English translation — מאמר אני לדודי תשמ"ו

With the help of Heaven.

On the eve of the fifth day of the week, Parshat Shoftim,

Rosh Chodesh Elul, 5746*

"I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine"

the acronym of which is Elul,

and this is explained in the well-known discourse in Likkutei Torah,

that in Elul begins the aspect of "I am my Beloved's," which is the aspect of an arousal from below,

until Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which are the aspect of drawing down His G-dliness below in a manner of revelation.

For this is "I am my Beloved's,"

the arousal from below

(from below)

which is in the month of Elul,

and afterwards "and my Beloved is mine,"

the drawing down from above during the Days of Awe.

However, even though the essence of the month of Elul is the arousal from below,

nevertheless, this requires an arousal and giving of power from above.

And this is what is explained in the continuation of the discourse,

that in the month of Elul is the time of the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy,

which is the matter of the arousal from above that awakens the arousal from below of "I am my Beloved's."

B)

And this is explained

by way of a parable of a king who, before he comes to the city, the people of the city go out to greet him and receive him in the field, and then anyone who wishes is permitted

[and adds to this my father-in-law, the Rebbe, the Nasi of our generation:

and is able]

to greet him,

and he receives them all with a pleasant countenance and shows a smiling face to everyone,

and when he goes to the city, they walk after him,

and afterwards, when he comes to his royal palace, none may enter except by permission, and even then only the choicest of the people and select individuals.

And he continues,

that so it is, allegorically, in the month of Elul: they go out to greet the light of His countenance, blessed be He, in the field.

And he explains,

that the matter of the illumination of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy is the concept of "May Hashem cause His countenance to shine upon you,"

and it can be said,

that this is the concept of the king receiving everyone with a pleasant countenance and showing a smiling face, etc.,

to the extent that one can even speak of the matter of making a request to the king himself, etc.

And as the details of this matter are explained regarding the service of man in Likkutei Torah there.

3)

Now, in the totality of the discourses of the month of Elul in Likkutei Torah,

which were arranged and printed by the Tzemach Tzedek,

we find a remarkable thing,

that in these discourses he did not repeat at all

(a heading)

as a separate [section]

"Discourses for Elul",

and they were included in the discourses for Parshas Re'eh.

And an explanation is needed for the connection of the discourses of Elul with Parshas Re'eh.

And also it is necessary to understand why discourses for Parshas Shoftim were not printed in Likkutei Torah.

Although there are many discourses from the Alter Rebbe on Parshas Shoftim,

both on the beginning of the portion

(Shoftim and Shotrim)

and on verses in the middle of the portion.

And as is also printed in Ohr HaTorah of the Tzemach Tzedek,

and likewise in the discourses of the Mitteler Rebbe,

that several of both of them are founded on the discourses of the Alter Rebbe,

and discourses were printed for Parshas Re'eh

(which is before Parshas Shoftim)

and Parshas Teitzei

(which is after it)

and discourses for Parshas Shoftim were not printed

(and behold, the discourses of Elul are connected

(also)

to Parshas Shoftim).

Also it is necessary to understand that the fixed time of Rosh Chodesh Elul in Parshas Shoftim compels that there is a connection between them, and what it is.

And to note a remarkable matter in the aforementioned discourse

(beginning "Ani L'Dodi")

in Likkutei Torah,

which begins and is printed on page 32 (Lamed-Beis).

And it can be said that in any case, the number 32 (Lamed-Beis) has a special content,

as discussed elsewhere

a hint of the matter that in chapter 32

of Tanya, the matter of "Love your fellow as yourself" is explained,

because the matter of love of Israel is the heart and the main principle,

as our sages said,

"This is a great principle in the Torah."

And likewise it can be said regarding page 32 (Lamed-Beis) of the book Mishneh Torah in Likkutei Torah, which was arranged for print by the Tzemach Tzedek,

and that is,

that on this page

(in this discourse)

is the heart of Likkutei Torah on Mishneh Torah.

And even if you say that this discourse being printed on page 32 (Lamed-Beis) was later,

nevertheless, it is close to say,

that since this is a book of Torah,

and particularly according to the well-known teaching of the Baal Shem Tov,

it is possible to learn a lesson in the service of man even from such details.

4)

And the explanation of all this can be said,

based on what was explained earlier, that the point of the aforementioned discourse is that the service of the month of Elul is like the parable of the king in the field.

And based on this, the connection of the discourses of Elul with

(page)

32 (Lamed-Beis) will be sweetened,

for when the king is in the field,

behold, "the field" equalizes all who are found in it,

since there, each one

(without distinction)

is permitted and able to greet him,

and he receives them all, etc.

(unlike when he is in his capital city,

and especially in his palace,

where only the elite and select individuals enter to the king).

And furthermore,

when the king is in the field,

then the partitions etc. between the king and the people are nullified,

and he receives them all with a pleasant countenance and shows them a smiling face.

And in general

(and particularly in Elul),

"Ani"

(Israel)

"v'Dodi"

(the Holy One, blessed be He),

each one of them is, as it were, a heart for the other.

And this depends on the unity of Israel

("Ani")

(that when the king is in the field, all are equal),

as explained in Igeres HaKodesh.

