והנה Behold our Sages describe [the Divine service of Rosh HaShanah in the following manner]:1 “The Holy One, blessed be He, said: ‘Say [verses reflecting] kingship before Me to make Me King over you, [and verses recalling] remembrance so that a remembrance of you will come before Me for good.’ Through what [is this accomplished]? Through the shofar.”
The passage refers specifically to the three blessings of Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofros in the Mussaf service on Rosh HaShanah. As the maamar proceeds to explain, each blessing represents a different mode of Divine service and all three modes are interrelated.
כי For it is said of Rosh HaShanah: 2 “This day is the beginning of Your deeds, a remembrance of the first day.”
The phrase implies that, from a spiritual perspective, Rosh HaShanah is analogous to the first day of Creation. For Jewish thought views time as having a cyclical dimension. Each year, on Rosh HaShanah, the same spiritual motif that prevailed on the first day of Creation repeats itself. For that reason, both on the first day and on subsequent Rashei HaShanah, the emphasis is on the expression of G‑d’s sovereignty. However, as the Alter Rebbe proceeds to explain, there is a difference between the first day of Creation and subsequent Rashei HaShanah. Initially, G‑d’s sovereignty was revealed on His own initiative through an arousal from Above. When he was created, Adam recognized that revelation and responded by declaring: “G‑d is King.” On subsequent Rashei HaShanah, by contrast, the revelation of G‑d’s sovereignty is dependent on man’s Divine service of accepting G‑d’s Kingship.
On Rosh HaShanah, Adam the first man was created3 and he declared: 4 “G‑d is King; He clothes Himself in grandeur,”
As stated in Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer, ch. 11, this psalm was recited by Adam shortly after his creation.
because then His sovereignty was revealed.
לפי At that time, [the awareness of G‑d’s sovereignty] came as a result of an arousal from Above alone.
I.e., without Divine service on man’s part.
Now, however, we must bring about “a remembrance of the first day” through an arousal from below. [We must] arouse the revelation of G‑d’s Kingship over us by recalling the covenant and connection we share with Him.
והיינו This is achieved through the shofar,which represents teshuvah ilaah, the higher dimension of teshuvah,
As explained in sec. V, teshuvah involves a return to the very root and core of the soul. This is expressed through the sounding of the shofar which expresses the single-minded devotion to G‑d that emanates from our innermost selves.
crying out with a voice [that emanates] from the depths of the heart — from the essential point of one’s inner heart — to the extent that his powers of speech cannot control it because it is merely a voice, [a simple outcry].
Our speech is controlled by our thoughts. Thus it emanates from a level in the soul that relates to the intellect and is thus removed from the essence of our beings. The simple sound of the shofar, by contrast, taps the very essence of the soul, a point that is undefined and unlimited.
Therefore, “there is no speech and no words,”5 merely a shofar blast; a simple sound. The shevarim
There are three types of shofar blasts: (a) tekiah, a long, simple blast;
(b) shevarim, a three-part groaning sound of undulating pitch;
(c) teruah, a quick succession of short staccato sobbing sounds. See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, sec. 590:1-2.
are also merely sounds.
I.e., they are not musical notes, but like the tekiah, are simple sounds giving expression to the soul’s inner dimensions.
It is just that within the sound itself, there are several dimensions and movements: “moaning, [sobbing...].”6
In terms of our Divine service, the Alter Rebbe is explaining that the fact that the sounding of the shofar involves different notes does not detract from the concept that it is a simple sound emanating from the essence of the soul. Instead, the different types of blasts reflect how the essential call from the heart is expressed within the context of our powers of thought.
וביאור The explanation of the concept can be understood on the basis of the verse: “7 To You, my heart says: ‘Seek my inner dimension.’”
The verse represents a plea from man’s heart to G‑d, asking that He seek out the inner dimensions of the person’s soul.
