סי' ג אקרוקתא

On Rosh HaShanah All Israel Engage in Building the Holy Kingdom It is known that on Rosh HaShanah all Israel are engaged in building the holy Malchus and nullifying the Malchus d'Stra Achra, as one prays extensively for this in the Rosh HaShanah prayer service.

Because the birds (tzipporim) of the Stra Achra — which are the mental faculties (mochin) of the Malchus d'Klipa [the husk-kingdom] — are in the husk corresponding to the dimensions of Leah and Rachel, as is explained in the holy writings — therefore the intention of the Rosh HaShanah prayers revolves around the matter of Leah and Rachel, as is explained there. Because the flow of song and melody draws from the dimension of the holy birds (tzipporim d'kedusha), or [its opposite] from the side of evil, heaven forbid — therefore one is exceedingly careful about the melodies of the Rosh HaShanah prayers — that the prayer-leader (Shliach Tzibbur) be fitting and worthy — and likewise regarding the one who blows the Shofar, as is explained in the Shulchan Aruch. For the Shofar soundings are also in the dimension of the voice of melody — as it is written: "play well with the Teruah" [Ps. 33:3]. And this is the dimension of: "A day of the Teruah shall it be for you" — said of Rosh HaShanah. And this is what the Sages, z"l, said: "The Shofar-sounding is wisdom (chochma) and not a craft [melocha]" [Rosh HaShanah 33b] — for melody is from the dimension of Malchus. This is the dimension of: "for G-d is King of all the earth — sing a maskil" [Ps. 47:8]. And this is "fortunate is the people who know the Teruah" [Ps. 89:16] — the Teruah is in the dimension of Daas (Knowledge) and the mental faculties.

Because the rectification of song and melody is through the Oral Torah (Torah SheBeal Peh), therefore the Sages, z"l, taught in the Tikunim that Teruah alludes to [the acronym] T-O-R-A-H [Tav-Vav-Reish-Hay] — see the inner text [of the discourse] — which is the dimension of the entire Oral Torah. And therefore the Shofar soundings allude also to King David, as is brought [in the Kabbalistic works] — for he is in the dimension of the Oral Torah, as is explained in Likutay Mohara"n, Siman 12. This is also the dimension of Malchuyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros: Malchuyos — the dimension of Malchus; Zichronos — the dimension of the mental faculties and Daas, as above in Siman 1; Shofaros — the dimension of melody, as above.

And this is what is brought in the Zohar: that the voice of the Shofar and the Teruah corresponds to Yaakov — for Yaakov merited to perfect this [holy] voice in its completeness, the dimension of "the voice is the voice of Yaakov" [Gen. 27:22]. He merited to rectify the dimension of the holy birds in their supernal root — and this is the secret of [Yaakov] marrying the daughters of Lavan, as is understood in the holy Zohar and in the writings of the Ar"i z"l. And therefore the count of years of prophecy begins from Yaakov, as brought in Megila Amukkos, Ofen 228. Afterwards One Engages in Repentance — Yom Kippur Afterwards one engages in this throughout all the Ten Days of Repentance — greatly multiplying prayers and supplications, and raising many holy voices — the dimension of "from the depths I call to You, G-d; G-d, hear my voice" [Ps. 130:1–2] — until through this all the blemishes that were inflicted upon the holy Malchus are rectified, until it returns and is rebuilt in completeness. Until on Yom Kippur, Malchus is nourished only from five voices, etc. — wherein is rooted the rectification of the holy voice above. Then the High Priest enters "before and within" [= the Holy of Holies], where the Keruvim (Cherubs) and the holy birds are. When Israel merited, the Keruvim faced one another — and from them holy voices were heard — and from this it was known that G-d had been fully appeased by Israel, as brought in the holy Zohar.

