אך The motivation which evokes influence from [the dimension of G‑d described as]: “a consuming fire,” “His holiness,” and “the sublime G‑d,”
In the previous sections of the maamar, all of these terms were used to refer to G‑d as He exists in His essential state, above connection to worldly existence.
and that causes “Israel to arise in [G‑d’s] thought” and “His people [to be] a part of G‑d”
I.e., in His Essence, G‑d is above the existence of the Jewish people as well. There must be a factor which motivates Him, as it were, to descend, bring them into being, and be their King.
so that they can arouse the revelation of His inner Kingship from His Essence and Being is [rooted in the principle]:1 “There is no king without a nation.”xiv The intent [of the term “nation”] is to refer to people who are on a level on which they can be called [the king’s] nation, i.e., they are people like him and share a certain relationship with him. [On the other hand,] they are on a lower level and he is above them. Therefore he is called their king.
As the Alter Rebbe explains, kingship involves a fusing of opposites: On one hand, a king is far above the level of his nation. Thus when Scripture (I Shmuel 9:2) describes Shaul, Israel’s first king, it states that he was “from his shoulders up, taller than all the people.” Chassidus (the series of maamarim entitled BeShaah Shehikdimu, 5672, Vol. I, p. 472, et al.) explains that the implication is that a king is, by nature, exalted far above the level of his people. Simultaneously, as the Alter Rebbe proceeds to state in the maamar here, the king and his people must share a certain commonality. The people must be able to appreciate him and willingly accept his authority. Otherwise, the term “king” is not appropriate.
משא"כ [Now,] with regard to the Holy One, blessed be He, [on the level of] His Essence and glory, there is none comparable to Him.
I.e., the motif of kingship, seemingly, is not fitting with regard to G‑d, for it is not possible for anyone to be on a level where he shares a relationship with G‑d and can thus be referred to as “His nation,” for He is exalted above all other beings.
To explain by analogy, it is like saying that a person is king over wood and stones, which are not of a species and type over which the term “king” would be fitting and appropriate. [It cannot be said that] one rules over such entities.
אבל [As such, the concept of G‑d’s Kingship is difficult to understand, for there are no entities that are on His level, as it were.
Indeed, even the highest spiritual beings are farther removed from His Essence than wood and stones are from us.
In resolution, however, it can be explained that] because of the covenant that G‑d establishes with us, [He conducts Himself] as in the analogy [in sec. II]: that because of a covenant and bond, a person will force himself to act as a faithful friend, even when according to logic it is not advantageous for him. G‑d acts in a similar manner with regard to us. He forces Himself, as it were,
I.e., acts against His natural tendency, as it were.
to connect our souls to Him, to have “Israel arise in [His] thought,” and to have the inner dimensions of His Kingship revealed to us.
וזהו This is the intent of the phrase “to have you pass into the covenant” [in the verse cited at the beginning of the maamar]. This parallels the verse:2 “until Your nation passes over, O G‑d.” [Here, the intent is that] they passed from one level to another, [ascending] from a lower level upward, from love which is below understanding
The Alter Rebbe uses the term “below” to imply that the love is a derivative of understanding; it is motivated by it and dependent on it.
to the sublime love that transcends understanding. [Since there is no comparison between G‑d and a created being,] this [love is possible] only [due to] “the covenant that G‑d established... to raise you up to be His people.” 3
פי' The intent is that “There is no king without a nation.”
Since kingship exists on this earthly plane, we are forced to say that it exists Above, for everything on this plane has its source in the higher realms. Now since G‑d is a King, He must, as it were, have a nation. As a result, the Jewish people are brought into being.
Thus it was necessary for [G‑d] to establish a covenant [with the Jewish people] to raise [them] up to the level where they would be [His] nation — for the Jewish people to be elevated to the level of [G‑d’s] sublime thought. He lowers Himself as it were “to be your G‑d,” to the level where there will be a connection and oneness between Him and “Israel, the nation close to Him.”4 ,xv
The intent is that, in and of themselves, the Jewish people are not on a level to be G‑d’s nation, for, as limited created beings, they are on a totally different plane than He. Nevertheless, G‑d’s covenant bonds Him to them and them to Him, elevating them to a level on which He can relate to them as His people.
