Chapter 2: Mamar in Likkutei Torah

Mamar 1- “Shuvah Yisrael…”

[Likkutei Torah p. 64a]

The Mamarim of Shabbos Shuvah expound on the heading of the Haftorah for this Shabbos, which begins with the words “Shuvah Yisrael.” The main theme of the Ten Days of Repentance is the Avoda of Teshuvah. During these ten days, we are told that Hashem is exceptionally close to each Jew and the opportunity for reconciliation with Hashem and subsequent atonement is offered to all. While the basic definition of Teshuvah is simply to regret sin, and forgo one’s evil ways, the Chassidic teachings reveal a deeper meaning behind this Avoda. In the words of the Chassidic masters, beginning with the Baal Shem Tov: “Teshuvah is not just for sinners, but even for Tzaddikim.” Accordingly, even a Tzaddik is required to perform Teshuvah, as the Avoda of Teshuvah is not just to repent for sins but to return from a distance that has divided man from G-d. Although this division may not necessarily be due to the fault of one’s actions, but simply a byproduct of the natural order of Creation, nonetheless, regardless of the cause, each Jew is asked to return to G-d, to break this division, and once again invite Him to the inner depths of his heart and soul. This is the form of Teshuvah requested from a Jew during the Ten Days of Repentance, in addition to the aforementioned basic level of Teshuvah, which demands the regret of evil deeds and improvement of one’s behavior.  

Explorations of the Mamar 1. What is the meaning of the verse Shuvah Yisrael? 2. Why is one required to return to G-d, if G-d is found everywhere and is not distanced from anyone? 3. Which common aspects do Shabbos and Teshuvah share? 4. How is Teshuvah relevant even for complete Tzaddikim? 5. What is the true purpose of Teshuvah?

 

The Question:

The verse states, “Shuvah Yisrael Ad Havayah Elokecha/Return, Israel, until Hashem your G-d.” Why does the verse state “until Hashem your G-d,” when it should have said “towards Hashem your G-d”? Also, what is the difference between the term Yisrael, which is used in the verse, and the term Yaakov? Furthermore, what is the meaning of the verse Shuvah Yisrael, as the word Shuvah can connote different meanings? Is it a command for the Jewish people to repent, or is it a declarative affirmation stating that Hashem will return us to Him? To understand this matter, we must first introduce the general concept of returning to Hashem.

Hashem is near during the Ten Days of Repentance:

The verse states, “Dirshu Hashem Bihimatzo, Karuhu Bihiyoso Karov/Search for Hashem when He is found, call Him when He is close.” The Sages expound that this verse refers to the Ten Days of Repentance. Seemingly, the entire concept of Hashem being close to us during certain times is puzzling, as Hashem is ubiquitous, fills the entire Heavens and earth, and there is no place that is devoid of Him. From the perspective of man, the concept of telling him to “return to G-d” is fully applicable, for he has sinned and veered from the G-dly path and must now re-align himself in an effort to bridge the gap caused by his iniquities. However, from G-d’s perspective, how can one say that He is distanced most of the time and only during certain days is He close, if in truth He fills the entire earth, always? The explanation is that the closeness referred to in the verse is not of a geographical nature, Heaven forbid. Rather, it is of an emotional closeness and bonding. It is similar to two men who are in very close physical proximity to each other, but nevertheless can still be quite distant. When facing each other, they are truly close, but if one turns his back on the other, they are then worlds apart. When a person commits a sin, it causes a similar effect to two close friends turning away from each other, as will be explained.

 

Sin causes one to receive from the external aspects of spirituality:

Regarding idolatry, the Torah states, “And you strayed and served other gods.” Chassidus explains that the word “other” is written as “Achuraim/back,” because idol worship, as well as the performance of any sin for that matter, causes one to nurture from the external levels of holiness. In other words, one is no longer able to receive life force from the internal aspects of Holiness. This is the distance that is created through sin, and one is hence required, through repentance, to tap back into the internal flow of G-dliness. In fact, one of the differences between the soul of a Jew and that of an angel is that the angels derive from the external aspect of G-dliness, G-d’s speech, while the Jewish soul enjoys an internal connection with Hashem, deriving from G-d’s thought. This connection can be damaged, Heaven forbid, through sin, which causes distance between the soul and Hashem. What remains now to be understood is the meaning of the internal and external levels of Holiness, their purpose and identity.

