English translation — מאמר וידבר אלוקים את כל הדברים האלה תשכ"ט

B”H.

The second day of the festival of Shavuos,

the year 5729 (1969).

“And Elokim spoke all these words, saying,”

And the precise point is known

regarding what is written “saying,”

that since all of Israel

(the souls of all generations)

were present at Mount Sinai and heard the Ten Commandments from the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself,

what is the meaning of “saying”?

It means “to say to others.”

And the point of the explanation in this is,

that through this the verse explains the innovation of the Giving of the Torah.

For seemingly, even before the Giving of the Torah they studied the entire Torah

[as is also understood from the fact that Avraham Avinu fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given,

for in order to fulfill the Torah one must study it,

and certainly

Avraham taught the entire Torah to his son Yitzchak, and Yitzchak taught it to Yaakov and his sons],

and what is the innovation of the Giving of the Torah?

And the verse explains,

that the innovation of “And Elokim spoke all these words” at the Giving of the Torah is,

that through this the power was given to each and every Jew of all generations,

that his study of Torah should be in a manner of “saying.”

And there are two explanations in this.

That through his study of Torah he causes the Holy One, blessed be He, to speak these words,

for whoever reads and reviews, the Holy One, blessed be He, reads and reviews opposite him,

according to which the explanation of “saying”

(“to say to others”)

is,

that the person who studies Torah says to the Holy One, blessed be He,

as it were, that He should repeat his words.

And furthermore,

that a person’s study of Torah should be in a manner of “saying,”

to repeat the words that the Holy One, blessed be He, says,

as it is written,

“May my tongue answer Your word,”

that the words of Torah that a person says are “Your word,” and “my tongue answers” like one who answers after the reader.

And there is another explanation of “And [He] spoke… saying,”

that “And Elokim spoke all these words,”

the Ten Commandments which are the general principles of the entire Torah,

is “saying,”

that the Ten Commandments

(Torah that is above the world)

should be drawn down into the Ten Utterances through which

the world was created.

And likewise is it in a person’s study of Torah,

that it is in a manner of “And [He] spoke… saying,”

that from his Torah speech an “utterance” is made,

the drawing down of influence below.

And one must understand the connection and relevance of all the above matters in “saying.”

2)

Now, in the maamar of the Mitteler Rebbe beginning with this verse, which was said one hundred years ago,

(after the precise point that the word “leimor” seems superfluous),

he brings what is stated in the Yalkut,

“When the Holy One, blessed be He, was speaking, each Jew would say, ‘The speech speaks with me,’ as it is stated,

‘I am the L‑rd your G‑d’ in the singular.”

And he explains,

that this is what is stated in the Midrash

on the verse “I am the L‑rd your G‑d,”

that the voice they heard at the Ten Commandments was according to the capacity of each individual,

the youths according to their capacity, the elders according to their capacity, and the children according to their capacity.

And it can be said,

that from the reasons for this that he also brings from the statement of the Midrash,

it is,

that through this it is understood that the matter of “the speech speaks with me”

(to each one individually)

is not only in regard to the soul but also in regard to the body,

for the distinction of youths, elders, and children is from the aspect of the body.

And it is explained in the maamar, the reason for this, that the speech of the Ten Commandments was in a manner of "the speech of the Speaker speaking,"

in singular language to each and every one individually

[even though all the commandments of the Torah are for each and every Jew, and in the entire Torah it is stated "I am the L-rd your G-d"],

according to what is brought in the Yalkut there,

that at the time of the Giving of the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, associated His name with each and every Jew.

For this is what is written,

"The chariots of G-d are myriads, etc., the L-rd is among them at Sinai, in holiness,"

that just as "the L-rd is among them"

(among the angels),

that in the name of each angel is associated

(at its end)

the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,

"El"

(Michael, Gabriel, Raphael),

so too at the Giving of the Torah,

"Sinai, in holiness,"

the Holy One, blessed be He, associated His name with each and every Jew,

"I am the L-rd your G-d."

And the maamar continues,

that through the fact that the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is associated in the angels,

they are nullified relative to His name, may He be blessed, that is associated in them.

And likewise is it with Israel,

that through the fact that the Holy One, blessed be He, associated His name in Israel,

they are in a state of nullification,

as is explained at length in the maamar.

3)

Now, the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, that He associated in Israel is higher than the name that is associated in the angels.

For regarding the angels it is written "the L-rd is among them,"

and as is explained in Tanya

that the angels are called by the name Elokim,

for Elokim and "the L-rd" (Ad-nai) are

(generally)

one concept,

but regarding Israel it is written,

"For the portion of Havayah is His people,"

a portion from the name Havayah.

