But, in order to come to elevate himself to Hashem on a level of Teshuva, with very great intensity, beyond what the soul can naturally handle, the person must receive help from Above so that he can reach this level.
This is the idea of asking Hashem to “return us to You,” since we need His help to reach true Teshuva, beyond the natural motivation of the G-dly soul.
And, regarding this type of help from Above, it says that “He nourishes us with roses,” feeding us His mercies and giving us the power to do Teshuva. End of note.]
Now, our Sages have said, (Shabbos 30b) “Do not only read the verse to mean that ‘He nourishes us with ש וֹש נ ים-roses,’ but also read the verse to mean that ‘He nourishes us with םש ש וֹנ י-those who study.’”
The meaning of ‘–ש ש וֹנ יַׁםthose who study’ is referring to Torah study, as expressed in the idea that “whenever one reads the Tanach and ‘ש וֹנֶַׁהַׁ- studies’ the Mishna, Hashem reads and studies with him.” (Tanna D’vei Eliyahu Rabbah 18:1)
To explain the idea that Hashem nourishes us ‘ב ש וֹש ַנ ִּים-with roses’ means that He nourishes us with Torah study in the month of Elul:
The idea of Teshuva is to complete whatever revelation of Hashem is missing, both what is missing through the lack of performing Mitzvos, which holds back and decreases the revelation of the Light of Hashem that is “סוֹב בַׁכ ָּלַׁעָּלְמ ין-encompasses all worlds” that is drawn down through the Mitzvos, and also what is missing through the lack of Torah study, which is the source of Hashem’s Light that is “מְמ ל אַׁ כ ָּלַׁ עָּלְמ ין-permeates all worlds.”
And this is the meaning of what we say in the Shemona Esrai, “And bring us back with complete Teshuva before You,” meaning, specifically Teshuva that is complete in filling in all missing aspects of Hashem’s revelation.
And this is the meaning of the verse, “He nourishes me with ‘םַׁ ש וֹש נ יַׁ-roses,’” in the plural form, instead of saying “with a rose,” implying that there are two levels included in ‘םַׁ ש וֹש נ י-roses:’
- An “actual rose,” meaning the revelation of the 13 Attributes of Mercy corresponding to the 13 petals of the rose, which are from the level of how Hashem is “סוֹב בַׁכ ָּלַׁעָּלְמ ין-encompasses all worlds.” This gives us the power to do Teshuva for any lack of Mitzvos.
- ‘–ש ש וֹנ יםַׁThose who study Torah,’ which has the same letters as ‘ש וֹש ַנ ִּים-roses,’ meaning that in Elul Hashem nourishes us with the power to do Teshuva for the lack of Torah study, which is the idea of how Hashem “מְמ ל אַׁ כ ָּלַׁ עָּלְמ ין- permeates all worlds.”
After explaining that the power for Teshuva in Elul can fill in all the missing revelation of Hashem from the lack of Mitzvos throughout the year, the Alter Rebbe will use that concept to explain the following question:
