ראשי פרקים מהלכות ראש השנה ויום כפור וכו'

On the matter of sukkah and lulav — based on the teaching "Vayehi miketz — ki merachamam yenahgem" [Likutay Tinyana §7]. See there.

Therefore, the main counsel and remedy for them is through the path explained in the aforementioned Torah — that even though they have fallen to the filthy places where His kavod is very hidden, even so, they should search and seek Hashem constantly, and ask and inquire at all times: “Ayeh — Where is the place of His kavod?” (as is explained there). And through this they will certainly, in the final end, merit to find Him, blessed be He, and the great descent will be transformed into an ascent, in the aspect of “the descent is the purpose of the ascent” — which is the aspect of “And where is the lamb for the olah [ascending offering]?” (as is written there).

And therefore, on Rosh HaShanah, which is the first day of t’shuvah, one needs this aspect very much — to seek and request “Ayeh,” etc. And this is the aspect of the Shofar of Rosh HaShanah. For the main Shofar is the Shofar of the ram of Yitzchak, as is brought. And the ram of Yitzchak, which is the secret of the Shofar, came into being and was drawn only through the aspect of “Ayeh” mentioned above — as is understood from the parashah of the Akeidah: that through Yitzchak asking “And where is the lamb for the offering?” there afterward came into being the ram that would be offered in his stead, which was caught in the thicket by its horns specifically — hinting at the keren ha’yovel, the aspect of the Shofar.

It emerges that the horn of the Shofar came into being through the aspect of “And where is the lamb for the offering?” Therefore we blow the Shofar on Rosh HaShanah, for then is the beginning of t’shuvah, whose main essence is through the aspect of “Ayeh” — which is the aspect of the Shofar. For because the Shofar is drawn from there, its kol has the power to awaken every person to take to heart and remember his eternal purpose — and in the final end, what will become of him. And even if it is still difficult for him to return in t’shuvah, at least he should walk in the aforementioned path: to spend his days seeking Hashem, to ask each day constantly, “Where is the place of His kavod?” For this is the main t’shuvah. And as is written: “And you will seek from there Hashem your G-d, and you will find” (D’varim 4:29) — “from there” specifically. And as is brought in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory: “And you will seek from there” — “from there” specifically — from whatever place one has descended and fallen to, even to the filthy places — “from there” specifically, one needs to seek with all his heart and with all his soul for Hashem, blessed be He, in the aspect of “Ayeh.”

And all this is the aspect of Rosh HaShanah, which is a hidden, concealed, and very secret matter, the aspect of the beginning of Creation, which is the secret of “B’raishis” — which is a sealed utterance [ma’amar sasum], the aspect of “Ayeh,” as is explained in the aforementioned Torah. And therefore we say then: “Before You all hidden things are revealed, and the multitude of secrets from the beginning,” “for this day is the beginning of Your works.” For all of Creation — especially the creation of Adam, who was created on this day and includes all of Creation — its essence was through the aspect of “B’raishis,” the sealed utterance, the aspect of “Ayeh,” which includes all the ten utterances (as is explained there). And this is the aspect of “Blow the Shofar at the chodesh, at the keseh” — “ba’keseh” specifically — a language of sealed and concealed, the aspect of “Ayeh,” which is the aspect of “B’raishis,” the sealed utterance, which is sealed and concealed and very hidden. And from there is the main tikkun of t’shuvah.

For the essential compassion is to draw Israel out from their sins and to illuminate da'as within them — and to strive to illuminate in son and student [bein v'salmid], etc. And through this one merits the makifim — which are the essential delight of the World to Come — the bechina of "how great is Your goodness that You have stored away" [ma rav tuvcha asher tzafanta], etc. And the tzaddik must have the bechina of kol [all-encompassing] — the bechina of "for all that is in heaven and on earth" [ki chol bashamayim uva'aretz] — to illuminate both to the dwellers above [daray ma'alah] and to the dwellers below [daray matah]. To show the dwellers above — who do not know His comprehension at all — the bechina of "where is the place of His glory?" [ayyeh mekom kevodo] — the bechina of "what did you see?" [mah chamisa], etc. And conversely — to the dwellers below, the dust-dwellers [shochnay afar] who dwell in the lowest tier, who think themselves very far from Him, blessed be He — to show them that Hashem is with them — for "the whole earth is full of His glory," etc. See all of this there carefully. And through the totality of son and student — through this the illumination of the Divine Will [he'aras haratzon] shines at the moment of eating — the bechina of "what has G‑d wrought" [mah po'al Kel] — see there. Section 1 Now it is understood there that the essential illumination of son and student is to draw Israel out from their sins — to illuminate da'as within them, etc., as stated. And on Yom Kippur there was the forgiveness of sins — and Israel went forth from their sins. And through this they merited da'as — for the essential da'as is when one goes forth from the sin, which is a spirit of foolishness [ruach shetus]. And therefore on Yom Kippur in the evening one cries out "Hashem — He is G‑d" [Hashem hu haElokim] — for then, after the forgiveness of sins, one merits da'as. For "Hashem — He is G‑d" is the bechina of "You have been shown to know that Hashem — He is G‑d" [atah hare'asa lada'as ki Hashem hu haElokim] — for this is the essential da'as: to know that Hashem — He is G‑d (as explained there — see there). Thus: on Yom Kippur when there was forgiveness of sins and they merited da'as — this is the bechina of the illumination of son and student, as stated. And therefore after Yom Kippur one enters the sukkah — which is the bechina of makifim. For through Yom Kippur — namely the forgiveness of sins, which is the bechina of da'as, the bechina of the illumination of son and student — through this one merits the makifim, which are the bechina of sukkah — the bechina of "how great is Your goodness that You have stored away for those who fear You." And when one merits these makifim, one must have the bechina of kol — the bechina of "for all that is in heaven and on earth" — d'achid bishmaya v'ar'a [that grasps both heaven and earth], etc., as stated. And this is the bechina of the lulav — which is the bechina of the tzaddik — the bechina of kol — the bechina of "the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree" [tzaddik katamar yifrach], as is cited. For the lulav and four species allude to all the bechinot cited above — d'achid bishmaya v'ar'a — illuminating both the dwellers above and the dwellers below. Showing to the dwellers above the bechina of "what did you see?" [mah chamisa] — the bechina of "where?" [ayyeh], etc. And conversely to the dwellers below — the bechina of "the whole earth is full of His glory" — the bechina of "awake and sing, O dust-dwellers" [haku vranenu shochnay afar], etc. And the essential illumination of the lulav — which is the bechina of the tzaddik — is to illuminate to the dwellers below — the bechina of "the whole earth is full of His glory." Section 2 And this is the bechina of the wavings in the six directions of the world — to reveal that "the whole earth is full of His glory." As our Sages of blessed memory said (Berachos 13): to draw out [the word] echad [One] — so that you crown Him above and below, etc. Similarly one waves the four species upward and downward and in the four directions — in order to reveal that the whole earth is full of His glory and His kingship rules over all. And this is the bechina of why the willow-branches [arvay nachal] are among the four species — they have neither taste nor fragrance — and they allude to the sinners of Israel. Yet they too are bound together with the lulav and its species — and one waves with them — to reveal and indicate that the whole earth is full of His glory. And even the sinners of Israel — the bechina of the dust-dwellers cited above — they too are forbidden to despair — for the whole earth is full of His glory. For with the lulav we reveal that even the bechina of the willow-branches — who are the bechina of the wicked — they too can bind themselves to the tzaddik who is the bechina of the lulav. For the tzaddik illuminates them as well — in the bechina of the illumination that shines to the dwellers below, the dust-dwellers — the bechina of "the whole earth is full of His glory" — the bechina of "awake and sing, O dust-dwellers," etc. (as explained there well in the teaching cited above — see there). For the myrtle [hadas] has fragrance but no taste — this is the bechina of the dwellers above, whose illumination is in the bechina of "where?" [ayyeh] — the bechina of "what did you see?", etc. And this is the bechina of fragrance but no taste — for taste is felt inwardly: this is the bechina of what is grasped and perceived. But fragrance is the bechina of what is not grasped or perceived at all — only as "like one who catches a fragrance" [k'man d'arach reicha]. And therefore the soul takes pleasure only from fragrance — for the soul is the bechina of the dwellers above — as our Sages of blessed memory said: "He calls upon heaven from above" [yikra el hashamayim me'al] — that is the soul. And therefore its essential nourishment is from fragrance — which is the bechina of the comprehension of the dwellers above — the bechina of "where?" — the bechina of "what did you see?" — the bechina of fragrance but no taste — "like one who catches a fragrance," etc., as stated. But the comprehension of the dwellers below is the bechina of taste but no fragrance — for taste is felt inwardly. And the essential taste depends on sight — seeing the thing — as our Sages of blessed memory said: "a blind person is never satisfied" (Yoma 74) — for the essential taste is through sight. And therefore taste is the bechina of the comprehension of the dwellers below — the bechina of "the whole earth is full of His glory" — the bechina of "I saw Hashem" [va'ere es Hashem] — the bechina of "taste and see that Hashem is good" [ta'amu ur'u ki tov Hashem]. And since the essential