English translation — מאמר בסוכות תשבו תשל"ח

With the help of Heaven.

13 Tishrei

(Yahrtzeit of the Rebbe Maharash),

Erev Sukkos,

5738*.

Transcript.

"In sukkot you shall dwell for seven days; every citizen in Israel shall dwell in sukkot."

And the precise points of our Nesi'im regarding this are known.

For it is necessary to understand what is the duplication of the matter,

that after it already commands "in sukkot you shall dwell for seven days"

[this being a command to all of Israel and to each individual Jew]

what does it add further by saying "every citizen in Israel shall dwell in sukkot"?

Also, it is necessary to understand the very essence of the mitzvah of sukkah,

for seemingly it contains a contradiction.

For the sitting in the sukkah must be "you shall dwell" as in "you shall reside,"

for all seven days a person makes his sukkah permanent and his house temporary.

That just as during the entire year he dwells in his residence in a permanent manner,

conducting all his affairs there,

so too must be the manner of his sitting in the sukkah,

that he should conduct all his affairs in the sukkah,

and see that the sukkah is his residence and permanent place during these seven days.

However, together with this,

the actual construction of the sukkah is a temporary construction.

For this matter, that the sukkah must be a temporary structure, is a fundamental condition of the mitzvah,

and therefore a sukkah that is higher than twenty cubits is invalid.

For one of the reasons for this is that up to twenty cubits, one's dwelling is a temporary dwelling,

above twenty cubits, one's dwelling is not a temporary dwelling but a permanent dwelling,

and the sukkah must specifically be a temporary dwelling.

Nevertheless, for the seven days the sitting in it must be permanent,

which is seemingly a contradiction.

Now, in the mitzvah of sukkah there is another unique matter requiring explanation,

that the mitzvah of sukkah is a positive time-bound commandment,

and in addition to this, the mitzvah of sukkah is limited by the limitation of time,

it is also limited by the limitation of place,

that the place must be a fit place for making the sukkah.

For one who makes his sukkah under a tree, it is as if he made it inside a house,

for this is not a fit place for this mitzvah.

This is unlike other Festivals, where we find a limitation only regarding time, but we do not find that there is also a limitation regarding place.

b)

Now, following the mitzvah of sitting in the sukkah

("in sukkot you shall dwell")

comes the mitzvah of taking the Four Species,

as it is stated,

"And you shall take for yourselves on the first day, the fruit of a beautiful tree, branches of date palms, and a branch of a thick tree, and willows of the brook," etc.

[For the mitzvah of sitting in the sukkah is from the first moment at the beginning of the seven days of Sukkot,

and after this

(and following it),

in the morning

(at dawn,

and ideally at sunrise)

the time of obligation for the mitzvah of taking the Four Species begins,

for its mitzvah is specifically by day].

From this it is understood that the mitzvah of taking the Four Species has a connection to the matter of the sukkah.

And particularly according to what is known,

that the optimal mitzvah is that the taking of the Four Species should specifically be in the sukkah,

for by this it is further emphasized that there is a connection between the mitzvah of taking the Four Species

("and you shall take for yourselves")

and the mitzvah of sukkah

("in sukkot you shall dwell").

And it requires explanation,

what is the connection between these two mitzvot.

And particularly since seemingly they are separate mitzvot,

for the mitzvah of sukkah is for seven days,

unlike the mitzvah of taking the Four Species, the essence of the mitzvah and from the Torah is only on the first day.

[And further known is the distinction in this between the Temple and the outlying areas,

as explained in the Gemara,

the enactment of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai.

From this branch several laws and details of laws that apply even in our time, regarding the distinction between the first day and the six days after it.]

Now, regarding the Four Species themselves, it is necessary to understand,

why specifically these four species were chosen.

For although all of them are of the plant type, nevertheless, from the very beginning of the command it is emphasized that they must specifically be unique species.

And the species must all be in a manner of beauty,

as it is stated, "And you shall take for yourselves... the fruit of a beautiful tree," etc.,

and the Gemara expounded

that this also applies to the three species that follow

[even though in the verse "beautiful" is explicitly mentioned only regarding the etrog,

the first species].

c)

Now,

in addition to the above precise points, it is known from the saying of our Sages,

that the mitzvot were not given to Israel except to refine the creations through them

(as explained in many places).