And it can be said that this is also the connection with Parshas Re'eh,

the matter of "seeing" (Re'eh),

the illumination of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy is that it should be face to face,

the innerness of His will, blessed be He, to Israel and the innerness of the will of Israel to Him, blessed be He

(similar to the above that each one of them is a heart for the other).

And as it is written, "See, I am giving before you,"

the aspect of face to face.

[However, the matter of "Shoftim and Shotrim," etc.

is, on the contrary,

the opposite of equality,

to clarify the distinction

(and the partitions)

between one another,

between one law and another, etc.]

5)

And now, it is explained in the continuation of the discourse there,

that just as there is an aspect of field, so too there is an aspect of desert,

"a land not sown"

"where no man dwells."

And in the parable of the month of Elul, the king is in the field

(and not in the desert)

for the field is superior to the desert.

And also simply, the desert is a land not sown,

unlike the field, which is a place of sowing and growth of bread,

"a land

from which bread comes forth."

For the bread is refined and elevated,

and "bread sustains the heart of man,"

for "not on bread alone does man live, but on every utterance of the mouth of Hashem"

that is in the bread,

the G-dly spark within the bread

(as explained in the writings of the Arizal

and in many places).

And it follows that the novelty of the field over the city and desert is,

that the city consists of houses within the boundary of holiness,

and the desert is outside the boundary of holiness

("where no man dwells"),

and the content of the field is the refinement of matters that are outside the house and their entry into holiness.

And this is the entirety of man's service,

to refine the matters of the world and elevate them to G-dliness.

And also for this reason, all the offerings are called "My offering, My bread for My fire,"

the matter of bread,

and in the language of our sages,

"My shepherdess, my sustenance."

6)

And behold, the perfection of the service of the sacrifices

("My fire-offering, My bread")

will be specifically in the future.

For even in the time of exile there is the matter of sacrifices through engaging in the study of the Torah of sacrifices,

as it is said,

"And we will render [the] bulls [of] our lips,"

which also includes the concept of "and we will render" from the term "completion,"

nevertheless, the main aspect of this will be in the future,

and in the language of the prayer,

"And there we will perform before You as the command of Your will,"

that specifically in the future will be the fulfillment of all the commandments,

and particularly the commandment of offering the sacrifices, which is the main service,

in the ultimate perfection.

And it can be said that it is explicit in the verses

that in the future there will also be fields

(and perhaps it can be said that Jerusalem relative to the Holy Temple is analogous to a field,

in addition to the fields literally outside Jerusalem).

Except that then the partitions that now exist between city and field will be nullified,

for the revelation in the Holy Temple

(city)

will spread also to Jerusalem the holy city and also to the fields and plots outside Jerusalem,

in the manner of our sages' statement,

"In the future, Jerusalem will expand

throughout all the Land of Israel, and in the future the Land of Israel will expand throughout all the lands,"

and as it is said,

"And the glory of Havayah will be revealed, and all flesh together will see, etc."

7)

And based on this, we can explain and interpret also the hint in the connection of the content of this discourse

(the matter of nullifying the partitions,

all equally)

with the portion of Shoftim,

which is revealed with the conclusion of the portion.

For behold, the matter of judges and officers etc.

is

(as above)

to clarify the distinction

(and the partitions)

between one another,

between one law and another, etc.,

but when the action of the judges is completed and continues afterwards in the conduct "to walk in His ways all the days,"

then the nullification of the partitions occurs, etc., until afterwards "Havayah your God will expand your border"

(by means of that beforehand you shall guard, etc., to walk in His ways all the days),

for the matter of "Havayah your God will expand your border" can be said, in spirituality, to be the concept of that which in the future the Land of Israel will expand throughout all the lands.

And until there will also be the revelation of the aspect of Chabad,

as our sages said

on the verse "Havayah your God will expand your border," which refers to the Kenite, Kenizzite, and Kadmonite,

and it is explained in the discourse "Do not distress Moab" of the Mitteler Rebbe

that they are the aspects of Chabad.

For the drawing down now is only the aspect of the seven lower Sefiros,

and it will expand in the future,

and it can be said that this is particularly through the preparatory service of "spreading your wellsprings outward" in a manner of understanding and comprehension

("they will be sustained from it"),

Chabad,

and moreover, even the three lands

(Chabad)

will be in a manner of conquest,

that one becomes "master of the house" also over them, and even this part of Torah is "his Torah" that is called by his name.

8)

And may it be His will that it be so for us,

that through the preparatory service of spreading the wellsprings outward and the conquest of Chabad within the soul,

we will come, very soon, to the conquest of Chabad in the world,

until the ultimate conquest, in a manner that it is called by his name.

And this will be fulfilled in a manner of "I will hasten it" and with alacrity,

that immediately and at once

(in the language of the Rambam)

the exile ends,

and we conquer in perfection the land of the seven nations,

and immediately afterwards also the land of the three nations,

and together the land of the ten nations,

for the number ten indicates the perfection of the future,

and as our sages said that the harp of the future has ten strings,

and in the future there will be the tenth song,

and the tenth heifer,

and the tenth count,

that the Holy One, blessed be He, counts Israel because of His great love for them.

And all this speedily in our days, literally,

in our time and place,

souls in bodies,

and with joy and a good heart.