תשעה באב ושאר תעניות ה

Halliloo-yu halliloo Ail bikudshoa halliloohoo beerkey-a oozoa.

Hallelujah. Praise G-d in His sanctuary; praise Him in the sky, His stronghold. And this is the aspect of the kol [sound/voice] of the Shofar, which hints at t’shuvah [repentance], in the aspect of “improve [shap’ru] your deeds.” As is written: “Awake, sleepers, from your slumber!” And therefore the Shofar, which is the aspect of Alma D’Asai [the World to Come], is the aspect of Binah [Understanding], the aspect of t’shuvah, as is known. And this is the aspect of the kol that goes out from the Shofar, which is the aspect of a kol of emes [voice of truth] that goes out from the depths of the heart [umka d’libba], in the aspect of “from the depths I called to You, Hashem” (T’hillim 130:1), in the aspect of “from the narrow place I called to Y-ah” (T’hillim 118:5). Meaning, due to the great intensification of the one who surrounds from every side, then they turn themselves to the truth and call to Hashem in truth from the depths of the heart — through which one is saved from the darkness, in the aspect of “and the opening of the taivah you shall place on its side,” as above. And this is the aspect of “He answered me in the expanse, Y-ah” (T’hillim 118:5) — that one merits to be broadened and to go out, as above. For the kol of the Shofar is the aspect of emes, which is the aspect of Yaakov, as is written: “Give emes to Yaakov” (Michah 7:20), in the aspect of “the kol is the kol of Yaakov” (B’raishis 27:22). And this is what Rabbainu wrote there: that Yaakov is the aspect of t’fillah, for the main tikkun of t’fillah is through emes, as above, which is the aspect of Yaakov, as above. And therefore in the Torah only the T’ruah is mentioned, and the other kolos [sounds] we learn from there, as Rabbasainu, of blessed memory, said. For the T’ruah is the aspect of Yaakov — the kol of the Shofar fundamentally hints at him, as above. And therefore the T’ruah is g’nuchi ganach [groaning groans] and y’lulai yalil [wailing wails] — meaning, that which he groans and wails and calls to Hashem to return to Him, as above. And therefore every T’ruah has a P’shutah [straight blast] before it and a P’shutah after it — this also hints at t’shuvah: at first, he was pashut [straight/simple] and rectified — meaning, before the corruption. And after he was corrupted and broken, in the aspect of “disgrace has broken my heart” (T’hillim 69:21), in the aspect of “and they pursued them until the ‘breakings’” (Y’hoshua 7:5) — then through the T’ruah, which is the aspect of emes as above, through this he returns and becomes straightened [nifshatt]. And this is the aspect of the T’kiah after it, which is a straight [pashut] sound. And therefore we blow [the Shofar] on Rosh HaShanah, for then is the intensification of the dinim [judgments], which are the aspect of the darkness. And therefore one needs to draw himself to the emes, which is the aspect of the kol of the Shofar, as above. And it is a remembrance for the first day [zikaron l’yom rishon] — for then, at the beginning of the B’riyah [Creation], the darkness intensified, covering the face of the deep [t’hom]. And the Ru’ach Elokim [Spirit of G-d], which is the aspect of Yaakov — who is the aspect of ru’ach [spirit], as is written: “and the spirit of Yaakov their father was revived” (B’raishis 45:27) — who is the aspect of emes, as above — was hovering over the face of the waters, to drive out and clear the darkness through the aspect of emes. And through this, the light was revealed, as is written: “and Elokim said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (B’raishis 1:3). As is explained above, that through emes, the light of Hashem, blessed be He, shines — in the aspect of “Hashem ori” [“Hashem is my light”] — as is explained there, well. See there. And through this, the B’riyah came into being. And therefore emes is the sustenance of the world, for the main creation [b’riyah] was through emes, as above. And this is what Rabbasainu, of blessed memory, said on the passuk “bor’acha Yaakov” [“your Creator, Yaakov”]: “My world, my world! Who created you? Yaakov created you!” etc. For the main creation of the world was through the aspect of Yaakov, which is the aspect of emes, as above. And this is what Rabbasainu, of blessed memory, said: “T’shuvah preceded the world” [T’shuvah kadmah la’olam] — for the main t’shuvah is through emes, by which one drives out the darkness and makes an opening to go out, as above — and this aspect preceded the world. And through this, the creation of the world came into being — in the aspect of: “and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of G-d was hovering,” etc., “and