For in addition to the essence of the mitzvah,

whose matter is that He sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us, and it must be fulfilled in order to fulfill the command and will of the Commander,

nevertheless, in addition to this, there is in the mitzvah a unique service and effect regarding the service of man in general.

And so it is regarding the service of Israel on the festival of Sukkot,

both in the mitzvah of "in sukkot you shall dwell for seven days,"

and regarding the mitzvah of "and you shall take for yourselves on the first day," etc.,

and in the Simchat Beit HaShoevah that follows,

that in all of them there is their matter and their effect in service,

to refine the creations through them.

And so it is also regarding the eighth day, Shemini Atzeret.

And although Shemini is a festival in its own right,

nevertheless, it is called "the eighth day,"

which itself indicates its connection to the seven days of Sukkot that precede it.

And furthermore,

(not only is Shemini Atzeret connected to Sukkot, but moreover)

that just as simply, in order to reach the eighth, seven days are required beforehand,

so too is it in their spiritual content of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret,

that even though the service of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah comes after

[i.e., it is higher than]

the service of the days of Sukkot that precede it,

nevertheless, the cause and factor for reaching the service of Shemini Atzeret is specifically the service of the seven days that precede it.

And from this is understood the superiority in the service of Sukkot,

that it is specifically the cause and factor

through which one comes to the service, the effluences, and the levels of the matter of Shemini Atzeret.

4)

And the explanation of the matter is,

for it is written,

"In the covert for the day of our festival,"

that "the day of our festival" refers to the festival of Sukkos, as explained in many places.

And this is "in the covert for the day of our festival,"

that all the matters that were in concealment

(in covering and concealment)

in the days before the day of our festival,

and particularly the matters that were in covering and concealment on Rosh Hashanah

[about which it is said "in the covert," from the language of "on the day of the covert he shall come to his house,"

and it is to this that the verse "Blow the shofar at the new moon" refers

(as an introduction to "in the covert for the day of our festival")],

they are revealed on Sukkos.

And as it is brought in the Midrash,

that on Rosh Hashanah we do not know who is victorious,

but when Israel go out... with their lulavim and esrogim in their hands, we know that Israel are the victors.

And this is,

that on Sukkos it is revealed that "we are the victors,"

and in a manner revealed to all the inhabitants of the world,

to the extent that the entire existence of the world sees that we are the victors.

And even though the victory of Israel already occurred on Rosh Hashanah,

and as the statement of the Midrash,

"What nation is like this nation that knows the character of its God?"

that Israel know that the Holy One, blessed be He, will perform a miracle for them and they will prevail in judgment,

and thus it is a simple matter that on the day of Rosh Hashanah they had a good writing and sealing,

nevertheless, the ultimate intention and perfection is that this victory be in revelation.

And this is accomplished on the festival of Sukkos,

"in the covert for the day of our festival,"

that the victory which was in concealment

(in hiddenness)

on Rosh Hashanah is drawn forth in revelation on the day of our festival,

and through this they come to ultimate perfection.

5)

And behold, Yom Kippur is called "Rosh Hashanah" in Scripture,

as brought in Likkutei Torah.

And in the order of the days, Yom Kippur is on the tenth of the seventh month,

and at the beginning of the month,

on the first of the seventh month, is Rosh Hashanah.

And moreover,

our Sages, of blessed memory, said,

"These are the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,"

meaning that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are included in those ten days,

(and their content is one matter).

And from this it is understood that on Yom Kippur a particular matter is drawn forth that is related to the drawing down of Rosh Hashanah.

And the matter is,

as explained in Likkutei Torah,

that on Yom Kippur there is the drawing down of the aspect of soul and inwardness,

and since the drawing down in the aspect of inwardness is in an essential matter,

it is understood that also in all other matters, the drawing down of Yom Kippur is in the aspect of inwardness.

However, even this drawing down on Yom Kippur is still in a manner of "in the covert."

And the drawing down in the manner of "we are the victors" and in revelation

[to the extent that it is a revelation in such a manner that through it becomes "the time of our rejoicing,"

for joy is specifically over something that is revealed,

as is known]

is specifically on "the day of our festival"

(the festival of Sukkos),

specifically,

on the fifteenth of the month,

when the moon stands in its fullness,

as explained in many places.