A Parable: Many relationships are prone to ups and downs, times of closeness, and occasional times of friction. Every relationship carries responsibilities that have to be performed on behalf of the other, regardless of their current state. A husband must monetarily support his wife, and a wife is obligated to perform certain duties for her husband. During times of closeness, the actions performed by each partner are done with love and a full heart; the person uses his entire soul to truly give to the other. During times of friction, however, the actions are performed out of obligation and necessity, with a cold heart and emotional distance from the receiver. This is a parable of the damage to relationships caused by sin: instead of enjoying a loving bond with Hashem, where He gives to us effusively and graciously out of an inner love for us, we cause ourselves to receive from His external aspects, which simply give out of “necessity,” just as He gives all other creations, even including the side of evil.

Understanding Elokus-The internal and external aspects of G-dliness:

The key to understanding the two forms of vitality found in G-dliness, internal and external, can be found in one’s own soul. The soul of man contains many aspects and qualities that express different capabilities. Every soul has the power of thought, speech, and action. Although all three of these powers derive from the soul, the relationships of these powers to the soul are not equal. The power of thought is an internal soul power that derives from the depths of the soul and remains constantly attached to it. The power of speech is a bit more external. The power of action is even more external. Although it derives from the soul, it is considered as if it is separated from the soul, as the soul’s involvement in this power is minute and subconscious. This same form of relationship also applies above to Hashem and the G-dliness that He extends towards creations. There is Hashem Himself, which is transcendent and above the G-dliness that He reveals, and then there is the revealed G-dliness, which contains an internal and external aspect. The internal aspect is G-d’s thought, while the external aspect is G-d’s speech and action. All three of these aspects are found in creation, although in particular the level of thought is expressed in the world of Beriyah, the level of speech in the world of Yetzira, and the level of action in the world of Assiyah. It is dependent on man’s service to proximate himself to the level of G-d’s thought and consciously receive from it.

The elevation experienced on Shabbos:

As stated above, every creation contains an aspect of Divine thought and speech; the thought being internal while the speech is external. During the week, the creations experience only the external level of speech within their existence. On Shabbos, however, the creations of all the worlds are elevated to the level of Hashem’s thought, and receive their existence solely from this level. Incidentally, this level is also the source of the extra soul that one receives on Shabbos. It is for this reason that the Sages initially proposed that speech [ideally] should be forbidden on Shabbos and only thought should be allowed, as on Shabbos all of Creation is elevated to G-d’s level of thought. It is also for this reason that Shabbos shares the same letters as the word Teshuvah-Tashev [שבת-תשב], for Shabbos shares the same characteristics as Teshuvah, as both involve returning to the source, as will now be explained.

Teshuvah-Returning to Hashem:

The concept of repentance is not only associated with sin. It is also applicable even to one who has never transgressed. The meaning of Teshuvah is to return to one’s source. Every soul, through its descent below into the physical and corporeal world, goes through a grave spiritual downfall from its once sublime state. It now contains coarse connotations and loses the G-dly sensitivity it once had. This then is the goal of Teshuvah: to return one’s soul to its root and source in Hashem, and to once again be nullified to Him and incorporated within His unity. It is for this reason that the Ten Days of Repentance and Yom Kippur were instituted even for the completely righteous, the Tzaddikim Gemurim, as this aspect of Teshuvah is relevant to all people, for every human soul is incomparably lower than the state it enjoyed prior to its descent. Although the disciplinary measures demanded for Teshuvah are for one to regret past deeds and resolve to better one’s character, the inner meaning and motivation behind this regret and resolution must be because one truly desires to reconnect and attach to Hashem and enjoy the closeness previously experienced by the soul in Heaven.

