“You shall be in charge of my court, and by your mouth shall all my people be supervised; [by the throne alone shall I be greater than you].” (Genesis 41:40)
The matter is as follows: All that the Holy Blessed One created, He created solely for the sake of His glory (Avot 6:1)—in order to reveal His Malkhut. This causes the forces of evil to be subdued under the Divine Presence.
By what means is His Malkhut revealed? When [God] provides Israel with abundant good, <the nations of the world> then acknowledge that “His Malkhut rules over all” (Psalms 103:19). And what enables us to draw this influx of bounty? Prayers. This is because <the mouth and> the letters are vessels for receiving the influx.
Therefore, every person has to be vigilant when praying; he should pray in such a way that can arouse the flow of bounty into the world. As our Rabbis, of blessed memory, taught: Every person must say, “The world was created for my sake” (Sanhedrin 37a).
And by what means is it possible to arouse the flow of bounty into the world? Through fear. As our Rabbis, of blessed memory, taught: Anyone who has in him the fear of Heaven, his words are heard (Berakhot 6b).
Now, there are two types of fear. The first is the higher fear that comes over a person upon occasion, when it <itself> chooses to. For this kind of fear <one receives> no reward. And there is a fear that comes by virtue of one’s own effort. This fear is referred to as “The tzaddik rules with the fear of God” (2 Samuel 23:3). With fear such as this, prayer is heard. An influx of bounty thus descends to the world, and His Malkhut is revealed.
2. This is the meaning of [the opening verse]: {“You shall be in charge of my court, and by your mouth shall all my people be supervised; by the throne alone shall I be greater than you.”}You shall be in charge of my court—“Court” refers to fear, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Woe to the one who does not own a courtyard… (Shabbat 31b). That is to say, as a result of the tzaddik ruling with the fear of God,
and by your mouth shall all my people be supervised—Onkelos renders this into Aramaic as: “by your [mouth’s] utterance”—namely, prayer; “shall all my people be sustained”—i.e., the flow of bounty will be aroused in the world.
shall I be greater than you—In other words, the diminished Malkhut, who at present is in a limited state, will be made greater through you. For through the strength of prayer with the fear of God one draws down an influx of bounty into the world, and His Malkhut is thereby made great, as explained above.
אַתָּה תִּהְיֶה עַל בֵּיתִי וְעַל פִּיךָ יִשַּׁק כָּל עַמִּי (בראשית מא):
“You shall be in charge of my court, and by your mouth shall all my people be supervised; [by the throne alone shall I be greater than you].” (Genesis 41:40)
הָעִנְיָן הוּא, כִּי כָּל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא בָּרָא אֶלָּא לִכְבוֹדוֹ (אבות פ"ו), כְּדֵי לְגַלּוֹת מַלְכוּתוֹ. וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה, נִכְפָפִין הַקְּלִפּוֹת תַּחַת הַשְּׁכִינָה.
The matter is as follows: All that the Holy Blessed One created, He created solely for the sake of His glory (Avot 6:1)—in order to reveal His Malkhut. This causes the forces of evil to be subdued under the Divine Presence.
וּבְאֵיזֶה עִנְיָן נִתְגַּלֶּה מַלְכוּתוֹ, כְּשֶׁמַּשְׁפִּיעַ רַב טוּב לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אָז מוֹדִים כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד כִּי מַלְכוּתוֹ בַּכֹּל מָשָׁלָה (תהלים קג). וּבַמֶּה יְכוֹלִים לְהוֹרִיד הַשֶּׁפַע, עַל יְדֵי הַתְּפִלּוֹת, כִּי הַתֵּבוֹת הֵם כֵּלִים לְקַבֵּל הַשֶּׁפַע.
By what means is His Malkhut revealed? When [God] provides Israel with abundant good, <the nations of the world> then acknowledge that “His Malkhut rules over all” (Psalms 103:19). And what enables us to draw this influx of bounty? Prayers. This is because <the mouth and> the letters are vessels for receiving the influx.
וְעַל כֵּן כָּל אֶחָד יִזָּהֵר בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיּוּכַל לְעוֹרֵר הַשֶּׁפַע בָּעוֹלָם, עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סנהדרין לז): חַיָּב כָּל אָדָם לוֹמַר, בִּשְׁבִילִי נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם.