And even though the concept of "the portion of Havayah is His people" existed also before the Giving of the Torah,

it did not shine in revelation

(so much),

for the concept of "the portion of Havayah is His people" is from the aspect of the soul,

and in the descent of the soul below,

the body conceals and hides the soul and the name Havayah that is in it,

and at the Giving of the Torah,

through the speech "I am the L-rd your G-d,"

this was drawn into revelation.

And as is explained in Likkutei Torah,

that the explanation of

("Anochi")

"Havayah your G-d" is,

that Havayah will illuminate and be revealed in you so much that it will be called by your name,

"your G-d."

And the power for "Havayah your G-d"

[that even after the soul is clothed in the body, Havayah will be in him in revelation, to the extent that it will be called by his name]

is from the Awtsmoos of Ein Sof, which is above even Havayah.

For the name Havayah

(in its own right),

its revelation is specifically above,

and in order for it to be in revelation below in a physical body, it is through the drawing down of the Awtsmoos of Ein Sof, which is above Havayah,

for whatever is higher descends and is revealed lower more.

And this is "I am (Anochi) Havayah your G-d,"

that the power for this, that Havayah will be your G-d,

is from the aspect of Anochi, which is above even Havayah.

And it can be said,

that since the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, that He associated in Israel is the name Havayah, which is above the name "the L-rd" (Ad-nai) that is associated in the angels

[and particularly, the root of the association of His name in Israel is from the aspect of Anochi, which is above even Havayah],

therefore,

also the nullification of Israel that is brought about through His name, may He be blessed, that is associated in them, is a greater nullification than the nullification of the angels.

4)

And the matter of the Name Havayah that is in every Jew,

is explained in the maamar,

that the yud of the Name Havayah in Israel is the wisdom (chochmah) in the soul,

and the hei of the Name Havayah is the understanding (binah) in the soul,

to understand one thing from another.

And "one thing from another" (davar mitoch davar) refers to the word of Havayah that is clothed within the creations,

according to the interpretation of the Baal Shem Tov

on the verse,

"Forever, Havayah, Your word stands firm in the heavens,"

and "word" (davar) is the speech itself that is above the clothing within creations,

which in general is the encompassing light (Or HaSovev),

and this is [the meaning of] "to understand one thing from another,"

that through contemplation upon the word of Havayah that is clothed within the creations

("one thing" — davar)

which is only an illumination

(as is proven from this very fact that it is clothed within the creations)

one comes to the knowledge that there is a "word" (davar) that is above clothing within the world,

which is the source from which the illumination within the clothing is drawn.

And the vav of the Name Havayah is the emotions (middos) in the soul,

and the final hei of the Name Havayah is the lower awe (yirah tata'ah)

(acceptance of the yoke)

in the soul.

And the maamar continues,

that the four letters of the Name Havayah that are in every Jew are also in his body.

For the head is like the form of the image of the yud, and the body is like the form of the image of the vav, and the five fingers of the hand and the five toes of the foot are the two hei's.

And the maamar adds,

that it can be said,

that the reason there are ten fingers on the hands and ten toes on the feet is,

because in the Name Havayah with the filling of hei's (milui d'hein),

in each hei there are two hei's.

And it can be said that through the addition that the number ten fingers corresponds to the hei in its filling, additional explanation is added in the entire matter of the diagram of the Name Havayah in the body.

For it is known regarding the matter of the fillings (miluyim),

that the reason for this is that the filling of the letter is in concealment

[And as in the letter alef,

that the alef itself is revealed,

and the lamed and the pei

(which are its filling)

are included within it in concealment],

it is,

because the filling is its inwardness and essentiality that is above revelation.

And analogous to a person who speaks about some matter and has an intention in it,

that the intention is in concealment.

And from this it is understood,

that this [fact] that in the diagram of the Name Havayah in the body

(specifically)

there is also the filling of the hei's of the Name Havayah,

it is,

because specifically in the body is revealed

(also)

the inwardness and essentiality of the Name Havayah.

For in order for there to be a drawing down of the Name Havayah into the physical body,

it is specifically through the inwardness and essentiality of the Name Havayah.

And analogous to what was explained above

(section 3),

that in order for the Name Havayah that is in the soul to be revealed also in its clothing within the body, it is through the drawing down of "Anochi" that is above Havayah.