A calling from the inner heart: The primary expression of Teshuvah, which actually returns man to his creator, is the cry of the heart. This is indicated in the verse, “Lecha Amar Libi Bakshu Panaiy/To you my heart says, ask for my inner self”, and the verse, “Mimamakim Kerasicha Hashem/From the depths I call onto G-d.” This verse means that to truly return to Hashem, one’s desire to bond with Him must reach the depths of one’s heart, on a par with the depth of existential value placed on one’s very survival and that of one’s family. When one digs deeper and reveals this feeling in the innermost core of his being, it enables a reciprocated revelation of Es Panecha Havayah Avakeish, that Hashem reveals His inner countenance to that person’s soul.

A Parable The difference between the Teshuvah of an employee and that of a son or wife: In all relationships, actions of mistrust performed by one of the partners require Teshuvah to effectively repair the damage done. This includes sincere regret for the deed and a sincere resolution to not repeat the mistake. Nonetheless, the nature of the relationship will define the nature of the inner motivations of the Teshuvah performed. In a business relationship, such as that of an employer and his employee, if the employee breached the trust of his employer, the motivation for his Teshuvah is simply to remove friction from his work environment and stabilize his job security. The Teshuvah does not involve any deep feelings of connection that have been aroused for his employer, nor is it motivated by him being truly pained by the hurt caused. The Teshuvah is merely the means to achieving renewed business relations and nothing more. However, when a son or wife breaches the trust of the father/husband and performs Teshuvah, a true Teshuvah would not just be going through the motions of mere regret and resolution, but would involve a genuine recognition of the pain caused to the father/husband and the distance that is now marring their relationship. The family member’s desired Teshuvah stems from a will to achieve a renewed closeness and bond to the actual person, and that is its goal and purpose. It is for this reason that Teshuvah is relevant even for the completely righteous, as unlike in a business relationship, the inner purpose of Teshuvah is to create a renewed closeness with Hashem. The reason this renewed closeness is relevant even to Tzaddikim is because their souls too have undergone a distance from their original state merely by being in the physical world. How much more so then is the distance generated by one whom has sinned, and hence his Teshuvah must involve even greater regret and resolution.   A long-distance phone call: Teshuvah is similar to a long-distance phone call from a son or daughter that is away from home. Every child is expected to call their parents on occasion, and the calls are eagerly awaited. A good child needs merely to call in order to maintain the bond with his parent, which has suffered simply due to the miles of distance between them. This is similar to the Teshuvah of a Tzaddik. However, a child that has sinned against his parents needs to call in order to renew the bond that has been damaged due to his transgressions. This is similar to the Teshuvah of a sinner. The purpose of Teshuvah of both a sinner and Tzaddik is the same, just as is the purpose of the phone call of either child. The means of achieving this purpose, however, differs between the Tzaddik and sinner, just as does the content of the phone call between the good child and that of the wayward one.

Returning until Hashem becomes Elokecha:

Based on the above, one can understand the reason why the verse stated, “Return until Hashem your G-d” rather than, “Return to Hashem your G-d.” The term Hashem, which is the name Havayah and the name Elokim, are both aspects of G-d’s manifestations, with the level of Havayah being higher than that of Elokim. Neither of these aspects refers to Hashem Himself, however; rather they only refer to Hashem as He manifests Himself in involvement with the worlds. In comparison to Hashem Himself, these levels are considered external and peripheral. The Teshuvah of a Jew must therefore reach above both the levels of Havayah and Elokim, until the higher level of Havayah is also viewed as if it is a lower level of Elokim. One must do Teshuvah from the innermost part of his heart to the point that he desires to connect to Hashem Himself, and will not suffice merely with the experience of the manifestation of Hashem in His names of Havayah and Elokim.

