This maamar focuses on the theme of teshuvah. Nevertheless, since teshuvah is intended to compensate for shortcomings in a Jew’s Divine service, it was necessary to first clarify the three fundamental categories of that Divine service: “turn[ing] away from evil, do[ing] good, and seek[ing] peace.” Having defined these three categories, the maamar now goes on to explain the nature of teshuvah itself.
It is well known1 that through teshuvah, forgiveness for one’s sins is granted.וְהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ דְּזֶה שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה נַעֲשָׂה סְלִיחַת עֲוֹנוֹת,
The ultimate expression of forgiveness is that the person becomes as desired in G‑d’s eyes as he was before having committed the sin.דַּאֲמִתִּית עִנְיַן הַסְּלִיחָה הוּא שֶׁהָאָדָם יִהְיֶה מְרֻצֶּה לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ כְּמוֹ קוֹדֶם הַחֵטְא,
This is possibleהוּא,
because through teshuvah, a new will is evokedכִּי עַל יְדֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה מַמְשִׁיכִים רָצוֹן חָדָשׁ
from Or Ein Sof, the Master of the will,מֵאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בַּעַל הָרָצוֹן,
a will that transcends G‑d’s desire for the Torah and its mitzvos.שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהָרָצוֹן דְּתוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת.
As explained in Chassidus,2 “The source of the potential for teshuvah lies in the fact that the Essence of Or Ein Sof is not, Heaven forbid, limited in His will. Although the desire for the mitzvos stems from the inner dimension and essence of Or Ein Sof, He is not limited or compelled by [His own] will, Heaven forbid.”
The intent is that as G‑d’s will unfolds, the distinction between good and evil, between what He desires and what He does not desire, is revealed. This distinction is, however, entirely dependent on His will. Within the mortal sphere, when we perceive – or imagine – that an article is good, we desire it; if we do not perceive its value, we do not desire it. Its value is dependent on its own inherent attributes. The qualities possessed by the object determine our relationship to it.
From G‑d’s perspective, nothing exists outside of or independent of Him, nor does He define His relationship to an entity according to the qualities it possesses. Rather, it is solely G‑d’s desire for an entity that causes that entity to be deemed good. Conversely, the fact that He does not desire an entity causes it to become the opposite of good.
G‑d Himself, however, is not dependent on His will. Even if a person has violated G‑d’s will and thus made himself undesirable in His eyes, he can turn to G‑d in teshuvah, relating to Him as He stands above His will, thereby calling forth a new will that transcends His will for Torah and its mitzvos.
This new and more-profound will is drawn forth by teshuvah that is motivated by love for G‑d on the level of “with all your might,”וְהַמְשָׁכָה זוֹ הִיא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁעֲשִׂיַּת הַתְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁלּוֹ הִיא בְּאֹפֶן דִּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ,
a love that surpasses all natural limits and measures. לְמַעְלָה מִמְּדִידָה וְהַגְבָּלָה.
A Jew’s soul is “an actual part of G‑d Above,”3 By going beyond the limits of his own identity and giving expression to his inner G‑dly essence, a person evokes this higher will, an expression of G‑d’s essential light, which is truly limitless.
As is well known,4 through loving G‑d “with all your might,” one is עושין רצונו של מקום. Literally, this term means “doing, i.e., carrying out, the will of the Omnipresent.” However,כַּיָּדוּעַ שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הָאַהֲבָה דִּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם,
according to Chassidus,5 the interpretation of the expression עושין רצונו של מקום is that G‑d’s will is “made,”6 i.e., a new Divine will is generated by the Jew’s love for Him “with all his might,” from its very source.וּפֵרוּשׁ עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם הוּא שֶׁעוֹשִׂים אֶת הָרָצוֹן.
For through loving G‑d “with all your might,” one taps into the essence of his soul andכִּי עַל יְדֵי הָאַהֲבָה דִּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ,
establishes a bond with the Or Ein Sof that transcends His revealed will.מַגִּיעִים בְּאוֹר אֵין סוֹף שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵרָצוֹן,
Through this bond a new – and higher – will is evoked from that source.7וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה, מַמְשִׁיכִים מִשָּׁם רָצוֹן חָדָשׁ.
Based on the well-known concept that man’s Divine service via which spiritual energy is elicited from Above must reflect that spiritual energy.וְעַל פִּי הַיָּדוּעַ שֶׁעֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם שֶׁעַל יָדָהּ נַעֲשֵׂית הַהַמְשָׁכָה צְרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת מֵעֵין הַהַמְשָׁכָה,
In this vein, the Maggid8 and the Alter Rebbe interpret9 the adage of the Mishnah,10 “Know what is above you,” as meaning “Know [that] what is Above” – i.e., in the higher realms, “[is from] you” – i.e., dependent upon man’s Divine service.11
Similarly, our Sages teach12 that G‑d requites man’s conduct “measure for measure.” Developing that concept, on the verse,13 “G‑d is your shadow, at your right hand,” the Baal Shem Tov comments:14 A shadow follows the movements of one’s limbs. Similarly, every action that we perform spirals upward to the spiritual realms, generating intense light in those realms. The energies aroused above are then drawn down into this world, shaping what will take place in this realm.
