כי כארץ תוציא צמחה וכגנה זרועיה תצמיח כן…

1“For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden makes the things sown in it sprout, so will Ado-nai Havayah make righteousness and praise sprout,” etc. (And see the Zohar, Terumah, 166b.)

Now, all the prophets prophesied about the giving of the reward of the mitzvos only with regard to the eating of their fruits in this world, as a physical reward, in the Days of Mashiach;

but as for the spiritual reward that is in each and every mitzvah in its own right, for “the reward of a mitzvah is the mitzvah,” of this it is said, “No eye has seen,” etc. And see what is written about this on the verse “A menorah of gold.”

2The prophets did not speak of this at all. This will be revealed in the Time to Come, at the Resurrection of the Dead. Nevertheless, it is present, in concealment, in every

Jewish soul, at the level of service, even now, when one performs the mitzvah; and on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur it is revealed out of the concealment. And of this it is said, “So will Ado-nai Havayah make righteousness and praise sprout,” etc.

3To understand the explanation of this matter: during the Ten Days of Teshuvah we say “the holy King,” etc. Now, at first glance there is no reason for this. Granted, on Rosh HaShanah, [when] the King sits on the throne of judgment and the throne of mercy, we say “the holy King”;

but during the Ten Days of Teshuvah, after Rosh HaShanah, for what reason do we say “the holy King” [and] “the King of judgment”?

4And also: what does “King” have to do with “holy”? For holiness is a matter unto itself, and kingship is a matter unto itself. All this will be understood by first prefacing the matter of the descent of the souls into this world, which is a descent for the sake of an ascent; and this is through the performance of the mitzvos, “Who has sanctified us with His commandments,” etc.

For it is known that Israel arose in [G‑d’s] thought. That is: the angels were drawn forth from the level of the supernal speech, as it is written, “And by the breath of His mouth all their host”;

but the souls were drawn forth from a higher level, namely from the level of the supernal thought. And the difference between them is, by way of analogy, like [what we see] below:

speech is drawn from the breath of the heart, which is drawn out and becomes voice and speech by means of the windpipe; and the breath and the voice are drawn from the material body (and see Iggeres HaKodesh, the passage beginning “And David made a name”);

and it also goes out and spreads into the air of the world and becomes something separate from the person’s very essence. Not so thought, which is united with the intellect: it is an extension of the intellect, and not a bodily extension.

Nor does it become something separate from the person’s very essence; on the contrary, it is united with his essence. For it is speech that goes out and extends to another, not thought.

On this pattern one can understand, above, the superiority of the souls over the angels and all the other created beings, all of which were created through the Ten Utterances; as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “‘And let fowl fly’: ‘fowl’ is Michael,” etc.

(which is, by way of analogy, a bodily extension; as is known, the root of the angels is from the outer dimension of the vessels, which are the level of a body, etc., and [that of] the souls is from the inner dimension).

But Israel arose in thought before speech came in the Ten Utterances. And this is [the meaning of] “Bereshis”: for the sake of Israel, who are called “first” (reishis) because they arose in thought. Therefore they also preceded the six days of Creation.

And since this is so, that even before their descent into this world they arose in the supernal thought, above the level of the angels, etc., then we need

to understand what the descent “for the sake of an ascent” means: what is the further ascent? (And see about this in the discourse beginning “And I will make [your windows] of kadkod.”) The explanation is this: it is written, “And men of holiness (kodesh) shall you be unto Me,” and it is written, “Israel is holy (kodesh) unto Havayah.”

And our Sages, of blessed memory, said on the verse “You shall be holy”: “Could it be like Me? Scripture says, ‘For I am holy’: My holiness is above your holiness.” Now we need to understand: how could one have thought that they would be like Me, so that it had to tell us that “My holiness is above,” etc.?

But the explanation is that there is the level of kodesh and the level of kadosh. That is: kodesh is that which is separate from the level of the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus), and no thought can grasp it at all.

But kadosh with a vav is the level of drawing down: that is, a radiance drawn from the level of the supernal kodesh, which is separate from the worlds, so that it is drawn into and enclothed in the worlds; for the essence of the level of the supernal kodesh cannot be grasped by and enclothed in the worlds,

since the worlds do not have the capacity to contain this level of kodesh itself, as the saying goes, “Kodesh is a thing unto itself” (in the Zohar, Emor, folio 94b); for with the revelation of this level the worlds would be utterly nullified out of existence. Only a contracted radiance is drawn from the level of kodesh to be enclothed in the worlds.

And this is the level of kadosh with a vav, for the vav is the level of drawing down. And this is why the angels say “kadosh” three times: they are three levels of drawing down from the level of the supernal kodesh, which is drawn down

through three gradations, from rung to rung, until, after these three levels, it is drawn into the level of “Havayah of hosts,” to bring into being the hosts upon hosts in the upper worlds, “a thousand thousands” in one troop, etc.

