English translation — מאמר את הוי' האמרת תש"ל

B'Siyata D'Shmaya.

Shabbos Parshas Tavo,

18 Elul,

5730.

"You have distinguished [or declared] Hashem today... and Hashem has distinguished you today..."

And it is brought in the Gemara:

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: "You have made Me a single entity in the world, as it is said,

'Hear O Israel, Hashem our G-d, Hashem is One.' And I will make you a single entity in the world, as it is said,

'And who is like Your people Israel, one nation in the land.'"

And it is necessary to understand what they said, "You have made Me a single entity,"

for the explanation of "You have made Me" etc. is,

that this—that Hashem is One

(a single entity)—

is brought about by Israel.

And this is also understood from the fact that they compare "I will make you" etc. to "You have made Me"

(and especially according to the version

"I too will make"),

for just as the explanation of "I will make you" etc. is that this—that Israel are one nation—is brought about by the Holy One, blessed be He,

[as the verse continues

(after it says "And who is like Your people Israel, one nation in the land")

"which G-d went Himself to redeem for Himself a people,"

and Rashi explains:

"And from what are they distinguished from all the nations?

From this, that G-d went Himself to redeem for Himself a people... from this we are distinguished."]

So too is the explanation of "You have made Me" etc.,

that the matter of "Hashem is One" is brought about by Israel.

2)

Now, the above explanation of "you have distinguished" and "has distinguished you"

("You have made Me a single entity in the world, and I will make you a single entity in the world")

comes as a continuation of what is brought in the Gemara

(before this):

"The tefillin of the Master

of the Universe—what is written in them?... 'And who is like Your people Israel, one nation in the land.'

And does the Holy One, blessed be He, take pride in the praise of Israel?

Yes,

for it is written, 'You have distinguished Hashem today,' and it is written, 'And Hashem has distinguished you today.'

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: 'You have made Me a single entity in the world, and I will make you a single entity in the world.'"

And the explanation of this

(in the Gemara's question, "Does the Holy One, blessed be He, take pride in the praise of Israel?")

is that tefillin are called "glory,"

as it is said,

"Bind your glory upon you,"

for tefillin bring glory and praise to the person who dons them.

And so too is it with the tefillin of the Master of the Universe, that they bring Him glory and praise, as it were.

And from this it is understood

that "Who is like Your people Israel" etc., which is written in the tefillin of the Master of the Universe,

is the glory and praise of the Holy One, blessed be He.

And this is what the Gemara questions: "Does the Holy One, blessed be He, take pride in the praise of Israel?"

For this verse

("And who is like Your people Israel" etc.)

is the praise of Israel,

so how can it be the glory and praise of the Holy One, blessed be He?

And it answers: "Yes,

for it is written, 'You have distinguished Hashem,'"

"Distinguished" being a term of importance and praise,

meaning that Israel effect importance and praise in the Holy One, blessed be He.

And it is necessary to understand,

for the proof from the verse "You have distinguished Hashem" is

(seemingly)

only that the Holy One, blessed be He, takes pride through the praises that Israel praise Him, may He be exalted

("Hashem our G-d, Hashem is One"),

for although all creations are utterly incomparable to Him, may He be exalted, nevertheless it arose in His will, may He be exalted, that through the praises that Israel praise Him, there should be brought to Him

(as it were)

importance and praise.

And how is it proven from this that the Holy One, blessed be He, takes pride in the praise of Israel,

in the praise of Israel's virtue,

that Israel are one nation in the land?

And it must be said,

that through "You have distinguished Hashem,"

that Israel praise the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Holy One, blessed be He, takes pride in this,

through this it is brought about that the Holy One, blessed be He, takes pride in the very praise of Israel.

And it should be added,

that from the fact that the verse written in the tefillin of the Master of the Universe is

(not the verse "Hear O Israel" etc. "Hashem is One"

(as in our tefillin),

but rather)

the verse "And who is like Your people Israel, one nation in the land,"

it is proven

that this praise of the Holy One, blessed be He,

that the Holy One, blessed be He, takes pride in the praise of Israel,

is a greater praise than the praise of "You have distinguished Hashem"

(the praise of Hashem through Israel praising Him).

To the extent that this praise

(that He takes pride in the praise of Israel themselves)

is

(the tefillin)

His glory.

Also, it is necessary to understand what the Tzemach Tzedek, our master, brings

(in his maamar beginning "You have distinguished Hashem today"),

that regarding the matter of "you have distinguished" and "has distinguished you" there are two opinions.

