English translation — וילך א

A.

It is known the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov¹

on the verse²

"And I will surely hide My face on that day",

that the explanation of "hiding hide" — <b>two</b> times hiding — is,

that the hiding itself is hidden.

D.

E.

That the concealment is so great,

that one feels nothing that this is a hiding until it can come G-d forbid to — "heavens³

darkness for light".

And according to what is explained in Likkutei Torah⁴

about the matters that are in the "Rebuke",

that "in truth they are only blessings",

and that which they are said in such a <i>language</i> that externally it looks opposite of blessing,

it is because the blessings come from a very high place,

"from the aspect of the hidden" — it is accordingly understandable regarding our matter — by "And I will surely hide My face on that day" — that "in truth" it is a lofty blessing.

<i>And more</i> than this: from the very thing that in externality it looks like the opposite of blessing<b> to the utmost</b>

there is still hope that one will seek advice on how to become free from it.

But when it is "I will surely conceal",

to the extent that one takes the darkness for light — one is then satisfied with the state in which one finds oneself,

which is indeed the opposite of blessing to the utmost],

It is understood,

that the blessing is a very great one,

that therefore it comes in the most hidden manner.

B.

It will be understood by prefacing the discourse of the Alter Rebbe⁵

on the verse⁶

"I am asleep but my heart is awake",

that in the aspect of Memale Kol Almin which is called "I",

the aspect of "sleep" applies.

But the aspect of Sovev Kol Almin — "and my heart",

is always "awake".

And he explains there,

that when a Jew is "attaching his thought to the desires of this world ..

and seeks to receive <i>vitality</i> from this,

and abandons⁷

<i>the vitality </i><i>of </i><i>and You</i> give life to all of them, which is He fills all worlds",

he becomes <b>separated</b> from the aspect of He fills all worlds; but from the aspect of He encompasses all worlds "it is impossible to become separated in any way",

because the "desire of the heart" that <i>comes</i> from the aspect of He encompasses all worlds

("and my heart"),

"exists in every person".

And "even if it seems to him that he does not have it and does not feel it,

this is certainly false,

for even though⁸

he does not see it, his fortune sees it".

And at first glance it is contradictory:

Also from the life of the encompassing worlds,

since "And You give life to &lt;b&gt;all of them&lt;/b&gt;",

is he then giving life also to that which "&lt;b&gt;forsakes&lt;/b&gt; the life-force of 'And You give life to all of them'"&lt;sup&gt;9&lt;/sup&gt;

— and nevertheless one says,

that since the person is &lt;i&gt;"runs&lt;/i&gt; after his livelihood"&lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;

and "&lt;b&gt;forsakes&lt;/b&gt; the life-force &lt;i&gt;of&lt;/i&gt; 'And You give life to all of them'",

is &lt;b&gt;he&lt;/b&gt;

(from the perspective of &lt;b&gt;his&lt;/b&gt; feeling)

"&lt;b&gt;separated&lt;/b&gt; from the life of the encompassing worlds",

Why then does one say regarding the encompassing light — that if even "it appears to him that he has no etc.' — 'it is impossible to separate at all'"?

one must say,

that what regarding רעותא דלבא the Alter Rebbe says "exists in every person",

it does not mean only from the side of "מזלי׳",

but also from the side of "איהו"

(from his feeling).

ולכאורה,

since "איהו &lt;b&gt;לא&lt;/b&gt; חזי",

is he then from the side of "איהו" indeed &lt;b&gt;separate&lt;/b&gt;?

ג.

the explanation in this is:

the aspect of Memale Kol Almin,

since He is "&lt;b&gt;fills&lt;/b&gt; and gives life to all &lt;b&gt;worlds&lt;/b&gt; etc.",

then His function&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;

is that the worlds comprehend the influence.

And therefore,

when someone is

("Ohev" — )

&lt;b&gt;not&lt;/b&gt; comprehending that his vitality is from G‑dliness,

it is called,

that the &lt;b&gt;light&lt;/b&gt; &lt;b&gt;of G‑d&lt;/b&gt; is found with him in a manner of &lt;i&gt;of&lt;/i&gt; concealment and surrounding.

