Chosen and drawn near through teshuvah

ובמדרש תנחומא עבירתן של בני ישראל מביא לידי זכות שע"י החטא הי' מצות שקלים ע"ש.

And in the Midrash Tanchuma: the transgression of Bnei Yisrael brings them to merit, for through the sin (of the Golden Calf) came the mitzvah of the shekalim; see there.

The Midrash teaches a remarkable principle: even Bnei Yisrael's sin became a source of merit, for the half-shekel contribution arose as a tikkun for the sin of the Egel.

כי כל מה שנעשה בדורות הראשונים היה הכנה לדורות.

For everything that happened in the early generations was a preparation for the later generations.

The events of the founding generations were not for their own sake alone; they laid down patterns and channels that would benefit all future generations.

וכדאיתא שלא היו ראוין לאותו החטא אלא להורות תשובה.

And as it is taught, they were not fit to have committed that sin, except to teach the way of teshuvah.

Chazal say the generation of the Egel was on too high a level to have truly sinned; they stumbled by Divine design, so as to establish teshuvah as a path for all later generations who would sin.

וכ' אשרי תבחר ותקרב כו'.

And it is written, "Fortunate is the one whom You choose and draw near..." (Tehillim 65:5).

The verse speaks of two stages — being chosen and being drawn near — which the Sefas Emes will now apply to Bnei Yisrael.

ובנ"י מקודם נבחרו.

And Bnei Yisrael were first chosen (nivcharu).

The first stage was Hashem's choosing of Bnei Yisrael — the original bechirah at Yetzias Mitzrayim and Sinai.

ואח"כ נתקרבו בתשובה.

And afterward they were drawn near (niskarvu) through teshuvah.

The second stage came after the sin of the Egel: through teshuvah they were drawn close again — a nearness achieved specifically as baalei teshuvah.

ושניהם נשארו לדורות.

And both of these remained for the generations.

Both the original choosing and the renewed drawing-near through teshuvah became permanent fixtures, accessible to every later generation.

לכן בכל שנה.

Therefore, every year —

Because both stages endure, they are renewed annually.

חדש והבא קרבן מתרומה חדשה.

"Renew and bring a korban from a new contribution (terumah chadashah)."

Each year the communal offerings are purchased from a fresh half-shekel collection — a "new terumah" reflecting a fresh renewal of the bond between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael.

שבכל שנה מתבררין ניצוצי קדושה עד שיהיה כל תיקון השלם.

For every year holy sparks (nitzotzei kedushah) are refined and clarified, until the entire perfect tikkun shall be complete.

Year by year, more holy sparks are sifted out and elevated, an ongoing birur that continues until the final, complete rectification of the world is achieved.

ובניסן מתעורר בחירת השי"ת בבנ"י שהיה ביציאת מצרים.

And in Nissan the choosing of Bnei Yisrael by Hashem, which took place at Yetzias Mitzrayim, is reawakened.

The month of Nissan annually reawakens the original bechirah — Hashem's choosing of Bnei Yisrael at the Exodus.

וכמו כן מתעורר התרוממות בנ"י מצד התיקון שנתקנו ע"י נדבת המשכן בבחי' בעלי תשובה.

And likewise there is reawakened the uplifting (hisromemus) of Bnei Yisrael, by virtue of the tikkun they accomplished through the contribution to the Mishkan, in the aspect of baalei teshuvah.

Alongside the reawakening of the original choosing, there is also reawakened the second stage — the elevation that came through the Mishkan donations, which served as the tikkun for the Egel and raised Bnei Yisrael up as baalei teshuvah.

ובמד' איתא שאמר מרע"ה כשם שזקפת לי כו' כך זקוף את בני ישראל ע"ש.

And in the Midrash it is taught that Moshe Rabbeinu said, "Just as You raised me up... so raise up Bnei Yisrael"; see there.

The Midrash relates that Moshe asked Hashem to "lift up" and elevate Bnei Yisrael just as Hashem had elevated him — the language of "ki sisa" ("when you lift up") expressing this raising.

