English translation — שיחת יום ב' דראש השנה ה'תשמ"ו

With the help of Heaven.

Unedited transcription.

His Holiness the Rebbe, may he live for many good years, sanctified his holy hands for the meal.

He commanded to play the melodies in order:

Melody of three movements

(from the Baal Shem Tov,

the Maggid and the Alter Rebbe).

Melody of the Alter Rebbe

(Avinu Malkeinu).

Melody of the Mitteler Rebbe. Melody of the Tzemach Tzedek

(Yemin Hashem).

Melody of the Rebbe Maharash.

Melody of the Rebbe

(the Rebbe Rashab) of blessed memory.

The Beinoni. Atah Bechartanu.

The melodies of our Rabbis, our leaders, that were sung follow the custom of our Rabbis, our leaders, which His Holiness my father-in-law, the Rebbe, had already publicized with the reason for this¹ – from which it is understood that this relates to all who follow in their footsteps of our Rabbis, our leaders, or who wish to follow in their footsteps and prepare themselves for this – that on Rosh Hashanah his father, the Rebbe of blessed memory (whose son, His Holiness my father-in-law, the Rebbe, was his successor), would mention in speech all the leaders by name: the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, the Rebbe Maharash, and afterwards when the leadership passed to His Holiness my father-in-law, the Rebbe – they also mentioned the Rebbe of blessed memory, and regarding us we learn from this that they also mention His Holiness my father-in-law, the Rebbe.

The reason for this is understood based on what is explained in Chassidic discourses² up to the discourses of His Holiness my father-in-law, the Rebbe³, that Rosh Hashanah is not only the beginning of the year but also "Rosh Hashanah", the head of the year, meaning that just as a head includes within itself the life-force of all the limbs of the body, and also afterwards when the limbs of the body stand in their place they receive their life-force from the head, and moreover – the head leads them as they stand in their place – so too in the analogy regarding Rosh Hashanah and all the days of the year, that Rosh Hashanah includes all the days of the year, and afterwards draws down life-force and leads the days of the year as they stand in their place.

This also applies regarding Rosh Chodesh,

as explained in these discourses

(where the concept of Rosh Hashanah is explained)⁴,

and one can say the reason for this –

because Rosh Hashanah is always

(also)

Rosh Chodesh Tishrei,

and the concept:

That which Rosh Hashanah includes and draws down and leads all the days of the year

(being Rosh Hashanah)

is drawn down by means of that Rosh Hashanah is Rosh Chodesh

(Tishrei)

which includes and from it is drawn down to all the days of the month,

and through this –

to all the days of the year.

And as is emphasized in Halachah

(the connection of Rosh Hashanah with Rosh Chodesh)

in today's lesson of Rambam⁵:

"On the first of Tishrei they offer the additional offering of the day, etc., and this is the additional offering of the day beyond the additional offering of Rosh Chodesh offered on every Rosh Chodesh"

(and therefore we also say now in the Mussaf prayer of Rosh Hashanah –

"and the additional offerings of this day of remembrance"].

And afterwards he adds:

"Therefore, if it occurs on Shabbat there were three additional offerings,

the additional offering of Shabbat and the additional offering of Rosh Chodesh and the additional offering of the day

(Rosh Hashanah)",

and afterwards he explains⁶ "how the order of their offering",

in his way in his book,

in the manner of "Halachot Halachot"⁷.

Since this

(the connection of Rosh Hashanah with Rosh Chodesh)

is stated in Halachah, it is understood that this relates to Rosh Hashanah in every year,

and especially in this year,

when according to the custom of Israel

(it is Torah⁸)

a congregation of Jews studies the lesson of Rambam on Rosh Hashanah,

the second day of Rosh Hashanah –

which both days of Rosh Hashanah are, regarding several matters in Halachah, "one long day"⁹

(as brought also in the Shulchan Aruch of our Rebbe, the Alter Rebbe¹⁰),

consequently the concept of Rosh Chodesh

(in the daily lesson of Rambam)

relates to both days of Rosh Hashanah.

And the concept in spirituality

(as above),

because that which Rosh Hashanah is the head of the entire year is drawn down by means of it being Rosh Chodesh.