6)

And with this will be understood what we find of a connection between the shofar blast and Sukkos,

and as is known,

that s'chach

[for "all 'sukkah' mentioned in Scripture means s'chach,"

and as the Alter Rebbe explains in the Shulchan Aruch, Hilchos Sukkah,

that nothing is called a sukkah except the s'chach alone.

That is,

not only is the s'chach the essence of the sukkah, but furthermore, in the matter of s'chach is expressed

(gives itself expression)

the entire matter of the sukkah]

has the numerical value of one hundred,

corresponding to the one hundred sounds of the shofar that Israel are accustomed

to blow on Rosh Hashanah.

And the reason for this is as above, since the matter of the sukkah is drawn forth through the shofar blasts of Rosh Hashanah.

For on Rosh Hashanah, the drawing down

(that they draw down through the shofar blasts by means of the one hundred sounds)

is in a manner of "in the covert"

(in hiddenness),

and afterward it comes to revelation on the festival of Sukkos

("for the day of our festival")

in the s'chach of the sukkah.

And likewise is it also regarding Yom Kippur,

for it is known that the s'chach of the sukkah is analogous to the Clouds of Glory

[according to the opinion in the Gemara

that they were Clouds of Glory,

and so it is brought for practical halachah in the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe in Hilchos Sukkos at their beginning],

and it is drawn forth from the cloud of the incense of Yom Kippur.

And the explanation of the matter is,

as above, that first comes the drawing down of Rosh Hashanah in the aspect of inwardness on Yom Kippur.

And this drawing down on Yom Kippur is through the matter of the incense, from which it was said, "And the cloud of the incense shall cover the ark cover,"

and more generally, this is through the entire service of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur in the Holy of Holies.

And from the cloud of the incense on Yom Kippur is subsequently drawn forth the s'chach of the sukkah

(for the sukkah is named for the Clouds of Glory).

7)

And based on the above, the explanation and point of all the aforementioned matters will be understood.

And the concept is,

that the service of Yom Kippur in the Holy of Holies is in the time called in the verse35

"once a year."

And just as in time it is the aspect of "one" in time,

so too is it in the soul and in the world

(in place)

that it is in the aspect of "one" in soul and in place.

That the service is performed by the Kohen Gadol, who is the most holy and the aspect of "one" of the Jewish people,

and as it is stated36

"And he separated Aharon to sanctify him as holy of holies,"

and the service is in the Holy of Holies,

the place most holy of the entire world,

even from the place of the Sanctuary in the Holy Temple

(the Heichal).

And behold, upon the three aspects of Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah (ABY"A) is founded the entire order of Hishtalshelut (the chain of descent), as it is drawn from its root and source

[and therefore Sefer Yetzirah is founded upon these three aspects],

until the creation is from His very Essence, blessed be He.

And as it is brought in Iggeret HaKodesh37

that the essence and selfhood of the Emanator, blessed be He, whose existence is from His own self and is not caused by any cause that preceded Him, G-d forbid, etc., He alone, with His power and ability, can create something from nothing and absolute non-existence.

And this is the matter of the aspect of "once a year,"

in the world

(place),

and in the soul,

that they become unified together in the service of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur in the Holy of Holies,

the aspect of His Essence, blessed be He, which is drawn into the aspect of ABY"A.

And the aspect of "one" is drawn in revelation afterwards on Sukkot.

For it is explained in the Mishnah38

in the order of the Yom Kippur service, that the Kohen Gadol would wait in the Holy of Holies until the house was filled with smoke,

and from this smoke

(which is from the service of the aspect of "one")

is drawn the covering (schach) of the Sukkah on the festival of Sukkot39.

8)

And behold,

the beginning of the drawing of the aspect of "one" is on Rosh Hashanah,

for then is the service of "Make Me king over you,"

that they draw the kingship from the aspect of essential exaltation,

meaning that just as it is in the essential aspect, it will be drawn in revelation until it becomes "Make Me king over you,"

and by drawing that He becomes King of Israel

("Make Me king over you")

it is then drawn that He reigns over the entire world in His glory.

And the manner of kingship is through will,

and not only that His kingship rules over all.

For rule can be also by compulsion without will,

but Israel, through their service that "His kingship they accepted upon themselves with will,"

draw [this] into the entire reality,

into the entire order of Hishtalshelut,

to be "Come, let us bow down and kneel, let us bend the knee before Hashem, our Maker."40

And afterwards, on the tenth of the seventh month, the drawing comes in the aspect of pnimiyut (inwardness).