אך Behold, the phrase5 “a judgment for the G‑d of Yaakov”
In Chassidus (Tanya, Iggeres HaTeshuvah, ch. 5, et al.), it is often explained that the term Elokim or its derivatives not only refer to G‑d as He exists above, but also to the G‑dliness that exists within every particular individual. The judgment on Rosh HaShanah includes the determination of whether a person is considered worthy of having a live connection with his inner G‑dly essence or whether it will remain concealed in the hidden reaches of his heart.
[is used with regard to Rosh HaShanah. Implied is that] there is a judgment Above [regarding every individual, determining] who will merit to be on the level at which G‑dliness will be revealed to him so that his soul will be bonded with a strong and powerful connection to G‑d. Therefore, on Rosh HaShanah, it is necessary to arouse [within himself the Divine service identified with] “the beginning of Your deeds.”
I.e., as explained in sec. III, in the spiritual realms, G‑dliness returns to its essential state on Rosh HaShanah, the state that existed at“the beginning of Your deeds.” A similar motif must transpire within a person’s soul. He must arouse his essential core, the aspect of G‑dliness that remains intact at all times and is above all connection to sin.
And then He will [respond, as indicated by the verse]: “There will be a king in Yeshurun.”xvi
For when the Jewish people express their essential G‑dly nature, G‑d lowers Himself and manifests His Kingship.
וזהו This is the intent of the instruction, “Say [verses reflecting] kingship before Me to make Me King over you”:
The Rebbe is referring to the Divine service that accompanies the recitation of the blessings of Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofros
that [the Jews] will be able to establish Him as King, calling forth the inner dimension of His exalted Kingship. [The potential for such Divine service comes from “verses reflecting] remembrance, that your remembrance will come before Me for good” — to [motivate G‑d’s] remembrance [of the Jews] and to arouse the aspect of the covenant and connection [resulting from] “Israel aris[ing] in G‑d’s thought.” Although now we are distant from Him and “our sins separate”;
I.e., as explained in Iggeres HaTeshuvah, loc. cit., a person’s sins create obstructions that interfere with the flow of energy from one’s inner G‑dly essence to his conscious mind. This is the separation created between “you and your G‑d,” i.e., the G‑dliness within you.
nevertheless, an arousal from below can bring about an arousal from Above, [causing the connection to be renewed].
By reaching deep into our spiritual consciousness and arousing that dimension that is bound to G‑d, we can arouse the dimension within Him that is bound to us.
ובמה “And through what,” [i.e., what will be an appropriate arousal from below]? “Through the shofar,” i.e., through [a cry] from the inner dimension of the heart,
Since the call of the shofar reflects the inner expression of a Jew’s heart, it can bring the inner bond shared with G‑d to the surface.
as explained above. When [one experiences] an arousal from the depths of the heart, to regret [one’s past conduct and] divert his will from [such behavior by touching the inner,] true point of the heart, then [the inner connection between G‑d and the Jewish people] will be revealed, as explained above.
Summary
The entire [purpose of the covenant G‑d establishes with the Jewish people] is “to raise you up to be His people.” [To explain:] “There is no king without a nation”; [i.e., for there to be a king, there must be a “nation,” people who are on a similar level and who acknowledge him. With regard to G‑d’s Kingship, this is seemingly impossible, for there is none comparable to Him. Nevertheless,] the connection, bond, and covenant He establishes with [the Jewish people raise them up to be on this level].
[Although this motif prevails for the Jewish people as a whole,] as implied by the phrase “a judgment for the G‑d of Yaakov,” [there is a judgment] on Rosh HaShanah [for each individual person] and he must arouse this [inner, Divine potential. The Divine service associated with] the blessings of Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofros [makes the realization of this spiritual potential possible].