Lessons of the Mamar · Understand the severity of sin and how it has the power to exchange one’s receiving from Hashem out of His inner love with receiving from Him out of mere compulsory action (as is done on a more natural level for the rest of creation.) · The focus of your Teshuvah should be to renew your relationship and closeness with Hashem. Regret and resolutions are the means of achieving this. Feelings of regret and acceptance of resolutions without this focus, however, miss the core purpose of Teshuvah.

 

Mamar 2-Teshuvah only works in this world

“Tzav Es Bnei Yisrael Veamarta Aleihem…”

[Likkutei Torah p. 150]

 

Teshuvah can only be performed in this world:

It states that, Hayom Lasosam Ulemachar Lekabel Sechara, that today we are commanded to do the Mitzvos and tomorrow we will receive their reward. It is only in this world below that we have ability to perform the Mitzvos through our freedom of choice to perform good deeds. Furthermore, if one did a sin he can repent and return to serving G-d. However, in the world to come [in the afterlife] one no longer has freedom of choice, and rather the way he comes into the next world is the way he remains.

 

The experience of a sinful soul in the next world:

In the next world, man sees revelation of G-dliness and is surrounded by this G-dliness. This causes total subjugation and submission of all the souls towards G-d. Even the Kelipos exist there in a way of Bittul, as they too recognize G-dliness. Nevertheless, one who comes to the next world soiled with sin is unable to control himself to remove his soul from its investment within material matters and animalistic desires. It hence re-experiences all of its emotions and desires that it had when it was invested within the body and animal soul in this world. This is referred to as Kaf Hakele [the slingshot purgatory], as one experiences the lowly thoughts, speech, and action that he had in this world, while experiencing G-dliness at the same time. This is a most embarrassing and shameful moment for the soul above. The reason that this occurs is because the thought, speech, and action of this world garb the soul and become its soiled garments in the world to come, which cover the soul from head to toe. This is the meaning of the Sages that sin accompanies and sticks to the person in the next world.

A parable: A man wins a leadership position in his country. But there are aspects of his character that are in need of much improvement. He loses his temper easily and can speak words of threat and show anger that even at times leads to physicality on his part. He is fully aware of this fault and knows that he must completely dismiss it from his public life if he desires to remain in a public position with dignity. However, he never properly worked on his character, so when his first challenge arrived when he was in public office against another minister he lashed out and lost his cool. In the midst of the moment, and out of loss of control, he hit the other minister. After calming down and watching the episode on the national news, he was filled with remorse and shame, although not knowing how to fix his actions. He ended up leaving office in shame and disgrace. This is a parable of the experience of the soul in the next world. The sin forces the soul to act in ways that are shameful and against its own will. It is now experiencing the greatest gift of being shown G-d’s light, of being in a revealed relationship with G-d but unable to control his character and forced to do things that shame and embarrass him in the relationship.

 

The reason why one can no longer repent for his sins in the next world -Understanding the anatomy of the two worlds:

The basic difference between the order of this world and of the world experienced in the afterlife is that in this world good and bad are entangled and mixed. There is no bad without good mixed in with it. This allows for the bad to be turned over into a good purpose. Thus the bad can actually be used for good. This is the power of Teshuvah – that one uses an act that was against G-d’s will for the betterment of serving Hashem. However, in the next world good and bad are distanced and separated. Every level is given its own distinct place, without having another aspect mixed into it. Therefore, where evil exists there is no good that can co-exist there. So if one entered the next world with sin, he remains within that sin and cannot free himself from it. He cannot use it to garner remorse and better his relationship with Hashem and must constantly experience the sin despite the shame involved, as explained in the parable above.

This is similar to the difference between a child during the days of conception and after birth. During conception, the potential child can receive any gender, whether male or female. The seed can be formed in different ways, as is seen from the ruling^[1] that within 40 days of conception one can pray for the child to be a male. However, once the child is born its gender is set and unchangeable. Similarly, in this world it is possible to constantly change from bad to good, and one’s bad state is not permanent or set. However, in the next world, one is considered a final product and the way he enters cannot be changed or fixed.

