001 —היום הזה ה' מצוך

HaYom HaZeh Havayah Elokecha Metzavcha La'asos Es HaChukim HaEileh Ve'Es HaMishpatim U'Shamarta Ve'Asisa Osam Bechol Levavcha U'Vechol Nafshecha. Es Hashem He'emarta HaYom etc. Ve'Hashem He'emircha HaYom etc.

To understand the meaning of "HaYom HaZeh" (this day), and why the Torah does not specify which day, it is because this verse is connected to the previous section, which ends with "a land flowing with milk and honey." Before entering the Land, there was a covenant regarding accepting the Torah: "Besides the covenant which He made with them at Chorev."^[1] This is the meaning of "HaYom HaZeh etc.," that is, at the time of their entry into the Land.^[2]

Therefore, "u'Devash HaYom HaZeh Havayah" forms the acronym of one Havayah (the Divine Name).^[3] The vav of "u'Devash" in the first section^[4] is connected to the verse below it, for it is all one matter.

The concept of Eretz Yisrael^[5] is the aspect of Torah Sheb'al Peh (the Oral Torah), for "Yisrael" is the aspect of Adam, as it is written: "And on the likeness of the throne was the likeness of the appearance of a man etc."^[6]—this is Torah Shebichtav (the Written Torah). Eretz Yisrael is the aspect of Torah Sheb'al Peh, as in "and the earth is My footstool."^[7] (See also^[8] in the discourse "HaShamayim Kisai" at the beginning of Bereishis.) For although the main laws of the Oral Torah are in the realm of physical action, nevertheless, it is like the foot and the end of the deed for the aspect of Adam mentioned above, except that it descended and was enclothed from a high place to a low place.

It is called "a land flowing with milk and honey"^[9] because "honey and milk are under your tongue"^[10]—this refers to the secrets of Torah, for there is sweetness in them. These are the reasons of Torah. All is drawn and flows from the aspect of the Land mentioned above, for "the end of the deed is in the first thought."^[11] One cannot grasp the reasons and secrets of Torah except through knowledge of the Oral Torah. It is like a king who builds a magnificent building; one cannot understand his wisdom and will in the building until the building is completed in its entirety.

The completion and finishing is in the end of the deed, which is according to Torah Sheb'al Peh, where the will of the Blessed One is revealed. For through the Written Torah alone, it is impossible to know any law in its full detail without the explanation of the Gemara, such as the exposition of "Totafos" in tefillin, etc.^[12]—and similar cases, including how they are written and all their detailed requirements.

(See Iggeres HaKodesh near its end, in the discourse "Eishes Chayil Ateres Baalah." This is the concept of "extra understanding was given to woman," as the Sages expound in Niddah^[13] on "And Hashem Elokim built the rib etc."^[14] See also Zohar Bereishis (48b). And see what is written in Parshas Va'eira on "Lachen emor leBnei Yisrael" regarding the explanation of "VeHeiveisi Eschem El HaAretz etc." Also, "Vayiven"—a term of building, as the Sages say on "V'Rav Shalom Banayich"^[15]: read not "Banayich" (your children) but "Bonayich" (your builders).^[16] For Torah Sheb'al Peh is also called a house, as explained elsewhere. It is known that the aspect of house has its root in a very lofty place, etc. See Parshas Naso, discourse "Koh Sevarchu," regarding "V'Rav Shalom Banayich," etc.)

Therefore, the vav of "u'Devash" is connected with "HaYom HaZeh Havayah" to form one Name of Havayah.

There are aspects of Olam, Shanah, Nefesh (world, year, soul).^[17] Just as this exists in the world, so too in the year, and this is Rosh Hashanah. Therefore, we read this parsha before Rosh Hashanah, because "HaYom HaZeh etc." refers to Rosh Hashanah. (See the commentary of the Ramaz in Zohar, beginning of Parshas Bo, regarding "HaYom"—this is Rosh Hashanah.) Each year, before Rosh Hashanah, a new covenant must be made for accepting the Torah, for on Rosh Hashanah it is "Metzavcha La'asos Es HaChukim etc."

(Because on Rosh Hashanah there is a connection with Torah Sheb'al Peh, for Rosh Hashanah is the aspect of "Crown Me over you," and "the kingship of the mouth is called Torah Sheb'al Peh."^[18] Just as in Torah Sheb'al Peh the supernal will is revealed regarding how to make tefillin, sukkah, etc., so too on Rosh Hashanah the supernal will is revealed. Therefore, on Rosh Hashanah it is the aspect of "Metzavcha La'asos etc.")