And afterwards, on the festival of Sukkot, the drawing comes in revelation.

That the victory that was on Rosh Hashanah,

beginning from the victory that from the King of Israel it is drawn that "His kingship rules over all,"

and on a higher level,

also "His kingship they accepted upon themselves with will,"

behold, it is drawn in revelation until it is drawn in revelation also in the world and also among the seventy nations,

therefore on Sukkot they sacrifice seventy bulls corresponding to the seventy nations41.

And behold, this drawing is drawn in revelation

(in the four days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot)

first in Torah and its commandments through the study of the laws of Sukkah and through the study of the laws of taking the Four Species,

for through study of this, even though it is in exile,

and even if the fulfillment of all the details is not applicable,

behold, it is as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said42

"I consider it as if they are occupied [with it]."

And by first effecting the drawing in revelation in Torah,

and afterwards drawing this also into action through the fulfillment of the commandments

[except that this is still the aspect of the action within the commandments themselves],

behold, it is then drawn into actuality also in the entire world,

that the entire world sees how a Jew fulfills the commandment.

And it is drawn in such a manner,

that it is stated in the Midrash43

that if the nations of the world knew what the Holy Temple was worth to them, they would surround it with fortresses to guard it, etc.

And this effect of the Holy Temple upon the nations is on Sukkot in a revealed manner through the sacrifice of seventy bulls corresponding to the seventy nations,

as is explained at length in the Midrashim of our Rabbis, of blessed memory44.

9)

And behold,

according to the above, that the concept of the Sukkah relates to the aspect of "once a year,"

and in the world

(in place)

and in the soul,

it is also understood why regarding Sukkot

(specifically)

it is stated "All the native-born in Israel [shall dwell in Sukkot]" and about this our Rabbis, of blessed memory, expounded45

"All of Israel are fit to sit in one Sukkah,"

for the drawing of the aspect of "one" in revelation is on the festival of Sukkot.

And the explanation of the matter will be understood by prefacing what is to be clarified in this

[and as this precise point is also explained in the maamarim of our Nesi'im2],

why this teaching that "all of Israel are fit to sit in one Sukkah" is specifically from "All the native-born in Israel,"

for from "In Sukkot you shall dwell" one could also learn this teaching of "you shall dwell, all of you together."

And the general explanation of this

(in the language of Kabbalah),

is that initially

[i.e., before the Tzimtzum]

the Ein Sof filled all of the void space and there was no place for the existence of worlds

[meaning there was no possibility or existence for worlds],

and afterwards He removed His great light to the sides, etc., and there was drawn

(the great circle and)

the line (Kav),

and the entire length of the order of Hishtalshelut,

as explained in Etz Chaim at its beginning and in Mavo She'arim at its beginning

(as brought in many places and explained in Chassidus).

And behold, this aspect

(that filled the void space, etc., before the Tzimtzum)

is already called by the name Ein Sof,

and there is even some connection to the existence of worlds,

except that since the Ein Sof filled all of the void space, therefore there was no possibility for the existence of worlds.

But even there, there is a void,

and there is also the possibility that needs to be negated, saying that it is impossible for worlds to exist.

And above this is what our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said46

"Before the world was created, He and His Name alone existed."

However,

even in this level

(already)

there are details,

"He,"

"and His Name,"

"alone,"

and they also say that the novelty of this level is that it is in the manner of "He was,"

as explained in the preceding maamar47.

However, His essence and selfhood, blessed be He, is above even this,

to the extent that it is impossible to say of Him that He is in the aspect of Sovev (transcendent)

(to the worlds)

and even not in the aspect of a distant Makif (encompassing light) and the like.

For His essence and selfhood, blessed be He, is not within the category of any matters at all,

to the extent that He is in the aspect of "There is none besides Him,"

and higher than this,

"There is none."

For "There is none besides Him" can be said when there is a category of "besides Him,"

but above this is the matter of "There is none,"

as this precise point is explained elsewhere.

And since Israel are rooted in His Essence, blessed be He,

it is understood that they have a connection and it is possible for them to reach and effect [something] in His Essence, blessed be He,

even as it is above, in the aspect of "There is none," even from the aspect of "He and His Name alone."

And this is what our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said48

"In whom did He take counsel? In the souls of the righteous,"

that the concept of taking counsel can be said of the very highest levels,

and even in the aspect that is above the category of place.

