ראש השנה ה

Section Vav [ו] And this is [the meaning of]: "The wrath of man shall praise You; the residue of wrath You shall gird" — and Rashi explained there that the meaning is: when the nations are in anger and fury, through this Hashem, blessed be He, grows great and they give thanks and praise to Him, blessed be He, when they see the tremendous downfall of the wicked — see there. And this is "the residue of wrath You shall gird" — meaning, the verse explains how Hashem, blessed be He, causes them to fall when they grow powerful in great anger up to the point where they wish to destroy, G‑d forbid — that is, as stated, that He, blessed be He, causes them to fall specifically by raising up against them masters of fury greater than them who bring about their downfall, as stated. And this is "the residue of wrath You shall gird" — that Hashem, blessed be He, girds others with great furies, and through this comes their downfall — from among themselves and through themselves, as stated. And this is "Vow and pay to Hashem, etc., they shall bring tribute to the Awesome One" — meaning, they must vow and pay, etc., that is, to give tzedakah for the sake of Hashem, blessed be He — to restore and lift all the wealth back to holiness — for the essential rectification of wealth is through tzedakah to the deserving poor (as is written in §69 cited above). And this is "He cuts off the spirit of princes" — He cuts off and diminishes the spirit of the princes of the Other Side through all the above.

Section 1 On the first day of Sukkos one begins to take the lulav with the four species — which are the bechina of tikun habris. (As cited in the holy books: this is the bechina of the eighteen wavings [chai ni'enu'im] of the lulav — the bechina of "the righteous one lives forever" [tzaddik chai almin] — the bechina of "the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree" [tzaddik katamar yifrach].) And therefore one begins to take them on the first day of Sukkos in order to sustain the sukkah so that it should not fall, G‑d forbid — in the bechina of "the fallen sukkah of David" [sukkas David hanofalas]. For this occurs, G‑d forbid, through the bloods of the 365 sinews — which are the 365 prohibitions — being sprayed into the brain. From this comes, G‑d forbid, the falling sickness [choli nofel] — the bechina of the fallen sukkah, etc. And all of this is through the absence of tikun habris. See all of this in the teaching cited above beginning "Ha'i man d'va'ay l'minsav" (§29). Therefore one takes the four species of the lulav — which are the bechina of tikun habris — for it [the lulav] sends rectifications and whiteness to all 365 sinews. And through this we support and sustain and raise the sukkah cited above so that it should not fall, G‑d forbid, as stated. And therefore they are four species — corresponding to the four white garments [arba bigdei lavan] which are drawn through them — through raising the mochin and establishing the sukkah cited above — from which whiteness is drawn, in the bechina of blood becoming turbid and turning into milk (as cited there, as stated). Which is the bechina of the sukkah — which is the bechina of "call understanding 'mother'" [im labinah tikra] — in the bechina of "You sheltered me in my mother's womb" [tsukkeni veveten imi] — for there, in the bechina of "call understanding 'mother'", in the bechina of sukkah, the blood becomes turbid and turns into milk — from which the white garments are made. And corresponding to this one takes the four species of the lulav — corresponding to the four white garments made through them, as stated. And therefore one begins to take the lulav on the first day of Sukkos — for the building of the sukkah and its establishment is through the power of the whitening of the sins that was accomplished on Yom Kippur through tikun habris. Through this we have the power to build the sukkah and raise it, as stated. And therefore immediately upon the conclusion [motza'ei] of Yom Kippur one begins to engage with the sukkah at once. And all four days between Yom Kippur and Sukkos one is occupied with its construction — for during all these four days sins are not reckoned against one. And therefore they are four days corresponding to the four white garments drawn on Yom Kippur — through which whiteness flows through all those four days — and therefore sins are not reckoned during them. And because of this one is occupied during all these four days with building the sukkah — for then we have the power to build the sukkah and establish it through the whitening of the sins and bloods, as stated. And therefore on the first day of Sukkos — which is the first of the reckoning of sins — we therefore fear that the sins — in the bechina of the bloods — might overwhelm and cause the bechina of the sukkah to fall, G‑d forbid, as stated. Therefore one takes the four species — through which one supports the sukkah of David so that it should not fall, G‑d forbid, as stated. And for this reason one recites Hallel together with the lulav — for Hallel is the bechina of the general rectification of speech, in the bechina of "bless Hashem, His angels, mighty in strength, doers of His word, to hearken," etc. — namely through praising the Righteous One of the world and glorifying Him — through this speech is rectified (as explained there in the teaching cited above). And therefore one then takes the lulav — which is also the bechina of the general rectification of the sinews. For all the bechinot of general rectifications explained there in the teaching cited above are mutually dependent. And the essential [rectification] depends on tikun habris — which is the totality of the sinews — which is the essential general totality of all rectifications. And this is: "bless Hashem, His angels, mighty in strength, doers of His word, to hearken," etc. — which Rabbainu, may his light shine, interpreted regarding the general rectification of speech through "bless Hashem" — see there. And this is what is written in the verse: "His angels, mighty in strength" — for they are the bechina of those who guard the covenant, "those who overpower their inclinations, who are like angels themselves" [inun d'misgabrin al yitzraiyhon d'damyan l'malackim mamash]. And those specifically are able to rectify speech through praising the Righteous One of the world — for this depends on that, as stated. And this is the bechina of taking the lulav — which is the