Sanctifying Time Through Speech
החודש הזה לכם.
“This month shall be for you.”
The Sefat Emet opens by noting that this verse initiates a new spiritual capacity granted to Israel.
פי' חז"ל על קידוש החדש.
Our sages explained this regarding the sanctification of the new moon.
The power to declare the new month is entrusted to Israel.
ומה ענין זה ליצ"מ.
And what does this have to do with the Exodus?
The Sefat Emet asks why the mitzvah of sanctifying the month appears at the moment of liberation.
אכן זה כח הדיבור שניתן לבנ"י ובזה מתקדשין החדשים ומועדות כשב"ד אומרים מקודש החודש.
Indeed, this is the power of speech given to Israel, through which months and festivals become sanctified when the court declares, “Sanctified is the month.”
Sanctification occurs through the spoken word of Israel’s court.
וביצ"מ זכו בנ"י לברית הלשון.
And at the Exodus Israel merited the covenant of the tongue.
Redemption endowed Israel with holy speech.
וזה מצות פסח פה סח.
And this is the mitzvah of Passover, “the mouth that speaks.”
The very name “Pesach” hints to the sanctified mouth.
ולמען תספר.
“So that you shall tell.”
The Exodus commands verbal transmission.
ולכן המצוה באכילת קרבן פסח.
Therefore the mitzvah involves the eating of the Passover offering.
Eating links to the sanctification of the mouth.
והגם כי אין אכילה מעכב.
And although the eating does not invalidate the offering if omitted,
Its spiritual significance remains crucial.
מ"מ צריך להיות ראוי לאכלו כמ"ש לפי אכלו תכוסו.
Nevertheless, one must be fit to eat it, as it says, “According to his eating you shall appoint it.”
Eligibility to eat expresses the rectification of speech.
והוא תיקון הפה.
And this is the correction of the mouth.
The physical act reflects spiritual refinement.
וז"ש בעבור זה עשה ה' לי.
And this is what is meant by “Because of this HaShem acted for me.”
The Exodus enables the sanctified use of speech.
בעבור למסור לנו כח הפה לספר תהלות ה'.
Because He wished to give us the power of the mouth to recount God’s praises.
The gift of speech is for proclaiming divine greatness.
והנה ב' מ"ע שחייבים עליהם כרת.
And behold there are two positive commandments whose neglect incurs karet.
These two stand apart in their severity.
פסח ומילה.
Passover and circumcision.
The offering and the covenant of Abraham.
והם ברית הלשון וברית המעור.
These correspond to the covenant of the tongue and the covenant of the flesh.
Both relate to foundational human faculties.
ונק' בריתות שעיקר החיות תלוי בהם.
They are called covenants because the essence of life depends on them.
They safeguard the channels of life-force.
וממילא העובר עליהם נכרת חייו מן העולם.
Therefore one who violates them has his life cut off from the world.
A breach in these covenants disrupts spiritual vitality.
ורוב כריתות הם על מאכלות אסורות וביאות אסורות.
And most cases of karet involve forbidden foods and forbidden unions.
These correspond to the mouth and the reproductive organ.
ובב' בריתות אלו עיקר ההתחדשות.
And in these two covenants lies the essence of renewal.
They generate new spiritual and physical life.
כמו ברית המעור שעושה תולדות להביא נשמות חדשות לעולם.
Just as the covenant of the flesh produces offspring, bringing new souls into the world,
Natural procreation mirrors spiritual creativity.
כמו כן כח הפה להביא התחדשות.
So too the power of the mouth brings renewal.
Words create spiritual worlds.
כמ"ש ואשים דברי בפיך כו' לנטוע שמים כו'.
As it is written: “I place My words in your mouth… to plant the heavens…”
Prophetic speech reshapes reality.
וע"ז נא' החודש הזה לכם.
And about this it is said, “This month shall be for you.”
The power of renewal is entrusted to Israel.
שנמסר לבנ"י כח לחדש חדשים בכח לשון הקודש שמיוחד לבנ"י.
For Israel was given the power to renew the months through the holy tongue unique to them.
Sanctification operates through Hebrew, the divine language.
והוא כולל כל הלשונות.
And it encompasses all languages.
Hebrew contains the roots of all speech.
וע"ז אומרים ורוממנו מכל לשון.
And thus we say: “You have exalted us above every tongue.”
Israel’s speech is elevated toward holiness.
וזה נגמר ביצ"מ.
And this was completed at the Exodus.
The liberation finalized the gift of sanctified speech.
ז"ש למען תספר.
Thus it says, “So that you shall recount.”
Speech itself becomes a mitzvah of redemption.
וב' הבריתות תלוין זה בזה.
And the two covenants depend on one another.
They reinforce and elevate each other.
לכן כל ערל לא יאכל בו:
Therefore, no uncircumcised person may eat of it.
The covenant of flesh is prerequisite to the covenant of speech embodied in the Passover offering.
Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that the Exodus bestowed upon Israel the sanctity of speech, enabling them to declare new months and celebrate festivals. This “covenant of the tongue,” paired with the “covenant of the flesh,” forms the foundation of renewal—both spiritual and physical—expressed especially in the mitzvah of the Passover offering.