Four Redemptions and Torah
ד' לשונות של גאולה כי כל הגליות נכללין בגלות מצרים.
“The four expressions of redemption, for all exiles are contained within the exile of Egypt.”
The Sefat Emet teaches that the fundamental patterns of all future exiles are rooted in the Egyptian exile, and therefore the four expressions of redemption address every dimension of future deliverance.
ואח"כ וידעתם כי אני ה' כו' הוא קבלת התורה שמתחיל באנכי ה"א אשר הוצאתיך.
“And afterward: ‘You shall know that I am Hashem’—this refers to the receiving of the Torah, which begins with ‘I am Hashem your God who took you out.’”
He explains that the recognition of God that follows redemption is completed at Sinai, where the giving of the Torah begins with the declaration of divine liberation.
אח"כ והבאתי אתכם הוא ארץ ישראל שכך הי' הסדר.
“After that: ‘And I will bring you’ refers to the Land of Israel, for that was the sequence.”
The process of redemption culminates in entering the Land, completing the pattern of liberation → revelation → settlement.
ואמת כי הכל נכלל בתורה.
“And truly, everything is included in the Torah.”
All stages of redemption ultimately derive from Torah, which encompasses the totality of divine unfolding.
וע' פנים לתורה שהוא נגד שבעים לשונות.
“And the seventy facets of Torah correspond to the seventy languages.”
The multiplicity of Torah interpretations mirrors the diversity of human culture and expression.
כמ"ש הואיל משה באר כו' בשבעים לשון.
“As it is written: ‘Moses explained…’—in seventy languages.”
Moses’ explanation of the Torah in seventy languages reflects its universal reach.
ושורש האומות ד' מלכיות והם נגד ארבע פירושים שבתורה פרד"ס.
“And the root of the nations lies in the four empires, which correspond to the four levels of Torah interpretation—Pardes.”
The four imperial powers that shape world history parallel the four interpretive dimensions of Torah.
והם הד' לשונות של גאולה.
“And these are the four expressions of redemption.”
The Sefat Emet ties the structure of exile–empire–interpretation directly to the fourfold formula of redemption.
ובפסוק הן בנ"י לא שמעו כו' ואיך ישמעני פרעה ואני ערל שפתים.
“And regarding the verse: ‘Behold, the Children of Israel did not listen to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?’”
Moses complains that if Israel does not heed his words, how could Pharaoh, a foreign king, possibly receive them.
פי' שלא הי' יכול פרעה לקבל דבורו של מרע"ה רק באמצעות בנ"י שהי' להם קצת שייכות אליו שהיו משועבדים תחתיו.
“This means Pharaoh could receive Moses’ speech only through the Children of Israel, who had some connection to him through their subjugation.”
Because Israel was bound to Egypt, their partial receptivity could enable Moses' words to reach Pharaoh.
וע"ז קרא מרע"ה לעצמו ערל שפתים.
“And for this reason Moses called himself ‘uncircumcised of lips.’”
He perceived an obstruction in his ability to speak directly to Pharaoh without Israel as an intermediary.
שבוודאי צריך להיות דיבור הצדיק עולה עד גבוה מעל גבוה ויורד עד למטה מטה.
“For surely the speech of the tzaddik must rise ever upward and descend to the lowest depths.”
The ideal prophetic word reaches all levels of reality, but Moses felt hindered in achieving this.
והרי משזכה לתורה ביאר התורה בשבעים לשון.
“And once he merited the Torah, he explained it in seventy languages.”
After Sinai, Moses’ speech attained universality, overcoming the earlier limitation.
והוא הדבר אשר דיברנו בשם הזוה"ק שהדיבור הי' בגלות.
“And this corresponds to what we said in the name of the Zohar: that speech itself was in exile.”
The exile of Egypt involved a spiritual exile of language, restricting communication of divine truth.
והי' העצה ע"י אהרן שהוא הי' לו קצת שייכות בגלות.
“And the remedy was through Aaron, who had some connection to the exile.”
Aaron, linked to the people in Egypt, could channel the divine word where Moses could not yet reach.
אף ששבט לוי לא עבדו היו משועבדים קצת.
“For although the tribe of Levi did not serve, they were still somewhat subject to the exile.”
The Levites’ partial involvement gave Aaron the capacity to bridge Moses’ speech to Israel and Pharaoh.
Summary: The Sefat Emet links the four expressions of redemption to Torah’s four interpretive levels, the four empires, and the seventy languages. Redemption unfolds as Torah, and speech itself was in exile until Moses and Aaron together restored it.