Divine Redemption Above Nature

ובמדרש באותו דבר שחטא מרע"ה ואמר ומאז באתי כו' באותו לשון אמר שירה כו' ממתיק מר במר כו' ע"ש.

“And in the Midrash: with the very matter in which Moshe Rabbeinu erred and said, ‘Since I came…,’ with that same language he later recited the Song — ‘he sweetens bitterness with bitterness’.”

The Sefat Emet begins by citing the Midrash: the same expression Moshe used in complaint becomes the instrument of praise. This reflects a spiritual principle — that bitterness itself can be transformed into sweetness.

פי' כי טענת מרע"ה הי שאין לגאול ישראל ע"י שליח בו"ד ומתוך הטבע.

“For the meaning is that Moshe’s argument was that Israel cannot be redeemed through an agent of flesh and blood and through natural means.”

Moshe felt redemption must be entirely divine, beyond intermediaries and beyond nature. His complaint stemmed from this belief.

וכמ"ש במדרש מי אנכי שהשי"ת הבטיח אנכי אעלך כו' ע"ש.

“As the Midrash says on ‘Who am I?’ — that God promised: ‘I Myself will bring you up.’”

The divine response affirms Moshe’s intuition: redemption indeed comes from God directly.

וז"ש ומאז באתי כו' כי הזמן הוא תוך הטבע.

“And this is the meaning of ‘Since I came…,’ for time is within the realm of nature.”

Moshe’s frustration relates to time — a dimension governed by natural processes, which seemed to obstruct redemption.

אבל באמת השי"ת רצה לברר שיש חיות מלמעלה מן הטבע בתוך הטבע והזמן.

“But in truth, God wished to clarify that there is life from beyond nature within nature and time.”

God’s intention is to reveal transcendence not by bypassing nature, but from within it.

ופי' אז אף שהוא בזמן מ"מ הוא זמן מיוחד והוא מקום האחדות שיש להזמן והטבע במה שלמעלה מהטבע כמ"ש יום אחד יודע לה' כו'.

“And the word ‘az’ (then): although it is within time, it is nevertheless a special time — a locus where time and nature connect with that which is beyond nature, as in ‘a day that is one, known to God.’”

The moment of redemption occurs within time, yet it taps into timeless unity.

וכ"כ בספרים פי' א"ז א' וז' כי שמיני הוא למעלה מהטבע ע"ש בזוה"ק והוא כנ"ל.

“And so it is written in the books: the meaning of Alef-Zayin (az) is one and seven, for the eighth is above nature, as stated in the Zohar — and this is the same idea.”

The letters of ‘az’ hint at the unity of natural cycles (seven) with transcendence (eight).

וז"ש המדרש ממתיק מר במר כו' שנמצא הישועה תוך הצרה ע"י הבירור כנ"ל.

“And this is what the Midrash means by ‘sweetening the bitter with the bitter’ — that salvation is found within distress through this clarification.”

Redemption arises not from escaping suffering but from elevating and transforming it.

וזה עצמו פי' השירה שהוא לשון המשכה והסתכלות.

“And this itself is the meaning of ‘the song,’ which implies drawing down and contemplation.”

Song represents an inner vision that draws divine light into the world.

שנעשו הכל מכש"כ בנ"י. מכוונים לאביהם שבשמים וזה אשירה כו'.

“For all was transformed — and all the more so for Israel — into alignment with their Father in Heaven; and this is ‘I shall sing.’”

Through song, Israel attains full alignment with divine will, turning all experience into connection.

Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that Moshe’s complaint becomes the source of song, revealing how redemption emerges from within nature, time, and even bitterness itself. The word ‘az’ symbolizes the merging of the natural and the transcendent, demonstrating that salvation comes from transforming, not escaping, difficulty.