English translation — ברכת כ"ק אדמו"ר שליט"א ערב יוהכ"פ בביהכנ"ס אחרי תפלת המנחה, ה'תשד"מ

It has been spoken about several times,

that the unique determination of each year

(with which it is different from previous years) –

determines

(determination from the term fixed)

regarding the entire year,

and also afterwards –

an ongoing effect in the following years.

So too is this regarding the eve of Yom Kippur,

that in addition to the matters therein which are always equal,

there are in it matters which are dependent on the determination of this year.

The determination of the eve of Yom Kippur in this year is: (a)

Regarding the days of the week –

it is on the eve of Shabbos. (b)

Regarding the Torah portion of the week –

it is in the portion of Vezos Haberachah.

[Sometimes they read the portion of Haazinu after Yom Kippur and the eve of Yom Kippur is in the portion of Haazinu;

in this year it is in the portion of Vezos Haberachah].

And as mentioned –

this determines the entire year,

and afterwards the effect continues also after this.

The concept of the eve of Yom Kippur is

(as its name) –

a preparation for Yom Kippur.

That is, in addition to the actions of this day as the ninth of the month of Tishrei –

as detailed in the writings of the Arizal¹ which are effective on each of the Ten Days of Repentance,

including the ninth day of the month –

there is also in the ninth of Tishrei the concept that it is the eve of Yom Kippur.

And even more:

Not only is the eve of Yom Kippur a preparation for Yom Kippur,

but it also affects the matter of Yom Kippur itself. As the Gemara² says: "Whoever eats and drinks on the ninth... is considered as if he fasted on the ninth and tenth."

That is, that the eating and drinking of the eve of Yom Kippur accomplishes the same matter as the fast

("as if he fasted")

of Yom Kippur.

And it can be said that this proves that it has in it an elevation even regarding Yom Kippur itself.

And according to what is explained in the discourses of Purim³ regarding the superiority of Purim over Yom Kippur,

⁴ that since on Purim one accomplishes through eating and drinking

("and joy until one does not know"⁵)

that which on Yom Kippur one must attain specifically through affliction –

this is a proof that on Purim there is a greater drawing down and from a higher place

(which is why it descends lower,

into matters of eating and drinking).

Which in general is the superiority of the service of the body –

doing specifically with the body. According to the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov⁶ on the verse "You shall surely help him,"

that one must refine the body and purify it,

"and not break it through afflictions"

(affliction of the body),

rather "you shall surely help him,"⁷

And the reason for the matter –

because the sparks that are found in the physical world originate from a higher place than the sparks that are in the spiritual world,

and therefore,

specifically through the refinement of the lowest of the low does one reach the highest of the high.⁸

And as explained⁹ on the verse "Not by bread alone does man live, but by everything that comes from the mouth of Hashem does man live" –

that even "man,"

and even when he is on the level of "man" meaning "likeness to the Supernal One,"¹⁰

he must reach the sparks that are found in "bread"

(specifically) –

specifically through the sparks

(that fell lower into "bread")

does "man live" come about.

And every meal

(and food item)

is called "bread,"¹¹

including also –

the general matter of livelihood,

and all needs of man;¹²

that the entire world –

inanimate,

vegetative,

living, and also speaking

(in the world) –

are the needs of man,

as our Sages said¹³ that "the entire world was only created to accompany this one,"

and "they were only created to serve me"

(a Jew)

"¹⁴ –

so that I can carry out, from a place of rest, joy, and goodness of heart, my role and mission to serve my Master,"¹⁴

to make for Him a dwelling place in the lower realms.¹⁵

Until that this also

(and on the contrary –

primarily)

includes those who have a special great power¹⁶ in the world –

kings and ministers in the world,

that they were created "to serve me,"

"and kings shall be your nursemaids and their princesses your nurses."¹⁷

It follows,

that on the eve of Yom Kippur when there must be "whoever eats and drinks etc."¹⁸ –

the superiority of the refinement of the body and the physical world is emphasized.

