Torah revealed through hints that awaken longing

במדרש ואלה המשפטים מוסיף על הראשונים. שם שם לו חק ומשפט ע"ש.

In the Midrash on "And these are the mishpatim (laws)": [the word "and"] adds to the earlier ones. "There He established for them a chok (statute) and a mishpat (law)" — see there.

The conjunction "and" at the start of the parsha links these laws to those given earlier at Marah, where Hashem first set down a statute and a law for Bnei Yisrael.

איתא בזוה"ק בפרשה זו דאורייתא טמירא.

It is brought in the Zohar HaKadosh on this parsha that the Torah is hidden (concealed).

The Torah's true depth is veiled and only gradually revealed to the one who pursues it.

ואתגליית לההוא רחימא דילה דעבר תרעא דביתה כל יומא גליאת לי' וארמזית לגבי' רמיזא.

And she reveals herself to that beloved of hers who passes the gateway of her house each day; she shows herself to him and signals to him a hint.

The Zohar compares the Torah to a beloved who, to the one who faithfully comes to her door daily, gives only a small hint of herself at first.

ומיד אתטמרית וההוא רחימא מעוי ולבי' ונפשי' אזיל כו' לבתר דרגיל לגבה אתגליאת ליה אנפין באנפין ונקרא בעל תורה וכל רזין גליאת ליה ואומרת ליה ההוא רמיזא דקא רמיזנא לך כך וכך רזין הוי ביה כו' ע"ש באורך דף צ"ט.

And immediately she conceals herself again, and that beloved — his innards, his heart, and his soul all go after her, etc. After he becomes accustomed to her, she reveals herself to him face to face, and he is called a "master of Torah," and she discloses to him all the secrets, and tells him: that hint which I hinted to you — such and such secrets are in it, etc. — see there at length, folio 99.

Once the seeker is drawn by the hint with his whole being and grows constant in coming, the Torah reveals her secrets fully, explaining that even the first small hint already contained all those depths.

וכל זה הענין נעשה בכלל ישראל שמקודם שם להם חוק ומשפט ברמז לפי שהיה להם תשוקה אל התורה ואחר כך נתמלאו תשוקה ביותר עד שזכו לקבל כל התורה בשלימות וכן פרש"י בפסוק משכני אחריך נרוצה שעל ידי רמז מועט שהראה להם נמשכו אחריו בכל לב עד שהביאני חדריו.

And this whole matter took place with the entire Bnei Yisrael: that first He set for them a statute and a law as a hint, because they had a longing for the Torah, and afterward they became filled with even greater longing until they merited to receive the whole Torah in completeness. So too Rashi explains on the pasuk "Draw me after You, we will run" — that through the slight hint He showed them, they were drawn after Him with their whole heart, until "the King brought me into His chambers."

The same dynamic of the parable played out with the whole nation: a small hint at Marah awakened their desire, and that desire grew until they were ready to receive the entire Torah at Sinai.

ובאמת זה הוא נסיון שבא לאדם מן השמים הן בכלל הן בפרט וכמ"ש שם לו כו' ושם נסהו לראות אם יעשה זה הרמז רושם בנפשותיהם.

And in truth this is a nisayon (test) that comes to a person from Heaven, both for the collective and for the individual, as it is written "there He established for him... and there He tested him" — to see whether this hint would leave an impression on their souls.

The initial small revelation is itself a test from Shomayim: will the hint take root in a person and stir him to seek more?

ועל זה כתיב שמעי בת אח"כ והטי אזנך ושכחי כו' ובית אביך להיות עוזב הכל להשתוקק אחר זה הרמז.

And about this it is written "Listen, O daughter," and afterward "incline your ear, and forget... and your father's house" — to leave everything behind in order to long after this hint.

The proper response to the hint is to set aside all else and pour one's whole desire into pursuing that glimpse of Torah.

אח"כ ויתאו המלך יפיך.

Afterward: "And the King will desire your beauty."

When a person abandons everything to long for Hashem, Hashem in turn desires and draws close to him.

לכן מקודם נקרא חק שלא הבינו בשלימות עד אח"כ בקבלת התורה כתיב כאשר צוך ופירשו חז"ל במרה.

Therefore at first it was called a chok (statute), since they did not yet understand it fully, until afterward at the receiving of the Torah, where it is written "as He commanded you," and Chazal explained: at Marah.

The word "chok" signals that the early teaching was not yet grasped in full; only later, at the giving of the Torah, was what had been hinted at Marah explained and understood.

הם הם הדברים של אותו סבא ז"ל שאמר רמיזא דקא רמיזנא לך כמה רזין אית ביה.

These are the very words of that elder (the Saba in the Zohar), of blessed memory, who said: the hint that I hinted to you — how many secrets are in it.

This matches the Zohar's parable: the modest hint already contained all the secrets that would later be revealed.

שביאר להם השבת באורך וטעמו של השבת כי ששת ימים כו'.

For He explained to them Shabbos at length, and the reason of Shabbos, "for in six days," etc.

What had been hinted earlier was later spelled out — for example, the full meaning and reason of Shabbos.