ובכחו של מרע"ה נתרוממו כל בנ"י ולכן כתיב כי תשא ע"ש.

And through the power of Moshe Rabbeinu all of Bnei Yisrael were uplifted, and therefore it is written "Ki sisa" ("When you lift up the head of Bnei Yisrael"); see there.

It was through Moshe's power and merit that all of Bnei Yisrael were raised — the very word "ki sisa" (lift up) signaling this elevation accomplished through Moshe.

כי הצדיקים במעשיהם מעלין כל הדור.

For the tzaddikim, through their deeds, elevate the entire generation.

This is a general principle: the tzaddikim's avodah does not benefit themselves alone — it lifts up the whole generation along with them.

וז"ש אשרי תבחר כו' אח"כ מסיים נשבעה בטוב.

And this is the meaning of "Fortunate is the one whom You choose..." — which then concludes, "we shall be sated with the goodness [of Your house]."

The verse moves from "whom You choose and draw near" to "we shall be sated with the good of Your house" — from the elevation of select individuals to the satisfaction of the whole people.

והיינו ע"י יחידי סגולה נמשך הארה לכל בני ישראל.

That is to say, through the unique chosen individuals (yechidei segulah), illumination is drawn down to all of Bnei Yisrael.

The select tzaddikim are the conduit: the light first granted to them flows down and spreads to the entire nation.

תבחר ותקרב בחי' מרע"ה ואהרן הכהן.

"You choose and draw near" — these are the aspects of Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen.

The two verbs correspond to two leaders: "choose" alludes to Moshe, and "draw near" (which shares the root of korban and kehunah) alludes to Aharon the Kohen.

נשבעה בטוב ביתך מרע"ה דכתיב בי' בכל ביתי נאמן.

"We shall be sated with the goodness of Your house" — this is Moshe Rabbeinu, of whom it is written, "In all My house he is trusted" (Bamidbar 12:7).

The phrase "Your house" evokes Moshe, who is called the trusted one "in all My house" — the faithful steward of Hashem's household.

קדוש היכלך בחי' אהרן.

"The holiness of Your sanctuary (heichal)" — this is the aspect of Aharon.

"The holiness of Your heichal" points to Aharon, who served in the Mikdash and embodied the holiness of the Sanctuary.

וכמו כן בכלל הדורות ע"י שאבותינו נבחרו ונקרבו נשבעה גם אנחנו בטוב ביתך כו'.

And likewise for the generations as a whole: because our forefathers were chosen and drawn near, we too "shall be sated with the goodness of Your house."

The merit of the avos, who were both chosen and drawn near, endures for us; through their bechirah and kirvah we their descendants also partake of the "goodness of Your house."

כי השי"ת מכל החסדים שעשה לאבותינו הניח לנו זכר לדורות.

For from all the kindnesses that Hashem did for our forefathers, He left for us a remembrance for the generations.

Every chesed Hashem performed for the earlier generations was deposited as an enduring "remembrance," a permanent spiritual inheritance accessible to all later generations.

תבחר ותקרב בחי' התורה וביהמ"ק:

"You choose and draw near" — these are the aspects of the Torah and the Bais Hamikdash.

On a further level, "choose" corresponds to the Torah (the chosen gift) and "draw near" corresponds to the Bais Hamikdash (the place of korbanos and nearness) — the two enduring legacies through which every generation is both chosen and drawn close to Hashem.

Summary: Even the sin of the Egel became a merit, for from it came the mitzvah of the shekalim — teaching that the early generations laid down enduring channels, including the path of teshuvah, for all who follow. Bnei Yisrael were first chosen and then, after the sin, drawn near as baalei teshuvah; both stages endure and are renewed each year, reawakened in Nissan together with the annual refining of holy sparks. Through the power of Moshe ("ki sisa"), the tzaddikim and select individuals elevate the whole generation, and the kindnesses Hashem did for our forefathers — choosing and drawing near, embodied in Moshe and Aharon, in Torah and the Bais Hamikdash — remain a remembrance from which we too draw life.