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LIKKUTEI SICHOS: VOLUME 4 - ROSH HASHANAH

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 4: Rosh Hashanah (Part 3)

Why accepting Hashem as King reaches His very essence, beyond even His will -- and what that means for the mitzvah-count debate on teshuvah.

Part of Likkutei Sichos: Volume 4 - Rosh Hashanah · 28:18

Resolving yesterday's question, the shiur explains the Rambam's rule that a mitzvah combining machshavah and maaseh is counted in the Taryag only by its spoken or active component, which is why vidui, not teshuvah itself, appears in the Rambam's list. Turning back to the sicha, it distinguishes ratzon from etzem: mitzvos connect a Yid to Hashem's will, teshuvah reaches higher to fix a breach in that will, but kabbalas ol malchus on Rosh Hashanah touches Hashem's essence itself, unconditioned by will or behavior, much like the bond between a father and a child that holds regardless of conduct. The shiur closes by reviewing Rav Saadia Gaon's reasons for shofar and opening a new sicha on how the very name 'Rosh Hashanah' reveals the character of the day.

Audio Transcript
Answering Yesterday's Question: Why the Rambam Counts Vidui, Not Teshuvah, as the Mitzvah

we start, we have to hear an answer to a shaila. Question was that if teshuva is a mitzvah, why is it not counted? Why doesn't the Rambam count it amongst the ืžื ื™ืŸ ื”ืžืฆื•ืช? So, yeah. in the sicha we're learning, there's a ื”ืขืจื”, ื”ืขืจื” number five, that says because teshuva is higher than all mitzvot, ื›ื•ืœืœ all the mitzvot, so, therefore, it wasn't stated. However, the ืžืขืฉื” ืžื™ื•ื—ื“ in teshuva is we do it. Therefore, that was it it was listed as like a separate, you know, like different it's a component of teshuva, but it was set separate. Now there is a sicha in Likutei Sichot ื—ืœืง ืœ\"ื˜ that it says like this, so Minchat Chinuch says that the Alter Rebbe says mitzvah there's it's a clear mitzvah, ืžืฆื•ืช ืชืฉื•ื‘ื”. Minchat Chinuch doesn't say that, you mean. Minchat Chinuch says that there is a difference between Alter Rebbe and Rambam. Alter Rebbe doesn't bring the Alter Rebbe at all. All right, well I'm just going to skip to the next part. No no, don't skip the Don't skip to any part, just go ahead. So, I That's kind of The name is not so important, so not the Minchat Chinuch, whatever. I would say like, it kind of stresses the Alter Rebbe ืžืื›ื˜ ื ืงืœืืจ that it's a ืžืฆื•ืช ืชืฉื•ื‘ื”. The Rebbe says that the Alter Rebbe makes it klar that it's a mitzvah. All right, and then the Minchat Chinuch says in the name of the Rambam Not in the name of the Rambam. ืคืฉื˜ ื”ืจืžื‘\"ื. Yes, so ืคืฉื˜ ื”ืจืžื‘\"ื is from that they don't say it's a mitzvah. It's like a get. That a get, it's not like it's a mitzvah to go and divorce your wife. When you divorce your wife, it's it's a mitzvah to give her a get. Same thing here. How you do it, then it's a mitzvah. However, it's not not so. Yeah. Then, the Rebbe is ืžื“ื™ื™ืง Then the Rambam brings a few examples. There are a few examples in the Rambam's writings that shows that he holds that teshuva is a mitzvah. It says um his maamar for teshuvah is ื™ืขื–ื•ื‘. There's a pasuk that starts off with the word ื™ืขื–ื•ื‘. And ื™ืขื–ื•ื‘ is a direct command, meaning it's ืœืฉื•ืŸ ืฆื™ื•ื•ื™. Mitzvah. And he could have used a different uh ืคืกื•ืง, ื•ืฉื‘ืช, which is more of a ืกื™ืคื•ืจ ื“ื‘ืจื™ื. So, from the fact that the Rambam uses the word ื™ืขื–ื•ื‘, we see that it's So, then another thing is, he brings ื”ื˜ื•ื‘ืœ ื”ื˜ื•ื‘ืœ ื•ืฉืจืฅ ื‘ื™ื“ื•, it's not considered Someone that goes to the mikveh with a ืฉืจืฅ in his hand, it's not considered good until he chucks the ืฉืจืฅ. And we see this here. ื”ื˜ื•ื‘ืœ, someone that goes to mikveh, is compared to the maaseh of teshuvah, that, excuse me, it's it's compared to the vidui. The maaseh is going to the mikveh, and our maaseh here is the vidui, that he's saying vidui. However, being that he has a ืฉืจืฅ in his hand, it's not complete, and it's not complete without the ืžื—ืฉื‘ื”. Our teshuvah