bechina of tikun habris, the totality of the sinews — during the recitation of Hallel, which is the praise of Hashem, blessed be He, which is the rectification of speech. For both are bechinot of the general rectification — and mutually dependent, as stated. And therefore the wavings [ni'enu'im] — which are the essential fulfillment of the mitzvah — are performed at Hodu at the beginning and end [of Hallel]. For "Give thanks to Hashem" [Hodu laHashem] is the essential praise of the Righteous One of the world — and therefore then is the essential fulfillment of the mitzvah of lulav, which is the wavings. For the wavings are the essential tikun habris. And therefore there are six [directions] — to all six directions — for this is the bechina of tikun habris, which is the bechina of vav. And at each direction three wavings — making eighteen wavings in all — the bechina of "the righteous one lives forever" [tzaddik chai almin] — as is cited. For the lulav is the bechina of the weapons of war to conquer and overpower the seventy nations (as it is cited in the holy Zohar) — namely through it one conquers and overpowers the encompassing evil of the seventy nations, which is the desire of licentiousness [ta'avat niyuf] — and one merits tikun habris, which is the general rectification, as stated. Which is the bechina of Shaday — "Who shoots and sends rectifications like an arrow to all the narrow and constricted places" [shadi v'yoreh k'chetz tikunim l'chol mekomos hatzarim v'hadakim] (as cited in the teaching cited above). And this is the bechina of the wavings — that one waves and shoots the weapons of war in every direction and diagonal direction, aiming the weapons of war to strike to a hair's breadth — in order to conquer and subdue them in every place they are found. And through this itself, rectifications are sent to all sides — to all the narrow and constricted places, as stated. Which is also the bechina of the wavings — that one waves and sends rectifications to all diagonal directions in the bechina of Shaday, as stated. For this is dependent on that — through the strengthening and victory of the war: which is the essential rectification, which is the bechina of full countervailing repentance [teshuvas hamishkal mamash] — through this, rectifications are sent to all the constricted places, as stated. And this is the bechina of the lulav which rises and tapers, going upward until at its tip it is very thin — to indicate that it waves and sends rectifications to all the narrow and constricted places, as stated. Also in Hallel the subduing of the encompassing evil of the seventy nations is mentioned — in the bechina of "they surrounded me" [sabuni] etc. — "in the name of Hashem I will cut them off" [b'Shem Hashem ki amilam]. Mil in gematria = seventy nations — for this is the bechina of milah [circumcision] (as cited in Sha'arei Orah). And milah is the bechina of the subduing of the encompassing evil — namely the general desire cited above (as cited in the teaching "Tefillah l'Chavakuk" §19). Therefore one then takes the lulav, as stated — for it is the weapon of war against them, as stated. Section 2 And this is the bechina of the water libation [nisuch hamayim] during the festival. For upon all the sacrifices they would pour wine [yayin] — for the sacrifices are [the bechina of] tikun habris, as they subdue the animal spirit which is the blemish of the covenant, as stated. And this is what is written: "You shall not cut off the salt of your G‑d's covenant from your sacrifice." And therefore they would pour wine then — for through tikun habris, wine is sweetened. And then on the contrary — through the wine, the rectification is further increased. For the brain is elevated through it in the bechina of "one who merited [sobriety] becomes the head" [zachah na'aseh rosh] (as cited in the teaching cited above). And this is why one sings over the wine — namely, songs and praises to Hashem, blessed be He — which is also the general rectification through the elevation of da'as that comes through praising the Righteous One of the world. And this is the bechina of the song [accompanying] the libations of the sacrifices, as stated. And because during Sukkos it is then the bechina of tikun habris to a greater degree, as stated, and then the bloods are whitened and clarified greatly — therefore then one pours both water and wine together (as stated in the Mishnah) — to indicate that the wine has been sweetened greatly, an additional sweetening, until it has been sweetened to the bechina of water. For water is the bechina of chassadim [lovingkindnesses] — and they are the diluting and sweetening of the wine. And this is why the water libation is alluded to amidst the wine libations — as our Sages of blessed memory derived (Tractate Ta'anis): the word "v'niskeihem" [and their libations] is written in the second [day's passage with an unusual spelling] — for the water libation sweetens the wine, as stated. Section 3 And therefore there is great joy in the Simchas Beis Hasho'aivah — for when the wine is sweetened, it is then in the bechina of wine that gladdens. And from there also comes the joy of the entire festival — through meriting the sukkah, which is the bechina of "call understanding 'mother'", where there is wine that gladdens. And then during Simchas Beis Hasho'aivah one merits the attainment of wisdom greatly — as it is written: "And you shall draw water with joy" [ushavtem mayim b'sason] — and its Aramaic translation: "and you shall receive new teaching" [u'sekablun ulpan chadat]. For then the brain is greatly elevated in the bechina of "one who merited becomes the head" (as explained there). And therefore one rejoices in the drawing of the water — for they are in the bechina of its sweetening, as stated. And thereby wine that gladdens is made — which is the bechina of the attainment of wisdom, as is cited. And therefore one greatly multiplies songs and praises during Simchas Beis Hasho'aivah — for this is the bechina of rectification of speech, as stated. And therefore the elders would proclaim that they had merited to be cleansed of sins (as explained there) — what the elders would say: "Fortunate is our old age that has atoned," etc. For the essential joy of Simchas Beis Hasho'aivah — which occurs during Sukkos — is only through having merited the clarification of the bloods. Through this the wine is sweetened and mixed with water, as stated. And this is