English translation — אלול א

1.

In one of the sichos of Chag HaPesach¹,

the Rebbe, my father-in-law, the Admor, describes the spiritual state,

which prevailed on Shabbos Mevarchim Elul in Lubavitch - the "capital city"

(capital city)

of the Rebbeim of Chabad over the course of many years².

It is stated there:

"On Shabbos Mevarchim Elul in Lubavitch,

although it was still a clear, sunny day,

the air had already changed,

the Elul fragrance had already begun to be felt,

a wind of teshuvah was already blowing."

All the sayings and words of our Rabbis, our leaders, are precise in all their details.

It is understood,

that the four descriptions that are here in the sicha regarding Shabbat Mevarchim Elul —

(a)

the clear sunshine,

(b)

the change of the air,

(c)

the feeling of the “fragrance” of Elul and

(d)

the blowing of a teshuvah “wind” — are not mere rhetoric,

but rather these are four matters that express the inner content of Shabbat Mevarchim Elul.

Moreover: the words of our Rabbis, our leaders, are precise not only regarding <b>what</b> they said,

but also regarding <b>when</b> they said it — each matter they said at the time that is suited for it and to which it has a connection

(although the influence

From this must also be drawn afterwards,

and as explained in many places).

And since the Rebbe, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, about

(the title of)

Shabbat Mevarchim Elul spoke at the festival of Passover,

it is understood that there is an inner connection and bond between these two times.

At first glance it is completely incomprehensible: the two times of

Elul and Passover are in their matter and content not merely different,

but also opposites one of the other³

: the matter of Passover is an effusion from above downward — first "my Beloved is mine" and afterwards "and I am His"⁴,

and as it is known that the redemption from Egypt came not through the service of the Jews

(for on the contrary⁵

: before the Exodus from Egypt they were entirely in a state of "these worship idolatry and these etc."⁶),

but in a manner of an arousal from above⁷

which

aroused the arousal from below among Jews; in contrast, the month of Elul is the time of service in a manner from below to above - first &lt;b&gt;A&lt;/b&gt;ni &lt;b&gt;L&lt;/b&gt;dodi

(arousal from below),

and afterwards

(the arousal from above)

&lt;b&gt;V&lt;/b&gt;dodi &lt;b&gt;L&lt;/b&gt;i&lt;sup&gt;8&lt;/sup&gt;

(acronym Elul&lt;sup&gt;9&lt;/sup&gt;).

One must understand: what place does the matter of

(Shabbat Mevarchim)

Elul have to be explained in the time of Pesach?

B.

And the explanation of the matter: it is known

(as the saying of our sages, may their memory be blessed&lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;

on the verse&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;

"Who has preceded Me that I should repay?"),

that even that which a Jew achieves through his service,

this too is through the power that is given to him for it from above.

After the arousal from above,

he can do his service in the way of arousal from below.

And as the Alter Rebbe explains&lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;,

that Elul is the time when the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are revealed,

and he gives a parable about this of a king who is in the field,

that then &lt;b&gt;may &lt;/b&gt;anyone who wishes - go out there and receive the face of the king etc.

D.

E.

Although in the month of Elul the order of service is from below to above,

in a manner of arousal from below,

nevertheless, upon this very thing is required the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy and a granting of permission

(and power)

From above; and afterwards comes the service of "I am for my beloved"&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;.

It is understood,

that the arousal from above which is drawn after and through the service of arousal from below is much higher than the arousal from above which is drawn as a preface to the service&lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;

- because since the earlier arousal from above comes in the manner of free grace,

consequently it is only a drawing of the externality of the light,

but not so the drawing of the arousal from above which is through service,

since "You desire the work of Your hands"&lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;,

it is consequently an arousal from the inwardness of the light; it is, however, also understood,

that that which the arousal from below has the power to arouse the arousal from above&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt;,

this comes from the

Previous atzilus etc.¹⁷.

And although that the giving of power to the service of “I am to my Beloved” is the revelation of the thirteen attributes of mercy in the month of <b>Elul</b>,

nevertheless,

since every matter has its designated

(beginning and main part)

time,

and the time of the drawing down of the arousal from above <b>in general </b>is at Passover,

as mentioned above

(unlike Elul,

which in itself is the time of the service from below upward,

as mentioned above)

— so too regarding the arousal from above in Elul,

that the root of the drawing down is at Passover.

