Chapter Eight
ח) וזהו שובה ישראל עד הוי' אלקיך גו' קחו עמכם דברים גו',
And this is the meaning of ‘Return Yisroel Ad Havaya Elokecho etc. take with yourselves words etc.’
דזה שמוסיף קחו עמכם דברים לאחרי שאומר שובה ישראל עד הוי' אלקיך, הוא,
For this, that it adds in the verse ‘take with yourselves words’ after it says ‘Return Yisroel Ad Havaya Elokecho’, is.
כי מצד גודל העילוי שבעבודת התשובה,
Because due to the great elevation in the service of the Teshuva — the service of Torah and Mitzvot with a ‘greater vigor’.
ובפרט בהתשובה דשובה גו' עד הוי' אלקיך,
And particularly in the mode of Teshuva a return that is of the level of, ‘Return etc. Ad until Havaya Elokecho’,
שהתשובה היא בבחינת עד ולא עד בכלל,
That the Teshuva - return is in the category of ‘Ad and the Ad is not included’ a Teshuva that transcends even the chain of creation.
ויתירה מזו – הוי' אלקיך,
And even more than this -’ Havaya Elokecho’. A Teshuva - return where Havaya is drawn down into your Elokecho, and even where Havaya is equal to Elokecho. This is because the Teshuva revealed the Ohr Ein Sof and Essence of G-d.
שעי"ז מתגלית עצם הנשמה שקשורה עם העצמות
Which, through this higher level of Teshuva the essence of the G-dly soul which is bound with Atzmus - the Essence of G-d is revealed.
(שלמעלה גם מבעל הרצון),
(Which is also above even of the level Ba'al HaRatzon - The Master of the will, for Atzmus is above the level of Ba'al HaRotzon)
ואע"פ שהוא נמצא בדרגא נעלית ביותר,
And even though that, he - the Ba'al Teshuva having revealed the essence of his G-dly soul - finds himself in an exceedingly high level.
ולכאורה אינו שייך לתיקון הפגמים
And seemingly he is not associated with correcting the defects. For no defects exist to correct on the level of the essence of the G-dly soul, that he has revealed within himself through Teshuva.
[ובפרט שבכדי לתקן זה צריך לירד ממדריגתו],
[And particularly that in order to correct this the defect caused by sin it is necessary to descend from his level to the lower levels of the soul where sin did exist, at least superficially and why then descend to that level and say Vidui].
עם. כל זה אומר קחו עמכם דברים
Nevertheless, with all this it says ‘take with yourselves words’.
שצריך להיות וידוי דברים, בכדי למחות את גוף הקליפות.
That it is necessary to be a Vidui said - a confession in words - verbally, in order to erase the body of the Klipot the shell - the cover of evil that conceals G-dliness. As explained in Chassidic Philosophy that in every sin there is a Guf - ‘body’ and a Nefesh ‘soul’. The ‘soul’ of the sin is the pleasure in it and the ‘body’ of the sin is the act of the sin. Through Charoto - regret, the ‘soul’ of the sin is removed and through Vidui - speech, which is likened to an act the ‘body’ of the sin removed. Thus the ‘Vidui’ in Teshuva is the ‘action’ that removes the ‘body’ of the Klipot’. Therefore the verse says: ‘Take with yourselves words’, the ‘words’ of Vidui to eradicate both the ‘body’ and ‘soul’ of the sin.
And another explanation in: ‘take with yourselves words’ which is in a positive light, that it refers to the taking of ‘words’ of Torah and Mitzvot.
ועוד פירוש בקחו עמכם דברים,
And another meaning in the words: ‘take with yourselves words’ is the concept,
שדברים הם תורה ומצוות.
That ‘words’ are referring to words of Torah and Mitzvot.
שגם בענין דתיקון החטאים,
That also in the matter of correction of the sin,
אף שיש בזה היתרון שעי"ז נמשך הגילוי דעצם הנשמה
Though there is in this the advantage that through this verbal confession the revelation of the essence of the G-dly soul is drawn down,
(גם) בהדרגות התחתונות ששייך בהם פגם,
(Also) in the lower levels where a defect is associated in them and through the confession and regret the defect is corrected,
מ"מ, גם זה אינו מספיק, וצ"ל קחו עמכם דברים, תורה ומצוות,
Nevertheless, also this concept of ‘words’ as a confession is not sufficient, and it necessitates to ‘take with yourselves words’, specifically of Torah and Mitzvot,
שעי"ז יהי' העילוי גם בהדרגות דהנשמה כמו שהם למטה
Which, through this will be the elevation also of the levels of the G-dly soul as there are below in a body on earth by practicing the ‘words’ of Torah and Mitzvot on earth.
(ולא באופן דהעלאה),
(And not only in a way of ascent to the higher realms as it is in its Teshuva return represented by the ‘words’ said in Vidui - confession to cleanse the sin). Here the ‘words’ are of Torah and Mitzvot to bring more G-dliness on earth.
ויתירה מזו, שעי"ז נעשה גם בירור וזיכוך בהעולם,
And even more than this advantage of the revelation of G-dliness into the soul as it is in a body on earth which is represented by his ‘words’ of Torah and Mitzvot is, that through this will also be made the rectification and refining in the world due to the Torah and Mitzvot of the G-dly soul on earth.
ונעשה דירה לו ית' בתחתונים.
And thus will be made a dwelling to Him the blessed One in the lowest realms which is the primary purpose of the creation.
וזהו גם מה שממשיך בכתוב ושובו אל הוי',
And this is also what continues in the verse ‘And return to Havaya’.
שלאחרי התשובה דשובה ישראל עד הוי' אלקיך שהיא העלאה מלמטה למעלה,
That after the return of ‘Return Yisroel Ad Havaya Elokecho’, which is an elevation from below to above.
צ"ל ושובו אל הוי',
There necessitates an additional return of ‘And return to Havaya’,
להמשיך האור מלמעלה למטה ע"י תומ"צ שהם דרך הוי'.
To draw down the Ohr - divine light from above to below through Torah and Mitzvot which they are the Derech - Path of Havaya.
ועי"ז, ממשיכים כל ההשפעות לא רק בענינים רוחניים אלא גם בענינים גשמיים, בבני חיי ומזוני רויחי,
And through this, all of the above, we draw down all the divine flows, not only into matters of the spiritual but also in the matters of the physical, in children, health, and sustenance in abundance, for the New Year and thereafter.
וכמאמר אדמו"ר הזקן
And as the saying of the Alter Rebbe:
אַז דער אויבערשטער גיט אידן גשמיות און אידן מָאכן פון די גשמיות רוחהניות,
“That the One above gives Jews physicality all the Jews their physical needs and Jews make from the physical spiritual”. From physical abundance the Jew receives from G-d, he elevates them into the spiritual which is the observance of the Torah and Mitzvot.
ועושים דירה לו ית' בתחתונים, ועי"ז – והיתה להוי' המלוכה.
And we make the dwelling for Him the blessed One in the lower realms, and through this - and it will be to Havaya the Kingship G-d’s Essence to be King - to be revealed and G-d will reign in all realms including earth. This will fulfill of G-d’s desire for a dwelling in the lowest realms.