This section of the maamar focuses on a paradox that arises based on the explanations in the previous section. On one hand, the level of “He desires kindness” transcends all mortal capacities and seemingly cannot be drawn down by the Jews’ Divine service. Nevertheless,
the fact that, through their Divine service, the Jews (i.e., by recalling the manner in which all existence was brought into being on the first day),וְהִנֵּה זֶה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עַל יְדֵי עֲבוֹדָתָם (שֶׁמַּזְכִּירִים אוֹפֶן הַהִתְהַוּוּת שֶׁהָיְתָה בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן)
draw down this revelation,מַמְשִׁיכִים הַגִּלּוּי הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל
reaching to its source, to the level on which “He desires kindness” on His own initiative,מַגִּיעַ בְּשָׁרְשׁוֹ עַד בְּחָפֵץ חֶסֶד מִצַּד עַצְמוֹ
a level which no arousal from below can reach, is only possibleוְאֵין אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא מַגַּעַת לְשָׁם,
because the source of the Jewish people is even higher than the dimension of “He desires kindness.”כִּי הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא לְמַעְלָה יוֹתֵר גַּם מֵהָעִנְיָן דְּחָפֵץ חֶסֶד.
As discussed above, the dimension of Rosh HaShanah that is “the beginning of Your works” is drawn down in a manner commensurate with the Jews’ Divine service. The dimension of Rosh HaShanah that is “a remembrance of the first day” is above man’s service and cannot be evoked by an arousal from below. Nevertheless, this lofty level is called forth on Rosh HaShanah by the Jews’ recollection of this dimension in their Rosh HaShanah service, through their prayers and their sounding of the shofar, because the essence of the souls of the Jewish people stands above this level as well.
As is well known with regard to the concept,1 “With whom did He consult regarding the creation of the world? With the souls of the righteous.”וְכַיָּדוּעַ בְּעִנְיַן בְּמִי נִמְלַךְ בְּנִשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים
(The intent of the phrase “the souls of the righteous” is the entire Jewish people, as it is written: “Your people are all righteous.”)2(וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים),
All existence resulted from G‑d’s being aroused, as it were, so that “He would desire kindness” –דְּזֶה שֶׁנִּתְעוֹרֵר כִּבְיָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת חָפֵץ חֶסֶד
G‑d’s Essence is far above His desire for kindness. It was necessary, as it were, to motivate a desire for kindness. That arousal
came about because it arose in His thought3הוּא מִצַּד זֶה שֶׁעָלָה בְמַחֲשָׁבָה
(an essential thought that transcends the revelation of “He desires kindness”)(מַחֲשָׁבָה עַצְמִית, שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהַגִּלּוּי דְּחָפֵץ חֶסֶד)
The intent is not a level of conscious thought – for we are speaking about levels far above revelation – but rather an essential thought that is one with His Essence.
that in the future, the Jews would carry out the Torah and its mitzvos and thereby make a dwelling for G‑d in the lower realms.4שֶׁעֲתִידִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְקַיֵּם תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת וְלַעֲשׂוֹת דִּירָה לּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים.
Therefore, through the Divine service of the Jews, even the revelation of “He desires kindness” is drawn down [and indeed, “made,” i.e., generated anew].וְלָכֵן, עַל יְדֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל נִמְשָׁךְ [וְנַעֲשֶׂה] גַּם הַגִּלּוּי דְּחָפֵץ חֶסֶד.
It is explained in Chassidus5 that “The same dimension of ‘He desires kindness’ generated within His Essence at the beginning of the Creation of the world is itself renewed every Rosh HaShanah as a result of the actions of the created beings.”
Moreover, it is understood from the above that the revelation of “He desires kindness” that is drawn down at present through our actions and Divine serviceוּמִזֶּה מוּבָן, שֶׁהַגִּלּוּי דְּחָפֵץ חֶסֶד שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה עַכְשָׁיו עַל יְדֵי מַעֲשֵׂינוּ וַעֲבוֹדָתֵינוּ,
is loftier than the revelation of this quality initially, at the time of Creation.הוּא נַעֲלֶה יוֹתֵר מִכְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה גִּלּוּי זֶה בִּתְחִלַּת הַבְּרִיאָה,
The last statement – that a created being can evoke an even loftier dimension of Divine light than originally revealed – requires explanation. The resolution highlights the core of the relationship between the Jews and G‑d – that the Jews are bonded with G‑d’s Essence and their service calls forth His innermost pleasure.
