שוש אשיש בה׳ תגל נפשי באלקי

1“I will greatly rejoice in Havayah; my soul shall exult in my G‑d, for He has clothed me in garments of salvation,” etc.

(In the Midrash this verse is cited in Vayikra Rabbah, in Parshas Tzav, at the end of [section] ten, and at the end of Parshas Va’eschanan; and in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, on [the verse] “We will exult and rejoice in you.” And see in the Zohar, Part II, Parshas Yisro, page 90b; Naso, 133a; Balak, 199b.)

Now, the difference between simchah (joy) and gilah (exultation) is this: it is called simchah when the joy is openly revealed on the outside, and this is the level of the festival of Sukkos, “the season of our rejoicing.” And it is called gilah when the joy is still in the inwardness of the heart and has not come to revelation outwardly.

As it is written, “and exult with trembling”: the trembling covers the joy so that it is not seen and revealed on the outside; only its inside is inlaid with joy, while what is seen and revealed openly is the level of trembling. And this is the level of Rosh HaShanah, as will be explained.

(And this is [the meaning of] “Havayah reigns; let the earth exult.” That is, the level of the Days of Awe, when the Holy One, blessed be He, is called “the holy King,” “the King of judgment”; then it is the level of gilah: “let the earth exult.”

And this is also [the meaning of] “Let the children of Zion exult in their King.” And see what is written below, at the end of the discourse beginning “On the eighth day, an assembly,” on the subject of gilah.)

Now, the verse says, “I will greatly rejoice,” and does not specify who is speaking. That is because it is the prophet’s statement on behalf of Israel as a whole.

The explanation of the matter: it is written, “Blow a shofar in the month (bachodesh).” And the plain meaning of the verse is seemingly not understood, for it says “in the month” and does not specify in which month; it should have said “in the seventh month.”

2Also, as to what is written, “a shofar”: it should have said “with a shofar” (bashofar). But the matter is this: chodesh (month) is from the term hischadshus (renewal), and for this reason every month is so called,

because of the renewal of the moon, which is renewed every month. And [the verse] says, “Blow a shofar bachodesh,” meaning: in the renewal of the shofar, for the shofar is renewed every year, and the shofar of this year is not the shofar

of another year. To explain this, we must first explain the matter of Rosh HaShanah, which is fixed on the first of Tishrei, on which man was created; it is the sixth day of the work of creation. For the world was created on the twenty-fifth of Elul.

3We need to understand: why is Rosh HaShanah not fixed on the first day of the work of creation? The first day of the work of creation should have been the first of Tishrei; why was the beginning of the creation of heaven and earth on the twenty-fifth of Elul,

while Rosh HaShanah, which is the first day of Tishrei, was on the day Adam, the first man, was created? But for the beginning of the creation of heaven and earth there was no need to fix Rosh HaShanah as a special day in the year,

for the creation of heaven and earth is a creation from nothing to physical something, so that the physicality and materiality of the world should appear as an existence and a thing.

4And of this it is said, “Who in His goodness renews each day, continually, the work of creation”: this creation is renewed continually, each day, and not on Rosh HaShanah alone.

Rather, [it was needed] for the creation of man on the sixth day of the work of creation; and not for the creation of his body, but for his soul, as it is said, “And He blew into his nostrils the breath of life.” For the soul of Adam, the first man, was composed of all the souls of Israel, as it is written, “You are man (adam),”

and it is the purpose, the main point, of the creation of the worlds, as it is written, “In the beginning (bereishis)”: for the sake of Israel, who are called “beginning” (reishis). Now, the renewal of this creation, which is from nothing to spiritual something, takes place anew every Rosh HaShanah.

(And this matter is what is written in Etz Chaim, Shaar HaNesirah, beginning of chapter 2, and in Pri Etz Chaim, Shaar Krias Shema, chapter 5: that there are two unions above, in Chochmah and Binah. The one is to give life to the worlds and to sustain them with a necessary existence; and this drawing-down and this union is constant and never ceases,

for if it ceased for a single moment, all the worlds would cease to exist. And the second union is for the birth of the intellect (mochin), which is the soul of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, the inner dimension of the worlds; and this union and drawing-down is not constant, etc.

Now, the meaning of the union of Chochmah and Binah is the drawing-down from nothing to something. For “Chochmah comes from nothing (ayin),” and Binah is called “something” (yesh), as is known from what is written, “to cause those who love Me to inherit yesh.”

Now, of the first level, to give life to the worlds, it is said, “Who in His goodness renews each day, continually,” etc.: the drawing-down from nothing to something continually never ceases, etc.; and from this comes the coming-into-being of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus) of the worlds.

And this is the matter of “from nothing to physical something,” etc., meaning the outer dimension of the worlds of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, etc. But “from nothing to spiritual something” means the birth of the souls, which are the inner dimension (pnimiyus) of the worlds; and their source is the birth of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, which are the level of Adam and Chavah, etc.

And this is through the higher union of Chochmah and Binah, who receive the flow from Arich Anpin and Atik, and from ever higher, up to Ein Sof, etc., as is written in the Likkutei Torah [of the Arizal], Parshas Vayera. And this drawing-down as a whole is on Rosh HaShanah, for then is the birth and drawing-down of the mochin of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, etc.)