For since above all matters are through will and not through compulsion, G-d forbid,

it is understood that even in this level the concept of taking counsel applies.

And from this it is understood that the concept of taking counsel is, as it were, even in His Essence, blessed be He.

And about this it is said "In whom did He take counsel? In the souls of the righteous,"

which refers to the souls of Israel,

and "Your people are all righteous,"49

who are rooted in His Essence, blessed be He, and therefore they also reach His Essence, blessed be He.

And the concept of taking counsel is also with souls that are seemingly of a low level,

as is understood from the parable of the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory50

who compares this matter to a father and a small son,

and since he compares the Holy One, blessed be He, to a father,

as it were,

it is understood that great and small are equal before Him.

For all matters are utterly incomparable to His Essence, blessed be He,

rather, it is so that it arose in His will that the souls of Israel,

and "Your people are all righteous,"

should be rooted in the Essence (Atzmus) itself,

and therefore the souls of Israel are rooted in His Essence, blessed be He.

10)

Now,

since it is the beginning of the year and it is necessary to draw down the entire order of the chain of descent anew, and also in a revealed manner,

therefore it is necessary to draw down from the aspect of "one."

And this drawing down

(in a revealed aspect)

is done on the day of our festival

(on the festival of Sukkot)

as mentioned above,

and therefore the beginning of the service of Sukkot must be in the matter of "one sukkah"

(that the "one sukkah" is related to the service of Yom Kippur in the three aspects of "one" in the acronym Atz"aN,

as above),

for through the service of "one sukkah" one reaches the aspect of "one" that is entirely above even any definition of the concept of number

(except that since we have no other name to call it, we call it "one"),

to the Awtsmoos of the Ein Sof, blessed be He.

For "one" means "singular" (Yechidah), as stated in Tosafot,

and the name "Yechidah" is because it receives from the Singular One (Yachid).

And likewise is it in the aspect of "one sukkah," whose matter is the concept of Yechidah,

as above.

And since the matter of the sukkah has its root in the aspect of "one,"

therefore it is drawn down below that all Israel are fit to dwell in one sukkah,

for the sukkah is above all division, since its root is in the aspect that is above division.

And from this very reason, the aspect of "one sukkah" is drawn down even into this lower world, below which there is no lower,

for relative to the Awtsmoos of the Ein Sof, blessed be He, there is no distinction between upper and lower.

10)

a)

Now,

the drawing down of Awtsmoos in revelation

(the aspect of "one sukkah")

will be only in the future,

for then it will be, "And the glory of Havayah shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see,"

and beyond this there will also be, "And your Teacher shall no longer be hidden, and your eyes shall see your Teacher,"

as stated in Tanya.

However, above this is the aspect of "one,"

whose matter is the drawing down of Awtsmoos below in revelation,

and from this it is understood that the revelation of "one sukkah" will also be only in the future.

And accordingly, it is understood why our Sages, of blessed memory, derived that all Israel are fit to dwell in one sukkah from what is stated at the end of the verse, "all the native-born in Israel," specifically,

and they did not derive this from the beginning, "In sukkot you shall dwell for seven days,"

for "In sukkot you shall dwell for seven days" refers to the service in this time, during the six thousand years that the world exists,

and in this time, the aspect of "one" has not yet been drawn down in revelation.

And this revelation will be only in the future, and therefore they derived it from what is stated, "all the native-born in Israel,"

for "native-born" (ezrach) is a future tense term,

meaning that which will shine forth in the future,

as explained in many discourses.

And so it is also according to the rules of grammar, that the letters of the future tense indicate the future.

And this is, "all the native-born in Israel,"

that in the future there will be a shining forth of the aspect of "one,"

and therefore all Israel will then dwell in one sukkah.

However,

nevertheless, even now,

during the six thousand years that the world exists,

there shines an illumination and radiation from the aspect of "one" that will be revealed in the future.

And furthermore,

the revelation of the aspect of "one" of the future is drawn down

(like the other revelations of the future)

specifically through our deeds and service in the present.

And from this it is understood that even now there is a semblance and illumination of the aspect of "one."

And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said, that all Israel are fit to dwell in one sukkah,

which refers to this time,

that even in this time there is the matter that all Israel are fit to dwell in one sukkah

(a semblance of the actual dwelling in the future).