After Yom Kippur — The Loving-Kindnesses Flow After Yom Kippur the loving-kindnesses flow — the dimension of [the Zohar's expression] "how great is the force of the tree that is abundant", as explained in the main text. For through all the holy rectifications Israel drew in during the Ten Days of Repentance — which are days of judgment, the dimension of night — one thereafter merits to receive great loving-kindnesses in the dimension of: "one who studies Torah at night is drawn over with a thread of kindness by day" [Avoda Zara 3b]. One merits to enter the Sukka — which Israel merited in reward for Avraham our Father's saying to the angels: "rest under the tree" — the dimension of the eshel which Avraham planted, which alludes to the loving-kindness (chesed) above, as explained in the main text. This loving-kindness protects a person so that the thought of doing a mitzvah not for its own sake (shelo lishmah) does not harm him — rather, on the contrary: from within the shelo lishmah one will come to do it truly for its own sake (lishmah), as the Sages, z"l, said. And therefore it is required that stars be visible through the s'chach — the dimension of what was said of Avraham: "Look now toward the heavens and count the stars" [Gen. 15:5], and the Sages taught that He elevated him above the stars — for [true] looking is always from above downward. And because the essential drawing of this rectification is through Torah study at night specifically — and night is the dimension of shade against the light of day — therefore the shade of the Sukka must exceed its light. And therefore the Sages derived the minimum height of the Sukka from the Keruvim — the dimension of the holy birds mentioned above. And this is the dimension of the joy of Sukkos, and the primary joy was in Simchas Beis HaShoaiva [the Water-Drawing Celebration]. The Sages, z"l, taught that from there they drew forth the holy spirit — meaning prophecy — for from there is the source of the holy birds, from the place where the prophets drew — and from there is the building of the holy Malchus, the dimension of the Sukka of David. And the Sages, z"l, said explicitly regarding prophecy: "Prophecy does not rest upon a prophet except from within the joy of a mitzvah" — as it is written: "and it was when the musician played" [II Kings 3:15] — specifically, "as the musician played" — for prophecy and melody come from one source, but they require a kosher and righteous musician specifically, as above. The Four Species and the Patriarchs / Matriarchs Peri Eitz Hadar [fruit of the beautiful tree] — this is Avraham — the dimension of the loving-kindness of Avraham above. Kapos Smorim [branches of date palms] — this is Yitzchok — the dimension of judgment, the quality of night, as it is written "and his eyes were dim" [Gen. 27:1], and as is explained elsewhere — this is the dimension of Torah study at night specifically. Anaf Eitz Avos [branches of a leafy tree] — this is Yaakov — who merited the holy voice, the dimension of "the voice is the voice of Yaakov," as above. Arvay Nachal [willows of the brook] — this is Yosef — who merited sovereignty and the spirit of prophecy, as it is written: "a man in whom there is the spirit of G-d" [Gen. 41:38]. Therefore he is alluded to in arvay nachal which alludes to the place from which the prophets draw, as is known. [The Midrash] also expounded: Peri Eitz Hadar — this is Sarah — the dimension of Malchus; Kapos Smorim — this is Rivka, as the date-palm has food and thorns, so Rivka bore Yaakov and Esov. Rivka is the dimension of Tvuna (Understanding/Applied Wisdom), and therefore it is said: "And Yitzchok was forty years old when he took Rivka" [Gen. 25:20], as is explained in Likutay Torah of the Ar"i z"l — and there is the root of the Oral Torah. Anaf Eitz Avos and Arvay Nachal allude to Leah and Rachel — wherein is the root of the holy birds rectified completely by Yaakov, as above. Sh'mini Atzeres — The Song is Completed Afterwards one merits Sh'mini Atzeres — and then the building of the holy Malchus is completed, and therefore it is called Atzeres ["holding back"] — the dimension of "this one holds back within himself", as is explained in the Zohar. And then the holy song is completed — the dimension of "sing a maskil" mentioned in the main text. Then comes the union of the Matron, etc. — for the essential connection and union of holiness is through the complete holy melody. And therefore one greatly multiplies melodies, songs, and great joy [on Sh'mini Atzeres]. Translator's Summary — Siman 3 Siman 3 is drawn from the Akroksa discourse of Likutay Mohara"n. The central insight: holy song and melody are the medium through which the Malchus is built and the Stra Achra subdued on Rosh HaShanah. The Shofar itself is a form of sacred melody — hence the requirement for a fitting, righteous Shofar-blower. Yaakov perfectly rectified the dimension of holy song (alluded to in his marriage to Lavan's daughters / the birds of Leah and Rachel). Prophecy and song share one root. The Four Species map to the Patriarchs and Matriarchs — and all together point to the completion of holy song at Sh'mini Atzeres.