Revealing the hidden miracle in nature

במד' זובח תודה יכבדנני כו' שאינו בא על חטא רק על נס ושם דרך המדליק נרות כו' ע"ש כל הדרשות.

In the Midrash on "One who offers a thanksgiving-offering (todah) honors Me," etc. — that it does not come for a sin but only for a miracle; and "he who sets a path (sam derech)" — the one who kindles lamps, etc.; see there all the derashos.

The Sfas Emes begins from the Midrash on the korban todah, which is brought not to atone for sin but to acknowledge a miracle, and on the phrase "sam derech," reading it as one who "sets a path."

והענין הוא כי פרסומי ניסא הוא מצוה רבה כי באמת כל הטבע היא ג"כ הנהגתו ית"ש רק שאינו ניכר וכשעושה השי"ת לפעמים נסים הרי זה יצא מן הכלל ללמד על הכלל כולו להודיע כי השי"ת ברא ומנהיג כל הטבע ג"כ.

And the matter is that pirsumei nisa (publicizing the miracle) is a great mitzvah, for in truth all of nature is likewise His conduct, may His Name be blessed, only that it is not recognizable; and when Hashem occasionally performs miracles, this "leaves the general rule to teach about the whole rule" — to make known that Hashem created and conducts all of nature as well.

Publicizing a miracle is precious because nature itself is just as much Hashem's doing, only hidden; an open miracle is the exception that reveals the rule, proving that the natural order too is His creation and governance.

כמ"ש הרמב"ן ז"ל שיש נסים נסתרים בטבע ונסים נגלים ע"ש.

As the Ramban, of blessed memory, wrote, that there are hidden miracles within nature and revealed miracles — see there.

The Ramban distinguishes between open miracles and the "hidden miracles" that operate constantly within the natural order itself.

לכן המכיר בנס וחסדיו של הקב"ה ומביא תודה ע"ז.

Therefore one who recognizes the miracle and the kindnesses of the Holy One, Blessed is He, and brings a todah for it.

A person who perceives Hashem's miracle and brings a thanksgiving-offering in response.

בזה הוא שם דרך ומודיע מלכותו ית"ש בעולם כמ"ש מי חכם וישמר אלה ויתבוננו חסדי ה'.

By this he "sets a path" and publicizes His kingship, may His Name be blessed, in the world, as it is written: "Who is wise — let him guard these things, and let them contemplate the kindnesses of Hashem."

By acknowledging the miracle he lays down a "path" of recognition and reveals Hashem's malchus in the world — this is the wisdom of contemplating Hashem's chasadim.

ובאמת כל העובד השי"ת ומבקש למצוא האמת הוא רואה תמיד איך השי"ת הוא המנהיג לכל בכל יום תמיד.

And in truth, anyone who serves Hashem and seeks to find the truth sees constantly how Hashem is the One who conducts everything, every day, always.

One genuinely engaged in avodas Hashem and the pursuit of truth perceives Hashem's hand directing all things at every moment.

ועובדי השי"ת מבררין זאת ונק' שם דרך.

And those who serve Hashem clarify this, and are called "those who set a path."

The servants of Hashem make this hidden truth manifest, and that is the meaning of "sam derech."

דכתיב ישרים דרכי ה' צדיקים ילכו בם כו'.

As it is written: "Straight are the ways of Hashem; the tzaddikim walk in them," etc.

The pasuk in Hoshea describes the upright paths of Hashem upon which the tzaddikim travel.

והם הדרכים שבעוה"ז שהם נסתרים והצדיקים מכירים האמת.

And these are the paths in this world that are hidden, and the tzaddikim recognize the truth.

These "ways of Hashem" are concealed within olam hazeh, and it is the tzaddikim who discern the truth running through them.

ושם דרך הוא לשון סידור כמו ושמו איש על עבודתו שהם מבררים האמת והפנימיות מתוך החיצוניות.

