The maamar began by explaining the description of Rosh HaShanah as “the beginning of Your works, a remembrance of the first day” and stating that “a remembrance of the first day” reflects a loftier dimension of the day than the fact that it is “the beginning of Your works.” Sections 2 and 3 explained the positive dimension implied by “the beginning of Your works.” In this section, the maamar begins the explanation of “a remembrance of the first day.”
After describing Rosh HaShanah as “the beginning of Your works,” the Rosh HaShanah prayers add that it is “a remembrance of the first day.” The order reflects a process of ascent.וּלְאַחֲרֵי אָמְרוֹ זֶה הַיּוֹם תְּחִלַּת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ מוֹסִיף זִכָּרוֹן לְיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן,
The dimension of Rosh HaShanah that is “a remembrance of the first day” surpasses that which is “the beginning of Your works.”דְּזֶה שֶׁרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הוּא זִכָּרוֹן לְיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן הוּא נַעֲלֶה יוֹתֵר מִזֶּה שֶׁהוּא תְּחִלַּת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ.
To explain:
“The beginning of Your works” reflects the fulfillment and renewal of Creation brought about by man’s Divine service (as explained above, sections 2-3).כִּי תְּחִלַּת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ הוּא הַשְּׁלֵמוּת וְהַחִדּוּשׁ דְּהַבְּרִיאָה שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ עַל יְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם (כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל),
This relates to Rosh HaShanah’s designation as “the Day of Judgment.” This is the day when man’s Divine service is evaluated and judgment is rendered according to the degree each person actualizes that potential.
The Divine energy drawn forth through this service comes from a level that can be affected by an arousal from below.דְּהַהַמְשָׁכָה מִלְמַעְלָה שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה הִיא רַק מִבְּחִינָה שֶׁאִתְעֲרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא מַגַּעַת לְשָׁם.
There are levels of G‑dliness that can be drawn down by man’s service, and higher, more transcendent rungs that cannot be drawn down through man’s service because of its inherent limitations.
For example, man’s expression of kindness can draw down Divine kindness. Devoting his intellect to Torah study can call forth G‑d’s intellectual attributes. Seemingly, however, there is no way that he can evoke Divine potentials that transcend definition and defy limitation.
In contrast, “the first day” implies (as explained by the Tzemach Tzedek in the maamar cited in sec. 1 above)1מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן עִנְיַן יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן הוּא (כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּבָאֵר הַצֶּמַח-צֶדֶק בַּדְּרוּשׁ הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל)
that Divine energy was drawn down on His own initiative,שֶׁהַהַמְשָׁכָה אָז הָיְתָה מִצַּד עַצְמוֹ,
for there was no one who existed to arouse it,כִּי לֹא הָיָה עֲדַיִן מִי שֶׁיְּעוֹרֵר
as it is written,2 “And there was no man….”3כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב וְאָדָם אַיִן גו'
[The implication is that not only was there no arousal from below in actual fact,[הַיְנוּ, דְּלֹא רַק שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא בְּפֹעַל
the possibility that there be an arousal from below did not exist, because man was yet to be created.]אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה שַׁיָּךְ כְּלָל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא],
Then, Divine energy was drawn down because of G‑d’s kindness,וְהַהַמְשָׁכָה אָז הָיְתָה מִצַּד חַסְדּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ,
for “He desires kindness,”4כִּי חָפֵץ חֶסֶד הוּא.
i.e., G‑d, as it were, desires to express His essential kindness and for that kindness to define the character of all existence,
The implication is that there is a difference between the spiritual gestalt that prevails at present and the gestalt that prevailed then, at the very beginning of Creation.וְהַיְנוּ,
Firstly, at present – and indeed, from the creation of man5 onward – Divine energy is drawn down (as a result of an arousal from below) and is subject to the scales of judgment and assessment.דְּנוֹסָף לָזֶה שֶׁהַהַמְשָׁכָה עַכְשָׁיו (עַל יְדֵי אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא) הִיא בְּחִינַת דִּין וּמִשְׁפָּט
Judgment implies that the person’s conduct is evaluated and beneficence is meted out according to what he deserves. Accordingly, even if his conduct is exemplary, the beneficence he receives will be limited, since by nature our humanity places inherent limitations on our service.