is not complete without the ืžื—ืฉื‘ื” that I want to return. Therefore, yeah, we see this. So the Rebbe is medayek that teshuvah is something that's in aspect of ืžื—ืฉื‘ื”. And the Rambam only lists the mitzvah that has something to do with ื“ื™ื‘ื•ืจ and maaseh. So he lists the vidui part, however, he doesn't Okay. Elaborate a little bit on it. Question was, if the Rebbe If the Alter Rebbe says according to the Rambam that teshuvah is a mitzvah, the way the Rebbe learns, so why, takeh, when the Rambam lists the na- the list of the mitzvot, he counts vidui as part of the mitzvah? The mitzvah is to do vidui. When you do teshuvah, you have to do vidui. Why doesn't he list the mitzvah, the teshuvah itself as the mitzvah? That was the she'eilah. So the the bottom line of the answer is the last vort that he said, that the Rebbe comes up with a klal, a new klal. That the Rambam the Rambam has a Sefer HaMitzvot, he has a lot of rules. Half of the Sefer HaMitzvot is rules of when to count a mitzvah, when not. In other words like this, we all tell We tell everybody, know how many mitzvot are there? 613, that's not true. There's about 500 about uh 800 mitzvot. I don't know, 800, 700. There's a lot, much more than 613. Not all of them go into this number, not all of them are in this list. So the Rambam And how do we know there are 613? Maybe there are, takeh, 750. Who told us there are 613, that we're looking, trying to find which are included, which not? How do we know there are Who could tell me? How do we know there are 613 mitzvot? How does the Rambam know this? He just decided? ืชืจื™\"ื’, how do we know there's ืชืจื™\"ื’ mitzvot? No, that's a remez. How do we know? Uh? No no, that's all remezim. In other words, the Rambam can't write anything on his own. Everything he takes is from Chazal. The Gemara says that there are ืชืจื™\"ื’ mitzvot. Where does the Gemara take it from? The Gemara quotes a pasuk. Now the Gemara quotes it's only a remez, but if the Gemara says it as a fact, then for us that's the makor. The Gemara says ืชื•ืจื” ืฆื•ื” ืœื ื• ืžืฉื” ืžื•ืจืฉื” ืงื”ื™ืœืช ื™ืขืงื‘. That's the pasuk. So the Gemara says ืžืฉื” ืจื‘ื™ื ื• told us Torah. What's the gematria of ืชื•ืจื”? 611. ืžืฉื” ืจื‘ื™ื ื• gave us 611 mitzvot. Two more mitzvot were given by Hashem himself, because Hashem said ืื ื›ื™ and ืœื ื™ื”ื™ื” ืœืš. So together the Gemara says there are 613 mitzvot. Comes the Rambam, not only the Rambam, but all the other ืžื•ื ื™ ื”ืžืฆื•ืช we call them, and say like this: We know for sure there's a list of 613, the Gemara says that. Go through Chumash, there's much more, more than 613 times where it says do, don't do. So ela mai, it must be that even though there are a lot more than 613 times the Torah says do something or don't do, not all of them go into this list. So the Rambam sat down trying to figure out what's the rule, which goes in, which not. So the Rambam came up with 13 ืฉืจืฉื™ื he calls them, ืฉืจืฉื™ื, a shoresh means a root, 13 rules. Actually, it's interesting that the rules of how the ืกืคืจ works is probably bigger than the ืกืคืจ itself. Sefer Hamitzvot, half of it is the ืฉืจืฉื™ื and half of it are the mitzvot themselves. Here is another rule that the Rambam doesn't say, and the Rebbe comes out with such a sevara that the Rambam goes with the line that any mitzvah that has two parts to it, a part of machshavah and a part of maaseh or dibbur, when we count the number of mitzvot, only the dibbur aspect is counted. It means it doesn't mean that a mitzvah of machshavah is not counted. He counts mitzvot of machshavah or a mitzvah of feeling in the heart. L'mashal, is ืื”ื‘ืช ื”ืฉื one of the Taryag mitzvot? Yes. It's a feeling of the heart, ื•ืื”ื‘ืช ืืช ื”ืฉื ืืœืงื™ืš. ืื”ื‘ืช ื™ืฉืจืืœ, ื•ืื”ื‘ืช ืœืจืขืš ื›ืžื•ืš, it's a feeling. So it's not a maaseh, it's not a ื“ื™ื‘ื•ืจ. Rambam counts it. But if a mitzvah has two parts to it, then you count in the ืžื ื™ืŸ ื”ืžืฆื•ืช only the ื“ื™ื‘ื•ืจ or the ืžืขืฉื”. ืœืžืฉืœ, davenen, what's the mitzvah of davenen? It's counted as one of the ืชืจื™\"ื’ ืžืฆื•ืช. The mitzvah is, says ื•ืœืขื‘ื“ืชื, ื•ืœืขื‘ื“ื• ื‘ื›ืœ ืœื‘ื‘ื›ื, or it says you see the word ืขื‘ื•ื“ื”, and the Gemara says ืื™ื–ื• ื”ื™ื ืขื‘ื•ื“ื” ืฉื‘ืœื‘? ื”ื•ื™ ืื•ืžืจ ื–ื• ืชืคืœื”. Davenen is an ืขื‘ื•ื“ื”, is a feeling of the heart. You feel you want to get close to the Eibershter. Nevertheless, how are you ืžืงื™ื™ื it? If you say it ื‘ื“ื™ื‘ื•ืจ. So we count the ื“ื™ื‘ื•ืจ of it, not the feeling of the heart. Same thing here, another example the Rebbe gives, not like about ืžื ื™ืŸ ื”ืžืฆื•ืช, but Torah, there's two things: There's Torah that you say ื‘ื“ื™ื‘ื•ืจ when you learn, and also you understand it in your mind. There's a ื“ื™ืŸ that before you say ื‘ืจื›ืช ื”ืชื•ืจื” in the morning, you're not allowed to learn Torah. The Alter Rebbe holds that if you're thinking Torah, you're allowed. ื”ืจื”ื•ืจ ืœืื• ื›ื“ื‘ื•ืจ. Actually, it's a ืžื—ืœื•ืงืช, the Gra holds that that's also called, but the Alter Rebbe says ื”ืจื”ื•ืจ ืœืื• ื›ื“ื‘ื•ืจ. So it's part of the mitzvah, no one says that understanding or thinking Torah is not part of the mitzvah, but when you have a part of thinking or feeling and a part of ื“ื™ื‘ื•ืจ or ืžืขืฉื”, what's counted as the practical aspect of it is the ื“ื™ื‘ื•ืจ. Therefore, ื“ื™ื‘ื•ืจ cannot be done before ื‘ืจื›ืช ื”ืชื•ืจื”, ื”ืจื”ื•ืจ could. So the Rebbe says the same thing is here also. Since teshuvah has two parts to it, teshuvah is ื‘ืœื‘, the feeling of returning, like the Alter Rebbe says, ืžืฆื•ืช ื”ืชืฉื•ื‘ื” ืžืŸ ื”ืชื•ืจื” ืขื–ื™ื‘ืช ื”ื—ื˜ื, a feeling never to do the aveirah again, also has a aspect of ื“ื™ื‘ื•ืจ, which is ื•ื™ื“ื•ื™. So which one does the Rambam count? Only ื•ื™ื“ื•ื™. Not the ื“ื™ื‘ื•ืจ. And not the, and not the ืžื—ืฉื‘ื”, I mean. So that's, but it's not that it's not a mitzvah. So that's all going back to the ืฉื™ื—ื” here that the Rebbe says that even though teshuvah is a mitzvah ื‘ืืžืช, but it's not counted in the mitzvot. Why? Because teshuvah is higher than mitzvot. So we finally what we got to is that you have mitzvot and you have teshuvah, and then you have ืงื‘ืœืช ืžืœื›ื•ืช. To accept the Aibershter as a ืžืœืš, that's even higher than teshuvah, and the Rebbe explained why, because teshuvah is higher than mitzvot, as we explained, but nevertheless it's in the category of mitzvot. Because what's ื˜ื™ื™ื˜ืฉ ืชืฉื•ื‘ื”? Fixing the aveirah that you did, fixing the mitzvah that you did. When I say fixing the mitzvot, you don't have to fix the mitzvot. I mean, fix, a mitzvah means where you didn't keep the mitzvah, you got to fix it. ื”ื’ื there's a vort, I forgot which one of the big ืคื•ื™ืœื™ืฉืข ืจื‘ื™'ืก, he said, \"I'm not worried about...\" ื‘ื™ืช ื“ื™ืŸ ืฉืœ ืžืขืœื” about my aveirot. Not that I'm worried, I'm worried about my mitzvot,\" he says. \"Aveirot, if you do an aveirah, there's an ืขืฆื” to it. You do teshuvah. My mitzvot is the problem! The mitzvot if I did the way I did the mitzvot and it's not the way really 100%, what should I do about that? See, if you do if you miss a mitzvah, then you do teshuvah also. But you did the mitzvah, you did it right, but you know, I didn't do it the way 100%. So that's what I'm afraid of. And aveirot, okay, aveirot you do teshuvah. Anyway, but so teshuvah is in the category it's higher than mitzvot, in the category of mitzvot. Malchut is something higher. And the Rebbe started saying that's where we're holding, that means like this: ืงื‘ืœืช ืžืœื›ื•ืช is the connection of the a ืื™ื“ to the ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ ืžืฆื“ the etzem of the ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ. Just like by a father, I gave the example, there is the etzem connection of a father to a child, and then there is the connection that comes through behavior. The child does what the father wants, that's a connection. You know what, if the child doesn't do what the misbehaves, it's also a connection. It's a connection. Why does the father get angry at his child that he doesn't behave? Because he's connected to him. Just like a father is happy when the child does good, he's