English translation — ש״פ דאין, מבה״וז אלול

what the Jew fulfills the command that was given to him from Above — he also engages with his own understanding and feeling in doing the mitzvah

(not only by way of compulsion and acceptance of the yoke,

and certainly not as a commandment of men learned by rote, etc.),

altogether)

with utmost goodness and beauty,

with vitality and intention

(more than the good that is according to the command from Above)

good deeds¹,

And in the language of halachah, 'Ein Rambas': And the same applies to everything that is for the sake of the good God, that it should be of the finest and the best, etc., and so it is written: "All fat is for Hashem, etc."

And in order to achieve the increase in the performance of the commandments,

So that they should be,

good deeds² — one must have the introduction of teshuvah,

which signifies the all-encompassing innovation that is revealed through the service of a Jew down below — that he should return and attach himself to the Supreme One

(And the spirit returns to God)

until a level that is higher than the place from which he descended

(as known)

And through the introduction of the service of repentance,

Which is renewed through the work of man with his own power below,

And through this, in the Jew there is brought about an elevation regarding the soul as it was previously above — he has the power

According to this, it is understood that repentance is a part of the service of the month of Elul,

Until it brings completion in the service of the three pillars: Torah, service, and acts of kindness,

In which the entirety of the performance of the commandments is expressed

(deeds)

which become,

good deeds³ through the introduction of teshuvah,

Regarding the advantage that teshuvah accomplishes over the service of the tzaddikim.

This, however, is still not the ultimate perfection of standing — because even in the perfection that is achieved through teshuvah

(the strengthening of the soul despite its descent below)

— one discerns two aspects and movements: that there is first a descent downward,

the descent of the soul below into the concealment and hiddenness of the world

(Until the descent of a sin in its simple sense — repentance comes upon the sin)

And the advantage of a Jewish woman is,

that a Jew overcomes the concealment and confusion.

But without the overcoming, there remains a concealment and hiding that can hinder the service —

The perfection of divine service is when a Jew becomes so absorbed in serving the Almighty,

that he has no leisure to do anything that is contrary to the will of G‑d.

And it can be said that in this lies the innovation in the service of the month of Elul which is hinted at in the matter of redemption —

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with God's help

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said

and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying

and he said

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Sefer HaSichos - 5749

With him, there is no other will except the will of Hashem.

It comes specifically through service in his own strength,

Because this matter was not given to him from Above, so to speak — being above the category of giving

(as above)

; In addition, he achieves this through his service in his own strength,

While in a physical body in this world,

With concealments and hiddenness upon his soul and upon G‑dliness,

He does everything that pertains to his service³,

in Torah, service, and acts of kindness,

until air — the service of repentance

(returning to one's root)

— and through this it is revealed³ that Israel and the Holy One, blessed be He, are all one"⁴,

which is beyond any category of giving and choice.

It is also understood conversely: Even though one has the service of redemption,

One must also arrive at the service in the first four letters of Elul

(Torah, service, and acts of kindness, and the service of repentance)

— because:

In order to attain the service of Yisrael and the Holy One, blessed be He, as one

(where there is no place for a second way)

And more specifically:

The soul of a Jew is a "veritable part of G-d from above".

And it is known the principle,

That when you grasp the essence through its part, you grasp its entirety

(as above, p. 65)

That is — a connection of two opposite extremes: the perception is initially

(only)

in a separate part⁴³ of the essence

Shabbos Parshas D'ah,

Mevarchim Elul

(a part of G-d from above)

and not all of Him,

the part

(from the essence)

has him but the nature,

that through grasping him, one grasps him entirely,

And not only in potential

(or hidden)

But it is a definite thing until it comes to revealed air⁴¹.

And further — this is a,

actual part of G-d from above": in addition to the explanation that the part of G-d from above clothes itself in the physicality of the body

(which has no value even compared to wisdom⁴⁵ and certainly not to,

G-d from above")

this also has the interpretation that the,

chelek" is,

mamash" of,

Eloka miMaal",

and not from below this.

that is,

that the,

"a portion of G-d from above literally" which is clothed in a body

(physicality)

below,

is,

literally a "portion of G-d from above",

as it is,

from above⁴⁴ — Israel and the Holy One, blessed be He, are all one.

Accordingly, it is understood that the soul originates essentially from a higher level than the aspect of,

"God who gave it": the giving of the soul below

(the soul that You gave in me)

It takes indeed from a level in G-dliness that is higher than the levels that the soul comes

660 Sefer HaSichos

its descent below

(through all the levels of the order of Hishtalshelut,

You created, formed, breathed into me)

down to a physical body in this lowest world,

and there a Jew performs his service,

from below to above,

beginning with the service in the levels of his soul

(the order of descent in man)

— nefesh, ruach, neshamah,

and in thought, speech and deed

(corresponding to BYA)

and with his ten faculties of the soul,

until with his faculty of will and delight

(corresponding to the world of Atzilus)

and in general — the service is in the three lines of Torah, service (avodah), and acts of kindness

(good deeds)

Until the service of teshuvah — returning to oneself and attaching oneself to the Almighty

(And the spirit shall return to G-d who gave it)

And this is brought about through the descent of the soul below — specifically through this, there is revealed in the soul within the body — the essence of the soul,

an actual part of G-d above,

which encompasses the entire essence.