In this elevation of the eve of Yom Kippur –

refinement of the body and the physical world –

there comes in this year an additional superiority,

that it is Friday,

and within this itself –

after midday,

and at the time of the Minchah prayer

[And particularly since it is already after the Minchah prayer,

that "even Elijah was only answered at the Minchah prayer,"¹⁸

i.e., that at the time one must reach the most elevated prayer (like the prayer of Elijah) –

one is answered at the Minchah prayer]:

It is written in the writings of the AriZal¹⁹ –

and the Alter Rebbe and the Tzemach Tzedek²⁰ explain this at length –

that on the sixth day

(after midday,

and especially)

from the time of the Minchah prayer, the physicality of the world is elevated,

until the existence of the mundane is nullified,

as our Sages said²¹ "He did not say 'your Shabbos' " –

on Shabbos the physicality of the world stands in a manner like after the clarification,

and this elevation already begins from Erev Shabbos

(after midday).

It follows,

that "all who eat and drink on the ninth" in this year is in a Shabbos-like manner.

The aforementioned elevation on Erev Yom Kippur in a fixed year –

also opens an elevation in the repentance of Erev Yom Kippur:

In general, the service of the Ten Days of Repentance,

which comes after the preparation of the month of Elul²² –

is Supernal Repentance²³. And especially on the ninth of Tishrei,

which comes after the service of all eight days of the Ten Days of Repentance

(including Rosh Hashanah and Shabbos Shuvah) –

surely the service is that of Supernal Repentance.

What Supernal Repentance is, its essence

(as the Alter Rebbe says in Igeres HaTeshuvah²⁴) –

is out of joy,

and "with great joy".

And when Erev Yom Kippur occurs on Erev Shabbos –

the addition of Shabbos²⁵ already begins from Erev Shabbos

(as above) –

then the

(repentance)

Supernal of Erev Yom Kippur is with greater strength and might.

And since this addition of Shabbos,

which begins from Erev Shabbos after midday,

is opened

(until)

in the physical world

(as above) –

it is understood,

that this opens an elevation in the Supernal Repentance,

that it should also permeate the physical body,

"you shall surely help him",

that the body takes with it its portion in the world²⁶,

that "you shall surely help him" with all the matters of his portion in the world in a manner of Supernal Repentance.

This matter also has a special connection to Torah:

Torah is the essence of Supernal Repentance²⁷. And it is also connected to joy

(like Supernal Repentance) –

as it is written²⁸ that Torah "gladdens the heart".

And Torah is one matter with Shabbos,

as our Sages said²⁹ "according to all opinions, the Torah was given on Shabbos",

and as the Alter Rebbe³⁰ explains that this is because Torah and Shabbos are identical.

And just as on Shabbos there is the elevation and clarification of the physical world –

so too is it opened through the Torah,

and especially when a Jew studies Torah in a manner of "his Torah is his craft" it brings³¹ that "strangers will stand and shepherd your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen"³²,

in this physical world literally,

and even on weekdays.

And therefore,

when there is the "toil of Erev Shabbos"³³,

the preparation for the Supernal Repentance of Shabbos –

which opens the "he shall eat on Shabbos"³³ –

this adds even more in all matters connected to Torah.

May it be His will that there be an awakening of Supernal Repentance,

and out of joy and goodness of heart,

and an awakening that will descend into vessels and into inwardness,

and be a lasting effect for the entire year,

And the main thing is the deed³⁴:

There should be the "deed" of Supernal Repentance,

which is –

the good resolutions,

with a good acceptance for the future,

regarding all matters connected to Torah,

And great is study that leads to action –

in all matters connected to the commandments,

Which also includes the commandment³⁵ of "all your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven"³⁶ and "in all your ways know Him"³⁷ –

This will, automatically, add even more in the writing and sealing for good,

which are written and sealed immediately in the book of the righteous³⁸ –

and "Your people are all righteous"³⁹ –

and as the Gemara³⁸ rules that this is "immediately"⁴⁰ after Rosh Hashanah,

All the more so that afterwards there is the "ascend in holiness"⁴¹, so to speak, from the Holy One, blessed be He,

and especially during the Ten Days of Repentance when the Supreme One is found...

