ראש השנה ג

Volume 6 · Orach Chaim

Likutay Halachos — Hilchos TefillahHalacha 4, Part C (§15–20) And in brief: one cannot merit kavod Eloki [Divine honor] except through t’shuvah [repentance], which is the aspect of Keser [Crown], the aspect of “One who comes to purify himself, they assist him — they say to him: Hamtain [Wait]” — the aspect of Eh’yeh [“I Will Be”], ana zamin l’meh’evai [“I am prepared to become”], etc. And the main t’shuvah is when one hears one’s shame and is silent [yishma bizyono v’yidom v’yishtok]. For before the t’shuvah, one is in the aspect of achorai p’nai Eh’yeh [the back-face of Eh’yeh], which has the gimatriya [numerical value] of dam [blood]. And therefore bizyonos [humiliations] and sh’fichus damim [bloodshed] come upon him. And the tikkun for this is to transform dam [blood] into dom [silence], in the aspect of “Dom [Be silent] before Hashem and wait longingly for Him, and He will fell your enemies [chalalim]” (T’hillim 37:7) — that the blood in the left chamber [chalal ha’s’mali] of the heart is subdued. For before the t’shuvah, the blood in the left chamber is in its full force, and therefore humiliations and bloodshed come upon him. And therefore, when one fulfills “Dom before Hashem,” etc., through this “He will fell your chalalim” — that the blood in the left chamber is subdued, etc.

And one needs to do t’shuvah upon t’shuvah, for “who can say: I have purified my heart, I have cleansed myself of my sin?” For even at the moment one says “I have sinned,” etc. — even this one cannot say with a pure heart without ulterior motive [p’niyah]. And even one who merited to do complete t’shuvah, even so, one needs to do t’shuvah upon one’s first perception [hasagah], which is in the aspect of gashmiyus [materiality] compared to the perception one attains afterward. And this is the aspect of “And it will be on that day, the light will not be precious and congealed” (Z’charyah 14:6) — light that is precious in this world, etc. And this is the aspect of “He who slaughters a thanksgiving offering honors Me,” etc.

Likutay Halachos — Hilchos TefillahHalacha 4, Part D (§21–25) And one needs to be expert in halachah [baki ba’halachah], in the aspect of ayil v’nafik [entering and exiting], the aspect of ratzo va’shov [running and returning], the aspect of “If I ascend to Heaven, You are there; and if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there” (T’hillim 139:8), etc. (see there well). And through this, Adam [Man] is made to sit upon the Throne [Adam lasheives al ha’kisei]. For through the d’mimah [silence] and the sh’sikah [quiet], the aspect of the lower point [n’kudah ha’tachtonah] beneath the Vav in the Alef is made. And through the t’shuvah, which is the aspect of Eh’yeh, the aspect of Keser, etc., the aspect of the upper point [n’kudah ha’elyonah] is made — which is the aspect of Kisei d’mis’kasya [the Throne that is concealed], above the Vav in the Alef, which is the aspect of “Into that which is hidden from you, do not inquire.” And the Vav in the Alef is the aspect of rakia shamayim [the firmament of heaven] — fire and water — the inclusiveness of all colors [k’laliyus ha’g’vanin]. And this is made through the bushah [shame], where one’s face changes to many colors. And then the aspect of the Alef is made, as above, and Adam is made — the aspect of Alef-Dam [the letter Alef + blood]. And Adam is made to sit upon the Throne, in the aspect of “And upon the Throne was a likeness like the appearance of Adam upon it from above” (Y’chezkel 1:26), etc.

