The unchangeable holy point in every Jew

בפ' אני ה"א כמעשה א"מ כו' ובמד' כשושנה בין החוחים כו' כשם ששושנה בין החוחים קשה לבעלי' ללקטה כך הי' יצ"מ קשה כו' אלולי שאסר הקב"ה עצמו בשבועה שנאמר לכן אמור כו' לא הי' מדה"ד נותנת שיגאלו כו'.

On the passage, "I am Hashem your God; like the deeds of the land of Egypt…" — and in the Midrash, "like a rose among the thorns" — just as a rose among the thorns is difficult for its owner to pluck, so was the Exodus from Egypt difficult… were it not that the Holy One bound Himself with an oath, as it says, "therefore say…," the attribute of strict justice (middas hadin) would not have allowed them to be redeemed.

The Midrash compares Bnei Yisrael in Egypt to a rose entangled among thorns: extracting them was so "difficult" that only Hashem's binding oath, overriding strict justice, made the redemption possible.

הענין הוא דשושנה בה"ח וודאי היא מעלה יתירה שנשתנית למעליותא מהחוחים.

The matter is that a rose among the thorns certainly has an added distinction, for it is changed for the better, surpassing the thorns.

Being a "rose among thorns" is itself a praise: the rose remains superior to and distinct from the thorns surrounding it.

אך אעפ"כ השושנה שבין החוחים מקבלת פגם ונקבים מן החוחים עכ"פ.

But even so, the rose among the thorns does receive some blemish and pricks from the thorns, at the very least.

Nonetheless, surrounded by thorns, the rose inevitably suffers some damage from them.

וכמו כן אעפ"י שבנ"י הם בעצמם נשמות קדושות וטהורות מ"מ קיבלו פגם במקום טומאת מצרים וכמה דברים שחושב המד' שלא שינו לשונם ושמותם כו'.

And likewise, even though Bnei Yisrael are themselves holy and pure souls, nevertheless they received a blemish in the place of Egypt's impurity — and there are several things the Midrash enumerates, that they did not change their language or their names, and so forth.

Though intrinsically holy souls, Bnei Yisrael absorbed some damage from the impurity of Egypt — which is why the Midrash must praise the merits by which they preserved their identity (their language, names, etc.).

אעפ"כ מי שנכנס למקום בורסקי ריח רע קולט עכ"פ.

Even so, one who enters a tannery absorbs a foul odor, at the very least.

The principle: anyone who enters a foul-smelling place inevitably picks up some of its stench — exposure leaves a mark.

ולכן מצד זה הי' קשה שיצאו ממצרים.

And therefore, from this standpoint, it was difficult for them to leave Egypt.

Because they had absorbed some of Egypt's impurity, strict justice made their redemption "difficult."

והקב"ה שאמר לכן אמור כו' אני ה' ואסר עצמו פי' שהדביק הקדושה בבנ"י אפי' בהיותם עדיין במצרים ומתוך זה נמשכו אחריו כמ"ש משכו ידיכם מע"ז.

And the Holy One, who said "therefore say… I am Hashem," and bound Himself — the meaning is that He attached holiness to Bnei Yisrael even while they were still in Egypt, and through this they were drawn after Him, as it says, "withdraw your hands from avodah zarah [and take for yourselves a lamb]."

Hashem's oath worked by infusing kedushah into Bnei Yisrael even within Egypt, so that they were drawn to follow Him — withdrawing from idolatry to take the Korban Pesach.

ובנ"י השתוקקו לזה כמ"ש משכני אחריך נרוצה.

And Bnei Yisrael longed for this, as it says, "draw me after You, let us run."

Bnei Yisrael responded to that implanted holiness with a yearning to be drawn after Hashem.

דהנה כמו שנמשלו בנ"י לשושנה בה"ח כן הקב"ה כתפוח בעצי היער.

For just as Bnei Yisrael are compared to a "rose among the thorns," so the Holy One is "like an apple tree among the trees of the forest."

The same chapter compares Hashem to an apple tree standing among the wild forest trees — a parallel image to the rose among thorns.

