English translation — ח"י אלול

1.

About the day of Chai Elul — the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov

(Chai Elul year [5]484)

and the birthday of the Alter Rebbe

(Chai Elul year [5]504)

— the Rebbe, my father-in-law, said in a sicha¹,

and this is his language:

"Among Chassidim there is an old Chassidic saying in two expressions: a)

Chai Elul is the day that brought and brings life into Elul.

b)

Chai Elul gives vitality in the avodah of Ani²

l’dodi v’dodi li."

From that which his holy honor our master, teacher, and rebbe repeated both versions, it is understood,

that they are both upheld,

and that in each version there is an advantage over the other³.

And further: from that which his holy honor our master, teacher, and rebbe said them specifically in this order,

and especially that he marked them with "alef" and "beis"⁴

— it is understood,

that first comes the matter of Chai Elul which "is the day that brought and brings a life into Elul,"

and only afterwards comes the "beis" — the second

(version —)

matter of Chai Elul,

which "gives a vitality into the service of 'I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me.'"

2.

The differences between the two versions mentioned above are:

In the first version the wording is "

(18th of Elul)

is the day that etc.'",

whereas in the second version it says "18th of Elul" simply,

without the emphasis — "the day".

b)

In the first version — "has brought and brings a cloud",

as opposed to in the second version — "gives a vitality",

in which there are two changes3:

a)

(a)

brings",

in the second "gives".

(b)

In the first version it is in past tense and in present tense: "has brought and brings",

and in the second version it is only in present tense — "gives".

In the first version .

In the first version — "

(a life)

in Elul": but in the second version — "

(a vitality)

in the service of "I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me".

c)

3.

And it can be said that the aforementioned changes,

are not merely changes

(minor)

in language,

but essential changes in content:

The expression "Chai Elul is the day that Bo'..." emphasizes the aspect of time — it is a "day",

one of the days of the year,

but a special day,

"the day that brought and brings a life into Elul"; when one says however "Hei Elul" simply,

then thereby is not

(so)

emphasized the aspect of the time in which it occurs,

but primarily the content of that day⁶.

In other words: in time there are two matters: a)

the essence of time,

b)

the content of time.

For example — the day of Shabbat,

which in time is it

a)

(a)

one of the seven days of the week,

only being the seventh day — for the sevenths are beloved<sup>7</sup>

<span><span> — it is a special day.</span></span>

(b)

The seventh day possesses in itself the holiness of Shabbat,

which the holiness

(in its own essence)

is "above the category of place and time"<sup>8</sup>,

only the holiness shines<sup>8</sup>

into the time of the seventh day.

And this is the first difference between the two versions: according to the first version, the "life" comes from the time

("the day")

of Chai Elul,

it is a distinguished day that brings a "life in Elul"; but according to the second version,

the vitality comes from the content of the day,

from "Chai Elul" itself.

b)

the above difference is even more prominent in the third change mentioned above

(ibid.)

between the two versions — in the first version the wording is "

(a life)

in Elul",

and in the second version — "

(a vitality)

in the service of "I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me":

in the first version it speaks about the "life" that is brought into the time of

(the month)

Elul;

But in the second version it speaks initially about the obligation of the matter

(service)

— the "life" of

(content of)

which gives life in the content of the month of Elul,

"in the service of I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me"

(which is the acronym Elul,

but the word "Elul" itself is not mentioned here).

c)

Also the second change mentioned above — "brings" or "gives" — is a fundamental difference: "brings a life" indicates,

that the "life" itself is located in another place,

and the day of 18 Elul is the "intermediary",

which brings the life

(from another place)

into Elul; but "gives a life" means,

that it

18 Elul,

(18 Elul)

gives life from itself.

4.

And one must say the explanation in this:

Regarding the month of Elul one finds two matters:

The service of Elul is in the manner of an arousal from below¹⁰.

Elul is an acronym

(as above)

"I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me" — first comes "I am to my beloved"

(the service of man),

and then "and my beloved is to me"

(the arousal from above).

d.

h.

The arousal from above

("and my beloved is to me")

is a result of the service of man¹¹

in the language of the verse¹²

: my beloved is to me and I am to him — first "my beloved is to me",

and then

(through the arousal from above)

"and I am to him"].

Even more: the Alter Rebbe says in Likkutei Torah,

that the "My Beloved is mine" of "Elul" — the "drawing down of His G‑dliness below in the aspect of revelation" — is not in the month of Elul,

but afterwards on Rosh Hashanah etc.

Because the concept of the month of Elul is — the arousal from below.

On the other hand, however,

the Alter Rebbe says

(there itself¹⁴

that Elul is a time of favorable will,

"time of revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy",

that the revelation from above is opened

(not through the service of man,

but)

in a way of an arousal from above.

As understood from the parable that the Alter Rebbe says there on this — that this is like a king who "they receive him in the field and then anyone who wishes is permitted to go out to receive him, and he receives them all with a pleasant countenance and shows a smiling face to all".

— because even though

that Elul is about arousal from below

(as above),

yet every service of a created being must come to an assistance from above

(arousal from above)

upon the

service

(as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said on the verse

Who has preceded Me, that I should pay?).

And this is the concept of the illumination of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in the month of Elul — that is

the arousal from above upon the service of Elul,

5.

Although that Elul has in itself both matters

(the illumination of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy from above and is'arpelus'ha)

as mentioned above — nevertheless,

the initials of the word Elul

"I am for my Beloved and my Beloved is for me."

(I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me)

allude specifically to the matter of is'arpelus'ha.

And one can explain the explanation in this:

The atzilus-world of Elul — the illuminations of the thirteen attributes of mercy — is connected with the time¹⁸

of Elul: there are several times in the year which are a time of favor — which is not connected with the service of man,

but the Most High initially established in

(the nature of)

the world,

that these times are in themselves a time of favor.

