004 —מאמרים מלוקט חלק א - יום ב' דראש השנה ה'תש"מ

B"H, Second day of Rosh Hashanah 5740.

U'VeYom Simchaseichem U'V'Mo'adeichem U'V'Roshei Chodsheichem U'Tekatem BaChatzotzros Go'.

On your days of rejoicing, on your festivals, and on your new months, you shall blow with the trumpets, and it shall be for you as a remembrance before your G‑d, I am Hashem your G‑d.^[1] The Gemara^[2] says: Why does it say, "I am Hashem your G‑d"? This is a general rule: wherever the Torah mentions remembrance, it must be accompanied by kingship (for "I am Hashem your G‑d" refers to kingship^[3]). From the fact that it says "I am Hashem your G‑d" regarding "it shall be for you as a remembrance," we learn that wherever remembrance is mentioned, kingship must also be included. From here we learn^[4] that on Rosh Hashanah, we must have Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros: "U'Tekatem Go'"—Shofaros, "V'Hayu Lachem L'Zikaron Go'"—Zichronos, "Ani Hashem Elokeichem"—Malchiyos. These three concepts (Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros) are not only in speech, in reciting the verses, as our Sages say^[5] "Say before Me on Rosh Hashanah Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros," but also in actual deed. As the Sages explain, Malchiyos is so that you make Me King (in actuality), Zichronos is so that your remembrance will ascend (in actuality), and how is this accomplished? Through the shofar, by actually blowing the shofar^[6]. The blessings (of Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros) are interdependent^[7], whereas the blessings and the shofar blasts are not^[8]. The teachings of our Rebbeim on this verse^[9] explain that blessings and shofar blasts are two distinct matters: blessings are speech, shofar blasts are action. We must understand why both are necessary on Rosh Hashanah^[10], especially since the simple meaning of the Sages' words, "and how? With the shofar," means the actual blowing of the shofar^[11], that the main accomplishment—making Me King and having your remembrance ascend for good—is through the shofar, which is the primary element. This is also evident from the Sages^[12] that the mitzvah of the day is with the shofar, meaning all the aspects of this day (Rosh Hashanah) are drawn down through the shofar. This is also clear from the Rambam^[13]: Even though the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a decree of the Torah, there is a hint in it: "Awaken..." The teachings of our Rebbeim^[14] explain that the Rambam's lengthy wording hints at the three concepts of Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros. From this, we understand that all three are drawn down through the shofar, and the general hint in the shofar—"Awaken..."—is the concept of teshuvah (as explained by the Rambam there). That is, the mitzvah of shofar relates to the entire theme of Rosh Hashanah (the mitzvah of the day is with the shofar), because on Rosh Hashanah, everything returns to its original state and a new flow must be drawn from His very Essence, extending through the entire chain of creation down to action. This drawing down is accomplished through the shofar, for the shofar hints to teshuvah, whose essence is unity with the Source, the original state, and this can be from below to above and from above to below, as it says^[15] "VeHaRuach Tashuv El HaElokim Asher Netanah" ("And the spirit returns to G‑d Who gave it"), as explained in Likkutei Torah at the beginning of this parsha (Haazinu). Therefore, through this, a new flow is drawn from His very Essence, and through the action (the actual shofar blowing), this is drawn down all the way to action^[16][17].

2) Not only is a physical action required (and it is not enough to have teshuvah in a spiritual sense, nor even just to recite the verses), but even within this, it is not enough to have only the inner voice of a person; one must blow with the horn of an animal specifically^[18], either a straight ibex or a bent ram, according to the two opinions—both are the words of the living G‑d^[19]. Even now, when we blow (on Rosh Hashanah) with bent rams, both aspects are present in spiritual service. The straight ibex represents "the more a person straightens his mind, the better"^[20], and Chassidus explains^[21] that this means a person must divest himself of all desires. This does not refer to improper desires, for that is obvious, and this (not having improper desires) is already accomplished through the work of Elul before Rosh Hashanah. The idea of "divesting one's mind" on Rosh Hashanah is to remove oneself from any form, even holy form. For the drawing down on Rosh Hashanah is from beyond the realm of place and form, so the service must be with simplicity, and through the person's simplicity, he draws down the supernal simplicity, up to the ultimate simplicity. Blowing with bent rams represents "the more a person bends his mind, the better"^[20], and Chassidus explains^[21] that this is the service of iskafya (subjugation), which has an advantage even over divesting oneself of desires^[22]. This service is through the aspect of "male" (bent rams), for "a man conquers"^[23].