פי' התגלות אלקותו ית"ש בעולמות התחתונים נק' כן.

The meaning is that the revelation of His Godliness in the lower worlds is called this.

The "apple tree among the forest" represents how Hashem reveals His presence even down in the lowest worlds.

אעפ"כ הקב"ה קדוש ונבדל ולכן נדמה לתפוח בעצי היער שהוא מעליותא שנשתנה לשבח ואינו מקבל שום פגם מעצי היער.

Even so, the Holy One is holy and set apart; therefore He is compared to an apple tree among the trees of the forest, which is a distinction — it is changed for praise and receives no blemish whatsoever from the trees of the forest.

Unlike the rose, which is harmed by the thorns, the apple tree remains entirely unaffected by the surrounding forest — Hashem is revealed in the lower worlds yet remains utterly holy and unblemished.

וכמו כן נשתוקקו בנ"י להיות כך כמ"ש בצלו חמדתי.

And likewise Bnei Yisrael longed to be this way, as it says, "in His shade I delighted."

Bnei Yisrael yearned to attain the apple tree's quality — to dwell "in His shade," remaining untouched by their surroundings.

וכן רצון הקב"ה בנשמות בנ"י שנשתלחו בעוה"ז ובמצרים ובארץ כנען שלא יקבלו שום שינוי מאלה המקומות.

And such is the will of the Holy One regarding the souls of Bnei Yisrael, who were sent into this world, and into Egypt, and into the land of Canaan — that they should not receive any change from these places.

Hashem's desire is that the souls of Bnei Yisrael, dispatched into spiritually dangerous places, remain wholly unaltered by them — like the apple tree.

וזה הכח קיבלו ביצ"מ.

And this power they received at the Exodus from Egypt.

The Exodus endowed Bnei Yisrael with the strength to remain unchanged by impure surroundings.

וז"ש אני ה' אלקיכם ובכח זו הקדושה יכולים אתם להיות נשמר שלא לעשות כמעשיהם.

And this is the meaning of "I am Hashem your God" — and through the power of this holiness you are able to be guarded so as not to act like their deeds.

The declaration "I am Hashem your God" conveys the holiness that empowers Bnei Yisrael to resist the conduct of Egypt and Canaan.

וכ"כ אני ה' לא שניתי. שאין בו שינוי לעולם כן אתם בנ"י לא כליתם.

And so it is written, "I am Hashem, I have not changed" — that there is no change in Him ever; "so you, Bnei Yisrael, are not consumed."

Just as Hashem is utterly changeless, He grants Bnei Yisrael a share of that changelessness, so they are never destroyed by their surroundings.

כמ"ש במ"א מזה שעכ"פ נמצא קדושה גנוזה בנפש ישראל שאינה מקבלת שינוי.

As is written elsewhere about this, that there is at least a hidden holiness (kedushah genuzah) found in the soul of a Jew that does not receive any change.

Deep within every Jew lies a concealed core of holiness that can never be altered or damaged.

וכשאדם מדבק עצמו בזו הנקודה. בזה יכול להינצל מן החוחים כמו שהי' ביציאת מצרים כנ"ל:

And when a person attaches himself to this point (nekudah), through this he is able to be saved from the thorns, just as it was at the Exodus from Egypt, as above.

By cleaving to that unchangeable inner point of holiness, a person can be rescued from the "thorns" of his surroundings, reliving the salvation of the Exodus.

Summary: Bnei Yisrael in Egypt were like "a rose among thorns" — superior to their surroundings yet inevitably pricked and blemished by Egypt's impurity, so that strict justice nearly barred their redemption. Hashem's binding oath worked by implanting holiness within them even in Egypt, drawing them to follow Him. But Hashem Himself is "an apple tree among the forest" — revealed in the lowest worlds yet utterly unblemished by them — and His will is that Bnei Yisrael attain this same quality. The strength they received at the Exodus, rooted in the changeless holiness of "I am Hashem, I have not changed," lies as a hidden, unalterable point in every Jew's soul; by cleaving to it, one is saved from the "thorns" of his surroundings.