In order to explain the two aspects of the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Elul mentioned above –וּבִכְדֵי לְבָאֵר שְׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים הַנַּ''ל בְּהַגִּלּוּי דְּי"ג מִדּוֹת הָרַחֲמִים שֶׁבֶּאֱלוּל –
that the revelation extends to every Jew,שֶׁהַגִּלּוּי דֶּאֱלוּל הוּא לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד
even to those very distant from G‑dliness,גַּם לְהָרְחוֹקִים בְּיוֹתֵר,
but, nevertheless, the revelation does not actually arouse and motivate the person,וְשֶׁאַף עַל פִּי כֵן הַגִּלּוּי אֵינוֹ מְעוֹרֵר אֶת הָאָדָם
but merely enables him –וְהוּא רַק נְתִינַת כֹּחַ –
With these lines, the Rebbe focuses on an apparent paradox, whose resolution is one of the fundamental themes of this maamar. On one hand, as stated previously, the phrase “I am my Beloved’s” indicates that it is man who initiates the new phase of Divine service that characterizes Elul. Conversely, however, it is explained that in Elul, the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are revealed from Above and they enable man’s Divine service. This seems to imply that man’s intensification of his bond with G‑d comes as a response to the revelation from Above and does not result from his own initiative. In resolution, the Rebbe explains that the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy merely enable man’s Divine service, but they do not motivate it.1
the maamar in Likkutei Torah continues by offering an analogy:מַמְשִׁיךְ בְּהַמַּאֲמָר,
that the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Elul can be compared to a king who appears in a field.שֶׁהַגִּלּוּי דְּי"ג מִדּוֹת הָרַחֲמִים בֶּאֱלוּל הוּא דֻּגְמַת מֶלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה.
As reflected in sec. 7 and notes, a field is outside the King’s city, i.e., it is not a place of inherent holiness. Nevertheless, as stated here, it serves the city, providing food for its inhabitants. In the analogue in our Divine service, it refers to mundane activities carried out in the spirit of “Know G‑d in all your ways” (Mishlei 3:6) and “All your deeds shall be for the sake of Heaven” (Avos 2:12).
Among the differences between a king as he appears in a field and as he appears in his palace are two fundamental matters:2דְּמֵהַחִלּוּקִים בֵּין מֶלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה וּמֶלֶךְ בְּהֵיכָלוֹ הֵם שְׁנֵי הָעִנְיָנִים.
a) the level of revelation:בְּנוֹגֵעַ לְדַרְגַּת הַגִּלּוּי,
The fundamental revelation of the splendor of the king – which is an intrinsic element of his sovereignty, as indicated by the verse:3 (“Your eyes shall behold the king in his splendor”) –עִקַּר הַגִּלּוּי דְּמֶלֶךְ בְּיָפְיוֹ (תֶּחֱזֶינָה עֵינֶיךָ)
is in his palace,הוּא בְּהֵיכַל מַלְכוּתוֹ,
when he is wearing his regal garments and his royal crown.כְּשֶׁהוּא בִּלְבוּשֵׁי מַלְכוּת וּבְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת,
This is not the case when he is in the field. There, he does not clothe himself regally.4מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן כְּשֶׁהוּא בַּשָּׂדֶה.
b) the revelation itself: This takes place primarily in the field.אֲבָל הַגִּלּוּי עַצְמוֹ הוּא בְּעִקָּר כְּשֶׁהוּא בַּשָּׂדֶה.
When the king is in his palace, “one may only enter his presence with permission –דְּבִהְיוֹתוֹ בְּהֵיכַל מַלְכוּתוֹ אֵין נִכְנָסִים אֵלָיו אֶלָּא בִּרְשׁוּת
and this is granted only to the nation’s elite and to a select few.”5וְרַק הַמֻּבְחָרִים שֶׁבָּעָם וִיחִידֵי סְגֻלָּה,
When, by contrast, he is in the fieldוּבִהְיוֹתוֹ בַּשָּׂדֶה,
“anyone who so desires is given the license [and the opportunity]6 to go out and greet him.רַשָּׁאִים [וִיכוֹלִים] לְהַקְבִּיל פָּנָיו כָּל מִי שֶׁרוֹצֶה,
He receives them all pleasantly and shows a smiling countenance to all.”וְהַמֶּלֶךְ מְקַבֵּל אֶת כֻּלָּם בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת וּמַרְאֶה פָּנִים שׂוֹחֲקוֹת לְכֻלָּם.
Similarly, in the analogue,וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה הוּא בְּהַנִּמְשָׁל,
the revelations of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur – and in a larger sense, of the Ten Days of Teshuvah as a whole –שֶׁהַגִּלּוּי דְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה בַּעֲשֶׂרֶת יְמֵי תְּשׁוּבָה בִּכְלָל
are comparable to the presence of a king in his palace.שֶׁהוּא בְּדֻגְמַת מֶלֶךְ בְּהֵיכָלוֹ
In such an instance, the revelation arouses a person’s emotional reactionהוּא בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁהַגִּלּוּי מְעוֹרֵר אֶת הָאָדָם,
like a king in his palace (who wears regal garments and the royal crown) and thus casts dread and fear upon those who enter his court.בְּדֻגְמַת מֶלֶךְ בְּהֵיכָלוֹ (בִּלְבוּשֵׁי מַלְכוּת וּבְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת), שֶׁהוּא מַטִּיל אֵימָה וָפַחַד.