That is why it is called by the name Rosh HaShanah (“head of the year”), like the head of a person, by way of analogy: there is the first revelation of the general life-force from the essence of the soul. For in the essence of the soul all the particulars of the division of the life-force are included in concealment; and the first

of their emergence from concealment to revelation is through the revelation of the general life-force being drawn first from the essence of the soul into the brain (mochin) in the head, and from there it spreads to each limb according to its temperament and nature. So too, on Rosh HaShanah there is drawn down

the revelation of the general life-force of the whole year; and from it life-force is drawn to the division into particulars: the three pilgrim festivals, and the four seasons, and the four times of year at which the world is judged, and the twelve months; and afterwards to single days, so as to be

“renewing each day, continually, the work of creation,” and “man is judged every day”; and afterwards also to moments, as it is written, “You test him every moment.” [This is] because the first revelation of the general drawing-down is from the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), which is not within the bounds of worlds at all;

that is, there is no level of revealed worlds there at all; rather, all the levels of worlds are there included in concealment, as in the analogy of the essence of the soul mentioned above.

5Now, “encompassing” (sovev) does not mean encompassing and surrounding from above, for it is written, “The heavens and the earth I fill”: I, Myself.

Rather, there is no level of revelation there such that the worlds could receive [it] and not be nullified out of existence. For all the worlds are finite, [measured as] “five hundred years”; and even the angels,

who are separate intellects, have a limit to their comprehension and cannot receive the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, which, as is its name, so it is: it has no end, etc. And through the renewal of such a revelation, which is above the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus), to the level and order of the chain of descent,

that is, from the level of “I fill,” “I, Myself,” to the level of “the whole earth is full of His glory” (glory being the level of enclothement in the level of the light that fills all worlds, memalei kol almin), there is drawn down first the beginning of the revelation, in the general life-force, on Rosh HaShanah for the whole year; and afterwards to the seasons, and months, and days, and moments, in the manner of a chain of descent.

6And this is the meaning of the union of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah. That is: “the Holy One, blessed be He” is the level of “holy” and separate, as in “Set bounds around the mountain and sanctify it,”

that is, the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin); and “His Shechinah” is the level of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin). And the union is the drawing-down from the level of sovev kol almin, the level of “I fill,” to the level of memalei kol almin, so that “the whole earth is full of His glory.”

And this is drawn down on Rosh HaShanah in a general way. (And this is [the meaning of] “And so, grant glory, Havayah, to Your people,” etc.: that there be drawn down from the level of sovev kol almin, the level of “I fill,” to the level of memalei kol almin, which is called “glory.”

And this is [the meaning of] “But as I live, the glory of Havayah shall fill,” etc. And see what is written elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “For over all the glory shall be a canopy”; and see on this also in the discourse beginning “For as the earth brings forth her growth.”)

72. Now, at the time of the creation of Adam, the first man, it was the level of “for He desires kindness”; but now the matter depends on an arousal from below (isarusa dilesata).

(As is written in Etz Chaim there, that the inner union, for the birth of souls, is brought about only through us.) For this power was given to Adam, the first man, as it is written, “And man became a living soul (nefesh chayah),” which is seemingly a redundancy,

for it has already been said, “And He blew into his nostrils the breath of life”; why, then, is it said and repeated again, “And man became a living soul”?

Rather, the meaning is that chayah is a noun and a source, that is to say, a thing that has life-force in it to give life to every living thing;

that is, just as the soul is chayah, having life-force in it to give life to the body when it is enclothed in it, so “man became” like this soul that gives life.

8And this is [the meaning of] “and let them rule (veyirdu) over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens”: that is to say, they shall bring down (yoridu) and draw the life-force to all the fish of the sea and to all the birds of the heavens, so that the life-force of every living thing should be

dependent on the deeds of man. And this power comes from the utterance “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”: just as of Him, may He be blessed, it is written, “and You give life to them all,” so this power was given to man.

9Now, Adam, the first man, was composed of all the souls of Israel; therefore every soul and spark of Israel has in it a portion of the soul of Adam, the first man. That is why it is said, “You are man (adam)”: you are called adam.

And therefore the matter depends on our arousal from below: to draw down on Rosh HaShanah the general life-force from the Infinite Light, blessed be He, that encompasses all worlds, so that there be a revelation of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed, for the whole year.

(And this is [the meaning of] “And you shall say: Thus (koh) to the living one (lechai).” And it is explained in the Zohar, Part II, at the beginning of Parshas Va’eira (page 23b): “The festival of Rosh HaShanah is to bind Koh to Chai,” etc.

And so it is implied in the Gemara, in the first chapter of Rosh HaShanah (page 18a). Now, our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “All the prophets prophesied with koh (thus)”; this is the level of Malchus, which is called “the speculum that does not shine,” the level of “after our likeness.”

And this is the meaning of [the teaching that] the world was created on the twenty-fifth (kaf-hei) of Elul: through the level of koh, “after our likeness,” so that the world should appear as an existence and a thing. And afterwards there must be the nullification (bittul) of this existence through accepting the yoke of the kingship of Heaven (kabbalas ol), and through this, “to bind Koh to Chai”;

that is, as it is written, “But as I live (chai), the glory of Havayah shall fill,” as mentioned above. And this is the meaning of “the Only One, Life of the worlds, King,” etc.

And see in the Zohar, Part I, Toldos (135b), on the matter of “Be’er Lachai Ro’i”; [and] Vayishlach (171b), on the matter of “Koh lechai.”

And this binding and union is on Rosh HaShanah, on which man was created, of whom it is said, “And He blew into his nostrils the breath of life”; therefore he is able to draw down this union of the level of “Koh to Chai.”

And this is through “And you shall say” (va’amartem), in the manner of “For I said (amarti), the world is built by kindness”: [the letters] alef-mem-reish are the initials of esh, mayim, ruach (fire, water, air): Torah, divine service, and acts of kindness, as is explained in the discourse beginning “To My mare” in Shir HaShirim. And likewise the sound of the shofar is composed of the three levels of fire, water and air.