there was light,” as above. And therefore Rosh HaShanah, which is a remembrance for the first day — and therefore then begin the days of t’shuvah. And therefore we blow then with the Shofar, which is the aspect of a kol of emes that makes an opening and broadens, to go out, as above. And therefore the Shofar is narrow from above and wide from below. And one needs to blow specifically in the narrow place [makom ha’katzar]. And if he blew in the wide place, he has not fulfilled [his obligation]. For one who wishes to enter must enter specifically through the narrow opening — in the aspect of “and the opening of the taivah you shall place on its side.” As I heard from Rabbainu, of blessed memory, orally, in the explanation that one needs to make a new opening specifically. And as Rabbasainu, of blessed memory, said: the letter Hai [ה] resembles this world, etc., and whoever wishes to leave [may leave], etc., and from the side it is open — whoever wishes to enter may enter. And they ask there: to enter through the same [opening] as one who exits? And they answer there: it is not sufficient, etc. See there. And this is the aspect of “and the opening of the taivah you shall place on its side” — “on its side” specifically, for one needs to enter specifically through the narrow opening that is from the side — meaning, from the side of the Hai, as above. And then Hashem, blessed be He, widens the opening for him and brings him out. And then “He answered me in the expanse, Y-ah,” as above. And this is the aspect of the Shofar, which is narrow from above, etc., and one needs to blow and bring out the kol of the Shofar — which is a kol of emes — specifically from the narrow place, and then Hashem, blessed be He, widens for him, as above. And therefore, also, if one turned the Shofar inside out and blew it, he has not fulfilled [his obligation] — whether he turned it as one turns a garment [chaluk], etc., or whether he widened it, etc. For the main t’shuvah as it should be is that one should do the t’shuvah in that very body itself, and in that very matter itself in which he sinned — and should return and go back through the narrow and pressed places, to Hashem, blessed be He. But if his body is turned over and changed, in the aspect of “it is turned like clay under a seal, and they stand as though [re]clothed” (Iyov 38:14) — that, chas v’shalom, his body should be overturned and changed — meaning, that he should die and return and be reincarnated [yisgalgail], and afterward return and cry out to Hashem — this is not proper t’shuvah. For one needs to return in this very body [ba’guf ha’zeh] specifically, as he is, and go through the narrow and pressed place, and from there call out and return to Hashem in emes. Then Hashem, blessed be He, will widen for him — and then it is the aspect of blowing the Shofar properly [k’hilchaso] — meaning, the aspect of t’shuvah in emes as is fitting, as above. And therefore if [the Shofar] has a hole [nikav], the sealing must be of its own kind [b’mino] specifically. For in that very matter in which he sinned, he should rectify — as Rabbasainu, of blessed memory, said, and as above. (And as I heard in clear explanation from his holy mouth, these very words.) And therefore a yachid [individual] can fulfill the obligation of the rabbim [public] in the blowing of the Shofar. For the main thing depends on the yachid who awakens and cries out in emes to Hashem, blessed be He — through which he makes an opening through which others can go out from their darkness. As I heard from Rabbainu, of blessed memory, on “and the opening of the taivah you shall place on its side” — see there, in another place, on this explanation. And since the yachid intends to bring others out from their darkness, then whoever wishes to go out and directs his heart to this, he can go out through the opening that the yachid made, as above. And therefore the blowing of the Shofar depends on kavanas ha’laiv [intention of the heart] — and the one who blows as if merely occupied [k’mis’asaik] or to make music, he has not fulfilled [his obligation]. For after the intention of the heart are the matters — for one needs to direct his heart greatly and bring out the kol in emes from the depths of the heart, as above. And this is what Rabbasainu, of blessed memory, said: “Whoever is not obligated in a matter cannot fulfill the obligation of the public.” In this is hinted: specifically the one who is very obligated in his own eyes — or who is truly obligated — and then, from the greatness of the darkness and the pressure and the crowding that surrounds him from all sides, he cries out in emes to Hashem, blessed be He — this one can make an opening through