Further explanation is, nevertheless, required:וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין,
Previously,1 it was explained that the revelation of Elul does not merely provide an opportunity for Divine service –דְּמֵהַנַּ''ל מוּבָן שֶׁהַגִּלּוּי שֶׁבֶּאֱלוּל הוּא לֹא רַק נְתִינַת כֹּחַ לַעֲבוֹדָה
[as stated above,2 when the King is in the field, “anyone who so desires is given the license, and the opportunity, to go out and greet him”][דִּכְשֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה יֶשְׁנוֹ הָרְשׁוּת וְהַיְכֹלֶת לְכָל אֶחָד לְהַקְבִּיל אֶת פָּנָיו]
– but that the revelation also arouses and motivates a person to Divine service.אֶלָּא גַּם מְעוֹרֵר אֶת הָאָדָם
[For the maamar explained that as a result of the King “receiving them all pleasantly”[דְּעַל יְדֵי שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ מְקַבֵּל אֶת כֻּלָּם בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת
and, particularly, as a result of His “showing a smiling countenance to all,”וּבִפְרָט עַל יְדֵי שֶׁמַּרְאֶה פָּנִים שׂוֹחֲקוֹת לְכֻלָּם,
a person is aroused to turn to G‑d in complete teshuvah.]זֶה מְעוֹרֵר אוֹתָם לָשׁוּב בִּתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה],
Nevertheless, the connection of the Divine service of Elul with the phrase, “I am my Beloved’s,”וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן הָעֲבוֹדָה בֶּאֱלוּל הִיא אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי,
indicates that man’s own service and not his response to the revelations from Above is being highlighted.עֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם.
Moreover, the difficulty is even greater. The very foundation of the concept is a matter of question:וְיֵשׁ לְהוֹסִיף,
The concept that Elul does not merely provide an opportunity for Divine service,דְּעִנְיָן זֶה שֶׁהַגִּלּוּי דֶּאֱלוּל הוּא לֹא רַק נְתִינַת כֹּחַ,
but also arouses and motivates a person3אֶלָּא גַּם מְעוֹרֵר,
is understood from the concept of “the king in the field” as a whole.מוּבָן גַּם מִכְּלָלוּת הָעִנְיָן דְּמֶלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה,
After all, it can be explained that the particular points the maamar mentions (that the King “receives them all pleasantly” and “shows a smiling countenance to all”) merely intensify the person’s desire to greet the king. Nevertheless, the King is responding only after the person has shown at least some initiative and expressed an initial desire to turn in teshuvah. Thus, man’s Divine service would still be highlighted.
Nevertheless, fundamentally, from the very fact that “the king is in the field,” it can be understood that the revelation from Above arouses the people’s desire initially, as explained below.
When the king is in the field,דִּכְשֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה
in addition to the fact that “anyone who so desires is given the license, and the opportunity, to go out and greet him,”הֲרֵי נוֹסָף שֶׁאָז יֵשׁ לְכָל אֶחָד הָרְשׁוּת וְהַיְכֹלֶת לְהַקְבִּיל אֶת פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ,
the people’s knowledge that the king is found in the field,הִנֵּה הַיְדִיעָה שֶׁל הָעָם שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ הוּא בַּשָּׂדֶה,
in the place where they are located,בְּאוֹתוֹ הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁהֵם נִמְצָאִים,
arouses within them the desire to greet him.מְעוֹרֵר אֶצְלָם אֶת הָרָצוֹן לְהַקְבִּיל אֶת פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ.
True, the king is not wearing his crown or his regal robes, but he is the king and he is nearby. Who will care about the garments or the crown, when he has the opportunity to greet the king!?4
In particular, the above applies when one steps back and contemplates the intent of the king in making the descent into the field – so that even the people in the field could greet him. For this purpose, he forgoes the revelation associated with wearing his crown and regal garments. When a subject realizes that the king has made this sacrifice for him, it arouses even more (“as water reflects a face”)5 his desire to greet the king.
It is possible to offer the following resolution:וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר הַבֵּאוּר בָּזֶה,
The people’s desire to greet the king emanates from the essence of their being,שֶׁהָרָצוֹן שֶׁל הָעָם לְהַקְבִּיל אֶת פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ הוּא מִצַּד עֶצֶם מְצִיאוּתָם.
for the king is the heart of the entire nation.6דְּכֵיוָן שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ הוּא הַלֵּב שֶׁל כָּל הָעָם,
As such, their bond with the king lies at the very essence of their being.7לָכֵן הִתְקַשְּׁרוּתָם לְהַמֶּלֶךְ הוּא בְּעֶצֶם מְצִיאוּתָם,
Nevertheless, when the king and the people are geographically distant,אֶלָּא שֶׁמִּכָּל מָקוֹם, כַּאֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָעָם הֵם בְּרִחוּק מָקוֹם,
it is possible that their connection with the kingאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהַהִתְקַשְּׁרוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם לְהַמֶּלֶךְ,
– and (as a natural consequence) their desire to greet him – will be hidden.וּ(בְמֵילָא גַּם) הָרָצוֹן שֶׁלָּהֶם לְהַקְבִּיל אֶת פָּנָיו יִהְיֶה בְּהֶעְלֵם,
When the king is in the field,וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ הוּא בַּשָּׂדֶה,
the place where they are found,בְּאוֹתוֹ הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁהֵם נִמְצָאִים,
this inner desire is revealed.הָרָצוֹן הוּא בְּגִלּוּי.