Panai, translated as “inner dimension,”
The Hebrew term פנים means both “face” and “inner dimension.” For often, a person’s vitality and inner qualities are revealed in his face. Within the context of the maamar, “inner dimension” is a more appropriate translation.
refers to the inner dimension of the heart. For there are two dimensions to the outcry of the heart, an inner dimension and an external dimension.
חיצונית The external dimension of the heart is motivated by knowledge: meditation on the greatness of G‑d and the radiation of [G‑d’s] infinite light to the created beings — all the hosts of the sublime heavens, the earth, and everything in it — that brings them into existence from utter nothingness, [as we say in our prayers]: “In His goodness, each day, He continually renews the work of Creation”; 8 “and You grant life to them all.”9
אשר When a person will broaden his contemplation of these and similar matters, he will be motivated to cry out from his heart. His heart will call out to G‑d and be drawn after Him with a yearning and a thirsting to cling to Him.
I.e., the person’s contemplation of G‑d’s greatness will motivate an outcry from the heart, arousing a powerful love for G‑d. Nevertheless, this love is still referred to as “external,” because:
a) Regarding the person, such love stems from the aspect of the person that responds to his intellect. Thus, it does not express his true, inner self;
b) Regarding G‑d, such love relates to the dimension of G‑dliness that brings the creation into being. This is only the external aspect of His existence, not His inner Being, as the Alter Rebbe proceeds to explain.
וזהו [This love is reflected in the verse:] 10 “They will follow after G‑d, roaring like a lion.”
We have translated the verse according to its meaning in the maamar. It could be translated differently in its original context.
[This refers to the lion in Yechezkel’s vision] of the Divine chariot
Yechezkel had a vision of the Divine throne being carried by four beasts. Each of the beasts is identified with a camp of angels who are motivated by a particular emotional thrust.
— “the face of the lion on the right”11 — [which includes] all of [the angels in] the camp of [the Archangel] Michael, whose service and roaring is identified with the right vector, the aspect of love. The greatness of their love and their yearning to nullify themselves and become subsumed in [G‑d’s] infinite light which brings them into being and grants them life [comes] as a result of their comprehension of how they are being brought into existence from nothingness — and their life force, the maintenance [of their existence], and the influence [granted them] is being drawn down [from Him] — at every moment.
They comprehend that their life-force is being drawn down from G‑d, and, as a result, they seek to rise above themselves and bond with Him, the source of their life.
כל All of this, however, is called “the external dimension of the heart,”
For this reason, this love is described as “following after G‑d.” Acharei Havayah, translated as “after G‑d,” can also be rendered as “the hind (i.e., external) dimension of G‑d,” since it relates only to that aspect of Him which brings the world into existence and does not relate to His true, infinite Essence.
because it stems from [G‑d’s external dimension]: the shining forth of His ray and radiance upon the created beings. [While] the comprehension of the created beings is able to be elevated to this level, each one according to his capacity, it represents, however, merely [G‑d’s] radiance.v
I.e., the way He radiates light for others, but not the way He is for Himself.
אבל The glory and the Essence of the Holy One, blessed be He, by contrast, is lofty and exalted, as [can be inferred from] the verse: “12 His name is exalted alone.” [Implied is that] even His name is on a level that is “alone” [and unparalleled], for “there is no thought that can grasp Him.” 13
For there is no way a finite man — or even a spiritual being — can grasp an infinite Creator or even His name, for His name, like Him, is infinite.
And it is written: “14 I, G‑d, have not changed,” for just as before the creation of the world, He and His name [existed] alone,15 [so too, they exist on this level even after the creation of the world,] as explained in another source.16
וכמאמר [This concept can be explained, based on the phrase from our daily prayers:] “The King Who is exalted, alone from aforetime, extolled, [glorified and exalted]....” The intent of the phrase is that “from aforetime,” before the creation of this world, there existed the attribute of kingship, identified as “His name,”
The intent is that before Creation, nothing but G‑d existed. There was not even empty space in which the world was made. Only He existed. Nevertheless, His existence was not self-contained. Within Him existed the potential for Him to radiate light and through it, express infinite power. This potential for expression is referred to as “His name” and “His Kingship,” for both a name and kingship are not relevant for a person when he is alone. A name is significant only when there are others who will call one by that name. Likewise, a person can be king only when there is a nation. Similarly, G‑d’s potential for expression, which ultimately led to the creation of the world, is referred to as “His name” and “His Kingship.”