upset when he doesn't do good. If you see a strange kid not behave, you don't get upset. Why do you get upset here? If you see a group of kids misbehaving and one person comes up, an adult comes up and gives one of the kids a ืคืื˜ืฉ, what do you understand? It must be his father. That's why he patched him, not the other kids. ืงื•ืงื˜ ืื•ื™ืก ืฉืคืืจืงืขืจื˜. A father loves his child, so mistama it's not his father. The one he didn't patch is his son. You know, it's ืคืืจืงืขืจื˜. Cuz it's also a connection if the child misbehaves, cuz we know when it comes to psychology, to children psychology, they'll tell you a lot of times a child misbehaves because he wants the father's attention. Not because he's against his father, ืคืืจืงืขืจื˜. Sometimes you feel you're missing the attention, you miss the connection to your father and he's not giving you attention and you want to attract attention. So some people attract the attention of a father and a mother, they learn good, they do good things, and mimela the father gives them a present, gives them a kiss, and he gets attention. And sometimes he sees it's not going for some reason, so he goes the other way and then you get like attention. There are certain parents that for the for the good they don't give you attention cuz it's expected, but when you misbehave they give you attention. So it's also a connection, but it's still a connection not be'etzem. It's a connection in ืขื ื™ืŸ of behavior. Then there is the etzem connection. When a ืื™ื“ is ืžืงื‘ืœ ืžืœื›ื•ืช of the ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ, you connect yourself to the etzem of the ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ, beyond what the ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ told you to do and you have to do it and if you didn't do it he's upset and therefore you gotta do teshuvah, it's all within that. So it comes out that the the etzem of the ืื™ื“ืŸ with the ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ on Rosh Hashanah, the ืขืฆื ืขื ื™ืŸ of Rosh Hashanah is atzmut. Let's go in the side here.

Etzem vs Giluyim: Why Malchus Connects to Hashem's Essence, Not Just His Will

ื“ืืก ื”ื™ื™ืกื˜ let's learn the page the second page, the third paragraph let's start. ื“ืืก ื”ื™ื™ืกื˜, that means that the avodah for ืจืืฉ ื”ืฉื ื” ืฉืชืžืœื™ื›ื•ื ื™ ืขืœื™ื›ื, the avodah of Rosh Hashanah where we accept the ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ as ืžืœืš, ื ืขืžื˜ ืžืขืŸ ืขืฆืžื•ืช ืืœื™ื™ืŸ. We connect, we take the ืขืฆื of the ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ. ื”ืขื›ืขืจ ืคื•ืŸ ืืœืข ื’ื™ืœื•ื™ื™ื, higher than giluyim. ืงื™ื•ื ื”ืžืฆื•ื•ืช which are called ื’ื–ื™ืจื”, doing the ืžืฆื•ื•ืช, ื“ืขืจืœืื ื’ื˜ ืื™ืŸ ืจืฆื•ืŸ ื”ืขืœื™ื•ืŸ, that reaches into Hashem's will. ื•ื•ื™ ืขืจ ืงื•ืžื˜ ืืจืืค ื‘ื’ื™ืœื•ื™, as it comes out into gilui that He wants you to do. ื•ื•ืืจื•ื ื“ื™ ืžืฆื•ื•ืช, I'm going to explain this in a moment, first let's read it. ื•ื•ืืจื•ื ื“ื™ ืžืฆื•ื•ืช ื–ืขื ืขืŸ ืจืฆื•ื ื• ื™ืชื‘ืจืš, the mitzvot are the ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ's will. ืขื‘ื•ื“ืช ื”ืชืฉื•ื‘ื” ื•ื•ืืก ืื™ื– ืžืชืงืŸ ื“ืืก ื•ื•ืืก ืžืขืŸ ื”ืื˜ ื’ืขื˜ืืŸ ื”ื™ืคืš ื”ืจืฆื•ืŸ, ืชืฉื•ื‘ื” which fixes when you did something against the ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ's ืจืฆื•ืŸ, ื“ืขืจืœืื ื’ื˜ ื ืืš ื”ืขื›ืขืจ ืคื•ืŸ ืจืฆื•ืŸ, that goes even higher than the ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ's will. ืื‘ืขืจ ื ืืš ืืœืฅ ื ืžื“ืจื’ื” ื•ื•ืืก ื”ืื˜ ื ืฉื™ื™ื›ื•ืช ืžื™ื˜ ื‘ื—ื™ื ืช ืจืฆื•ืŸ, still in a level which is connected to His will, cuz teshuvah means fixing that you didn't keep His will. ื•ื•ืื• ืžื™ื˜ ื“ื™ ืžื“ืจื’ื” ื•ื•ืืก ื”ืื˜ ื’ืืจื ื™ื˜ ืงื™ื™ืŸ ืฉื™ื™ื›ื•ืช ืฆื• ืจืฆื•ืŸ, ืคืืจื ืขืžื˜ ื“ืืจื˜ ืื•ื™ืš ื ื™ื˜ ืงื™ื™ืŸ ืืจื˜ ืขื‘ื•ื“ืช ื”ืชืฉื•ื‘ื” ืื•ื™ืฃ ื“ืขื ื”ื™ืคืš ื”ืจืฆื•ืŸ. In a higher level, teshuvah doesn't mean anything there because it's bichlal higher than ratzon. I'm reading just the words and I'll explain it. ื“ืืจื˜ ืื™ื– ื ืืš ืืœืฅ ื ืฉื™ื™ื›ื•ืช