009 —מאמרים מלוקט חלק א - יום ב' דראש השנה, ה'תשמ"ז

B"H, Second day of Rosh Hashanah, 5747.

Tiku BaChodesh Shofar BaKeseh LeYom Chageinu etc. ("Blow the shofar at the new moon, at the appointed time for our festive day, etc.").

The Previous Rebbe, in his maamar on this verse from forty years ago^[1][2][3], explains the teaching of our Sages^[4] on the verse: "Which festival is it that the moon is covered?"—this refers to Rosh Hashanah. "BaKeseh" (the covering) refers to the concealment of the Sefirah of Malchus, which on Rosh Hashanah is hidden in its essence. The main service of Rosh Hashanah is the building of Malchus, as our Sages say^[5]: "Say before Me verses of Kingship so that you make Me King over you." The way to draw down Malchus is through the blowing of the shofar, as it says, "Tiku..." The Baal Shem Tov (in Keser Shem Tov^[6]) notes that the verse should have said, "Blow the shofar at the new moon," and explains that a person should always be in a state of renewal, constantly making his good deeds new and not routine. Since this verse addresses a fundamental concept—Rosh Hashanah and crowning G‑d as King—it teaches a general lesson: our service must always be with renewal, so that every act is as if it were entirely new^[7]. Furthermore, "Tiku" also means strength and firmness^[8]—one should embed himself in his service with the greatest strength, unwavering, so that his commitment is eternal and every moment is truly new. This connects to the Baal Shem Tov's teaching that a miracle is something that happens for the first time, and when it repeats, it is called nature—yet in truth, everything is a miracle. The Baal Shem Tov also teaches^[9] that everything in the world is renewed every moment; what we call nature is only because it has happened before. Meditating on this—that everything is truly a miracle and new—gives us the power to serve in a way that every act is genuinely new.

He continues in that maamar (from 5707) that "Keseh" also means a set time or appointed season^[10]. There is a specific time to draw down Malchus. This relates to Rosh Hashanah, based on the well-known teaching of the Maggid (brought in the discourse of the Alter Rebbe printed in the Siddur with Chassidus^[11]), that time itself is a creation. Just as on Rosh Hashanah there is a renewal of the creation of the entire world, as it says^[12], "This is the day of the beginning of Your works, a remembrance of the first day," so too, on Rosh Hashanah, there is a renewal of the very definitions of time and space (since time and space are the definitions of the world^[13]). The point is that, as explained (in Likkutei Torah^[14] etc.), the world was created on the 25th of Elul^[15], and Rosh Hashanah is the sixth day of creation, the day Adam was created. Why, then, is Rosh Hashanah called "the beginning of Your works, a remembrance of the first day"? It is explained^[14] that although the entire world was created in the first instant of the six days of creation, as it says^[16], "In the beginning, G‑d created the heavens and the earth," and certainly time and space were created then, nevertheless, the completion of creation was specifically on the sixth day, the day Adam was created. Therefore, only this day is called "the beginning of Your works, a remembrance of the first day." This also explains why the day is called simply "Keseh"—a set time—because, although the creation of time and space occurred at the very beginning, their completion is on this day, the day Adam was created. Adam brought completion to all creation by drawing G‑dliness (His Kingship) into the world^[17]. That is why Adam is called "Adam"—from "Adameh l'Elyon" (I will resemble the Most High)^[18]—he drew G‑dliness below to make a dwelling for Him in the lowest realms, within the definitions of time and space.

Just as Adam, the first man, brought completion to all creation—including time—so too, every year, through the service of every Jew, who is also called "Adam" because of "Adameh l'Elyon"^[19], each person draws G‑dliness below through his service. In fact, Adam was created alone to teach that whoever sustains one Jewish soul is as if he sustained an entire world^[20]. Adam was created alone, resembling the "Only One of the world" (the level of Yachid, which is higher than Echad^[21]), for the sake of a single Jewish soul.

The explanation of the matter (that the drawing down of G‑d's Kingship on Rosh Hashanah is specifically connected to a set time and to the service of the Jewish people) is as follows: It is known^[22] that the ultimate purpose of creation is to make a dwelling for Him in the lowest realms, meaning that the revelation of G‑dliness below (His dwelling) should be specifically within the definitions of the lower realms—time and space—and that the making of this dwelling is through the Jewish people. For this reason, the drawing down of Malchus on Rosh Hashanah is specifically within the definitions of time and through the service of the Jewish people^[23]. This is the meaning of the verse^[24], "You have distinguished the L‑rd today..." as explained by the Tzemach Tzedek^[25] and the Rebbe Maharash (in the discourse from 5630^[26]), "Lechatchila Ariber"^[27], that "he'emarta" has three meanings, the first (and main) being praise and delight, and "today" refers to Rosh Hashanah^[28]. Thus, "he'emarta hayom" refers to drawing down delight on Rosh Hashanah. As explained elsewhere^[29], this is also the meaning of the shofar of Rosh Hashanah, which is delight—"shofar" from the root "shapru ma'aseichem" (beautify your deeds)^[30]. It follows that the main service of Rosh Hashanah is to complete the delight and desire Above to make a dwelling for Him in the lowest realms, and this is accomplished through the service of the Jewish people, specifically through "he'emarta."