This potential always existed within Him. It was not brought into being afterwards, for that would involve change. Thus His name and His Kingship existed before Creation.
(It must be emphasized that the terms “before” and “after” are not being used in a chronological sense, for time as we know it — or anything resembling it — did not come into existence until a far lower level of being was brought into existence. Instead, the term “before” means on an utterly higher plane.)
that was alone and distinct.
I.e., on a higher plane than any entity brought into being afterwards.
Even now, when there exists a history to the world, G‑d is, nevertheless, “extolled, glorified, and exalted” above [that history], for He does not extend Himself and enclothe Himself in it in a revealed manner.
When a person performs a task, he invests his energy into it. That is absolutely necessary, for otherwise, the task would not be performed. As a result, his energy is evident and can be recognized.
We cannot say, however, that G‑d brings existence into being in such a manner, for that would involve change on His part, and one of the fundamental principles of faith is that G‑d does not change. Instead, He brings the world into being effortlessly, as a matter of course, as it were. Even as He creates the world, He remains above it, unchanged and unaffected.
Because G‑d does not actively invest Himself in creation, His influence is not revealed and openly apparent. The world appears to exist independently and the hand of its Maker is not recognized.
וכדכתיב [This is indicated by] the verse: “17 G‑d, your L‑rd, is a consuming fire.” The intent of the analogy is that it is the nature of fire to rise upward, rather than to descend and spread.vi [Similarly, G‑d remains removed from all existence, as it were.] For all the influence and radiation from G‑d’s infinite light to the worlds that descends in a chainlike manner
The term “chainlike,” hishtalshelus in the original, refers to the manner in which influence from a higher realm is conveyed to the realm below it. Like a chain whose links overlap, a higher realm shares a connection with a lower realm and, through that connection, influence can be conveyed.
from a higher realm to a lower realm comes from the attribute identified with water.
I.e., the attribute of Chessed, “kindness, which is associated with the generous flow of Divine energy.
Such [a process] is only relevant after [G‑d’s light] has undergone several types of contractions and has enclothed itself in different levels [of existence] and many veils to conceal and hide the revelation of G‑d’s Essence and glory.
שלא [Were the light not to undergo such concealment, the existence of] the worlds would be nullified. It would be as if they had never existed and they would return to nothingness and void.
Since the limited framework in which the worlds exist could not come into being unless G‑d’s infinite light was concealed, that limited framework could no longer be maintained if the concealment were to cease.
It is not relevant, by contrast, [to speak] of any influence [coming] from G‑d as He is revealed in His glory and His Essence, not in a manner of memale [kol almin],
Lit., “that fills all the worlds”; i.e., the light is revealed in each world according to its nature.
nor in a manner of sovev [kol almin].
Lit., “that encompasses all the worlds”; a light that is too transcendent to be revealed within the worlds, and hence, is described as being above them. Nevertheless, it too shares a connection with the worlds. G‑d’s Essence, by contrast, is totally above creation.
Accordingly, He is called18 “the sublime G‑d,” i.e., lofty, exalted and high,19 i.e., [totally above the level of all created beings].vii
ומשם From this [essential level] is drawn down the potential for man to call out [to G‑d] from his inner heart,
As the Alter Rebbe proceeds to state, relying on Biblical and Talmudic quotes, G‑d implanted an essential dimension of Himself in the Jewish people. As explained in Tanya, chs. 2, 18-19, Every Jew possesses a soul that is an actual part of G‑d. As such, it possesses an inherent, natural desire to cleave to Him and, like other natural drives, there is no reason or logic for this motivation. Since the soul’s nature is G‑dly, it is drawn to Him.