Except that this very thing—that in this time they are fit to dwell—is learned from what is stated, "all the native-born"

(future tense),

meaning that the power is taken and drawn from the shining forth that will be in the future,

which will be the revelation of Awtsmoos,

as it is written, "Your Teacher shall no longer be hidden."

10)

b)

Now, according to the above, the order of the services of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot will also be understood.

And the matter is,

in the manner of the order in the Torah and the commandments, that general principles and specific details were stated,

that first matters are in a general manner, and afterward they are drawn into specifics,

so likewise is the order of the service of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.

For the Torah in its completeness is in a multitude of details,

as it is written,

"There are sixty queens and eighty concubines and maidens without number,"

and our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded

that "sixty queens" are the Mishnayot,

"eighty concubines" are the Beraitot, and "maidens without number" are the expositions of our Sages and the sayings of the

(Tannaim and)

Amoraim.

And before this, there is the Torah as it is in the Written Torah,

as the common expression in the Talmud, "From where are these matters? The verse says."

For all this is the matter of the Torah as it is in a manner of details and details of details.

However, there is also the Torah as it is in a general manner,

that its general principles and its fine details were all stated at Sinai.

And in the very utterance of the general principles and the specifics,

first the general principles were stated,

and afterward the specifics.

For first the Ten Commandments were stated, in which all the specifics of the Torah are included.

And the Ten Commandments themselves are included in the utterances "I am" and "You shall not have,"

as stated in Tanya.

And these two utterances are included

in "Anochi," which is the first word of the first utterance.

And in "Anochi" itself, the letter Alef is its first letter.

And in this Alef are included all the general principles of the Torah.

For the letter Alef indicates a matter of generality,

for it is stated in the Jerusalem Talmud

that the utterance "Anochi" is hinted at in what is written,

"Hear O Israel, Havayah is our God,"

and it is known in the explanation of the word "Echad" (One), that the Chet hints at the seven firmaments and the earth, and the Dalet at the four directions of the world,

and the Alef before them corresponds to the Holy One, blessed be He, the Master of the world,

as brought in the Beit Yosef

from the Sefer Mitzvot Katan,

as brought and explained in many places.

And from this it is understood that the Alef of "Anochi"

(which is related to the "Echad" of "Hear O Israel")

is the general principle that includes the entire Torah.

10)

3)

And likewise is the matter of the order of the services of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos

(where the beginning of the drawing down is in a manner of generality, and afterwards it is drawn down in particulars).

For behold, regarding Rosh Hashanah

(which is then in the aspect of the most general level)

our Sages said,

that the mitzvah of the day is with the shofar.

For although this day is awesome, terrible, and holy,

nevertheless its mitzvah is only one mitzvah,

and within the mitzvah itself, all sounds are valid for the shofar.

Because the mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah is only one matter.

And even in the intellect and reasoning of the mitzvah, it is above particulars,

as the Rambam says,

that the shofar blast on Rosh Hashanah is a decree of the Scripture, meaning it is above the grasp and comprehension of the intellect.

For in grasp and comprehension there must be measurement and limits,

as is understood and simple,

but the shofar blast, which is above grasp and comprehension

(a decree of the Scripture)

is above measurement and limits.

And likewise is it also regarding the service of Yom Kippur,

for although it has many services,

nevertheless the unique service of it is the service of the entering of the cloud of incense,

as mentioned above.

For this service is in the Holy of Holies,

the aspect of "one" in place,

and in the time of "one" in the year,

and by the Kohen Gadol, the aspect of "one" in the soul.

And furthermore,

the incense then had to be in the manner of "finest of the fine."

And although the incense service in general had to be from the fine,

nevertheless this is not like the superiority of the incense on the holy day,

once a year,

when the incense is in the manner of "finest of the fine,"

which shows that they reach the point of existence.

And after this comes the drawing down in particularity,

and within the particulars themselves, the manner of the drawing down is level after level.

For the beginning of the drawing down is in the sukkah

(for the sukkah is named for its covering [schach]).

For this drawing down is still above division,

since regarding the schach, division does not apply,

unlike the walls and the like.

And the manner of the drawing down in the schach is as its name,

schach, because it shades [sochech] over a person from above,

to the point that this very thing

(that it shades from above)

is specifically in a manner of shade and not of revealed light.

And specifically then,

when its shade is greater [than its sunlight],

one fulfills the mitzvah of sukkah.