At the beginning of Creation, by contrast, boundless Divine beneficence was drawn down as a result of His kindness, as implied by the verse,6וְהַהַמְשָׁכָה אָז הָיְתָה מִצַּד חַסְדּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ,
“The world was built by kindness.”עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה,
Moreover, the kindness (expressed on the first day) is not only above kindness as it functions as one of G‑d’s emotive qualities,הִנֵּה חֶסֶד זֶה (דְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן) הוּא לְמַעְלָה לֹא רַק מֵהַחֶסֶד כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא בְּמִדּוֹת
There is a difference between kindness and judgment. When one gives because judgment obligates him to do so, he gives according to what the other deserves. When he gives as an expression of his own kindness, his giving is a reflection of his own generosity and is not limited by the other person’s worthiness.
Even so, kindness itself is an emotion, and emotions are, by nature, aspects of a person’s character that relate to others. Intellect reflects a deeper, more elevated dimension of his being, one that is more bound up with his inner self.7
Similar concepts apply Above. G‑d’s emotive attributes reflect levels of G‑dliness that recognize the limitations of our world. His intellectual attributes, by contrast, surpass those limitations.8 Now, every emotion has a source in intellect. There is a reason and a rationale that calls forth a particular feeling. G‑d’s desire for kindness that was manifest at the beginning of Creation surpassed not only kindness as it exists within His emotive attributes,
it surpassed even the source of kindness as it exists in His intellectual attributes.אֶלָּא גַם לְמַעְלָה מִשָּׁרְשוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא בְּמוֹחִין וכו',
For its defining characteristic is (not the emotive quality of kindness, which is defined and limited like all emotive qualities) but “the desire for kindness,” which is associated with the loftier rung of ratzon, “will,”כִּי עִנְיָנוֹ הוּא (לֹא חֶסֶד אֶלָּא) חָפֵץ חֶסֶד,
thus emphasizing the dimension of desire (which is bound up with pleasure).9עִנְיַן הַחֵפֶץ (תַּעֲנוּג),
As explained in Chassidus, desire and pleasure (ratzon and taanug in chassidic terminology) are bound up with a person’s innermost dimensions. The same applies to the parallels to these potentials Above.
The desire, however, is that there be kindness.אֶלָּא שֶׁהַחֵפֶץ הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה חֶסֶד,
From this desire, the potential for “the world [to be] built by kindness” is drawn down. There are two interpretations of that verse: a) that it was through the attribute of kindness that our world came into being; and b) that the realm of kindness itself had to be built, i.e.,וּמִזֶּה נִמְשָׁךְ לִהְיוֹת עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה,
that from G‑d’s desire was “built,” brought into being, the kindness from which the world was built.10דְּמֵחֵפֶץ זֶה נִבְנֶה הַחֶסֶד שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ נִבְנָה הָעוֹלָם.
It is possible to explain that the inner reason why the first day of Creation is called “the first day” isוְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר, שֶׁהַטַּעַם הַפְּנִימִי עַל זֶה שֶׁיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן דְּהַבְּרִיאָה נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן הוּא,
that the revelation of “He desires kindness” revealed on this day is the absolute first light and revelation (“day” implies light and revelation) of all existence,כִּי הַגִּלּוּי דְּחָפֵץ חֶסֶד שֶׁהֵאִיר בְּיוֹם זֶה הוּא אוֹר וְגִלּוּי (יוֹם הוּא אוֹר וְגִלּוּי) הָרִאשׁוֹן,
i.e., the motivating factor and source for the attribute of kindness from which all the worlds were brought into being.שֶׁהוּא הַסִּבָּה וְהַשֹּׁרֶשׁ לְהַמְשָׁכַת מִדַּת הַחֶסֶד שֶׁמִּמֶּנָּה נִתְהַוּוּ כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת.