3) This is the meaning of "the mitzvah of the day is with the shofar": through the service of the shofar in both manners—divesting and bending [each with its unique advantage]—a new light is drawn down. As explained in Iggeres HaKodesh^[24], every Rosh Hashanah a new light is drawn down that never existed before, and through this, renewal occurs throughout the entire chain of creation, even in the external worlds. Although the main renewal of Rosh Hashanah is in the inner worlds, through this, renewal also occurs in the external worlds, as explained in the Siddur^[25] in the discourse to understand the concept of shofar according to the Baal Shem Tov. All this is accomplished by the Jewish people, His close nation, "You are children to Hashem your G‑d"^[26], as explained by the Maggid in Likkutei Amarim and Or Torah at the beginning regarding "With whom did He consult? With the souls of the righteous"^[27]. The pleasure that arose before Him was the delight He would have from the service of the Jewish people, and this determined the will, and from the absolute will, it was drawn to the revealed will, and then through the entire chain of creation down to this lowest world, where the ultimate purpose of making a dwelling for Him in the lowest realms^[28] is fulfilled. This is the meaning of "Say before Me Malchiyos so that you make Me King over you... and how? With the shofar," meaning the actual blowing of the shofar, for the mitzvah of the day is with the shofar. However, included in this (in continuation to the beginning of the maamar, "Say before Me... and Shofaros") is also the recitation of the verses of Shofaros^[11] [especially since, according to this, our version of the Gemara fits with the version^[29] "Say before Me Malchiyos so that... Zichronos so that... Shofaros so that..." and the Tosefta^[30] and afterwards, "and how? With the shofar"].

4) This verse ("U'VeYom Simchaseichem... U'Tekatem BaChatzotzros...") is a continuation and conclusion of the previous matter^[31] "Make for yourself two trumpets..." It is known from the Maggid^[32] that the two trumpets are two halves of a form, meaning that the Holy One, blessed be He, and Knesses Yisrael are [so to speak, and perhaps even without qualification] two halves of a form. From this, we understand the meaning of the verse: "U'Tekatem BaChatzotzros... V'Hayu Lachem L'Zikaron Lifnei Elokeichem Ani Hashem Elokeichem"—that the concept of Malchiyos ("Ani Hashem Elokeichem") and Zichronos ("V'Hayu Lachem L'Zikaron") is accomplished through "U'Tekatem BaChatzotzros," "BaChatzotzros V'Kol Shofar Hari'u Lifnei HaMelech Hashem"^[33] [in the Beis HaMikdash ("before your G‑d," "before the King, Hashem"), both were present (but the mitzvah of the day is with the shofar, as explained in the Mishnah^[12]), and through the windows that were open and closed in the Beis HaMikdash^[34], this (like all matters of the Beis HaMikdash) was drawn down even in the borders and throughout the entire world, even during exile], because the Holy One, blessed be He, and Israel are two halves of a form^[35]. The idea is that the second soul in Israel is a literal part of G‑d above^[36], and it is known^[37] that there are two extremes in this. "Literal" refers to a part of G‑d above, meaning that the second soul in Israel is an actual part of His very Essence, and it is known from the Baal Shem Tov^[38] that when you grasp part of the essence, you grasp the whole, and the word "literal" also refers to the lowest point, what is tangible to the sense of touch. This means that the second soul in Israel is a literal part of G‑d above, even when it is clothed in the physical body, literally in the sense of touch, it is still an actual part of His very Essence, one with His Essence, as the Maggid's teaching (mentioned above) that they are two halves of a form. And since you are called "Adam"^[39] because "I will resemble the Supernal"^[40], it is understood that the concept of two halves of a form exists even within the soul itself. It is known^[41] that every soul has two general levels: the part of the soul above (the aspect of mazal), the head of the soul, and the part of the soul in the body (the revealed powers), the foot of the soul. These two aspects are the two halves of a form in every individual soul^[42]. The idea of "U'Tekatem BaChatzotzros... V'Hayu Lachem L'Zikaron Lifnei Elokeichem..." is that one must unite his two halves^[43] and present them before Hashem your G‑d, and through the unification of these two halves (head and foot) in every individual soul, this also brings about the unification of head and foot in the collective Jewish people and their elevation before Hashem your G‑d: "Atem Nitzavim HaYom (Rosh Hashanah^[44]) Kulchem Lifnei Hashem Elokeichem Roshichem... Ad Chotev Eitzecha V'Sho'ev Meimecha"—all of Israel [the head of Israel (your heads) and the foot of Israel (woodchoppers and water drawers)] unite together and stand and are elevated before Hashem your G‑d^[45], and they become one with Him, as the verse continues^[46] "to enter into the covenant..."—the idea of a covenant is that they become one^[47].