Therefore, it is called "Rosh Hashanah" (Head of the Year), and not "the beginning of the year"—just as there is a head in the soul, which is the head and intellect relative to the body, so too there is a head in the year, and this is Rosh Hashanah.

(This is the aspect of the skull that covers the brain, which is the revelation of the supernal will. See elsewhere on the verse "Tiku BaChodesh etc.")

Just as in Torah Sheb'al Peh there is "extra understanding was given," so too in the aspect of awe, which is Rosh Hashanah, even though awe is called the feminine aspect relative to love, as it is written: "A woman who fears Hashem"^[19] and "He remembered His kindness"^[20]—nevertheless, "this is the gate," etc. Its root is from supernal awe, etc.

Similarly, in the aspect of speech, which is the building of Malchus, called "the word of Hashem"—this is Rosh Hashanah. This also relates to "extra understanding was given," etc. That is, "And Hashem Elokim built the rib" was on the sixth day of creation, which is Rosh Hashanah.

2) On Shavuos the first tablets were given, and on Yom Kippur the second tablets were given.^[21] The first tablets were given with thunder and lightning, unlike the second tablets.

The idea is that there are two types of love: one is the inner dimension of the heart, called "Ratzon D'Libba" (the will of the heart), and the second is the outer, revealed aspect of the heart.

By way of analogy, in the love of a son for his father, there are two aspects. When the son is with his father in his home, the love is not apparent or revealed, and remains only in the inner heart. But if the father is distant from him, then the love is revealed and comes outward in great measure, as his soul thirsts and yearns for him. However, when he is with him, the love is nullified and absorbed in the great joy and delight of being in his father's presence.

This is the concept of Yom Kippur, which is like the World to Come, a world of delight without eating or drinking, for all Israel are elevated then to a great height. As it is written: "For on this day, He will atone for you etc., before Hashem you shall be purified."^[22] That is, He atones and purifies from all sins that separate^[23] and tears away all barriers, so that there is no separation between Israel and their Father in Heaven. This is "before Hashem you shall be purified."

Then "Yismach Yisrael Be'Osav" (Israel will rejoice in their Maker),^[24] with no hindrance or disturbance in the world. From the abundance of joy and delight, the attribute of love is absorbed and nullified. It suffices to have the inner heart, the Ratzon D'Libba alone. (See the discourse "Ha'azinu HaShamayim.")

In order for a person to reach this level, "Reishis Chochmah Yiras Hashem"^[25]—this is Rosh Hashanah, to draw upon oneself the aspect of awe, the aspect of His kingship, as we say: "the King, that His awe and fear be upon us." (See Zohar Pinchas 214b. And see what is written in the discourse "Ani LeDodi.")

This is "Say before Me verses of Kingship so that you crown Me over you."^[26] For it is written: "Your kingship is a kingship over all worlds."^[27] He, blessed be He, leaves the higher beings and brings down and draws His kingship below upon Israel alone. As it is written: "Hashem, G‑d of Israel, is King."^[28] And it is written: "So says Hashem, King of Israel and its Redeemer etc."^[29]

This is "Hashem Malach Ge'us Lavesh"^[30]—the song of the sixth day,^[31] for on the sixth day of creation Adam HaRishon was created, and then Rosh Hashanah was on Friday. For "this day is the beginning of Your works, a remembrance of the first day."^[32] That is, on this day Adam HaRishon was created. Therefore, he sang this song: "Hashem Malach Ge'us Lavesh."^[33]

That is, just as a garment covers and conceals a person, so too the concept of kingship is that He enclothes and contracts Himself in many garments and contractions, until He is called King, and His kingship is upon Israel.

Israel are compared to the moon, which shines at a distance from the sun specifically. So too, as it were, it is written: "From afar Hashem appeared to me," for through distance, the light of His love shines, causing the soul to yearn and cleave to Him.

(See about "From afar Hashem appeared to me" in Midrash Rabbah, Shemos, Parsha 1, regarding: "And his sister stood from afar." And in Zohar II, 12a, and in many places there. This verse is also mentioned in many places in Zohar and in Sefer Beis Aharon.)

For Rosh Hashanah is called "Keseh"—the month is concealed in it. That is, it is nullified and absorbed in His will. Because through the revelation of His G‑dliness and kingship, awe and nullification of will are aroused, a point in which there is no light at all. Through distance, the light of love is revealed outwardly. This is achieved by making oneself as if one is very distant from His light, by contemplating all the thoughts, words, and deeds of the past year that were not for Hashem. Through this, one's love for Hashem is revealed outwardly, in the aspect of "their heart cried out," more than during the rest of the year.