And the distinction between these two matters is,

that the innovation in the revelation of the Name Havayah in the soul also in its clothing within the body is only regarding the place

(physical body)

to which the revelation is drawn,

and by it being drawn into Havayah from the aspect of Anochi that is above Havayah, its revelation is drawn downward.

But the innovation in the diagram of the Name Havayah in the body is in the Name Havayah itself,

for the Name Havayah

(which is above the world)

and a body

(physical)

are two opposites.

Therefore,

in order that the Name Havayah should be depicted, as it were, in the form of a physical body,

this is not through the drawing down of a matter that is above it,

for the action that is done to something by a higher power is only that it be drawn down lower and the like,

but not a change in the thing itself.

And in order that the Name Havayah should be depicted, as it were, in the form of a physical body, it is through the drawing down and revelation of the inwardness and essentiality of the Name Havayah itself

(the filling of Havayah),

that

(also)

Havayah itself, in its inwardness,

is not defined by the definition of the spiritual, and it is within its capacity to also be in the form of a physical body.

5)

And the maamar continues,

that the explanation of "And G-d spoke... saying" (vayidaber... leimor) is,

that at the Giving of the Torah, the power was given to every Jew that when he reads the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, reads and reviews opposite him.

And similarly regarding the mitzvos,

that by a Jew performing a mitzvah, he causes and draws down that the Holy One, blessed be He, performs it.

And the power that every Jew has, that through his study of Torah the Holy One, blessed be He, will read and review opposite him, and through his fulfillment of mitzvos the Holy One, blessed be He, will fulfill the mitzvos,

is through the word "Anochi Havayah your G-d" in the singular,

as explained in the maamar.

And it can be said,

that the matters explained in the maamar as an introduction to the interpretation of "leimor" — that a person's Torah study causes the Holy One, blessed be He, to read and review opposite him — [namely] the self-nullification (bittul) of Israel through the Holy One, blessed be He, having joined His Name with them, and that the power that "Havayah will be your G-d" is from "Anochi" that is above Havayah, because the lower the drawing down is, it is because the root of the drawing down is from a more elevated source — they are analogous to the other interpretations of "leimor."

[This is not a separate source line but a continuation of the previous sentence; however, to match the source structure, it is rendered as a single translation unit for s="1".]

For the interpretation of "leimor,"

that the study of Torah is in a manner of "May my tongue answer Your word, like one who answers after the reader" — this is the emphasis of the matter of self-nullification,

and the interpretation that "And G-d spoke... saying" is the drawing down of the Ten Commandments into the Ten Utterances emphasizes the quality of drawing down below.

And that these two matters come in the maamar as an introduction to the interpretation that "leimor" is that through a person's Torah study he causes the Holy One, blessed be He, to read and review opposite him,

it is,

because all the interpretations

(the matters)

of "leimor" are related to each other.

6)

And one can explain the elucidation of this,

that at the Giving of the Torah there are three matters,

the Holy One, blessed be He, gives the Torah,

and Yisrael are the recipients of the Torah,

and the Torah itself.

And the innovation in the Torah that was given at the Giving of the Torah regarding the Torah that the Patriarchs studied before the Giving of the Torah is both regarding the Giver of the Torah,

and regarding the recipients of the Torah, and regarding the Torah itself.

That the innovation regarding the Giver of the Torah is as it is brought in the Gemara

that “Anochi”

(the opening of the Giving of the Torah)

is an acronym: A.

na N.

afshi K.

savti Y.

havis,

that “Ana”

(My soul)

is His Essence, blessed be He,

and the explanation of “Ana Nafshi Ksavti Yhavis” is

that He wrote and gave Himself,

“Ana Nafshi.”

And in the language of the Midrash:

“I sold you My Torah; as it were, I was sold with it.”

And the innovation regarding Yisrael, the recipients of the Torah, is,

that at the Giving of the Torah, the Torah was given into the ownership, as it were, of Yisrael,

that the power to rule on halachos was given specifically to Yisrael.

For “we do not pay attention to a Heavenly Voice,” and beyond this, “My children have defeated Me, My children have defeated Me.”

And the innovation regarding the Torah itself is that the Torah given at the Giving of the Torah is in a manner of command and decree that acts upon man and the world to be as the Torah instructs.

And as explained in Likkutei Torah

regarding the Ten Commandments that were said at the Giving of the Torah

(and from that the matter is understood that it is likewise regarding all the commandments of the Torah)

that they were said in the language of command and also in the future tense,

such as “Lo Tirtzach” (You shall not murder), which is both a command and a promise,

for the speech itself decrees upon man and the world

and acts upon them to be so.

