Torah as rectification and peace for all creation

במדרש ה' עוזי כו'.

In the Midrash: "Hashem is my strength" etc.

The Midrash opens with the verse describing Hashem as the strength of Bnei Yisrael, the theme being the giving of the Torah.

אליך גוים יבאו כו'.

"To You the nations will come" etc.

The prophet foresees that ultimately all the nations will turn toward Hashem — hinting that the Torah's purpose reaches beyond Yisrael alone.

כי קבלת התורה הי' תיקון לכל הברואים.

For the receiving of the Torah was a tikkun (rectification) for all creatures.

Mattan Torah repaired and elevated all of creation, not only the Jewish people.

הגם שמיוחד רק לבנ"י.

Even though it is unique to Bnei Yisrael alone.

Although the Torah was given specifically to Bnei Yisrael.

מ"מ הי' זה דרך לתקן הכל.

Nevertheless this was the means to rectify everything.

Through Bnei Yisrael receiving it, the Torah becomes the channel by which all of creation is set right.

וכ"כ ה' עוז לעמו יתן כו' בשלום.

And so it is written: "Hashem will give strength to His people… with peace."

The same "strength" — the Torah — is given to His people so that they may bring shalom into the world.

ולכן נקראו בני ישראל השולמית כדכתב במדרש חזית שעושים שלום ביני לבין עולמי כו'.

Therefore Bnei Yisrael are called "the Shulamis," as it is written in the Midrash Chazis, that they make peace between Me and My world etc.

Bnei Yisrael are "the Shulamis" (from shalom) because they reconcile the world below with Hashem above.

פי' שבני ישראל מקרבין התחתונים לשורש העליון על ידי התורה.

The meaning is that Bnei Yisrael draw the lower beings near to the upper root by means of the Torah.

Through Torah, Bnei Yisrael bind the lower world back to its supernal source.

וכתיב שלום שלום לרחוק ולקרוב.

And it is written: "Peace, peace, to the far and to the near."

The verse promises peace both to the one who is near and to the one who is far.

היינו שגם להרחוק יש שייכות אל השלימות כשיודע ומכיר את מקומו שהוא רחוק.

That is, even the one who is far has a connection to wholeness when he knows and recognizes his place — that he is far.

Even someone distant from Hashem can connect to perfection, provided he honestly recognizes his own distance.

וכן הי' כשקיבלו בנ"י התורה.

And so it was when Bnei Yisrael received the Torah.

This dynamic of near and far played out at the time of Mattan Torah.

יתרו שהי' חכם ומבין לבטל עצמו.

Yisro, who was wise and understood how to nullify himself.

Yisro had the wisdom to practice bittul (self-nullification) before Hashem.

הגם שהי' רחוק נתקרב.

Even though he was far, he was brought near.

Though Yisro began as an outsider, his honest self-recognition drew him close.

ובאמת הי' צריך להיות התגלות התורה בעולם שבשביל זה נבראת רק שלא הי' כלים לקבל התורה.

And in truth the Torah had to be revealed in the world, for the world was created for this very purpose; it was only that there were no vessels to receive the Torah.

The whole world exists so the Torah can be revealed in it, but the world lacked proper vessels (keilim) to contain it.

רק ע"י בנ"י כמ"ש ז"ל שהחזיר הקב"ה לכל האומות ולא קיבלוה שבנ"י היו מוכנים לקבלת התורה וכשקיבלוה נעשה זה התיקון בכל הכלל.

Only through Bnei Yisrael, as Chazal said that Hashem went around to all the nations and they did not accept it, for Bnei Yisrael were prepared to receive the Torah; and when they received it, this tikkun was effected for the whole of creation.

Bnei Yisrael alone were the ready vessel; when they accepted the Torah, all the world was repaired through them.

וכ' במ"א שלכן כ' וידבר כו' לאמר.

And it is written elsewhere that this is why it says, "And He spoke… saying (lemor)."

The word lemor ("to say") hints that the Torah was meant to be passed onward.

שהתורה ניתנה לבנ"י שיאמרוה לאחרים ג"כ.

For the Torah was given to Bnei Yisrael so that they would also tell it over to others.

Bnei Yisrael are to transmit the Torah's light outward to the rest of mankind.

ליתן לכל אומה החלק ששייך לה.

To give each nation the portion that belongs to it.

Every nation has its own share of the Torah's light, which Bnei Yisrael help convey to it.

כפי הרצון שנמצא בהם.

According to the ratzon (will) found within them.

Each receives in proportion to its genuine desire for closeness to Hashem.

לכן עמלק נדחה ויתרו נתקרב.

Therefore Amalek was pushed away and Yisro was brought near.

Amalek, lacking any will to come close, was rejected, while Yisro, who longed for truth, was drawn in.

וכ"כ ואשים דברי בפיך כו' שהוא עשרת הדברות כו' לנטוע שמים וליסוד ארץ.

And so it is written, "And I have placed My words in your mouth" etc. — which refers to the Aseres HaDibros — "to plant the heavens and to found the earth."

The Ten Commandments are the "words" that plant and establish both heaven and earth.

שע"י התורה מתקיימין עליונים ותחתונים.

For through the Torah both the upper worlds and the lower worlds are sustained.

Torah is the force that upholds the existence of every world, above and below.

וכ' או יחזיק במעוזי יעשה שלום שלום יעשה ודרשו חז"ל מזה העוסק בתורה לשמה משים שלום בפמליא של מעלה ושל מטה.

And it is written, "Or let him take hold of My stronghold, that he make peace with Me; peace let him make" — and Chazal expounded from this that one who occupies himself with Torah lishmah (for its own sake) makes peace in the heavenly retinue (pamalya) above and below.

Studying Torah lishmah brings harmony to the entire cosmos, both the supernal hosts and the world below.

פי' שע"י התורה מתקרבין התחתונים לשורש העליון.

The meaning is that through the Torah the lower beings are brought near to the upper root.

Torah closes the gap between the lower world and its supernal source.

וכמו כן נפתחים שערים עליונים להשפיע לתחתונים.

And likewise the upper gates are opened to bestow upon the lower beings.

At the same time, Torah opens the gates above so that abundance flows down to us.

ופי' ואשים דברי כמו ושמו (את שמי) [אותם איש כו'] לשון סידור שבאמת מיד בבריאת העולם הי' התורה גנוזה במעשה בראשית.

And the meaning of "And I have placed (va'asim) My words" is like "and they shall place [them, each man]" — an expression of arrangement; for in truth, from the very creation of the world the Torah was hidden within the act of Creation.

The word "placed" connotes arranging or setting in order: the Torah was embedded and concealed within creation from the very beginning.

כדאיתא הביט בתורה וברא כו'.

As it is taught: He looked into the Torah and created the world etc.

Hashem used the Torah as the blueprint of creation.

ובקבלת התורה בירר הקב"ה לבנ"י סדר ואופן למצוא דברי התורה.

And at the receiving of the Torah, Hashem clarified for Bnei Yisrael the order and manner by which to find the words of Torah.

Mattan Torah gave Bnei Yisrael the key for uncovering the Torah that lay hidden in creation.

שגנוזין בעשרה מאמרות.

For they are concealed within the ten utterances [of Creation].

The words of Torah are hidden inside the ten ma'amaros with which the world was made.

וז"ש וידבר כו' לאמר.

And this is the meaning of "And He spoke… saying (lemor)."

The term lemor again teaches that the Torah is to be drawn out and conveyed onward.

כמ"ש במ"א מזה:

As has been written elsewhere concerning this.

The Sefas Emes notes he has elaborated on this idea in another place.

Summary: The giving of the Torah was a tikkun for all of creation: though given uniquely to Bnei Yisrael — the only ready vessel — its purpose is to draw the entire lower world back to its supernal root and bestow each nation its portion according to its ratzon, as Yisro who came near and Amalek who was rejected illustrate; the Torah, hidden in creation from the start, was revealed at Sinai so that one who learns it lishmah makes peace above and below.