English translation — מאמר החודש הזה לכם תשל"ט

B"S.

Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei,

Parshas HaChodesh,

25 Adar 5739*

"This month is for you the head of the months, it is the first for you of the months of the year."

And the Rebbe, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, brings in his maamar beginning with these words

(at the beginning of his arrival in the USA)

that it is stated in Targum Yonasan on the verse

"In the month of the strong ones etc., it is the seventh month"

(which refers to the month of Tishrei),

"The ancients called it the first month etc., and now it is the seventh month,"

that before the Giving of the Torah

Tishrei was called the first month because in it the world was created,

and now,

after the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah,

Nissan is the first month and Tishrei is the seventh month.

And he clarifies in this,

that since initially Tishrei was the first month, why was it changed so that Nissan should be the first.

And if it is because of the redemption that was in Nissan,

this itself requires explanation,

for the beginning of the redemption was in Tishrei,

for on Rosh HaShanah

(the first of Tishrei)

the servitude ceased for our forefathers,

and why is the month of the redemption

(the complete one)

specifically Nissan.

B)

And it should be noted,

that in several discourses

the precision in this—that Nissan is the head of the months—is in that the first of Tishrei is Rosh HaShanah

(that this, that the first of Tishrei is Rosh HaShanah, is also now after the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah),

for since that which is called Rosh HaShanah is

because it includes the vitality of the entire year, analogous to the head which includes the vitality of all the limbs of the body,

and it is then divided into twelve heads of months, and each Rosh Chodesh into thirty

(twenty-nine)

days,

it is therefore found that the vitality of the month of Nissan is from Tishrei,

and here it is stated that Nissan is the head of the months and the first of the months of the year

(even to the month of Tishrei).

And they explain in this,

that the vitality drawn down in Tishrei for the entire year is in the aspect of boundary and measure

(which, in general, is the vitality that is clothed within the creations in their inwardness),

which is the root of the conduct of nature.

And this, that Nissan is called "head," is regarding the drawing down of the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He,

which is the root of miraculous conduct that is above nature.

And based on this they explain

also this, that Tishrei is Rosh HaShanah and Nissan is the head of the months,

for the conduct of nature,

which is always uniform,

is analogous to the course of the sun

(shanah [year] from the word shinui [change/repetition],

that the same thing returns and is repeated again),

and miraculous conduct, whose essence is renewal

[that sometimes the Holy One, blessed be He, disrupts the conduct of nature for a period of time],

is analogous to the course of the moon,

which is renewed each month

(chodesh [month] from the word chiddush [renewal]).

And it can be said,

that this which is precise in this maamar—that before the Exodus from Egypt Tishrei was the first of the months—

the emphasis in this is,

that before the Exodus from Egypt Tishrei was the first and the head also for the drawing down of Divinity that is above nature

[and this is also understood from that which even the beginning of the redemption of the Exodus from Egypt was in Tishrei],

so why was it changed now that Nissan is the first.

3)

And the point of the explanation in this

(as understood from the maamar)

is,

that even in the new moons

(from the term "renewal"),

which in general are the drawing down of light that is above enclothing in worlds,

the new moons after the Exodus from Egypt are on a more elevated level than the new moons that were before this.

And the explanation is,

that the revelations drawn down through the service of the Patriarchs,

and also the signs and wonders that were in Egypt

(including also that in Tishrei the servitude ceased from our forefathers),

are from the aspect of the light that pertains to worlds

(except that in this light itself,

the source of the signs and wonders is from the aspect of the light that is above enclothing in worlds),

for this is why these signs and wonders were in Egypt, from the term "straits" and "boundary",

for the totality of the light that pertains to worlds

(even that which is above enclothing)

is in measure and limitation,

and in the Exodus from Egypt there was the revelation of the Awtsmoos of Ein Sof that is above relation to worlds,

and through this the going out from Egypt was effected,

the going out from the straits and limitations,

even from the most supernal straits and limitations.

And from this it is understood,

that before the Exodus from Egypt,

even the new moons

(from the term "renewal")

that were then,

they are new moons that pertain to creation,

and the true concept of new moons from the term "renewal" is specifically after the Exodus from Egypt.

For the twelve new moons that pertain to creation, their source is in the twelve permutations of the Name Adn"i,

and the twelve new moons that are above creation, their source is in the twelve permutations of the Name Havayah.

[And one can connect this with what is explained in the maamar,

that one can say the distinction between "new moons" in general and "months of the year",

that "months of the year",

despite being revelations that are above the world

("new moons" from the term "renewal"),

nevertheless they have a relation to the world

(and "year",

the conduct of nature),

and "new moons" in general are the revelations that are above relation to worlds].