Likutay Halachos — Hilchos TefillahHalacha 5 (§1–3) And then a yichud [unification] is made between the chamah [sun] and the l’vanah [moon] — between Moshe and Y’hoshua. For Moshe is the aspect of the sun — this is the aspect of the upper point. And Y’hoshua is the aspect of the moon — the aspect of the lower point. And the Vav is the aspect of the Ohel [Tent], etc. (see there, all this, well). And this is the aspect of the three mitzvos that Yisrael were commanded: to cut off the seed of Amalek, and to build the Bais Ha’B’chirah [the Chosen House, i.e., the Bais HaMikdash], etc. (see there). And this is the aspect of Rosh HaShanah and the blowing of the Shofar, in the aspect of “Blow the Shofar at the chodesh [new month], at the keseh [concealment], for the day of our festival” (T’hillim 81:4). “Which month is it that the moon is concealed in it? Say: this is Rosh HaShanah.” And it is found in the Tikkunim (Tikkun 21, daf 51a): “When she [the Sh’chinah] is heavy with sins, then she is concealed,” etc. (see there) — “and He gives them counsel to arouse mercy, and with what? With the Shofar. As it is written: ‘Blow the Shofar at the chodesh, at the concealment,’” etc. For Rosh HaShanah is the beginning of the t’shuvah of the entire year, for it is the first day of the Ten Days of T’shuvah. And “This day is the beginning of Your works” — for on it Adam HaRishon was created, and he damaged through his sin. And we need to rectify his sin over the course of time, from Rosh HaShanah until Sh’mini Atzeres (as is explained in the K’savim). And so too each and every individual needs to rectify his deeds and return in t’shuvah during these days, in order to merit being drawn close in the ultimate closeness to Him, blessed be He, on the day of Sh’mini Atzeres. And this is the aspect of what is written in the aforementioned ma’amar: that t’shuvah is the aspect of Keser, a language of hamasanah [waiting], as is written: “Kasar li z’air” [“Wait for me a little”] (Iyov 36:2), etc. — the aspect of “One who comes to purify himself, they assist him — they say to him: Wait” (see there). For because of the sin of Adam HaRishon, and so too each individual through his sins, it is impossible to draw close immediately. And therefore one needs to wait from Rosh HaShanah until the day of Sh’mini Atzeres — when the main drawing-close of Yisrael to their Father in Heaven occurs, through the t’shuvah that we merited to do from Rosh HaShanah until after Hoshana Rabbah. And this is the aspect of “they say to him: Wait.” And the main t’shuvah is in the aspect of “Dom before Hashem and wait longingly for Him, and He will fell your chalalim” — that the blood in the left chamber is subdued, etc. And this is the aspect of the blowing of the Shofar, which is a kol without dibbur [a voice without speech] — this is the aspect of “Dom before Hashem,” etc., for “we have no mouth to respond,” etc. As is written in the holy Zohar, in Ra’aya M’haimnah (Mishpatim 119a): that one needs to come before Him, blessed be He, and make oneself like a b’haimah [animal] for a korban [sacrifice], and say thus: “I have no mouth to respond.” And this is the aspect of the Shofar, which is a kol without dibbur. For the Shofar is the aspect of t’shuvah, as is brought (LM siman 60, part 1; Zohar Emor 100; Hashmasos 254; ZC Noach 34b) — the aspect of “Awaken, you sleepers, from your slumber.” And because at Rosh HaShanah it is the beginning of the t’shuvah of the entire year, and at the beginning of the t’shuvah, when a person begins to draw close to Him, blessed be He, then the accusation is very great, Rachamana litzlan [may the Merciful One save us], because his sins still divide between him and his Maker, and they accuse him and do not allow him to draw close. And then, from the greatness of the accusation, it is impossible to speak any dibbur before Him, blessed be He. For the blood in the left chamber is still in its full force, and the dibbur comes from the blood [damim], and because the blood in the left chamber is still in its force, it is impossible to speak any proper dibbur as is fitting. For the dibbur is very confused because of the blood in the left chamber. And therefore, through the dibbur, the accusation could, chas v’shalom, grow even stronger — especially since the accusation is then great, as above. And this is [the reason] that our Sages, of blessed memory, forbade mentioning any confession of sins on Rosh HaShanah. For on Rosh HaShanah, Eisav comes from his side, wishing to accuse, and brings all the sins, chas v’shalom, to accuse. And from the severity of the judgment at that time, it is forbidden to mention any sin or transgression, lest [the accusation] grow stronger, chas v’shalom, as above. For then it is the beginning of the t’shuvah, as above. And therefore He gives them counsel to blow the Shofar — this is the aspect of “Dom before Hashem”. For then, on Rosh HaShanah, one needs to be silent and quiet and not increase in speech (as Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote in another place). And even the sins it is forbidden to mention, as above. And this is the aspect of “Dom before Hashem.” And this is the aspect of the blowing of the Shofar, which is the aspect of t’shuvah — this is the aspect of “Dom before Hashem.” For we have no mouth to respond, and we cannot speak any dibbur to request from before Him regarding our sins. Rather, we only call to Him, blessed be He, with a kol alone, without dibbur, in the aspect of “From the depths I called to You, Hashem” (T’hillim 130:1) — from the depths of the heart. And this is the aspect of the kol of the Shofar, the aspect of “From the narrow place