סי' ח ראיתי מנורת זהב

On Rosh HaShanah the Renewal of Creation is Drawn — The Spirit of Life On Rosh HaShanah the dimension of the renewal of creation is drawn — which came through the dimension of the spirit of life (ruach chaim), as is explained in the main text. And then the Books of Life and the Books of Death are opened before Him — and the completely righteous — who cleave to the holy Torah, wherein is the primary spirit of life — are immediately inscribed for life. The completely wicked — who are entirely distant from the holiness of the holy Torah — are therefore immediately inscribed for death — for they are distant from the holy spirit of life. Even in their physical lifetimes they are called dead. The intermediate ones — who have good and evil intermingled — are therefore suspended until Yom Kippur.

For on Yom Kippur all Israel in general merit to separate and distinguish the evil from the good — the dimension of: "one lot for G-d and one lot for Azazel" [Lev. 16:8] — for then the holiness of Torah and prayer is drawn in completeness, through which the evil is separated from the good. For then Moshe received the Second Tablets — the essential holy Torah, comprising the Ten Commandments — from which the ten types of spiritual arousal (minei d'fokin) that awaken the spirit of life are received. And likewise prayer is completed most fully at that time — the dimension of the Five Prayers of Yom Kippur. And Moshe our Teacher merited to receive the Second Tablets at that time also only through his many prayers — and the disclosure of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy which G-d revealed to him — all of which is the dimension of drawing the spirit of life through the holy Tzadikim to complete the lacks and to atone for sins — the dimension of "a wise man can appease it." And therefore on Yom Kippur Moshe accomplished the drawing of forgiveness of sins for eternal generations — and then the dimension of the rule of Esov — the man of Seir — the dimension of the spirit of the storm (ruach seara) — was completely subdued. The dimension of: "and the he-goat shall carry upon itself all their sins to a desolate land" [Lev. 16:22] — the Sages, z"l, expounded this of Esov.

[The forces of accusation] intensify greatly [on Rosh HaShanah] — and therefore one must not mention any sin or transgression [on Rosh HaShanah itself], so as not to give them increased strength — for their primary vitality and the intensification of the storm-wind of [Esov] derives only from the sins of Israel, heaven forbid. And therefore the obligation is most intense at that time to go and journey to the true Tzadik on Rosh HaShanah — in order to draw through him the dimension of extended breath (arichas ruach) to complete all the lacks and to overpower and humble the dimension of the husk of Esov and his princes, heaven forbid, through the strength of this Tzadik who is in the dimension of Rav Chesed V'Emes — great in loving-kindness and truth.

This is the dimension of the great war that takes place at that time between Yaakov and Esov, as brought in the Zohar. This is the dimension of: "a day of Teruah shall it be for you" [Num. 29:1] — and it is explained in the Zohar that this is the dimension of: "and when you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you — and you shall sound the Teruah" [Num. 10:9]. For all the wars from the distressing oppressor all come from the dimension of the storm-wind of Esov. And one must humble it through the voice of the Teruah — which is the dimension of the holy sigh (anochah), the dimension of extended breath (arichas ruach) — to complete the lacks and to overpower the storm-wind of Esov and his princes. And this is why the Sages, z"l, were uncertain about the Teruah: whether it is Sh'vorim — which is "groaning-groaning" [gonochi gonach] — that is, the holy sigh above — which is the dimension of the extended holy breath, and through it the storm-wind is subdued; or whether it is Teruah — which is "wailing-wailing" [yelulai yeilil] — i.e., short and rapid sounds — for this corresponds to the storm-wind of Esov which intensifies with great panic and great speed, and the troubles that come from it are close and rapid, one after another, as the Sages, z"l, taught: "Until the first one takes notice, the second hurries and hastens to come."

Therefore they agreed to do both. And therefore the Sh'vorim and the Teruah must be done in one breath (neshima), and some say that also both the Sh'vorim and the Teruah together must be done in one breath — for all of this is the dimension of the extended holy breath and respiration. And in any case, in the Tashra"T sequence [Tekia-Sh'vorim-Teruah-Tekia] one must not pause between Sh'vorim and Teruah [even] for the length of a breath — for in this sequence, both are performed to demonstrate that both are needed and each depends upon the other. And Sh'vorim precedes Teruah — for through the sigh and extended holy breath — which is the dimension of Sh'vorim — one overpowers the storm-wind of Esov and his princes — which is alluded to in Teruah, as above. And this is what the Sages, z"l, taught: "Teruah alludes to the Torah — the letters Tav-Vav-Reish-Hay" — for the essential extension of the spirit of life is received from the holy Torah. And likewise the essential humbling of Esov the man of Seir is through the holy Torah — as the Sages, z"l, expounded: "the voice is the voice of Yaakov" [Gen. 27:22].