And this is that before the Exodus from Egypt, Tishrei was the first of the new moons, and now Nissan is the first,

for the drawing down of the light that pertains to worlds is in Tishrei, in which the world was created,

and the drawing down of the Awtsmoos of Ein Sof that is above relation to worlds is in Nissan, the month of redemption.

4)

And it must be understood,

that according to this explanation, it would seemingly be that this—that after the Exodus from Egypt Nissan is the first of the new moons—is only regarding the new moons that are above creation

(from the twelve permutations of the Name Havayah,

whose concept is the revelation of Ein Sof that is above relation to worlds),

but from the language of the Targum "the ancients called it the first month... and now it is the seventh month," it implies that this—that now Nissan is the first—is

(also)

regarding the new moons in which Tishrei was the first

(i.e., the new moons of the twelve permutations of Adn"i,

whose concept is the revelation of Ein Sof that pertains to worlds).

And so too is it understood from the fact that the counting of months in the Torah everywhere is from Nissan

(for Iyar is called the second month,

Sivan the third month),

for after the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah,

Nissan is the first month regarding all matters.

And moreover,

even in the Torah portions that are before the portion of HaChodesh,

since these portions too are part of the Torah that was given after the Exodus from Egypt

(and the first utterance of the Giving of the Torah is "I am... who brought you out of the land of Egypt"),

the counting of months in them is not from Tishrei but from Nissan.

And seemingly it could be explained based on what is stated in the maamar,

that this—that after it says "This month is for you the first of months," it adds "it is the first for you of the months of the year"—

is,

that "months of the year"

(new moons that pertain to the year)

are the revelations that are drawn into the world in garments of nature,

and this is what it adds: "it is the first for you of the months of the year,"

that in Israel

("for you"),

the revelation of G-dliness that is above nature

(Nissan)

will be also within nature

("months of the year").

But still it must be understood,

that seemingly this concept

(that in Israel, even in nature, the G-dliness that is above nature must be felt)

is an explanation only for this—that after the Exodus from Egypt, the months of the year also pertain to Nissan,

but what is the reason for this—that the counting of months

(even of the months of the year)

now is only from Nissan and not from Tishrei?

For since the months of the year are the revelations that pertain to creation,

in which

(initially)

Tishrei was the first,

why was it changed,

so that now Nissan is the first of the months of the year?

And behold, even now

(even though in Israel, even in nature, the G-dliness that is above nature must be felt,

and nevertheless)

Rosh Hashanah is on the first of Tishrei.

5)

And it may be said,

that it is in the manner of what our sages said, of blessed memory,

"The Torah should not have begun except from 'This month is for you,' etc. And what is the reason it opened with Bereishis? Because of 'the strength of His works He declared to His people, to give them the inheritance of the nations.'

For if the nations of the world say to Israel, 'You are robbers, for you conquered the lands of the seven nations,'

they say to them, 'All the earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed is He;

He created it and gave it to whomever is upright in His eyes.

By His will He gave it to them, and by His will He took it from them and gave it to us.'"

And the precise point in this is known,

for seemingly, the question is that the Torah should not have begun except from "This month is for you,"

even though "In the beginning G-d created," etc., is the root of faith,

[so that] the matter of the Maaseh Bereishis (the Work of Creation)

(and likewise all the matters after this until the portion of HaChodesh)

would be transmitted orally,

or would be written in a separate book

(and not in the Torah,

for since the matter of the Torah is commandments and instructions for Israel,

therefore it should begin with the first commandment with which Israel was commanded),

and what is the answer "because of the strength of His works," etc.?

For even when the matter of Maaseh Bereishis would be transmitted orally,

Israel would know how to respond to the claim of the nations of the world.

And also it requires explanation,

for the Torah is above the world,

and how can it be said that in order to answer the nations of the world there would be a change in the Torah,

that it begins with Bereishis,

even though from the perspective of the matter of the Torah its beginning should be "This month is for you"?

And the point of the explanation in this is,

that this [idea] that the Torah should not have begun except from "This month is for you" is,

because all the revelations that were until the Exodus from Egypt

(which are discussed in the portions before the portion of HaChodesh)

are from the light that relates to the worlds

(as above in section 3),

and the matter of the Torah is the drawing down and revelation of the Ein Sof light, blessed and distinguished, which is above any relation to the worlds.

Therefore, the Torah should not have begun except from "This month is for you," which relates to the Exodus from Egypt, when the revelation of the Ein Sof that is above relation to the worlds began.