Generally, this inherent desire is hidden, embedded in our inner consciousness, rarely rising to its forefront. Nevertheless, there are certain times — among them, the period beginning in Elul and continuing through the Sukkos holiday — when the prevailing spiritual climate spurs the expression of this potential. The essential dimension of the soul surfaces and seeks expression. In recognition of that inner spiritual thrust, Psalm 27, which contains the verse: “To You, my heart says: ‘Seek my inner dimension...’” is recited during this period.
above the level of understanding, so that he will not be separate from G‑d’s oneness and unity, so that his heart will burn “with flames of fire,”20 with “a fire that rises of its own accord,”21 without any reason or logic, “to let one’s soul stream forth into the bosom of its Father,”22 “to give over his soul when [declaring, ‘G‑d is one,’” 23
Mesirus nefesh, the Hebrew term the Alter Rebbe refers to, is often used to refer to martyrdom, sacrificing one’s life for the sanctification of G‑d’s name. At such a time, Jews customarily recite the Shema, concluding with the affirmation “G‑d is one” (see Berachos 61b). Every day, during the recitation of the Shema in prayer,a similar commitment should be made. At this time, a person’s consciousness of self is totally effaced and all that is felt is his G‑dly essence.
“for His people are a part of G‑d,” 24
Within the context of the original source, the verse would be translated differently.
and “Israel arose in [G‑d’s] thought,”25
The Alter Rebbe is alluding to the contrast between the Jewish souls, who were brought into being through G‑d’s thought, and the creation at large which was brought into being through His speech.
There is a fundamental difference between speech and thought. Through speech, a person relates to others outside of himself, while thought is contained within himself. In the analogue, this means that entities created through G‑d’s speech see themselves as separate from Him. In contrast, since the souls come into being from His thought, they remain bound up in oneness with Him.
in its inner dimension, as explained in another source.26
וזהו This is the intent of the verse: “To You, my heart says: ‘Seek my inner dimension,’” i.e., the inner recesses of the heart [are prompted to surface. This is brought about] by [the Divine service alluded to in the continuation of the verse]: “I will seek out Your face, [Your inner dimension], O G‑d.” The approach characterized by the verse: “They will follow after G‑d,” [however, relates only to] His hind dimension, i.e., only to a ray and radiance [of G‑dly light]. This leads to “roaring like a lion,” calling out from the external dimensions of the heart.
For meditation on G‑d’s greatness also calls forth powerful feelings of love. Nevertheless, “greatness” refers merely to G‑d’s external dimensions, i.e., how He is perceived by the created beings. Since it is G‑d’s external dimensions that evoke these feelings, only the external dimensions of a person’s heart are stimulated.
The outcry of the inner dimension of the heart, [by contrast,] is drawn down from “seek[ing] out Your inner dimension, O G‑d,” [i.e., relating to] the Holy One, blessed be He, in His glory and His Essence. This is expressed through [loving G‑d] “with all your might.”27
As explained in Chassidus (Torah Or, Bereishis, p. 39c, et al.), in contrast to loving G‑d “with all your heart and with all your soul,” loving Him “with all your might” reflects an unbounded commitment that stems from the soul’s unlimited G‑dly essence.
וזהו This is the intent of the verse: “28 From the depths, I called out to You, O G‑d,” [i.e.,] from the depths of one’s heart. (For this reason, this psalm is recited [in our prayers] during the Ten Days of Repentance.)29
I.e., at this time, there is a natural and spontaneous impetus for the soul to reach the level of yearning for G‑d that stems from the fact that the soul is an actual part of G‑d.