These three gradations are: first, light descends from the level of kodesh and is enclothed in thought; afterwards [it descends] from thought to the emotive attributes (middos), and from the emotive attributes to speech; until it is drawn down to bring into being the supernal hosts upon hosts, whose coming into being is from the level of speech,

as it is written, “And by the breath of His mouth all their host” (and see what is written about this in the discourse beginning “Sing and rejoice”). Now, in truth this level of radiance bears no comparison at all to the essence of the level of the supernal kodesh,

just as, by way of analogy, the glow of the sun bears no comparison to the sun [itself], and the glow effects no change in it at all. And so it is written, “I, Havayah, have not changed.”

Now the souls of Israel, by fulfilling the mitzvos in this world while enclothed in bodies, are elevated through this to the level of the supernal kodesh, which is a level above the level of kadosh with a vav. And this is [the meaning of] “And men of kodesh shall you be unto Me”: truly men of kodesh.

(And see what is written about all this in the discourse beginning “A Shabbos of rest.”) And as is written in the Zohar, Mishpatim (folio 121, end of side a). And this is what we say, “Who has sanctified us with His commandments”: that is, with the level of kodesh itself;

and this is specifically “with His commandments,” for the mitzvos are the level of the supernal will, blessed be He, which is above the level of Chochmah (wisdom); as in the matter of “Be silent; thus it arose in thought.”

And this is why the 613 mitzvos of the Torah together with the seven mitzvos of the Rabbis are the 620 pillars of light: because they are on the level of the supernal Keser (the Crown), a term [meaning] a crown (koteres) and that which encompasses from above; which is the level of kodesh and separate, only encompassing from above: the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), etc.

5And through this, “Who has sanctified us with His commandments,” etc. And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “The righteous are destined to have ‘Holy’ (kadosh) said before them.” For saying kadosh with a vav is to draw a radiance from the level of the supernal kodesh into the worlds, which is the level of kadosh.

Therefore, since in the Time to Come the righteous will be elevated into the level of the supernal kodesh, as it is said, “You shall be holy,” and “And men of kodesh shall you be unto Me,” etc., therefore “Holy” will be said before them: to draw from them a radiance and the level of the vav, which is the level of kadosh, etc.

And this is [the meaning of] “And you shall do all My commandments and be holy”: the mitzvos bring one to holiness, as mentioned above. And the meaning of “holy unto your G‑d” is that they will be “bound up in the bond of life with Havayah,” as it is written, “Sing joyously, O righteous ones, in Havayah.”

6Now, the revelation of this level will be in the Time to Come, of which it is said, “No eye has seen,” etc.; and now it is in a state of concealment within the performance of the mitzvah.

Yet some revelation of this level is drawn down to illuminate a person’s soul in [divine] service: a radiance of this level of holiness (as is written in Parshas Re’eh, on the verse “And His commandments shall you keep,” and on the verse “And Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes,” and in other places).

And this is the meaning of the blessing over the mitzvos, in which we say, “Who has sanctified us with His commandments.” And this is the meaning of baruch (“blessed”): that it be blessed and drawn down from the very essence of the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, so as to shine and be revealed, until it is on the level of “You” (Atah), in direct address. And this drawing down is through the Name Havayah and the level of “King of the world.”

For the attribute of Malchus (sovereignty) is the source of the worlds, and it is enclothed in time and space; as the sayings go, “[He] is King, [He] was King, and [He] will reign,” etc.; “Your kingship is a kingship over all worlds,” etc.; “generation after generation,” etc.

Therefore, through accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, the revelation of this level will be drawn into the soul, so that there is “Who has sanctified us with His commandments,” etc.; that is, so that there is in the soul the level of ahavah rabbah (great love), etc.,

which is called by the name “holiness” (kedushah), since it receives from kodesh, the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin). (And see what is written in Parshas Shelach on the verse “gathering wood”; and see the Raaya Mehemna, Parshas Emor, folio 93a, on the matter of kodesh, kadosh and kedushah.)

Now, concerning the blessing over the mitzvos, our Sages, of blessed memory, said [that one blesses] oveir la’asiyasan, “prior to their performance”; and oveir is a term of priority; oveir is also a term of encompassing,

as in “oveir lasocher,” [socher being] a term [like] sechor sechor, “round about.” That is, one first draws down the level of a makif (an encompassing [light]), so that there is a makif for “their performance,” that is to say, for the performance of the mitzvah, etc. For the mitzvos are enclothed in physical things,

such as tallis and tefillin; and in order that the light of the supernal kodesh be drawn down to dwell in a physical thing, one must first make a preparation for this before doing the mitzvah. This is [done] through the blessing over the mitzvah: one draws down the level of a makif over the performance of the mitzvah, etc.

7And this is the “term of priority”: first to draw down the level of a makif for “their performance” from the very top of all levels, so that it be blessed and drawn down into “King of the world.”