Now, on Tishah B’Av [we read], “Eichah (How) she sits alone”: ei koh (“where is koh?”), as is written in Parshas Terumah (page 143b; see there), and in Midrash Rabbah on the verse “How she sits”: “Woe to koh.”

And the meaning of “she sits alone” is the opposite of the level of “Koh to Chai”; rather, “and for your transgressions your mother was sent away,” as is written in Midrash Rabbah on Bereishis (end of section 19): “with sending away,” etc., “with divorce,” etc., “How she sits,” etc.

And see in the Tikkunei Zohar, end of Tikkun 19. And see what is written in the discourse beginning “And if a woman vows a vow,” regarding “Where (eichah) do you pasture?” But,

through the weeping, “Rachel weeps,” etc., mercy is aroused, so that afterwards, in Elul, the Thirteen [Attributes] of Mercy are drawn down, through which there will be drawn down on Rosh HaShanah [the level of] “And you shall say:

Koh to Chai,” as mentioned above. And see what is written elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “Our Rabbis taught: The Chanukah lamp… Beis Shammai say,” etc., how there is an advantage in the speculum that does not shine, in that one can see in it what one does not see in the speculum that shines.

Therefore Isaiah said, “And I saw G‑d,” because he prophesied with koh, which is the speculum that does not shine; while Moshe, who prophesied with zeh (this), said, “For [man] shall not see Me,” as is found in the Gemara, at the end of the fourth chapter of Yevamos (page 49).

And from this it will be understood how, although the level of zeh and the level of chai are above the level of koh, nevertheless there is also a special advantage in the level of koh and the speculum that does not shine, for through it one will come to the level of “with all your might (me’odecha).” And see in Midrash Rabbah, Parshas Vayera, section 56, on the verse “We will go as far as koh (yonder).”

10And this is the matter of teshuvah, as is written at the end of the discourse beginning “Let me see your countenance.” And this is the meaning of “And you shall say: Koh to Chai,” etc.: that the two levels be joined together. And we say, “You remember the deeds of the world,” and “Remember us for life,” and “Who sanctifies Israel and the Day of Remembrance.”

For the term “remembering” applies to a small thing of little worth, which a person easily forgets and loses, so that he needs to remember it. So too,

this drawing-down, that there be the first revelation of the life-force at the level of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin), is only at the level of “They shall utter the remembrance of Your great goodness,” “to make known to the sons of man His mighty acts (gevurosav)”: these are the contractions (tzimtzumim),

many and mighty, without number, with which the Infinite Light, blessed be He, the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), contracted [itself], for “before Him all is considered as truly nothing,” and is not even [in the] proportion of a drop to the waters of the ocean;

only “Your kingship is a kingship over all worlds,” the level of Malchus alone, as is known from the saying “the Only One, Life of the worlds, King,” etc., as is written elsewhere.

Therefore all “the deeds of the world” are only at the level of “remembering,” like a person who remembers a small object he has, which is easily lost; and even “all the creatures of old,” which are the higher worlds, etc.

(And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “For on this day He shall make atonement,” in Parshas Acharei.) And this is the praise with which we praise Him, may He be blessed: “You remember.”

For the whole order of the praises of the Omnipresent is in the manner of “Wherever you find His greatness, there you find

His humility,” as is written elsewhere. And this is what we ask, “Remember us for life”: that this level of remembering be before Him, may He be blessed, so that there be a drawing-down of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, that encompasses all worlds, to the level of the light that fills all worlds.

11Now, on Rosh HaShanah we say, “This day is the beginning of Your works,” even though Rosh HaShanah is the day Adam, the first man, was created, which is the sixth day of the work of creation. This is because

“last in deed, first in thought,” as it is written, “In the beginning (bereishis)”: for the sake of Israel, who are called “beginning” (reishis); “Israel arose in thought.” And the meaning of “in thought” here is, by way of analogy,

as in a person, whose conduct is chiefly through thought, which all the limbs follow and obey: so the supernal, primordial thought, “I will reign,” was through Israel, for [it was] for the sake of Israel, who are called “beginning,” etc. And on the day man was created, on the sixth day, the beginning of the thought was completed.

Therefore it is called “the beginning of Your works,” for thought is like deed in relation to the Holy One, blessed be He, since even thought is considered, for Him, as the level of action.

12As it is written, “On the day Havayah Elokim made,” etc.; and with Ten Utterances the world was created; and in the Midrash it is stated, “With one thought,” etc.

But this power given to Israel through the arousal from below, that it be “This day is the beginning of Your works,” to draw down from the level of sovev kol almin to the level of memalei kol almin, the arrangers of the prayers explained:

“For it is a statute (chok) for Israel, a judgment (mishpat) of the G‑d of Yaakov.” For the word “for” (ki) means giving a reason for what was said before, “This day is the beginning of Your works,” etc.

13The explanation of the matter is this: the Torah is called chok (statute) and food for Israel, for it is the drawing-down of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, into the inner dimension of the soul. For it is impossible for the soul,

which is finite, to receive the Infinite Light, blessed be He, since it bears no comparison to Him, may He be blessed, except through the Torah, which is itself His wisdom and His will, may He be blessed. And the Torah is called chok

because it is grasped and absorbed in the inner dimension (pnimiyus) of the soul. And the mitzvos are called mishpatim, because the mitzvos are at the level of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus); but mishpat is a term of going, as the Targum renders “according to the former manner (kamishpat harishon)” as “according to the former practice (kehilchesa kadmaisa)”;

that is, nevertheless there is in them the level of spreading and going of the drawing-down from the Infinite Light, blessed be He; and it is drawn and spreads down to the level of “the G‑d of Yaakov”: yud-akev, “heel,” the level of the outer dimension.

