הָעִנְיָן עַל פָּסוּק לְעוֹלָם ה' דְּבָרְךָ נִצָּב בַּשָּׁמָיִם מֵבִיא רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן (שַׁעַר הַיִּחוּד וְהָאֱמוּנָה פֶּרֶק א', אִגֶּרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ כ"ה) בְּשֵׁם הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב, הֲגַם שֶׁיֵּשׁ עִנְיָן זֶה בְּמִדְרַשׁ תְּהִלִּים, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִתְבַּאֵר גַּם בְּלִקּוּטֵי תּוֹרָה בְּדִבּוּר הַמַּתְחִיל כִּי בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר, וְכַוָּנָה מְיוּחֶדֶת בָּזֶה, כִּי בְּיוֹם שֵׁנִי הָיָה הַמַּאֲמָר יְהִי רָקִיעַ — שֶׁהוּא הַנִּצָּב בַּשָּׁמַיִם — וְזֶה יִהְיֶה לְזִכְרוֹן עוֹלָם, כִּי בְּיוֹם שֵׁנִי ח"י אֱלוּל נוֹלַד הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב.

The Alter Rebbe quotes the verse — “Forever, O G‑d, Your word stands in the heavens”1 — and cites a classic teaching based on it. [The teaching: Each of the Ten Creative Utterances (“G‑d’s word”) in the Six Days of Creation, such as “Let there be heavens,”2 is eternally present in the universe and continuously, at every instant, recreates all of existence, such as the heavens, ex nihilo.] However, the Alter Rebbe cites this teaching (both in Tanya — Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, ch. 1, and in Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 25) in the name of the Baal Shem Tov — even though the same teaching appears [much earlier] in Midrash Tehillim.3 (This fact is also mentioned in the maamar beginning Ki bayom hazeh yechaper, in Likkutei Torah.)4

[The Alter Rebbe] has a particular reason for doing this. The utterance, “Let there be heavens” — which itself stands in the heavens eternally — was issued on the second day of Creation. This serves as an everlasting reminder that on Monday, Chai Elul, the Baal Shem Tov was born.5

To Fill In the Background

The Rebbe notes6 that in Tanya, the Alter Rebbe uses the expression piresh haBaal Shem Tov (“the Baal Shem Tov explained”), rather than “the Baal Shem Tov taught,” or the like. The concept had already been taught in the Midrash; the Baal Shem Tov clarified and publicized it further.

Thereafter, the Rebbe adds, the Alter Rebbe clothed this spiritual concept in the comprehensible terms of Chochmah, Binah and Daas.