Sanctifying Speech and Divine Kingship

מצות עומר לתת הראשית להשי"ת.

The mitzvah of the Omer is to give the first portion to God.

This introduces the idea that the first of one’s produce must be dedicated upward, setting a spiritual foundation for all that follows.

ועי"ז נמשך כל המאכל להקדושה.

And through this, all food is drawn into holiness.

By offering the first portion, the entire realm of sustenance becomes sanctified.

לכן נק' עומר.

Therefore it is called the Omer.

The name reflects its role as a foundational measure that elevates all nourishment.

ובמד' ואתה כו' בריתי תשמור זה העומר.

And in the Midrash: “And you shall keep My covenant”—this refers to the Omer.

The Midrash links the Omer to the maintenance of God’s covenant.

שזה פי' ברית מה שמתקשר הכל למקום אחד.

For this is the meaning of covenant: that which binds everything to one point.

A covenant is a unifying force, and the Omer serves to reconnect creation to its divine source.

ממחרת השבת.

“On the morrow of the Sabbath.”

This marks the moment when a new spiritual orientation begins after Passover.

כי כל זמן דכפית באחרא אי אפשר לקבל מלכות שמים כראוי כמ"ש בזוה"ק בהר.

For as long as one is subjugated to the Other Side, one cannot properly receive the Kingdom of Heaven, as stated in the Zohar.

True acceptance of divine sovereignty requires freedom from spiritual enslavement.

ולכן אחר יציאת מצרים שיצאו לחירות צריך כל אחד לקבל על עצמו מלכות שמים לכן הוא ר"ה למלכים.

Therefore, after the Exodus, when they emerged into freedom, each person needed to accept the Kingdom of Heaven; thus it is the New Year for kings.

Redemption inaugurates a new relationship with divine authority, symbolized by a new regal calendar.

וזה ג"כ הסיפור ביציאת מצרים שהוא לתת העיקר להשי"ת.

And this too is the telling of the Exodus: to give primacy to God.

The act of recounting the Exodus reorients one’s sense of what is essential.

כי חשיבות האדם הוא הדיבור החשוב מדצח"ם.

For the importance of a person lies in speech, which is the highest of the four levels: mineral, vegetable, animal, human.

Speech distinguishes humanity and serves as the primary vehicle for spiritual expression.

וגם איתא בזוה"ק שהדיבור הי' בגלות במצרים ע"ש.

And the Zohar states that speech was in exile in Egypt.

In Egypt, the human capacity for meaningful expression was suppressed.

ופי' דיבור הוא ההנהגה.

And the meaning of “speech” is governance.

Speech guides and directs; it is the faculty through which a person shapes reality.

וגם הפרט שמתגלה פנימיות האדם ע"י דבורו וזה המעלה שיש בו מכל בע"ח שיכול להוציא ולגלות פנימיות שלו לחוץ.

And in particular, a person’s inner essence is revealed through speech, which is the human advantage over all animals, for one can express and reveal one’s inner self outwardly.

Speech externalizes the inner spiritual life, making the invisible visible.

וכשיצאו לחירות הי' הדיבור ברשותם לכן צריכין לתת כח הדיבור להשי"ת.

And when they went out to freedom, speech came into their control; therefore they had to dedicate the power of speech to God.

Freedom restores the ability to direct one’s voice toward divine purpose.

ובמ"א כתבנו כי ד' לשונות גאולה הם נגד מוצאות הפה.

And elsewhere we wrote that the four expressions of redemption correspond to the organs of speech.

The stages of redemption mirror the human capacity to articulate holiness.

וי"ל ג"כ נגד דצח"ם והם ד' בנים כנ"ל.

And it may also be said that they correspond to the four levels—mineral, vegetable, animal, human—and to the four sons, as stated above.

The Sefat Emet links the Passover framework to universal structures within creation and human experience.

כנודע שהאדם כולל כל הנבראים והדיבור הוא מעלה עליונה שהכל נמשך אחריו לכן נקרא דיבור.

For it is known that a person includes all created beings, and speech is an elevated power to which all else is drawn; therefore it is called “speech.”

Human speech harmonizes and influences all levels of existence.

Summary: The Omer represents dedicating the first and highest powers—especially speech—to God. Through liberation from Egypt, speech is restored, enabling proper acceptance of divine kingship and alignment of all creation with holiness.