בְּמוֹצָאֵי יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים תּקנ"ו בְּלִיאָזנאָ אָמַר רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן תּוֹרָה בְּרַבִּים — כַּנָּהוּג אָז דְּרוּשִׁים קְצָרִים — עַל פָּסוּק מִי כְּהַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֵינוּ בְּכָל קָרְאֵנוּ אֵלָיו, אֵלָיו וְלֹא לְמִדּוֹתָיו, דעֶר פַּרְדֵּס זאָגט אֵלָיו אִיז אוֹרוֹת הַמִּתְלַבְּשִׁים בְּכֵלִים דְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת, דעֶר רֶבִּי דעֶר בַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב זאָגט אֵלָיו אִיז דעֶר אֱלֹקוּת וואָס אִין כֵּלִים דְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת, דעֶר פֵּרוּשׁ הַפָּשׁוּט אִיז: אֵלָיו עַצְמוּת אֵין סוֹף וואָס עֶס אִיז בַּא יעֶדעֶן פָּשׁוּט'ן אִידעֶן בִּידִיעָה עַצְמִית דוּרךְ אֱמוּנָה פְּשׁוּטָה, אוּן דאָס אִיז קְרוֹבִים אֵלָיו אוּן בְּכָל קָרְאֵנוּ אֵלָיו עַצְמוּת אֵין סוֹף אוּן עַצְמוּת הַנְּשָׁמָה, תְּפִלָּה בֶּאֱמוּנָה פְּשׁוּטָה אִיז מְחַבֵּר עַצְמוּת הַנְּשָׁמָה מִיט עַצְמוּת אֵין סוֹף, אַז עַצְמוּת אֵין סוֹף זאָל זיין דעֶר רוֹפֵא חוֹלִים אוּן מְבָרֵךְ הַשָּׁנִים.

On the night following Yom Kippur, 5556 (1795), in Liozna, the Alter Rebbe publicly delivered a teaching — briefly, as was his custom in those years — on the verse,1 “Who is… like G‑d, our L‑rd, whenever we call unto Him?” [And on the latter phrase the Sages specify:2 ] “Unto Him, and not unto His attributes.”

The Alter Rebbe’s teaching follows:

The Pardes [Rimonim] states that “unto Him” refers to the oros (the Divine “lights”) that are enclothed in the keilim (“vessels”) of the Ten Sefiros of the World of Atzilus. The Rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov, states that “unto Him” refers to the G‑dliness in the vessels of Ten Sefiros of the World of Atzilus. The simple meaning of “unto Him” is the Essence3 of the [infinite] Ein Sof that is present in the essential, intrinsic awareness of every ordinary Jew, by virtue of his simple faith.

[The verse in full states: “Who is the nation so great that has G‑d so near to them, like G‑d, our L‑rd, whenever we call unto Him?” In light of the latter explanation,] having G‑d “so near” to us “whenever we call unto Him” means connecting the Essence of G‑d with the essence of the soul. And it is praying with simple faith that connects the Essence of G‑d with the essence of the soul. The Essence of the Ein Sof is then the One Who heals the sick and the One Who blesses the years [with prosperity].4

To Fill In the Background

This teaching was delivered shortly after the Neilah service on Yom Kippur. Neilah means “closing” or “locking.” Like the High Priest who entered the Holy of Holies on this day for a direct experience of the Divine, so every Jew, at this time, is locked in, alone with G‑d. At that time the essence of his soul, which is one with the Essence of G‑d, becomes revealed.

As soon as the High Priest departed from the Holy of Holies, he offered a short prayer for the material well-being of the Jewish people, for a Jew’s connection to the Essence of G‑d evokes myriad blessings in every aspect of his life.