Ten Utterances and Ascending Stages
במדרש על שהכביד לב פרעה.
“In the Midrash regarding the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart.”
The Sefat Emet introduces the Midrash that asks why Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of divine measure-for-measure.
אם ללצים הוא יליץ כו'.
“If one deals with scoffers, He will scoff at them, etc.”
This principle explains that a person’s chosen path becomes the measure through which Heaven responds.
איתא בע"מ נברא העולם כדי להפרע ולתת שכר לצדיקים שמקיימין העולם שנברא בע"מ.
“It is taught that the world was created on a condition, in order to exact punishment and to give reward to the righteous who uphold the world created conditionally.”
The world’s creation was contingent, allowing for consequences—reward and punishment—based on human action.
פי' שהשי"ת תלה המאמרות זה בזה.
“This means that the Holy One linked the creative utterances to one another.”
Creation was structured in interconnected layers, not a single absolute act.
כי מאמר לשון חיבור כמ"ש האמירך עשנו חטיבה א'.
“For ‘utterance’ implies connection, as in ‘He declared you,’ making us a single unit.”
The word ‘utterance’ itself implies a chain or bond that ties creation upward toward its source.
לבוא ממדריגה קטנה עד אליו ית'.
“To ascend from a small level up to Him, blessed be He.”
Spiritual ascent must occur step by step, not all at once.
כי אם הי' נברא במאמר א' לא הי' יכול הרשע לבטל רצונו ית'.
“For had the world been created with a single utterance, the wicked could not defy His will.”
Total unity would leave no room for freedom or deviation.
וכן הצדיק שיוכל להתדבק מיד במאמר הש"י בשורשו א"א.
“Similarly, the righteous would be unable to cleave immediately to the divine utterance at its root.”
Even the righteous require a gradual path of connection.
רק ע"י מדרגות נתן הש"י שהצדיק שעושה דבר טוב יביאנו לדבר טוב יותר כמ"ש מצוה גוררת מצוה.
“Rather, the Holy One gave steps, so that when a righteous person performs one good deed, it brings him to a greater one, as it is said: ‘One mitzvah leads to another.’”
Spiritual growth is cumulative, each mitzvah opening the way to higher levels.
והושם זה בעולם שמי שעשה טוב יביאנו לכל המדריגות.
“And this was placed into the world—that one who does good is led through all the levels.”
The world is designed to elevate those who choose good.
וזה ענין החלוקה לעשרה.
“And this is the reason for the division into ten.”
The ten utterances of creation express the graded structure of ascent.
וכן לרשע ע"י שמבטל מאמר א' יביאנו לזה לבטל יותר עד שיבטל הכל.
“And likewise for the wicked—by nullifying one utterance, he is led to nullify more, until he nullifies everything.”
Falling follows the same stepwise pattern as rising.
וכן הוי עובדא ע"י עשרה מאמרות זכה פרעה לעשר מכות.
“And so it happened: through the ten utterances Pharaoh merited the ten plagues.”
His descent through corruption earned him a parallel measure in punishment.
וזהו להפרע מן הרשעים שהוא פרעה הרשע.
“And this is what it means to exact punishment from the wicked—namely, Pharaoh the wicked.”
The plagues were an expression of the world’s built-in justice.
ובנ"י זכו לעשרת הדיברות כמ"ש ועמך כולם צדיקים.
“And the Children of Israel merited the Ten Commandments, as it is said: ‘And your people are all righteous.’”
Israel’s ascent through good deeds culminated in receiving revelation corresponding to the ten utterances.
וז"ש המד' שע"י שחטא פעם וב' ניטל ממנו דרכי התשובה כנ"ל.
“And this is what the Midrash means: that by sinning once and twice, the ways of repentance were taken from him, as above.”
Repeated wrongdoing can progressively close the gates of return.
וק"ו במדה טובה ע"י שעושין מעש"ט אין מניחין משמים ליפול עד לגמור הכל בכי טוב וכנ"ל.
“All the more so in the measure of goodness: when one performs good deeds, Heaven does not allow him to fall until he completes everything in the best way, as above.”
Good is strengthened even more than evil; once on the path of righteousness, divine help carries a person upward.
Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that creation’s ten utterances form a ladder of ascent and descent. Good actions elevate a person step by step, culminating in revelation, while wrongdoing also follows a graded descent, culminating in closure of the heart, as seen with Pharaoh. Divine measure-for-measure aligns both plagues and commandments with the structure of creation.