I called to Y-ah.” For at the beginning of the t’shuvah, when it is impossible to speak any dibbur, as above, and one needs only to be silent and quiet, as above — then one calls to Him, blessed be He, only with a kol alone. And this is the aspect of “Dom before Hashem and wait longingly for Him” — that one hopes and waits for Him, blessed be He, “like the eyes of servants toward the hand of their masters,” and calls to Him from the depth of the heart alone, without any dibbur, in the aspect of “From the depths I called to You, Hashem.” And this is the aspect of the kol of the Shofar, as above. For the main aspect of the Shofar is the aspect of bushah [shame], in the aspect of “Is a Shofar blown in a city and the people do not tremble?” (Amos 3:6). And the yir’ah [awe] is bushah, in the aspect of yarei boshes [one who fears in shame] (as is written in another place). And the bushah is the aspect of one who bears humiliations and shames and is ashamed of one’s sin, and has no mouth to speak — only being silent before Hashem and waiting for Him, blessed be He. And through this, the aspect of Adam is made. For on Rosh HaShanah one needs to rectify the aspect of Adam. For Adam HaRishon, through his sin, it was said of him: “Adam in glory does not abide; he is likened to the beasts that are silenced” (T’hillim 49:13). And therefore the main t’shuvah is through the aspect of “Dom before Hashem” — for one needs to make oneself like a b’haimah that has no mouth to speak. And through this silence and quiet, Hashem, blessed be He, has mercy upon him, and one merits through this silence the aspect of t’shuvah, which is the aspect of Keser — which is also the aspect of silence, for it is above speech. And this is the main aspect of t’shuvah: that one merits that the descent is transformed into an ascent. Meaning, that which the dibbur was damaged and one fell from the category of Adam to the category of b’haimah through the animalistic deeds one did — and through recognizing one’s place, and when one comes to return in t’shuvah one has no mouth to respond — through this silence and quiet, Hashem, blessed be He, has mercy upon him, and one merits to ascend in the ultimate ascent. For one merits t’shuvah, which is the aspect of Keser, the aspect of silence that is above speech. And when one merits to ascend there, then one becomes Adam again, as above — namely, the aspect of the Alef is made, for lais Adam b’lo Alef [there is no Adam without an Alef], etc. (as is explained there). And then certainly the dibbur is rebuilt in completeness, for the defining characteristic of Adam is the dibbur. And this is made on Rosh HaShanah, for then Adam HaRishon sinned and damaged the aspect of Adam. And therefore one needs now to rectify the aspect of Adam to sit upon the Throne. For on Rosh HaShanah the moon is concealed. For the main t’shuvah is to rectify the aspect of Adam — namely, the aspect of the Alef, which is the aspect of the lower point and the upper point and the Vav within the Alef. And this is the aspect of the sun and the moon, etc. (as is explained, all this, in the aforementioned ma’amar; see there). For the main t’shuvah is that a yichud should be made between the sun and the moon. For all the sins are drawn from the aspect of the diminishment of the moon [mius ha’yarai’ach], which came about because the moon complained: “It is impossible for two kings to use one crown,” etc. And each individual, through his sins, causes the diminishment of the moon, chas v’shalom. And conversely, through good deeds and t’shuvah, one fills the deficiency of the moon, for one makes a yichud between the sun and the moon. And therefore the main t’shuvah is to rectify and unify the aspect of the lower point and the upper point, in order to unify the sun and the moon — which is the main tikkun of all sins. And this is the aspect of Rosh HaShanah. For on Rosh HaShanah there are two “heads” together — namely, Rosh Ha’Shanah [the Head of the Year] and Rosh Chodesh [the Head of the Month]. And they are the aspect of the sun and the moon. For the main years are for the sun, and the main months are for the moon. For the sun has no month, only a year; and the moon has no year, only months (as is brought in the works of astronomy). And on Rosh HaShanah, the two heads are gathered together — Rosh Ha’Shanah and Rosh Chodesh, which are the aspect of the sun and the moon, as above. And then the moon is concealed — this is the aspect of “Dom before Hashem.” For in truth, the lower point is the aspect of dibbur. For the lower point is the aspect of Malchus Peh [Kingship-Mouth], from where the main dibbur comes. But when one wishes to do t’shuvah, then one needs to draw the lower point through silence and quiet. For then she is concealed above, in the aspect of “when she is heavy with sins, she is concealed.” And this is the aspect of “which month is it that the moon is concealed in it?” — for the dibbur, the aspect of the lower point, ascends and is concealed and hidden in the upper point, which is the aspect of silence. And this is the aspect of “One remembrance ascends for both” [zikaron echad oleh l’kan u’l’kan]. For the moon, which is the aspect of Rosh Chodesh, is included in Rosh Ha’Shanah, which is the aspect of the sun. And through the t’shuvah that begins on Rosh HaShanah, in the aspect of “Dom before Hashem” — which is the aspect of the Shofar — through this one draws the lower point. For when the lower point, the aspect of the moon, is included and concealed above, then she is not recognizable at all, and then the form of the Alef is not discernible, etc. And through our fulfilling the aspect of “Dom before