002 —מאמרים מלוקט חלק א - יום ב' דראש השנה ה'תשכ"ח

B"H, Second day of Rosh Hashanah, 5728.

VeHayah BaYom HaHu Yitaka BeShofar Gadol U'Va'u HaOvdim BeEretz Ashur VeHaNidachim BeEretz Mitzrayim VeHishtachavu LaHashem BeHar HaKodesh BiYerushalayim ("And it shall be on that day, a great shofar shall be blown, and those lost in the land of Assyria and those cast away in the land of Egypt shall come, and they shall bow to Hashem on the holy mountain in Jerusalem").

The Alter Rebbe (in the maamar beginning "Zeh SheBeLikkutei Torah"^[2]) analyzes the phrase "with a great shofar" and asks what is special about a "great shofar." He also questions, as explained further in the maamar^[3], why it says "it shall be blown" without specifying who blows it. The Mitteler Rebbe^[4] adds that the word "Yitaka" (with a kamatz under the tav) implies that it will be blown by itself. The explanation (in the discourses^[5]) is that the awakening caused by a regular shofar is only for those who are somewhat close, but to awaken even the lost in Assyria and the castaways in Egypt to come to Jerusalem and bow to Hashem, it must be through a great shofar.

To explain the greatness of the future great shofar, the maamar first explains the shofar of Rosh Hashanah (now): when the Jewish people blow the shofar, it is the cry from the innermost heart, above intellect, which draws down the innermost Divine will, higher than wisdom. Regarding this it says^[7] "Hashem Elokim shall blow the shofar," meaning just as man's shofar is the cry of the heart's essence, so too above, the shofar represents the drawing forth and revelation of the innermost. The difference between a regular shofar and a great shofar is that the regular shofar draws down the innermost G‑dliness that is above the worlds but still relates to them (sovev kol almin), while the great shofar draws down the innermost G‑dliness that is utterly beyond any connection to the worlds, even higher than sovev. Thus, with the regular shofar it says "Hashem Elokim shall blow the shofar"—these are names, albeit very lofty ones^[8]—but with the great shofar it simply says "it shall be blown," not specifying who blows, because this drawing is from the hidden of all hidden, beyond names.

2) To further clarify the greatness of the great shofar, the Tzemach Tzedek^[9] (in his commentary^[10] to the maamar beginning "VeHayah BaYom HaHu Yitaka BeShofar Gadol" in Likkutei Torah) brings what is written in Likkutei Torah on the maamar "LeHavin HaMishnah"^[11]: On Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos, in the Temple they would blow the shofar but not in the rest of the land^[12]. The reason for blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is to arouse above the Divine pleasure in creating the worlds, but since on Shabbos itself there is pleasure, on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos there is less need^[13] for shofar blowing. In the Temple, however, they would blow even on Shabbos because there are many levels of pleasure, and the pleasure drawn by shofar blowing in the Temple is higher than the pleasure of Shabbos. The pleasure of Shabbos is the external aspect of Kesser (the crown), the source of emanations, while the pleasure drawn by shofar blowing in the Temple is the inner aspect of Kesser, the lower aspect within the Emanator^[14]. The Tzemach Tzedek adds that even within this lower aspect there are many levels, and the pleasure drawn in the First Temple by shofar blowing was higher than in the Second Temple. Even within the First Temple, the shofar of Yom Kippur of the Jubilee year [which only applied in the First Temple^[15]] was higher than the shofar of Rosh Hashanah. Nevertheless, even regarding the Jubilee shofar it says^[16] "and you shall sound the shofar of the teruah," a regular shofar^[17]. From this it is understood that the great shofar is even higher than the revelation drawn by the Jubilee shofar.

3) Furthermore, the great shofar of the future is even higher than the shofar at Matan Torah, for even at Matan Torah it says^[18] "and the sound of the shofar," a regular shofar. The verse continues "the sound of the shofar grew louder and louder," meaning the sound was very strong, a great sound^[19], but regarding the shofar itself^[20] it does not say it was a great shofar. Thus, the great shofar of the future is higher even than the shofar at Matan Torah. As stated in Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer^[21] regarding the two horns of the ram of Yitzchak: the left horn was sounded at Sinai, as it says "the sound of the shofar," and the right horn, which is greater, will be sounded in the future, as it says "and it shall be on that day, a great shofar shall be blown." The reason the shofar at Matan Torah was a regular shofar and the future shofar will be great is explained by the Mitteler Rebbe^[22]: At Matan Torah, everyone was close to G‑dliness (even before the shofar), so a regular shofar sufficed to awaken them. But to awaken the lost and castaways requires specifically a great shofar. Thus, "Yitaka BeShofar Gadol"—the word "Yitaka" (with a kamatz) implies it will be blown by itself, for the revelation of the great shofar to awaken the lost and castaways will be from above, without any arousal from below^[23].

