Truth concealed in a world of falsehood

ואלה המשפטים כו' ואמרו חז"ל מוסיף על הראשונים מה ראשונים מסיני אף אלו מסיני דבכח התורה זכו אל המשפטים דכתיב משפטי ה' אמת וכתיב תתן אמת ליעקב כי בעוה"ז קשה להשיג האמת דהוא עלמא דשיקרא כמ"ש במדרש בראשית אמת אמר אל יברא כו' ותשלך אמת ארצה ע"ש.

"And these are the mishpatim (laws)" (Shemos 21:1) — and Chazal said: the "and" adds onto what came before; just as the earlier ones were from Sinai, so too these are from Sinai. For through the power of Torah they merited the mishpatim, as it is written "the judgments of Hashem are true" (Tehillim 19:10), and it is written "give truth to Yaakov" (Michah 7:20). For in this world it is difficult to attain truth, since it is a "world of falsehood" (alma d'shikra), as the Midrash says: at Creation, [the attribute of] Truth said, "let him not be created"... "and He cast truth to the ground" (Daniel 8:12), see there.

The Torah's mishpatim are rooted at Sinai, for true justice flows only from Torah, which is emes. The Sefas Emes notes that emes is hard to grasp in this world, which is a realm of falsehood — at Creation, the attribute of Truth even objected to man's creation, and Hashem "cast truth to the ground."

פי' שאם הי' האמת מתגלה לא הי' קיום להעולם שהכל הי' מתבטל במציאות אל אחד האמת ולכן נקרא עלמא דשיקרא.

Meaning: if the truth were revealed, the world could not endure, for everything would be nullified out of existence into the One True [Being]; therefore it is called a "world of falsehood."

If absolute emes — the reality that only Hashem exists — were openly revealed, the entire creation would dissolve in bittul into the One. So Hashem concealed truth, making the world appear independent; this concealment is what makes it a "world of falsehood."

וכאשר שמעתי מפי מו"ז ז"ל כי נקרא עולם ע"ש ההעלם כו' שע"י ההעלם יש מציאות לעולם לכן הושלך אמת ארצה להיות האמת נסתר ונעלם בחשכת הגשמיות והטבע.

And as I heard from my grandfather, of blessed memory: that it is called "olam" (world) from the term "he'elem" (concealment) — for through the concealment the world has [the appearance of independent] existence. Therefore "truth was cast to the ground," so that the truth would be hidden and concealed within the darkness of physicality and nature.

Citing the Chiddushei HaRim, the very word olam derives from he'elem, concealment — the world exists as a separate "reality" only because Hashem's truth is hidden within the darkness of the material and natural order.

אכן לבנ"י ניתן האמת ע"י התורה כמ"ש מגיד דבריו ליעקב שהיא הנהגה האמיתית הפנימיות.

However, to Bnei Yisrael the truth was given through the Torah, as it says "He tells His words to Yaakov" (Tehillim 147:19) — which is the true, inner conduct.

While the world conceals emes, Bnei Yisrael receive access to it through Torah, which reveals the penimiyus — the hidden, true conduct of Hashem within reality.

ולכן א"א לזכות למשפט אמת רק בכח התורה שבה משפטי ה' וכ"כ ואל תצל מפי דבר אמת כו' כי למשפטיך יחלתי פרש"י תצל לשון הפרשה והבדלה כי האמת נפרש ונבדל מבני אדם וצריכין סייעתא דשמיא לזכות לאמת ע"י שלמשפטיך יחלתי.

Therefore one cannot merit true judgment except through the power of Torah, which contains "the judgments of Hashem." And so it says "and do not remove the word of truth utterly from my mouth, for I have hoped for Your judgments" (Tehillim 119:43); Rashi explains "remove" as a term of separation and distancing — for truth is separated and removed from human beings, and one needs siyata diShmaya (heavenly assistance) to merit truth, by means of "I have hoped for Your judgments."

True justice is attainable only through Torah. Because emes is naturally cut off from man, one must hope and yearn for Hashem's mishpatim and beg for siyata diShmaya in order to reach it.

ולכן מצינו מדבר שקר תרחק וכ"כ צדק צדק תרדוף ע"י שהוא עלמא דשיקרא.

Therefore we find "distance yourself from a false matter" (Shemos 23:7), and likewise "justice, justice shall you pursue" (Devarim 16:20) — because it is a "world of falsehood."

Since this world is steeped in sheker, the Torah must command us both to actively flee from falsehood and to chase after tzedek, since truth does not come to us on its own — it must be pursued.

וכעין זה כתיב בשלום בקש שלום ורדפהו שג"כ עוה"ז כולו קטטה ע"ש במדרש.

And similar to this it is written regarding peace: "seek peace and pursue it" (Tehillim 34:15) — for this world, too, is entirely strife, see the Midrash.

Just as truth must be pursued, so must shalom, because the natural state of this world is conflict; peace, like truth, requires active pursuit.

ואלה המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם.

"And these are the mishpatim that you shall place before them" (Shemos 21:1).

The Sefas Emes returns to the opening pasuk to draw out its deeper meaning of how mishpatim are "placed before" Bnei Yisrael.

שנתן הקב"ה לבנ"י מתנה כאשר מתאספין לשפוט אמת מאיר הקב"ה עיניהם ולא עשה כן לכל גוי כו' כי המשפט לאלהים הוא.

That Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave Bnei Yisrael a gift: when they gather to judge truthfully, Hashem illuminates their eyes — "He has not done so for any [other] nation" (Tehillim 147:20) — for "the judgment belongs to Elokim" (Devarim 1:17).

The capacity to render true judgment is a gift to Klal Yisrael alone; when dayanim assemble to judge honestly, Hashem Himself enlightens their eyes, for true mishpat is divine.

רק כמ"ש אמרתי אלהים אתם.

Only, as it says "I said, you are angels" (Tehillim 82:6).

The judges merit a share in this divine judgment, so much so that they are called "elohim" — bearers of Hashem's own attribute of justice.

מגיד דבריו כו' חקיו ומשפטיו הוא לשון הוה שהקב"ה מאיר עיניהם כנ"ל.

"He tells His words... His statutes and His judgments [to Yisrael]" (Tehillim 147:19) is in the present tense — that Hakadosh Baruch Hu [continually] illuminates their eyes, as above.

The pasuk is phrased in the ongoing present because Hashem does not merely give the laws once; He continuously enlightens the eyes of those who judge truthfully.

ואיתא הדן דין אמת לאמיתו נעשה שותף להקב"ה במעשה בראשית דכתיב בו ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר ע"ש בפ' ויעמוד העם על משה כו' הבוקר עד הערב.

And it is brought: one who judges a true judgment in accordance with its truth becomes a partner with Hakadosh Baruch Hu in the work of Creation (Shabbos 10a), in which it is written "and it was evening and it was morning" — see [the connection to] "the people stood before Moshe... from the morning until the evening" (Shemos 18:13).

The dayan who judges truly partners in Creation, which is described as "evening and morning" — and the same words ("from morning to evening") describe Moshe judging the people, linking true judgment to the very structure of Creation.

הרמז כנ"ל כי הקב"ה עשה העולם להיות מעורב ונסתר האמת.

The hint is as above: that Hakadosh Baruch Hu made the world to be mixed and the truth concealed.

The Sefas Emes connects "evening" to the theme of concealment — Hashem created a world in which truth is hidden within a confusing mixture.

וזה נקרא ערב.

And this is called "erev" (evening/mixture).

The word erev (evening) shares its root with irbuv (mixture); it denotes the darkened, confused state in which truth lies hidden.

ומ"מ להמחפשין האמת יכולין לברר האמת בעזר ה'.

Nevertheless, for those who search for the truth, they are able to clarify the truth with Hashem's help.

Despite the concealment of "evening," those who diligently seek emes can, with siyata diShmaya, sift it out and bring it to light.

וזה היה תכלית ההעלם שיבואו בני ישראל וימצאו האמת כמו שנתקיים בקבלת התורה.

And this was the very purpose of the concealment — that Bnei Yisrael should come and find the truth, as was fulfilled at the receiving of the Torah.

The whole point of hiding emes was to give Bnei Yisrael the avodah of seeking and uncovering it — a search that reached its climax at Matan Torah, when "morning" broke from the "evening" of concealment.

ולאו דוקא במשפט שבין אדם לחבירו.

And not specifically in judgment between a person and his fellow.

This avodah of seeking truth is not limited to courtroom disputes between people.

רק אפילו בדברים שבינו לבין קונו.

Rather, even in matters between a person and his Creator.

It applies equally to one's private avodah — the honest self-judgment between a person and Hashem.

המבקש אמת ושופט עצמו.

One who seeks truth and judges himself.

A person who honestly examines and judges his own conduct is also engaged in the work of clarifying emes.

כמ"ש חז"ל צדיק יצ"ט שופטו.

As Chazal said: "the tzaddik — his yetzer tov (good inclination) judges him" (Berachos 61b).

The tzaddik allows his good inclination to sit in judgment over himself, honestly evaluating his deeds.

יש לו חלק בזה הערב ובוקר.

He has a portion in this "evening and morning."

One who judges himself truthfully shares in the partnership of Creation, turning the "evening" of self-concealment into the "morning" of clarity.

וז"ש במדרש מבקר לערב יוכתו מבלי משים כו' אין משים אלא דינין ע"ש כי ע"י שאין מייגעין עצמן לשפוט א"ע מוטבעין בשקר ומתרחקין מבקר כנ"ל:

And this is what the Midrash says: "from morning to evening they are shattered, without anyone paying heed (mi'bli mesim)" (Iyov 4:20) — "mesim" means nothing but judgments, see there. For because they do not exert themselves to judge themselves, they become sunk in falsehood and distanced from "morning," as above.

The Midrash reads "mi'bli mesim" as "without judgment": those who fail to labor at honest self-judgment sink into sheker and are pushed away from "boker" — the clarity of truth — never rising from the "evening" of concealment to the "morning" of emes.

Summary: This world is an alma d'shikra — "olam" from he'elem, concealment — because if absolute truth were revealed, all of creation would be nullified in bittul into the One True Being. Hashem therefore cast emes "to the ground," hidden within the darkness of nature, so that Bnei Yisrael could earn it through the avodah of seeking. Torah is the gift that grants access to this hidden emes, which is why true mishpat flows only from Torah and why Hashem continually illuminates the eyes of those who judge truthfully. The dayan who judges true justice — and equally the person who honestly judges himself — becomes a partner in Creation, transforming the "evening" of concealment into the "morning" of revealed truth; one who refuses this labor sinks into falsehood.