Asking Only Free Gifts

ברש"י ומד' אע"פ שיש לצדיקים לתלות במעשיהם הטובים אין מבקשין אלא מתנת חנם

In Rashi and the Midrash it is brought that even though tzaddikim could rely on their own good deeds, they ask only for a free gift (matnas chinam) from Hashem.

Rashi and the Midrash teach that even tzaddikim who could invoke their merits choose instead to request an unearned gift from Hashem.

ואינו מובן הלא באמת לא נשמע תפלתו זאת ואיך נאמר שגם בדין הי' לו לתבוע

This is difficult to understand, for in truth this tefillah of Moshe Rabbeinu was not answered; so how can we say that even by strict justice (din) he had grounds to demand it?

The Sfas Emes raises the puzzle: since Moshe's tefillah to enter the land went unanswered, how could it be said that he had any claim even by strict justice?

אבל הענין הוא כי באמת היתכן לתבוע בדין מהבורא ית'

Rather, the matter is this: in truth, is it even conceivable to demand anything from the Borei Yisbarach by strict din?

He answers that one cannot truly make demands of Hashem on the basis of pure justice at all.

רק שיש מתנה במשפט

It is only that there is a 'gift' within the realm of justice itself.

Within the system of justice itself there is still an element of gift.

כענין שאמרו אי לאו דעביד לי' נייחא נפשי' כו'

This is along the lines of what Chazal said, 'Were it not that he gave Me satisfaction (nachas ruach),' and so forth — meaning that even what comes 'by right' rests upon the satisfaction one gives before Hashem.

Even what seems 'deserved' ultimately depends on the nachas ruach a person brings before Hashem, as Chazal indicate.

אבל המה רוצין רק מתנת חנם לגמרי בלי שום טעם של נחת רוח שעשו לפניו ית'

But the tzaddikim want purely a completely free gift, without any reason of nachas ruach that they have caused before Hashem Yisbarach.

Yet the tzaddikim aspire to receive a totally free gift, without leaning even on the satisfaction their deeds produced.

וכן הלשון במד' ורחמתי כו' אשר ארחם מי שיש לו ברחמים אני עמו ומי שאין לו אחון במתנת חנם כו' הרי שגם למי שיש לו צריך למדת הרחמים כנ"ל

So too is the wording in the Midrash on 'And I will have compassion (v'richamti)' — 'whom I will show mercy': one who has merit, I am with him through mercy, and one who has no merit, I am gracious to him through a free gift — which shows that even one who has merit still requires the attribute of rachamim, as explained.

The Midrash on 'I will have compassion' shows two channels — mercy for the meritorious and free grace for the unmeritorious — yet even the meritorious still need the attribute of rachamim.

והנה באמת זאת היא בחינת א"י דלית לי' מגרמי' כלום והיא מתנה שנתן הבורא ית' לאבות שיכניס בניהם לארץ ישראל ומה"ט עצמו לא נכנס בו מרע"ה כי לא הי' בעבור עונש בלבד

Now, in truth this is the aspect of Eretz Yisrael, which 'has nothing of its own,' and it is a gift that the Borei Yisbarach gave to the Avos that He would bring their children into Eretz Yisrael; and for this very reason Moshe Rabbeinu himself did not enter it, for it was not on account of a punishment alone.

Eretz Yisrael is the aspect of something with nothing of its own, a gift to the Avos for their children; this is why Moshe did not enter, not merely as punishment.

אבל הי' מיוחד ליהושע שקיבל הארה רק ממרע"ה ול"ל מגרמי' כלום

Rather, it was designated for Yehoshua, who received illumination only from Moshe Rabbeinu and had nothing of his own.

The land was meant for Yehoshua, who drew everything from Moshe and held nothing independently of his own.

והיא בחי' תפלה כי דור המדבר הי' בחינת תורה ועתה התחיל בחי' תפלה

And this is the aspect of tefillah, for the generation of the wilderness was the aspect of Torah, and now the aspect of tefillah was beginning.