That

is

that Passover is the time of the arousal from above in a general manner,

and from this come afterward the particularized drawings down for each matter in its designated time¹⁸

— including also the drawing down of the thirteen attributes of mercy in the month of Elul.

And therefore the sicha¹⁹

about Shabbos Mevarchim Elul

(which on Shabbos Mevarchim are drawn down,

in general,

all matters of the entire month²⁰,

including also,

the drawing down of yud-gimmel middos harachamim)

was said during Chag HaPesach.

Gimmel.

According to this, the four matters in the title of Shabbos Mevarchim Elul are understood

(in the aforementioned sicha),

which

are generally divided into two types: the light and clarity of the radiance of the sun - in the first case

("although it used to still

be a clear sunny day")

; the change of the air,

the feeling of the "scent of Elul",

and the "blowing" of a "repentance-wind" - in the second case -

because the light and radiance of the sun is drawn from above,

which in the inner aspect of matters means the drawing down and illumination of "the sun of Havayah"

(which is drawn down in the month of Elul,

as a detail of the general drawing down in the month of Nissan,

as mentioned above)

; and the other three matters express the arousal of the creations below which is awakened through the drawing down and illumination of "the sun of Havayah".

4.

In connection with the arousal of the created beings

(which comes from the drawing down from above)

says the Rebbe, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, two matters²²

: a)

"The Elul-fragrance has already begun to be felt."

b)

"A repentance-wind has already blown."

The connection of "fragrance" and "wind" to Elul and repentance:

"The essence of teshuvah is as it is said&lt;sup&gt;23&lt;/sup&gt;

&lt;b&gt;And the spirit &lt;/b&gt;shall return to God who gave it"&lt;sup&gt;24&lt;/sup&gt;

- The main thing of teshuvah is to elevate oneself to the level of "spirit"

(which here is a

level above&lt;sup&gt;25&lt;/sup&gt;

of "light")&lt;sup&gt;26&lt;/sup&gt;,

so that then the "shall return to God etc." is fulfilled.

And this is what his holy honor, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, hints with the word "teshuvah&lt;b&gt;wind&lt;/b&gt;",

for the essence of teshuvah

(Elul)

is in the aspect of "spirit"

("wind").

And with this is also understood the connection of “scent” to Elul: the main service of “I am to my beloved” in Elul is the service of teshuvah,

through which one merits “the spirit of Mashiach”²⁷,

whose revelation consists in the aspect of <b>scent</b>,

as it is stated in the verse²⁸

: “and he shall scent the fear of the Lord etc.” — one tries him specifically with “one who smells and judges”,

as our Sages of blessed memory²⁹

say.

H.

As an introduction to the two matters — “spirit” of teshuvah and the aspect of “scent” of Elul

(through teshuvah)

— says his honor our master and father the Rebbe in the sichah: “It ..

has already the <b>air </b>changed”,

indicating thereby:

In the needs of life of a person there are several types: a house to live in,

clothing,

eating,

drinking and air to breathe

(air),

that one is more necessary than another: clothes are more necessary than a house,

still more necessary is

food,

still more important is drinking and more important than them all is - air for breathing³⁰

(which this is a constant necessity,

and without air for breathing he cannot endure even a duration of a short time³¹).

And since a person needs air so strongly,

and

(as usual)

he breathes continuously with the air,

it is therefore understood,

that the meaning and benefit of air is a thing that every <b>one</b> feels it <b>always</b>.

And this is the intention of what is said in the sicha about air: since the “fragrance” of Elul and the spirit of repentance are already felt in the breathed “air”

(of Elul),

it means that they are then in a manner

(of “air”)

that are not connected with exertion³²,

and that they are relevant and necessary for every one³³,

and enliven every one - <b>every</b> soul - <b>with every</b> breath,

and as our sages of blessed memory said on the verse³⁴

: All the soul shall praise Yah, Halleluyah.

(From the talk of Shabbos Parshas Re'eh, second day of Rosh Chodesh Elul, 5727)