And likewise regarding the month of Elul,

that the illumination of the thirteen attributes of mercy in the month of Elul is because the month of Elul is a time of favor above,

when the king goes out into the "field".

But the content and essence of the month¹⁹

(which was invested into the time)

is,

on the contrary — specifically the matter of an arousal from below²⁰,

the service of man²¹.

6.

According to the above, one will also understand the difference between the two versions above regarding Chai Elul —

Because just as there are the two matters

(the illumination of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy and is'arusa d'lis'ta)

in Elul,

so too regarding Chai Elul.

That the vitality that Chai Elul brings into Elul,

is in both of its details,

both regarding its is'arusa d'le'eila

(the illumination of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy),

and also in its is'arusa d'lis'ta

(the service of Elul)

The day of Chai Elul — the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov and of the Alter Rebbe — is a day of segulah and a time of eis ratzon; and therefore it brought a new "life" into the eis ratzon of Elul,

in the awakening of Elul that comes from above

(from the aspect of the illumination of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy).

And then there is what Chai Elul, from its content — connected with the service of man according to the teachings of Chassidus — gives a vitality into the content of the month of Elul,

in the service of "I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me,"

that the service of the month of Elul is with a completely different vitality.

7.

And the difference is emphasized in the variations of language in the two versions mentioned above

(and in their order)

The first version — the version of "Hei" — speaks about the first matter and activity in Elul,

the illumination of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

(which comes to arouse the arousal from below).

That just as the illumination of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy is a matter of arousal from above,

so too the "life" of the 18th of Elul which is connected with it,

comes in the manner of arousal from above

(from above to below²²),

from the aspect of the day as mentioned above.

And therefore next to it stands the wording "the day that brought and brings a life

in Elul":

(a)

It is emphasized the time — "Chai Elul is the day..

a life in Elul".

(b)

"brings" shows

(as above, ibid.)

that the "life" comes from another place — from the Atzilus-world,

the life comes

(not from the "day" itself,

but)

from above,

Chai Elul is

(only)

the day which brings the life.

(c)

One also emphasizes the past — "has brought" — because the matter of Atzilus-world is

(regarding the service of man)

a matter of "past"²⁴,

which comes before

(and all as empowerment for)

the service.

As above in the second version - version b - speaks about the vitality that 18 Elul gives in the content of the month of Elul — "in the service of I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me",

that the vitality comes

(not from "time" — "the day" — but)

from the content of the day,

connected with the revelation of Chassidus²².

And therefore the wording "gives a vitality" stands — because the content of 18 Elul "gives a vitality

(directly)

in the service of I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me".

that the vitality that 18 Elul "gives ..

in the service of I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me" is drawn down

(not in a way of arousal from below to above,

but)

in a way from below to above²²

: the man must bring it out from potential to actual through his service].

ח.

The directive from this in the service of G‑d — is in both extremes:

For those who hold at the beginning of the service — at the “alef” of Elul — one says that “Chai Elul is the day that brought and brings a life into Elul”:

A Jew can argue — how is it relevant,

that he,

knowing his standing and his situation,

should be able to receive

(and absorb)

his vitality from Chai Elul?

What connection does he have to such a sublime day!

One tells him,

that although you are still at the beginning of the service

(and you have not even begun the service of Elul,

"I am for my Beloved and my Beloved is for me",

and consequently it is seemingly not relevant that you should derive vitality in the service of G-d

("gives a vitality"))

— nevertheless,

you have the power,

through the auspicious day of Chai Elul,

to

(at least)

bring life into Elul.

Furthermore: Chai Elul has already brought you a life in Elul — you have it as an inheritance from your fathers and your fathers' fathers; and therefore it brings you vitality also in the present.

On the other hand,

there is the directive for "your heads, your tribes",

that it is not enough for him that Chai Elul brings a life in Elul,

but he must add a vitality

("gives a vitality")

in his service of Elul.

For example — in the study of Torah: it is not enough the matter of "a person should learn"²⁵

— "to bring forth a teaching from his teacher"²⁶

(in the example of "brings a life",

which the life is not previously his,

it comes from another place)

— rather it must be the "and he should return to learn"²⁵

: after he reviews the Torah of his teacher,

he works with his own intellect,

to explain "the reasons"²⁶

until he is

(also)

a novel interpreter²⁷

in Torah — in the example that Chai Elul gives vitality in the service of "I am for my Beloved and my Beloved is for me."

9.

Since the Rebbe, my teacher and father-in-law, said publicly both versions and ordered to print them and to disseminate them,

it is understood,

that in truth both versions are a portion for each and every one of Israel.

Because even one who is only at the beginning of the service,

he must know that he can also attain that he should give

(and add)

a vitality in the service of G‑d from his own [self];

And on the other hand,

even those who are already on the level that they engage in the service of "I am for my Beloved and my Beloved is for me,"

and moreover: they have the power to add a vitality in their service — they must know,

that all this is not

(entirely)

their own addition,

but rather it originates from the "life" that Chai Elul brings

(from above)

into Elul.

And in the manner — in the above example of the study of Torah — as the Gemara<sup>28</sup>

relates regarding Rabbi Akiva,

that when Moses our teacher heard how Rabbi Akiva taught his students "and he did not know what they were saying" "his strength weakened",

until "his students said to him, 'Master, from where do you know this?' He said to them, 'It is a law given to Moses at Sinai'" then "his mind was set at ease".

D.

E.

That even the matters that Rabbi Akiva innovated

(for which reason Moses "did not know what they were saying")

originate from Moses our teacher<sup>29</sup>,

"a law given to Moses at Sinai".

(From the talk of Shabbos Parshas Ki Savo,

18 Elul,

5743)