ืฆื• ืจืฆื•ืŸ, it's still ืฆื• ืจืฆื•ืŸ, so giluyim. ื•ื•ืื• ืžื™ื˜ ื“ื™ ืขื‘ื•ื“ื” ืคื•ืŸ ืฉืชืžืœื™ื›ื•ื ื™ ืขืœื™ื›ื, ืจื™ืจื˜ ืืŸ ืขืฆืžื•ืช ืืœื™ื™ืŸ, ื”ืขื›ืขืจ ืคื•ืŸ ืืœืข ื’ื™ืœื•ื™ื™ื. Now, if you learn Chassidus you understand the difference between ืขืฆื and giluyim. Giluyim In Chassidus always we learn about things which are called giluyim or ื’ื™ืœื•ื™ ืื•ืจ ืื™ืŸ ืกื•ืฃ. Giluyim means things which are a What's that, gilui? A revelation. A revelation, a gilui, is not the thing itself. Light, gilui is ืื•ืจ. Light comes from something. There's the source of light, and then there's a light is a ื”ืชืคืฉื˜ื•ืช, an extension that comes out, and it's not the thing itself. The light might tell you what the thing is. In Chassidus it brings an example, if you see light you could tell if it's the light of a candle, light of of the sun, light of the moon, light of a of a bulb. The light tells you, but still it's not the thing itself. And sometimes through the light you might understand 100% what the thing is, but it's still not the thing itself. It's an extension, it's something secondary to the thing itself. By a person, and the same thing will be by the ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ, you have what the person is, or by the father and a child, the connection between the father and the child, And then you have when the father tells the child what to do, \"This is what I want you to do,\" that's not the ืขืฆื connection. That's not connected to the ืขืฆื of the father. The ืขืฆื of the father, ื‘ืขืฆื, makes no difference if you're good or bad. That ืขืฆื connection makes no difference. This person who is your father, who is connected anyway, wants you to do something. That's already a lower level, that's called giluyim. That's an extension of him, of something that he wants you to do. And if you don't do it, he's upset. If you do it, he's happy. That's all giluyim. So you have what we call the ratzon of a person. That's not the etzem of the person. It's pretty close to him. But why does he want you to do it? Because this is what he wants you to do. But it's still, it's close, but not here. Why do I say close? Because in Chassidus a lot of times we learn that a ratzon is the person himself. Chassidus brings a re'aya that the nefesh of the person is ratzon, or ratzon is a nefesh. Who remembers any re'aya that Chassidus brings from a pasuk? Okay, Chassidus doesn't bring this pasuk, but the Rebbe asks why not. But there's a pasuk where it says in Parshat Chayei Sarah that Avraham Avinu said to the Bnei Chet, he wanted them to speak to Efron to buy the Me'arat Hamachpelah, what did he say? \"ืื ื™ืฉ ืืช ื ืคืฉื›ื.\" If you have your nefesh, what does that mean? If you have your nefesh, please speak to Efron. So Rashi says, \"If you want. Please, if you want.\" So why does it say nefesh? Because the will of a person is the nefesh himself somehow. But it's still not. After all, it's an it's a certain detail. Etzem is not details. We have a ืœืฉื•ืŸ, ื›ืœ ืขืฆื ื‘ืœืชื™ ืžืชื—ืœืง. It doesn't have peratim, it doesn't have details. The etzem is essence is something that's not divide divisible. You can't divide it and it doesn't have details. Ratzon, if I want you to do something, if I have a will, that's already a prat. That's not the etzem. Mitzvot is the will of Hashem. He wants you to do this. So you have the ratzon, and just like by a person you have the ratzon, and then you have what Chassidus calls the ba'al haratzon. Ba'al haratzon means the one that has the ratzon. That's not the ratzon. That's higher than the ratzon. That's more connected to the ืขืฆื. The ืขืฆื has an extension, he wants the ืจืฆื•ืŸ. So when we say the Eibershter wants us to do mitzvot, doesn't want us to do aveirot, that's connected to the ืจืฆื•ืŸ of the Eibershter. So if a person does a mitzvah and we say every mitzvah connects you to the Eibershter, to which level ื›ื‘ื™ื›ื•ืœ of ืืœื•ืงื•ืช do you get connected? To the ืจืฆื•ืŸ of the Eibershter. You're doing His ืจืฆื•ืŸ. When you do chas veshalom an aveirah, which level do you get