For pleasure and satisfaction is generated Above through our actions and Divine service,כִּי עַל יְדֵי מַעֲשֵׂינוּ וַעֲבוֹדָתֵינוּ נַעֲשֶׂה נַחַת רוּחַ לְמַעְלָה,
as our Sages comment,6 it is as G‑d says, “Satisfaction and pleasure [was generated] for Me, that I spoke and My will was carried out.”נַחַת רוּחַ לְפָנַי שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי וְנַעֲשָׂה רְצוֹנִי,
The satisfaction and pleasure (generated by the Jews because “My will was carried out”) is within G‑d’s Essence (as implied by the words “[was generated] for Me”), which is above the pleasure associated with “He desires kindness.”דְּנַחַת רוּחַ וְתַעֲנוּג זֶה (שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה רְצוֹנִי, עַל יְדֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) הוּא בְּעַצְמוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ (נַחַת רוּחַ לְפָנַי) שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהַתַּעֲנוּג דְּחָפֵץ חֶסֶד,
The word לפני, translated as “for Me,” shares the root of the word פנים, “face,” which also means “inner dimension.” The pleasure generated by the Jews’ Divine service affects G‑d’s inner dimension.
Because the revelation of “He desires kindness” is aroused and drawn down through man’s Divine service,וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁהַגִּלּוּי דְּחָפֵץ חֶסֶד נִתְעוֹרֵר וְנִמְשָׁךְ עַל יְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם,
the pleasure and satisfaction associated with “My will [being] carried out” is drawn into G‑d’s kindness.7 Thus, an essential dimension is drawn down into His will.נִמְשָׁךְ בּוֹ הַנַּחַת רוּחַ וְהַתַּעֲנוּג דְּנַעֲשָׂה רְצוֹנִי.
This is the (inner) reason why before we mention that Rosh HaShanah is “a remembrance of the first day,” which emphasizes the revelation from Above, we describe it as “the beginning of Your works,” which highlights the importance of man’s Divine service:וְזֶהוּ גַּם הַטַּעַם (הַפְּנִימִי) עַל זֶה שֶׁלִּפְנֵי שֶׁאוֹמְרִים שֶׁרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הוּא זִכָּרוֹן לְיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן אוֹמְרִים שֶׁהוּא תְּחִלַּת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ,
For the “remembrance of the first day” that follows the preface of “the beginning of Your works”דְּזִכָּרוֹן לְיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁלְּאַחֲרֵי קְדִימַת הָעִנְיָן דִּתְחִלַּת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ
(i.e., the revelation of “He desires kindness” that comes after the preparatory step of man’s Divine service)(הַמְשָׁכַת הַגִּלּוּי דְּחָפֵץ חֶסֶד שֶׁלְּאַחֲרֵי קְדִימַת הָעֲבוֹדָה)
is loftier than the revelation of that quality as it existed in its own right,הוּא נַעֲלֶה יוֹתֵר מִכְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא מִצַּד עַצְמוֹ,
as it was revealed at the beginning of Creation, for the Jew’s Divine service infuses an essential dimension into that revelation.כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בִּתְחִלַּת הַבְּרִיאָה.

Summary

The previous section concluded 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 is possible because the source of the Jews is higher than the dimension of “He desires kindness.”
The resolution of this paradox depends on the concept that the source of the Jewish people surpasses all revelations of Divine light including the dimension of “He desires kindness.” This concept is reflected in the explanation of our Sages’ teaching: “With whom did G‑d consult regarding the creation of the world? With the souls of the righteous,” i.e., the Jewish people. G‑d’s Essence is far above His desire for kindness. It was necessary, as it were, to motivate a desire for kindness. That arousal came about because it arose in His thought that in the future, the Jews would carry out the Torah and its mitzvos and make a dwelling for G‑d in the lower realms.
Similarly, every year, on Rosh HaShanah, through the Divine service of the Jews, even the revelation of “He desires kindness” is drawn down and generated anew. Indeed, the revelation of “He desires kindness” that is drawn down through our actions and Divine service at present is loftier than the initial revelation of this quality at the time of Creation. For the pleasure and satisfaction generated Above through our actions and Divine service infuses a dimension of His Essence into His desire for kindness.