However, afterwards one must draw down this drawing down also into particulars.

And this is the matter of the mitzvah of "you shall dwell as you live,"

that one must bring under the shade of the sukkah all of his life's matters in all their particulars and sub-particulars,

and through this one makes every particular a matter of mitzvah.

That is to say,

that although throughout the entire year one needs great service until there is "in all your ways know Him,"

and the wise person

will be recognized in his eating, drinking, business dealings, etc.,

nevertheless, on the festival of Sukkos,

by virtue of the essence of the fulfillment of the mitzvah

(even without the service of "in all your ways know Him"),

when one does these things in the sukkah, he fulfills the mitzvah of "you shall dwell in sukkos"

(even though they are matters of eating, drinking, business dealings, etc.,

as mentioned in the aforementioned Rambam).

And afterwards, one must draw down this drawing down

(the aspect of "one" that is in the sukkah, which will shine in revelation in the future,

as mentioned above in the statement "every citizen in Israel shall dwell in sukkos")

into a deeper depth,

so that it be drawn into the inwardness of the soul

(even now).

And this is the matter of the mitzvah of "and you shall take for yourselves," etc.

(the mitzvah of the Four Species),

that there must be a matter of taking,

and the taking must be "for yourselves,"

to reach the chest,

and through this the drawing down is drawn into his heart within,

or as the well-known expression

that he draws down into the Nukva d'Z'eir Anpin, which stands at the chest of Z'eir Anpin, as explained at length in the discourses,

and particularly in the discourses of the Baal HaHilula.

10)

4)

And behold,

based on the above, that through taking the Four Species the aspect of "one" is drawn into inwardness

(which was first drawn down on Yom Kippur through the service in the three aspects of "one" in place, time, and soul,

and afterwards in the "one" of the sukkah),

it is understood that even when the drawing down comes into particulars

(in the mitzvah of the Four Species),

these are particulars in which the matter of "one" is recognizable, revealed, and emphasized.

And the matter is,

as explained at length in the series "V'Chachah" of the Baal HaHilula,

that in these Four Species the matter of unity is recognizable.

For in "lulav, branches of date palms," it is written deficiently [without a vav], and our Sages expounded

that it must be "bound" [kafot].

For although in the lulav there are many leaves, nevertheless to fulfill the mitzvah one must bind them together.

And also every leaf is doubled from two, which also indicates their being in unity, etc.,

and also indicates perfection.

And this is that in the lulav the matter of unity is seen in a revealed way.

And so it is with the hadassim, which are called "branch of a thick tree,"

specifically "thick" [avos],

because they must be three in one stem,

that is, there must be at least three, but specifically in one stem.

This also indicates unity.

Therefore it is called "branch" [anaf], a term of singularity,

and also "thick" [avos],

which indicates unity.

And likewise the aravah

(willows of the brook)

is also called "achvaina" in the Gemara,

because they grow in brotherhood, in bundles.

For although they are "arvei"

(nachal),

a plural term,

nevertheless, even as each willow grows on its own,

it unites with the others in "achvaina,"

from the term "ichui" [joining].

This indicates the matter of unity.

And surpassing this, and above all of them, is the unity in the esrog,

and therefore it is mentioned first in the verse,

"And you shall take... the fruit of a beautiful tree."

And the matter is,

for behold, in the Gemara

they expounded that what is said, "fruit of a beautiful tree," refers to the esrog because it dwells [dar] on its tree from year to year.

For in a full year there is a change of seasons from one extreme to the other,

and the esrog withstands them all.

And the Baal HaHilula adds an additional precision,

that not only does the esrog withstand the changes of seasons,

but furthermore, it grows from them.

And he brings as proof for this a wonderful thing,

for its dwelling without this growth is impossible,

for it would become spoiled, Heaven forbid,

[since the esrog is a growing thing].

And from this there is proof that on the contrary,

the esrog grows from this very thing that the four seasons of the year pass over it.

And this is the matter of the unity in the esrog,

in which all the changes of the seasons of the year are united in such a manner that specifically through all of them it grows until it becomes a "fruit of a beautiful tree,"

[and even the beauty [hadar] stated regarding the esrog is learned for the beauty of the other three species].

And likewise there is unity in the Four Species in their matter in the spiritual service in the soul.