It is possible to explain the two ramifications of serving G‑d in a manner of “doing,” i.e., generating, “the will of the Omnipresent” as follows:יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דִּשְׁנֵי הָעִנְיָנִים בְּעוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם,
a) that Divine energy is elicited from the Or Ein Sof that transcends His revealed will;שֶׁהַהַמְשָׁכָה הִיא מֵאוֹר אֵין סוֹף שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מִבְּחִינַת רָצוֹן
and b) that the will drawn down from this level is higher than His will as it emanates according to its ordinary manner of expression –וְשֶׁגַּם הָרָצוֹן שֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ מִשָּׁם הוּא לְמַעְלָה יוֹתֵר מֵהָרָצוֹן כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא מִצַּד עַצְמוֹ,
result from the two corresponding elements in the love for G‑d “with all your might.”נַעֲשִׂים עַל יְדֵי דֻּגְמַת שְׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים אֵלֶּה בְּהָאַהֲבָה דִּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ.
Since the love of G‑d “with all your might” transcends a person’s personal willדְּעַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָאַהֲבָה דִּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ הִיא לְמַעְלָה מֵרָצוֹן
(as stated above, sec. 4, mesirus nefesh prompted by the love of G‑d “with all your might”(וְכַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל סְעִיף ד שֶׁהַמְּסִירַת נֶפֶשׁ דִּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ
is not expressed in a person’s desire to sacrifice his lifeהִיא לֹא שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה לִמְסוֹר נַפְשׁוֹ
but rather in the fact that he simply cannot separate himself, G‑d forbid, from His oneness),אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהִפָּרֵד חַס וְשָׁלוֹם מֵאַחְדּוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ),
Since his essence is “an actual part of G‑d from Above,” there is no way he can exist apart from Him. As such, he identifies not with G‑d’s will, instead
on account of this, he bonds with the Master of the will,15 the Essence of Or Ein Sof.לָכֵן הִיא מַגַּעַת בְּבַעַל הָרָצוֹן.
And, as a consequence of the fact that the love of G‑d “with all your might” elevates the love of G‑d “with all your heart” and the love of G‑d “with all your soul,”וְזֶה שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הָאַהֲבָה דִּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ נַעֲשֶׂה עִלּוּי גַּם בְּהָאַהֲבָה דִּבְכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ,
the will elicited from “the Master of the will” is subsequently also on a higher level.עַל יְדֵי זֶה, גַּם הָרָצוֹן שֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ מִבַּעַל הָרָצוֹן הוּא נַעֲלֶה יוֹתֵר.
To explain the above: At all times, a person’s will is an expression of his soul. Nevertheless, in most instances, the essential power of the soul is not felt in the person’s will. Instead, it functions as a separate power. To illustrate using the example of lesser soul-powers in day-to-day life: Ordinarily, there are clear limits to the speed at which a human being can run, or to the amount of weight he can lift. When, however, he senses that his life or the lives of his loved ones are threatened or endangered, he is capable of performing feats way beyond ordinary human capacity, achieving speeds or lifting objects that would otherwise be unthinkable. What is happening? There exists within a person’s soul, even his animal soul, unlimited potential; when the soul’s essence is touched, that latent potential comes to the fore, enabling him to perform these otherwise impossible feats.
A similar motif operates within our higher soul-powers. Moments of heightened stress or urgency can prompt a person to depths of feeling or thought far beyond his usual capacity; he feels that he is functioning on a far-higher frequency.
This pattern also operates within the power of will. Ordinarily, like all our other powers, it functions within its normal bounds. At times, however, it is charged with the power of the essence; when such a will is evoked, all other potentials within the soul are also infused with greater energy and intensity.
Similar concepts apply Above. Just as will enables the soul’s energy to be channeled to the limited framework of the soul’s powers, so too, G‑d’s will is the medium via which the light of Or Ein Sof is channeled into the structured pattern of the Sefiros. When a higher will, a will that reflects and is charged with the power of His Essence, is evoked, all the Sefiros are infused with this deeper energy.

Summary

Through teshuvah, a new will is evoked from Or Ein Sof, the Master of the will, a will that transcends G‑d’s desire for the Torah and its mitzvos. This new and more-profound will is drawn forth by teshuvah that is motivated by love for G‑d on the level of “with all your might,” a love that surpasses all natural limits and measures. Loving G‑d “with all your might” is identified with being עושין רצונו של מקום. Literally, this term means “doing, i.e., carrying out, the will of the Omnipresent.” However, Chassidus interprets that expression as meaning “making G‑d’s will.” By loving G‑d “with all your might,” a person taps into the essence of his soul and establishes a bond with the Or Ein Sof that transcends His revealed will and evokes a new and higher will.
The two ramifications of “generating a new will of the Omnipresent”:
a) that Divine energy is elicited from the Or Ein Sof that transcends His revealed will; and
b) that the will drawn down from this level is higher than His will as it emanates according to its ordinary manner of expression,
result from the two corresponding elements in the love for G‑d “with all your might”:
Since the love of G‑d “with all your might” transcends a person’s personal will, he bonds with the Master of the will, the Essence of Or Ein Sof, and, as a consequence, the will elicited from “the Master of the will” is subsequently also on a higher level.