disconnected? To the level of the ืจืฆื•ืŸ. You're not doing His ืจืฆื•ืŸ. It's all on that level. When you do teshuvah, to which level do you get connected? Higher than mitzvot and ืขื‘ื™ืจื•ืช, ื•ื”ื ืจืื™ื” you could fix them. But still, you're fixing, you're reaching a level where the ืจืฆื•ืŸ is important, and that's why we need to fix it, and you're able to fix it. So we're still in the level of higher than mitzvot, higher than ืจืฆื•ืŸ, but still within the level of ืจืฆื•ืŸ. But a level that's completely the ืขืฆื of the Eibershter doesn't care about the doesn't care about the ืจืฆื•ืŸ. The ืขืฆื of a person is beyond the ืจืฆื•ืŸ, beyond his will completely. So what difference does it make if you did an aveirah, you did a mitzvah? Why do you have to fix it? So that's even higher than the level of teshuvah. So it comes out like this, that on Rosh Hashanah, when we say that there is time to do teshuvah, through doing teshuvah you will connect yourself to the level of ืืœื•ืงื•ืช which is connected to ืจืฆื•ืŸ. Not ืกืชื ืจืฆื•ืŸ, but a way that you can fix the ืจืฆื•ืŸ. The ืขืฆื of Rosh Hashanah, which the Rebbe said which is the ืงื‘ืœืช ืžืœื›ื•ืช, that's the way the Eibershter the Yid is connected to the Aibershter ื‘ืขืฆื. And you're megaleh it. It's there anyway. Just like there is a connection of a father and a son no matter what you do, it's there whether you like it or not, it's there, but you want to be megaleh it, you want to reveal it, you want to feel it. On Rosh Hashanah, this is what we do, we're supposed to feel it. And this is the ืขื™ืงืจ ืขื‘ื•ื“ื” of Rosh Hashanah.

Rav Saadia Gaon's Reasons for Shofar and Answering the Sicha's Opening Question

Actually, the first the first thing in shofar, there are many reasons for shofar, it's famous Rav Saadia Gaon who writes ten reasons for shofar. It's also one of the things you learn in school every Elul, in every grade, I don't mean the second grade, but from probably from fifth grade on you learn all the ten reasons of Rav Saadia Gaon. Rav Saadia Gaon gives ten reasons for shofar. His first reason is that by blowing shofar, you show that you accept the Aibershter as ืžืœืš, because how do you crown a king? Blowing trumpets, blowing shofarot, like the pasuk says, ื‘ื—ืฆื•ืฆืจื•ืช ื•ืงื•ืœ ื•ืงื•ืœ ืฉื•ืคืจโ€”the Rebbe is gonna mention this sicha furtherโ€”ื‘ื—ืฆื•ืฆืจื•ืช ื•ืงื•ืœ ืฉื•ืคืจ ื”ืจื™ืขื• ืœืคื ื™ ื”ืžืœืš ื”ืฉื. That when you blow trumpets, you're blowing trumpets, blowing the shofar, which is like a trumpet, you make, crown Hashem as... and that's the first thing he says. So obviously that's the first thing of Rosh Hashanah is that this is ืงื‘ืœืช ืžืœื›ื•ืช. And this sicha is what brings out what that means. It means that on Rosh Hashanah you have you're able to megaleh the ืขืฆื connection of Yidden to the Aibershter. Now, does anybody remember what the ten things of Rav Saadia Gaon is? I said this shiur is not only just to learn a sicha, but we bring out all kinds of things which you should have you should know, which you don't learn. Does anybody know that? And I'm sure some guys remember it, but first few days you're shy, okay. So, but I would like someone to volunteer that tomorrow by the shiur, he should have found out, looked up or found out what the ten things are, and by the shiur to tell the people what the ten th- ten reasons for ืชืงื™ืขืช ืฉื•ืคืจ. It's a very it's a very important to know. I mean, even as stam as knowledge. There is such a thing, and I have to tell you, which is very important, called certain general ื™ื“ื™ืขื” ื›ืœืœื™ืช, general Yiddishe knowledge of things. This is one of those things that if you would make a list of what ื™ื“ื™ืขื” ื›ืœืœื™ืช, so this is one of the things. For some reason, bachurim in yeshiva ืขืคืขืก are lacking a lot in ื™ื“ื™ืขื•ืช ื›ืœืœื™ื•ืช. I'm just telling you the truth. And it's you come out in the world, it's more for the for coming out later in the world is more important that than knowing peshat in Tosafot ืคืฉื•ื˜, ืฆื• ืงืขื ืขืŸ ื ืžืกื›ืช ืคืฉื•ื˜, more than you know the