Hashem,” through this the lower point is drawn and shines upon us. And through the kol of the Shofar, the aspect of the rakia [firmament] is made — the inclusiveness of all colors. For the kol is comprised of fire, water, and wind (Zohar Bo 43b), and it is the aspect of the Vav within the Alef. For the kol is the aspect of the Vav, the aspect of Yaakov, the aspect of “The voice is the voice of Yaakov” (B’raishis 27:22). And the upper point is the aspect of Rosh Ha’Shanah, which is the aspect of the sun. And this is the aspect of the Shofar itself — for the Shofar is the aspect of Binah [Understanding], the aspect of t’shuvah, the aspect of Eh’yeh, which is the aspect of the upper point. And then Adam is made to sit upon the Throne, and then our judgment goes forth from before the King who sits upon the Throne, blessed be His Name. For we are included in Him, blessed be He, and are likened to Him, blessed be He — for the aspect of Adam to sit upon the Throne is rectified through us, as it were. And therefore the Shofar gathers all the outcasts and the lost, as is written: “And it will be on that day, a great Shofar will be blown, and those who are lost and those who are outcast will come” (Y’shayahu 27:13), etc. For the lower point mentioned above, which is made through the silence and quiet, is the aspect of “And if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there” (which is the aspect of chirik d’SaG, as is brought there in the aforementioned ma’amar; see there well). For in truth, there are people who are extremely far from Hashem, blessed be He, in the ultimate distance, and who lie in sh’ol tachtiyos [the lowest depths] literally. And when they are aroused and wish to do t’shuvah, they have no counsel or strategy at all. They need only to fulfill the aspect of “Dom before Hashem” and they need to cry out from the depth of the heart to Hashem, blessed be He, in the aspect of the kol Shofar mentioned above. And through this aspect — the aspect of “Dom before Hashem,” which is the aspect of the Shofar — through this they can draw close and return to Hashem, blessed be He, even those who are extremely far. For Hashem, blessed be He, is full of mercy, and even though they are so far that they cannot speak any proper dibbur before Hashem, blessed be He, even so, they are obligated never to despair, chas v’shalom, chas v’shalom. Rather, [they must] await the salvation of Hashem, in the aspect of “It is good to wait silently for the salvation of Hashem” (Aichah 3:26), in the aspect of “Let him sit alone and be silent, for He has laid it upon him” (Aichah 3:28). For through the silence and quiet, one merits to receive from the upper point that shines into the lower point. And this is the aspect of “for He has laid it upon him.” And therefore, through the Shofar — which is the aspect of “Dom before Hashem”, that one cannot speak at all, but cries out from the depth of the heart — through this is fulfilled “And if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there” — that one can find Hashem, blessed be He, even in the lowest depths, chas v’shalom. And from there, all the outcasts and the lost can draw close and return to Hashem, blessed be He. And this is the aspect of a T’kiah at the beginning and a T’kiah at the end, and Sh’varim-T’ruah in the middle. For the T’kiah is the aspect of silence, the absence of dibbur (as is brought in the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, in another place, siman 60). And this is “T’kiah at the beginning and T’kiah at the end.” For the first T’kiah is the aspect of the lower point, which is made through the silence and quiet, as above. The final T’kiah is the aspect of the upper point, which is also in the aspect of silence, in the aspect of “A fence for wisdom is silence” (Avos 3:13), the aspect of “Into that which is hidden from you, do not inquire” (see there). And the Sh’varim-T’ruah is the aspect of the bushah and the broken heart — the aspect of g’nuchay ganach, y’lulai yalil [groaning groans, wailing wails] — namely, the bushah where one groans and wails on account of the shame over the greatness of one’s transgressions. And this bushah is the main aspect of the kol of the Shofar, which is comprised of many colors [gavanin sagiyin]. And for this reason it is called Shofar, a language of his’pa’arus [beauty/glory] — the inclusiveness of all colors. For through the bushah, where one’s face changes to many colors, one merits the his’pa’arus [glory] of the inclusiveness of all colors. And this is the aspect of the Vav within the Alef, as above. And then the form of the Alef is completed, and Adam is made to sit upon the Throne. And a yichud is made between the sun and the moon — which is the main tikkun of all sins. And all the deficiencies are filled — which is the main aspect of Rosh HaShanah, as above. And this is the aspect of the T’kiyos being repeated multiple times — bi’yshivah [while sitting] and ba’amidah [while standing] — this is the aspect of t’shuvah upon t’shuvah, as above. And therefore they are called T’kiyos di’m’umad [of standing] and T’kiyos di’m’yushav [of sitting]. For sitting hints at Olam Ha’Zeh [this world], and standing hints at Olam Ha’Ba [the World to Come], as is known. And this is the aspect of the two sets of T’kiyos — di’m’yushav and di’m’umad — namely, the aspect of the two levels of t’shuvah. For the first t’shuvah is the aspect of kavod [honor] in this world, and the second t’shuvah is the aspect of kavod in the World to Come, as Rabbainu wrote there regarding the statement of our Sages, of blessed memory: “One who slaughters his inclination and confesses over it — it is as if he