A reflection from daily life: In a marriage, if a person offended his spouse, it is possible that this offense will create the greatest animosity and distance between the couple. On the other hand, if the couple is mature and serious about their relationship, this offense will create dialogue between them and a plan for change and improvement, thus leading to a stronger and healthier bond between the two. Similarly, in this world, when a man sins he has offended Hashem. However, since in this world good is mixed into the bad, the offense can be used for a reckoning of the soul and repentance from the depths of the heart. This in turn leads the person to a greater bond with Hashem than he had even prior to the sin. The next world, however, is similar to the person that is so stuck to his faulty character that he is not ready or willing to make any improvement or admission of fault, and hence the matter causes great distance and suffering in his marriage. In the next world, one cannot change his sinful character.

 

Understanding the difference in G-dly revelations between this world and the next world:

The reason why in this world even evil and sin contain potential good through Teshuvah, while in the next world they do not is due to the difference in the spiritual programming of the two worlds. There exist two forms of Divine vitality and life-force behind the creations. One is  limited, contracted, and contains an internal G-dly revelation that is suited and fits exactly to that particular creation. This called Mimalei Kol Almin. The second is a boundless and powerful Divine revelation that is above and beyond the capacities of any creation and hence is not found internally within it, but merely in an encompassing mode. This is called Soveiv Kol Almin. Every creation and level receives from both the Soveiv and Mimalei aspects of Divine vitality. However, in general, only the level of Mimalei is revealed within them. This is the difference between the two worlds: In the world to come, in Gan Eden, they receive a revelation only from the level of Mimalei Kol Almin. In Gan Eden, there exists a revelation of G-dliness on behalf of the souls found there in order for them to receive their Divine reward and pleasure. Being that the souls are bound and limited, so too is the revelation in their world, as otherwise they could not internalize or appreciate it. However, in this world, through fulfilling the Torah and Mitzvos, there is a revelation of Soveiv Kol Almin. This infinite and boundless revelation on the one hand is above our capacities of comprehension, and it is hence not recognized or appreciated. Nevertheless, it gives us the ability to change our ways from bad to good and repent, as to the infinite light darkness is like light and even darkness can be turned into light.

How does one accomplish this? It is not enough to simply perform Torah and Mitzvos to rectify the sin, as this reveals only a general level of Soveiv that does not address the sinful act. To rectify the sin, a person must do Teshuvah. When a person performs Teshuvah, he sends a revelation of Soveiv Kol Almin to the particular sin that he performed. This revelation allows the good within the sin to be revealed, and elevates the evil to its root and source found within holiness. Thus, the above explanation is complementary to that which was explained previously regarding how in this world evil is also mixed with good. This means that due to the aspect of Soveiv Kol Almin, we have the ability to reveal the good source and root of the evil.

A parable: A wife bought a beautiful 100% silver Kiddush cup for her husband. The cost of the cup was very high, as it was handmade with a special design and engravings. The husband was negligent and caused the cup to become dented and bent out of shape. It eventually became unusable. Needless to say, the couple was not very happy with the outcome of the expensive gift. They tried various methods and ways to try to bang the silver cup back into shape, but nothing would work to regain its original form. The couple saw an ad for a silversmith that did welding of silver, and they decided to bring him the cup. The silversmith used a very high temperature torch to melt the silver and then shape it back into the desired shape. He even offered the couple to handpick the exact shape and designs they desired on the refurbished cup, and in the end they came out with a nicer cup than they had started with. This is a parable of the difference between the two worlds. Metals will retain their specific shapes and cannot be molded until they reach a certain temperature. If one does not have the ability to bring the metal to this temperature, it will remain damaged forever. Once, however, it reaches a certain temperature, the metal will return to a liquid state and be able to be molded to whatever shape one desires. When one sins, he damages the soul. In this world, we have access to a torch, called Teshuvah, Torah, and Mitzvos, that express very “high temperature G-dliness” called Soveiv Kol Almin. This allows one to take a damaged soul, a soiled and sinful soul, and refurbish it to an even better state than it was to begin with. In the next world, however, such a spiritual torch does not exist and hence the soul retains its damaged state.

  

Mamar 3-Relationship between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur

“Hayom Hazeh…”

[Likkutei Torah p. 41a]

This Mamar discusses the verse in the Parsha that describes the covenant made with Bnei Yisrael prior to entering Eretz Yisrael. The verse states that this covenant took place “on this day”. The Mamar discusses the connection between this covenant and Eretz Yisrael. This leads into a discussion of the spiritual root of Eretz Yisrael in the upper worlds and its connection to the covenant of the Torah. The Alter Rebbe then stretches this concept likewise towards Rosh Hashanah, that every Rosh Hashanah requires a new covenant regarding the observance of Torah and Mitzvos. For this reason, the verse states “on this day,” as it is referring to the annual covenant of Rosh Hashanah. This then leads to a discussion of the entire period of the High Holidays. What is the meaning of Rosh Hashanah? What occurs on this day? What is Yom Kippur, and what is the difference between the first Luchos of Shavuos and the second Luchos of Yom Kippur? Why on Shavuos do we eat and celebrate and on Yom Kippur we suppress ourselves? Even after understanding the greatness of all these days, it still remains to be understood how one is to act on these days and the proper preparation that one should make towards this time. The Alter Rebbe thus delineates a path of Teshuvah that makes each person a receptacle to receive the Divine glory that Hashem offers each Jew during the High Holiday season.

Explorations of the Mamar 1. What pact was made with the Jewish people before entering Eretz Yisrael? 2. How is the giving of the Torah, and our acceptance of it, renewed every Rosh Hashanah? 3. Why is the New Year called Rosh Hashanah [the “Head of the year”] and not the “Beginning of the Year”? 4. What is the difference between the Luchos given on Shavuos and the Luchos received on Yom Kippur?

 

The Question:

The verse states, “On this day, Hashem your G-d commands you to perform these laws and statutes and you should guard them with all your heart and soul.” What is the meaning of “this day”? What day does this refer to, and why does the verse not explicitly mention it?

The covenant before entering Eretz Yisrael: The previous verse concluded with the discussion of how Eretz Yisrael is a land of milk and honey. The term “on this day” alludes to the day of entrance into Eretz Yisrael, as prior to the Jewish people entering Eretz Yisrael a covenant was made, in addition to the covenant already passed in Chorev. It is for this reason that the Roshei Teivos [the first letters] of the words, “Udevash Hayom Hazeh Hashem” spell out the name of Hashem [Yud-Kei-Vav-Kei] as it is all referring to one continuous statement. 

 

“Eretz Yisrael” refers to the Oral Torah:

The spiritual aspect of Eretz Yisrael refers to the Torah Shebaal Peh [Oral Torah]. The reason for this is as follows: The aspect of Yisrael refers to the name Adam [there are four names of man: Adam; Ish; Gever; Enosh, with Adam being the highest of them all] as in the verse, “And on the heavenly chair sits a heavenly man”. This level of man refers to the Written Torah. However, “Eretz Yisrael” alludes to the Oral Torah. This relates to the verse, “The land that is the stool that holds up my legs”, meaning that the level of Adam, which is the Written Torah, extends and is supported by the land, which is the Oral Torah. This comes to show the greatness and root of the Oral Torah, as although the Oral Torah is invested in physical discussions of the permitted and forbidden, nevertheless it is similar to the legs of a person, which are part of him but are simply found on the lower part of his body. Furthermore, the legs even have an advantage over the rest of the body, as only the legs can carry the body to the places of its desire. Similarly, the Oral Torah has an advantage over the Written Torah, as only it can describe and explain the details of Hashem’s Mitzvos, and without it one will have no knowledge of how to perform the Mitzvah even if he is well-versed in the Written Torah. Furthermore, it is specifically the knowledge of the Oral Torah that allows one to understand the reasons behind the Mitzvos and taste the pleasure in its secrets. This is similar to a king that builds a magnificent palace, in which case it is not possible to understand the king’s wisdom until the palace is complete. Similarly, it is not possible to understand the greatness of Hashem’s wisdom without the Oral Torah.