4) At the beginning of the maamar^[24] (after analyzing the verse "VeHayah BaYom HaHu Yitaka BeShofar Gadol"), it is explained that on Rosh Hashanah we say "this is the day of the beginning of Your works" because on every Rosh Hashanah, all the worlds are renewed as at the first time. "A remembrance of the first day" (that Rosh Hashanah is only a remembrance of the first day) means that at the beginning of creation, the drawing of will and pleasure into creation was from above, "for He desires kindness"^[26], but now it depends on man's arousal from below. It is explained^[27] that the service (arousal from below) by which will and pleasure are drawn into creation is as our Sages said^[28]: "Say before Me kingship, remembrance, and with what? With the shofar." The reason the drawing now is through the service of the Jewish people is^[29] because their root is in the Essence, so the will and pleasure drawn now are higher than those drawn originally. Thus, the shofar above (the innermost Divine will^[30]) drawn now, which is a regular shofar, comes through man's service, but the future great shofar will be drawn from above, without any arousal from below.

The maamar further explains^[31] that the future blowing of the great shofar is similar to the shofar of Rosh Hashanah now, for mitzvos will not be nullified in the future [except that then the shofar will be on a higher level, a great shofar]. It can be said that the source for this (that the future great shofar is related to the shofar of Rosh Hashanah) is from the Gemara^[32], which says that the reason for the opinion that the redemption will be in Tishrei is because of the connection between the verses: "Blow the shofar in the month" and "on that day, a great shofar shall be blown." Based on this, the earlier explanation from the discourses must be understood: that "Yitaka" (with a kamatz) in the great shofar means it will be blown by itself, without any arousal from below, yet one of the main themes of Rosh Hashanah is man's service [and as explained elsewhere^[34] that the reason Rosh Hashanah is on the first of Tishrei, even though the world was created on the 25th of Elul^[35] and the first of Tishrei is the sixth day of creation, is because man was created on that day], and since the concept of "Yitaka BeShofar Gadol" is similar to "Blow the shofar in the month" of Rosh Hashanah (Tishrei^[36]), it would seem that this drawing should also be through man's service. Nevertheless, the discourses explain that "Yitaka" means it will be blown by itself, without any arousal from below at all. Furthermore, every matter in Torah (from the word "hora'ah," instruction) is a lesson in man's service, so if the future great shofar will be from above without any arousal from below, what is the lesson for us?

5) This can be understood based on the teachings of the Rebbe Maharash^[37], that the shofar is narrow on one end and wide on the other because of the verse "From the straits I called G‑d; He answered me with expansiveness"^[38]. Just as the shofar's sound, by passing through the narrow end, emerges with breadth and expansion from the wide end, so too spiritually: through the cry from the straits and distress, "from the straits I called G‑d," one is answered with expansiveness. There it is explained that this is the meaning of our Sages' statement^[39] "Any year that is poor at its beginning is enriched at its end"—being poor at the beginning [the Jewish people make themselves poor on Rosh Hashanah, praying with supplication as it says^[40] "the poor speaks supplications"^[41]] is the cry from the straits, and thus it is enriched—"He answered me with expansiveness." The maamar of the Rebbe Maharash^[42] also explains the advantage of the prayer of a poor person over that of a rich person. It can be said that the advantage of the poor person's prayer is twofold: in the prayer itself, as the Baal Shem Tov^[43] teaches on the verse^[44] "A prayer of the poor man when he is faint and pours out his speech before Hashem"—the poor person's prayer is that he pours out his heart before Hashem, and it is more readily accepted. Furthermore, the pleasure a person has from the influence he receives through his prayer is greater for the poor person, as explained in the maamar^[45].

Based on this, we can explain the connection between "Yitaka BeShofar Gadol" and Rosh Hashanah: the future blowing of the great shofar to awaken the lost and castaways is because they are in the ultimate straits, and this arouses and draws down the great shofar (the drawing from the hidden of all hidden), the ultimate expansiveness. This is the connection between the great shofar and Rosh Hashanah ("Blow the shofar in the month"), for the idea of Rosh Hashanah is that by being poor at the beginning (the beginning of the year, "reishis" lacking^[46]), one is enriched.

6) It can be said that through the blowing of the great shofar to awaken the lost in Assyria and the castaways in Egypt, there is also an elevation for Assyria and Egypt themselves. The purpose of the Jewish people being exiled to Assyria and Egypt, to the point that they became lost and castaways, is so that through the straits of exile, especially the straits of those who became lost and castaways, the great shofar will be aroused and drawn down, and the Jewish people will be elevated to a level higher than before the exile. Therefore, when the great shofar is blown and the purpose for which Assyria and Egypt were created is fulfilled, they too will be elevated.