And then, afterwards, one can draw down the revelation of the light of the supernal kodesh also on the inner level (pnimiyus), through the performance of the mitzvah, etc.

(And see what is written about the blessing over the mitzvos in the discourse beginning “And I pleaded with,” etc., and in the explanation on the verse “These are the journeys”; and see the discourse beginning “To a mare in Pharaoh’s chariots,” in Shir HaShirim.)

And with this we can understand the descent of the soul, which is for the sake of an ascent, even though at the outset, too, [the souls] arose in thought: for the ascent is far, far above the level of thought,

namely into the level of the supernal kodesh, which is separate from the entire chain of descent (hishtalshelus); whereas the level of thought receives only a mere radiance from the level of kadosh with a vav, etc. (And see what is written in the discourse beginning “And I will make [your windows] of kadkod.”)

8(2) Now, of the revelation that comes through the performance of the mitzvos it is said, “For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden makes the things sown in it sprout.”

For [we need] to understand how, through the physical doing of the performance of the mitzvos, they will be elevated into the very level of the supernal kodesh, which is above the chain of descent, etc.

But, of this, the term “sowing” is used of the mitzvos: “Sow for yourselves for righteousness,” etc.; “He sows righteousness and makes salvations sprout.”

That is: just as, by way of analogy, we see that from a seed sown in the earth there grows a fruit tree, and the fruit has a good taste and delight, which were not at all in the seed, for the seed has no taste whatsoever;

9And if so, it is a wonder how fruits so fine, with good taste far, far above the nature of the seed, grow from it. But the explanation is that the growth comes chiefly from the power of growth that has been in the earth since the six days of Creation, which is from the utterance “Let the earth sprout vegetation,” etc.,

“and trees bearing fruit,” etc.; for this whole utterance is enclothed in the power of growth in the earth, and it is a truly G‑dly power

(the level of Malchus of Malchus of the Ten Sefiros of Asiyah, etc.), to create, anew, something from nothing, to bring forth all kinds of growth with different tastes, etc.

Nevertheless, there is a need specifically for sowing and planting the seed, because blessing rests only where there is a vessel below in which the blessing can dwell, as is known from the Zohar: “Blessing does not rest in an empty place,” etc.

Therefore one sows the seed in it, so that it be a vessel in which the light and flow of the power of growth can dwell. (And the grasses and fruits that grow of themselves, without sowing, are not so fine; and see below.) And this is through the seed rotting in the earth, and all its power rising and being absorbed into the power of growth.

Therefore the light and revelation are drawn from the power of growth, which is from the level of the utterance “Let [the earth] sprout,” etc., “and trees,” etc., to make a tree sprout, etc.

So too it can be understood above: how from the performance of a mitzvah, which is enclothed in physical matters, there will be the growth that is the revelation of the level of the supernal kodesh.

That is, it is because the mitzvos are a kind of sowing, sown in the supernal earth (see what is written on the meaning of “the supernal earth” on the verse “None shall miscarry or be barren in your land,” and on the verse “[In days] to come, Yaakov will take root,” and in Iggeres HaKodesh, the passage beginning “He sows righteousness”),

and “their beginning is wedged in their end”: that is, in the supernal earth, which is called “earth,” the end of all levels, there is wedged [something] of their very beginning, the level of the supernal kodesh, etc.

And this is the power of growth within it, to make the revelation of supernal lights sprout through the performance of the mitzvos. And see the discourse beginning “A Shabbos of rest”;

it is [there] in connection with “I am like a verdant cypress.” And the meaning is: just as the power of growth in the physical earth makes all kinds of delicacies sprout, which have good taste and delight, etc.,

so from the power of growth in the supernal earth there flow all kinds of revelation of supernal delight, so that they will take pleasure in the revelation of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He; and this is a wondrous delight without end.

For even regarding the delight of the lower Gan Eden they said, “Better that he be judged,” etc., that it is worth all the sufferings of Gehinnom, etc.; all the more so the revelation that will be in the Time to Come, etc.

And just as the power of growth in the physical earth is revealed only through sowing the seed, so too the power of the supernal earth is revealed specifically through the sowing of the performance of the mitzvos, etc.

(as this matter is explained at length on the verse “[In days] to come, Yaakov will take root,” mentioned above). And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden makes the things sown in it sprout”: the growth is far, far above the nature of the seed sown in it.

Now, as for what is written, “makes the things sown in it (zeruehah) sprout”: zeruehah is in the plural. The explanation is that there are two kinds of sowing. The first is the sowing of the actual performance of the mitzvah,

and from this there grows the revelation of the light and splendor in the lower Gan Eden (and see what is written about the lower Gan Eden on the verse “And now, let [the strength] be great, I pray,” and on the verse “And [Havayah] spoke,” etc., “in the wilderness of Sinai,” etc.). The second is a more spiritual sowing: the intention (kavanah) of the mitzvos, for all the mitzvos require kavanah.