honored HaKadosh Baruch Hu in both worlds.” And therefore we blow while sitting and while standing, to hint at the two aspects of t’shuvah mentioned above — t’shuvah of this world, and t’shuvah upon t’shuvah, which is the aspect of t’shuvah of the World to Come, which is “the day that is entirely Shabbos, entirely t’shuvah” — the aspect of t’shuvah upon t’shuvah, as above (see there). And therefore we blow many times, to teach that one needs to do t’shuvah many, many times. For one needs to do t’shuvah upon t’shuvah, as above (see there). And this is the aspect of the mitzvah of Sukkah after the Ten Days of T’shuvah. For it is found there in the aforementioned ma’amar that one who wishes to do t’shuvah needs to be ayil v’nafik [entering and exiting], the aspect of ratzo va’shov [running and returning], the aspect of zakka’ah man d’ayil v’nafik [“Fortunate is the one who enters and exits”]. The aspect of “If I ascend to Heaven, You are there” — this is the aspect of ayil [entering]. “And if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there” — this is the aspect of v’nafik [and exiting], etc. (see there well). And this is the aspect of the mitzvah of Sukkah after the Ten Days of T’shuvah, for the Torah said: “Leave the permanent dwelling and sit in a temporary dwelling” — a remembrance of the Ananai Kavod [Clouds of Glory] that sheltered Yisrael when they walked in the wilderness. For in truth, the main holiness is within the house of a person. For it is known that outside is the place of the dominion of the chitzonim [external forces], and therefore they are called “external” — because their place is outside. But inside the house is a place guarded from them, and there is the main drawing of holiness, in the aspect of “Through wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established, and through knowledge the chambers are filled” (Mishlai 24:3–4). For within a Jewish house, which is a house of holiness, the aspects of Chochmah [Wisdom], T’vunah [Understanding], and Da’as [Knowledge] are drawn — which are the aspect of the totality of Torah, the totality of holiness. For the Torah is comprised of Chochmah, T’vunah, and Da’as, as is known. And it begins from “B’raishis” [“In the beginning”], which is the aspect of “Rosh Bayis” [“Head of the House”]. And this is the aspect of the letter Bais of “B’raishis,” which is the beginning of the Torah — which is the totality of the Torah, which is comprised within the aspect of Bayis [House] — namely, within the aspect of the house of holiness, which is a Jewish house. For the house is the dwelling of Adam, which is the aspect of the Torah, in the aspect of “This is the Torah: Adam” (BaMidbar 19:14). And the house is called r’shus ha’yachid [the private domain] — which is the aspect of the domain of the Y’chido shel Olam [the Singular One of the world], whose height is ten and whose width is four (as is brought in the Tikkunim). And therefore the main holiness is within one’s house. And this is the aspect of “Go, My people, enter your chambers and close your doors” (Y’shayahu 26:20) — that one’s main holiness is when one secludes oneself within one’s house and chamber. And this is the aspect of “And walk humbly with your G-d” (Michah 6:8). And the aspect of “The glory of the king’s daughter is within” (T’hillim 45:14). And this is the aspect of “The beauty of a man is to dwell in a house” (Y’shayahu 44:13) — that the main beauty and holiness of a person is when he dwells within his house, where the main drawing of holiness occurs, as above. It emerges that the main holiness is within the house of a person. But in truth, even so, it is impossible to be enclosed within one’s house forever, for one is compelled to go out of one’s house from time to time. And in truth, it would be fitting for a person to sit within his house always, since the main holiness is there and outside is the opposite, as above. And therefore it would be fitting to always sit within one’s house. But even so, a person is compelled to go outside and to be entering and exiting each time. But in truth, this is the aspect of ayil v’nafik. For even though it would be fitting for a person to always be attached to holiness in the aspect of ayil [entering], even so, the main completeness of holiness is specifically when a person merits to be ayil v’nafik. For a person must necessarily go out sometimes slightly from holiness, in the aspect of v’nafik, as we see tangibly that every person has actual ascents and descents every day, and it is impossible to stand always on one level. And all this is because one must necessarily also elevate the lower levels and the places of the external forces — all of them — to holiness. Therefore a person must necessarily be in the aspect of ayil v’nafik. When one then merits to be expert in halachah and to hold oneself properly, then one merits to elevate also the external places and all the lower levels to holiness. And this is the aspect of “the descent is the purpose of the ascent,” as is known. And this is the aspect of needing to leave the house each time, as is seen tangibly — this is the aspect mentioned above, the aspect of ayil v’nafik. For within the house is the aspect of ayil, for there is the main boundary of holiness, as above. And when one goes outside one’s house, and outside they have dominion — this is the aspect of v’nafik. And this is the aspect of “When you sit in your house and when you go on the way” (D’varim 6:7) — that a person needs to know Hashem, blessed be He, both in his house, where the boundary of holiness is, and also when he goes outside his house and walks on the way, even though there they have, chas v’shalom, a hold. Even so, also there one needs to remember Hashem, blessed be He, and cling to Him also there, outside. For “His kingdom rules over all,” in the aspect of “And You give life to all of them” (N’chemyah 9:6), in the aspect of “If I ascend to Heaven, You are there; and if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there” — which is the aspect of ayil v’nafik (as is explained in the aforementioned ma’amar). And this is the aspect of Yisrael walking in the wilderness for forty years — and the wilderness is the place of the external forces, the place of serpent and fiery snake and scorpion, etc. And Yisrael were compelled to walk there specifically. And it is found that there in the wilderness, Yisrael were treading upon the Sitra Achara [the Other Side]. And therefore they were compelled to walk there, in order to subdue the Sitra Achara in its own place, in order to clarify the holiness from there. And this is the aspect of “Fortunate is the one who enters and exits.” For the main completeness of holiness is when one elevates the holiness also from the places of the external forces — which is the aspect of v’nafik. And this is the aspect of the mitzvah of Sukkah after the Ten Days of T’shuvah. This is the aspect of the completeness of the t’shuvah, which is specifically through the aspect of ayil v’nafik. And one needs to be very expert in this, the aspect of baki ba’halachah, baki b’ayil, baki b’nafik [expert in halachah, expert in entering, expert in exiting], etc. (as is explained there). For one needs to be very expert when one is in the aspect of v’nafik, so that one does not fall completely, chas v’shalom. Rather, on the contrary, one should subdue the Sitra Achara there and elevate the holiness from there — which is the main completeness, as above. And this is [the meaning of]: after the Ten Days of T’shuvah, the Torah commanded to sit in the Sukkah, and the Torah said: “Leave the permanent dwelling and sit in the temporary dwelling.” This is the aspect of v’nafik — that the Torah commanded to leave the house, which is the main boundary of holiness. This hints that the main completeness of t’shuvah is specifically when one merits to be in the aspect of ayil v’nafik. And on Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and the Ten Days of T’shuvah, then it is the aspect of ayil — for then all of Yisrael are occupied only with Torah, prayer, and the service of Hashem, which is the aspect of ayil. But the completeness of the t’shuvah is only through the aspect of ayil v’nafik. And therefore one leaves the house for the Sukkah — for leaving the house is the aspect of v’nafik, as above. But Hashem, blessed be He, had mercy on us and granted us specifically then the mitzvah of Sukkah, which is the aspect of the Ananai Kavod [Clouds of Glory] that sheltered Yisrael when they walked in the wilderness. For specifically then, when one walks in the wilderness, in the places of the external forces — which is the aspect of v’nafik — when one then merits to find Hashem, blessed be He, then specifically Hashem, blessed be He, hovers over Yisrael with a very exalted holiness, in the aspect of the Clouds of Glory, in the aspect of the Sukkah, which is a very exalted holiness, the aspect of Imma di’m’sach’cha al b’nin [“the Mother who shelters over Her children”]. For this aspect hovers and shelters over a person specifically when he is in the aspect of v’nafik — to guard him and save him so that he does not fall there, chas v’shalom, and helps him to subdue the Sitra Achara there and to clarify the holiness from there specifically. And this is the aspect of the Clouds of Glory that protected Yisrael in the wilderness specifically. And this is the aspect of the Sukkah. It emerges that through the aspect of v’nafik, we merit a very great ascent — to the aspect of the Sukkah. And this is the aspect of “the descent is the purpose of the ascent.” And this is the main completeness of the t’shuvah, which needs to be in the aspect of ayil v’nafik — namely, to be expert in the aspect of v’nafik, to find Hashem, blessed be He, there, and then one merits a very great ascent. And this is the main completeness of the t’shuvah. And this is the aspect of t’shuvah upon t’shuvah mentioned there — namely, that each time one comes to a higher level and perception, one needs to do t’shuvah upon the first perception. And this is specifically through the aspect of ayil v’nafik. For it is known that before ascending from level to level, there must be a descent before the ascent, and the descent is the purpose of the ascent, and the descent is the aspect of v’nafik. It emerges that it is impossible to merit doing t’shuvah upon t’shuvah — which is through ascending from level to level — except through the aspect of v’nafik. And therefore the main completeness of the t’shuvah is through the aspect of ayil v’nafik, for through this one merits to do t’shuvah upon t’shuvah. And in this, the ma’amar there is connected well (see there and understand). And then one merits to be Adam — the aspect of Adam to sit upon the Throne, in the aspect of “In the future, Yisrael will give judgment upon them” — namely, that Yisrael will be above all the nations, and they themselves will judge all the judgments and give judgment upon all the nations (as is explained in the aforementioned Torah; see there). And this is the aspect of Sukkos, when Yisrael offer seventy bulls on behalf of the seventy nations. And then the affection of Yisrael before the Makom [G-d], blessed be He, is recognized — that Yisrael give a portion to all the nations, for they have nothing except what we give them, for we