There is a Possuk in the Haftora for this Shabbos that states: כָשַׁלְתָ בַׁעֲוֹנֶיך שוּבָה יִשְרָאֵל עַׁד הַׁוַׁיָ׳ אֶלֹקֶיך כִי “Return, Yisroel, until HaShem your G-d, for you have stumbled in your iniquity”. קְחוּ עִמָכֶם דְבָרִים וְשוּבוֹ אֶל הַׁוַׁיָ׳ גּוֹ׳ “Take words with yourselves and return to HaShem”.
The Alter Rebbe explains in His work Likkutei Torah in the discourses that deal with Shabbos Shuvoh, which is the Chassidishe Parsha for this week, that when the Possuk says “Return Yisroel ‘until’ HaShem your G-d, for you have stumbled in your iniquity” refers to a very high spiritual level of Teshuvah which relates to the B’nei Yisroel at a dimension of the name Yisroel which is a very high spiritual level. It is known that Teshuvah is primarily in the heart and there are many levels in the heart which means that there are many levels of Teshuvah.
The Teshuvah here in our Possuk refers to someone who is on the spiritual level of Yisroel. And when one’s Avodah is on such a high level as this then his Teshuvah is the type of Teshuvah that is עַׁד הַׁוַׁיָ׳ אֶלֹקֶיך [one is positioning oneself immersed within Gdliness] until ‘Havaye’ your G-d.
In Likkutei Torah the Alter Rebbe explains that the Possuk שוּבָה יִשְרָאֵל עַׁד הַׁוַׁיָ׳ אֶלֹקֶיך “Return, Yisroel, to HaShem your G-d” means that the extent of one’s Teshuvah needs to be until [what was considered yesterday as] the spiritual state of ‘Havaye’ becomes considered as the lower [revealed] Divine level of ‘Elokim’ in comparison to HaShem’s infinite essence which is above the state of ‘Havaye’ to him.
This is consistent with the explanation given to the intonation recited at the peak of the Ne’ila services on Yom Kippur הַׁוַׁיָ׳ הוּא הָאֱלֹקִים ‘Havaye is Elokim’. The explanation given is that when Zoh (Symbolising Havaye) ascends into Atik it is considered to be ‘Elokim’.
We can add that with our Possuk אֶלֹקֶיך עַׁד הַׁוַׁיָ׳ means one should feel internally that the name ‘Havaye’ is your G-d, your strength and your vitality and the state of his ‘Havaye’ is indeed a very lofty level of ‘Havaye’ for him. Furthermore, the reason why we chant הָאֱלֹקִים הַׁוַׁיָ׳ הוּא ‘Havaye is Elokim’ seven times in ‘Ne’ilah’ is because within this itself there are seven levels one higher than the other. The first time הַׁוַׁיָ׳ הוּא הָאֱלֹקִים is recited his spiritual level of ‘Havaye’ ascends to become a state of ‘Elokim’ and his upper spiritual level above this now becomes his ‘Havaya’. When thereafter he recites הַׁוַׁיָ׳ הוּא הָאֱלֹקִים a second time the intention is that also the next Higher tier of ‘Havaye’ which is above the first ‘Havaye’ now also becomes as ‘Elokim’. And so too for all the seven recitations each one above the previous.
The reason why ‘Teshuvah’ is even needed when one is on a level of ‘Yisroel’ is because כָשַׁלְתָ בַׁעֲוֹנֶיך “You have stumbled in your iniquity”. About this it is explained in Likkutei Torah that as a result of sin one stumbles. In other words just as when one trips over something with his foot his head falls down, so too here, since there is an obstacle in a state of ‘foot’ it also causes a falling and a descent within the state of ‘head’ which is the spiritual state of ‘Yisroel’ as ‘Yisroel’ is made up of the words לִי רֹאש ‘A head for me’.
Therefore, one needs to do ‘Teshuvah’ even when in the state of ‘Yisroel’ and since the fall is also in the head which is the seat of one’s internal faculties this is why the state of הַׁוַׁיָ׳ אֶלֹקֶיך ‘Havaye’ is your G-d’ does not suffice alone but one needs the ‘Havaye’ to be ‘Elokim’ and to draw down a higher state of ‘Havaye’.
How does one attain this level in practice? For this the next Possuk states: קְחוּ עִמָכֶם דְבָרִים וְשוּבוֹ אֶל הַׁוַׁיָ׳ “Take words with yourselves and return to HaShem”. That in order to attain this spiritual level there needs to be a unique acquisition קְחוּ עִמָכֶם דְבָרִים “Take words with yourselves”.
There are two explanations of what these words consist: Pirush one, is that they refer to the ‘Thirteen attributes of mercy’ which never return empty handed. Pirush two is that these words are words of Torah and Mitzvos.
The difference between these two explanations is similar to the difference between the two different types of ‘Avodah’. The ‘Avodah’ of תְמִידִים כְסִדְרָם ‘regular Korbon Tomid offerings’ which is synonymous with the regular Avodah of Torah and Mitzvos and the ‘Avodah’ of מוּסָפִים כְהִלְכָתָם ‘periodic additional offerings’ which is synonymous with an Avodah which goes beyond regular boundaries and limitations.
It transpires that the Possuk קְחוּ עִמָכֶם דְבָרִים “Take words with yourselves” indeed incorporates both types of ‘Avodah’- the Avodah of Torah and Mitzvos including ‘the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded’ symbolising a ‘regular Korbon Tomid offerings’- as well as the ‘Avodah’ which goes beyond the regular boundaries and limitations synonymous to the ‘thirteen attributes of mercy’ symbolising ‘periodic additional offerings’.
We can point out that these two explanations are in fact connected to each other; this is so because the thirteen attributes of mercy are interconnected with ‘the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded’. This is because these ‘principles’ include both the study of Torah and the deeds of Torah which are the Halochos of Torah to the extent of actual deed [performance of Mitzvohs] in the material world.
As a result of this Avodah one is able to effectuate the words of the Possuk וְשוּבוּ אֶל הַׁוַׁיָ׳ “And return to HaShem”. And consistent with what is said in Likkutei Torah we could say that the word ‘return’ has two explanations: one is in the straightforward understanding meaning to ‘return oneself’ and a second meaning similar to the meaning of the Possuk in Tehilim שוּבָה ה׳ אֶת שְבִיתֵנוּ “Return HaShem our captivity like rivulets in arid land”.