And in accordance with this the Rebbe of blessed memory conducted himself,

that on Rosh Hashanah he mentioned by name the leaders and heads of Israel,

as was transmitted and publicized by his son, His Holiness my father-in-law, the Rebbe,

as above,

because by connecting with the leaders and heads of Israel this gives further strength and power to the service of man in general and to the service of connecting Rosh Hashanah with the days of the year in particular¹¹.

In this very matter there is an emphasis that he (the Rebbe of blessed memory) mentioned the leaders specifically in speech, openly.

And this can be explained,

that this is in accordance with the concept of Rosh Hashanah when it was "by the word of Hashem the heavens were made"¹²,

"by ten utterances the world was created"¹³,

and in the language of Kabbalah and Chassidut¹⁴ –

the building of the world of speech.

Therefore, the Rebbe, may his memory be for the life of the World to Come, also mentioned the Nesi'im specifically in speech on Rosh Hashanah,

speech of the Rebbe, may his memory be for the life of the World to Come.

And afterwards, his honor, our master, teacher, and Rebbe, published it,

as is his way in all matters of spreading the wellsprings outward,

which includes all matters connected with the wellsprings,

including the matter of mentioning the Nesi'im on Rosh Hashanah –

he related about this in a public gathering for the purpose of publicizing,

until it was later brought down in print,

which is for generations

(as per the saying of the Tzemach Tzedek regarding this).

D. On this basis and in continuation of this, it was later added – as was discussed at length in previous years and has already been publicized – that one should mention the Nesi'im by singing their melodies,

For a melody is deeper than ordinary speech –

as is known, a melody is the quill of the heart,

reaching the innermost part of the heart,

and especially a melody without words

(as was discussed recently).

That is, a melody reveals deeper than the innermost part of the heart than speech.

This is like the matter of the inner voice that is not heard. And at the time when one actually sings the melody –

which is the matter of the action and deed within the melody –

the inner voice remains

(the innermost part of the heart)

not in the manner of "not heard,"

but rather it comes out in revelation.

This is also connected with the matter of Rosh Hashanah –

as explained in the discourses, the shofar blast is the matter of the inner voice that is not heard,

and through the blasts it comes out in revelation. And analogously, the matter of a melody is also like this.

Therefore, the custom was established that on Rosh Hashanah one should mention the Nesi'im by singing their melodies,

through which one connects oneself with them,

and not merely a connection,

but an inner connection,

in the innermost part of the heart,

and on the other hand –

it also comes out in revelation,

in an actual melody.

E. The lesson from this:

Standing on Rosh Hashanah,

the head of the entire year,

which includes within itself and from which is drawn and which leads all the days of the year –

one must utilize the propitious days of Rosh Hashanah,

which is also "in the seventh month, on the first of the month" with all the superiorities therein,

to accept a good resolution with the intent to bring it down in actual deed,

to draw down

(from Rosh Hashanah)

throughout all the days of the year the connection with the seven Nesi'im,

so that throughout all the days of the year one should be connected with the Nesi'im.

And through the fact that one stands in connection with the Nesi'im during all the days of the year, this further strengthens all matters of service in Torah study and fulfillment of the commandments.

And the strength for this is taken from Rosh Hashanah,

through the fact that one connects oneself then with all the Nesi'im by singing their melodies,

which is connected with "the inner voice that is not heard,"

one connects with them with an inner connection,

and this comes out in revelation

(in an actual melody).

And especially at the time when one sings the melody with enthusiasm and with an inner connection with the author of the melody,

it further strengthens the connection with the Nesi'im.

And according to the manner in which one connects with the Nesi'im on Rosh Hashanah

(which includes and leads all the days of the year)

one draws down the inner connection throughout all the days of the year,

and this is also drawn into revelation in all the powers of the person,

just as it is regarding Rosh Hashanah that from this head is drawn into all the limbs of the body,

and in the analogy –

throughout all the days of the year,

so too with the person, it is drawn from the inner connection into all the powers of the person,

even into his power of action and power of running,

running to a mitzvah.

That is, on one hand he must connect himself with the Nesi'im with an inner connection,

not only that he says in speech "I desire,"

but he connects himself with an inner connection

(inner voice),

and the strength for this is taken from the fact that one sings their melody

(the quill of the heart);

and together with this it does not remain in inwardness,

but rather this comes out in actual revelation and not only in speech but in actual deed,

through the fact that one actually sings the melody –

the action within the melody,

for the action is the main thing.