why they would say: "We are for Y-H and our eyes are toward Y-H" [anu l'Y-H v'einainu l'Y-H] — which is the bechina of the mochin, the bechina of "acquire wisdom, acquire understanding" [k'neh chochmah k'neh vinah] — for they are Y-H. Section 4 And this is the bechina of the encirclings [hakafos] — with which they would encircle the willow [aravah] each day once, and on Hoshana Rabbah seven times, with the four species. For the willow is the bechina of malchus-peh [the mouth of kingship], the bechina of faith [emunah] — as is cited. And therefore they would encircle it with the lulav and four species — in order to complete the bechina of speech, the bechina of malchus, the bechina of faith — through the bechina of the makifim [encircling lights] that draw whiteness and rectification to her through them — to clothe her in the four white garments drawn from there through the four species of the lulav, as stated. And therefore on Hoshana Rabbah they would encircle seven times — corresponding to the seven layers of the cornea [shivas gilday d'eina] — which are in the bechina of hairs [sa'aros], the bechina of encircling mochin surrounding the pupil of the eye (as mentioned there at the end of the teaching) — which rectify the menstrual blood [dam niddos], as mentioned there. For all our engagement throughout the seven days of Sukkos — with sukkah and lulav and the other general rectifications cited above — all of it is in order to merit on Hoshana Rabbah to seal the outer seal [chosam hachitzon]: the bechina of faith [emunah] — which is rectified through the general rectification of speech, as stated. For faith depends upon the mouth of a person — as Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote (§44 of Likutay Tinyana). And everything depends upon tikun habris — as cited in the words of Rabbainu in many places: that faith depends upon tikun habris. And therefore the mitzvah of the four species is performed with the hands — for they are taken in the hands because they come to rectify the seal of the hands [chosam hayadayim] — which is the seal of faith, as stated. And the principle: tikun habris and faith — which is the bechina of the mouth [peh] and speech — are mutually dependent. And they are the bechina of the inner seal and outer seal — which are the seal of the feet [chosam haraGlayim] and seal of the hands [chosam hayadayim] — the bechina of the seal of the covenant of the tongue [chosam bris halashon] and the seal of the covenant of the flesh [chosam bris hama'or] — which are in the bechina of "He made a covenant between the ten fingers of his hands — which is the covenant of the tongue — and He made a covenant," etc. And they are in the bechina of what Rabbainu, may his light shine, said: that the guarding of the covenant and the perfection of the holy tongue are mutually dependent — for they are the bechina of the two seals cited above — a seal within a seal — each dependent on the other. And therefore one stays awake on the night of Hoshana Rabbah — in order to merit the perfection of the holy tongue, which is the bechina of malchus-peh, etc. — whose essential completion is through the tongue of targum [Aramaic], which is the bechina of deep sleep [tardemah]. And therefore one stays awake — in order to subdue the bechina of sleep, the bechina of tardemah (as cited above). And this is why Mishneh Torah [Deuteronomy] is then recited — which is the bechina of malchus, as is cited — namely the bechina of malchus-peh cited above: the bechina of the perfection of the holy tongue through the tongue of targum. Which is the bechina of Mishneh Torah — in the bechina of "These are the words that Moshe spoke on the other side of the Jordan" [eileh hadevarim asher diber Moshe b'ever haYarden]. "On the other side of the Jordan" [b'ever haYarden] precisely — for ever haYarden is the bechina of the tongue of targum that completes the holy tongue. For the tongue of targum — which is the Aramaic language — is from ever haYarden. And therefore the tribes of Israel took their portion and inheritance there as well — for the Land of Israel is the bechina of the holy tongue. For the holy tongue was chosen from all the languages of the nations, and similarly the Land of Israel was chosen from the lands of the seventy peoples. And Israel — who were chosen from the seventy nations — merited both. For the Land of Israel is also the bechina of the sanctity of the covenant — the bechina of "the righteous shall inherit the land" [tzaddikim yirshu aretz]. And it is the bechina of faith — which is the bechina of malchus-peh — the bechina of the perfection of the holy tongue — as it is written: "Dwell in the land and cultivate faith" [sh'chan eretz ur'ei emunah] (as Rabbainu wrote). And Israel merited their portion and inheritance — the Land of Israel — for it belongs to the people of Israel: "They are all righteous; forever shall they inherit the land." And since the essential completion of the holy tongue is through the tongue of targum — which is ever haYarden, the bechina of the Aramaic tongue, as stated — therefore Israel were required to also take their portion there — in order to complete the bechina of the holy tongue through the tongue of targum — which is the bechina of ever haYarden, as stated. And this is why Moshe was at first greatly angered at the children of Reuven and the children of Gad for choosing ever haYarden — for he thought they wished to remain there permanently. Therefore he was greatly angered at them — for the bechina of the tongue of targum has no perfection or holiness in itself except when it completes the holy tongue. And the essential battle is through it. And therefore when they answered him that they would cross over as armed troops before their brothers — for the essential battle is through them, and therefore they specifically must cross over as armed troops before the battle — for the essential battle and victory is in the bechina of the tongue of targum (as cited above in the Laws of Chol HaMo'ed). And afterward, when they will have won the battle, they will return to dwell there — for then, when one fully subdues the evil of the seventy nations, the targum then completes the holy tongue, and then the targum is also holy. And therefore they can afterward dwell in ever haYarden — which is the bechina of targum, as stated. And therefore afterward Moshe Rabbainu, peace be upon him, was appeased regarding them. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said: "A person should always complete his Torah portions with the congregation — two Scripture and one Targum — and even Ataroth and Divon" — which are cities of ever haYarden. And this is puzzling: why did they take specifically this verse [as their example]? After all, there is also a targum on this verse now. And even if we say with difficulty that in their days there was no targum on this verse — still, it would have been difficult for them to take the verse about Reuven and Shimon [earlier in the Torah] which has no targum even now, and which appears earlier in the Torah. But the innovation [ribusa] is: even Ataroth and Divon — which are themselves ever haYarden, which are themselves the bechina of targum — even so, one must read them with the [formula of] two Scripture and one Targum. For Torah has seventy facets, and a single verse divides into many interpretations. And therefore Mishneh Torah was said in ever haYarden — which is the bechina of the completion of the holy tongue through targum, as stated. And therefore one reads it on the night of Hoshana Rabbah — for then one requires this, as stated. And this is why one completes all of Tehillim then — for the recitation of Tehillim is a rectification for a nocturnal emission [mikrah laylah] (as Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote). And a nocturnal emission comes through the bechina of tardemah [deep sleep] — the bechina of targum (as cited there in the teaching "Tefillah l'Chavakuk"). And therefore on the night of Hoshana Rabbah — when one must rectify the bechina of the mouth [peh], as stated, which is the bechina of the willow [aravah], as stated — therefore one stays awake the entire night and breaks the sleep and reads Mishneh Torah and Tehillim — in order to merit the perfection of the holy tongue through the tongue of targum, as stated. Section 5 And afterward — through all these rectifications through which one has merited the bechina of makifim, which is the completion of da'as — therefore afterward comes Simchas Torah. For then we merit the attainment of the concealed Torah [Torah hastumah] — the bechina of "the Torah of the Ancient Concealed One, which is destined to be revealed in the future" [oraisa d'atika stimaa da'asida l'isgalya l'asid lavo]. For Simchas Torah is the bechina of the ultimate final [level] (as cited in the holy books) — and therefore the Torah is concluded then, and one immediately begins again — to indicate that one merits the bechina of the Torah of the Ancient One, which is entirely right [kula yemina], with no beginning or end — only simple unity. And this is the bechina of the encircling hakafos performed with the Torah — in the bechina of kula yemina. For the one who encircles goes [circling] to the right — as stated in the Mishnah. Thus in the bechina of the hakafos there is no beginning or end or sides — and they are the bechina of kula yemina, as stated. Which is the bechina of the concealed Torah cited above — which one merits then, as stated. For the essential attainment of the concealed Oraisa d'Atika Stimaa cited above is through the subduing of evil — as Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote in the teaching "Mi ha'ish hechafetz chayyim" (§33): that through overpowering one's inclination, one thereby subdues and nullifies the evil that rests upon the good. And through this the Torah that is hidden and concealed among the languages of the nations is revealed. And thereby one merits, as stated, the Oraisa d'Atika Stimaa cited above (see there carefully). And this is the bechina of the water libation [nisuch hamayim] alluded to amidst the libations of the bulls — which correspond to the seventy nations, which diminish progressively [during the seven days of Sukkos] as our Sages of blessed memory said — to indicate that the hidden Torah is clothed among those nations. And therefore when one subdues them — so that they diminish progressively — the Torah hidden among them that was concealed until now is revealed. For the water is in the bechina of the concealed Torah cited above — as it is written: "And you shall draw water with joy" [ushavtem mayim b'sason] — and its Aramaic translation: "and you shall receive new teaching" [u'sekablun ulpan chadat]. And therefore this [water libation] is done during Sukkos — when it is the subduing of the evil of all seventy nations through the rectifications performed then, as stated. And this is the bechina of Simchas Beis Hasho'aivah. And this is the bechina of Simchas Torah — that one rejoices greatly, having merited to attain the Oraisa Stimaa through the victory of the battle and the rectifications of the days of Sukkos, as stated. Blessed be Hashem forever, Amen and Amen. This halacha traces a single unbroken arc from Yom Kippur through Simchas Torah — each element of the Sukkos season revealed as a link in one continuous chain of rectification. The chain: Yom Kippur produces the inner seal (chosam pnimi) through tikun habris. The whitening of sins on Yom Kippur empowers the four days of sukkah-building. On the first day of Sukkos — when the sins-reckoning resumes — the four species are taken to sustain the sukkah (sukkas David hanofalas) through their 18 wavings, sending rectifications to all 365 sinews like Shaday shooting arrows into narrow places. The Hallel accompanies the lulav because both are forms of the same tikun klali: one rectifies the sinews, the other rectifies speech. On Hoshana Rabbah the seven circuits around the willow complete the outer seal (chosam chitzon) — emunah. The night vigil with Mishneh Torah and Tehillim subdues the tardemah/targum dimension, completing holy speech. And the ultimate fruit: Simchas Torah — the revealed joy of the Oraisa d'Atika Stimaa, the hidden Torah that can only emerge when the evil of the seventy nations has been subdued. This is why the Sukkos bull-offerings diminish daily (70 total): they represent the nations being progressively subdued until the hidden Torah within them is freed. The water libation (nisuch hamayim) unifies all of this: wine = gevurah/din; water = chassadim/sweetness. During Sukkos, the tikun habris is so complete that the wine has been sweetened to the point of water — hence both are poured together. "You shall draw water with joy" = "you shall receive new teaching" (Targum) = the hidden Torah of the future, revealed now through the joy of those who have fought the battle and won.