And because the masses of the people cannot receive the extension of the spirit of life and the completion of their lacks from the holy Torah — except through the Tzadik and the Torah teacher of the generation — therefore every Teruah has a simple [Tekia] before it and after it. For the simple Tekia alludes to the gathering and connecting to the Tzadik — as is explained in the passage of the trumpets: "and you shall blow them and all the congregation shall assemble to you" [Num. 10:3], as was brought above. Also, the simple Tekia indicates the completeness that the spirit of life possesses before a person sins; and the Teruah indicates the sigh one must sigh over the lack created by the sin — the dimension of: "there are no sufferings without sin." But even so, through the sigh one merits to complete the lack — and this is the dimension of the simple Tekia that follows. And all of this is through the power of the Tzadik, as above. And all this entire matter is included in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, as is explained in the main text. And this is what the Sages, z"l, taught: "G-d, G-d" [Ex. 34:6] — "'G-d' before one sins and 'G-d' after one sins" — as mentioned above. And this is the dimension of Malchuyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros: for the essential holy spirit of life is received from the dimension of holy Malchus — the dimension of: "and Esther clothed herself in royalty" [Esther 5:1] — and the Sages, z"l, taught that she clothed herself in the holy spirit — and it is written: "in the light of the King's countenance is life" [Prov. 16:15]. And as is understood in the discourse Vayitain Oz L'Malko, Siman 78. And this is the dimension of: "and the spirit of G-d hovered over the waters" — the Sages, z"l, taught: this is the spirit of the King Messiah. Zichronos — the dimension of completing the lacks and extending the spirit [of life] that is drawn through the holy sigh — the dimension of: "and G-d heard their groaning, and G-d remembered His covenant" [Ex. 2:24], and: "and G-d remembered Noach... and G-d caused a wind (ruach) to pass over the earth" [Gen. 8:1] — ruach specifically, as above. And this is the dimension of: "remember, that my life is wind (ruach)" [Job 7:7]. And this is the dimension of: "for there is no mention of You in death" [Ps. 6:6] — for death is the opposite of the holy spirit of life, which is the dimension of remembrance. And "through what? Through the Shofar" — i.e., Shofaros, in which one recalls at length the Giving of the Torah — from which the primary spirit of life comes — and one concludes with verses of the Prophets about how the redemption and the ingathering of the exiles — the humbling of the storm-wind of Esov the man of Seir — will be through the Shofar. And through this, ultimately, the storm-wind will swirl upon them, as is explained in the main text. And this is the dimension of: "And G-d the L-rd shall blow the Shofar and shall go in the storms of the south wind" [Zech. 9:14] — meaning: the storm-wind shall be stirred up against them — and upon us G-d of Hosts shall protect, etc. Afterwards One Engages in Repentance — Yom Kippur Afterwards one engages in repentance throughout all the Ten Days of Repentance — to rectify the blemish of sins from which the storm-wind draws sustenance — to clarify and separate the evil from the good within the four elements — and to strengthen the spirit of life of the Tzadikim over the storm-wind of the wicked. And one multiplies holy cries and sighs until on Yom Kippur one merits forgiveness of sins and the completion of lacks through the holy spirit of life, as above. And therefore one stands the entire day wrapped in a tallis and tzitzis, and recites many times the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy — all of which is the dimension of drawing the holy spirit of life, as explained in the main text. After Yom Kippur — Sukkos: The Loving-Kindnesses Illuminate After Yom Kippur, the light of the loving-kindnesses begins to enter and to shine — through which the essential sweetening of judgments and overpowering of the princes of Esov takes place. This is the dimension of: "preserving loving-kindness to thousands" [Ex. 34:7], as is explained in the main text. Until on the first day of Sukkos, the great inner loving-kindness enters — and also the supernal encompassing loving-kindness — which is the dimension of the white tallis in which G-d arranged the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. For the tallis is in the dimension of an encompassing [light] (makif), as is understood in the discourse LaShemesh, Siman 49 — which is the dimension of the spirit of life — the dimension of: "the spirit goes about and returns" [Eccl. 1:6], as is explained in the main text. And therefore one enters the Sukka — which is the dimension of encompassing lights (oiros hamakifin), as is explained in the discourse Atika, Siman 21. Also, the Sukka alludes to Bina — for there is the primary spirit of life, as explained in the main text. And from there the life of the King is drawn to the dimension of Malchus — the dimension of the Sukka of David that has fallen — to raise and support it. And the essential rectification of Malchus is through loving-kindnesses — the dimension of "and through kindness a throne is established", as brought above. And this is the dimension of: "and life and kindness You have done with me" [Job 10:12]. (And therefore the Sukka is a remembrance of the Clouds of Glory that protected Israel from the war of Amaleik — who is from the princes of Esov — for the supernal loving-kindness that enters on the first day of Sukkos is the dimension of "preserving loving-kindness to thousands," as above.) And this is the dimension of the four species that are taken at that time — and the Sages, z"l, taught that they all allude to the Holy One, blessed be He. And in the holy writings it is explained that they correspond to the four letters of the Name Havaya, blessed be He — meaning they hint that we have been victorious in the war through being grasped and cleaved to the holy spirit of life — which is the dimension of the four letters of Havaya, the dimension of the spirit of life and the good within all four elements, as is understood in the main text. Translator's Summary — Siman 8 Siman 8 frames the entire High Holiday season through the lens of Ruach Chaim (the Spirit of Life) versus the Ruach Seara (the Storm-Wind of Esov). The Shofar debate (Sh'vorim vs. Teruah) reflects both strategies for overcoming the storm-wind: the extended, deep sigh of holy breath (Sh'vorim) and the rapid, urgent cries that counter Esov's quick-striking attacks (Teruah). The Tzadik — the embodiment of Ruach Chaim — is the conduit for all rectification. The Three Blessings map precisely: Malchuyos = holy sovereignty / Esther's spirit; Zichronos = G-d's remembering / holy wind; Shofaros = Torah / the Shofar of final redemption. After Yom Kippur, the loving-kindnesses of the first day of Sukkos correspond to the white tallis and the Thirteen Attributes — the encompassing spirit-of-life that protects and nourishes the Four Species' victory.