illumination of the Divine Will is to illuminate to the dwellers below — to rouse them from their sleep and reveal to them that the whole earth is full of His glory — for even though the tzaddik illuminates in both worlds, to the dwellers above and to the dwellers below, as stated — nonetheless the essential illumination is to the dwellers below. For this is why the tzaddik comes into this lowly world: to rectify the world and to lift and raise all the lower levels — even those lodged in the ten crowns of impurity [asarah kitrin d'mesa'avusa] — to elevate them as well to Hashem, blessed be He — and to reveal to them that Hashem is with them — for the whole earth is full of His glory — the bechina of "awake and sing, O dust-dwellers." And therefore the lulav — which is the bechina of the tzaddik cited above — has taste but no fragrance. For the essential illumination of the tzaddik is to the dwellers below, whose illumination is the bechina of taste — the bechina of "the whole earth is full of His glory," etc., as stated. Thus: the myrtle is the bechina of the dwellers above, as stated. And the willow-branches — which have neither taste nor fragrance — this is the bechina of the dwellers below, the dust-dwellers, etc., as stated. And the tzaddik — who is the bechina of the lulav — is the one who grasps and connects both — in the bechina of "for all that is in heaven and on earth" — for he illuminates in both, etc., as stated. And one must include the upper worlds within the lower and the lower within the upper — so that they should have fear [yirah]: namely, one must reveal also to the dwellers above the illumination of "the whole earth is full of His glory" — and reveal also to the dwellers below the illumination of "where?" [ayyeh] — so that they should have fear (as explained there). And this is the bechina of the esrog [esrog] — which has both fragrance and taste — the bechina of the totality of the worlds, as stated — for the sake of fear. For the esrog is the bechina of malchus — which is the bechina of fear — as it is written: "Were it not for the fear of kingship" [ilmalei morasah shel malchus] (as explained there). For one must include the comprehension of the dwellers above — which is the bechina of fragrance — the bechina of "where?" — and the comprehension of the dwellers below — which is the bechina of taste — the bechina of "the whole earth is full of His glory." And one must include both together — for the sake of fear (as explained there well). And this is the bechina of the wavings — the bechina of "awake and sing, O dust-dwellers." Just as when one rouses someone from sleep one shakes and moves them so that they should awaken — so do the wavings allude to this: for one shakes and waves all the dust-dwellers — that they should rouse themselves from their sleep and arise and stand in His service, blessed be He. And let them not despair at all — for Hashem is still with them — for the whole earth is full of His glory, as stated. Section 3 And therefore the essential mitzvah of sukkah is eating and sleeping — for through the totality of son and student, through which one merits the makifim — through this one merits specifically at the moment of eating the illumination of the Divine Will [he'aras haratzon] — see there. And this is the bechina of eating in the sukkah — for the sukkah, which is the bechina of makifim — which one merits through the forgiveness of sins of Yom Kippur, which is the bechina of da'as, the bechina of the illumination of son and student — the bechina of Yoivail [Jubilee] which is the bechina of Yom Kippur — through this one merits to receive at the moment of eating the illumination of the Divine Will. Which is the bechina of eating in the sukkah — for the illumination of the makifim itself is the bechina of the illumination of the Divine Will (as explained there). And therefore when we merit to eat in the sukkah — "the holy shade" [tzila kadisha] — we then receive at the moment of eating the illumination of the Divine Will — which is the bechina of the illumination of the makifim — the bechina of sukkah, as stated. And therefore the essential mitzvah of sukkah is eating — for the illumination of the sukkah, which is the illumination of the makifim, the illumination of the Divine Will, is received specifically at the moment of eating (as explained there in the teaching cited above extremely well). And this is the bechina of sleeping in the sukkah — the bechina of "and Rebbi Eliezer would sleep" — as explained there. For the illumination of the sukkah is the bechina of makifim — the bechina of "what did you see?" [mah chamisa] — the bechina of "no eye has seen" [ayin lo ra'asah] — the bechina of sleep — as explained there well. See there and you will see wonders — for such things as are explained there have not been heard or seen since the day the earth was founded. Blessed be Hashem forever, Amen and Amen. This halacha draws on LM II §5 ("Tiku" from the beginning about emunah) and weaves all the sukkah's structural requirements into a single doctrine of emunah and tzimtzum. The walls (dafnos) = netzach, hod, and yesod = the counsel of the tzaddik that grows emunah. The sechach = the canopy of emunah itself. The material — threshing-floor refuse — = the gairim who bring arrogance into Israel, which the shield-bearers of the generation elevate into mochin tefillin. The shade-exceeding-sunlight requirement = the tzimtzum of intellect that prevents overwhelming by the light. And the Aggadah of the future sukkah of the nations — their scorching by the sun — is decoded as the fate of those who accumulated no mitzvos-vessels: the great hidden light when finally revealed becomes consuming fire to those who cannot receive it, while the righteous, whose every mitzvah built a vessel, are healed by it. This is one of the most cosmically sweeping passages in all of Likutay Halachos. This halacha draws on LM II §7 ("Vayehi miketz") and reads the four species as a complete cosmological map. The lulav (palm, taste, no fragrance) = the tzaddik illuminating downward to the daray matah. The myrtle (fragrance, no taste) = the angels, daray ma'alah, who perceive by scent alone. The willow (neither) = the sinners, the dust-dwellers, those seemingly beyond all reach. The esrog (both taste and fragrance) = malchus, integrating both worlds to produce yirah. The eighteen wavings then become an act of cosmic awakening — physically shaking the dust-dwellers out of their spiritual sleep, just as one physically shakes a sleeping person. And eating and sleeping in the sukkah are the two essential mitzvos because the makifim — the he'aras haratzon drawn down through Yom Kippur — shine specifically at the moments of eating and at the threshold of sleep.

