003 —מאמרים מלוקט חלק א - כ"ט אלול ה'תשל"ב, ליל ערב ראש השנה ה'תשל"ג

B"H, 29 Elul 5732, Night of Erev Rosh Hashanah 5733.

Yom Tov Shel Rosh Hashanah SheChal Lihyos BeShabbos BaMikdash Hayu Tok'in Aval Lo BaMedinah ("On the festival of Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos, in the Temple they would blow [the shofar], but not in the provinces").

On Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos, in the Beis HaMikdash they would blow the shofar, but not in the rest of the land^[1]. The Gemara explains^[2] that the Sages decreed this because everyone is obligated in shofar, but not everyone is proficient in blowing it, so there is a concern that someone might carry the shofar in the public domain to learn from an expert, thereby violating Shabbos. It is well known^[3] that this raises a question: why did our Sages set aside a positive Torah commandment, especially the mitzvah of shofar, which is so lofty^[4], just because of a mere concern—especially nowadays, when a true public domain is rare^[5], and the concern is only about a rabbinic prohibition? Furthermore^[6], the concern is only for the unlearned and the careless^[7], so why deprive many great and righteous people of the mitzvah because of this? The explanation is^[8] that the purpose of blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is to arouse Above the Divine pleasure in creation, and since Shabbos itself is a time of pleasure, when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos, the mitzvah of shofar is not as forceful (with all its excitement) as when Rosh Hashanah falls on a weekday^[9], and so it is set aside due to the concern of carrying. In the Beis HaMikdash, however, they would blow even on Shabbos, because the level of pleasure drawn down there was even higher.

2) We need to understand: it is known^[10] that the reason we must arouse Divine pleasure on Rosh Hashanah through our service (the shofar), even though at the beginning of creation the flow came on its own, is because when the arousal comes through the service of Israel—whose root is in the Essence—the pleasure drawn down now is greater than the original pleasure. Accordingly, when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos, and the pleasure comes from the time of Shabbos itself (Shabbos is inherently holy^[11]), it seems to lack the advantage of pleasure aroused by human effort. Even though on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos we recite the verses of shofar, this is only so that the flow will be revealed. As explained in the discourse of Rosh Hashanah 5666^[12], the flow from mitzvos is not as revealed, and the revelation comes through Torah^[13]. Therefore, to reveal the pleasure drawn by the mitzvah of shofar, we recite the verses. This is why even on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos we say the verses, even though the pleasure is drawn from Shabbos itself, because the revelation below comes through the verses. Since the verses only reveal the flow, and the flow itself is from Shabbos, it seems that the unique advantage of service is missing.

3) This will be understood by first considering the teaching of our Sages^[14] that "they administer an oath to him: be righteous..." The Previous Rebbe^[15] quoted the Tzemach Tzedek, who said that on the first Rosh Hashanah of his life (5550), the Alter Rebbe delivered a discourse on "they administer an oath..."—which is the first three chapters of Tanya^[17]. We must explain the connection between this oath and Rosh Hashanah, based on Likkutei Torah^[18]: every Jew is called "Adam" because every Jewish soul contains a part of Adam HaRishon. Thus, on Rosh Hashanah (the day Adam was created), the renewal of Adam's soul in his body is repeated each year ("He breathed into his nostrils a living soul"^[20]), making it the birthday of every Jew. This is the connection between the oath and Rosh Hashanah.

This is also connected to the Midrash^[22] on the verse^[23] "in the seventh month," which is called "the month of the oath" (shevi'i as in shevuah), and as explained in the discourses of the Tzemach Tzedek^[24] about the connection between the month of the oath and the oath administered to the soul. Additionally, the seventh month has three meanings: seventh in order, seventh as in oath, and seventh as in satiation, as the Midrash^[25] says that the seventh month is full of blessing. Similarly, "they administer an oath" has three meanings: an oath, satiation, and the number seven, as will be explained.

