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Sfas Emes
Sfas Emes - Emes VeEmunah
A Sfas Emes CompanionNosson Chayim Leff
Sfas Emes - Emes VeEmunah
In this breakthrough new book, Dr. Nosson Chayim Leff gives clarity to the profound and often cryptic elucidations of one of the greatest and classic hashkafah works - the Sfas Emes, by Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter, zt"l - presenting the ideas and insights in a clear and readable format for today’s generation.
Book Excerpt from Sfas Emes - Emes VeEmunah
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Emes VeEmunah:
Selections from the classic Jewish philosophical/hashkafa work of the "Sfas Emes",Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter, the Gerrer Rebbe, now in English. A clear, readable format for today’s generation.
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Parshas Toldos
The Sfas Emes takes us back to the subject of hester. That is, Hashem is at all times present, but is "hiding" behind nature and chitzoniyus.
Last week, in Parashas Chayei Sarah, the Sfas Emes discussed hester in the context of time, i.e., in viewing history and current events.
This week, the Sfas Emes discusses hester in more general terms. He also focuses on the responsibility that hester brings with it for us, namely, the task of penetrating the hester to be aware of Hashem's presence.
Where in Parashas Toldos does the Sfas Emes find the issue of hester? He finds it in Bereishis 26:18-22. Avraham Avinu had dug wells to give people access to water. Chazal see these wells not only as real-life wells, but also as a metaphor for Avraham Avinu's activity in giving people access to Hashem, whose presence is manifest in the water of the wells.
After Avraham's death, the Pelishtim - the original Palestinians - filled in the wells with earth. Again, viewing this realworld experience in metaphoric terms, we see this action of the Pelishtim as their efforts to block access to Hashem.
Now came Yitzchak Avinu, and he removed the earth that the Pelishtim had used to close the channels to - and from - Hashem. Thus, the Sfas Emes sees Yitzchak's removal of the earth to reach the water in the wells as an act of penetrating the hester to renew contact with Hashem.
Why does the Sfas Emes return so often to the theme of hester?
In his constant reference to Hashem's being hidden, the Sfas Emes may be addressing his own personal question: Where is Hashem? And out of his personal experience with this problem, the Sfas Emes draws a crucial insight.
As he has often told us,the purpose of Creation is to give us the challenging task of penetrating the hester and thus finding Hashem in nature. That is, our key responsibility is to make ourselves aware that despite appearences to the contrary, all existence comes from Hashem.
After Yitzchak Avinu encountered strife and hatred from the Pelishtim in the matter of the wells, he dug a new well over which there was no conflict. Accordingly, Yitzchak called that well Rechovos, a name which connotes expansiveness and repose.
The name Rechovos evokes for the Sfas Emes a verse in Mishlei (1:20): çëîåú áçåõ úøðä áøçáåú úúï ÷åìä , "Wisdom sings out in the streets; it gives forth its voice in the squares."
The message is clear: Once we remove the outer shell which hides Hashem, an awareness of His presence will expand and permeate the world.
Continuing with this theme, the Sfas Emes tells us that the agent for this permeation is Torah Shebe'al Peh. How does this process work?
The Sfas Emes explains: By extending Hashem's accessibility to all our activities, Torah Shebe'al Peh enables us to experience Hashem's presence more thoroughly in our daily lives.
Thus the verse in Mishlei is telling us that by giving forth its voice (an allusion to Torah Shebe'al Peh ), wisdom, i.e., Torah, expands its domain.
The Sfas Emes continues. This specification of our role in life - to expand awareness of Hashem's presence - helps answer a puzzling question. Why, and how, did Yitzchak Avinu misjudge his son Eisav?
The pasuk tells us: åéöà éöç÷ ìùåç áùãä , That is, "Yitzchak went out [ArtScroll: "to supplicate"; Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan: "to meditate"] in the field" (Bereishis 24:63). As you see, translation of the word lasuach is not obvious. The Sfas Emes sees this word as related to the word sichah, spoken words. Thus, he reads lasuach as "to speak." Why did Yitzchak Avinu go out "to speak" in the field?
The Sfas Emes answers: To expand awareness of Hashem in the world. Thus, the Sfas Emes sees Yitzchak Avinu as being engaged in kiruv.
Further, the Torah tells us that Eisav, too, was known to be an ish sadeh, a person of the field (Bereishis 25:27). But for Yitzchak Avinu, the sole reason for "going out to the field" was kiruv. Yitzchak thought that Eisav, too, was engaged in kiruv. Thus Yitzchak Avinu misperceived his son Eisav, viewing him as "a chip off the old block," "like father, like son."
Finally, Eisav played on his father's misperception. He did this by asking Yitzchak Avinu questions that implied that he, too, was concerned about extending awareness of Hashem's presence. Thus he asked his father: How does one give ma'aser from salt? How does one give ma'aser from straw? The former question conveyed the impression that Eisav wanted to extend our awareness of Hashem even to the inanimate world (salt); and the latter question, even to the relatively unimportant part of the world (the chaff).
The suggested take-home lesson from this Sfas Emes is to bear in mind:
1. The sheer evil of the Pelishtim, expending resources to block access to Hashem.
2. The Sfas Emes's novel interpretation of why Yitzchak favored Eisav - i.e., ish sadeh.
3. The fact that hester is not something that happens accidentally or that we bring upon ourselves.
The Sfas Emes is telling us that Hashem built hester into creation - to give us the challenge of seeing Him despite the hester!
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