[And although this innovation is seemingly only in the action of the Torah upon man and the world, and not in the Torah itself,

nevertheless,

since the name “Torah”

[for the name of every thing indicates its content]

is from the term “hora’ah” (instruction),

the innovation in the manner of the instruction of the Torah

[that the instruction of the Torah as to how man and the world should be is in a manner that acts upon them]

pertains to the Torah itself.]

And likewise is it regarding the study of Torah by Yisrael,

as explained in Likkutei Torah there,

that through Yisrael studying “these are treifos in an animal, etc., and these are kosher, etc.,”

a clarification and separation is made between impure and pure, and “all workers of iniquity shall be scattered,”

similar to the action in the world that is done through the utterances that the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke at the Giving of the Torah.

And to add,

that the innovation that occurs in the Torah, that through it a change is made in the world,

is emphasized even more in the commandments of the Torah.

For through the fulfillment of the commandments of the Torah after the Giving of the Torah,

a clarification and refinement is made in the physical object in which the commandment is performed,

to the extent that in several matters the physical becomes an object of a commandment,

and even an object of holiness.

7)

And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said

on the verse

"For the scent of your good oils, your name is like poured oil,"

"All the songs

that the Patriarchs said before You were [mere] scents, but we [have] 'your name is like poured oil,' like a person who pours from vessel to vessel."

"All the mitzvos that the Patriarchs performed before You were [mere] scents, but we [have] 'your name is like poured oil.'"

One can say

that in this statement of our Sages, all three matters that were innovated at the Giving of the Torah are explained.

For the difference between scent and oil in themselves—

that scent is only an expansion

(an illumination)

of the oil—

indicates the innovation in Torah and mitzvos

(that were given at the Giving of the Torah)

regarding the Giver of the Torah and the Commander of the mitzvos.

For the Torah as it is in itself

(the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He)

is only an illumination

(a scent),

and the true essence of the matter that "the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one"

was actualized at the Giving of the Torah,

for then the Awtsmoos

(oil) was drawn into it.

And likewise regarding the mitzvos,

that at the Giving of the Torah the Awtsmoos was drawn into them.

And there is another difference between the scent of the oil and the oil itself:

that by smelling the scent of the oil, nothing is lacking from the oil,

but not so when one takes the oil itself, it is diminished in the place where it was initially

("your name is like poured oil,"

like a person who pours from vessel to vessel).

And in the allegory, this is:

that by the giving of the Torah below,

the power to adjudicate law was taken

from the supernal beings,

for "the Torah is not

in heaven."

And yet another difference between scent and oil:

that the scent goes and is consumed until nothing remains of it,

and also the pleasure that a person derives from the scent,

after the scent ceases, his pleasure passes,

but not so food

(oil),

for even after the food is digested in his intestines,

it remains in existence,

except that it is transformed into blood and flesh,

and thereby it affects the person so that his characteristics become like the characteristics of the food.

And in the allegory, this is:

that the drawing down through the fulfillment of mitzvos, and all the more so through the study of Torah by the Patriarchs, was not fixed in the world in its inwardness.

But through the study of Torah after the Giving of the Torah, and all the more so through the fulfillment of mitzvos, a change in the world is effected inwardly and permanently.

8)

And one can say

that regarding the three matters mentioned above that were innovated at the Giving of the Torah,

the primary innovation is that at the Giving of the Torah the drawing of the Awtsmoos into the Torah was effected,

and through this the innovation was also effected in the Torah and in the recipients of the Torah.

For the Torah in itself,

since it is utterly incomparable to the world,

there is no change in the things of the world through the laws of the Torah,

and likewise regarding the mitzvos.

And the power in the Torah and mitzvos that were given at the Giving of the Torah to effect change in the world is because at the Giving of the Torah the Awtsmoos was drawn into the Torah and its mitzvos,

and through this they have the power to effect change even in the things of the world that are not comparable to Torah and mitzvos, for the Awtsmoos is in every place.

And likewise regarding the power given to Yisrael to adjudicate halachos, even to the level of "the Holy One, blessed be He, said 'My children have defeated Me, My children have defeated Me,'"

for this power in Yisrael is because the root of the souls is in His Essence, may He be blessed,

(above the manner in which He contracted Himself into the attribute of the Holy One, blessed be He).

And the revelation of the root of the soul

(as it is rooted in the Awtsmoos)

in the soul as it comes in a chain of descent, and all the more so in the soul clothed in the body,

is through the Torah.