But nevertheless,

since the intention of the Torah is to draw down the revelation of the Ein Sof light, blessed and distinguished, within the limitation of the worlds,

and specifically in the lowest matters,

therefore the Torah also contains the narrative of Maaseh Bereishis

(and likewise the other portions before the portion of HaChodesh),

in order

to draw down the blessed and distinguished [light] of the Torah also into the

(because)

lowest matters,

and to make in them a dwelling place for Him, blessed is He.

And this is that it opened with Bereishis because of "the strength of His works He declared to His people, to give them the inheritance of the nations,"

for this, that the Torah contains the narrative of Maaseh Bereishis

(even though that which is revealed in creation is only a constricted illumination,

and as is explained in the maamar

at length, the reason for the statement "I am the L-rd your G-d who brought you out of the land of Egypt" and not "who created the heavens and the earth")

is,

because the ultimate intention of the Torah is that Israel will also refine the inheritance of the nations and make it into the Land of Israel,

and that the refinement will be in such a manner that even the nations of the world will agree to it,

for which reason Israel needs to answer the nations of the world

regarding their claim.

And this is also one of the reasons for this, that it opened with Bereishis,

for the perfection of the dwelling place in the lower realms is that the lower realm, from its own perspective, becomes a vessel for G-dliness,

and this matter is specifically through the refinement that is in the manner of enclothing,

in a manner of from below to above,

and therefore

the order of the events in the Torah

(for through the study of these matters in the Torah, refinement is accomplished)

is in a manner of from below to above,

the narrative of Maaseh Bereishis

(which includes the refinement of the inheritance of the nations),

and afterwards the narrative of the deeds of the Patriarchs, etc.,

and only after this — "This month is for you."

6)

And the explanation of the matter in more detail will be understood based on what is stated in several discourses

(regarding the matter of "the Torah should not have begun except from 'This month is for you,' and what is the reason it opened with Bereishis"),

that it is stated in the Emek HaMelech at its beginning that the creation and coming into being of the worlds was through the tzimtzum,

for the matter of the tzimtzum

(the first tzimtzum)

is that the light that shone initially became completely concealed,

and through this a void and empty space was made for the existence of the worlds.

And the intention of the tzimtzum is

in order that through the Torah and mitzvos there will be the revelation of the Ein Sof also in the worlds.

For before the tzimtzum,

when the Ein Sof light filled the void,

it was impossible for the existence of the worlds to be,

and there was no revelation in the worlds,

and through the tzimtzum it was innovated that the revelation of the Ein Sof would also be in the worlds.

And moreover,

that through this there will also be the revelation of the innerness of the Ein Sof, which is above even the light that shone before the tzimtzum.

And it is understood from this,

that the same applies regarding this that "by His will He gave it to them,"

for the intention in this from the outset is in order that there should be "by His will He took it from them and gave it to us,"

and through this, that the inheritance of the nations is transformed into the Land of Israel, it is elevated most greatly.

And through studying in the Torah "In the beginning G-d created,"

that the creation of the worlds was through the tzimtzum and concealment of the Name Elokim

(beginning from the first tzimtzum),

through this they reveal the secret of the tzimtzum, that the intention of the tzimtzum is for the sake of revelation.

And the same applies regarding the diminution of the moon,

the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, etc.

[And as is known,

that the tzimtzum and the breaking of the vessels of Tohu and the diminution of the moon and the sin of the Tree of Knowledge are related to each other],

for through studying these matters in the Torah,

the inner intention within them is revealed,

which was for the sake of revelation.

7)

And based on this it will also be understood that the writing in the Torah of the narrative of Maaseh Bereishis

(because of "the strength of His works He declared to His people, to give them the inheritance of the nations")

is not, heaven forbid, a change in the Torah,

that in order for Israel to know how to answer the nations of the world, other matters that are not Torah were written in the Torah, heaven forbid,

for this, that the matter of Maaseh Bereishis is a tzimtzum of the Name Elokim

(and therefore it does not relate to the Torah, which is the revelation of the Name Havayah,

the revelation of the Ein Sof light, blessed and distinguished)

is as it is in itself,

before the revelation of the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah.

But after there was the revelation of the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah

("This month is for you"),

and the matter of Maaseh Bereishis is written in the Torah to reveal the inner intention of the tzimtzum

(in order that through this there will be a more elevated revelation),

behold, the revelation of the inner intention of the tzimtzum is like all the matters in the Torah,

for despite being enclothed in physical things, they are Torah,

the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed is He, which is above the world,

and this, that it descended and became enclothed in physical things, is in order

to draw down the blessed and distinguished [light] of the Torah also below.

8)

And it may be said,

that this is the case regarding Tishrei and Nissan.