Initially, it was explained that, as he appears in the field, the king’s presence does not motivate the people to come to see him because he does not appear with his crown and his regal garments, i.e., the grandeur that usually characterizes his appearance is lacking. This grandeur is what motivates people to seek the king and when it is lacking, they do not feel such motivation. In the analogue, in Elul, the revealed dimensions of G‑dliness that arouse awe are not expressed. As such, unlike the Days of Awe of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, when everyone is spiritually motivated, such motivation is not felt in Elul. Nevertheless, here, the maamar is stating that the very presence of the king – in the analogue, the immanence of G‑d in Elul – is a motivating factor.
There is no contradiction between the two points; each has a different focus. Earlier in the maamar, the emphasis is on the people’s desire to behold the king’s splendor and grandeur. Such an attraction is felt only when the king is in his palace, garbed in royalty. Here, however, the focus is on the intrinsic connection between a king and his subjects. Their desire to see him is not at all dependent on his splendor, but emanates from the essential connection the people share with their king. Thus when they are aware that the king is found in the very place where they are located, they are moved to greet him, even if he appears in simple garb.
Similarly in the analogue,וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה הוּא בְּהַנִּמְשָׁל,
the arousal to teshuvah that comes as a result of the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Elulשֶׁהַהִתְעוֹרְרוּת לִתְשׁוּבָה הַבָּאָה עַל יְדֵי גִּלּוּי י"ג מִדּוֹת הָרַחֲמִים שֶׁבֶּאֱלוּל
reflects how the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy reveals the inner will which lies at the core of the being of the Jewish people.הוּא שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַגִּלּוּי דְּי"ג מִדּוֹת הָרַחֲמִים מִתְגַּלֶּה הָרָצוֹן הַפְּנִימִי דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל
{This8 is also indicated by the explanations further on in the maamar[וְכַמּוּבָן גַּם מֵהַמְּבֹאָר בְּהֶמְשֵׁךְ הַמַּאֲמָר
in Likkutei Torah9
which (after offering the analogy of the king in the field),(לְאַחֲרֵי הַמָּשָׁל דְּמֶלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה),
explains that G‑d’s name א-ל is the first of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy.10דְּשֵׁם אֵ-ל הוּא רֵאשִׁית כָּל הַי''ג מִדּוֹת
It is the source for the others and includes them all.וּמְקוֹרָן וּכְלָלוּתָן.
G‑d’s name א-ל is identified with His infinite light,וְעִנְיַן שֵׁם אֵ-ל הוּא אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַמָּשׁ,
as implied by the verse:11 “Keil Havayah shines light to us.”כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב, "אֵ-ל הוי' וַיָּאֶר לָנוּ",
Light resembles the essence.דְּאוֹר הוּא כְּמוֹ הָעֶצֶם
[As explained in several sources,12 there is a difference between or, “light,” and shefa,“influence.”[וְכַמְּבֹאָר בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת הַחִלּוּק בֵּין אוֹר לְשֶׁפַע,
When imparting influence, the one who imparts the influence limits himself according to the recipient’s level.דְּשֶׁפַע הוּא שֶׁהַמַּשְׁפִּיעַ מְצַמְצֵם עַצְמוֹ לְפִי עֵרֶךְ הַמְּקַבֵּל,
Since influence is internalized within the recipient, the person imparting it first surveys the recipient’s capacities and then tailors the influence that he imparts to fit those capacities.
Light, by contrast, is representative of the source of light, revealing the qualities of its source as they are in essence, for light shines effortlessly, revealing the source of light as it is, without adjusting itself for its recipients.]וְאוֹר הוּא מֵעֵין הַמָּאוֹר].
In a similar way, the revelation of Keil shines to every Jew, making G‑dliness the essence of his being. וּבְכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל מֵאִיר גִּלּוּי זֶה,
All of the other created beings receive a certain dimension of G‑dliness, limited to their particular level according to the pattern of memalei kol almin.Within the Jews, by contrast, G‑dliness is revealed as it is in essence, as light reveals its source.