For the Rashba

wrote that "you have distinguished" and "has distinguished you" is in the manner of "My Beloved is mine and I am His,"

and the Maharsha

wrote that it is in the manner of "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine."

And it is necessary to understand,

for the order of "you have distinguished" and "has distinguished you"

("you have distinguished" and then "has distinguished you")

is analogous to "I am my Beloved's"

(and then)

"and my Beloved is mine,"

so what is the reason of the Rashba that "you have distinguished" and "has distinguished you" is in the manner of "My Beloved is mine and I am His"?

3)

And this will be understood by prefacing what the Tzemach Tzedek brings

(in his aforementioned discourse)20

that which the Bachya writes21

that in the verse "את הוי' האמרת" there are fifteen words, corresponding to the fifteen items22

that were in the Mishkan.

And in the Bachya there,

that "the Mishkan is a paradigm of the creation of the world,

and the reason for this in the creation of the world and in the Mishkan

is to allude to what is written23

'For with the Yud-Hei, Havayah formed the worlds.'"

And this means,

that the fifteen items in the Mishkan allude to Yud-Hei

(whose numerical value is fifteen).

And from this it is also understood regarding the fifteen words in the verse "את הוי' האמרת,"

that they allude to Yud-Hei.

And he continues in the Bachya there,

that corresponding to them

(corresponding to the fifteen items in the Mishkan)

there are found fifteen times five hundred in the seven firmaments24.

And it is explained in the discourse20,

that this is also that which "Va'eschanan" has the numerical value of five hundred and fifteen25,

fifteen times five hundred.

And according to what is explained elsewhere26

that the matter of "Va'eschanan" having the numerical value of five hundred and fifteen

(where five hundred and fifteen are in one word27)

is the connection and unification of the aspect of fifteen

(Yud-Hei)

with the aspect of five hundred

(as will be explained),

it can be said,

that this that in the verse "את הוי' האמרת" there are fifteen words

(and likewise that in the Mishkan there were fifteen items)

which allude to Yud-Hei

(as above)

the intention in this is

(not to the aspect of Yud-Hei as it is in itself,

but rather)

to the aspect of Yud-Hei as it is connected and unified with the aspect of five hundred28.

And this will be understood according to the saying of our Rabbis, of blessed memory

(brought above)

that the matter of "את הוי' האמרת" is "You have made Me a single entity... Havayah is One,"

which has two explanations.

The first explanation,

that "Havayah is One" is as the Arizal explained on the verse29

"On that day Havayah will be One,"

that Yud-Hei with Vav-Hei will be "bound together in a single unity,"

the connection of the intellect and the emotions30.

And the second explanation is,

that the explanation of "Havayah is One" is like "I am Havayah,"

that "I" which is the Essence of Ein Sof, with the Name Havayah,

are completely one and the same31.

And this is that the fifteen words

(whose numerical value is Yud-Hei)

in the verse "את הוי' האמרת" allude to the aspect of Yud-Hei as it is connected and unified with the aspect of five hundred,

for also in the connection and unification of fifteen with five hundred

(which is in the word "Va'eschanan")

there are two explanations,

analogous to the two explanations above regarding "Havayah is One."

The first explanation,

that five hundred refers to the emotions which are below the intellect32.

For the primary emotions are the five emotions from Chessed to Hod33,

and each one of them includes ten and ten of ten,

having the numerical value of five hundred34.

And this is also that the matters in the world are in the number five hundred35,

for the root of the created beings is from the emotions.

And according to this,

the matter of "Va'eschanan" having the numerical value of five hundred and fifteen

(where five hundred and fifteen are in one word)

is the connection of the intellect

(Yud-Hei, whose numerical value is fifteen)

with the emotions

(five hundred)36,

like the first explanation of "Havayah is One."

And the second explanation,

that five hundred refers to the emotions of Arich which are above the intellect.

And the matter of five hundred and fifteen is to connect and unite Chochmah and Binah

(Yud-Hei,

fifteen)

with the Kesser which is above the chain of descent37,

analogous to the second explanation of "Havayah is One,"

that Havayah and "I"

(the Essence of Ein Sof which is above the chain of descent),

are completely one.

4)

And based on this, the connection of "את הוי' האמרת" to the tefillin of the Master of the World will also be understood

[for although in the tefillin of the Master of the World it is written "And who is like Your people Israel," which is the matter of "וה' האמירך,"

nevertheless, the two matters of "האמרת" and "האמירך" are related to each other38],

for also in the tefillin of the Master of the World there are these two matters.

