Hearing Sinai Through Torah

מצות זכירת מתן תורה והודעתם לבניך כו' יום אשר עמדת כו' זה בכח הק"ש בכל יום כמ"ש במד' מהיכן זכו ישראל לק"ש כשאמר הקב"ה אנכי ה"א השיבו בנ"י שמע ישראל כו'

The mitzvah of remembering the giving of the Torah, "and you shall make them known to your children... the day that you stood (at Sinai)" (Devarim 4:9-10), is accomplished through Krias Shema each and every day, as the Midrash says: From where did Bnei Yisrael merit to say Shema? When the Holy One, Blessed is He, said "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" (I am Hashem your God), Bnei Yisrael responded "Shema Yisrael..."

Saying Shema every day fulfills the mitzvah of remembering Sinai, because Shema itself was Bnei Yisrael's response to hearing Hashem declare "Anochi."

דכ' וידבר אלקים כו' לאמר אנכי ה"א

For it is written, "And Elokim spoke... saying, Anochi Hashem Elokecha" (Shemos 20:1-2).

The Sfas Emes brings the pasuk of the first commandment as the source for this voice of "Anochi Hashem Elokecha."

שניתן לבנ"י זה הכח בקבלת התורה שיוכלו תמיד לשמוע זה הקול אנכי ה"א ז"ש לאמר אנכי ה"א

That Bnei Yisrael were granted this power at the receiving of the Torah, that they should be able always to hear this voice of "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" — and this is the meaning of "saying" (leimor): "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" (meaning it is to be said and heard in every generation).

At Sinai Bnei Yisrael received a permanent ability to keep hearing the voice of "Anochi," and the word "leimor" (saying) hints that this hearing continues in every generation.

וז"ש שמע ישראל לשמוע זה הקול ה"א ה' אחד

And this is the meaning of "Shema Yisrael" — to hear this voice, "Hashem your God, Hashem is One."

Reciting "Shema Yisrael" is the act of tuning in to hear that ongoing voice declaring Hashem's Oneness.

כי זה הקול מתחדש בכל יום וז"ש בכל יום בת קול יוצאת מהר חורב אוי לבריות מעלבונה של תורה

For this voice renews itself every single day, and this is the meaning of what is said: "Every day a bas kol (heavenly voice) goes forth from Mount Chorev and proclaims: Woe to the creatures for the affront to the Torah" (Avos 6:2).

The voice of Sinai never stopped; it is renewed daily, which is why a heavenly bas kol still goes out each day from Chorev.

פי' עיקר הקול הוא אנכי ה"א ומצד זה יש בת קול למי שאינו מכין עצמו לשמוע זה הקול

The explanation is that the essence of the voice is "Anochi Hashem Elokecha," and on account of this there is a bas kol for one who does not prepare himself to hear this voice.

The core of that voice is "Anochi," but it registers only as a reproachful bas kol for someone who has not readied himself to truly hear it.

וע"י מה מכין אדם עצמו לזה ע"י התורה כמ"ש ואהבת את ה"א כו' והיו הדברים האלה פרש"י מה האהבה והיה הדברים שמתוך כך אתה מכיר בהקב"ה

And through what does a person prepare himself for this? Through the Torah, as it is written, "And you shall love Hashem your God... and these matters (which I command you today) shall be (upon your heart)" (Devarim 6:5-6). Rashi explains: What is this love? "And these matters shall be" — for through this you come to recognize the Holy One, Blessed is He.

A person prepares himself to hear the voice through Torah; Rashi teaches that loving Hashem comes about by engaging in the words of Torah, through which one comes to recognize the Ribono shel Olam.

פי' האדם צריך לבקש עצות בכל לב ונפש איך למצא אלקותו ית"ש

The explanation is that a person must seek counsel with all his heart and soul, how to find His Godliness, may His Name be blessed.

Avodah means a person searching with his whole heart and soul for the means to find Hashem's presence in the world.

ז"ש ואהבת את ה"א לאהוב כל הדברים המסבבים שיתגלה אלקותו ית"ש לנו

This is the meaning of "And you shall love Hashem your God" — to love all the things that bring about the revelation of His Godliness, may His Name be blessed, to us.

"And you shall love Hashem" means loving everything that helps reveal Hashem's Godliness to us.

ואז עוסק בתורה ובמצות שהם עצות להתקרב לאבינו שבשמים

And then he occupies himself with Torah and mitzvos, which are the counsels to draw close to our Father in Heaven.

Because of that love, a person involves himself in Torah and mitzvos, which are precisely the tools for drawing near to our Father in Heaven.

וזה שסיים המשנה שאין לך בן חורין אלא העוסק בתורה דכ' אנכי ה"א א' הוצאתיך מא"מ

And this is how the Mishnah concludes, that "you have no free man except one who occupies himself with Torah" (Avos 6:2), for it is written, "Anochi Hashem Elokecha, who took you out of the land of Mitzrayim" (Shemos 20:2).

The Mishnah ties true freedom to Torah study because "Anochi" is bound up with "who took you out of Mitzrayim" — the very source of freedom.

וכפי החירות בכח יצ"מ מתגלה אור התורה ואלקותו ית"ש

And according to the measure of freedom attained through the power of yetzias Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt), so does the light of the Torah and His Godliness, may His Name be blessed, become revealed.

The degree of inner freedom drawn from the Exodus determines how much the light of Torah and Hashem's Godliness is revealed to a person.

ולכן העוסק בתורה נעשה בן חורין וחל עליו הדיבור אנכי ה"א

Therefore one who occupies himself with Torah becomes a free man, and the utterance "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" rests upon him.

Engaging in Torah makes a person free, and upon such a free person the utterance "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" comes to rest.

והכל בכח התורה:

And all of this is through the power of the Torah.

The Sfas Emes concludes that this entire process — hearing the voice, freedom, and revelation — is accomplished through the power of the Torah.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that Krias Shema each day fulfills the mitzvah of remembering Sinai, because Shema was Bnei Yisrael's very response to hearing Hashem proclaim "Anochi Hashem Elokecha." At Sinai they received a lasting capacity to keep hearing this voice, which renews itself daily — and the heavenly bas kol that goes out from Chorev is heard as a reproach only by one who has not prepared himself to listen. A person readies himself through Torah, by loving Hashem and seeking, with all his heart and soul, every means to reveal His Godliness, occupying himself with Torah and mitzvos as the counsels to draw close to our Father in Heaven. Since "Anochi" is joined to "who took you out of Mitzrayim," the measure of freedom drawn from the Exodus determines how much the light of Torah and Hashem's presence is revealed. Thus one who toils in Torah becomes a free man upon whom the utterance "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" rests, and all of this is achieved through the power of the Torah.