are above them all (as is explained well in the holy Zohar). And this is the aspect of “In the future, Yisrael will give ‘upon them’” etc. — for we give upon them the judgment and the law as we wish, for everything comes from us, as above. And all this we merit through the mitzvah of Sukkah — through the aspect of v’nafik, through which one clarifies the places of the external forces and subdues them entirely, and elevates the holiness from them. And then, when one subdues them in their own place, then we merit to judge them and to rule over them as we wish. And this is the aspect of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: that the bulls of the festival diminish progressively. For in this very act of offering the seventy bulls for them — to give them some sustenance — this itself is their downfall, in the aspect of “If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread … for you are heaping coals upon his head” (Mishlai 25:21–22). For through this they diminish and go, diminish and go, until they cease entirely. And this is “they diminish progressively like the bulls of the festival” — for specifically through the bulls of the festival that sustain them, through this the holiness is clarified from them each time. And this is the main cause of their downfall. And this is actually the aspect of v’nafik mentioned above — that one clarifies the holiness from the places of the external forces, as above. And then Yisrael are above all the nations and give judgment and law upon them as they wish. And this is the aspect of Adam to sit upon the Throne, which one merits through the aspect of the Sukkah. For through the aspect of v’nafik — which is accomplished by leaving the house to sit in the Sukkah, as above, in order to clarify all the places of the external forces and to subdue all the seventy nations beneath Yisrael — this is the aspect of “He will subdue peoples beneath us” (T’hillim 47:4), as mentioned in the aforementioned ma’amar (see there well). And this is the aspect of the lower point (as is explained there; see there). For the aspect of v’nafik is the aspect of the lower point, the aspect of chirik (see there well). And then, when one goes out to the outside, one enters the Sukkah. For Sukkas Shalaim [the Sukkah of Peace], the aspect of Imma di’m’sach’cha al b’nin, shields us and shelters over us and helps us to subdue all the external forces and to clarify all the holiness from them. And then one merits through this — through the aspect of v’nafik — a very great ascent, to the aspect of the Sukkah, which is the aspect of makifin [surrounding lights], as above. And this is the aspect of the upper point. For the Sukkah, which is the aspect of Imma di’m’sach’cha, the aspect of Aim L’Vinah [“Mother of Understanding”] — this is the aspect of t’shuvah, the aspect of Keser, the aspect of the upper point (as is written there). And this is what is explained there regarding the three mitzvos that Yisrael were commanded. To cut off the seed of Amalek — this is the aspect of the lower point, the aspect of “He will subdue peoples beneath us” (see there). For Amalek is the opposite of the aspect of Sukkah. For the Sukkah is the aspect of the Clouds of Glory that sheltered Yisrael in the wilderness, as above. And Amalek was pursuing those who straggled behind — those whom the Cloud expelled. It emerges that the Clouds of Glory, the aspect of the Sukkah, save and subdue the aspect of Amalek. For Amalek has power only when there is not, chas v’shalom, the aspect of the Sukkah — namely, the Clouds of Glory — in completeness, as is written: “And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, heard” (BaMidbar 21:1) — and Rashi explains that this is Amalek, who heard that the Clouds of Glory had departed. And therefore he came upon Yisrael, for he has power only when the Clouds of Glory, the aspect of the Sukkah, are not sheltering Yisrael, chas v’shalom. It emerges that the Sukkah subdues the aspect of Amalek. And therefore through the Sukkah, one cuts off the seed of Amalek. And through this the aspect of the lower point is made, the aspect of chirik, in the aspect of “He will subdue peoples beneath us,” etc., as above. And the Sukkah itself, which is the aspect of Binah, t’shuvah, as above — this is the aspect of the upper point, etc., as above. And the Vav within the Alef, which is the inclusiveness of all colors — this is made through the aspect of the four species of the Lulav, which are comprised of many colors. For the esrog has taste and fragrance, the lulav has taste but no fragrance, the hadas [myrtle] has fragrance but no taste, and the aravah [willow] has neither taste nor fragrance. And they are the aspect of those who possess Torah and mitzvos, those who possess Torah without mitzvos, etc., as is brought. And this is the aspect of the inclusiveness of all colors. For the four species include all the colors that exist in Yisrael, who are comprised of many colors, in the aspect of “Yisrael, in whom I take glory” (Y’shayahu 49:3). And the four species include all the colors that exist in Yisrael, as above. And this is the aspect of the Vav, which is the aspect of the inclusiveness of all colors, as is explained there. And therefore the main b’rachah [blessing] is “al n’tilas lulav” [“concerning the taking of the lulav”] — for it is the aspect of the Vav, the aspect of Tzaddik Y’sod Olam [“the Righteous One, Foundation of the world”], which is the aspect of the Vav. And therefore we wave with the Lulav and its species upward and downward and in the four directions. For the Lulav, which is the aspect of the Vav, as above, connects the lower point with the