Infinite Letters of Torah
אז ישיר כו' ויאמרו לאמר.
“Then sang… and they said, saying.”
The Sefat Emet begins by noting the double expression, indicating layers of meaning within the act of singing and speaking.
דכ' מי ימלל גבורות ה' ישמיע כל תהלתו.
As it is written: “Who can recount the mighty acts of the Lord, can make heard all His praise?”
This verse raises the question of who is truly fit to praise God, setting the stage for the teaching.
דרשו חז"ל למי נאה להלל. למי שיכול להשמיע כל תהלתו.
Our sages taught: To whom is praise fitting? To one who can make heard all His praise.
The Sefat Emet cites the midrashic interpretation that true praise demands total expression of divine greatness.
ואיך יתכן זאת. רק ברוח הקודש.
And how is this possible? Only through the Holy Spirit.
Praising God fully exceeds human capacity; it requires divine inspiration.
כמו השירה זו על הים שנאמרה ברוה"ק.
Like this song at the sea, which was uttered through the Holy Spirit.
The Song at the Sea is the paradigm of divinely inspired praise.
ובזה נתקיים אנכי כו' המעלך מארץ מצרים הרחב פיך ואמלאהו.
And thus was fulfilled: “I am… who brought you up from Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”
God’s promise to fill the mouth reflects the gift of inspired speech following redemption.
דכ"ב אותיות התורה אין להם סוף וחקר.
For the twenty‑two letters of the Torah have no limit or end.
The letters themselves are infinite vessels of divine expansion.
שבהם נבראו כל עליונים ותחתונים.
Through them all the upper and lower worlds were created.
The mystical creative power of the letters encompasses all realms.
והם מתרחבים עדי עד.
And they expand endlessly.
The letters generate infinite combinations and deeper meanings.
ועיקר הסודות בפנימיות האותיות ומלואיהם שאין להם סוף.
And the main secrets lie in the inner dimension of the letters and their fillings, which have no end.
The true mysteries are hidden in the inner structure of the letters themselves.
וז"ש בכל פרשה בתורה וידבר כו' לאמר.
And thus it says in every Torah section: “And He spoke… saying.”
The recurring formula hints at limitless expansions contained in every divine utterance.
פי' שאלה הדברים יתפרשו לצירופים וצרופי צירופים עד אין תכלית.
Meaning: These words can be interpreted into combinations and combinations of combinations without end.
Each verse unfolds into limitless interpretive possibilities.
זה לאמר שמפרשה זו יוצא פרשה אחרת ואחרת עד אין סוף.
This “saying” means that from this section emerges another and another without end.
Every Torah portion contains infinite further portions within it.
וכן כתיב בשירה זו ויאמרו לאמר.
Thus it is written in this song: “And they said, saying.”
The formula appears here because the song, too, contains infinite expansion.
לפי שהי' ברוה"ק.
Because it was through the Holy Spirit.
The inspired nature of the song allows for endless unfolding.
ונעשה מזה פרשה בתורה.
And from this was made a Torah section.
The song itself becomes a canonical, expandable Torah unit.
וכבר כתבנו כמו שכ' בפ' ויחי שהיא פרשה סתומה שהתחיל השיעבוד.
And we have written that Parashat Vayechi is a closed section, for there the bondage began.
The Sefat Emet compares the structural closure of Vayechi to spiritual constriction.
מול זה השירה אחר הגאולה.
Opposite this is the song after the redemption.
The openness of the song reflects the opening brought by salvation.
שיש הפסק בין כל דיבור ודיבור.
There is a break between each utterance.
The separations signify spaces for contemplation.
שהפסקות משמשות ליתן ריוח להתבונן בין פרשה לפרשה.
The breaks serve to give room to contemplate between section and section.
These pauses enable deeper understanding.
ולפי שבגלות נסתמו עיניהם ולבם של ישראל.
And because in exile the eyes and hearts of Israel were closed.
Exile diminishes clarity and spiritual perception.
הפרשה סתומה.
The section is closed.
The closed parasha reflects spiritual blockage.
וכשנגאלו נפתחו עיניהם ולבן של ישראל.
And when they were redeemed, the eyes and hearts of Israel were opened.
Redemption restores inner openness.
וכמו כן נפתח להם הפרשיות שבתורה.
And likewise the Torah sections were opened to them.
With spiritual clarity, the Torah’s expansiveness becomes accessible.
וזה הרחב פיך ואמלאהו.
And this is “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”
God invites expansive reception of Torah’s infinite depth.
הוא רומז למילוי ופנימיות סודות הגנוזין בהאותיות.
This hints at the filling and inner secrets hidden within the letters.
The divine filling refers to the inner mystical content embedded in Hebrew letters.
וע"ז כ' עם זו יצרתי לי תהלתי יספרו.
And concerning this it is written: “This people I formed for Myself; My praise they shall recount.”
Israel is endowed with the capacity to express God’s infinite praise.
שניתן להם כח להשמיע כל תהלתו.
For they were given the power to make heard all His praise.
Through divine inspiration, Israel can reveal the fullness of divine praise.
Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that divine praise requires inspiration, for the Torah’s letters and their inner dimensions are infinite. Redemption opens the heart and the Torah’s expansiveness, enabling Israel to express God’s limitless praise.