And consequently it turns out,

that the one who is &lt;b&gt;Ohev&lt;/b&gt; the G‑dly vitality — he is &lt;b&gt;separate&lt;/b&gt; from Memale Kol Almin&lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;.

But not so Sovev Kol Almin "who is &lt;b&gt;above&lt;/b&gt; all worlds",

and that which He is found in worlds is it

(&lt;b&gt;not&lt;/b&gt; because &lt;b&gt;they&lt;/b&gt; have a connection to Him,

but)

from the side of &lt;b&gt;Him&lt;/b&gt;

(since He is without limit,

He is present everywhere)

; and likewise the desire of the heart which comes from the aspect of Sovev in the soul

— it is not applicable that the lack of &lt;b&gt;comprehension&lt;/b&gt; should effect a change in the aspect of Sovev and in Ratzon v'Ta'anug.

And they exist — in &lt;b&gt;their&lt;/b&gt; revelation — also there where one does not feel them&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;.

And therefore he says in the discourse "Even if it seems to him that he does not have and does not feel this, &lt;b&gt;this&lt;/b&gt; is certainly false"

(That this — that which "it seems to him that he does not have and does not feel,"

is certainly false)

— because the desire of the heart in every Jew,

that every Jew is "his mazal sees,"

is found also in his revealed powers — in the place that "it seems to him etc. and does not feel."

4.

It requires, however, further explanation:

Since that which the desire and will is found also in the place where "it appears to him that he does not have and he does not feel this",

it is therefore — from the aspect of his Mazal and Surrounding,

which relative to it,

cannot change that which the man sees that he does not have the desire and will and he does not feel it; but from the aspect of "it appears to him" — that which he <b>sees</b> and that which he <b>feels</b>,

it is therefore — "it appears to him <b>that he does not</b> have <b>and he does not</b> feel".

Today why does one say,

that <b>this</b> which "it appears to him that he does not have and he does not feel in this <b>this is</b> certainly false"?

So the explanation in this — in the manner explained¹⁴

that tzimtzum has an advantage over the light that therefore he can with it be tzimtzum: that <b>this</b> <b>itself</b> which "it appears to him <b>that he does not</b> etc.",

comes from a level that is yet higher than the level "that is in every person".

It turns out that the "it appears to him that he does not have etc." is in this is seen <b>revelation</b> of a level that is yet higher than sovev,

not once concealment and hiding but twice,

And therefore,

at the time of this "it appeared to him etc." the person assumes it to be a concealing thing,

he thereby also denies the cause and strength of this "it appeared to him etc." itself — he assumes,

<b>the opposite</b> of how it is from its own essence.

And therefore the Alter Rebbe says,

that this very thing that "it appeared to him that he has no etc." — <b>this</b> is certainly a lie.

H.

And this is also the explanation in the greatness of the blessing of "And I will surely hide My face on that day": also the "I will surely hide",

comes from "Anochi".

And since it is so,

then it is not only that he is not concealing Divinity,

On the contrary — when one contemplates the matter as it is in its truth,

then through it is revealed a much higher matter than through the line of revelation.

6.

And this is also the connection of the verse

(and the concept)

"And I will surely hide My face on that day"

(from Parshat Vayelech)

to the Ten Days of Repentance — that Parshat Vayelech is always read in proximity to Rosh Hashanah

(which is also¹⁵)

— the first day of the "Ten Days of Repentance":

Thus the matter — that the "I will surely hide" is not opposed to holiness,

and on the contrary,

specifically in this one sees,

through this one takes "Anochi" — this is revealed specifically through the service of <b>teshuvah</b>¹⁶,

that teshuvah effects¹⁷

that also the intentional sins become transformed into merits.

(From the sichah of Shabbos Parshas Vayeilech

(Shabbos Teshuvah)

— 6 Tishrei — 5725*)