Part 2

4) The connection between these three concepts (oath, satiation, seven) is that an oath binds one's essence. Just as when a person takes an oath to do something—even if he wants to do it now, the oath ensures that even if circumstances change and he no longer wants to, he will still do it^[28]. The reason is that the oath connects his very essence, the core of the soul, beyond will. Similarly Above, the oath is as it says^[29] "By Myself have I sworn," meaning the Essence. The discourses^[30] explain that "By Myself" refers to Atik, and it is known^[31] that Atik is the lowest aspect of the Emanator, above the root of the emanated. This is the meaning of "they administer an oath to him: be righteous"^[32]. Even though the soul desires righteousness, since it descends into a body and animal soul, which can conceal and obscure the G‑dly soul—especially since the animal soul's root is in Tohu, which precedes Tikkun—the soul is given an oath. The oath draws down the root of the soul as it is in the Essence of the Infinite, above Tohu and Tikkun, enabling it to overcome the animal soul. This is also the meaning of "they administer an oath" as satiation, for satiation is empowerment. Through the oath, the soul's root in the Essence is drawn down, giving strength to the soul as it is revealed Above, as well as to the soul as it is enclothed in the body and animal soul, to fulfill its mission of turning from evil and doing good.

5) The Tzemach Tzedek points out^[34] that the phrase "they administer an oath to him: be righteous" raises a question: how can the oath affect the soul regarding the body and animal soul, which are not under its control? A person cannot transfer what is not his. He explains that the Sages learned this from the verse^[35] "To Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." "Every knee shall bow" refers to the day of death, "every tongue shall swear" to the day of birth. The verse begins with "By Myself have I sworn," referring to Atik^[36]. The oath administered to the soul draws strength from this level, enabling the soul to rule over the animal soul^[37]. The explanation is that from the perspective of "By Myself have I sworn," even the body and animal soul are under the soul's control. In the revealed levels, the soul and body/animal soul are two entities—the soul's root is in Tikkun, the body/animal soul's in Tohu. But in the Essence, above Tohu and Tikkun, since the ultimate purpose of Tohu's creation was for its refinement by Tikkun^[38], through the revelation of the Essence, even the body and animal soul become under the soul's domain, since their very purpose is to be refined by the soul.

6) The difference between the two meanings of "they administer an oath"—as an oath and as satiation—is that the oath draws down the soul's root, while satiation means that this flow is revealed in the soul as it comes into the body and animal soul, like food that satiates a person. Thus, "they administer an oath" as satiation is empowerment^[39]: when the flow of the oath is revealed in the soul within the body, it can overcome the animal soul (as above in section 4), and also refine and elevate it (as above in section 5), which is the soul's purpose in descending below. As explained in Tanya^[40], the purpose of the soul's descent is not for the soul itself, but to refine the body, animal soul, and its portion in the world.

This is also connected to what the Tzemach Tzedek writes^[41] that the oath is in Binah, Yesod, and Malchus. The oath in Binah relates to the oath itself, the drawing down of Atik (and thus the soul's root), for in Binah is the revelation of Atik^[42]. As it says^[43] "A river issues from Eden"—the river is Binah, Eden is Atik, and the river issuing from Eden means Binah reveals Atik. The oath in Malchus relates to satiation, for the empowerment of the soul within the body comes through the flow into Malchus. The oath in Yesod is that the flow from Binah (and Atik within it) into Malchus is via Yesod. This also connects to the third meaning of "they administer an oath" as seven, for according to one explanation, this refers to Yesod, which is the seventh from Binah^[44].

7) Based on this, we can understand the connection between the oath administered to the soul and the seventh month, the month of the oath. The creation of man was on the sixth day of creation, the first of the seventh month, for two reasons^[45]: because he was last in creation^[46] (the root of the inanimate, plant, and animal is in Tohu, while man's root is in Tikkun, lower than Tohu), and because he is first in importance, as the Gemara^[47] says that man was created last so he could enter the feast immediately, showing his greatness, for all creation is for man. Even the creation of Tohu before Tikkun was so that Tohu could be refined by man's service. This is why we say on Rosh Hashanah, "This is the day of the beginning of Your works"^[48], even though the world was created on the 25th of Elul^[49], because the purpose of creation is that man make the world a dwelling for G‑d, and this began on the day man was created. Not only was the possibility for this established then, but it was actually accomplished, as our Sages^[51] say that Adam, on the day he was created, called all creatures to bow and prostrate before G‑d, and they all responded, "Hashem reigns, He is clothed in majesty." Thus, the seventh month (when man was created) is the month of the oath, for man's power to affect the world, even though he is last in creation, comes from revealing his true root, which precedes creation, and this revelation is through the oath, the month of the oath.