upper point — which are the aspect of “If I ascend to Heaven, You are there; and if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there.” And this is what we wave with the Lulav and its species upward and downward, etc. — in order to crown Him upward and downward, etc. — to teach and reveal that His kingdom rules over all, upward and downward and in the four directions, in the aspect of “If I ascend to Heaven … and if I make my bed in the grave …” as is written: “Do I not fill the heaven and the earth? says Hashem” (Yirmiyahu 23:24). And this is why the arvai nachal [willows of the brook] are bound with the four species — for they hint at the sinners of Yisrael who have neither Torah nor mitzvos. For through the Lulav and its species, which reveal that His kingdom rules over all, and even in the lowest depths one can find Hashem, blessed be He, in the aspect of “And if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there” — through this one can connect even the sinners of Yisrael to holiness and return them to good, the aspect of arvai nachal. For His kingdom rules over all, etc., as above. And all this is accomplished through the Sukkah and the four species, as above. And therefore the custom is to take the Lulav in the Sukkah. For the Lulav is the aspect of the Vav, which connects the lower point — which is the aspect of the fallen holinesses that dwell outside, which are in the aspect of “And the earth is My footstool” — this is chirik, in the aspect of Sukkas David ha’nofeles [“the fallen Sukkah of David”]. And through the Lulav, which is the aspect of the Vav, one connects them to the aspect of the upper point, which is the aspect of Sukkas Shalaim, Imma di’m’sach’cha al b’nin. And through this, all the fallen holinesses are raised and restored to their root, and the fallen Sukkah of David is raised. And then the aspect of Adam to sit upon the Throne is completed. And then Yisrael give judgment and law upon all the nations, for they are above them all. For on Sukkos, Yisrael give them a portion and sustenance according to the will of Yisrael — which is the aspect of the seventy bulls that are offered for them (as is brought in the Zohar, etc.). And this is the aspect of “In the future, Yisrael will give upon them judgment,” etc., as above. And this is [the reason] that one covers [the Sukkah] with the waste of the threshing floor and the winepress [p’soles goren va’yekev]. For then one elevates all the waste, and from it the aspect of the Sukkah is made. And this is the aspect of v’nafik — that one elevates all the waste and clarifies it, and it ascends to holiness, to the aspect of the Sukkah. And therefore the main mitzvah of the Sukkah involves eating, drinking, and sleeping. For it is found in the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, that the service of Torah and prayer is an inner aspect, and the service of eating and drinking is an outer aspect. And therefore the main mitzvah of the Sukkah is eating, drinking, and sleeping, which are the aspect of exteriority. For the main mitzvah of the Sukkah is to clarify and elevate all the lower levels — all the exterior aspects — to holiness, which is the aspect of baki b’nafik [expert in exiting], as above. For the main mitzvah of the Sukkah is to raise the Sukkas David ha’nofeles [the fallen Sukkah of David] through the aspect of Sukkas Shalaim, Imma di’m’sach’cha al b’nin — namely, to raise and elevate all the fallen holinesses, which are in the aspect of Sukkas David ha’nofeles, through the mitzvah of the Sukkah — through leaving the house for the outside and sitting in the Sukkah, etc., as above. And therefore the Sukkah is exempt from a m’zuzah. For the m’zuzah is affixed at the entrance, because it is close to the outside, and through it one enters from the outside into the house. Therefore one needs a m’zuzah there, so that the external forces — who dwell outside — should not, chas v’shalom, grow strong and should not have any hold or dominion in the house, chas v’shalom. But through the mitzvah of the Sukkah, through which one clarifies the places of the external forces and subdues the Sitra Achara and the external forces in their own place — then they have no dominion at all, even outside. For this is the main aspect of the Sukkah: that one leaves the house for the outside to sit in the Sukkah, in order to subdue them and expel them even outside. And therefore one does not need a m’zuzah there at all, for they have already been subdued and expelled entirely, even outside, through the aspect of the Sukkah, etc., as above. And this is what Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote in another place (siman 266): that through the mitzvah of the Sukkah, one can engage in building a house and it will not harm him at all. For the main harm, chas v’shalom, that could come, chas v’shalom, to one who engages in building, is because one drives them from their place. For before the building was there, it was a place of hefker [ownerlessness], and they could take hold there. And now, when one builds a house there, they are driven from there, and through this they provoke him, chas v’shalom, and through this harm could come to him, chas v’shalom. But through the mitzvah of the Sukkah, through which the external forces are subdued entirely and they have no more dominion or hold at all, even outside, as above — therefore through this one can engage in building and it does not harm at all. For the external forces have no more dominion at all, even outside, for they have been expelled and nullified entirely through the mitzvah of the Sukkah, as above. Blessed is Hashem forever, Amain and Amain.