(As for [the fact] that through Torah and mitzvos [light] is drawn from the Infinite Light that encompasses all worlds into the souls, it can be said that [it is because] “the Torah comes forth from Chochmah and Binah,” and it has already been explained that through the union of Chochmah and Binah the souls of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva are drawn down, etc. One may further say [it] according to what is written in the Zohar, Part I, Toldos (134b), which is cited in Etz Chaim, Shaar HaPartzufim, Shaar 29, end of Derush 1.)

143. But to bring closer to the understanding how the Torah and the mitzvos draw down the revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, that encompasses all worlds, so that it be at the level of the light that fills all worlds in the soul of man:

it will be understood from what is known, that joy brings about humility and lowliness, as in the analogy of the king who, at the time of his joy, reveals himself to all his servants and makes himself like a commoner among them.

As it is written, “And David was dancing,” etc. (in II Samuel, chapter 6). Whereas when it is not a time of joy, he is shut in and enclosed, and exalted above people, and “who is esteemed and who is hidden away,” etc.

Thus humility and lowliness are revealed by virtue of joy. Now, it is written, “Because you did not serve Havayah your G‑d with joy and with gladness of heart, beyond the abundance of everything,” etc.

15And “beyond the abundance of everything” means: even beyond the life of the World to Come, that there be more joy in it than in the life of the World to Come. Yet seemingly, from where would a person come to this level, with joy, with “the joy of Havayah,” so that this great joy be for G‑d at this level of “beyond the abundance of everything”?

But it is known that joy is the revelation of delight: when delight comes to revelation, then joy is born and comes into being, in the revelation of the heart; and the more revelation of delight there is, the more one rejoices and is glad.

16Now, it is known regarding all the delights of this world that “there is no blade of grass below that does not have a mazal (guiding force) above,” and that mazal is the spirituality of the delight. And physical delight bears no comparison to spiritual [delight], for the delight in the spiritual is very much greater than the measure of physical delight.

And all this is in the matters of this world, which flow from the refuse and dregs of holiness, as it is written, “And we dwelt in the valley opposite Beis Peor.” But the delight in holiness is wondrous without end, at a surpassing and exceedingly wondrous level.

And within holiness, too, there is ascent after ascent: the lower Gan Eden and the higher; and Eden is above Gan Eden, for it is from the exceedingly high delight, “and You give them drink from the stream of Your delights (adanecha).” And Eden is the level of Chochmah, and there delight is revealed.

But the essence of delight is higher still, as is seen in a person’s wisdom, in which there is delight; and that delight is a level higher than the wisdom. For in this wisdom which has fallen to a person, from above the intellect,

that is, from the power of the intellect, the delight falls and is drawn; whereas in wisdom as it is in itself, delight is not felt there, but because of the newness of the revelation of the wisdom, the delight shines in it. And all this is nothing

but a radiance and glow of the essence of delight. And so the illumination drawn into the higher Eden is only a radiance and glow of the essence of delight, which is the Infinite Light, blessed be He, that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin),

which is the source of delights; and one cannot give it any name except the name “the essence of simple delight,” since delight is higher than all the levels;

only, the delight is exceedingly wondrous and is not grasped even by the higher worlds, and it is called “the most hidden of all hidden things” (setima dechol setimin), for even in relation to the hidden worlds it is hidden and concealed.

And there is the root of the Torah and the mitzvos. For although “the Torah comes forth from Chochmah,” nevertheless its root is above Chochmah. And the mitzvos are the six hundred and thirteen of the Torah and the seven of the Rabbis, numerically six hundred and twenty (taf-reish-kaf),

which are the letters of Keser (the Crown), a term for a crown-piece (koteres) and something encompassing (makif). For there rests the supernal delight, the source of delights, at the level of a crown and an encompassing [light], which does not come to revelation except at the level of an encompassing [light].

(See Etz Chaim, Shaar 22, end of chapter 6: “the level of ‘encircling over it,’” etc., “a spiritual light encompassing it.”) And even this is through myriads upon myriads of levels, many and various contractions (tzimtzumim), as it is written, “Your wonders

and Your thoughts toward us: none can be compared to You; were I to declare and speak [of them], they are too numerous to be told.” In order that there be a drawing-down of “Your wonders toward us,” at the level of wonder (pele) and encompassing [light], it is through many contractions, until “they are too numerous to be told.”

For the supernal “wonder,” in relation to the Infinite Light, blessed be He, itself, is called “doing wonders,” the level of “doing,” etc. And this is the enclothement of the delight in the will, for the will is nothing

but the level of a crown and an encompassing [light], at the level of the outer dimension, and not the revelation of the inner dimension of the delight. And from there is rooted the root of the mitzvos, which are His very will, may He be blessed; and in fulfilling the mitzvos there is drawn down the supernal delight that is enclothed

in the will: “It is gratification before Me that I spoke and My will was done.” For in the fulfillment of the mitzvos there rests the gratification and the supernal delight that is enclothed in the supernal will, which does not come to revelation in Eden, which is only a radiance, etc.

17Now, from the revelation of this supernal delight in the mitzvos there is drawn the level of joy, which is the revelation of delight, so that there be “strength and gladness in His place.” And joy is what brings about humility and lowliness;

therefore, in it and through it, the Infinite Light, blessed be He, that encompasses all worlds, will be drawn into the soul of man, to be at the level of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin), with the open revelation of “strength” and “the joy of Havayah” from the supernal delight, blessed be He.