And "sam derech" is an expression of arrangement (sidur), like "and each man was placed (v'samu) over his service" — for they clarify the truth and the penimiyus from within the chitzoniyus (externality).

"Sam" connotes ordering and setting in place; the tzaddikim "arrange" reality so that its inner truth shines out from within its outer, physical shell.

ובנ"י בכלל נקראו שם דרך.

And Bnei Yisrael as a whole are called "those who set a path."

Klal Yisrael collectively bears this title of laying down the path of revealing Hashem in the world.

ובהיותן בגלות מצרים ובשאר גליות שהאור נסתר והם זוכין לגאולה מיישרין בזה הדרכים ומאירין לכל העולם.

And when they were in the galus of Mitzrayim and in the other exiles, where the light is hidden, and they merit the geulah, they thereby straighten the paths and illuminate the entire world.

In every galus the Divine light is concealed; when Bnei Yisrael are redeemed, they straighten these hidden paths and bring light to the whole world.

והד' שצריכין להודות על נס מ"מ אלה הנסים מתלבשין קצת בטבע ולכן תודה יש בו חמץ ומצה.

And the explanation of why one must give thanks for a miracle — nevertheless these miracles are somewhat clothed in nature, and therefore the todah-offering contains both chametz and matzah.

The reason the thanksgiving-offering uniquely includes both leavened and unleavened loaves is that the miracles it acknowledges are partly "clothed" within nature.

כי מצה היא הנהגה עליונה בלי הסתר וחמץ הוא כשמתלבש בטבע ומשתנה ע"י צמצום והסתר.

For matzah is the supernal conduct without concealment, and chametz is when it clothes itself in nature and becomes changed through tzimtzum (contraction) and concealment.

Matzah represents Hashem's direct governance, open and unconcealed; chametz, which rises and expands, represents that same governance once it is "clothed" in nature and altered through contraction and hiddenness.

וזה שאור שבעיסה שמשנה העיסה.

And this is the leaven in the dough that changes the dough.

The yeast that transforms the dough symbolizes nature's "changing" of the unmediated Divine flow.

והנס ביציאת מצרים הי' למעלה מכל הטבע לכן הוא מצה.

And the miracle of Yetzias Mitzrayim was above all of nature; therefore it is matzah.

The Exodus was a wholly supernatural miracle, beyond nature entirely — hence Pesach is the festival of matzah alone.

אבל נסים הנסתרים בטבע הם חמץ ומצה כנ"ל.

But the miracles hidden within nature are chametz and matzah, as above.

By contrast, the hidden miracles that work through nature contain both elements — the supernal source (matzah) clothed in the natural garment (chametz).

כמ"ש במד' יכבדנני בעוה"ז ובעוה"ב.

As is written in the Midrash: "honors Me" — in this world and in the World to Come.

The Midrash reads "honors Me" as applying to both worlds, hinting at this double aspect.

וזה הוא שצריכין להודות ולהעיד שגם הטבע הכל מהנהגתו ית' ללמד על הכלל כולו כמש"ל.

And this is what we must give thanks for and testify to: that nature too is entirely from His conduct, to teach about the whole rule, as above.

The thanksgiving is precisely to bear witness that nature itself is all Hashem's governance — the open miracle teaching us about the hidden ones.

והנה אמרו חז"ל ע"פ ושמרתם את המצות כשם כו' כך אין מחמיצין את המצות.

And behold, Chazal said on the pasuk "and you shall guard the matzos" — just as [you guard the matzos so they do not become leavened], so too one must not let the mitzvos become "leavened" (delayed).

Chazal read "u'shmartem es ha'matzos" (guard the matzos) as also "u'shmartem es ha'mitzvos" — do not let a mitzvah "go stale," but perform it promptly.

והענין ג"כ יבואר ע"ד הנ"ל כי התורה אור למעלה מהגשמיות והטבע.