It emerges that “Yitzchak son of Avraham” hints that the time — which is the aspect of Yitzchak — becomes unified and ascends to the aspect of above time, which is the aspect of “Avraham who loves Me,” etc., as above — through the t’shuvah, which is the aspect of ben [son], the aspect of “a remnant will return — your son,” as above. And through this, the voice is heard — “The voice is the voice of Yaakov,” as above, as is explained there at the end of the matter.

“And Yisro heard — the Splitting of the Sea and the War of Amalek.” The Splitting of the Sea is the aspect of the nullification of times [bittul ha’z’manim] — “And Hashem looked upon the camp of Mitzrayim through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He confounded them” (Sh’mos 14:24). The pillar of fire is night, and the cloud is day — and HaKadosh Baruch Hu mixed them up and nullified the times. The War of Amalek is t’shuvah — Moshe, Aharon, and Chur — Rashi explains: they were engaged in a fast, meaning t’shuvah. Through this — through the nullification of times through t’shuvah — “Yisro heard” — he heard the kol. And in this manner you can look and examine the rest of the matters explained there, in this way, as above. And you will be able to understand there somewhat, if you examine well — “only its edge you will see” and understand somewhat, not all of it.

And this is the aspect of hearing the kol Shofar on Rosh HaShanah, which is yoma d’dina [the Day of Judgment], the aspect of G’vuros Yitzchak [the Severities of Yitzchak]. And then we blow the Shofar. For on Rosh HaShanah the awakening of t’shuvah begins, for it is the first day of the Ten Days of T’shuvah. And through the t’shuvah that begins on Rosh HaShanah, one merits the aspect of above time — which is the aspect of “Yitzchak son of Avraham,” as above. Meaning, Yitzchak — which is the aspect of time — ascends and is included in the aspect of “Avraham who loves Me,” which is the aspect of above time, through the t’shuvah, as above. And through this, the aspect of “The voice is the voice of Yaakov” is revealed and heard, which subdues the voice of Eisav, the aspect of “and he raised his voice,” as above.