Nevertheless, for a person to feel the revelation of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur,אֲבָל בִּכְדֵי שֶׁהָאָדָם יַרְגִּישׁ הַגִּלּוּי דְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים,
it is (fundamentally)7 necessary for it to be preceded by Divine service in Elul.הוּא (בְּעִקָּר) לְאַחֲרֵי קְדִימַת הָעֲבוֹדָה בְּחֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל,
Through such efforts he becomes one of “the nation’s elite” and the “select few” who enter the king’s palace.8שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה הוּא נַעֲשֶׂה מֵהַמֻּבְחָרִים שֶׁבָּעָם וְהַיְחִידֵי סְגֻלָּה שֶׁנִּכְנָסִים לְהֵיכַל הַמֶּלֶךְ.
The revelation of Elul, by contrast, is comparable to a king in the field;וְהַגִּלּוּי דֶּאֱלוּל שֶׁהוּא דֻּגְמַת מֶלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה,
i.e., G‑dliness is manifest in a manner that the revelation does not arouse a person,הוּא בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁהַגִּלּוּי אֵינוֹ מְעוֹרֵר אֶת הָאָדָם,
but only makes possible this Divine service.וְהוּא רַק נְתִינַת כֹּחַ לַעֲבוֹדָה,
However, the capacity to initiate this Divine service is granted to everyone,אֲבָל הַנְּתִינַת כֹּחַ לַעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁעַל יְדֵי גִּלּוּי זֶה הוּא לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד
even the most distant.גַּם לְהָרְחוֹקִים בְּיוֹתֵר
This concept is illustrated by the analogy of the king in the field.בְּדֻגְמַת מֶלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה,
When the king is in such a state and setting, without his crown and regal garments, he does not cast dread and fear on those who see him,דִּכְשֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ הוּא בְּמַצָּב זֶה אֵינוֹ מַטִּיל אֵימָה וָפַחַד.
and, particularly, not on the people found in the field, who are on a low level and thus cannot perceive the king’s inner greatness.וּבִפְרָט עַל אֵלּוּ הַנִּמְצָאִים בַּשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁהֵם בְּדַרְגָּא נְמוּכָה.
Moreover, when the king is in such a state and setting,וִיתֵרָה מִזּוֹ, דִּכְשֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ הוּא בְּמַצָּב זֶה,
he does not even arouse a desire for the people to come and greet him.9אֵינוֹ מְעוֹרֵר אֲפִלּוּ תְּשׁוּקָה לְהַקְבִּיל אֶת פָּנָיו.
This concept is reflected in the words of the maamar in Likkutei Torah: “anyone who so desires to go out and greet him,”וְזֶהוּ שֶׁמְּדַיֵּק בְּהַמַּאֲמָר כָּל מִי שֶׁרוֹצֶה לָצֵאת לְהַקְבִּיל פָּנָיו,
i.e., going out to greet the king is primarily dependent on their own desire.10דְּזֶה שֶׁהֵם יוֹצְאִים לְהַקְבִּיל אֶת פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ הוּא מִצַּד הָרָצוֹן שֶׁלָּהֶם
The desire to see the king when he is wearing his crown and regal garments stems from an outside influence – the inspiration evoked by his crown and garments. When the king is in the field, there is nothing that evokes man’s desire to see him. If so, when one chooses to go to see the king, the desire stems from the person himself.
Nevertheless, the possibility that is granted to greet the king results from his being in the field.אֶלָּא שֶׁהַנְּתִינַת כֹּחַ לְהַקְבִּיל אֶת פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ הוּא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה.
Then, (when the king is in the field,)שֶׁאָז (בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בַּשָּׂדֶה)
everyone has the license and the capacity to greet him.יֶשְׁנוֹ הָרְשׁוּת וְהַיְכֹלֶת לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְהַקְבִּיל אֶת פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ.

Summary

To explain the two seemingly contradictory aspects of the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Elul – that the revelation extends to every Jew, even to those very distant from G‑dliness, but, nevertheless, the revelation does not actually motivate the person, but merely enables him to intensify his bond with G‑d – the maamar in Likkutei Torah continues by offering an analogy – that the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Elul can be compared to a king who appears in a field and meets his subjects there.
Among the differences between a king as he appears in a field and as he appears in his palace are:
a) The level of revelation: In his palace, the splendor of the king is revealed; he wears his regal garments and his crown. This is not the case when he is in the field.
b) The king’s accessibility: When the king is in his palace, “one may only enter with permission — and this is granted only to the nation’s elite, to a select few.” When, by contrast, he is in the field “anyone who so desires is given the license – and the opportunity – to go out and greet him. He receives them all pleasantly and shows a smiling countenance to all.”