And the kavanah is in one’s heart and mind, which is a more spiritual matter than the actual performance of the mitzvah; for the main point of the kavanah is to cleave to Him, may He be blessed, through the performance of this mitzvah.

Likewise, with the prohibitive commandments, the kavanah is not to become separated, through this, from His unity and oneness, may He be blessed; as it is written, “And you shall not stray,” etc.,

“after which you go astray” (zonim): like a woman who has been unfaithful (zonah), who is forbidden to her husband, so too he can no longer receive from the level of the supernal kodesh, etc.

10Now, from the kavanah of the mitzvos the light in the upper Gan Eden is drawn down and grows, etc. And this is “and as a garden makes the things sown in it (zeruehah) sprout”: it does not say zar’ah (its seed) but zeruehah, that is, the two kinds of sowing mentioned above. And see Sefer Shel Beinonim (Tanya), chapter 38.

And the meaning of “as the earth brings forth its growth” is a third level: the growth that sprouts without any sowing at all, like grasses that come up of themselves,

and likewise like the fruits of the forest, such as the apples on the forest trees, which grow and sprout of themselves without sowing. But the fruits that come through sowing and planting are far, far finer than those that come up of themselves, etc.

11And the analogue will be understood: this third level is the matter of practical mitzvos that are done without any kavanah to cleave to Him, may He be blessed; as in what is said, “And their fear of Me is a commandment of men, learned by rote.”

For this is as if there were no sowing here at all; and nevertheless “the earth brings forth its growth,” through the hidden love that is in a person. Even

though it is entirely hidden, since he has not brought the love out of concealment into revelation, to intend to cleave to Him, may He be blessed, nevertheless, since at any rate the hidden love is in him, “the earth brings forth its growth.”

Nevertheless, it does not compare at all to “a garden makes the things sown in it sprout,” which are the mitzvos done with kavanah, etc. And see the Zohar, Terumah (166b), on the verse “And as a garden, the things sown in it,” etc.,

and on the verse “Light is sown,” etc.; and see what is written about this in Parshas Vayigash, on the verse “And Yosef gathered,” etc., and in Shir HaShirim, on the verse “There are sixty queens,” etc.; and see Sefer Chassidim, siman 321.

And this is what was explained above concerning the blessing over the mitzvos, [said] “prior to their performance”: in order that the arousal from below of the performance of the mitzvah awaken a revelation of the arousal from above, this is the matter of the blessing, “Blessed are You, Havayah, our G‑d, King of the world.”

The explanation is as is written in the Zohar, Part I (folio 122a), on the verse “A king, to a field that is worked”: “Who is the king? This is the Holy One, blessed be He, who joins Himself to the field when it is worked.

Which field? This is ‘the field that Havayah has blessed.’” The meaning of “that Havayah has blessed” is the blessing over the mitzvos,

which is a supernal drawing down from the very highest, so that there be a revelation of the power of growth in the supernal earth, to make salvations sprout through the performance of the mitzvah, with an abundance of light, etc.; as is written elsewhere, on the verse “May Havayah bless you,” in Parshas Naso; see there.

12(3) Now, “For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden makes the things sown in it sprout” is the growth that comes from the performance of the mitzvos and from the kavanah of the mitzvos,

which is drawn down throughout the year, when Israel amass Torah and mitzvos. “So will Ado-nai Havayah make righteousness and praise sprout”: this is the growth and revelation of the higher light on Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and the Ten Days of Teshuvah.

As is written in the Zohar, Terumah (folio 177a): “At this time, ‘Ado-nai Havayah, You have begun,’” etc.; for these two Names, Ado-nai Havayah, are revealed on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur; and this is so that “He will make righteousness and praise sprout,” etc.

This will be understood by first prefacing the matter of the level of baalei teshuvah (those who return). For all that was said above applies when a person turns from evil and does good; then it is the matter of sowing, “He sows righteousness,” etc.

And likewise all the other mitzvos of the Torah are called, in general, by the name tzedakah (righteousness), as it is written, “And it will be righteousness for us, if we take care to do all this commandment,” etc.

(and see what is written about this in Parshas Beshalach, in the discourse beginning “I will sing”), for they are a kind of sowing, so that through this [He] “makes salvations sprout.” And likewise the keeping of the prohibitive commandments is also called sowing, as it is written, “in a land not sown” (lo zeruah): for the level of the “not” (lo),

that is, sitting and not committing a transgression, is also a kind of sowing in the supernal earth, as with those who do a mitzvah, etc. But when a person sins, G‑d forbid, and neglects a positive commandment, he is called chotei (sinner), a term of lack: the absence of the sowing mentioned above.

13All the more so when he transgresses a prohibitive commandment, which is called avon (iniquity), from the expression he’evah darko, “he made his way crooked”: it is a matter of distortion and a crooked path, which draws nourishment to the external forces; as it is written, “those who rebel against Me”: “against the very Body of the King,” etc. And of this it is said, “He found him in a desert land,”

which is a place not fit for sowing at all, as it is written, “It shall not be sown, nor shall it make [anything] sprout, nor shall any grass come up in it,” etc.

