Torah condensed into practical mitzvos

וכתיב יודיע דרכיו למשה.

And it is written, "He made known His ways to Moshe" (Tehillim 103:7).

The Sefas Emes opens with the verse distinguishing what Hashem revealed to Moshe ("His ways") from what He revealed to the people ("His deeds").

הוא עצם התורה שנק' דרך.

This is the essence of the Torah, which is called "a way" (derech).

"His ways," made known to Moshe, refers to the inner essence of Torah itself, designated as the "derech" — the pure pathway.

לבני ישראל עלילותיו בחי' נר מצוה שהוא בעשי'.

"To Bnei Yisrael His deeds (alilosav)" — the aspect of "a mitzvah is a lamp," which is in action (asiyah).

To the people Hashem revealed "His deeds" — the dimension of "ner mitzvah" (a mitzvah is a lamp, Mishlei 6:23), the Torah as expressed through concrete, physical action.

כמ"ש חז"ל רצה הקב"ה לזכות את ישראל הרבה להם תורה ומצות.

As Chazal said, "HaKadosh Baruch Hu wished to grant merit to Yisrael, therefore He gave them abundant Torah and mitzvos" (Makkos 23b).

Hashem's purpose in giving so many mitzvos was to provide Yisrael with many opportunities to earn merit and connection.

שצמצם אור התורה במצות מעשיות.

For He condensed (tzimtzem) the light of the Torah into practical mitzvos.

The boundless light of Torah was contracted and "clothed" into tangible, doable mitzvos, so that ordinary people could grasp and fulfill it through action.

למען צדקו.

"For the sake of His righteousness (l'maan tzidko)" (Yeshayahu 42:21).

This condensing of the Torah's light into practical mitzvos was an act of Hashem's tzedakah toward Yisrael.

ולזה הי' חלק למרע"ה כמ"ש צדקת ה' עשה ומשפטיו עם ישראל.

And in this Moshe Rabbeinu had a part, as it is written, "He performed the righteousness of Hashem, and His judgments with Yisrael" (Devarim 33:21).

Moshe was the agent of this tzedakah — bringing the "righteousness of Hashem" down to Yisrael by transmitting the Torah's light in the form of mishpatim (laws) they could perform.

וז"ש יעשו לי מקדש כו' ככל אשר כו' מראה אותך.

And this is the meaning of, "Let them make for Me a sanctuary... according to all that I show you" (Shemos 25:8-9).

The command to build the Mishkan "according to all that I show you" reflects this same dynamic — the people executing in physical form what Moshe perceived spiritually.

שהם יעשו בעשי' מה שנראה למרע"ה בעין.

That they should carry out in action what was shown to Moshe Rabbeinu with [his] eye.

The people's task was to translate into concrete deed (asiyah) the vision that Moshe beheld directly — bringing his lofty perception into physical reality.

שהוא הי' כולו תורה.

For he [Moshe] was entirely Torah.

Moshe himself was wholly identified with the essence of Torah — he lived on the level of "derech," the pure pathway.

לכן סמך הכתוב ויהי משה בהר כו'.

Therefore the verse juxtaposes, "And Moshe was on the mountain [forty days and forty nights]" (Shemos 24:18).

Scripture first places Moshe alone on the mountain, immersed in the undivided light of Torah at its source.

ואח"כ לבנ"י ויקחו לי תרומה שיהי' להם קצת חלק בתורה על ידי העשיה למטה:

And afterward, to Bnei Yisrael, "Let them take for Me a terumah" — so that they too should have some portion in the Torah through the action below.

Only after Moshe absorbed the Torah at its source did Hashem turn to the people with "let them take for Me a terumah," granting them their own share in the Torah by means of the physical avodah of building the Mishkan down below.

Summary: "He made known His ways to Moshe, His deeds to Bnei Yisrael" — to Moshe, who was "entirely Torah," Hashem revealed the inner essence (the "derech"); to the people He revealed the Torah as practical, lamp-like mitzvos. Out of His tzedakah, Hashem condensed the infinite light of Torah into doable mitzvos, with Moshe as the agent. So too the Mishkan: Moshe beheld the vision on the mountain, and the people then gave terumah and built it in physical action — gaining their own portion in the Torah through deed below.