What this

(the concept of action)

is also emphasized on Rosh Hashanah –

as mentioned above,

that then is the building of the world of speech,

and "By the word of G-d the heavens were made",

that the speech of the Holy One, blessed be He, is considered action.

That is, that on Rosh Hashanah there is drawn from the kol p'nima'ah d'lo ishtama

(through the tekiah-shevarim-teruah)

into actual deed.

And from this it must also emerge in the person,

that by him there must be the actual deed itself

(not only speech as by the Most High which is only considered action) –

as it is written "which G-d created to do –

to rectify".

That is, that by the Most High there is only the concept of speech which is "considered action"

(but not actual deed),

and the "to do to rectify" the Most High leaves for the person,

and He gives him thereby the power in the creation itself –

"which G-d created" in a manner of "to do to rectify" through the doing of man. That for this speech alone is not sufficient –

by the Most High His speech of the Holy One, blessed be He, is considered action,

but by the person there must be actual deed.

And simply – standing on Rosh Hashanah one should draw from this Rosh Hashanah that throughout all the days of the year one should stand in inner connection with the Nesi'im, and this should come down into actual deed, into the study of Torah and fulfillment of the mitzvos, "In My statutes you shall walk and My commandments you shall keep".

And through this one will receive the blessings enumerated afterwards in the verse,

beginning from "And I will give your rains in their time",

that one gives Jews physicality,

as is known the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov on this,

and "your rains in their time",

"your rains" plural and "in their time" plural,

that is, that the physicality comes down in all the times and seasons during all the days of the year,

each time according to what is appropriate for it,

so that on each day of the days of the year the light of Rosh Hashanah shines.

Until the conclusion of the blessings –

"And I will walk you upright",

which will be in perfection in the true and complete redemption,

which will be "As the days of your going out from the land of Egypt I will show him wonders",

even greater wonders than the wonders of the Exodus from Egypt,

that then

(in the Exodus from Egypt)

it was "And the children of Israel went out with a high hand",

so too will it be in a more elevated manner in the future redemption –

"And I will walk you upright",

"with an erect stature".

And the preparation for this is through "Let your springs spread forth outward" and the study of Chassidus from the aforementioned Nesi'im,

beginning from the Alter Rebbe,

which includes –

the Baal Shem Tov,

for these are his "springs"

("your springs"),

and includes the Maggid,

and the entirety of the inner dimension of the Torah –

which includes the Arizal,

that in his time it became "a mitzvah to reveal this wisdom",

and before this –

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai,

whose book is the holy Zohar and Tikkunei Zohar.

And through this one hastens even more the fulfillment of the promise of "And I will walk you upright" in the future redemption,

"With our young and with our elders etc. with our sons and with our daughters",

the perfection of the people,

Together with the perfection of the Torah and mitzvos –

"In My statutes you shall walk and My commandments you shall keep"

(as above),

And they all go together to the Holy Land,

the perfection of the land. About which it is written "A land which etc. the eyes of the L-rd your G-d are always upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year",

which means,

including as the Alter Rebbe explains in Igeres HaKodesh in the explanation of this verse,

that in each and every year

(on Rosh Hashanah)

there descends and shines a "new and renewed light that has never yet shone since the world began",

a new light in quantity and quality,

and in our matter –

this is the new light of the year 5746 that has never yet shone since the world began and on this Rosh Hashanah it descended for the first time and shines to the land and to those who dwell upon it,

And this brings about "And I will grant peace in the land",

including also peace from the term perfection –

beginning with the Jews,

that "You have chosen us from all the nations etc. and elevated us from all the tongues",

and from the Jews in the Land of Israel,

from which the entire world drinks –

it is drawn to all the nations of the world in all the lands,

as one prays in the Rosh Hashanah prayers that it should also be drawn among the nations of the world,

until this prepares the world for "And the kingdom shall be the L-rd's".

And may it be His will that very soon one should go out from the exile that has already been drawn out for such a length of time.

