Earthly song surpasses the angels

בשמחת בית השואבה דאיתא שמשם שואבים רוח הקדש.

Regarding the Simchas Bais HaShoeivah, of which it is said that from there one draws ruach hakodesh (divine inspiration).

The Sefas Emes takes up the joyous water-drawing celebration in the Bais Hamikdash, which Chazal say was a wellspring of ruach hakodesh.

דבודאי בחג הזה שנק' זמן שמחתינו הוא זמן שמחה לפניו ית' במרום דכ' ישמח ה' במעשיו.

For surely on this festival, called "the time of our rejoicing," it is a time of joy before Him on high, as it is written: "Hashem will rejoice in His works" (Tehillim 104:31).

The simcha of Sukkos is not only ours below; it reflects a joy of Hashem Himself in His creation.

וכ' ישמח ישראל בעושיו ובנ"י הם מעשה ידיו של הקב"ה.

And it is written: "Let Yisrael rejoice in his Maker" (Tehillim 149:2) — and Bnei Yisrael are the handiwork of the Holy One, Blessed is He.

Bnei Yisrael themselves are Hashem's "works," so His rejoicing in His creation is in particular a rejoicing in them.

ובזה החג שנתבררו בנ"י להיות חלק ה' עמו.

And on this festival Bnei Yisrael were clarified to be "Hashem's portion, His people" (Devarim 32:9).

The festival season, culminating in Sukkos, refines and reveals Bnei Yisrael as Hashem's own portion.

כביכול הקב"ה שמח בחלקו שזה חלקו מהתחתונים ועם זו יצרתי לי כו'.

As it were, the Holy One rejoices in His portion, for this is His portion from the lower world, "this people I formed for Myself" (Yeshayahu 43:21).

From all the lower world, Bnei Yisrael are the share Hashem claims as His own, and He takes joy in them.

וע"ז איתא הבוחר בשירי זמרה כי העליונים משוררים לפניו כולם.

And about this we say, "Who chooses songs of praise" — for the upper beings all sing before Him.

Though all the heavenly hosts sing to Hashem, He nonetheless "chooses" a particular song — that of Bnei Yisrael below.

ולמטה יש שיריים מאלה המשוררים כדכ' מכנף הארץ זמירות שמענו.

And below there are remnants (shirayim) of these singers, as it is written: "From the edge of the earth we have heard songs" (Yeshayahu 24:16).

Playing on the words shir (song) and shirayim (leftovers), even the earthly song that seems like a mere remnant rises up and is heard.

והיינו מכללות בנ"י שהם הקיבוץ של כל התחתונים ובחג האסיף נתברר זאת השמחה.

That is, from the totality of Bnei Yisrael, who are the gathering-in of all the lower world; and on Chag HaAsif (the festival of ingathering) this joy is clarified.

Bnei Yisrael as a whole gather up all the lower realms, and Sukkos — the "festival of ingathering" — is when this joy comes fully to light.

וזה החלק חביב לפניו ית' יותר מכל בני מרום.

And this portion is more beloved before Him than all the heavenly beings.

The earthly song of Bnei Yisrael is dearer to Hashem than the praises of all the angels on high.

וזהו הי' שירת הלוים במקדש.

And this was the song of the Levi'im in the Mikdash.

The Levites' shirah in the Bais Hamikdash gave voice to this beloved earthly song.

וכ' למנצח.

And it is written: "Lamnatzeach" ("For the conductor" / "for the One who is victorious").

The Sefas Emes reads the word lamnatzeach not only as "conductor" but from the root nitzachon — victory.

וזה הניצוח הי' על העליונים דאיתא מים תחתונים בוכין אנן בעינן למהוי קדם מלכא.

And this "victory" was over the upper beings, as it is said: the lower waters weep, "We too wish to be before the King."

Just as the lower waters longed to be close to Hashem, the earthly realm yearns for nearness — and in a sense triumphs over the heavenly hosts in winning that closeness.

וזה הקנאה דכ' עזה כמות אהבה קשה כשאול קנאה כו' שבנ"י מקנאים את העליונים שקרובים אליו ית'.

And this is the "jealousy" of which it is written: "Love is fierce as death, jealousy as harsh as the grave" (Shir HaShirim 8:6) — that Bnei Yisrael are jealous of the upper beings who are close to Him.

A holy envy drives Bnei Yisrael: they crave the nearness to Hashem that the angels enjoy.

אבל בכח התחתונים לגבור על כל שירות העליונים ומנצחים אותם.

But it is within the power of those below to prevail over all the songs of the upper beings and to overcome them.

Despite being lower, the song of Bnei Yisrael ultimately surpasses and outshines all the angelic praises.

כדכ' היושבת בגנים כו' מקשיבים לקולך השמיעני.

As it is written: "You who dwell in the gardens… the companions hearken to your voice; let me hear it" (Shir HaShirim 8:13).

Hashem turns from the angels' song and asks specifically to hear the voice of Bnei Yisrael below.

וכפי השמחה והשירות שהי' בביהמ"ק כך שרה עליהם רוה"ק.

And according to the joy and the song that there was in the Bais Hamikdash, so did ruach hakodesh rest upon them.

The measure of inspiration drawn down corresponded exactly to the intensity of the simcha and song in the Mikdash.

ומשם שואבים הוא לעולם.

And from there one draws forever.

That wellspring of ruach hakodesh is not sealed in the past; it remains available.

שגם עתה יכולין במצות הסוכה לעורר השמחה שהי' בביהמ"ק בימים הללו.

For even now, through the mitzvah of the sukkah, one can awaken the joy that there was in the Bais Hamikdash in these days.

The mitzvah of sukkah lets us reawaken, in our own time, the very simcha that once filled the Mikdash.

ולשאוב הארת רוה"ק משם:

And to draw the illumination of ruach hakodesh from there.

Through that reawakened joy we can still draw down a measure of the divine inspiration of the Simchas Bais HaShoeivah.

Summary: The Simchas Bais HaShoeivah expresses Hashem's joy in Bnei Yisrael, His beloved "portion" among all creation. Their earthly song, born of a holy yearning for closeness, overcomes even the praises of the angels — and the joy of the Mikdash, reawakened through the mitzvah of sukkah, remains a wellspring of ruach hakodesh for all time.