ืขืงื™ืจื” ื•ื”ื ื—ื”, this is People talk to you, this is things that you as You go on shlichut, for sure you have to talk. So these are important. And for some reason, ื™ื“ื™ืขื•ืช ื›ืœืœื™ื•ืช is a lack. And there's one more thing that's not noge'a here, but I just want to mention to you, a lack is ื“ื‘ืจื™ ื™ืžื™ ื™ืฉืจืืœ, knowing a little bit of Jewish history, and knowing who's who, and what's when. People mix it up like ื‘ื•ื™ื“ืขื ืžื™ื˜ ืงืœืึธืฅ. You don't know who's a ืชื ื, who's an ืืžื•ืจื, who's a ืจืืฉื•ืŸ, who's an ืื—ืจื•ืŸ, who's a ืชื—ืชื•ืŸ, who's a I don't know Everything is one big mishmash. That's one thing that guys should focus on. But at this moment, I'm talking about this inyan. So, who's gonna be the one to look it up? Yeah? Oh, you Okay, we got you. I have to be honest, I still don't remember your name. What's your name? Tell me. Mendel Gitter? Oh, why didn't I talk to you earlier? No, you'll you'll find it! I'm not saying you know it. Did I I didn't You'll find it. You'll look it up. And afterwards, after this shiur, you come over to me, I'll tell you where to look. And tomorrow we're gonna hear the ten reasons for shofar, and the first one is the I said yesterday, part of the the training in yeshiva here is also public speaking. So this is gonna be your first chance to do it. So you'll say it to everybody, and everyone will will know it. Don't worry, you'll get over it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, he's telling you from experience. He says you'll get over it. I wasn't asking about him, by the way. That's not noge'a. I was waiting for someone to just open his mouth, and you did. ื”ืฉื’ื—ื” ืคืจื˜ื™ืช! So you got it. Now I'm afraid next time, no one's gonna open their mouth! Okay. Feel free to ask any questions that are shayachut. Okay, let's continue. Let's go go further here. ื“ืขืจืคื•ืŸ ืื™ื– ืื•ื™ืš ืžื•ื‘ืŸ ื“ื™ ื”ื™ื™ื›ืงื™ื™ื˜ ืคื•ืŸ ื ืฉืžื•ืช ื™ืฉืจืืœ. This explains how great, how high neshamot are, Yidden are. ืื– ื–ื™ื™ ื“ืขืจืœืื ื’ืขืŸ ืื™ืŸ ืขืฆืžื•ืช ืžืžืฉ, they pashut reach, we connect to the etzem of the Aibershter, the essence of the Aibershter. ื•ื•ืืก ื“ืขืจืคืืจ ืงืขื ืขืŸ ื–ื™ื™ ื‘ื™ื™ื ืื™ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืŸ ืืœื™ื™ืŸ ืืจื•ื™ืกืจื•ืคืŸ ื“ืขื ืจืฆื•ืŸ ืฆื• ื•ื•ืขืจืŸ ื ืžืœืš. That's why we're able to bring out from the Aibershter to want to become king. That's what happens on Rosh Hashanah, because we reach into the essence of Him being our king. ืื‘ืขืจ ื›ื“ื™ ืฆื• ืื ืจื™ืจืŸ ืื™ืŸ ืขืฆืžื•ืช ืžืžืฉ ืคืื“ืขืจื˜ ื–ื™ืš ื“ืขืจ ื‘ื™ื˜ื•ืœ ืคื ื™ืžื™ ืžืฆื“ ืขืฆื ื”ื ืฉืžื”. But in order to really get there, you have to be mevatel yourself. In order to get close to the etzem of the Aibershter, just like if you want to get close to the king, you got to show that you're completely given over to him. You got to be mevatel yourself. ื•ื•ืืก ื“ืจื™ืงื˜ ื–ื™ืš ืื•ื™ืก ืื™ืŸ ื“ืขืจ ื”ื›ืชืจื”. How do people show that they're mevatel themselves to a king? When you crown the king, when you do the coronation, so then what's what's the purpose of crowning the king? That's a ceremony where the people demonstrate their bitul to the melech, their ืงื‘ืœืช ืขื•ืœ ืžืœื›ื•ืช. That's what the coronation is. That's really what the crowning of the king is. I guess the same idea a little bit the inauguration of the president, I don't know if it's there you don't gives a hoot, but I don't know it's not exactly bitul. I don't know how many people are batel to Obama, I don't know exactly how it works here. But by a king it's definitely that you're mevatel yourself, and that is the ื‘ืงืฉื” ืžืœื•ืš ืขืœ ื”ืขื•ืœื ื›ื•ืœื• ื•ื›ื•ืœื™ that you ask the Aibershter to become king, so you're telling Him, I want You to be my king, that means I'm giving myself over to You. So now we know the the answer on the she'elah, the beginning of the sichah, that is it part of ืขืฉืจืช ื™ืžื™ ืชืฉื•ื‘ื” or is it not part of ืขืฉืจืช ื™ืžื™ ืชืฉื•ื‘ื”? The answer is it's both. It has teshuvah in it, and it has also the etzem of the day, which is inyan of malchut.