For teshuvah ilaah (the sublime teshuvah)from the depths of the heart, [prompted by the awareness of how] “forsaking G‑d [is] bad and bitter”30 and [one’s awareness of] his distance from the light of His countenance that affects the very [core of] his soul, “from the inner dimensions of man and the depths of his heart,”31 arouses [a corresponding response] Above, calling forth [the inner dimensions of] G‑d
The arousal of feeling from the depths of the hearts of the Jewish people arouse and motivate G‑d’s inner depths, as it were.
from a hidden state into revelation, causing the inner dimension of His Kingshipviii to be revealed to us, as it is written:32 “From afar, G‑d appeared to me.”ix
I.e., man’s Divine service relates to a level of G‑dliness that is far removed from worldly reality because of its utterly transcendent nature. Also implied is that when man realizes his distance from G‑d, a revelation of this transcendent level is called forth. For this realization will spur a person to heartfelt teshuvah which in turn will arouse these inner dimensions of G‑dliness. See sec. VI which emphasizes the latter point.
וזהו This is the intent of the Zichronos blessing, for zicaron, “remembrance,” refers to something that is distant.
The Zichronos blessing concludes by praising G‑d for “remembering the covenant.” One might ask: Since, as explained above, a covenant is intended to maintain a connection between the two participants at all times, why is it necessary to cause G‑d to remember the covenant?
In resolution, it can be explained that on Rosh HaShanah, G‑d withdraws from the world, returning to His Essential state before Creation in which He is far above all elements of worldly existence. Hence, He must be motivated to “remember the covenant.”
Therefore, it is said: 33
In the Zichronos blessing.
“You remember the deeds of the world,” for they are far removed
I.e., on a far lower level.
from the light of His countenance. We arouse [G‑d’s] remembrance of Hisinner love [for the Jewish people] from His Essence and Inner Being through the shofar,which is a [simple] sound emanating from the inner dimension of the heart, as explained above.
Since the shofar’s call emanates from the very essence of a Jew’s heart, it arouses G‑d’s very Essence, relating to Him even as He is withdrawn from worldly existence. Hence it motivates Him to “remember the covenant” and maintain His connection with the Jewish people.
Summary
[Our Sages describe the Divine service of Rosh HaShanah as follows: “‘Say {verses reflecting} kingship before Me to make Me King over you {and verses reflecting} remembrance so that a remembrance of you will come before Me for good.” Through what {is this accomplished}? Through the shofar.”]
The intent [of the recitation of the blessings of] Malchiyos and Zichronos is to arouse the revelation of G‑d’s Kingship over us through recalling the covenant [between G‑d and the Jewish people].
“Through what [is this accomplished]? Through the shofar,” [for the sounding of the shofar] is identified with teshuvah ilaah; [it reflects the inner outcry of the soul, above the bounds of reason and logic].
[This is what is meant by the verse:] “Seek my inner dimension,” i.e., the inner dimension of the heart. [This aspect of our being] is drawn down through “I will seek Your face (Your inner dimension), O G‑d.”
[By contrast, the Divine service stemming from the external dimension of the heart is hinted at by the verse:] “They will follow after G‑d, roaring like a lion.” [That roar comes from the heart’s awareness of the limits of all existence outside G‑d’s Essence; that such existence relates only to] the ray and the radiance [of Divine light that brings the worlds into existence]. This leads to one “roaring like the lion” in [the vision of G‑d’s] chariot. This is still considered the outcry from the external dimensions of the heart.
The Holy One, blessed be He, in His Essence and glory is exalted “from aforetime,” [i.e., above all existence, including time,] as indicated by the verse: “G‑d, your L‑rd, is a consuming fire.” [For like fire that rises upward instead of descending, G‑d’s Essence is exalted, alone as it was before Creation.]
This is “the face (the inner dimension) of G‑d” to which a Jew relates with a call from his inner heart, [in which he totally gives himself over to G‑d]. This call arouses the revelation of the inner dimension of G‑d’s Kingship upon us.
This expresses the theme of [the blessings of] Zichronos, “remembrances,” [for on this level, G‑d is removed from all worldly existence and must be motivated to] remember the inner love [for the Jewish people that stems] from His Essence and Being. [This is achieved by sounding the shofar which arouses His very Essence.]