(And see what is written about the matter of the desert in the discourse beginning “I am my Beloved’s,” and in the discourse beginning “As an eagle stirs up.”) Yet despite all this, “As an eagle stirs up its nest,” etc.; that is,

even for this there is a remedy, through the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy by means of teshuvah, and especially during the Ten Days of Teshuvah, which are the principal time for the acceptance of those who return, as it is written, “Seek Havayah when He is to be found,” etc. For

the Ten Days of Teshuvah are the time of the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, as it is written, “And Havayah passed before him and proclaimed.” The meaning of “passed” is that it is drawn down of itself, as an arousal from above alone.

For throughout the year the revelation of light is only from the level of the arousal from above that comes specifically through an arousal from below; but during the Ten Days of Teshuvah the level of the arousal from above is drawn down of itself.

14And this is “And Havayah passed before him.” “Slow to anger” (erech apayim): arichu de’anpin, the lengthening of the countenance, which lengthens and extends downward even to the place of the iniquities and transgressions, so as to be “bearing iniquity,” to fill in all the blemishes, etc.,

and all the deficiencies that were made in the drawing down of the light of the supernal kodesh through the neglect of positive commandments and [the violation of] prohibitive commandments, etc. And this is as it is written, “Before Havayah shall you be purified”; for all the mitzvos are called “the commandments of Havayah” (as was written above, on the verse “For this commandment,” etc.).

But of Yom Kippur it is said, “and the holy of Havayah, honored”; that is to say, it is the level of holy, separate and exalted above the level of the Name Havayah. And this is the meaning of “before Havayah.”

15The explanation of these words will be understood by first prefacing the matter of “the holy King” that we say during the Ten Days of Teshuvah. For it is known, regarding the root of Rosh HaShanah, that it is the building of the attribute of His sovereignty (Malchus), may He be blessed; as the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, goes: “Say before Me [verses of] Kingship, so that you make Me King,” etc.

And the reason this is specifically on Rosh HaShanah is that the world was created on the twenty-fifth of Elul, and on the sixth day of the work of Creation Adam, the first man, was created; and that is Rosh HaShanah.

16Now, on the day Adam, the first man, was created, the revelation of the attribute of His sovereignty, may He be blessed, began; for kingship applies only to man, since man accepts the yoke of His kingship, as the saying goes, “And His kingship they willingly accepted upon themselves,” etc.;

whereas over the cattle and beasts that preceded the creation of Adam, the first man, the term kingship does not apply at all. And Adam, the first man, then said the song of the sixth day, “Havayah reigns; He has clothed Himself in majesty,” etc.,

because on it [the level of] King was drawn down and He clothed Himself in the garment of kingship. Therefore every year, when the matter returns to its original state,

on the day of Rosh HaShanah there is a drawing down of Malchus (sovereignty) from its source, just as this drawing down took place on this day at the beginning of the creation of the world.

17And this is the matter of what arose in the primordial thought, “I will reign”: that is, this is the level of the will that arose in the primordial thought of the very essence of the Emanator, to be King over a separate people. And

this will to be King is the source of the existence of the subsequent extension of this attribute of Malchus; that is, that there be the tzimtzum (contraction), to contract and conceal Himself, so that there may come into being a yesh (an existent thing) and a separate thing

(that it be a separate thing in its own awareness; that is to say, in the awareness of the yesh, the created being, to which it seems that it is a yesh and a separate thing, etc.), so that the Emanator will be King over a people. Yet this tzimtzum exists only with respect to us;

but before Him, may He be blessed, all is considered as naught, as before creation, and there is in truth nothing separate here at all;

for “I, Havayah, have not changed,” and [it is] just as before the world was created, etc. If so, there is nothing outside of Him,

so over whom does He reign? But since, nevertheless, because of the tzimtzum, there came to be a yesh and a separate thing in our awareness, even though before Him all is as naught, kingship over a people nevertheless applies,

since they are a yesh and a separate thing in their own awareness, etc. And because before Him [all] is considered as naught, it is therefore necessary first, each and every year, to draw down that He should have the will to reign.

18And this is the matter of drawing down from the level mentioned above, “I will reign,” etc. This drawing down is the matter of Malchuyos (the [verses of] Kingship) that we say on Rosh HaShanah, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Say before Me [verses of] Kingship, so that you make Me King over you”; for through this we arouse and draw down the will of the level of “I will reign.”

And this is the meaning of our saying “the holy King” on Rosh HaShanah. For plain “King” [applies] all year: that is, the attribute of His sovereignty that extends into the worlds, as it is written, “Your kingship is a kingship over all worlds,” and “His kingship rules over all.”

But the source of the attribute of kingship, that is, the drawing down of the thought “I will reign,” is called “the holy King,” for it is still separate and exalted above the level of extension into the worlds, and there is truly nothing besides Him; only it arose in His will to be King, etc.