Every Rosh Hashanah, a new covenant on the Oral Torah is made with the Jewish people:

There exist three aspects of every matter: Olam, Shana, and Nefesh. This means that every matter in Torah exists in a level of Olam, in a place in the world; and Shana, at a time of the year. So, just as there was a covenant prior to entering Eretz Yisrael, so too there is a covenant that is embraced every year before Rosh Hashanah. It is for this reason that Parshas Ki Savo is read each year before Rosh Hashanah, as the words, Ki Hayom Hazeh also refer to Rosh Hashanah. Every year, prior to Rosh Hashanah, we require a renewed pact over the acceptance of the Torah, as on Rosh Hashanah we are newly commanded to fulfill the Mitzvos.

Rosh Hashanah is linked to the Oral Torah:

Rosh Hashanah corresponds to the Oral Torah and shares the same aspects. Rosh Hashanah is the time when Hashem’s Kingship is renewed and is similar to the Oral Torah, which derives from the Sefirah of Malchus. Just as the Oral Torah represents Hashem’s will and what He desires, similarly Rosh Hashanah is the revelation of Hashem’s will, and it is for this reason that on Rosh Hashanah we receive the Oral Torah anew.  

Rosh Hashanah versus Techilas Hashanah:

It is for the above reason that the New Year is called “Rosh Hashanah” [Head of the year] and not “Techilas Hashanah” [Beginning of the year]. In the same way that a body and soul has a head, which is its intellectual capabilities, similarly the year has a “head” that serves as the leader and master over the rest of the year, as it is the pact on Rosh Hashanah that affects the rest of the year.

 

The difference between the Luchos of Shavuos and the Luchos of Yom Kippur:   

On Shavuos, the first set of Luchos was given, while on Yom Kippur the second set of Luchos was given. The difference between the two sets of Luchos is that the first set, which was given on Shavuos, was accompanied by lightning and thunder and various external commotions. The second Luchos, however, were given discreetly, without any external show. The reason for this difference is because the two sets of Luchos represent two different forms of love between us and Hashem. One is a love from the inner part of the heart, which is called “Reusa Deliba”. The second love comes from the external part of the heart. This is similar to the two types of love that exist and are experienced between a father and child.

The two fatherly loves:

When a child is at home, the external love between father and son is not revealed in a rapturous manner. Rather, the love remains in the inner enclaves of the heart in a calm and still manner. When, however, the father leaves home, the fatherly love [from the son to his father] becomes revealed to the outside and overflows the heart with a deep yearning and care for him. When they are together, this love is nullified to the great joy and pleasure in being within his father’s presence. 

The Taanug of fasting experienced on Yom Kippur:

Yom Kippur is similar to the world to come, which contains neither food nor drink. The reason why we fast on Yom Kippur is because it represents the Olam Hataanug [pleasure]. This is because all of Israel is elevated on this day. On this day, we break the barrier created through sin, and all the intervals that separate between us and Hashem are torn and removed. This is the meaning behind all of our sins being atoned for on Yom Kippur; that the barriers of sin are removed and every Jew is now able to fully unite with G-d. Every Jew can now experience the bliss in an attachment with their Creator without any interference. This great experience of joy and pleasure causes the love to be secondary and nullified in its presence, and it is thus considered to be Reusa Deliba. 