A New Sicha Begins: Why the Name 'Rosh Hashanah' Itself Reveals the Day

Okay. Can just start the next ืฉื™ื—ื”. ื ื ืืžืขืŸ ื•ื•ืืก ืชื•ืจื” ืจื•ืคื˜ ืืŸ ืื™ื– ื“ืืš ื ื™ืฉื˜ ืงื™ื™ืŸ ืกืชื, ื ื™ืฉื˜ ืงื™ื™ืŸ ืฉื ื”ืกื›ืžื™. When the Torah gives something a name, it's not just a decided name, ืกืชื ืืŸ ืื ื’ืขื ื•ืžืขื ืข ื ืืžืขืŸ, a name that you decided, like in in in some people, when you call somebody by a name, what's the reason for that name? The parents decided to call him by a name. But in Torah, it's not like that. ื ืืจ ืขืจ ื“ืจื™ืงื˜ ืื•ื™ืก ื“ืขื ื—ื™ื•ืช ืžื”ื•ืช ืคื•ืŸ ื“ืขืจ ืื ื’ืขืจื•ืคืขื ืขืจ ื–ืืš. When Torah calls something by a certain name, that shows what this thing is all about. And the truth is, this is not only Torah, even by Yidden, when you name a child, it's the same thing. The Arizal says that when you name a child, it's really a ื ื‘ื•ืื” ืงื˜ื ื”, it's really a nevuah. They say that somebody once came to the, I think to the Belzer Rebbe, and he said to him, \"I had a child, tell me, I asked the Rebbe all, everything what to do, I asked the Rebbe what name should I give him?\" So, he said to him, \"shoteh, when you give a name, you have ruach hakodesh. A Rebbe always has ruach hakodesh. A chasid has just a few times in a few chances in his lifetime to also have ruach hakodesh, and you also want to give it away to me? Don't worry, I have ruach hakodesh, but you should have ruach hakodesh.\" So, what's ืคืฉื˜ ืจื•ื— ื”ืงื•ื“ืฉ? It's ืžืœืžืขืœื” they put into your mouth, into your mind, to name the child that fits to what this child is. The name has to do with the characteristics of the child. Is that the reason why the father stays up the entire night before the bris? To get this revelation from ืžืœืžืขืœื”? No. No. What's the reason? That's shemirah. That's called, what's what's called that night? How do you call in Yiddish? What's the name of that when you stay up, you stay up for what? What's it called? Vachnacht. Vachnacht. ื•ื•ืืš means you have to stay awake. When he says awake, you have to be awake and be careful of what's going to happen. Because the child needs a shemirah. It needs to, especially that night, it needs to be guarded. That's why some people say Friday night, if the bris is Shabbos, some people hold you don't need. ืื”, Yom Tov also, because they say because it's a ื–ืžืŸ of shemirah anyway. Pesach? I would assume so, I don't know. I never thought of it, but you're right. First night of ืคืกื—, ืœื™ืœ ืฉื™ืžื•ืจื™ื, I would say everyone would agree that you don't. But, but I can't say, I've got to look it up lema'aseh, to see. But that's what it is, and that's a different, has nothing to do with the name. The name is ืกืชื, whatever name you give, it says ืžืœืžืขืœื”. The Midrash says, the Midrash says like this: ื‘ื“ื•ืจื•ืช ื”ืจืืฉื•ื ื™ื, ื ื•, imagine, the Midrash was written 2,000 years ago, that in the earlier generations, the people were so great that they knew what's going to happen to the child, what the child is all about, and they picked a name that fits the child. Nowadays, Midrash says, people are not so great, and they just give a name after a father, a grandfather, after somebody else. But the Arizal says, and nevertheless, it's ืžืœืžืขืœื” that they put into his mind to know that this name fits the child, because the names fit to the characteristics of the person. So, lichora it would come out that everyone who has the same name have the same ืชื›ื•ื ื”. So, if we have about 20 Mendels here, Menachem Mendels here, it means we have 20 the same, but I don't know, but I guess probably in certain things they they takeh must have something the same, and it also has to do with the future, with it, all kinds of things. But that's bichlal. Certainly a name in Torah, and that's what the Rebbe is going to go on, what Rosh Hashanah is, the name is Rosh Hashanah, how that shows what the day is connected to what we said before.

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