For behold, it is known what is stated in the Midrash,

that the Four Species of the lulav correspond to the four types among Israel,

beginning with the type corresponding to the esrog, which has taste and smell

(Torah and good deeds)

until the type corresponding to the aravah, which has neither taste nor smell.

And one must unite all the types,

and specifically through this, that they all become one bundle, then "to do Your will with a whole heart" is achieved,

and as it is simply that specifically through the unification of all the species is it possible to fulfill the mitzvah of the Four Species,

and through this is the beginning of our festival day in the manner of "and you shall rejoice before the L-rd your G-d,"

and from this a person then draws down in his service throughout the entire year.

9)

6)

And behold, based on the above, the aforementioned particulars are understood,

as well as the connection of the mitzvah of taking the Four Species to the mitzvah of dwelling in the sukkah,

and also the order of these mitzvos.

That after one fulfills the mitzvah of "you shall dwell in sukkos,"

meaning that the aspect of the "one" of the sukkah has been drawn down to him in a manner of settlement, as it shines and gives power until it is drawn down even in this present time, before the drawing down of the Atzmus in the future

(about which it is said "every citizen [will dwell],"

a future tense),

behold, afterwards, through taking the Four Species, they draw down this drawing down into the aspect of inwardness.

And through the drawing down into inwardness that comes through the Four Species, one comes to the matter of the Celebration of the Water-Drawing.

And as explained at length by the Baal HaHilula,

that through the Four Species, they effect joy in the manner of "and you shall draw water with joy,"

that even in water there is joy.

For although there is no joy except with wine,

nevertheless, a Jew, through his service in taking the Four Species, effects in the water that there be the matter of the water libation, and through this the matter of joy is brought about,

"and you shall draw water with joy,"

to the point that "one who has not seen the Celebration of the Water-Drawing has never seen joy in his life."

And on the contrary,

in order to see joy in his days, one must see and take strength and reasoning,

and also reasoning in intellect,

from the Celebration of the Water-Drawing.

9)

7)

And this is the meaning of what is said, "In sukkos you shall dwell for seven days; every citizen in Israel shall dwell in sukkos,"

that after the service of "Blow the shofar in the month" on Rosh Hashanah,

when the drawing down is still in a manner of "in concealment,"

behold, after this come the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, about which it is said,

"Seek G-d when He is found, call Him when He is near,"

and the saying of the Holy One, blessed be He, is considered an action,

and it becomes an action in actuality,

that "seek" and "call Him" are actualized in deed.

And this then effects the four days between Yom Kippur and Sukkos,

when the Torah of truth testifies that all of Israel and every individual Jew are occupied with mitzvos,

and after the preparation

(during these four days)

of "the festival of Sukkos you shall make for yourself" etc.

(with all the interpretations thereof)

[that even the making of the sukkah is included in the mitzvah,

as the Alter Rebbe writes in his Shulchan Aruch

to rule halachically regarding the reason for the ruling that we do not recite a blessing over its making because it is not the completion of the mitzvah,

and the blessing of Shehecheyanu also applies to the making]

behold, they then come on the festival of Sukkos to the fulfillment of the mitzvah itself,

"In sukkos you shall dwell for seven days."

And immediately the next morning

(at dawn and sunrise)

comes the mitzvah of the Four Species,

"And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a beautiful tree, branches of date palms, and a branch of a leafy tree, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the L-rd your G-d."

Until they come to the Simchas Beis HaShoevah,

where the great joy of "and you shall rejoice" occurs in a manner of "whoever has not seen the Simchas Beis HaShoevah has never seen joy in his life."

And then they merit that very soon, "every citizen in Israel shall dwell in sukkos" will actually be fulfilled

(and not merely that they are fit to dwell),

for the true and complete redemption will come through our righteous Mashiach.

And then the fulfillment of the mitzvah of "and you shall rejoice before the L-rd your G-d" will be in completeness and from the Torah,

its fulfillment being in the Beis HaMikdash,

the third Beis HaMikdash,

"The Sanctuary, O L-rd, which Your hands have established,"

very soon.

He will come and redeem us and lead us upright to our land,

and build the Beis HaMikdash in its place,

and gather the dispersed of Israel, and the kingdom shall be the L-rd's.

And as an introduction to this, it will be as it is said,

"For then I will turn to the peoples a pure language, etc., to serve Him with one accord,"

which is drawn down in revelation through the offering of the seventy bulls on the festival of Sukkos.

May it be so for us,

and very soon.