This is what is meant by “a remembrance of the first day”:וְזֶהוּ זִכָּרוֹן לְיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן,
that on every Rosh HaShanah,דִּבְכָל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה,
through man’s remembrance of the way existence came into being on the first day,עַל יְדֵי שֶׁמַּזְכִּירִים אוֹפֶן הַהִתְהַוּוּת שֶׁהָיְתָה בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן,
when the revelation of “He desires kindness” shined forth,שֶׁהֵאִיר אָז הַגִּלּוּי דְּחָפֵץ חֶסֶד,
this revelation is drawn down anew.עַל יְדֵי זֶה מַמְשִׁיכִים גִּלּוּי זֶה.
To explain using the well-known interpretation11 of the verse,12 hayamim haeleh nizkarim venaasim, “These days are recalled and commemorated.” Naasim, translated as “commemorated,” literally means “are made.” Through the recollection of the events that transpired on these days, the spiritual influences that caused those events to transpire are drawn anew, “making” the day in a spiritual sense. Thus, in the context mentioned above, through the Jews’ recollection of “the first day,” G‑d’s kindness that originally shined forth at that time is evoked again.
On this basis, we can understand why the dimension of Rosh HaShanah that is “a remembrance of the first day” is higher than the dimension of Rosh HaShanah that is “the beginning of Your works.”וְזֶהוּ שֶׁהָעִנְיָן שֶׁרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הוּא זִכָּרוֹן לְיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן הוּא נַעֲלֶה יוֹתֵר מִזֶּה שֶׁרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הוּא תְּחִלַּת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ,
The dimension of Rosh HaShanah that is “the beginning of Your works” is what is drawn down through an arousal from below, i.e., man’s Divine service. Thus it can draw down only those levels of G‑dliness to which man’s Divine service relates and not the higher, more transcendent levels.כִּי תְּחִלַּת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ הוּא מַה שֶּׁנִּמְשָׁךְ עַל יְדֵי אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא,
“The first day” (the revelation of “He desires kindness”) is the first light and revelation,וְיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן (הַגִּלּוּי דְּחָפֵץ חֶסֶד) הוּא אוֹר וְגִלּוּי הָרִאשׁוֹן
the source and the motivating factor for the existence of the entire Seder HaHishtalshelus, the Spiritual Cosmos (the framework in which higher and lower levels exist). The Hebrew term Seder HaHishtalshelus literally means a “Chainlike Order,” i.e., the different levels of existence are like links in a chain, one higher than the other.שֶׁהוּא הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ וְהַסִּבָּה לְכָל סֵדֶר הַהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת (מַעְלָה וּמַטָּה),
The dimension of “He desires kindness,” by contrast, is itself above the entire framework of higher and lower realms (i.e., what is above and what is below).וְהוּא עַצְמוֹ הוּא לְמַעְלָה מֵהַגֶּדֶר דְּמַעְלָה וּמַטָּה (עֵילָא וְתַתָּא).
The section thus concludes with a paradox. On one hand, the level of “He desires kindness” transcends our mortal capacities and cannot be drawn down by our Divine service. On the other hand, it is through the Jews’ recollection of “the first day” that G‑d’s kindness that originally shined forth at that time is evoked again. This paradox will be the focus of the following section.

Summary

As mentioned, the description of Rosh HaShanah as “a remembrance of the first day” reflects a loftier dimension of the day than the fact that it is “the beginning of Your works.” “The beginning of Your works” reflects the fulfillment and renewal of Creation brought about by man’s Divine service. The Divine energy called forth through this service comes from a level that can be affected by an arousal from below. There are higher, more transcendent rungs of G‑dliness that cannot be drawn down through such service because of its inherent limitations.
“The first day,” by contrast, implies that Divine energy was drawn down on His own initiative, expressing those higher rungs. Divine energy was drawn down because “He desires kindness,” as an expression of G‑d’s essential generosity that surpasses any and all connection to man’s Divine service. Thus, the dimension of Rosh HaShanah that is “a remembrance of the first day” is higher than the dimension of Rosh HaShanah that is “the beginning of Your works.”
Every year, on Rosh HaShanah, through the Jews’ recollection of “the first day,” G‑d’s kindness that originally shined forth at that time is evoked again. This section thus concludes with a paradox. On one hand, the level of “He desires kindness” transcends our mortal capacities and cannot be drawn down by our Divine service. On the other hand, it is through the Jews’ recollection of “the first day” that the kindness of G‑d that originally shined forth at that time is evoked again.