Moreover, the revelation of the name Keil in every Jew is the lord and ruler over his inner being,וִיתֵרָה מִזּוֹ שֶׁהַגִּלּוּי דְּשֵׁם אֵ-ל שֶׁבְּכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל הוּא הַשַּׂר וְהַמּוֹשֵׁל שֶׁבְּקִרְבּוֹ,
Implied is that although a Jew’s personality is multifaceted with dimensions other than those stemming from the name Keil, the name Keil rules over and controls his thought processes.
as indicated by the fact that the name ישראל, Israel, can be divided as י שר א-ל – “Yud א-ל is a ruler.”דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא אוֹתִיּוֹת יוּ''ד שַׂר אֵ-ל.
The yud which begins the term implies that this is an ongoing activity,13 i.e., that the characteristic of שר א-ל is constant.
For this reason, the bittul (“self-nullification”) to G‑dliness that is within every Jew is bittul that surpasses the limits of reason and intellect,וְזֶהוּ שֶׁהַבִּטּוּל לָאֱלֹקוּת שֶׁבְּכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל הוּא בִּטּוּל שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מִטַּעַם וָדַעַת,
for G‑d’s infinite light that transcends the Spiritual Cosmos is revealed within the Jewish people. Since the core of a Jew is a reflection of essential G‑dliness, a Jew’s bond with G‑d is essential and intrinsic; it is not limited by his individual personality.כִּי בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא גִּלּוּי אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַצְמוֹ מַמָּשׁ שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת.
The revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy (in Elul)וְעַל יְדֵי הַגִּלּוּי דְּי''ג מִדּוֹת הָרַחֲמִים (שֶׁבֶּאֱלוּל)
– of which Keil is the first, the source for all the others, and which includes them all –שֶׁרֵאשִׁיתָן וּמְקוֹרָן וּכְלָלוּתָן הוּא אֵ-ל,
arouses and reveals the aspect of Keil that exists in every Jew.}מִתְעוֹרֵר וּמִתְגַּלֶּה בְּחִינַת אֵ-ל שֶׁבְּכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל].
On this basis, it can be explained why the service of Elul is described as “I am my Beloved’s,”וְזֶהוּ שֶׁהָעֲבוֹדָה דֶאֱלוּל הִיא אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי,
even though the arousal of the Jewish people’s love for G‑d comes about because of a revelation from Above.אַף שֶׁהַהִתְעוֹרְרוּת הִיא עַל יְדֵי הַגִּלּוּי מִלְמַעְלָה,
For the revelation from Above is merely a precipitatorכִּי הַגִּלּוּי שֶׁמִּלְמַעְלָה הוּא רַק סִבָּה
through which man’s inner will is revealed.שֶׁעַל יָדוֹ מִתְגַּלֶּה הָרָצוֹן הַפְּנִימִי דְּהָאָדָם.
Generally, when one responds to a revelation from Above, the response involves only a certain dimension of his being, proportionate to the type of revelation; it does not call forth his inner self. When, by contrast, a person begins Divine service on his own initiative, it is a reflection of his inner being, who he is.
The maamar is explaining that, even though the Divine service of Elul is motivated from Above, that motivation reaches the very core of the Jewish people, calling forth their G‑dly essence. And when the essence is revealed, sequence is no longer important. Their service is therefore described as “I am my Beloved’s,” because the revelation from Above merely precipitates the expression of their essence.

Summary

In the preceding section, it was explained that the revelation of Elul does not merely provide an opportunity for Divine service, but that the revelation also arouses and motivates a person to Divine service. This appears to contradict the connection of the Divine service of Elul with the phrase, “I am my Beloved’s,” which indicates that man’s own initiative is being highlighted.
Moreover, the concept that Elul does not merely provide an opportunity for Divine service, but also arouses and motivates a person, is understood from the analogy of “the king in the field.” The very fact that the king is found in the field, in the place where the people are located, naturally arouses within them the desire to greet him.
In resolution: The people’s desire to greet the king emanates from the essence of their being. Nevertheless, when the king and the people are geographically distant, it is possible that their connection with the king – and as a result, their desire to greet him – will be hidden. When the king is in the field, the place where they are found, this inner desire is revealed.
Similarly in the analogue, the arousal to teshuvah that comes as a result of the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy reveals the inner will of the Jewish people which lies at the core of their being.
The name ישראל, Israel, can be divided as י שר א-ל, “א-ל is a ruler.” G‑d’s name א-ל is identified with His infinite light. This light is invested within every Jew and is the ruler of his consciousness. The revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Elul – of which Keil is the first, the source for all the others, and which includes them all – arouses and reveals the aspect of Keil that exists in every Jew.
On this basis, it can be explained why the service of Elul is described as “I am my Beloved’s,” even though the arousal of the Jewish people’s love for G‑d comes about because of a revelation from Above. For the revelation from Above is merely a precipitator through which man’s inner will is revealed.