And this is the aspect of the kol that goes out from the Shofar. For the Shofar is the aspect of t’shuvah — for it is the aspect of Binah [Understanding], t’shuvah, as is brought — the aspect of “From the narrow place I called to Y-ah.” And from there the kol goes out. For the revelation of the kol — the aspect of “The voice is the voice of Yaakov” — goes out from the Shofar, which is the aspect of t’shuvah, through which one merits the aspect of above time, through which the “voice of Yaakov” is heard and revealed — which is the aspect of the kol that goes out from the Shofar, as above.

And therefore we blow a Shofar of a ram [ayil] — the aspect of the ayilo shel Yitzchak [the ram of Yitzchak], which is the aspect of time, which is sweetened and ascends to the aspect of Avraham, which is the aspect of above time, through the awakening of t’shuvah at the time of the blowing of the Shofar. Through this the kol of the Shofar is heard. For the main revelation and hearing of the kol is through the t’shuvah, as above. And therefore we bless the main blessing “lishmo’a kol shofar” [“to hear the sound of the Shofar”] and we do not bless “to blow the Shofar.” For the main thing is to hear the kol Shofar — namely, to merit t’shuvah then. And then one merits to hear the kol Shofar. For the kol is heard and revealed specifically through the t’shuvah, through which one merits the aspect of above time, as above.