So after the "long day" of exile,

which has already been prolonged at least another "long day" from Rosh Hashanah with an addition

[and known is the talk that each Nasi added a minute (or a moment,

as per the precise wording in this) in Rosh Hashanah relative to the Nesi'im in the generations before him] –

it is already time that there should be "enough of exile" and "until when" exile,

"He sets an end to darkness" *46,

and only the good side of the addition in exile should remain –

the descent for the sake of ascent,

"night shines like day",

the advantage of light from darkness etc.,

In the true and complete redemption,

and in the manner of coming with the clouds of heaven *48,

because Jews certainly stand in a state of "if they merit –

I will hasten it",

And then we will have,

as mentioned,

the three completions,

the completion of the people,

the completion of the Torah and the completion of the land,

and all of them together actually.

8. He commanded to play a melody and said the maamar beginning "And it shall be on that day a great shofar will be blown etc."

Afterwards he commanded to play a preparatory melody. The melody of the Alter Rebbe

(in the fourth section –

the first time).

Nie zhuritsy khlapatsy.

9. One always concludes with a matter of action.

And particularly since in our case one can connect this with today's lesson of Rambam in the Laws of the Daily Offerings and Additional Offerings,

where he speaks about the offerings of the month of Tishrei in general,

including Shemini Atzeret,

and the laws of the water libation on Simchat Beit Hashoevah,

beginning from the offerings of Rosh Hashanah –

from which one can derive a general directive in the service of man to his Creator who was created on Rosh Hashanah and then effected in all of creation that it should be "Come, let us bow down and kneel, let us bend the knee before Hashem our Maker" *49

(as it states in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer),

until actual deed.

And the matter:

The service of man to his Creator

(which is the purpose of the creation of man on Rosh Hashanah)

divides generally into two modes of service:

service according to the law of the Shulchan Aruch,

and service beyond the letter of the law

("matters of piety").

Which is generally the difference between "daily offerings" and "additional offerings":

Just as in offerings there are two types,

daily offerings and additional offerings,

so too is it understood in the service of man,

for the purpose of all creation of man is that he should be an offering to Hashem,

as it is said "When a man among you brings an offering to Hashem",

that the entirety of man's service

(to be an offering to Hashem)

divides into two matters,

"daily offerings" and "additional offerings":

The service of "daily offerings" is as its name –

a constant service,

"daily offerings in their order",

the service according to law. "Additional offerings" is as its name –

an addition,

i.e., that this is not a constant service,

but an addition upon the service according to law,

and in general –

the service beyond the letter of the law

(which is an addition upon the service according to law).

And in the root of the matter –

in the Sefirot:

It is explained in Kabbalah and Chassidus that in the Sefirot there is a level of root

(constant and perpetual)

and a level of additions

(additional offerings).

And in particular:

Zeir Anpin emanates in the secret of root in the aspect of six extremities and the three first ones are not in it in the secret of additions.

And furthermore we see this in the Sefirah of Malchut –

which is the matter of Rosh Hashanah,

the building of Malchut –

Malchut emanated in the secret of root only one point and the nine Sefirot come in it in the secret of additions,

as it states in Kabbalah,

brought in Chassidus with an explanation etc.

I.e., that in the laws of daily offerings and additional offerings in the Rambam is expressed the entirety of man's service which divides into the two modes of service of "daily offerings and additional offerings".

And in more particular we find these two services

(in which is expressed the entirety of man's service)

in today's lesson of Rambam

(at the end of the Laws of Daily Offerings and Additional Offerings) –

the lesson of Rambam of the second day of Rosh Hashanah:

The lesson begins regarding the offerings that one offers on Rosh Hashanah:

"On the first of Tishrei they offer the additional offering of the day etc.,

and this additional offering of the day is in addition to the additional offering of Rosh Chodesh offered every Rosh Chodesh. Therefore, if it occurs on Shabbat there are three additional offerings: the additional offering of Shabbat, the additional offering of Rosh Chodesh, and the additional offering of the day."

Afterwards he continues in the following law:

"And how is the order of their offering. The additional offering of Shabbat first, and after it the additional offering of the month, and after it the additional offering of the festival,

for whatever is more frequent than its counterpart takes precedence over its counterpart."

