Torah reveals the hidden light of creation

במדרש לקח טוב נתתי כו' דכתיב מה רב טובך כו'.

In the Midrash: "I have given you a good teaching (lekach tov)…", as it is written, "How abundant is Your goodness (mah rav tuvcha)…"

The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrash linking the Torah, called a "good acquisition," to the "abundant goodness" that Hashem has stored away.

דאיתא אור שנברא בשימ"ב הי' מסוף העולם ועד סופו וגנזו הקב"ה לצדיקים.

For it is brought that the light created during the Six Days of Creation (sheishes yemei Bereishis) extended from one end of the world to the other, and the Holy One, blessed be He, hid it away for the tzaddikim.

The primordial Or HaGanuz (hidden light) of creation reached across the entire world, and Hashem concealed it, reserving it for the righteous.

והיכן גנזו בתורה שנק' טוב ע"ש אור הגנוז דכ' וירא אלקים כו' האור כי טוב.

And where did He hide it? In the Torah, which is called "good" (tov) on account of the hidden light, as it is written, "And Elokim saw… the light, that it was good."

That hidden light was concealed within the Torah, which is why the Torah is called "good" — the same word used of the light at creation.

ונמצא כי ע"י התורה ומצות זוכה האדם לזה האור.

It emerges that through Torah and mitzvos a person merits this light.

Engaging in Torah and mitzvos is the means by which a person gains access to this hidden, primordial light.

ובאמת נמצא אור הזה בכל מקום כי הוא חיות כל העולמות רק שהוא נסתר כמ"ש וימנע מרשעים אורם.

And in truth this light is found in every place, for it is the life-force of all the worlds; only that it is concealed, as it is written, "and from the wicked their light is withheld."

The hidden light is actually everywhere, sustaining all of creation — it is simply concealed, and from the wicked it is withheld entirely.

ומוכרח שגם להם יש נקודה מאותו האור רק שאינו נגלה להם וכפי מה שאדם עושה כל המעשים עפ"י התורה ומצות י' מתגלה אליו האור שיש בכל מעשה בראשית והיינו דכ' נר מצוה כו' שמאיר לאדם לידע איזה דרך ישכון אור ולכן נק' התורה לקח טוב שבאמצעות התורה זוכה האדם לטוב שיש בכל מקום.

And it must be that even they [the wicked] have a point of that light, only that it is not revealed to them; and according to how much a person does all his deeds in accordance with the Torah and mitzvos, the light that is in all of Creation (ma'aseh Bereishis) is revealed to him — and this is what is written, "a mitzvah is a lamp (ner mitzvah)…", which shines for a person to know "on which way light dwells"; and therefore the Torah is called "a good acquisition" (lekach tov), for by means of the Torah a person merits the goodness that is in every place.

Even the wicked retain a buried point of that light, though it stays hidden from them. The more a person aligns all his actions with Torah and mitzvos, the more the hidden light within all of creation is revealed to him — the mitzvah acting as a lamp that shows him the way to the light. This is why the Torah is "a good acquisition": through it one gains the hidden goodness present in everything.

וז"ש המד' שיש במקח זה הכל שע"י נתגלה חיות הפנימיות שבכל דבר שנק' טוב כנ"ל:

And this is what the Midrash means, that in this "acquisition" there is everything — for through it the inner life-force (chiyus penimiyus) within every thing, which is called "good," is revealed, as above.

The Midrash's praise that this "acquisition" contains everything means that the Torah reveals the inner vitality concealed in every created thing — the hidden "good" light at the heart of all reality.

Summary: The primordial Or HaGanuz, the light of creation that spanned the whole world, was hidden by Hashem within the Torah for the tzaddikim — which is why the Torah is called "good." This light is in truth everywhere, the inner life-force of all worlds, but concealed; even the wicked retain a hidden point of it. The more a person aligns all his deeds with Torah and mitzvos, the more this hidden light is revealed to him, the mitzvah serving as a lamp that guides him to it. Thus the Torah is "a good acquisition" through which one attains the inner vitality and goodness concealed in every thing.