For tefillin are the four intellects39,

and that which the Holy One, blessed be He, lays tefillin,

has two explanations40.

The first,

that the Holy One, blessed be He, is Zeir Anpin,

and "the Holy One, blessed be He, lays tefillin" is the drawing down of the intellect into Zeir Anpin

[meaning,

that the essence of the intellect is drawn into Zeir Anpin.

For that which is drawn into the emotions of Zeir Anpin from the intellect as they are according to the order of the chain of descent,

is only from the aspect of the intellect that is related to the emotions,

and even this is through many and many contractions41,

to the point that in their enclothing within the emotions of Zeir Anpin they become the very substance of the emotions42,

for the intellect that is within the emotions, relative to the intellect itself, is42

the substance of emotions.

And the matter of "the Holy One, blessed be He, lays tefillin" is that into the emotions

(Zeir Anpin)

the essence of the intellect is drawn43.

For this is that tefillin are called "Pe'er" (splendor),

that the Holy One, blessed be He, Zeir Anpin, glorifies Himself with them44,

for "Tiferes" (splendor) is a matter of being beyond comparison45].

And the second,

that the Holy One, blessed be He, is the Essence of Ein Sof which is above Atzilus,

and "the Holy One, blessed be He, lays tefillin" is the drawing down of Ein Sof into the intellect.

[And according to this explanation, the matter of the splendor of tefillin is even more understood46,

for the addition of light that is drawn into the intellect from the Essence of Ein Sof which is above Atzilus is utterly beyond comparison].

And this is "את הוי' האמרת,"

"האמרת" being an expression of importance and praise,

that this—that the Holy One, blessed be He, lays tefillin

(His splendor and praise)—

is brought about through the service of Israel.

And this is "You have made Me a single entity"

(specifically "you have made Me"),

for according to the order of the chain of descent,

as it is measured by the line of measure,

the drawing down from the higher to the lower

(from the Emanator to Atzilus,

and likewise in Atzilus from the intellect to the emotions)

is contracted according to the vessel of the lower,

and in order that there be "the Holy One, blessed be He, lays tefillin" in the two explanations above,

which are analogous to the two explanations above regarding "Havayah is One"

(a single entity),

the unification of Vav-Hei with Yud-Hei and the unification of Havayah with "I,"

this is brought about through the service of Israel,

"you have made Me."

5)

And this can be connected with the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov

and the teaching of the Alter Rebbe

[for whom Chai Elul is their birthday]

on the verse,

"And You are holy, enthroned upon the praises of Israel."

That the Holy One, blessed be He, in His own essence, is holy and separate,

and through the praises of Israel,

that is, that Israel praises and extols Him, blessed be He,

He is enthroned and drawn down below.

And this is "You have affirmed [the L-rd],"

that through Israel praising Him, blessed be He,

(the praises of Israel),

by this it is brought about that the Holy One, blessed be He, lays Tefillin,

that a light is drawn down

(from above Atzilus into Atzilus,

and within Atzilus itself, from the Moachin into the Middos),

not according to the order of Hishtalshelus,

through which He is enthroned and drawn down also below.

For in a drawing down according to the order of Hishtalshelus,

when the light is drawn down and descends through the chain,

it is diminished and contracted,

until in this physical world,

it becomes completely hidden and concealed.

However, when the drawing down is not according to the order of Hishtalshelus

[for the source of this drawing down is from the pnimiyus and Atzmus of Ein Sof, which is above any relation to worlds,

and this drawing down is specifically through the service of Israel,

because the source of the souls of Israel is in the Atzmus of Ein Sof],

then the revelation is drawn down also below.

6)

And behold, this drawing down

(of the Holy One, blessed be He, laying Tefillin)

is

(primarily)

through the fulfillment of the mitzvah of Tefillin.

As the Sages, of blessed memory, said

on the verse,

"He declares His words to Yaakov, His statutes and judgments to Israel,"

that what He does, He tells Israel to do.

And the explanation of this is known,

that through Israel doing and fulfilling the mitzvos,

by this they cause the Holy One, blessed be He, to perform these mitzvos.

[And in the manner of the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov

on the verse,

"The L-rd is your shadow,"

that just as the shadow does what the person does, so too the Creator, blessed be He, as it were, does what the person does.]