For since the opening of the Giving of the Torah was with "Anochi," an acronym for "Ana Nafshi Ketavit Yehavit" (I wrote and gave over My very Self),

that He, as it were, inserted His Essence into the Torah,

through this it was effected that "Anochi"

(Hashem)

"your G-d"

(in the singular)

[is the G-d] of each and every individual of Yisrael,

and through his proper engagement with the Torah,

this is drawn into revelation.

[And it may be said,

that the concept of "Anochi Elokecha" of Israel is above the aspect of "Anochi" that is in the Torah.

And as is known,

that even in the root of Torah and Israel as they are in Atzmus,

the root of Israel is above the root of the Torah.

For the Torah

(even as it is after the Giving of the Torah,

the concept of "I wrote and gave My very Self")

is for the sake of Israel.

But the revelation of "Anochi Elokecha"

(of Israel)

— is drawn down by means of the "Anochi" that is in the Torah].

And this is also the reason that even through the Torah study of Israel a change is effected in the things of the world,

similar to the change effected in the world through the Ten Commandments of the Holy One, blessed be He

(as above in section 6 of Likutei Torah),

for through Israel engaging in Torah, the revelation of "Anochi" is drawn down

(the "Anochi" that is in the Torah,

and also the "Anochi Elokecha" of Israel,

which is above the "Anochi" that is in the Torah),

and the speech

(as it were)

of Atzmus effects a change in the world,

as above.

9)

And one should add an explanation of the connection of the change in the world effected through a person's Torah study and observance of mitzvos to the drawing down of Atzmus into Torah and mitzvos,

for in order that in a person's study

(speech)

of Torah there be a drawing down of the speech of "Anochi",

this is through his study being with absolute self-nullification.

And similarly regarding the observance of mitzvos.

And the true self-nullification in Torah study and mitzvah observance comes from the fact that in the Torah and mitzvos given at the Giving of the Torah there is a drawing down of Atzmus.

For the Torah study and mitzvah observance of the Patriarchs before the Giving of the Torah,

since the service of the Patriarchs reached only until the root of created beings,

for regarding the root of created beings there is a grasp of place for created beings,

therefore,

their self-nullification was not absolute self-nullification.

And this is what is said of Avraham,

"And I am dust and ashes,"

for even ashes are an existence.

But the self-nullification through Torah study and mitzvah observance after the Giving of the Torah is absolute self-nullification,

similar to the self-nullification of Moshe

(the receiver of the Torah)

of whom it is written,

"And we are what."

[And it may be said,

that this—that each and every Jew can, through Torah and mitzvos, attain the self-nullification of "Mah"—is because at the Giving of the Torah, "Havayah Elokecha" came into being

(as above in sections 3 and 4),

and Havayah spelled out with Alephs has the numerical value of Mah,

and the self-nullification effected through the drawing down of Atzmus

("Anochi" which is above Havayah)

into Torah and its mitzvos is above even the self-nullification of Mah].

10)

And 4)

Based on this, it can be said that the three matters

(interpretations)

of "leimar" correspond to the three innovations that were introduced at the Giving of the Torah.

For the interpretation of "leimar" in the Giving of the Torah is that an innovation occurred: a person's study of Torah should be with ultimate self-nullification,

in the manner of "my tongue will answer Your word," like one who answers after the reader,

this is from the aspect of the innovation that occurred at the Giving of the Torah regarding the Giver of the Torah.

And as explained above

(section 9)

that the true self-nullification in Torah study comes from the fact that in the Torah given at the Giving of the Torah, there is a drawing down of the Awtsmoos.

And the interpretation of "leimar" that the person learning Torah says to the Holy One, blessed be He, that He should, as it were, repeat His speech,

is from the aspect of the innovation that occurred at the Giving of the Torah regarding Israel, the recipients of the Torah,

that they were given the power to affect, as it were, the Holy One, blessed be He,

"My children have defeated Me, My children have defeated Me."

And the interpretation of "leimar" that the Ten Commandments are drawn from and affect the Ten Utterances is from the aspect of the innovation that occurred at the Giving of the Torah regarding the Torah itself, that it rules and dominates over the world.

And this can be connected with what our Sages, of blessed memory, said,

"There is no free person except for one who engages in the study of Torah,"

for since the Torah rules and dominates over the world,

behold, when one engages in Torah, it is not possible that there should be anyone who rules over him,

for on the contrary,

he rules and dominates over the entire world.

And from the individual redemption

(that through engaging in Torah one becomes free)

we come to the general redemption,

when there will be true freedom,

in the true and complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach, speedily and truly.