Shmini
שמיניThe Eighth Day
24 translated essays · 59 total
תרל"א(1870)
Revealing the inner point within every deed· Essay 2
In the Toras Kohanim, on the pasuk "This is the thing that Hashem commanded you shall do, and the glory of Hashem will appear to you" (Vayikra 9:6). The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrash Halacha's reading of the verse, which connects "doing…
Forbidden foods fulfilled by being rejected· Essay 3
In the Gemara: From where do we know that a tereifah cannot survive? As it is written, "This is the chayah (living thing) that you may eat." The Sefas Emes opens from a Gemara that derives, from the wording "This is the chayah that you may …
Acting for ratzon Hashem not distaste· Essay 4
"And Hashem spoke… saying to them" (Vayikra 11:1-2). The Sefas Emes notes the seemingly redundant phrase "saying to them," which he will explain points to the inner intent Bnei Yisrael are meant to have. And it is not understood. The wordin…
Shemini תרל"א
בתורת כהנים בפסוק זה הדבר אשר צוה ה’ תעשו וירא אליכם כבוד ה’. אותו היצה”ר העבירו מלבכם ותהיו בעצה אחת לשרת לפני המקום כשם שהוא יחידי בעולם כך תהי’ עבודתכם מיוחדת לפניו עשיתם כן וירא אליכם כבוד ה’ כו’. In …
תרל"ד(1873)
תרל"ו(1875)
The eighth day and the baal teshuvah· Essay 1
In the Midrash: "Wisdom has built her house..." (Mishlei 9:1), "she has sent forth her maidens, she calls..." (Mishlei 9:3). The Sefas Emes opens with the Midrash on the verses in Mishlei describing Wisdom building her house and sending out…
Hashem's command outweighs all human intellect· Essay 2
In the name of my grandfather, of blessed memory, on the verse "which He had not commanded them." The Sefas Emes cites a teaching from his grandfather (the Chiddushei HaRim) on the "strange fire" that Nadav and Avihu brought, "which Hashem …
Serving Hashem for His will alone· Essay 3
In the Mishnah, the first chapter of Avos: "Do not be like servants who serve… in order to receive a reward…" The Sefas Emes cites Antigonos' teaching (Avos 1:3) warning against serving Hashem for the sake of reward, and he will probe its p…
Shemini תרל"ו
במד’ חכמות בנתה ביתה כו’ שלחה נערותי’ תקרא כו’. The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 11:1) explains the pesukim in Mishlei 9:1-4) חׇ֭כְמוֹת בָּנְתָ֣ה בֵיתָ֑הּ חָצְבָ֖ה עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ שִׁבְעָֽה׃ Wisdom has built her house,She ha…
תרל"ז(1876)
Teshuvah heals the world's deficiency· Essay 1
In the Midrash: "Wisdom has built her house," etc., "she has sent forth her maidens, she calls" — this refers to Adam and Chavah, etc., and further, "her maidens she calls" — "and it was on the eighth day, He called," etc. The Sefas Emes ci…
Kosher eating refines all Creation· Essay 2
In the Midrash: "These are the living creatures that you may eat" — "Every saying of Hashem is refined (tzerufah)" (Mishlei 30:5)… the Torah was given in order to refine (le'tzaref) people. The Sefas Emes opens by linking the kosher animals…
Guarding speech expands the inner will· Essay 3
And in the Midrash Tanchuma: "To do Your will, I desired, and Your Torah is within my innards" (Tehillim 40:9). The Sefas Emes builds on the pasuk that the ratzon (will) to do Hashem's will, and His Torah, are planted deep within a person. …
True shame leads to joy not sadness· Essay 4
In Rashi: that Aharon was ashamed (afraid to approach the altar), and Moshe said to him: "Draw near," etc. Rashi relates that Aharon hesitated out of shame to approach the mizbei'ach, and Moshe had to urge him forward. And one can learn fro…
תרל"ט(1878)
Eighth day light beyond nature· Essay 1
In the Midrash on "And it was on the eighth day [Moshe] called..." (Vayikra 9:1) — [it connects it to] "Wisdom has built her house..." (Mishlei 9:1). The Midrash links the "eighth day" of the Mishkan's inauguration with the pasuk about Wisd…
Command outweighs reasons in mitzvos· Essay 2
In the name of my grandfather, of blessed memory, on the sin of Nadav and Avihu — "which He had not commanded them" (Vayikra 10:1). Citing his grandfather (the Chiddushei HaRim), the Sefas Emes addresses the sin of Nadav and Avihu, who brou…
The restored song of the eighth day· Essay 3
On the verse, "And all the people saw, and they sang out for joy" (Vayikra 9:24). The Sefas Emes opens from the verse describing the people's reaction when fire descended on the eighth day of the Mishkan's inauguration. And it does not stat…
תר"מ(1879)
Avodah as preparation for bittul· Essay 1
In the Midrash: "The wisdom of women builds her house" (Mishlei 14:1), etc. The Sefas Emes opens with the pasuk about wisdom building its house, which Chazal apply to the ordered structure of creation and of avodas Hashem. We have already w…
Mourning Nadav and Avihu as a duty for all Israel· Essay 2
On the pasuk: "And your brethren, the entire house of Yisrael, shall weep over the burning" (Vayikra 10:6). The Sefas Emes opens on the verse following the death of Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, who were consumed by a heavenly fire. …
The eighth day's doubled nature like Shabbos· Essay 3
In the Midrash, the eighth day is divided into two days. The Sefas Emes notes a Midrash that treats the eighth day of the Mishkan's inauguration as if it were two distinct days. For it raised a difficulty from the verse "And it was on the d…
תרמ"א(1880)
Refining nature before supernal light· Essay 1
In the Midrash on the pasuk "On the eighth day [Moshe] called" (Vayikra 9:1): "Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn her seven pillars" (Mishlei 9:1) — the seven days of inauguration; "she has sent forth her maidens, she calls" — "on the…
Teshuvah of Aharon elevates all Israel· Essay 2
In Rashi: "Draw near to the Mizbe'ach" — why are you ashamed? It is for this that you were chosen. The Sefas Emes opens with Rashi's account of Moshe encouraging Aharon, who hesitated out of shame to approach the altar, telling him that thi…
Closeness to Hashem through bittul and command· Essay 3
On the pasuk: "This is what He spoke… 'Through those close to Me I will be sanctified'… and Aharon was silent." After the death of his two sons, Aharon does not cry out but falls silent — and the Sefas Emes wants to understand the meaning o…
Kosher laws refine and sanctify this world· Essay 4
On the verse "And [Hashem] spoke… saying to them" (Vayikra 11:1-2). The Sefas Emes opens on the introduction to the laws of kosher and non-kosher animals, focusing on the seemingly extra word "lemor" (saying). And in the Midrash: "the word …
Undated
35 more essays from this section await translation.