From this it is understood also regarding the mitzvah of Tefillin,

and the entire Torah is equated

(the mitzvos)

to Tefillin,

that this [matter] of the Holy One, blessed be He, laying Tefillin,

is brought about through the laying of Tefillin by Israel.

And this will be understood based on the known [teaching]

that the intent of the mitzvah of Tefillin

[and this intent is part of the mitzvah]

is to subjugate the heart and the mind.

For the matter of subjugation,

that one subjugates himself to Elokus,

is similar to the mitzvah of Kriyas Shema, whose matter is the acceptance of the yoke of the kingdom of heaven

(the first portion)

and the acceptance of the yoke of mitzvos

(the second portion),

for the matter of subjugation and acceptance of the yoke is above intellect and comprehension,

and together with this,

the subjugation of Tefillin is in relation to the particular faculties

(in contrast to the acceptance of the yoke of Kriyas Shema, which is general),

that he subjugates his four Moachin

(Chochmah, Binah, and Daas, which is divided into Chessed and Gevurah)

of his,

and this is drawn down also into the middos of the heart,

the subjugation of the heart.

And it can be said that through his subjugating his Moachin in a manner of acceptance of the yoke,

which is a drawing down from the essence of the soul

(for the matter of acceptance of the yoke is from the aspect of the essence of the soul, which is above Hishtalshelus)

into his intellectual power,

by this is brought about the matter

(the explanation)

of the second [aspect] of the Holy One, blessed be He, laying Tefillin,

the drawing down of Ein Sof

into the upper Moachin,

and through this being drawn from the mind to the heart,

by this is brought about the matter

(the explanation)

of the first [aspect] of the Holy One, blessed be He, laying Tefillin,

the drawing down of Moachin into Zeir Anpin.

7)

And it should be added,

that through the drawing down of acceptance of the yoke

(which is above Hishtalshelus in man)

into the mind and the heart,

this is drawn into all the faculties,

also into the lower faculties.

For this is what [is indicated by] the straps of the Tefillin of the head needing to reach until

(below)

the navel,

that also the matters of man that are from his waist and downward

should be subjugated to Elokus.

And through this, he effects likewise in the world,

that also in the lower matters

(of "from his waist and downward")

there will be a revelation of Elokus.

For in addition to the fact that in Tefillin the revelation of "Echad" etc. is drawn down also into the physical parchment etc.,

for in Kriyas Shema the revelation of "Havayah Echad" is in the person reciting Shema, unlike in Tefillin,

the drawing down is also into the physical parchment etc.

[For this is why the entire Torah is equated to Tefillin,

because the matter of Torah and mitzvos is to draw down Elokus specifically below,

to make for Him a dwelling place in the lower realms],

behold, the revelation of Tefillin also affects those who, in their own essence, are opposed to holiness.

And as it is written,

"And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the L-rd is called upon you, and they shall fear you," and the Sages, of blessed memory, said,

"These are the Tefillin of the head,"

that the drawing down through the laying of Tefillin also affects those in whom it is necessary to instill "and they shall fear you"

(because they are opposed).

And moreover,

they shall see etc. "that the name of the L-rd is called upon you."

For the nations of the world

(even those who acknowledge Elokus),

their knowledge is only of the name Elokim

(which has the numerical value of HaTeva [nature]),

but of the name Havayah

(which is above nature)

they do not know,

as Pharaoh said, "I do not know Havayah."

And through Israel laying Tefillin,

the revelation of Havayah

(which is in the Israelite who lays Tefillin)

is in a manner that also the peoples of the earth

(and furthermore,

"all the peoples of the earth" includes those who, in their own essence, do not acknowledge Elokus,

not even the name Elokim)

see that the name of Havayah is called upon you,

and this seeing affects them [so that] "they shall fear you."

8)

And one must connect this with the revelation of the Torah of Chassidus,

for Chai Elul is the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the general Torah of Chassidus, and of the Alter Rebbe, founder of the Torah of Chabad Chassidus,

[such] that one of the main emphases in the Torah of Chassidus is that all matters should be drawn down below in revelation.

And as the Alter Rebbe wrote in Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah at its beginning: "It is written,

'Forever, O G-d, Your word stands firm in the heavens.'

And the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, explained that 'Your word'—that which You said, 'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters,' etc.—these letters and words stand and endure forever within the firmament of the heavens, etc.,"

for even though this explanation is found in the Midrash Tehillim on the verse

(as brought in Likkutei Torah),

nevertheless, the Alter Rebbe writes "And the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, explained,"

[and] one of the explanations of this

is that the Baal Shem Tov explained

(spread out)

and revealed this so that it would be known to all.