Throughout the year, it is like the analogy of the father who is distant from his son, as mentioned above. But during the Ten Days of Teshuvah it is written: "Call Him when He is near," and the Sages expound: "These are the Ten Days of Teshuvah," when He is near, but He has distanced and concealed Himself. It is like a son who is with his father in the house, but the father hides his face from him so that the son will focus his love and reveal it with greater intensity. When the son realizes that the father is here but hiding his face, then certainly his love will be revealed even more. This is why we say "Avinu Malkeinu" during the Ten Days of Teshuvah, which is the revelation of love in the aspect of "their heart cried out: Abba, Abba."

Just as the moon, when it distances from the sun, revolves in its orbit until it returns to the light of the sun, so too, by making ourselves as if distant, the light of love revolves upon us, until on Yom Kippur we return and are elevated to a great and awesome height, until we are "before Hashem." The love is then in the inner heart, absorbed and nullified in the joy of Hashem, for on Yom Kippur the souls of Israel are in the aspect of "face to face." (See below in the discourse "BaYom HaShemini Shelach.")

3) However, it is impossible to reach this level of "face to face" except through searching and examining one's deeds during the Ten Days of Teshuvah. As it is written: "Seek My face," like a lost object that must be searched for, so one must search and examine one's deeds, as mentioned above.

This is "Atem Nitzavim HaYom Kulchem etc. Le'Avrecha Bivris Hashem Elokecha etc." For wherever it says "HaYom," it refers to Rosh Hashanah. On Rosh Hashanah, He passes you through the covenant, which is the connection in the innermost point of the heart.

(For although on Rosh Hashanah the aspect of awe is drawn down, as mentioned above, its inner core is filled with love, except that the love remains in the inner heart alone, as in "rejoice with trembling." See below on the verse "Sos Asis BaHashem Vesagel Nafshi BeElokai," etc.)

It is called a covenant because it is impossible to cleave to Him in the inner heart (although every Jewish soul certainly possesses this aspect) unless the foreskin of the heart is removed. As it is written: "And you shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart." The foreskin is the attachment to desires and other material matters of the world. As long as this foreskin is upon his heart, it covers and conceals the light of His face from cleaving to Him in the inner heart, since his external self is attached to the vanities of the world. (See Parshas Shelach on the verse "the gatherer of sticks.")

This is "in the covenant of Hashem your G‑d," meaning that the connection is that the aspect of Havayah becomes your G‑d, to be nullified to Him from the depth of the heart.

This is what Yirmiyahu the prophet said: "Remove the foreskin of your heart and circumcise yourselves to Hashem." That is, he taught the people not to despair when they see that the external heart is attached to the material world, thinking, G‑d forbid, that they are lost and there is no hope. Rather, "remove the foreskin of your heart," meaning that within every Jew there is an aspect of the inner heart, but since the foreskin dominates the external, the inner is also hidden and concealed.

But when you remove the foreskin, the covenant and connection will be revealed, and when you circumcise yourselves to Hashem, then even the external heart will be revealed to Hashem, like fiery coals rising on their own.

(This is the concept of "V'Yached Levaveinu," as explained in the discourse "Mi Mana." See also Parshas Bereishis, discourse "LeHavin Inyan HaBerachos," and therefore there must be the drawing down of the seal, etc., as explained there.)

From this, we understand the concept of the seal of Yom Kippur. Since Yom Kippur is the aspect of the inner heart, we merit then the aspect of the seal, which is "V'Yached Levaveinu." See there. It is also the seal in the blessing of Torah Sheb'al Peh, as explained there regarding "Chatom Torah B'Lomudai."^[34]

This is the concept of the covenant made for accepting the Torah before Rosh Hashanah, which in general is to engage in Torah for its own sake, as in "if one merits, it becomes for him an elixir of life, etc." Upon this comes the completion of the seal on Yom Kippur, etc. See Parshas Eikev regarding the need to mention covenant and Torah in the blessing of the Land.

This is "Na'aseh Adam BeTzalmeinu Kidmuseinu" (Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness). At first glance, this is difficult—does He have a physical form, G‑d forbid? And what is the meaning of "in Our image," in the plural?

This can be understood with the above. The Holy One, blessed be He, is both revealed and concealed. "Revealed" means, as it is written: "You have been shown to know that Hashem is Elokim, there is none else besides Him," for it is seen with sensory perception that all before Him is as nothing, and He constantly creates and enlivens them from nothing to something, and if His vitality were to depart for a moment, they would revert to absolute nothingness. Thus, the nothingness within them is always apparent, and the glory of Hashem is revealed, for there is nothing besides Him. Yet, nevertheless, He is the most hidden of all hidden, and no thought can grasp Him. See more in the discourse "V'Yadata HaYom."