And this is the aspect of the sweetening of G’vuras Yitzchak that is sweetened on Rosh HaShanah through the aspect of Avraham and Yaakov. As is written in the holy Zohar: that Avraham and Yaakov hold onto Yitzchak so that he should not burn the world, chas v’shalom, etc. For G’vuras Yitzchak is the aspect of time, as above. And Chesed Avraham [the Kindness of Avraham] is the aspect of above time, as above.

For it is found in the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, in another place, that the main z’man [time] is because the da’as [knowledge/awareness] is not in completeness. And the more the da’as is diminished, the more it seems that there is time. But when there is da’as, the time is nullified. And the more the da’as grows, the more one knows that there is no time at all — until, through the ultimate completeness of da’as, one can merit the aspect of above time entirely. And therefore during sleep, when the da’as departs entirely and only the ko’ach ha’m’dameh [imaginative faculty] remains, then it seems to a person that in a quarter of an hour, many years pass, as is perceived in a dream. It emerges that then a quarter of an hour is seventy years — for because of the lack of da’as, it seems that even a quarter of an hour is a great length of time. But afterward, when one awakens from sleep, one sees that the time that seemed in the dream to be many, many years is in truth only a quarter of an hour. It emerges that time is shortened through the da’as. And similarly, higher and higher — the more the da’as is greater, the time also becomes shorter — what seems to us while awake to be a great length of time, there where the da’as is greater, the time is shorter. And so on, higher and higher, until the ultimate completeness of da’as, where it is above time entirely, etc. (see there). And similarly with regard to makom [space] — the more the da’as is greater, the more the space is diminished, etc. (see there, all this, well, in Likutay Tinyana siman 61).

It emerges that the main z’man is in the aspect of the lack of da’as, and conversely, the nullification of time is through the completeness of da’as. And the lack of da’as is the aspect of dinim [judgments/severities]. For the more the da’as is completed, the more the chesed and compassion grow (as is explained many times in the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory). And therefore the main z’man is in the aspect of G’vuras Yitzchak, from which the dinim descend — which are in the aspect of the lack of da’as, through which the time grows greater. And conversely, Avraham, which is the aspect of love and chesed — which is the aspect of the enlargement of da’as, for mi’sitra di’y’mina mocha chivra k’chaspa [“from the right side, the brain is white like silver”] — therefore it is in the aspect of the nullification of times, as above.

And this is the aspect of what is brought there in the aforementioned chapter headings, the verse: “When you are in distress … in the end of days … and you will return” (D’varim 4:30), etc. For acharis ha’yamim [“the end of days”] is the aspect of time, for there, in time, one can speak of “the end of days.” And there is the main hold of the dinim, chas v’shalom, as above. And this is: “When you are in distress and all these things find you … in the end of days” — in the end of days specifically, which is the aspect of the intensity of time, which is the aspect of the withdrawal of da’as, which is the aspect of severities and judgments, chas v’shalom, the aspect of “when you are in distress,” etc. And then one needs to do t’shuvah in order to merit the aspect of above time, which one merits through the t’shuvah, as above. And through this, the time is sweetened and ascends above time, and then all the dinim are sweetened — the aspect of “when you are in distress” — through the da’as that grows, which is the aspect of above time, etc., as above. And this is: “When you are in distress … in the end of days” specifically, as above — then “you will return to Hashem your G-d and you will hear His voice” specifically, as above. Meaning, you will do t’shuvah, and then you will merit the aspect of above time, and you will merit to hear the kol, as above. And then everything is sweetened, as above.

And this is the aspect of the kol Shofar — that then G’vuras Yitzchak is sweetened through Avraham, etc. For then the time — which is the aspect of G’vuros Yitzchak — ascends to the aspect of “Avraham who loves Me,” which is the aspect of above time. And through this, the “voice of Yaakov” is heard and revealed, through which everything is sweetened, as above.

