the chesed; but certainly all the good deeds are in order to merit the supernal chesed.

The goal is to stand on one's own merit so as not to require chesed out of lack — yet the entire purpose of those good deeds is precisely to become a fitting vessel to receive the highest chesed as a gift.

וז"ש זרעו לכם לצדקה וקצרו לפי חסד.

And this is what is said: "Sow for yourselves for tzedakah, and reap according to chesed" (Hoshea 10:12).

The Sefas Emes reads the posuk to capture this dynamic: one sows through one's own righteous deeds, but the harvest is reaped through Hashem's chesed.

שאף שזורעין מעש"ט אעפ"י כן הקבלה צריך להיות בחסד ה'.

For although one sows with good deeds, nevertheless the receiving must be through the chesed of Hashem.

The "planting" is one's own avodah and mitzvos, but the actual yield and reward come only through Hashem's kindness, far beyond what the deeds themselves could produce.

כדרך הצדיקים שמבקשים מתנת חנם כנ"ל.

In the manner of the tzaddikim, who ask for a free gift, as above.

This is the way of the tzaddikim: despite their genuine merit, they request from Hashem only a free gift rather than wages they could demand.

[וז"ש למעלה אך שמח למעט האומות פי' שאינם יכולין לקבל החסד כך בשמחה כמו בנ"י ע"י שהם צריכים להחסד כנ"ל].

[And this is what is said above, "ach (only) sameach (joyful)" — the word "ach" comes to exclude the nations; the explanation is that they cannot receive the chesed with joy as Bnei Yisrael do, because they require the chesed, as above.]

The limiting word "ach" in "ach sameach" hints that the nations are excluded from this joy. Because they receive chesed out of pure need, they cannot rejoice in it the way Bnei Yisrael, who receive it from a place of merit, can.

ובאמת לעולם יכול האדם להצטרך לחסד ה' כי אין כל המדריגות שוות.

And in truth, a person can always come to need the chesed of Hashem, for not all levels are equal.

The Sefas Emes adds a balancing point: no one is ever entirely beyond needing chesed, since there are always higher madreigos (spiritual levels) to which one has not yet risen.

ומי שרוצה לעלות יותר צריך יותר לחסד.

And one who wishes to ascend higher needs the chesed all the more.

The greater one's aspiration to climb, the more one depends on Hashem's chesed to reach levels that lie beyond one's own merit.

וזה עצמו ענין זכרתי לך חסד נעוריך.

And this itself is the matter of "I remember for you the chesed of your youth" (Yirmiyahu 2:2).

This idea illuminates the verse praising the "chesed of your youth" that Bnei Yisrael showed at the time of yetzias Mitzrayim.

שאעפ"י שכתבו חז"ל שהיו ערומים בלא מצות.

For even though Chazal wrote that they were "bare," without mitzvos —

Chazal describe Bnei Yisrael at the Exodus as lacking mitzvos to their credit, "naked" of deeds by which to be redeemed.

היינו לפי היות רצון הבורא ב"ה וב"ש לקרבם אליו ולהיות חלקו ונחלתו.

That is measured according to the will of the Creator, blessed and exalted is He, to draw them close to Himself and for them to be His portion and His inheritance.

They were "bare" only relative to the extraordinarily high level Hashem desired for them — to become His own treasured portion, which demanded far more than ordinary merit.

אבל נגד האומות הלא היו גדורים בערוה וקדושים מכל האומות.

But compared to the nations, they were surely fenced off from immorality and holier than all the nations.

Relative to the nations of the world, Bnei Yisrael were in fact full of merit — guarded in matters of morality and holier than all peoples.

והם נתרצו להמשך אחר השי"ת אף באופן שיצטרכו לחסד כנ"ל.

And they consented to be drawn after Hashem Yisborach, even in a manner that they would need the chesed, as above.

Their greatness was that they willingly followed Hashem toward such lofty levels that they would necessarily depend on His chesed to reach them — embracing that dependence out of love.

וזהו חסד נעוריך שהם עוררו החסד ורצו בו והבן היטב:

And this is "the chesed of your youth" — that they awakened the chesed and desired it; understand this well.

The "chesed of your youth" refers to Bnei Yisrael's own initiative: by yearning to cling to Hashem beyond their merits, they themselves aroused and chose the bond of chesed with Him.

Summary: There are two ways to receive Hashem's chesed — out of desperate need, which brings shame and is the lower "kindness of the nations," or from a place of earned merit, in the manner of the tzaddikim who ask only for a free gift and receive it with joy. This is why Sukkos follows the judgment of the Yamim Noraim: having been vindicated in din, Bnei Yisrael then ascend, like a chossid acting beyond the letter of the law, into the precious realm of chesed — sowing through their own deeds yet reaping through Hashem's boundless kindness, out of love.