And therefore one needs to travel to true Tzaddikim for Rosh HaShanah. And even one who does not merit to travel, at least he should try to go to a place where there is a large gathering of upright and G-d-fearing people, to pray and hear the kol Shofar with them — as is the custom of all Yisrael, that on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur they gather together from all the villages. And all those far away who are not careful to pray with the tzibbur throughout the year — on Rosh HaShanah they all gather to the holy congregation. For the main aspect of introducing this path of t’shuvah through the aspect of “Ayeh” — no one knows except the great true Tzaddikim. For every true Tzaddik is the aspect of Moshiach — he knows the secret of “B’raishis,” the sealed utterance, upon which Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai revealed seventy facets, which they customarily study during these days, in Elul and the Ten Days of T’shuvah — which is the holy Sefer Ha’Tikkunim.

For the entire path of t’shuvah in these days is through the aforementioned aspect — “B’raishis,” the sealed utterance, which is the aspect of searching and seeking “Ayeh.” And therefore the main thing is to travel to true Tzaddikim who walk in this path and work to introduce this path into the world, in order to return the world in t’shuvah — upon which the redemption depends. For the name of Moshiach preceded the world, as is written: “Before the sun, Yinon is his name.” And similarly t’shuvah preceded the world. And therefore only he knows the secret of “B’raishis,” from which the beginning of Creation came — through which is the main path of t’shuvah.

And therefore even one who does not yet merit to come to true Tzaddikim on Rosh HaShanah should direct his heart that through the merit and power of the holy gathering of Yisrael with which he is joining on Rosh HaShanah and the Ten Days of T’shuvah, the path of t’shuvah will shine upon him. For Yisrael arose in thought first — and the more Jewish souls gather together to pray on Rosh HaShanah and to blow the Shofar, the more they can ascend to the beginning of thought, which is the aspect of “B’raishis,” the sealed utterance — and draw from there the path of t’shuvah. “For G-d is mighty and does not despise.” But one needs to take this very much to heart — to seek and request Hashem with all his heart, so as to draw this path upon himself constantly, in whatever befalls him all the days of his life. And therefore the main thing is to come to true Tzaddikim who work to draw this path.

And this is: “B’raishis bara Elokim … and the earth was tohu va’vohu, and darkness upon the face of the deep” — which are the aspect of the totality of the four exiles, as our Sages said — which are the totality of the Sitra Achara and the k’lipos, whose sustenance comes from the concealment of “B’raishis,” the sealed utterance. But: “And the spirit of G-d” — this is the spirit of Moshiach — “hovered over the face of the waters.” For the main tikkun is through him — through introducing the path of Hashem into the world, to seek and search “Ayeh.” Through this the descent is transformed into ascent, and one ascends to the holiness of the sealed utterance, “B’raishis.” And this is “upon the face of the waters” — the aspect of “Pour out your heart like water” — the aspect of t’shuvah accomplished through this.

And this is the aspect of Rosh HaShanah, the aspect of kol Shofar, which is the aspect of “From the depths I called to You, Hashem.” For the main intention of the Shofar is that the kol should ascend higher and higher, until we merit to arouse the great mercy — the abundant mercy hidden in the sealed utterance, in “B’raishis.” For from its extreme concealment, the severe dinim draw sustenance — from which comes the sustenance of all the chitzonim and all the filthy places. And it is impossible to sweeten these severe dinim except at their root — the aspect of “Ayeh,” the sealed utterance, “B’raishis.”