Similarly, on every Rosh Hashanah, Israel—who are called Adam, since every Jew has a spark of Adam HaRishon—crown G‑d as King over themselves and the world, making the world a dwelling for Him. Each year, this coronation and dwelling are on a higher level, and the power for this comes from the renewal of the oath administered to every Jew on Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the month of the oath. It can be said that when the Alter Rebbe delivered the discourse on "they administer an oath" on Rosh Hashanah, the Torah spoken then drew down the oath in an even more revealed way.

8) Furthermore, our Sages say that man was created last so he could enter the feast immediately. This means not only that man should make the world a dwelling for G‑d, but also that man is empowered—"they administer an oath" as satiation (a feast)—to make the world a dwelling for G‑d. Thus, man's precedence to creation and the fact that all was created for him includes the oath. The purpose of the oath, the drawing down of Atik (and perhaps even the purpose of Atik itself), is for man's service. When man fulfills the oath, the oath itself is elevated, and its purpose is fulfilled.

9) The empowerment given to man on Rosh Hashanah to affect the world and make it a dwelling for G‑d can be connected to what is explained elsewhere^[54]: at the beginning of creation, the Divine will and pleasure in creating the worlds was from Himself, "for He desires kindness"^[55], but now it is through man's service. The difference is not only in how the flow is drawn down, but also in the nature of the will and pleasure. The will and pleasure in creation from "He desires kindness" is in the creation itself, revealing His kindness^[56], while the will and pleasure from man's service is that G‑d desired a dwelling in the lowest realms^[57], and that this dwelling be made through man's service. By revealing this pleasure in creation—that the purpose of creation is for Israel—man is empowered to affect creation and make it a dwelling for G‑d. The empowerment to man through the revelation of the soul's root (the oath) is about man, while the effect on the world through man's service is through revealing the purpose of creation, that the world was created for Israel.

10) Based on this, we can explain that even on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos, there is the advantage of service^[58], for the purpose of drawing down pleasure (and even the pleasure itself) is for man, so that through it he is empowered to make the world a dwelling for G‑d (as above in section 8 regarding the oath). The empowerment comes specifically when the pleasure is revealed. Since even on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos, the revelation of pleasure comes through reciting the verses of shofar (as explained above in section 2 from the discourse of 5666), it follows that even the service of reciting the verses is essential.

Furthermore, the fact that the mitzvah of shofar draws down the flow, but the revelation comes through Torah (reciting the verses), is because the root of Torah is higher than that of mitzvos. This is also connected to what is explained in the above discourse^[59], that there is an additional advantage in reciting the verses: the flow from shofar is only the light and revelation from the Essence, but through reciting the verses, the Essence itself is drawn down, similar to the elevation that will occur in the future. Based on this, it is even more understood that even on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos, there is the advantage of service, for through reciting the verses, even the flow itself is on a higher level.

And since Shabbos is the concept of rest and pleasure, the service on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos, and similarly the service on Erev Rosh Hashanah, is with rest and pleasure. This affects the entire year, that it should be a year of rest and pleasure, until the ultimate rest—the day that is entirely Shabbos and rest for eternal life^[60], may it be very soon in our days.

Summary

This maamar explores the spiritual reasons for not blowing shofar on Shabbos, revealing how Divine pleasure and the soul's mission are intertwined. The Rebbe teaches that the empowerment of the soul through the "oath" on Rosh Hashanah enables every Jew to fulfill their purpose and transform the world into a dwelling for G‑d.