And this is the aspect of the narrow end of the Shofar [maitzar ha’shofar], the aspect of “From the narrow place I called to Y-ah,” the aspect of “When you are in distress,” etc., mentioned above — which is the aspect of G’vuros Yitzchak, the aspect of time, as above. And from there specifically one hears “the voice of Yaakov,” which is the aspect of the kol that goes out from the Shofar, as above. For this is the main thing: to sweeten the din at its root and to transform the din to rachamim [mercy] — that the intensity of G’vuros Yitzchak, which is the aspect of time from which the dinim mainly take hold, chas v’shalom, the aspect of “when you are in distress,” the aspect of the narrow end of the Shofar, should be sweetened and ascend to the aspect of above time, the aspect of Avraham. Until from there specifically the kol is revealed and sweetened — for this kol cannot be heard except through the aspect of above time, as above. And now the kol is heard and revealed specifically from within the aspect of G’vuros Yitzchak, which is the Shofar of the ram — the ram of Yitzchak — the aspect of the narrow end of the Shofar. For one merits through the t’shuvah to sweeten G’vuros Yitzchak, until the time ascends to the aspect of above time, as above, until from there specifically the kol is heard — which is heard specifically through the time ascending above time, as above.

And this is the aspect of the awakening from sleep at the time of the Shofar, as is brought — the aspect of “Awaken, you sleepers, from your slumber,” etc. For the main time is in the aspect of sleep, as above — for then there is the withdrawal of da’as, and then the time is greatly lengthened, etc., as above. And when one awakens from sleep, one sees that what seemed in the dream to be a very long time is in truth only a quarter of an hour, as above. It emerges that the awakening from sleep is the aspect of above time. And therefore the blowing of the Shofar is in the aspect of the awakening from sleep, the aspect of “Awaken, you sleepers,” etc. For then the time — which is the aspect of Yitzchak, the aspect of kuf-tzaddik — “sleepers,” etc., as above — ascends to the aspect of above time, which is the aspect of the awakening from sleep, as above.

And therefore we blow a Shofar that is the horn of an animal [keren b’haimah]. For the main time is in the aspect of b’haimah [animal], which is the lack of da’as. For an animal has no da’as, only the imaginative faculty — which is the aspect of sleep, where there is only the imaginative faculty, and there the main time is, as above. And therefore all the animals, beasts, birds, and all the world — everything was created before Adam in the six days of creation. And Adam was created after them, at the end of the six days of creation. For he is farther from time than all of them, and closer to the aspect of above time, which is the aspect of Shabbos. For Shabbos is the aspect of t’shuvah, the aspect of Olam Ha’Ba [the World to Come], the aspect of “And you will return to Hashem your G-d” — which is the aspect of above time, the aspect of “And He blessed it above all the days and sanctified it above all the times.” For Shabbos Kodesh is blessed and sanctified above all the days and times, for it is in the aspect of above time.

And the six days of creation are in the aspect of time, for they are in the aspect of Olam Ha’Zeh [this world], the aspect of “Today, to do them” (D’varim 7:11) — where the main time is. And therefore everything was created first, during the six days of creation, before Adam. For Adam is a bar da’as [one who possesses knowledge] — which is the defining characteristic of Adam. And therefore he is farther from time than all other creatures. And therefore he was created at the very end of time — namely, on the sixth day — so that he would enter Shabbos immediately, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. Meaning, so that he would enter immediately into the aspect of above time, which is Shabbos. For this is the main purpose of the creation of Adam in this world: to connect the lower with the upper — to connect and elevate the aspect of time to the aspect of above time.

It emerges that the main time is in the aspect of b’haimiyus [animality], the aspect of the absence of da’as, the aspect of sleep. And therefore we blow specifically a horn of an animal. For this is the main thing: to clarify and elevate the intensity of the hold of time to the aspect of above time — until from within the horn of an animal, which is the aspect of the absence of da’as, the aspect of time, from there specifically the kol of holiness is heard — the aspect of “the voice of Yaakov,” which is the aspect of the kol Shofar. For this kol is not heard except in the aspect of above time, as above. And now this kol is heard from within the Shofar, from the horn of an animal specifically. For this is the main thing: to elevate the intensity of the hold of time to the aspect of above time, until from there specifically the kol is heard, etc., as above.

For the horns of an animal grow from the excess of their brain, as is seen tangibly. And the brain of an animal is so coarse that from the excess of the brain, physical horns grow. For a human being, who possesses da’as — when he merits the completeness of da’as until the da’as grows so much that the vessels of the brain cannot contain the growth of the da’as — then this brain-overflow that cannot enter within becomes the aspect of makifin [surrounding lights]. And this is the aspect of karnayim [horns/rays], the aspect of the radiance of the skin of the face [kirun or ha’panim], as Moshe Rabbainu merited.