It turns out that also in the offerings of Rosh Hashanah there is

(in particular)

an offering that is more frequent

(additional offering of Shabbat and additional offering of Rosh Chodesh in relation to the additional offering of Rosh Hashanah)

and an offering that is less frequent,

i.e., more a matter of additional offerings

(additional offering of Rosh Chodesh and additional offering of Rosh Hashanah in relation to the additional offering of Shabbat).

And this is analogous to the two aforementioned services of "Tamidin" and "Musafin"

(in relation to each other).

And based on this, the connection of this lesson of the Rambam with this day

(Rosh Hashanah) is understood –

because in this lesson of the Rambam is reflected the intention of the creation of man on Rosh Hashanah so that he should serve his Creator and in general regarding the two aforementioned modes of service

(Tamidin and Musafin),

and likewise they affect the entire creation as a whole

(as above).

After the Rambam writes about the order of the offering on Rosh Hashanah

("The additional offering of Shabbat first and after it the additional offering of the month and after it the additional offering of the festival,

for whatever is more frequent than its counterpart takes precedence over its counterpart")

he continues:

"And likewise whatever is more holy than its counterpart takes precedence over its counterpart",

and he gives a rule:

"If he has before him a frequent and a holy

(in relation to each other)

he may give precedence to whichever of them he wishes".

And this is a rare halachah:

On one hand, this is a halachah in the Torah,

i.e., that this is the will of God;

and together with this it is said that the Torah gives it over to the will of man

("he may give precedence to whichever of them he wishes")!

And according to what was said above,

that although in the halachah he speaks about offerings,

we learn from this also regarding the service of man which is in a manner of an offering to God,

that when he has before him both services,

a service according to the law

("Tamidin",

frequent),

and a service beyond the letter of the law

("Musafin",

which are more holy) –

it is said to him "he may give precedence to whichever of them he wishes".

Yes. The explanation in this is:

When one has both aforementioned services

(frequent (Tamidin) and Musafin (holy))

one cannot give a rule which service comes first,

because this depends on time and place and circumstance:

There is a time or a specific place when

(or where)

one must give precedence to the frequent service

(service according to the law),

and there is sometimes a time or a place when one must give precedence to the service of

(holy)

Musafin

(beyond the letter of the law).

For example

(a situation when one gives precedence to the service of Musafin over the frequent service) –

a situation of danger to life:

Danger to life is not a frequent service,

i.e., that this is not the main occupation of man in a regular and frequent manner,

rather this is a service in a manner of Musafin

(in addition to the frequent service),

as the simple understanding of the matter –

that danger to life is not the regular order in service,

rather this is an unusual situation that occurs in a specific time or place.

But when there comes a time or a place and a specific situation where there is a danger of danger to life, then the law is,

that danger to life

(the service in the manner of Musafin)

overrides the entire Torah,

all the frequent matters in the Torah,

and he must depart from his frequent service in order to save the one who finds himself in a danger of danger to life.

And to such an extent –

as understood from the Gemara

(as brought multiple times) –

that even a High Priest on Yom Kippur

(the innerness of Rosh Hashanah)

who finds himself in the innerness of Yom Kippur –

in the Holy of Holies,

and he hears about a doubtful danger to life,

about one upon whom a collapse fell,

one cannot see at all because it is completely covered with debris,

even if this is a one-day-old infant,

he must go out from the Holy of Holies and endeavor to save the infant!

[Standing on Rosh Hashanah, the aforementioned matter of danger to life in spirituality of a "one-day-old infant" does not apply –

because every Jew is analogous to Adam the first,

and on the contrary –

the Mishnah says that in order that a Jew until the end of all generations should know how to conduct himself and know what he is and how he was created (that he is a "full world"),

"therefore a single man was created",

in order to give forth the instruction (through Torah Or) to a Jew].

From this it is understood,

that on Rosh Hashanah,

the day of the creation of the first man

(on the sixth day of the creation of the world),

every Jew

(regardless of his age)

is in the likeness of Adam the first man at the time of his creation. For Adam the first man was created in his fullness and in his perfection, like a twenty-year-old *

(not like a one-day-old infant),

for a twenty-year-old has the advantage that he is recognized in the property of his father,

and as explained in Likkutei Torah

(from Etz Chaim)

that then he stands in ultimate perfection. And Adam the first man was created immediately

(in the first moment when there was "and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life")

with the perfection of a twenty-year-old. And so it repeats itself every Rosh Hashanah in every Jew,

that on Rosh Hashanah every Jew is on the level of a twenty-year-old].