(And this is like the matter of “At the beginning of the King’s authority,” etc., and as is written in the Raaya Mehemna, Parshas Pinchas, folio 256b): “The place from which it was hewn, which is the Infinite One (Ein Sof),” etc.;

and as is written in the Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun Ten, on the meaning of “Where is the place of His glory,” etc.; and see there in the Raaya Mehemna (folio 255b), on the matter of “Show me, I pray, Your glory,” etc.; and as is written elsewhere, on the verse “But as I live, and [the earth] shall be filled with the glory,” etc.

“Glory” is the level of the thought “I will reign,” which is also the level of a garment, as it is written, “Havayah reigns; He has clothed Himself in majesty.” And the drawing down of this level of thought comes, by way of analogy, from the power of thought, etc.

Along these lines, the Zohar, Parshas Noach (folio 65a), mentions several levels that are called “supernal thought,” etc. And as, by way of analogy, in a person, the power of thought is the source of thought, etc.,

and this is what is called “the place of His glory.” The meaning of “place” is the source and root of the thought, etc.; and it is the level of “Where” (ayeh), the level of the Infinite One.

19And this is what is written, “The place from which it was hewn, which is the Infinite One,” etc. And this is the level of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Before the world was created, there were He and His Name alone”; this level of “His Name” is the matter of “Where is the place of His glory,” and from there it is drawn down to become the level of “I will reign,” etc.

And this is the level of “the holy King,” which is from the level of “My holiness, which is above your holiness,” as [will be explained] below. And see what is written in the discourse beginning “The voice of my Beloved,” on the matter of “Your kingship is a kingship over all worlds.”

Therefore we say “the holy King” throughout the Ten Days of Teshuvah: for on all these days, each day, we draw down from the very essence of the Emanator a will for kingship. (And the ten days correspond to the Ten Sefiros of Malchus, so that each day one level is drawn down, as is written in Pri Etz Chaim.)

Now, the level of “the holy King” is the level of “My holiness is above your holiness”: that is, this drawing down is from higher than the drawing down that comes through the mitzvos, even though through the mitzvos one draws down from the very level of the supernal kodesh.

But even so, they said, “‘You shall be holy’: could it be like Me?” etc. That is to say, there is yet an arousal from above that is higher than the arousal from above that comes through the arousal from below of the performance of the mitzvos; that is, the arousal from below of the performance of the mitzvos does not reach there at all

(except through teshuvah “from the depths,” etc., as [will be explained] below; and through the Torah, too, [something] is drawn from this level of arousal from above, as is written on the verse “And I pleaded,” etc. And from this one can understand what was explained elsewhere, in Parshas Bereshis, in the discourse beginning “Go forth and behold,” that teshuvah is called a healing, and so too the Torah; this is because they preceded the world, etc.; see there).

And this revelation comes principally from the arousal from above, of itself, which is above the arousal from below, as it is written, “And Havayah passed before him and proclaimed,” etc.

And this is what is called “My holiness, which is above your holiness,” etc. And through this drawing down all the blemishes caused by iniquities and sins are repaired,

which reach up to the level of the supernal kodesh, the source of the light of the mitzvos; but when [light] is drawn down from the level of “My holiness, which is above your holiness,” all the deficiencies in the level of the supernal kodesh are repaired and filled in, etc.

20And this is the level and rank of baalei teshuvah (those who return), which is above the level of the completely righteous: for the completely righteous draw down from the level of kodesh;

therefore “Holy” (kadosh) will be said before them. But greater is the level of teshuvah, “with greater strength,” for it draws down from the level of “My holiness, which is above your holiness.” And therefore we say “the holy King” throughout the Ten Days of Teshuvah.

21(4) And this is “For as the earth,” etc., “and as a garden,” etc.: the upper and the lower Gan Eden will make the revelation of the splendor of the Shechinah sprout from the arousal from below and the sowing of the performance of the mitzvos; and this growth is a revelation from the level of the supernal kodesh, “Who has sanctified us with His commandments,” etc.

“So [will] Ado-nai Havayah”: these are two Names that are revealed on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. The Name Ado-nai is the level of Rosh HaShanah, for it is the level of “that you make Me King over you”; “the law (dina) of the kingdom is law,” [dina having] the letters of Ado-nai, etc.;

and the Name Havayah vocalized with [the vowels of] Elokim is the level of Yom Kippur; [it] “will make sprout” a revelation of a still higher light, namely from the level of the arousal from above of “My holiness, which is above your holiness.” And of this it is said, “Ado-nai Havayah, You have begun,” etc.

And see what is written in Parshas Va’eschanan on the verse “You have begun,” etc. And see what is written in Parshas Shelach, in the discourse beginning “And now, let the strength of Ado-nai be great, I pray,” etc., [on] “bearing iniquity,” etc.