which others can also go out. And so Rabbasainu, of blessed memory, said: “We do not appoint a parnas [leader] over the community unless a basket of creeping things [kuppah shel sh’ratzim] hangs behind him,” etc. And therefore specifically the one who is obligated in the matter of t’shuvah and upon whom the yoke of t’shuvah rests — this one can fulfill the obligation of others, to make for them also an opening to go out — through his calling in emes to Hashem, blessed be He. And therefore the T’ruah is tripled [m’shuleshes], and so the totality of the blowing of the Shofar is tripled — three of three of three [shalosh shel shalosh shalosh]. For the main blowing of the Shofar is the aspect of emes, which is tripled [m’shulash] — in the aspect of fire, water, wind [aish, mayim, ru’ach] — in the aspect of beginning, middle, end [rosh, soch, sof]. And through it, one rectifies the three worlds — in the aspect of “lower, second, and third [stories]” [tachtiyim, sh’niyim, u’sh’lishim] (as Rabbainu wrote there; see there). And therefore the T’kiyos are during the T’fillah [prayer], for through them is the tikkun of the T’fillah, as above. And therefore we blow twelve T’ruos — meaning, six sitting [m’yushav] and six standing [m’umad] — for in the thirty kolos of m’yushav there are six T’ruos, and so in the thirty kolos that we blow according to the order of the B’rachos [blessings] — for these are the main obligation [chiyuv], and the rest are additional — corresponding to the twelve Sh’vatim of the sons of Yaakov, which are the aspect of the twelve nuschaos [versions] of t’fillah that are rectified through emes, which is the aspect of the T’ruah, as above (and as is written there; see there). And therefore the Shofar is the aspect of Y’tzias Mitzrayim [the Exodus from Egypt], as is known. For the main exile of Mitzrayim was through the damage to t’fillah [p’gam ha’t’fillah] (as is explained there). And so too in the future [l’asid] it is written: “and a great Shofar will be blown” (Y’shayahu 27:13) — for the main G’ulah [Redemption] depends on this — through the t’fillah being rectified through the aspect of emes, as above (as is explained there; see there). The Shofar is the aspect of Yaakov, in the aspect of “shufreh d’Yaakov mai’ain shufreh d’Adam” [“the beauty of Yaakov was a semblance of the beauty of Adam”]. And this is the aspect of “Blow the Shofar … and raise a banner” (Y’shayahu 27:13). For through the Shofar, which is the aspect of emes and the tikkun of t’fillah — through this, the miracles [nisim] are elevated, which is the aspect of t’fillah, as is explained there. Based on what Rabbainu said in the ma’amar “Pasach Rabbi Shim’on: Ais La’asos La’Shem” (siman 60) — that the Shofar is the aspect of the revelation of yir’ah [fear/awe], through which one merits great wealth [ashirus g’dolah]. And the yir’ah is the aspect of Pachad Yitzchak [the Fear of Yitzchak]. And Yitzchak merited wealth through drawing arichas yamim [length of days], the aspect of yir’ah, in the land of the P’lishtim, as is written: “and it was, when the days were long for him there,” etc. (B’raishis 26:8). And through this he merited wealth, as is written: “and Yitzchak sowed … and he found a hundred gates [mai’ah sh’arim]” (B’raishis 26:12). And corresponding to this, we blow one hundred kolos — corresponding to the mai’ah sh’arim that one merits through the Shofar, as above. And therefore the blowing of the Shofar is three of three of three — the aspect of the revelation of the completeness of yir’ah, which is three lines [kavim], and each line includes three (as is explained there). And therefore one needs to call out [likros] before the one who blows [tokei’a]. For the main revelation of yir’ah is through dibbur [speech] that goes out through the awakening of sleep [his’or’rus ha’shainah] (as is explained there). And therefore there is an opinion that for the first T’kiah one should not call out before the one who blows — for then it is still the aspect of the absence of speech [he’dayr ha’dibbur], in the aspect of “you have struck [takasta] your palm to a stranger,” etc. (Mishlai 6:1) — as Rabbainu wrote there that the T’kiah hints at this. And this is the aspect of the reddening of the face of the one who blows [his’admus p’nai ha’tokei’a] — meaning, through the seventy faces [shiv’im panim] of the awakening of sleep (as is explained there). And therefore the main blowing of the Shofar is for the tikkun of the B’ris [covenant] (as is found in the K’savim [writings of the Arizal]). For through the yir’ah that is revealed through the Shofar, the beauty of women [y’fi ha’nashim] is subdued, and one merits the tikkun of the B’ris, as is explained there.