Strength Granted to Opposition
בא א"פ כו' כי אני הכבדתי כו' למען שתי אותותי כו' ולמען תספר כו'.
“Come… for I have hardened… in order that I may set My signs… and in order that you may recount…”
The Sefat Emet begins by reading the verse as describing God’s deliberate hardening of Pharaoh, so that Israel would gain strength of heart and transmit the story.
זה לחזק לבות בנ"י אשר גם בראותם כח היצר וסט"א גובר ח"ו בחזקת היד.
This is to strengthen the hearts of Israel, that even when they see the power of the evil inclination and the Other Side overpowering—Heaven forbid—with strong force…
The message is meant to fortify Israel when confronted with seemingly overwhelming spiritual opposition.
עכ"ז יחזקו עצמם לגשת מול המלחמה ביודעם זאת כי כל כח הסט"א ג"כ רק בהשגחת הבורא.
Nevertheless they should strengthen themselves to approach the battle, knowing that all the power of the Other Side is also only through the supervision of the Creator.
Even destructive forces have no independent power; awareness of this empowers Israel to confront them.
וזה אומרו כי אני הכבדתי.
And this is the meaning of “for I have hardened.”
God Himself grants that power, emphasizing its lack of autonomy.
ובאמת זה הדבר אחת מפלאות הבורא לתת כח להעושים נגד רצונו והוא יותר פלא וגבורה מכח החסד להשפיע רב טוב כי הכל שלו.
And truly, this matter is one of the wonders of the Creator—that He gives strength to those who act against His will, and this is a greater wonder and might than the power of kindness that bestows great good, for all is His.
The granting of power to apparent opposition is itself a deeper expression of divine mastery.
וזה מאמר המד' ע"פ כובד אבן כו' שבריאת מ"ב אינו יגיעה לפניו ב"ה וכעס אויל כבד כו' פי' לתת כח ורשות לאויל זה למרוד בו.
And this is what the Midrash says on “the weight of a stone…”—that the creation of forty-two (letters) is no exertion for Him, but the “anger of a fool is heavy,” meaning giving power and permission to this fool to rebel against Him.
The Midrash contrasts God’s effortless creation with the profound mystery of Him enabling rebellion.
וטעם נתינת כח זה הי' רק כדי לתת שכר לצדיקים הגוברים נגד הסט"א ומבררים מלכות שמים.
The reason for giving this power was only to grant reward to the righteous who overcome the Other Side and clarify the kingship of Heaven.
Opposition exists to allow spiritual achievement.
והוא כמו קושית ר' יצחק לא הי' צריך התורה להתחיל אלא מהחודש הזה כו'.
And this is like the question of Rabbi Yitzchak: the Torah should have begun with “This month…”
The creation narrative appears unnecessary for Torah’s purpose.
ולמה פתח בבראשית.
So why did it begin with Bereishit?
The Sefat Emet links this to the function of pre-Torah creation.
פי' כל העולם התהו קודם ב' אלפים תורה.
The explanation: the whole world was in a state of tohu during the two thousand years before Torah.
Creation was intentionally unfinished before Torah entered it.
כ"ז הי' כדי לתת להם נחלת גוים.
All this was in order to give Israel the inheritance of the nations.
Israel’s role is to elevate the world created in this earlier state.
למען שתי אותותי.
“In order that I may set My signs.”
Signs relate to the letters underlying creation.
פי' כי הכל נברא מכ"ב אותיות התורה ואין לך דבר שלא יהי' בו ציור אותיות.
Meaning: everything was created from the twenty-two letters of the Torah, and there is nothing that does not contain the form of letters.
All existence is composed of Torah’s letters.
ונתלבשו אותיות הקדושים בכל הבריאה כדי שבנ"י יתקנו כל אלה הדברים.
And the holy letters were clothed in all creation so that Israel might rectify all these things.
Israel’s task is to reveal the hidden Torah within the world.
ועי"ז יזכו בכל כוחות התורה שמתפשטין בכל הדברים.
And through this they merit all the powers of Torah that spread through all things.
Rectification awakens latent divine forces.
והוא ענין זכה נוטל חלקו וחלק חבירו כו'.
This is the meaning of “If one merits, he takes his portion and the portion of his fellow…”
One who uplifts creation gains the spiritual energy embedded in it.
ובמ"א הארכנו בזה.
And elsewhere we expanded on this.
A cross-reference to the Rebbe’s longer treatment.
גם פי' למען תספר כי כוחן של ישראל בפה.
Also, the explanation of “in order that you may recount” is that the strength of Israel is in the mouth.
Verbal expression is Israel’s spiritual weapon.
וכמו שכתוב בזוה"ק כי הדיבור הי' בגלות.
And as written in the Zohar, speech was in exile.
Before redemption, holy speech was constrained.
והן דברים הנאמרים בשורש הדיבור גבוה מעל גבוה.
And these matters are spoken in the root of speech, high above high.
The exile of speech has deep metaphysical meaning.
כמו כן ממש דיבור בנ"י למטה הי' בגלות.
So too, literally, the speech of Israel below was in exile.
Israel could not yet express Torah fully.
והיינו שלא זכו לתורה קודם ירידתם למצרים וגאולתם משם.
Meaning: they had not merited the Torah before their descent to Egypt and redemption from there.
Redemption is the prerequisite for receiving Torah.
וכמו כן לעולם אין זוכין להוציא דיבורי אורייתא וצלותא בלי הקדמת בירור פרטי המעשים.
And likewise, one never merits to bring forth words of Torah and prayer without first clarifying particular deeds.
Purification of action precedes holy speech.
וזה הקדמת מ"ב ויצ"מ קודם התפילה.
And this is the meaning of the preliminaries of the forty-two (steps) and the Exodus before prayer.
Spiritual ascent precedes prayer’s opening.
אח"כ ה' שפתי תפתח.
Afterwards: “Lord, open my lips.”
Only after preparation can true speech begin.
וכן כתיב והי' לאות כו' ולזכרון כו' למען תהיה תורת ה' בפיך.
And so it is written: “And it shall be as a sign… and as a remembrance… in order that the Torah of the Lord be in your mouth.”
Signs and remembrance exist to restore the power of Torah-speech.
Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that God empowers even opposition so that Israel can earn spiritual victory; all creation is formed from Torah’s letters awaiting Israel’s rectification; and speech itself—Torah and prayer—requires prior purification, just as Israel’s exile and redemption prepared them to speak the divine word.