Therefore, every person has to be vigilant when praying; he should pray in such a way that can arouse the flow of bounty into the world. As our Rabbis, of blessed memory, taught: Every person must say, “The world was created for my sake” (Sanhedrin 37a).
וּבְאֵיזֶה עִנְיָן יוּכַל לְעוֹרֵר הַשֶּׁפַע בָּעוֹלָם, בְּיִרְאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ברכות ו:): כָּל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם דְּבָרָיו נִשְׁמָעִין.
And by what means is it possible to arouse the flow of bounty into the world? Through fear. As our Rabbis, of blessed memory, taught: Anyone who has in him the fear of Heaven, his words are heard (Berakhot 6b).
וְיֵשׁ שְׁנֵי מִינֵי יִרְאָה: הָאֶחָד – יִרְאָה עֶלְיוֹנָה, שֶׁבָּאָה לָאָדָם לִפְעָמִים מָתַי שֶׁתִּרְצֶה, וְעַל יִרְאָה כָּזוֹ אֵין שָׂכָר. וְיֵשׁ יִרְאָה, שֶׁבָּאָה לָאָדָם מִכֹּחַ אָדָם עַצְמוֹ, וְיִרְאָה זוֹ נִקְרָא: צַדִּיק מוֹשֵׁל יִרְאַת אֱלֹקִים (שמואל ב כ״ג:ג׳). וּבְיִרְאָה כָּזוֹ הַתְּפִלָּה נִשְׁמַעַת, וְשֶׁפַע יוֹרֵד לָעוֹלָם, וְנִתְגַּלֶּה מַלְכוּתוֹ.
Now, there are two types of fear. The first is the higher fear that comes over a person upon occasion, when it <itself> chooses to. For this kind of fear <one receives> no reward. And there is a fear that comes by virtue of one’s own effort. This fear is referred to as “The tzaddik rules with the fear of God” (2 Samuel 23:3). With fear such as this, prayer is heard. An influx of bounty thus descends to the world, and His Malkhut is revealed.
וְזֶהוּ: אַתָּה תִּהְיֶה עַל בֵּיתִי. בֵּיתִי הוּא יִרְאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שבת לא:): חֲבָל עַל דְּלֵית לֵהּ דַּרְתָא וְכוּ'. רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר, כְּשֶׁהַצַּדִּיק מוֹשֵׁל בְּיִרְאַת אֱלֹקִים, עַל יְדֵי זֶה:
2. This is the meaning of [the opening verse]: {“You shall be in charge of my court, and by your mouth shall all my people be supervised; by the throne alone shall I be greater than you.”} You shall be in charge of my court—“Court” refers to fear, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Woe to the one who does not own a courtyard… (Shabbat 31b). That is to say, as a result of the tzaddik ruling with the fear of God,
וְעַל פִּיךָ יִשַּׁק כָּל עַמִּי, וְתַרְגּוּם אוּנְקְלוֹס: וְעַל מֵימַר פֻּמָּךְ, הַיְנוּ הַתְּפִלָּה, יִתְּזַן כָּל עַמִּי, הַיְנוּ שֶׁיִּתְעוֹרֵר הַשֶּׁפַע בָּעוֹלָם.
and by your mouth shall all my people be supervised—Onkelos renders this into Aramaic as: “by your [mouth’s] utterance”—namely, prayer; “shall all my people be sustained”—i.e., the flow of bounty will be aroused in the world.
וְזֶהוּ: רַק הַכִּסֵּא – הַיְנוּ מִעוּט הַמַּלְכוּת, כִּי "רַק" הוּא מִעוּט, "כִּסֵּא" הוּא מַלְכוּת.
And this is: by the throne alone—This is the diminution of Malkhut. This is because “alone” signifies a limit, and “throne” refers to Malkhut.
אֶגְדַּל מִמֶּךָּ – הַיְנוּ מִעוּט הַמַּלְכוּת, שֶׁעַתָּה הִיא בְּמִעוּט, נִתְגַּדֵּל מִמֶּךָּ. כִּי מִכֹּחַ הַתְּפִלָּה שֶׁהִיא בְּיִרְאָה, מוֹרִיד שֶׁפַע בָּעוֹלָם, וְנִתְגַּדֵּל מַלְכוּתוֹ כַּנַּ"ל:
shall I be greater than you—In other words, the diminished Malkhut, who at present is in a limited state, will be made greater through you. For through the strength of prayer with the fear of God one draws down an influx of bounty into the world, and His Malkhut is thereby made great, as explained above.