(And see what is written in the discourse beginning “On the eighth day, an assembly,” regarding “Who has sanctified us with His commandments,” “which You swore,” etc. And see in Reishis Chochmah, Shaar HaAnavah, chapter 1, in the name of the Raaya Mehemna, Parshas Pinchas) (page 230), that the attribute of Malchus is called humility.

And this is as is written above, in the discourse beginning “You are standing”: for “there is no king without a people,” meaning that they are called by the rank of “his people” because they are people like himself and relate to him in some proportion, etc.; but in relation to the Holy One, blessed be He, there is no comparison to Him, etc.

18Therefore, that He nevertheless lowers Himself and is drawn down to be at the level of King, as it is written, “Havayah reigns,” etc., and it is written, “In order to establish you this day as a people to Him,” etc.: this is great humility and self-lowering.

And this is [why] through the joy in fulfilling the Torah and mitzvos we draw down this humility, so that there be “Blessed are You, Havayah, our G‑d, King of the world,” etc. And see there further, in Reishis Chochmah, on the subject of humility in the Holy One, blessed be He.

19And this is [the meaning of] “I will greatly rejoice (sos asis) in Havayah.” The meaning: asis is a causative form, as it is written, “So Havayah will cause rejoicing (yasis) over you,” etc.

And our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “He does not rejoice, but He causes others to rejoice,” for it is a transitive verb, [acting] upon others. And the meaning is that the Congregation of Israel (Knesses Yisrael) says that she brings about the joy in Havayah.

That is, that there be a revelation of Havayah, contraction and expansion, etc., which is through the level of the joy of Havayah, that is, the revelation of the supernal delight, blessed be He, below.

(And this is what is written in Midrash Rabbah, Parshas Tzav, end of section 10, on the doubled expression “sos asis”: “double consolations”; that is, that one brings about the joy and the revelation in sovev kol almin and memalei kol almin.

And see what is written elsewhere on the difference between the joy of Purim and the joy of Yom Tov: it is because, through the self-sacrifice (mesirus nefesh) they had then, they reached higher and higher, into the essence of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, to draw down from there the revelation of the light and the miracle;

and therefore the joy from this revelation is “exceeding in dignity and exceeding in power,” etc. And perhaps along these lines one may explain the doubling of the joy, “sos asis,” etc. And see) (the Zohar, Part III, 133a)

on the verse “I will greatly rejoice,” and in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, at the end of [the section on] “We will exult and rejoice in you.” And this is through fulfilling the Torah and mitzvos that Israel do below, for through this they draw down the joy, which is the revelation of the supernal delight, blessed be He; for all the mitzvos are drawings-down from concealment to revelation.

(And this is [the meaning of] “And the humble shall increase joy in Havayah”) (in Isaiah, chapter 29): meaning that they add, as it were, joy in the Name Havayah, as mentioned above in the explanation of asis,

that she brings about the joy in Havayah, etc. And the end of the verse (in Isaiah there), “and the needy among men (evyonei adam) shall exult in the Holy One of Israel,” will be explained below.

204. But this drawing-down of Torah and mitzvos we draw down all year. On Rosh HaShanah, however, when a general life-force for the whole year is renewed from the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), the drawing-down of Torah and mitzvos is not

sufficient to draw down the renewal of a new light, especially for one who has caused a blemish by doing one of “the commandments of Havayah which are not to be done,” or who did not fulfill one of the commandments of G‑d. It is for this that Rosh HaShanah was fixed as a special day, to draw down this new light through the shofar.

21And this is [the meaning of] “bachodesh shofar”: the level of renewal. The matter is this: the shofar, too, is a drawing-down of the level of the supernal delight,

except that it is [the delight] that is revealed at the level of the inner dimension (pnimiyus), through “groaning groans” and “wailing wails,” the level of weeping, to arouse great mercy from the source of mercy, which is the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Scripture; and these are the very drawing-down of the inner dimension of the supernal delight,

which is far, far above the level of the supernal delight that is enclothed in Torah and mitzvos, which is revealed only at the level of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus) and the level of an encompassing [light] alone.

Therefore it repairs all the blemishes and fills all the deficiencies in the drawing-down of the Torah and the mitzvos. But this revelation is through the level of “groaning groans” and “wailing wails,”

for the weeping is over the remoteness of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, from the level of revelation: [there is] only “They shall utter the remembrance of Your great goodness,” “to make known to the sons of man His mighty acts,” only the contractions, many and mighty, myriads upon myriads

of levels, beyond searching, as it is written, “were I to declare and speak [of them], they are too numerous to be told,” with which the Infinite Light, blessed be He, contracted [itself] so that there be seen and revealed “the glory of the splendor of His kingship” and “Your kingship is a kingship over all worlds,” from which come the life-force of the worlds and their existence, for “there is no king without a people.”

22And when the thoughtful person contemplates this remoteness from the revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, how many contractions and worlds without number hide and conceal the revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, the source of delights, he will weep very much.

For he has reason to weep more than those who pass through Gehinnom weep, of whom the verse says, “Those who pass through the valley of weeping” (Psalms, chapter 84).

For Gehinnom is only the cleansing of his soul, as they said about Acher: “Better that he be judged and come to the World to Come.”

And if they weep over the withdrawal of the delight of the World to Come, which is only a radiance, how much more so, a fortiori, should one weep over the withdrawal of the revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, the source of delight.

(And this is [the meaning of] “Rachel weeps for her children,” etc., “for he is not,” as is explained in the Zohar, Part III, Vayikra) (page 20b): “because the Holy One, blessed be He, ascended higher and higher and is not found within her.