And the Alter Rebbe drew this down into intellect,

so that it would be for praise and for a name and for glory,

which refers to Chabad,

until this is grasped even in the intellect of the animal soul,

and even in the intellect of those who were

(before they learned this matter)

heretics,

"to set you high above all the nations."

9)

And this is [the meaning of] "You have declared G-d... you have made Him a single entity in the world, as it is said, 'Hear O Israel, G-d is our G-d, G-d is One,'"

for by Israel saying "G-d is One" in the Shema,

and especially in Tefillin,

by which they draw down "G-d is One" even into the physical parchment,

through this, the Holy One, blessed be He, wears Tefillin,

which are

(the Tefillin)

His glory and praise

(as above),

"declared" [being] a term of importance and praise.

And the reason for this—that it is within the power of Israel that through their fulfillment of the commandments there will be the fulfillment of the commandments of the Holy One, blessed be He—

the verse continues,

"And G-d has declared you... to be for Him a treasured people."

And this is what concludes

(in the verse "And G-d has declared you")

"and to keep all His commandments"

(even though, seemingly, this belongs in the verse "You have declared G-d,"

for the praise with which Israel praises the Holy One, blessed be He, is that they accepted upon themselves to be for You a G-d, etc., and to keep His statutes and commandments, etc.),

for "to keep all His commandments" of Israel brings about His commandments,

that the Holy One, blessed be He, will perform the commandments.

Therefore, this is stated in the verse "And G-d has declared you"

(in the praise with which the Holy One, blessed be He, praises Israel),

because this—that it is within the power of Israel to bring about

(through their fulfillment of the commandments)

the commandments of the Holy One, blessed be He—

is a great praise for Israel.

And it may be said

that this is what the Rashba said, that the matter of "declared" and "has declared you" is in the manner of "My Beloved is mine and I am His"

(first "My Beloved is mine" and then "and I am His"),

for the power in Israel to be "You have declared G-d,"

to add

(as it were)

importance and praise to the Holy One, blessed be He,

is through this—that "G-d has declared you."

10)

And "D)"

Now, this—that "G-d has declared you to be for Him a treasured people"—

is not from the aspect of reason,

from the aspect of the virtue of Israel,

their fulfillment of Torah and commandments and the like,

but rather,

that the Holy One, blessed be He, chose [them] in His choice

(free),

as it is written,

"For Yaakov has G-d chosen for Himself, Israel as His treasured possession."

For this—that Israel are His treasured possession—is from the aspect of His choice,

and therefore,

this is in the very essence of Israel.

For each and every one of Israel

(even before he fulfills Torah and commandments)

is His treasured possession.

And through this, there is also brought about in them a virtue

(in the matter of revelations),

that through their fulfillment of the commandments, His commandments of the Holy One, blessed be He, are brought about.

And this is what is written in the Tefillin of the Master of the World

(not the verse "Hear O Israel... G-d is One,"

but rather)

"And who is like Your people Israel, etc.,"

for the primary glory and praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not the additional light that is made above

(the fulfillment of the commandments of the Holy One, blessed be He)

which is made through the fulfillment of the commandments of Israel,

but rather,

the praise of Israel themselves,

for this specifically reaches into

(the choice of)

the Essence.

10)

a)

And one should connect

(also)

this matter with Chai Elul,

for in addition to the fact that

(also)

this matter

(the greatness of the elevation of Yisrael and the love of Yisrael)

is among the primary matters of the teachings of Chassidus93,

behold, Chai Elul is the day of the beginning of the service of the coming year94,

beginning from Rosh HaShanah, when Yisrael coronate the Holy One, blessed be He, as King95,

for the power that Yisrael have to coronate Him as King is because they are bound and unified with His very Essence (Atzmus)

(which is above the aspect of King)96,

and the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts the coronation and becomes King of Yisrael97,

and through this and through them –

(also)

King over all the earth98,

"Hashem, Elokim of Yisrael, is King, and His kingship rules over all"99,

and it is drawn down in revelation that He will be the King of Yisrael and its Redeemer97,

through Moshiach Tzidkeinu,

who will wage the wars of Hashem and be victorious, and build the Temple in its place, and gather the dispersed of Yisrael100,

and "the earth will be filled with knowledge of Hashem" etc.101

the entire world102,

in the true and complete redemption,

speedily, indeed.