Revealing Hashem's Honor
ובפסוק אתה החילות להראות את עבדך את גדלך כו'
Regarding the pasuk, "You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness" (Devarim 3:24) and so forth.
The Sfas Emes opens with Moshe Rabbeinu's plea in which he calls himself Hashem's "servant" while speaking of the revelation of Hashem's greatness.
לעבדך לא נאמר אלא את עבדך
It does not say "to Your servant" but rather "Your servant" — placing the emphasis on the servant himself.
He notes the precise wording: the pasuk stresses the servant himself, not merely something shown to him.
הפי' שמרע"ה ביקש כמו שהתחיל השי"ת על ידו לעשות נסים ושיתגלה כבוד גדלו ע"י
The meaning is that Moshe Rabbeinu requested: just as Hashem began through him to perform miracles and to reveal the honor of His greatness by means of him,
Moshe Rabbeinu's request was that, having been the vehicle through whom Hashem began revealing His greatness and performing miracles, he should continue in that role.
כן יגמור הכל על ידו
so too should Hashem complete the whole matter through him.
He asked that Hashem bring the entire process of revealing His greatness to completion specifically through him.
כמו שיהי' לעתיד נגלה כבוד שמו
Just as in the future the honor of His Name will be revealed.
This parallels the future, when the honor of Hashem's Name will be fully revealed in the world.
וכמו כן צריך כל איש ישראל להתפלל להקב"ה על כוונה [*זו] לאשר בחר בנו וכבודו ית' מסר לנו שע"י מעשינו יתגלה כבוד שמו
And in the same way, every Jew must daven to the Holy One, Blessed is He, with this very intention — that since He chose us and entrusted His honor, may it be blessed, to us, it is through our deeds that the honor of His Name becomes revealed.
Every Jew should daven with the same intention, recognizing that Hashem chose us and entrusted His honor to us, so that our deeds are what reveal His Name.
שזה רמזו במדרש קרובים אליו שהקב"ה כביכול מקרב עצמו לבנ"י
This is what the Midrash hinted at with "a people close to Him" (Tehillim 148:14) — that the Holy One, Blessed is He, as it were, draws Himself close to Bnei Yisrael.
The Midrash's phrase "a people close to Him" expresses that Hashem, so to speak, brings Himself near to Bnei Yisrael.
והוא כנ"ל שמסר כבודו ית' לנו
And this is as stated above, that He entrusted His honor, may it be blessed, to us.
This closeness is precisely the entrusting of Hashem's honor into our hands.
אשר על כן יש לנו להשתוקק בכל כוחנו להרבות כבודו ית' בעולם כנ"ל
Therefore we must yearn with all our strength to increase His honor, may it be blessed, in the world, as stated above.
Because of this, we are obligated to strive with all our strength to magnify Hashem's honor in the world.
לכן מזכירין יצ"מ וגאולה קודם התפילה לעורר זאת הדביקות והבחירה שבחר בנו הקב"ה ויעזור לנו ע"ד כבוד שמו ית':
For this reason we mention Yetzias Mitzrayim and the geulah before the tefillah, in order to awaken this dveikus and the choosing — that the Holy One, Blessed is He, chose us — and may He help us along the path of the honor of His Name, may it be blessed.
That is why we recall Yetzias Mitzrayim and the geulah before tefillah — to arouse the dveikus and the awareness that Hashem chose us, asking His help in revealing the honor of His Name.
Summary: The Sfas Emes learns from the precise wording of Moshe Rabbeinu's plea, "You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness," that Moshe asked Hashem to complete through him the very revelation of His greatness that He had begun through him. He extends this to every Jew: since Hashem chose us and entrusted His honor to us, it is through our deeds that the honor of His Name is revealed in the world. This is the meaning of the Midrash's "a people close to Him" — the Holy One, Blessed is He, draws Himself near to Bnei Yisrael by placing His honor in our hands. We are therefore obligated to yearn with all our strength to increase Hashem's honor in the world. This is why we recall Yetzias Mitzrayim and the geulah before tefillah — to awaken the dveikus and the awareness of Hashem's choosing us, and to ask His help in revealing the honor of His Name.