Based on this it is understood,

that when both services come together

(the service of the perpetual offering and the service of the additional offerings)

the Torah cannot give a rule as to which service has precedence,

because this depends on the situation and the time and the place.

Therefore the Rambam rules,

that "if he has before him a perpetual offering and an additional offering, he may bring whichever of them he wishes":

Since the Torah cannot establish a rule as to how to conduct oneself in this, because it depends on the time and the place –

therefore it is left to the will of the person,

"he may bring whichever of them he wishes." How can one know if the will of the person will want to act according to the will of his Creator –

the explanation for this is,

that the Rambam follows his own approach that the true will of a Jew is to fulfill the will of G-d,

"he desires to be of Israel and he desires to perform all the commandments, etc."

Furthermore –

even from the perspective of his animal soul he desires to fulfill the will of G-d. And as discussed many times, an example of the matter:

An animal, by its nature, only goes to a place that is good for it,

"in lush meadows He makes me lie down,"

and by its nature flees from any matter that is not suitable for it.

Accordingly, it is understood regarding the animal soul of a Jew,

based on the ruling of the aforementioned Rambam,

that the animal soul, by its nature, fulfills the will of G-d because this is good for it,

and it will not do a thing that is not good for it.

And accordingly it is understood in our matter:

Following his approach that the will of a Jew is to fulfill the will of G-d,

the Rambam rules a halachah that "if he has before him a perpetual offering and an additional offering, he may bring whichever of them he wishes",

because the will of the Jew will correspond with the will of G-d.

That is to say:

To rule a halachah as to which service one must give precedence –

one cannot,

because this depends on the situation and the time and the place. But what then becomes an eternal halachah in the Torah,

an eternal halachah –

that "he may bring whichever of them he wishes",

meaning, that the eternity of the halachah consists in the very fact that it depends on the will of a Jew,

because his true will is to do what the Almighty wants,

if it is a time suitable for performing the service of the additional offerings –

he performs that service,

and if it is a time suitable for performing the service of the perpetual offerings –

he performs that service,

and the common denominator of both of them is –

that through both ways he fulfills the clear halachah that "he may bring whichever of them he wishes".

And since through this

(that he acts according to his will)

he fulfills a halachah in the Torah and fulfills the will of G-d –

he does this with joy,

as per the well-known ruling that "the joy that a person experiences in the performance of a commandment, etc., is a great service",

until a manner of "dancing and leaping

(with all his might)

before G-d",

as the Rambam rules at the end of the Laws of Lulav, in continuation of the laws of joy, and the greatest joy is at the Celebration of the Water-Drawing

(which is discussed further in today's Rambam lesson)

including, and all the more so, the joy on Simchat Torah.

12. The practical lesson from this is understood and also simple.

And in continuation of this, it is an appropriate thing that we should now say LeChaim with joy and goodness of heart,

because it is a certain thing that all Jews are written and sealed in the book of the completely righteous,

for "Your people are all righteous, etc., the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, in which to take pride",

every Jew desires to do the will of G-d,

and this is openly stated,

for so rules the Torah of Truth, which is the master over this physical world,

and it makes from physical materiality,

and it causes that materiality become nullified to spirituality,

and that it be in materiality and in spirituality, and in spirituality and in materiality, together.

And afterwards we will conclude with a joyous melody.

And afterwards it will be "And you shall eat and be satisfied and bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you,"

for each one of us and for all of us within the community of Israel,

and below ten handbreadths,

until a manner of "For the Lord your God will enlarge your border,"

and speedily in our days, literally.

They sang the melody of the Hakafot of his father

(Rabbi Levi Yitzchak) of blessed memory,

and the holy Rebbe, may he live for many good years, stood at his full height and danced in his place.

Afterwards he recited the Grace after Meals.

He gave the challah and the water to the honorable Rabbi M.Y. may he live

(for the guests).

After the evening prayer and Havdalah, he distributed to each one from the cup of blessing.

Before his departure, he began to sing "For with joy you shall go out."