This is what is written: ‘for he is not.’” That is, it is the withdrawal of the drawing-down and revelation from the level of sovev kol almin into the level of memalei kol almin. And because of this, “like a ewe (rachel) before her shearers she is silent”;

that is, the descent of the soul and its subjugation to worry and think about all the matters of the body and the desires of the vital animal soul, which are superfluities, etc. And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “These are the journeys.”

Now, from this comes the level of mevakah (weeps), in the sense of “making others weep with her”: this is the arousal of weeping in a person’s heart over the withdrawal of the revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, etc.

And of this weeping it is said, “A voice is heard on high (beramah),” as the Zohar, Part I, Vayigash, explains (page 210a): “What is ‘on high’? This is the World to Come,” etc.

As it is written, “And Channah prayed to (al) Havayah, and wept greatly (bachoh tivkeh),” etc.: through the arousal of mercy at the level of “wept greatly” mentioned above, one arouses the level of “al Havayah” (above Havayah), higher than the level and rank of the Name

Havayah that is drawn down through fulfilling the mitzvos. And through this level of weeping one draws down the revelation of the level of the inner dimension of the supernal delight, enclothed in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, which is revealed through myriads upon myriads and levels of contractions, the level of “Your might.”

23And this is [the meaning of] “my soul shall exult in my G‑d (Elokai).” For the Name Elokim is the level of contraction (tzimtzum) and a shield for the Name Havayah, as it is written, “For a sun and a shield is Havayah Elokim,” and this is the matter of the sun in its sheath, as is written elsewhere. And since all these drawings-down that are at the level of the inner dimension are at the level of contractions and gevuros (restraints)

(and this is also the matter of “From the depths I called You”: the ten depths of the Ten Days of Teshuvah. Omek (depth) is numerically two hundred and sixteen (reish-yud-vav), the numerical value of Gevurah (restraint). As, by way of analogy, the depth of a spring, which issues and flows from its source: the gushing is extremely fine, like the horns of locusts, by way of analogy, and the like; for otherwise it would be as at the Flood, when “the springs of the deep burst forth,” etc.

And so, by way of analogy, the revelation and drawing-down from “the depth of all” (umka dechola) must be through the level of Gevurah and contractions, etc. And this is [why] omek is numerically Gevurah, precisely. And this is the matter of two hundred and sixteen mentioned in Pri Etz Chaim, in the intentions (kavanos) of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.

And this is why of this it is said, “my soul shall exult in my G‑d (Elokai)”: for the drawing-down to be from the level of “al Havayah,” it must be through contraction and Gevurah, etc. Therefore at the Giving of the Torah it is also said, “And Elokim spoke,” because there had to be a revelation and drawing-down from the level of “I” (Anochi), “Who I am,” etc. And this is also what is written in Yitzchak’s blessing, “And may HaElokim give you”;

for in order that the drawing-down be from the level of “the dew of the heavens,” “the crystalline dew” (tala devedulcha), the inner dimension of the supernal delight, it must be through the Name Elokim, for the reason mentioned above. And see in the Zohar, Part III, Parshas Pinchas, page 239b, regarding “And this place HaElokim prepares always,” etc., “from without end and from without searching”; and in the Mikdash Melech there, in the name of a marginal note of Rabbi Chaim Vital; and in Parshas Va’eschanan)

(page 267b), on the verse “No eye has seen, Elokim, besides You,” etc.; see there. And see what is written in the explanation of the verse “So will Ado-nai Havayah cause righteousness and praise to sprout,”

which is the Name Havayah with the vowels of Elokim; and in the discourse beginning “You are standing,” in the explanation of “In order to establish you this day as a people to Him, and He will be Elokim to you,”

which is that there be revealed “the glory of the splendor of His kingship,” the level of the Malchus of Ein Sof, for the worlds cannot receive this illumination in their inner dimension, but only as it is written, “You shall surely set a king over you”: “over you,” precisely.

24Therefore the angels quake from the dread of the Throne, and “terror and trembling seize them,” because they apprehend the enclothement of the Malchus of Ein Sof, blessed be He, and cannot receive illumination from it in their inner dimension (pnimiyus),

but only as it is written, “You shall surely set a king over you”: “over you,” precisely. Therefore the angels quake, for nevertheless they accept upon themselves the yoke of the kingship of Heaven, and from this “dread and fear fall upon them.”

25And so the drawing-down of the shofar, which is the drawing-down of the inner dimension of the supernal delight, cannot come to revelation in the soul at the level of the inner dimension, except at the level of fear and trembling.

Therefore the sound of the shofar brings about fear, as it is written, “and the sound of the shofar was very strong, and all the people trembled,” etc.

26“And all the people saw the sounds and the sound of the shofar; and the people saw and they trembled,” etc. But from within there is drawn the revelation of the inner dimension of the supernal delight.

And this is [the meaning of] “my soul shall exult (tagel),” at the level of gilah, in which the joy is not seen and revealed on the outside; rather, on the outside there is the revelation of fear and trembling, while its inside is inlaid with exultation and gladness, in the inner dimension of the supernal delight that is drawn down through the shofar. And see what is written in the discourse beginning “On the eighth day, an assembly,” regarding “And in order

to understand the matter of teshuvah,” etc.: “By way of analogy, there are two kinds of delight before the king,” etc.; see there. And along those lines, too, one will understand the matter of “I will greatly rejoice” and “my soul shall exult,” which are the two kinds of delight mentioned above.

275. But [the verse continues], “bakeseh (at the covering), for the day of our festival.” The meaning: the level of bakeseh is the covering and concealment of the joy, which is not seen and revealed on Rosh HaShanah, for fear and trembling hide and conceal the joy, so that it is only at the level of gilah.