And this matter too may be explained along the above lines: for the Torah is a light above physicality and nature.

Applying the same principle: Torah is a supernal light that transcends the physical world and nature.

והמצות הם נרות איך להביא אור התורה בכל המעשים.

And the mitzvos are lamps — how to bring the light of the Torah into all of one's deeds.

Mitzvos are like lamps that channel the abstract light of Torah down into concrete actions (connecting back to "the one who kindles lamps").

ולאשר המצות הם בעשי' צריכין שימור שלא להחמיץ במחשבות זרות ופניות הבאים מצד שותפות המעשה בגשמיות.

And because the mitzvos are in the realm of action, they require guarding so as not to "become leavened" through foreign thoughts and ulterior motives (pniyos) that come from the partnership of the deed with physicality.

Since mitzvos are performed in the physical world, they must be guarded against the "leavening" of distracting thoughts and self-interest that creep in through their material side.

והזריזין למצות מתדבקין בהתלהבות שורש המצוה ואין באין לידי חימוץ.

And those who are zealous (zerizin) for mitzvos cleave with enthusiasm to the root of the mitzvah and do not come to "leavening."

One who performs mitzvos with zeal and fervor stays attached to the mitzvah's holy root and never lets it sour into self-interest.

ובשבת הגדול הוא מצוה ראשונה לכלל ישראל ונק' הגדול.

And on Shabbos HaGadol — it is the first mitzvah given to Klal Yisrael, and it is called "HaGadol" (the Great).

The Shabbos before Pesach is called "the Great Shabbos," tied to the first national mitzvah (taking the korban Pesach) given to Klal Yisrael.

עפ"י מ"ש רז"ל רצה הקב"ה לזכות את ישראל הרבה להם תורה ומצות כו' למען צדקו יגדיל תורה.

Based on what Chazal said: the Holy One, Blessed is He, wished to grant merit to Yisrael, so He gave them abundant Torah and mitzvos, etc., as it is written: "For the sake of His righteousness He magnifies (yagdil) Torah."

Chazal teach that Hashem multiplied Torah and mitzvos in order to give Bnei Yisrael more merit — and "yagdil" (magnifies) echoes the name "HaGadol."

והוא כנ"ל שהמצות הם התפשטות הארת התורה בעשי'.

And this is as above: that the mitzvos are the spreading-out of the Torah's radiance into action.

The mitzvos extend the light of Torah outward into the realm of deeds.

והוא פרסומי ניסא בתוך הטבע כנ"ל.

And this is pirsumei nisa within nature, as above.

This drawing of Torah's light into action is itself the "publicizing of the miracle" within the natural world.

והוא התפשטות הארת השבת לימי המעשה.

And it is the spreading-out of the radiance of Shabbos into the days of work.

Likewise, the mitzvos extend the holiness of Shabbos into the ordinary weekdays.

והכל ענין אחד כי שבת הוא כולו תורה והנהגה שלמעלה מהטבע וביציאת מצרים התחיל להתגלות הנהגה הנ"ל בעולם:

And it is all one matter, for Shabbos is entirely Torah and conduct that is above nature, and at Yetzias Mitzrayim this conduct began to be revealed in the world.

It is all a single idea: Shabbos embodies the supernatural governance of Torah, and the Exodus was the moment this above-nature hanhagah first became revealed in the world.

Summary: The korban todah and the mitzvah of pirsumei nisa teach that nature itself is entirely Hashem's hidden governance; an open miracle is the exception that reveals this rule. The tzaddikim, and Klal Yisrael as a whole, "set a path" by drawing out the inner truth from within the physical world. The todah's mix of chametz and matzah reflects supernal Divine conduct (matzah) clothed in nature (chametz), while the mitzvos — like lamps — must be performed with zeal so they are not "leavened" by ulterior motives, channeling the supernal light of Torah and Shabbos into everyday action, as first revealed at Yetzias Mitzrayim.