Eternal Divine Kindness

איתא במד' תהלים ע"פ הודו לה' כי טוב כל"ח החסד שהקב"ה עושה עם בני ישראל אינו לשעה ולשנה רק לעולם.

It is stated in Midrash Tehillim on the verse “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good” that all the kindness God performs for Israel is not momentary or temporary, but eternal.

The Sefat Emet begins by citing the Midrash, teaching that divine kindness toward Israel is not bound by time, but endures forever.

וכ"כ חסדי ה' כי לא תמנו ע"ש.

And so it is written: “The kindnesses of the Lord—surely they have not ended with us.”

This verse supports the idea that God’s kindness is ongoing and never exhausted.

כי בנ"י הם כלים לקבל הנסים שהם למעלה מן הטבע והזמן.

For the Children of Israel are vessels capable of receiving miracles that transcend nature and time.

Israel’s spiritual constitution enables them to receive divine acts beyond natural limitations.

לכן החסדים הנעשים להם נשארים לעולם.

Therefore, the kindnesses performed for them remain forever.

Since Israel can contain such miracles, the effects of those miracles endure through all generations.

וכן איתא במכילתא והי' לי לישועה לא כתיב רק ויהי לי לעתיד.

And so it is taught in the Mekhilta: it does not say “He was my salvation,” but “He will be for me,” meaning for the future.

The wording teaches that divine salvation extends beyond the moment of the miracle into the future.

וזה עדות השירה שנשאר להם הנס דקי"ס לדורות.

And this is the testimony of the Song, that the miracle of the splitting of the sea remained with them for generations.

The Song at the Sea serves as enduring testimony that the miracle continues to resonate throughout time.

וז"ש חסדי ה' כי לא תמנו דהול"ל כי לא תמו רק הפי' אצלנו לא תמו החסדים שנשאר בנו קבוע לדורות.

Thus it says “The kindnesses of the Lord—for they have not ended with us,” whereas it should have said “they have not ended”; the meaning is that for us the kindnesses have not ended, for they remain fixed within us for generations.

The unusual phrasing highlights that the persistence of divine kindness is internal—embedded within the people of Israel.

אבל חסד לאומים חטאת וחסרון הוא להם שאינם כלים לקבל החסדים.

But the kindness of the nations is sin and deficiency for them, for they are not vessels fit to receive such kindness.

Other nations cannot retain divine kindness because they lack the spiritual vessel to hold it.

ולכן כ' יאמר נא ישראל. בית אהרן. יראי ה'. כי לעולם חסדו.

Therefore it is written: “Let Israel say; let the house of Aaron say; let those who fear the Lord say: His kindness is forever.”

These groups testify that God’s kindness is indeed eternal because they personally bear its ongoing imprint.

כי המה עדים להעיד על זה שהחסדים הם לעולם.

For they are the witnesses who testify that the kindnesses are eternal.

The enduring spiritual experience of Israel, the priests, and those in awe of God serves as living proof of everlasting divine kindness.

Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that Israel is uniquely suited to receive miracles beyond nature, allowing divine kindness to become eternal within them. This is affirmed by scripture, midrash, and the enduring impact of miracles like the splitting of the sea, which remain alive across generations.