(And see what is written in the explanation on the verse “I have come into My garden,” on the matter of “I have gathered My myrrh”; and see [the Zohar,] Parshas Shelach, folio 159a), and the Ramaz there,

regarding “The Holy One, blessed be He, has three worlds,” corresponding to the upper and the lower Gan Eden, etc.; see there. And see Parshas Bo (folio 35a), regarding “who sows in the garden,” and what is written there in the Mikdash Melech in the name of Rabbi Chaim Vital.

One may also explain the connection of the revelation of this level with Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. For it is written, “And Havayah Elokim planted a garden in Eden mikedem (from before).”

“Havayah Elokim” is a full Name; see Bereshis Rabbah, chapter 15, and the Zohar, Part III, Naso (folio 138b). Now, “And He placed there the man whom He had formed” was on Rosh HaShanah, the day Adam, the first man, was created.

And this is the meaning of “As You gladdened Your creation in the Garden of Eden mikedem (from before)”; and it is explained elsewhere that the meaning of mikedem is without an arousal from below, but rather because “He desires kindness.”

And see the Gemara, chapter 4 of Pesachim (folio 54a), on the matter of mikedem; and see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “See, I set before you.” Therefore, on every Rosh HaShanah too, this level is aroused, so that there be “and as a garden [makes] the things sown in it,” etc., “so,” etc. And see what is written in the discourse beginning “For as the new heavens.”

And the meaning of “will make righteousness (tzedakah) sprout”: tzedakah is the level of the Name Ado-nai, alef [and] din (judgment): the judgment is sweetened by the alef, the supernal pele (wonder), etc.

And this is also the meaning of tzedakah: tzedek with a hei. For tzedek is judgment, and when the judgment is sweetened by the five Chasadim (kindnesses) it is called tzedakah.

As is written in the Zohar, Bechukosai (folio 113b); and see the Ramaz there, and the Idra Zuta (folio 291b and folio 292a). And of this it is said, “Your right hand is full of righteousness (tzedek)”; and as is written elsewhere, on the verse “But Havayah your G‑d would not listen to Bilaam,” etc.; see there.

The explanation is this: “Havayah is righteous (tzaddik) in all His ways,” and it is written, “Havayah is righteous; He loves righteous deeds (tzedakos).” The meaning of tzaddik is one who practices tzedakah (charity): just as, by way of analogy, physical charity is given to a poor person to revive

“the spirit of the lowly,” so the Holy One, blessed be He, in His glory and His very Self, does tzedakah “to revive the spirit of the lowly,” which are all the worlds, for “all before Him is considered as naught,” etc. And the principal drawing down of this is on Rosh HaShanah. For

on Rosh HaShanah there is also drawn down G‑dly light and flow to each one, in Torah and [divine] service, for the whole year, as is known from the explanation of “For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment of the G‑d of Yaakov.”

22And although the term mishpat (judgment) is used, [meaning] that a person is judged in his soul as to how and how much revelation of G‑dliness will be drawn into his soul, and the manner of the judgment and verdict depends on a person’s deeds in the past year, etc.,

nevertheless “mishpat is mercy,” as is written in the Idra Zuta there; and so it is written in the Midrash Rabbah on Esther, 2, [on] the verse “In the days of Achashverosh,” on the verse “He is Havayah our G‑d; His judgments are in all the earth”: that His attribute of mercy is forever.

That is, mercy sweetens judgment. And see the Zohar, Vayikra (folio 15, end of side a, and side b), and Parshas Emor (folio 100), and Parshas Lech Lecha (folio 87), on the verse “And Malki-Tzedek, king of Shalem,” etc.; see there.

And this is “Yours, Ado-nai, is the righteousness, and ours is the shame of face.” This is the level of the flow to baalei teshuvah: through the sins and iniquities he lacks the garments made of Torah and mitzvos, and this is “and ours is the shame of face.”

For we say, “And put understanding into our hearts,” etc., “to do and to fulfill,” etc.; and through this, “and we shall not be ashamed,” etc.;

whereas when one has sinned, it is the level of “and ours is the shame of face,” as is written in the Zohar, Emor (folio 89b). But through teshuvah, which is also the level of shame of face,

as in the matter of yirah boshes (fear [that is] shame), being ashamed before the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, as is written in Sefer Shel Beinonim (Tanya), chapter 43, and in the note to Tikkun Chatzos: through this, “Yours, Ado-nai, is the righteousness,” to fill in all the blemishes through the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, etc.

And see what is written in the discourse beginning “And I will make [your windows] of kadkod,” on the matter of “the sun of righteousness.” And the matter of tehillah (praise) is drawn from the Name Havayah vocalized with [the vowels of] Elokim, which is the level of Yom Kippur.

The meaning of tehillah: it is a term of praise and acclaim, and also a term [as in] “when His lamp shone” (behilo neiro), etc., a radiance in revealed form; and both are true,

for the one is drawn from the other; as it is written, “Let every soul praise Yah”: through setting out the praises of the Omnipresent, which is the matter of Pesukei deZimrah, one draws a G‑dly radiance upon one’s soul.