He continues in the maamarim^[31] that the building of Malchus—which occurs on Rosh Hashanah, as explained in the writings of the Arizal^[32]—is accomplished through the service of "Crown Me over you." For this, all concealments and obscurations must be removed. This connects with what was explained earlier: since on Rosh Hashanah Malchus is concealed, the service of "Crown Me over you" is through first removing the coverings and obscurations. This includes removing all disturbances [including bodily disturbances, so that there should be a speedy and complete recovery, etc.], and, on the contrary, that it should be in a manner of "double strength"^[33]. After first removing the obscurations (which is the refinement of the vessel), the service must be with desire (which brings a much greater intensity of light than the drawing down that comes through refinement of the vessel), as explained in the maamar^[34]. This is the simple acceptance of G‑d's Kingship, which must be with desire, and "His Kingship they accepted upon themselves with desire"^[35][36]. Through the service of removing the obscurations and accepting His Kingship with desire, the building of Malchus is accomplished, until its ultimate completion—unification of Havayah and Elokim, unification of light and flow, until even the concealment of the Name Elokim (the aspect of Malchus) itself shines. This is the meaning of Malchus being built as a "partzuf" (a full persona), whose advantage over the "point" is that it is in a state of revealed light, as explained at length in the continuation there.

He continues there^[37] that this is also the explanation of the blessing in the shofar section: "Who hears the sound of the teruah of His people Israel with mercy." Teruah represents the breaking of materiality and ego, which brings about that Malchus is in a state of revealed light. Therefore, when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos (as was the first day of Rosh Hashanah this year), we do not blow the shofar^[38], because on Shabbos the service is not in a manner of breaking and refining, as "borer" (selecting) is forbidden on Shabbos^[39]. The reason is that on Shabbos there is the perfection and true essence of physicality, and there is no need for the service of refinement. Nevertheless, in the Beis HaMikdash, they would blow the shofar even on Shabbos, because there the physical is as it should be, in the most select place, and the material is proper; therefore, in the Mikdash, blowing the shofar on Shabbos is not an act of refinement but rather an even higher perfection in the complete physical. Furthermore, as is known^[40], in the Holy of Holies, the place of the Ark was not measured, meaning there was measurement and limitation—ten cubits to each side^[41]—and likewise, the Ark itself had measurement—two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high^[42]—yet at the same time, it was not measured, because the physical was as it should be, and the measurement itself was without limitation.

It can be said that, in the inner dimension, the same drawing down accomplished by the shofar blowing in the Mikdash (on Shabbos) is drawn down everywhere and at all times. Just as when we do not blow the shofar when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos, nevertheless, through reciting the verses of Kingship, Remembrance, and Shofar, we draw down the same effect that was accomplished in the Beis HaMikdash. The recitation of these verses everywhere and at all times draws down the same building of Malchus, as is also evident from the fact that the number of verses recited is ten, corresponding to the ten Sefiros from which Malchus is built^[43], so that through the recitation, a complete building is accomplished. In fact, even more so, everywhere and at all times, the same drawing down as through the shofar blowing in the Mikdash is accomplished. The explanation is as follows: It is known from our Sages^[44][45] on the verse "And I will dwell among them"—not "in it" (the Mishkan), but "among them," meaning within every Jew. Thus, within every Jew is this aspect of the Mikdash (where they would blow the shofar even on Shabbos). Moreover, this verse refers (in its simple sense) to the Mishkan made by Moshe, which is eternal, like all the works of Moshe^[46]. Especially as explained in Tanya^[47], that there is a "Moshe" within every Jew, which permeates him completely. And especially since within every Jew there is also the aspect of the Ark (which is not measured), which is the innermost point of the heart, as explained in Likkutei Torah and the discourses of the Mitteler Rebbe^[48]. Thus, every Jew has the power to effect, on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos, the elevation of the physical even beyond the ultimate perfection that was in the Beis HaMikdash, just as through the shofar blowing in the Mikdash. Especially as brought in the continuation of the maamarim^[37] from the Zohar^[49] that on Shabbos there is an "expansion of this point," meaning the complete building of the Sefirah of Malchus in a state of revealed light. Especially as explained in the well-known continuation^[50] that every Shabbos is a taste of the future. From all this, it is understood that through the service of the Jewish people in the matter of "Tiku BaChodesh Shofar BaKeseh LeYom Chageinu" on Rosh Hashanah, we effect Above the ultimate building of Malchus, so that it is also drawn down below in this physical world. As explained in the continuation of the maamarim^[37], the true service is that even the physical is a vessel for the Infinite Light, as in "Ala Elokim B'Seruah"^[51]—the elevation of the Name Elokim, meaning the measurement and limitation of the world created by the Name Elokim (as it says, "In the beginning, Elokim created"), and the extent of the elevation is that it is included in the Name Havayah, and even the Name Havayah is elevated by the sound of the shofar, which is the unification of Havayah and Elokim—a new effect in both Names. May it be His will that all these matters be drawn down for us, including simply that we be inscribed and sealed immediately for a good life in the book of the truly righteous^[52], and that the righteous (the truly righteous) will return in repentance^[53], with the true and complete redemption through Moshiach Tzidkeinu, as explained in the continuation^[54] that "Teruah" is Yaakov and David, David the King Moshiach, Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily in our days.

On Rosh Hashanah, the Rebbe teaches that our service must be with constant renewal and strength, building Malchus and drawing G‑dliness into the world. Through our actions, even the physical becomes a vessel for the Divine, bringing about the ultimate unity of Havayah and Elokim and the coming of Moshiach.