and "in His being near"⁴² –

that the Supreme One adds in the writing and sealing for good;

and since the Supreme One is at the end,

whatever has already been "written and sealed" –

there is still at the end the ability to add in this day by day,

and all the more so in this time of favor of Erev Yom Kippur,

on the ninth of the month,

when "all who eat and drink etc. is considered as if he fasted on the ninth and tenth",

meaning that already then

(on Erev Yom Kippur)

there is also the essence of Yom Kippur,

And especially since it is also Erev Shabbos

(after midday),

when all the worlds, as they stand in their physicality –

souls in bodies of a Jew,

and the soul in the body of the world –

ascend upward, similar to the day of Shabbos –

This should be so in actuality,

that already from Erev Shabbos

(and especially since it is already close to Shabbos,

a few hours after midday) –

there should be a foretaste of "and you shall call Shabbos a delight"⁴³.

That for every Jew and all Jews,

within the entirety of Israel,

there should be delight,

and true delight,

beginning from delight in its simple sense,

⁴⁴ through that which he will have delight in all spiritual matters,

the true delight,

which also includes that which a person does so that through his delight,

the delight of the created being,

becomes the delight of the Creator⁴⁵.

And it will be in its simple sense –

a year of delight,

"and there is nothing above delight"⁴⁶,

that we will have all matters⁴⁷ as they are drawn from delight –

It should be⁴⁸ a year of light⁴⁹,

a year of blessing,

a year of redemption,

a year of joy,

a year of glory,

a year of good assembly,

a year of merit,

a year of good life,

a year of goodness,

a year of destiny,

a year of sustenance,

a year of successful study,

a year of kingship,

a year of victory and miracles,

a year of a good sign,

"a year of strength; Hashem will give strength to His people; Hashem will bless His people with peace"⁵⁰,

a year of redemption,

a year of radiance,

a year of holiness,

a year of exaltation,

a year of great joy,

until a state of "beyond knowledge",

and a year of praise.

All of which is included and derives from the fact that it is a year of Torah,

a year of prayer,

and before all this –

a year of repentance,

and through repentance all deeds become –

"good and luminous deeds"⁵¹,

Also the physicality of every Jew and of all Jews will be in a manner of "good that is seen and revealed",

"good and luminous",

in children, life, and ample sustenance, and in all of them, ample.

And all the blessings mentioned will be fulfilled,

in the study of Torah and the fulfillment of His commandments,

in the service of prayer and in the service of charity.

And we will see with fleshly eyes how charity has brought the redemption near⁵²,

below ten handbreadths –

that "may our eyes behold Your return to Zion with mercy"⁵³,

Moshiach our righteousness comes and takes out every Jew and all Jews from exile,

"and you shall be gathered one by one, O children of Israel"⁵⁴,

And we all go together to our holy land,

"a great congregation"⁵⁵,

"with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters"⁵⁶,

and we take the Torah in its completeness,

together with the commandments in their completeness –

the completeness of the people and the completeness of the Torah,

And we find there the completeness of the land,

"a land which the eyes of Hashem your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year"⁵⁷

– which refers to Rosh Hashanah,

on which every Rosh Hashanah a new, higher light descends that has not yet shone from the days of the world, such a supernal light"⁵⁸ – and

(also)

Yom Kippur is called "Rosh Hashanah"⁵⁹,

as the Alter Rebbe and the Tzemach Tzedek bring down in Likkutei Torah⁶⁰ in explanation of the matter,

that Yom Kippur is the aspect of the innerness of Rosh Hashanah

(which comes after the matters as they are connected with revelation and externality have already been completed) –

And in the Holy Land itself, we have "Hashem your God will expand your border"⁶¹,

also the Kenite, Kenizzite, and Kadmonite⁶²,

in addition to the land of the seven nations,

And "for all the children of Israel there was light in their dwellings"⁶³,

still on Erev Yom Kippur,

and on the eve of the true and complete redemption,

And "immediately they are redeemed",

as it is stated in our holy Torah⁶⁴,

the Torah of life and the Torah of truth,

through Moshiach our righteousness,

speedily in our days, literally,

amen, may it be His will.

Sealing and a good final sealing.