5) This is the meaning of "U'VeYom Simchaseichem... U'Tekatem BaChatzotzros... Ani Hashem Elokeichem"—"U'Tekatem" refers to the blowing of the shofar, for the mitzvah of the day (of Rosh Hashanah) is with the shofar, as the Mishnah says^[12] "the shofar is long and the trumpets are short, for the mitzvah of the day is with the shofar." Through this, the concept of trumpets is also drawn down and revealed^[48]—that the Holy One, blessed be He, and Israel are two halves of a form, meaning that Israel is rooted in His very Essence and they determine the will (as explained above regarding "With whom did He consult? With the souls of the righteous"), and from the absolute will it is drawn to the revealed will, etc., until it is drawn down below in this world, which is the main thing. The drawing down through all the levels—delight, will, intellect, emotions, kingship, etc.—is an intermediary so that it will ultimately be drawn down into this world. As explained in Tanya^[49], throughout the entire chain of creation there is a descent from the radiance of His countenance, and the ultimate purpose is this lowest world, the deepest pit, where specifically (in this lowest world) man was created and the soul, a literal part of G‑d above, was placed within him. Through his service in Torah and mitzvos ("to work it and to guard it"^[50]), the purpose of making a dwelling for His very Essence^[51] is fulfilled, that "these are the offspring of Peretz," offspring in full^[52], which is even higher than the way it was at the beginning of creation, when the world was created in its fullness^[53], "Peretz begot... David"^[54], David the King Mashiach, who will build the Beis HaMikdash^[55], and it will be "U'Tekatem BaChatzotzros... Lifnei Elokeichem," "BaChatzotzros V'Kol Shofar Hari'u Lifnei HaMelech Hashem"—literally (in the Beis HaMikdash) below ten handbreadths. For through the service during the time of exile of "Tiku BaChodesh Shofar"—improve your deeds^[56], and in a manner of renewal, as the verse precisely says, "Tiku BaChodesh Shofar" (and not "blow the shofar in the month"), as the Baal Shem Tov explains^[57], this brings about the matter of "Make for yourself two trumpets..." to call the congregation and to journey the camps^[31], to gather all Israel together and to journey and ascend from the deepest pit to the highest peak, and the idea of "when you go to war"^[58]—war with the animal soul^[59]—and you will be saved through iskafya and is'hapcha, and through this it will be "U'Tekatem BaChatzotzros Lifnei Elokeichem" in the third Beis HaMikdash, which will be built very soon by our righteous Mashiach, and all this in a manner of "U'VeYom Simchaseichem," and "eternal joy will be upon their heads"^[60], speedily in our days, literally.

Summary

This maamar explains how the mitzvah of shofar on Rosh Hashanah draws down a new Divine light, connecting the highest spiritual source with the lowest physical reality. Through both speech and action, especially the actual shofar blowing, the essential unity of the Jewish people with G‑d is revealed and actualized.