That the ultimate intention in the creation of Tishrei

("In the beginning [G-d] created")

—when the world was created with measure and limitation—is so that through the service of Torah and mitzvos there will be in it the revelation of the boundless light of Nissan

("This month is for you").

And this can be connected with what is explained elsewhere38

regarding the two opinions

concerning the time of creation:39

The opinion of Rabbi Eliezer that the world was created in Tishrei

(the 25th of Elul40),

and the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua that the world was created in Nissan

(the 25th of Adar41)—

that both these are the words of the living G-d,

except that in Nissan it arose in [G-d's] thought to create,

and the actual creation was in Tishrei42

(which is after Nissan).

And according to the known principle that the intention and purpose of the action is the preceding thought,

it may be said,

that this—that the thought to create the world was in Nissan—

its intention is,

that the intention and purpose of the creation of the world in Tishrei

(measurement and limitation)

is that there should be in it the revelation of Nissan, which is beyond limitation.

However, in order that the intention be completed—that even within the boundary there be a revelation of the boundless light—the actual creation was in a manner that in its revealed state the intention was not felt in it,

through which a limited world was created,

and through Torah and mitzvos the revelation of the boundless light of Ein Sof is drawn into the limited world,

for the beginning of this revelation was at the Exodus from Egypt,

"This month is for you."

9)

And based on this, we can explain why after the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah,

the counting of the months of the year is from Nissan,

even though the months of the year are revelations that pertain to creation and the source of their drawing down is from the light that relates to the worlds,

for according to the nature and definition of the world, it is impossible for there to be in it the revelations of the months of the year,

because even the months of the year are "months" (chadoshim) from the term "renewal" (chiddush)

(the opposite of the definition of "world"),

and that which is drawn into the world

(whose vitality is from the light that is enclothed in it)

—the revelations of the months of the year from the light that is above enclothement in the world—was like a preparation for the revelation of "months" in the absolute sense,

the light that is above any relation to the worlds.

[And it may be said that this is what our sages said:43

"When the Holy One, blessed be He, chose His world, He established in it new moons

(and years),"

that this—that new moons were established in the world

(which are the opposite of the definition of "world" as above)

—is because the Holy One, blessed be He, chose His world,

for it may be said that the concept of "He chose His world" is the revelation of the intention of creation.

For the creation of the world was

(as above)

in a manner that the intention was not felt in it,

and when the Holy One, blessed be He, chose His world, He began to illuminate in it something of the intention of creation.]

But before the Exodus from Egypt,

since all matters were then in constriction and limitation,

therefore,

the elevation that was felt in the renewal of the months of the year was only that they are truly beyond limitation,

and therefore Tishrei was then the first of the months of the year.

But after the revelation of the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah, it was revealed that the renewal of the months of the year

(which was previously)

is a preparation for the revelation of the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah,

and therefore now Nissan is also the first of the months of the year,

and the counting of the months is from Nissan.

10)

And 4)

Now, the beginning of the revelation of the month of Nissan,

which is first also for the months of the year,

is from the Shabbat of blessing the new month of Nissan,

and particularly when the determination of Rosh Chodesh is in the middle of the week

(before Shabbat)

—for then they read on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh

(the Shabbat of blessing)

the portion of "HaChodesh" (This month).44

And all the more so when the determination of Rosh Chodesh Nissan is on Thursday

(as it was in the year of the Exodus from Egypt45),

for then the determination of the Shabbat of blessing Nissan and the portion of "HaChodesh" is on the 25th of Adar, on which [the thought] arose in [G-d's] thought to create the world,

for this thought is the intention and purpose of the actual creation,

that even within the boundary of the world

(as it was created in Tishrei)

there should be a revelation of the boundless light of Ein Sof

(Nissan),

through which the intention of a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He, in the lower worlds is completed.

For this revelation will be primarily in the future redemption,

for in Nissan they were redeemed and in Nissan they are destined to be redeemed.46

And may it be His will,

that even though we are still in the month of Adar,

[in which] the redemption of Purim is in a manner that "we are still servants of Achashverosh,"

(similar to Rosh HaShanah, when "servitude ceased for our forefathers,"

yet even after that they were still in the Egyptian exile),

nevertheless,

since we are already on the 25th of Adar,

the beginning of the revelation of Nissan,

it is therefore fitting and proper that the redemption should be in the month of Adar,

and when the month of Nissan arrives, we will already be in the standing and state of the true redemption,

[as per the well-known saying of my father-in-law, the Rebbe,

regarding the statement "Next year in Jerusalem,"

that it is likewise regarding the Sages' statement, "In Nissan they are destined to be redeemed"],

and we will eat there from the offerings and from the Paschal lambs.