The Avoda of Rosh Hashanah-a preparatory stage for the experience of Yom Kippur:

In order for a person to reach the above level on Yom Kippur, he must first perform the Avoda required for Rosh Hashanah. The Avoda of Rosh Hashanah is the service of Tamlichuni Aleichem, making Hashem King over us. On Rosh Hashanah, we must draw upon ourselves the level of Yirah, fear of Hashem, which is the awe of Hashem’s greatness, having drawn down a revelation of His Kingship. The Avoda of Rosh Hashanah is achieving a conscious reality of Hashem’s existence and the awe that we must show towards His presence. This is why we recite the blessing of Malchiyos on Mussaf Rosh Hashanah, as Hashem leaves all of the other worlds and creations and reveals His Kingship specifically over the Jewish people.

The world’s first Rosh Hashanah-Zeh Hayom Techilas Maasecha: According to the above, we can now understand the verse in Tehillim that we read every Friday in the Shir Shel Yom: Hashem Melech Geius Laveish. This verse was recited by Adam Harishon, who was created on the Sixth Day of Creation. On that day, Hashem revealed His Kingship to Adam. On that day, Adam called out to Hashem: “Hashem has garbed Himself with the attribute of Malchus” and has become King over Israel. For this reason, Rosh Hashanah commemorates the day that Adam was created, even though the world itself was created on Sunday, five days earlier, as the revelation of Malchus occurred on Friday, which henceforth became the world’s first Rosh Hashanah.

 

Malchus is concealment-Hashem hides from us so we search for Him and reveal our love:

The verse mentioned above states that Hashem garbed Himself in Malchus. This is because becoming King involves a great descent for Hashem, and He must contract and conceal Himself within many garments until He can be called a King over us. Now, the Jewish people are compared to the moon, as just like the moon shines specifically at a distance from the sun, similarly the Jewish people, when they contemplate the distance from Hashem that has been caused by sin, their inner love and yearning to attach to Hashem begins to shine. This is why Rosh Hashanah is called Bikeseh Leyom Chageinu, as on this day Hashem conceals Himself within Malchus in order to arouse within our souls a great love of Hashem. 

In other words….. Some people mistake Rosh Hashanah for simply being a fearsome day on which we must face Hashem with a torn heart out of fear of the decrees He may place upon us the coming year. Others mistake Rosh Hashanah for being a day of celebration, in which there is no need to focus on any matters of sin and inappropriate behavior and we should simply rejoice with our King. In truth, Rosh Hashanah contains both aspects. We are expected to show trepidation for Hashem’s Kingship and awesomeness, have a torn heart for our misdeeds, and beg Hashem for mercy. After we perform this Avoda, we are to then to arouse a deep yearning and passion to attach to Hashem, as this is the entire purpose of recognizing the former distance. In a relationship, it is similar to a partner who distances himself for the sake of receiving the other partner’s attention and love. When the trust of a relationship has been broken, it is not enough to simply arouse a feeling of love for the other person, but rather true remorse must be expressed to him, which can then be followed by an expression of love. Love without remorse cannot be taken seriously and does not assure the other person in the relationship that the misdeed will not be repeated and that he truly cares for their feelings. On the other hand, having remorse without expressing love afterwards does not fix the bond that was broken, nor the mistrust that was created. It may cease the friction, but it does not bring the two people closer, which is the entire purpose of the remorse. This similarly applies in our relationship with Hashem; when a sin has occurred Hashem does not simply want us to regret the sin and then continue with our lives, but wants us to also rekindle our spark of love for Him after the remorse, hence showing that we care about our relationship with Him because we desire to attach to Him. This regret and subsequent love is the Avoda of Rosh Hashanah.

Lessons of the Mamar · On Rosh Hashanah one is to focus on the personal reacceptance of the Torah and its commands. View the day as a renewal of the covenant between us and Hashem. · On Yom Kippur, focus on the special relationship and closeness we can experience with Hashem. Don’t use Yom Kippur to only focus on sins and how to repent for them, but also for the experience granted by all of our sins being torn, and the barriers between us and Hashem being removed. · Perform the proper Avoda of Rosh Hashanah through contemplating one’s distance from Hashem and then arousing a yearning and thirst to attach to Him, and how Hashem in turn embraces each Jew.

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[1] Michaber 230:1