This covering will be revealed “for the day of our festival,” which is the festival of Sukkos, which is [what is meant by] the unqualified “festival” in the Gemara; for then the joy will be revealed openly. For on Rosh HaShanah the fear is the level of “the left [hand] pushes away,” but it does not push away completely, G‑d forbid;

rather, as it is written, “His left hand is under my head”: the level of the left that pushes away brings about the lifting of the head, so that there be revealed on the festival of Sukkos the level of “and His right hand embraces me,” like a person who embraces his friend out of love and does not let him part from him.

So, on the festival of Sukkos, the s’chach and the three walls are the level of an embrace, the very closeness of G‑d, which surrounds and encompasses him on every side and does not let him be at the level of separation, G‑d forbid. (And see what is written on the subject of Sukkos at the end of the discourse beginning “Give ear, O heavens.”)

And this is [the meaning of] “From the narrow place I called upon Yah; Yah answered me with expansiveness”: from the narrowness of Rosh HaShanah there comes to be expansiveness on the festival of Sukkos.

(For “from the narrow place” is the shofar of Rosh HaShanah, for the shofar is narrow at one end, etc.; and see what is written on this on the verse “And all the people saw the sounds,” etc. And the expansiveness of the festival of Sukkos is the revelation of the level of “and abundant in kindness,” etc., the level of “for He desires kindness”; and this is [the meaning of] “and My kindness shall not depart from you,” etc.)

Therefore it is said, “And you shall draw water with joy,” for there was the water libation upon the altar with great joy, the Rejoicing of the Place of the Water-Drawing (Simchas Beis HaSho’evah).

For all year they would pour libations of wine, in which the level of joy rests by its own nature: “there is no joy except with wine.” Whereas on the festival of Sukkos there was a revelation of joy in water, which has no joy by its own nature, but only because of the revelation of the supernal joy.

(And see what is written along these lines on the verse “A psalm, a song of the dedication of the House”: that to the level of “house,” a supernal encompassing [light], joy does not pertain by its own nature, since it is above comprehension, etc., and joy is drawn into it from a still higher place, etc. And so it is with the joy of the water libation; and therefore it is called Beis HaSho’evah, “the house of drawing.”)

But this revelation of joy on the festival of Sukkos is not in the revelation of the inner dimension of the soul, but rather at the level of an encompassing [light]. For since these drawings-down of joy are from the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, which draw from the supernal delight that is “exalted and uplifted since the days of old,” it is impossible [for them] to come to revelation except at the level of an encompassing [light],

as in the saying [of the prayer], “The King Who is exalted,” etc., “in Your great mercy,” etc., “Rock of our stronghold, Shield of our salvation, a stronghold for us”: these are the three levels of encompassing [lights],

for “stronghold” and “shield” are the level of an encompassing [light], as is known. (And all this is drawn from the level of “in Your great mercy,” etc., that is, through the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy of the Ten Days of Teshuvah, so that “from the narrow place, He answered me with expansiveness,” etc.)

And this is [the meaning of] “for He has clothed me in garments of salvation (yesha)”: garments are the level of encompassing [lights]; and they are called “garments of yesha” because yesha is from the term “And Havayah turned (vayisha) to Hevel and to his offering,”

which is a term for turning from place to place; for the encompassing [lights] draw a person and turn him from place to place, like the sukkah, which is the level of an embrace, as mentioned above.

28And in it and through it a person’s soul will be drawn to cleave to Him, and all the powers of the soul, even as one engages in the needs of the world, will be ascending to G‑d, as in the analogy of a person who embraces his friend from behind: even the level of the back he encompasses and surrounds, so that he be wholly ascending to G‑d.

And great is the power of the encompassing [light] in this, to raise a person’s soul not in the way of the chain of descent (hishtalshelus), in the order of the levels, as it is written, “leaping over the mountains,” etc.

296. “He has wrapped me in a robe of tzedakah (righteousness).” Now, tzedakah (charity), too, is the level of a garment, except that the power and virtue of charity are greater than [those of] the other mitzvos.

For charity and acts of kindness are among the things “whose fruits one eats in this world,” for there is in it a drawing-down and revelation below, in this world, more than in the other mitzvos.

Therefore it is called by the name “robe” (me’il), on which bells and pomegranates hang to make a sound, “and its sound shall be heard when he comes into the Sanctuary”; and sound is drawing-down and revelation.

30“As a bridegroom (chasan) who adorns himself (yechahen) with splendor (pe’er).” The meaning: chasan is from the term “descending a level” (chaso darga). From this one will draw down the level of kohen and Chesed (kindness), the level of “You are a kohen forever,” which is the kindness of Havayah that is drawn down “from world to world”; and to be at the level of pe’er, that is, the level of “chok and food for Israel,” “in whom I take pride (espa’er).”

31“And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels (keleha).” (See in the Zohar, Part III, Balak, 199b.) “Her jewels” (keleha): these are the souls of Israel, which are at the level of vessels (keilim) and receive the Infinite Light, blessed be He, that is drawn down from the Torah and mitzvos; “and My words which I have put in your mouth.”

And they are the level of vessels that are nullified to His light, etc. And “the bride” is the Congregation of Israel (Knesses Yisrael), the source of the souls of Israel: she adorns them with the finest of ornaments, with the crown that the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to place on the head of every tzaddik.