וכן הוא במשפט.

And so it is with the mishpat (law).

The same pattern of hint-then-explanation applies to the civil laws of this parsha.

אשר תשים לפניהם.

"Which you shall set before them."

The Torah instructs Moshe Rabbeinu to lay the laws out clearly before Bnei Yisrael.

לבאר להם טעמו של דבר כשלחן הערוך כמ"ש רש"י.

To explain to them the reason of the matter, like a set table, as Rashi writes.

Rashi teaches that the laws were to be arranged before them clearly and fully, like a table set and ready.

וז"ש ואלה מוסיף על הראשונים.

And this is the meaning of "And these" — adding to the earlier ones.

The added "and" tells us that the explained laws here build upon the hinted teachings given earlier at Marah.

שבמרה הי' רק ברמז ובנסיון.

For at Marah it was only by way of a hint and a test.

The teaching at Marah was deliberately partial — a hint and a trial of their longing.

וז"ש ולא יכלו לשתות מים ממרה כו'.

And this is the meaning of "and they could not drink water from Marah," etc.

The episode of the bitter waters at Marah hints at a deeper spiritual reality.

הרמז אין מים אלא תורה.

The hint is: "water" means nothing other than Torah.

Chazal teach that water symbolizes Torah, so the "water" of Marah alludes to Torah.

ובאמת אין מקום פנוי בלי תורה רק שמוסתר בטבע ולא יכלו לשתות.

And in truth there is no place empty of Torah; it is only hidden within nature, and they could not drink.

Torah's life-giving "water" fills all of creation but is concealed within the natural world, so at first they could not draw it out.

מרים הם מלשון תמורה והתכסות.

"Bitter" (marim) is from the language of temurah (exchange/change) and concealment.

The "bitterness" of Marah expresses the way the inner Torah is exchanged for an outer covering and hidden from view.

ויורהו ה' עץ שהוא התורה שנתגלה להם רמזי תורה והי' נסיון כמ"ש אם שמוע תשמע והאזנת למצותיו.

"And Hashem showed him a tree" — that is the Torah, for the hints of Torah were revealed to them, and it was a test, as it is written "if you will surely hearken and give ear to His commandments."

The "tree" that sweetened the waters is the Torah (the Eitz Chaim); revealing its hints was itself the test of whether they would listen and obey.

כמ"ש והטי אזנך.

As it is written "and incline your ear."

This echoes the call to lean one's ear toward the hint and take it to heart.

ושמרת כל חוקיו פירוש להיות לבו ומעיו ונפשו נמשך אחר הרשימה.

"And you shall keep all His statutes" — meaning that his heart, his innards, and his soul be drawn after the impression (reshimah).

Keeping the statutes means letting one's whole inner self be pulled after the lingering impression left by that first revelation.

וכן צריך כל איש ישראל כשמתגלה לו קצת הארה כמ"ש אין לך אדם שאין לו שעה ע"ז יתפלל כל חסיד לעת מצוא אותה השעה להתדבק בו בכל הנפש עד שיעשה אצלו פרי.

And so every Jew must act when a bit of illumination is revealed to him, as it is said "there is no person who does not have his hour" — about this every chassid prays, that at the time he finds that hour he may cling to Hashem with his whole soul until it bears fruit in him.

Each person is granted moments of inner light; the avodah is to seize such a moment, attach oneself to Hashem completely, and let that flash grow into lasting fruit.

וכן הוא בכל שבת קודש שיורד איזה הארה לאיש ישראל וצריכין לשמור אותה ההארה כמ"ש ושמרו כו' לעשות השבת לדורותם פי' אותה ההארה של השבת להיות נשאר הרשימה לעולם באדם.

And so it is with every holy Shabbos, that some illumination descends to the Jew, and one must guard that illumination, as it is written "and they shall keep... to make the Shabbos for their generations" — meaning, that illumination of Shabbos, so that the impression should remain forever within the person.

Every Shabbos brings a fresh light to the soul, and "keeping" Shabbos means preserving that light so its impression endures in a person throughout the week and beyond.

ועל זה רמזו חז"ל אלו שמרו בני ישראל שבת אחד מיד נגאלים.

And about this Chazal hinted: "had Bnei Yisrael kept a single Shabbos, they would immediately be redeemed."

The promise of immediate geulah through one Shabbos points to the power of truly preserving Shabbos's light.

אפילו רשימה של שבת אחד אם היה תמיד קבוע בלב ונפש לכל ימי המעשה כדאי הוא שתרחם ותביא גאולה:

Even the impression of a single Shabbos — if it were always fixed in heart and soul throughout all the weekday days — would be worthy enough for Him to have mercy and bring the geulah (redemption).

If the impression of even one Shabbos were carried steadily into every weekday, that alone would suffice to bring the redemption.

Summary: Following the Zohar's parable of the Torah as a hidden beloved, the Sefas Emes teaches that Hashem reveals Himself first through small hints that test and awaken our longing; the avodah is to seize each flash of illumination — especially the light of every Shabbos — and let its lasting impression take root in the heart, for the steady impression of even one Shabbos is enough to bring the geulah.