Based on this, we can add another point to the connection between the great shofar and Rosh Hashanah: Rosh Hashanah has two aspects—it is the day of man's creation, and through this, all of creation is elevated (as will be explained). The Rebbe Rashab explains in the maamar on "This is the day of the beginning of Your works, a remembrance of the first day"^[47] that we must understand, for Rosh Hashanah ("this day") is the first of Tishrei, the sixth day of creation, so how is it a remembrance of the first day? He explains^[48] that the will to create the world is the external will, but the inner will is in the Jewish people. These two aspects in the year are the 25th of Elul (when the world was created, external will) and Rosh Hashanah (first of Tishrei, when man was created, "You are called man"^[49], inner will). Thus, "this is the day of the beginning of Your works, a remembrance of the first day"—Rosh Hashanah has two aspects^[50]: the main aspect is the beginning of Your works, drawing down the Essence of the Infinite (beyond the will for worlds) through man's service, and also that it is a remembrance of the first day, drawing the Essence of the Infinite into the will for creation, and thus into the worlds^[51]. Accordingly, the connection of the great shofar to Rosh Hashanah is in both aspects: the revelation of the great shofar to the Jewish people relates to the beginning of Your works, and the elevation that will occur in Assyria and Egypt relates to the remembrance of the first day.

7) Based on what was brought earlier (section 5) from the Rebbe Maharash's discourse, that the straits of the shofar correspond to a year that is poor at its beginning, and that being poor at the beginning means the Jewish people make themselves poor on Rosh Hashanah, it is understood that the straits through which expansiveness is drawn can also be when the straits come from self-nullification, when one's service is complete but due to his humility he feels in straits; even this straits draws expansiveness. Similarly, regarding the revelation of the great shofar aroused by the straits of the lost and castaways, even when one's service is complete but he contemplates that relative to the Infinite Light even true service is considered as lacking^[52], and thus he feels lost and cast away, this arouses and draws down the revelation of the great shofar. It can be said that even then (when the revelation of the great shofar is through his humility), the term "Yitaka" (with a kamatz) applies—blown by itself—because when one makes himself poor and destitute, meaning he has nothing of his own and only receives as a gift, he recognizes that the revelation drawn through his service is not due to his own merit but due to G‑d's kindness^[53], "Yitaka"—it is blown by itself, as if the drawing is without any arousal from below at all.

Furthermore, as the Previous Rebbe writes (in the maamar "VeHayah BaYom HaHu Yitaka BeShofar Gadol"^[54]), the great shofar will awaken the Jewish spark within every Jew, so that all Jews (even the lost and castaways) will desire to leave exile and go to Jerusalem to bow to Hashem. This is because the revelation of the great shofar will awaken the true will^[55] of the Jewish people. This is the difference between the redemption from Egypt and the future redemption: in Egypt, the desire to leave impurity and cleave to G‑d^[56] was due to the revelation from above^[57], "Draw me"^[58], but in the future redemption, the desire to leave exile and come to Jerusalem will be the will of the Jewish people themselves, and the revelation from above (the great shofar) will only serve to reveal this will. Their service will be from themselves—the advantage of Rosh Hashanah, the service of man^[59]. However, for the lost and castaways in the literal sense, the advantage of man's service comes after the revelation of the great shofar, which awakens their true will, but the drawing down of the great shofar itself comes from above. There is also a way in which even the drawing down of the great shofar is through service, as explained above.

8) This is the meaning of "VeHayah BaYom HaHu Yitaka BeShofar Gadol"—the lesson from the fact that on that day the great shofar will be blown, blown by itself, is that at the end of exile, when only a few moments remain before the day when the great shofar will be blown [and even more so, regarding some matters, the blowing of the great shofar has already begun, as is clear from the Previous Rebbe's maamar^[60], especially since many years have passed since the maamar was written, and certainly in recent times, when many who were previously lost and castaways have been awakened to teshuvah by the blowing of the great shofar^[61]], our service must be with self-nullification, with the recognition and feeling that all the accomplishments achieved through one's service, both for oneself and for others, are not due to one's own merits but due to the empowerment from above. Notably, this feeling does not weaken one's service; on the contrary, it strengthens it. When one's service is tied to his own existence, it is limited. Even when his service is "with all your might," it is still "your might," your own. But when one feels that all that is accomplished through his service is not due to his own abilities but due to G‑dliness, he transcends his own limitations, and his service is beyond all measure^[63].

9) The maamar "VeHayah BaYom HaHu Yitaka BeShofar Gadol"^[64] explains regarding the shofar of Rosh Hashanah that although the main drawing is through the cry of the innermost heart, nevertheless, the shofar must be physically blown, for action is supreme, and also so that the revelation of the innermost Divine will [the shofar above^[65]] is drawn down into physicality. From this it is understood that similarly, regarding the future blowing of the great shofar, it is not enough to have what has been until now; the blowing of the great shofar must be in such a way that all Jews, even the lost and castaways, will come and bow to Hashem on the holy mountain in Jerusalem, literally, through Moshiach Tzidkeinu who will lead us upright to our land, speedily in our days.

Summary

This maamar explores the difference between the shofar of Rosh Hashanah, the shofar at Matan Torah, and the "great shofar" of the future. The Rebbe teaches that the great shofar will awaken even the most distant souls, drawing down the deepest Divine revelation and inspiring true teshuvah from every Jew.