32“And the righteous sit with their crowns on their heads.” And the intent of the verse is: just as the kindness that is drawn down “from world to world” at the level of the inner dimension, for the glory of Israel, through the drawing-down of the Torah,

and just as the level of the crowns of the righteous in Gan Eden, which are the level of encompassing [lights] (all this is drawn from the radiance of the Torah and divine service), so, and more than this, “I will greatly rejoice in Havayah” Himself, and “my soul shall exult in my G‑d,

for He has clothed me,” etc.: these are inner and encompassing drawings-down of the Torah and the mitzvos themselves, which are at the level of actual G‑dliness. (And for further explanation of the matter of “and exult with trembling”: it is a higher level than the level of the revelation of joy, in the manner that “the hidden world” (alma de’iskasya) is higher than “the revealed world” (alma de’isgalya).

And this is the matter of the second Tablets, on Yom Kippur, which were given quietly, etc., as is written below in the discourse beginning “Give ear, O heavens,” and above in Parshas Tavo on the verse “This day,” etc., and there in the discourse beginning “The matter of Rosh HaShanah”: that it is the level of the covered kindnesses (chassadim) and the revealed kindnesses. And it is explained elsewhere that the covered kindnesses are the level of the Tree of Life, whereas

the revealed kindnesses are called the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, etc., “the revealed world,” etc. And this is the matter of “and to walk modestly,” etc.

And see in Zohar HaRakia, at the beginning of the Sifra deTzniusa. And see also what is written below, at the end of the discourse beginning “On the eighth day, an assembly,” that gilah is drawn from a level higher than simchah, etc.)

33And this is [the meaning of] “and the needy among men (evyonei adam) shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.” The meaning: an evyon (needy one) is one who longs (ta’ev) for everything. And this is the level of “Rachel weeps,” etc.,

which is the bitterness over “for he is not,” the withdrawal of the light and the revelation. And therefore they are called “the needy of adam,” for “upon the throne was a likeness like the appearance of a man (adam),” etc.;

and with the withdrawal of the light and revelation of the level of adam to the level of “for He is not a man (adam),” Yesod and Malchus are called “needy” (evyonim), etc., for they long for the revelation of the light, etc.

34And this is the level of baalei teshuvah (those who return), for teshuvah is not specifically over sins, but rather the bitterness over one’s distance from G‑d. And it is known that “in the place where baalei teshuvah stand,” etc.,

for through this bitterness they arouse the Thirteen [Attributes] of Mercy, as is written above, and as is written in the discourse beginning “For the mountains shall depart,” and in the discourse beginning “For as the earth brings forth her growth,” etc.

35And this is [the meaning of] “shall exult in the Holy One of Israel,” that is to say, in the level that is holy and separate from the level of “Israel above”; that is, as it is written, “al Havayah,” above the Name Havayah; that is, above the level and rank of tzaddikim, etc.

And perhaps this is also the matter of “my soul shall exult in my G‑d (Elokai),” which is like the matter of what is written, “then Havayah shall be Elokim to me,” as is written on this verse in Parshas Vayetze, and in the discourse beginning “Return, O Israel, unto Havayah your G‑d,” and in the discourse beginning “On the eighth day, an assembly,” in the explanation of “the Rock of my heart and my portion is Elokim forever.”

And this is the level and rank of the Ten Days of Teshuvah, when all Israel merit the level of teshuvah, and so they are called “the needy of adam,” as we say in all the confessions, “We have been guilty, we have betrayed,” etc., “we have sinned, we have done wrong, we have transgressed,” etc.

36That is, the level of being needy of the level of adam: the two hundred and forty-eight positive commandments, “the two hundred and forty-eight limbs of the King,” etc. And through their longing and yearning to return to G‑d from the depth of the heart, through this “they shall exult in the Holy One of Israel,” the level of “for He is not a man (adam),” and “where no man (adam) dwelt.”

And this is the matter of “the holy King” that we say during the Ten Days of Teshuvah. And this is the matter of “the holy [day] of Havayah, honored,” which is said of Yom Kippur. And the meaning of “honored” (mechubad) is that from there it will be drawn into the level of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin), so that “the whole earth is full of His glory,” etc.,

as this matter is explained in the discourse beginning “For as the earth brings forth her growth,” etc., mentioned above. And this is the matter of “my soul shall exult in my G‑d,” as mentioned above.

37Now, it was explained above that joy above brings about humility, so that there be the drawing-down of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, that encompasses all worlds, into the soul of man, to be at the level of the light that fills all worlds, etc.

Accordingly, gilah, which is a more inward gladness and joy, that is, from the inner dimension of the supernal delight, which is above the level of the supernal delight enclothed in the mitzvos, etc.,

also brings about greater humility and lowliness. And this is the matter of the drawing-down of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, as is written in Reishis Chochmah, Shaar HaAnavah, there, in the name of the Ramak, that the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy indicate humility, etc.; see there at length.

38And it is a great and mighty humility, to lower Himself down and down, even to the place of sins, so as to be “bearing iniquity” and lifting it up, so that there be “the transformation of darkness into light,” etc.

And see what is written on this on the verse “And now, let it be great, I pray.” And this is because the root of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy is drawn from the inner dimension of the supernal delight, as mentioned above. And this is [the meaning of] “The Good One, for Your mercies have not ended.”

“The Good One” is the level of “with You”: “with You is the source of life,” “with You is forgiveness”; that is, what is truly “with You,” from there precisely forgiveness is taken. And that is through the drawing-down of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, “bearing iniquity,” etc.

And see what is written in the discourse beginning “Return, O Israel, unto”; and see what is written further on the subject of humility in the explanation of the passage in Parshas Pekudei (page 233) on the verse “And behold, a man whose appearance,” etc., at the end of the discourse; see there.