Similarly, He made man with two hearts, the inner and outer dimensions mentioned above. (In Midrash Rabbah, the verse "Na'aseh Adam" is brought in Bereishis, end of chapter 8, beginning of Chukas, Parshas Va'eschanan, and in Koheles on the verse "for there is no righteous man." Zohar I: 22a, 23a, 34b, and see there 47a; II, 55a, 120a; III, 12a, 33b, 35b, and see there in the Ramaz, 42a, 104a, and in the Ramaz, 219b, 238b, 278b, etc.) This is "U'Shamarta Ve'Asisa Osam Bechol Levavcha"—with both hearts.

This is the aspect of "BeTzalmeinu"—for "Tzelem" is the essence and true being. See the discourse on "Ki Seitzei."

"Kidmuseinu"—this refers to "with all your soul." There are two souls: the intellectual soul and the vital, speaking soul. Both souls are aspects of letters—one is the letters of thought, the other the letters of speech.

This is "with all your soul"—that one should be entirely for Hashem with both souls. That is, to deepen one's understanding in Torah with all one's intellect as far as the mind can reach, to be entirely attached and connected to the Torah of Hashem, to cleave to Him. Also, one's speech should be in Torah, to draw down the power of supernal thought from concealment to revelation in one's mouth, through speaking words of Torah.

This is "Kidmuseinu"—for letters have a form and image that shapes the intellect and enclothes it, but is not the essence of the thing itself.

This is "Es Hashem He'emarta HaYom." For "He'emarta" is a causative verb, meaning you caused Hashem to say this statement: "BeTzalmeinu Kidmuseinu." For by toiling in Torah and expressing it with the mouth, one draws from concealment to revelation, the word of Hashem to say the statement: "Na'aseh Adam BeTzalmeinu etc." As is known, "an awakening from below brings an awakening from above," and "spirit brings spirit," etc.

(See more about "Es Hashem He'emarta" in the discourse on "LeSusasi B'Rechevei Paroh" in Shir HaShirim, and on "Ve'Eirashtich Li.")

All this is for what purpose? To be for you as a G‑d. That is, that Elokus (G‑dliness) should be yours, that the concept of His G‑dliness should be firmly established in your thought and heart, to be nullified and absorbed in His will.

"Ve'Hashem He'emircha HaYom"—that He gives you His speech, to engage in the words of the Divine. As it is written: "And I will put My words in your mouth," through which you are greatly elevated.

(See more about this in the discourse "Zos Chukas HaTorah," and in the second discourse on "BaYom HaShemini Atzeres." See also about "Ve'Hashem He'emircha" in Midrash Rabbah, Ki Sisa, beginning of chapter 45.)

"And to set you above all the nations etc."—that is, the nations and enemies within you, to subdue them so that there is no hindrance from within or without, and so that the wisdom and understanding of the Infinite One shines within you. (See Midrash Rabbah, Vayishlach, Parsha 75.)

This is "for praise, for a name, and for glory"—for "praise" (Tehillah) comes from "his lamp shone," meaning light, the aspect of Chochmah (wisdom), sight. "Name" is the aspect of Binah (understanding), called "the great name." "Glory" (Tiferes) is the aspect of Daas (knowledge), which includes kindness and severity, etc.

(See Zohar Mishpatim (123a) that Daas is called Tiferes. Also, as the Ramaz writes at the beginning of Vayikra, that Daas testifies in the face. And in Idra Zuta (293b), and from there the face shines, etc. This is the aspect of "Ya'er Hashem Panav Eilecha" (May Hashem shine His face upon you), from which comes "Lecha Amar Libi Bakshu Panai" (To You my heart said, seek My face), Ratzon D'Libba, etc. See above on the verse "Ki Seitzei." And in Parshas Vayeitzei, discourse "Im Lo Seidi Lach," etc. See more about "Tehillah" below on the verse "Yatzmiach Tzedakah VeTehillah Neged Kol HaGoyim." And about "the great name" on the verse "Ani etc." in Parshas Tzitzis. And on "Re'eh Anochi etc.")

Summary

This maamar explains how the renewal of the covenant before Rosh Hashanah and the removal of spiritual barriers allow a Jew to connect to G‑d with both hearts and both souls. Through Torah study and inner work, one reveals the inner love and achieves true unity with the Divine.