23Now, through this radiance the concealing darkness of the animal soul is also pushed away. That is why the praises of “Hallelu Yah” are called Pesukei deZimrah, from the expression “the cutting down (zemir) of tyrants”: for the concealing kelipos are cut off and pruned away, etc.

And this is “The exaltations of G‑d are in their throat, and a double-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance upon the nations”: through the level of “the exaltations of G‑d in their throat,” which is the level of “Let every soul praise Yah,” the “double-edged sword,” etc., is drawn down to remove the darkness of the animal soul.

24And on Yom Kippur, which is the level of “He shall atone for you, to purify you,” etc., of this it is said that Havayah “will make” this “praise sprout” in the soul “before all the nations”;

that is, through this radiance two things come about. The first: that there be a revelation in the G‑dly soul, so that it comes to the level of “Let every soul praise.”

25And see what is written in the discourse beginning “The Song of Songs,” on the matter of “Glory in His holy Name.” The second: that through this the darkness of the animal soul is pushed away. That is why it says the Name Havayah vocalized with [the vowels of] Elokim, for this Name makes this praise sprout:

the revelation is through the Name Havayah, and through the vocalization of Elokim it is to push away the darkness and to remove the spirit of impurity. And also, for

in general there are two hindrances. The first is drawn from the Chesed of kelipah: it is coldness, which causes a holding back from effort in “do good.”

26The second is from the level of the Gevurah of kelipah: it is heat, which causes desire for what is forbidden, etc. All the particular desires and hindrances are drawn from these two things. And through the Name Havayah vocalized with [the vowels of] Elokim, which is the level of the supernal Chesed and Gevurah of holiness, the two hindrances mentioned above are cut off, etc.

Therefore on Yom Kippur we say seven times, “Havayah, He is Elokim,” for the light and revelation of Yom Kippur is from the level of the Name Havayah vocalized with [the vowels of] Elokim.

27One may further explain the matter of “For as the earth” according to what is written on the verse “And this is the commandment that Havayah commanded to do in the land: Hear, O Israel,” etc.; see there. And from what is written there, the matter of “For as the earth,” etc., will be understood with further explanation:

“so,” etc. Just as the growth in the Shema is “with all your might” (bechol me’odecha), so on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur there is drawn down a level of growth, the level of the higher teshuvah (teshuvah ila’ah), from a still higher level. For there are several gradations in the level of the supernal will of “with all your might,” as is explained on the verse “Listen, O heavens.”

28Now, the plain sense of why the verse makes one depend on the other, “For as the earth… and as a garden,” etc., “so [will] Ado-nai,” etc., is

that this growth on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur is in proportion to the sowing beforehand, in keeping the Torah and mitzvos all year; as it is written, “a judgment of the G‑d of Yaakov,” etc.

And the matter also depends on teshuvah. For although a supernal arousal from above is drawn down, which is above the holiness drawn down through the performance of the mitzvos throughout the year, etc.,

nevertheless this indwelling and drawing down is in proportion to the completeness drawn down through the Torah and the mitzvos throughout the year, as is written elsewhere, on the verse “Open to me,” etc.

And this is “so will Ado-nai Havayah make sprout”: that is, through the lower teshuvah (teshuvah tata’ah), which is on the level of the Name Ado-nai, and through the higher teshuvah, which is on the level of the Name Havayah vocalized with [the vowels of] Elokim; and these are the level of the inner dimension (pnimiyus) of the lower and the higher earth.

For there are ten levels of holiness in the land, up to the level of the Holy of Holies, the inner dimension of the ten holinesses, from which the forgiveness of iniquities will sprout; and it is called “the good mountain and the Lebanon,” because it whitens (malbin) their iniquities, [as] in the Midrash Rabbah at the beginning of Parshas Vayikra.

And this is why in Parshas Emor it is written, “It (hu) is a Shabbos of rest for you,” hu being masculine, while in Parshas Acharei it is written, “It (hi) is a Shabbos of rest for you,” hi being feminine.

29This is along the lines of “[When] the man emits seed first, she gives birth to a female”: that is, when the drawing down is from the level of the arousal from above alone, when there is no completeness in the arousal from below. And of this it is said in Parshas Acharei, “It (hi) is a Shabbos of rest for you,” etc.,

“an eternal statute”: for nevertheless this revelation is drawn down from the arousal from above as “an eternal statute,” that is, even when the generations are not so worthy; only that then it is the level of “It (hi) is a Shabbos of rest,” in the feminine.

Whereas in Parshas Emor it is written, “It (hu) is a Shabbos of rest for you”; this is because it says, “and you shall afflict your souls on the ninth,” etc., which is the level of a complete arousal from below during the Ten Days of Teshuvah; and through this “she gives birth to a male,” etc.