This corresponds to tefillah, because the wilderness generation embodied Torah, while the entry into the land inaugurated the aspect of tefillah.

ולכן בא מרע"ה במדת תחנונים עפ"י מ"ש בזוהר על דוד המע"ה עביד גרמי' עני כו'

Therefore Moshe Rabbeinu came with the measure of supplications (tachanunim), in keeping with what is said in the Zohar regarding Dovid HaMelech, that 'he made himself poor,' and so forth.

So Moshe approached through supplication, like Dovid HaMelech in the Zohar who made himself poor before Hashem.

והוא הרבותא שאמרו חז"ל שהצדיקים יכולין לבטל עצמם כ"כ אע"פ שיש להם עושר במצות ומעש"ט יכולין להעמיד עצמן בבחי' רש ונקלה שירגיש באמת שחסר לו כמ"ש במ"א בענין וייצר לו גבי יעקב אע"ה

And this is the wonder that Chazal expressed, that tzaddikim are able to nullify themselves (bittul) so completely — that even though they possess wealth in mitzvos and good deeds, they can place themselves in the aspect of one who is poor and lowly, truly feeling that he lacks, as is explained elsewhere regarding 'and it distressed him (vayeitzer lo)' concerning Yaakov Avinu.

The wonder is that tzaddikim, despite their wealth of mitzvos, can nullify themselves so totally as to feel genuinely lacking, as with Yaakov's distress.

אכן הבורא ית' לא חפץ שמשה רבינו ע"ה ירד ממדריגה עליונה אשר לו

Nevertheless, the Borei Yisbarach did not desire that Moshe Rabbeinu descend from the lofty level that was his.

Nonetheless, Hashem did not want Moshe to actually come down from his exalted madreigah.

וזה שאמר מרע"ה לבנ"י איך שנתרצה לרדת ממדרגתו בעבורם כי ידע שכשיכנס עמהם יתקן אותם ולא יהי' עוד גלות

And this is what Moshe Rabbeinu told Bnei Yisrael — how he was willing to descend from his level for their sake, for he knew that when he would enter together with them he would rectify them and there would no longer be galus.

Moshe told Bnei Yisrael that he was ready to descend for their sake, knowing his entry with them would rectify them and end galus.

ולכן אמר אתה החלות כו' להשפיל עצמו כי אע"פ שעתה נתעלה הלא הכל מאתו ית' [ואפשר ע"ז השיב הש"י רב לך כי הוא באמת רב ואינו במדרגה זו]:

Therefore he said, 'You have begun,' and so forth, to lower himself — for even though now he had been elevated, surely it is all from Hashem Yisbarach. [And perhaps it was to this that Hashem replied, 'It is much for you (rav lach),' meaning that he is truly great (rav) and is not on this lowly level.]

His words 'You have begun' were an act of self-lowering, recognizing his elevation came entirely from Hashem; perhaps Hashem's reply 'rav lach' affirmed that Moshe was truly great and above that lowly level.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explores why tzaddikim, who could rely on their merits, instead seek only a free gift from Hashem. He explains that one cannot truly demand anything from the Borei Yisbarach by strict justice, since even 'deserved' reward rests on the nachas ruach one brings before Hashem; the tzaddikim therefore aspire to pure, unearned grace. He links this to Eretz Yisrael, which 'has nothing of its own' and is itself a gift, and to the shift from the wilderness generation's aspect of Torah to the new aspect of tefillah, the measure of supplication through which Moshe Rabbeinu, like Dovid HaMelech, made himself poor before Hashem. The wonder is that tzaddikim, though rich in mitzvos, can nullify themselves so completely that they genuinely feel their lack. Yet Hashem did not want Moshe to truly descend from his lofty level — Moshe was willing to lower himself for Bnei Yisrael to rectify them and end galus, but Hashem's answer 'rav lach' affirmed that he was too great to remain on that lowly rung.