And through this, it is revealed in all the levels of the Jew,

also in his soul powers and in thought, speech, and action,

And in his service of fulfilling the commandments — that they become "good deeds,"

even more good than they are intrinsically,

as above.

According to the above, we will understand the content of the service of the month of Elul as it is expressed in the five acronyms — corresponding to Torah, service, and acts of kindness,

repentance and redemption:

The service in the three lines

(Torah, service, and acts of kindness)

— that they include in generality all "actions"

(performance of the commandments)

— is in general connected with the order of the chain of descent — the three pillars on which the world stands and endures — which divides

- 5749

itself into three general worlds

(Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah)

and three lines in each world.

David's service of Teshuvah

(The fourth matter in Elul)

One reaches higher than the order of the Hishtalshelus (chain of descent),

to "Elokim asher nasanah" (the G-d who gave it)

(the World of Atzilus)

and even higher than that: and therefore this gives the power that the "actions" of Torah, Avodah, and Gemilus Chasadim should be "good deeds,"

good and illuminating.

until one reaches that — to the matter of the redemption

(the fifth matter)

— which pertains to the completeness of the service

(in one's own power)

of a Jew,

through which he reaches the completeness of the unification of Yisroel and Hakadosh Baruch Hu, entirely one,

the revelation of the actual part of G‑d from above

(as it grasps the entire essence)

How it will be in perfection in the Future Redemption,

and on the contrary — the perfection of the service of a Jew consists in this,

that his entire existence is solely to serve the Almighty,

and there is no place for any other matter — beyond "I have set before you the life and the good, etc."

[Unlike the previous four levels,

which are connected with man's choice between two paths]

And along with this, there is also the completeness of the reward — since it comes entirely through the work of a Jew by his own power.

And furthermore: even when one reaches the level of Redemption,

the completeness of the reward in the Future to Come,

there will still be the work of a Jew,

to go higher and higher ad ein sof (without end).

[And obviously from what is seen regarding tzaddikim who have attained the level of revelation of the essence of the soul in their lifetimes in this world —

Shas Ra'ah,

Mabehu"z Elul

And it can be said that this concept is also hinted at in the beginning of our portion:

At the beginning of the portion it discusses the three pilgrimage festivals

("Three times a year shall all your males appear before etc.")

and about the obligation of rejoicing on the festivals.

And at the conclusion of the topic it says in the verse

(regarding the joy of the festival)

"And you shall be only joyful."

From the word "ach" the Gemara learns⁵⁵ "to include the night of the last Festival day for joy."

The commentators ask⁵⁴ — how does this fit with the rule⁵⁵ that 'ach' and 'rak' indicate limitation?!

And one can say in the manner of a hint — in the service of man:

The three pilgrimage festivals correspond to the service in the three pillars

(Regalim)

upon which the world stands — Torah, service, and acts of kindness

(and in general — the service of the righteous)

And this service — which is a part of avodas Hashem in general — must be done with joy — serve Hashem with joy⁵⁴,

serve Hashem your God with joy and with a good heart⁵⁷.

Including the perfection of joy — "Ach Sameach",

which alludes to the greater joy that comes

Sefer HaSichos - 5749

through the fact that one celebrates the Shalosh Regalim down below,

in this world where there is the "See, I am giving before you today etc.,"

Two ways

(as it stands at the beginning of the Parsha)

— that not looking at what one finds in a limited world

(inyan of diminution)

in time and place,

and further, a world from the term "helem" and "hester" (concealment and hiding)

(G‑dly light in diminution and concealment)

Where there are these two paths of "derech hachaim vehatov" and the second path — the Jew acts that he lessens in the "miut" of the limitation and concealment of the world,

and he overcomes in his service,

that through this he comes to — "larubot"

[in the manner of "ein miut achar miut ela lerabot"⁵⁸]

a multiplicity of the matter of joy,

which breaks boundaries

(The matter of unlimited joy)

And the unlimited joy is drawn into the boundary

("אך")

of the world.

The joy of the three festivals is however with limitation,

As the law is that the court sent policemen to ensure that the joy be with limitation.

From this one reaches yet a higher level in joy — "אך שמח"

״including the nights of the last Yom Tov״ — the joy of Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah,

and then we perform the hakafos

(and especially of Simchas Torah)

with a joy beyond measure and limitation

(higher than the joy of Yom Tov from the Torah)

because of that which