Rosh Hashanah

206. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). "In the seventh month, on the first day of the month" (Vayikra 23:24). This commandment is to blow the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah, which is Judgment day to the world as we explained. We explained the words, "Blow a Shofar at the new moon, at the full moon (or: 'covering') on our feast day" (Tehilim 81:4). We learned that this day is a day when the moon, MALCHUT, is covered and the world is under Judgment. For the prosecutor covers and hides and locks the entrance to the King, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, AND THE MOON IS a place where Judgment abides to demand justice from the world.

207. You may wonder how the prosecutor was given permission to cover THE LIGHT OF MALCHUT and demand punishment. AND HE ANSWERS, Surely the Holy One, blessed be He, allowed the prosecutor to demand justice from the whole world. He allotted him a specific day in which to demand all the punishments in the world, for the Holy One, blessed be He, made him and placed him before Himself, so the fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, will increase and rest on everyone. This is the secret of, "and Elohim does it, so that men should fear before Him" (Kohelet 3:14). What is "does?" He did this prosecutor and made him before Himself to be a sharp sword over the whole world, all for the reason that all will fear the Holy One, blessed be He. He oversees and prosecutes the sins of people, demands punishment and seizes people; kills them and strikes them, all just as it was decided in court.

208. It is like the minister appointed over the terrestrial court, who was given permission to mention before the court that so and so did this, and so and so transgressed that, and to demand punishment. We learned that the minister appointed over the court was given permission to lock the entrance to the court until verdicts will be meted out to all his persecution. The court is not allowed to decline him, because, "For I Hashem love justice" (Yeshayah 61:8), and He wants the world to be maintained by judgment, so as to make known that there is judgment and there is a judge. ALL THIS APPLIES TO THE TERRESTRIAL COURT.

209. The Holy One, blessed be He, did the same. He placed before Him that PROSECUTOR who demands punishment before the King for all the people in the world. On that day, he is given permission to cover the entrance of the King, ZEIR ANPIN, and the moon, MALCHUT, is hidden inside until punishment is meted out to all the people in the world. Though everything is revealed before the Holy One, blessed be He, He nevertheless desires nothing but according to Judgment.

210. Everything operates in the same way above and below. On that day, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, fixes the throne of Judgment, and the administrator comes and demands justice for all the deeds of the people in the world, each according to his ways and deeds. Witnesses come and testify to all the deeds of the people in the world, and these WITNESSES ARE CALLED the eyes of Hashem that roam throughout the whole world and see the deeds of the people in the world.

211. Woe to those who do not care and do not observe their doings, for the witnesses of the King stand by them, observe and see whatever they do or say. They ascend and testify before the King. The administrator stands before the King and demands punishment: so and so transgressed the law and so and so did that; here are the witnesses. As long as the Holy One, blessed be He, does not ask them, they have no permission to testify. WHEN HE ASKS THEM, they deliver their testimony.

212. Everything is put in writing before the King. In the King's house there is a certain chamber, full of white fire. This fire rolls in a circle with burning sparks and never ceases. Inside this chamber there is another chamber, full of black fire, which never ceases. Two scribes stand before the King at all times. During trials, all witnesses testify before the King. The scribes take from the circle of white fire and write THE VERDICT on it with the black circle.

213. The King then holds the verdict for some time, in case they will repent in the meantime. If they returned IN REPENTANCE, the writings are torn up. If not, the King sits and all the defenders stand before Him. The crier stands and announces, so and so did this; who shall defend him? If there is someone to defend him, it is well. Otherwise, he is given to the administrator FOR PUNISHMENT.

214. HE ASKS, Yet the Holy One, blessed be He, knows everything, why does He need all this? AND HE ANSWERS, This is so that people will have no excuse, but rather to show that He does everything truthfully. He prefers it when one is saved from His punishment. You may ask whence we know that. THIS was given to the sages, and even those who do not know, whoever may wish to see, may see what is divulged BELOW IN THIS WORLD, and thus know what is a mystery ABOVE, since everything follows the same pattern. For whatever the Holy One, blessed be He, does in the ways of the world, is in the likeness of above.

215. The day of Rosh Hashanah is Judgment day, and the King sits on the throne of Judgment. The administrator comes and covers the entrance to the King and demands punishment. Even though the Holy One, blessed be He, loves judgment, as it is written, "For I Hashem love justice," the love of His children overcame the love of judgment. When the administrator rises to speak about them, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, commanded to blow the Shofar in order to rouse love from below upward by that Shofar.

216. The sound rises, included of fire, wind and water, WHICH CORRESPOND TO CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, that merge into one sound. Another sound from above is roused before it, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT JOINS LEFT AND RIGHT. When that sound is roused from above and from below, all the charges the prosecutors raise are confused.

217. On the day of Rosh Hashanah, Isaac comes out alone, THAT IS, THE LEFT COLUMN REIGNS WITHOUT THE RIGHT, WITHOUT THE JOINING OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH ARE ABRAHAM AND JACOB. He calls Esau, THE OTHER SIDE, to give him dishes to eat of the whole world, according to their deeds, NAMELY, TO DEMAND PUNISHMENT FOR THE ACTIONS OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. For at that time, "his eyes were dim, so that he could not see" (Beresheet 27:1), because he that darkens people's faces comes out from him - THAT IS, THE PROSECUTOR IS DRAWN FROM THE LEFT, WHEN IT IS WITHOUT THE RIGHT. He is separated FROM THE RIGHT AND CENTRAL COLUMN, lies on the couch of Judgment and calls Esau, WHO IS THE OTHER SIDE AND THE PROSECUTOR. And he said, "catch me some venison; and make me savory food" (Ibid. 3-4) FROM THE EVIL DEEDS OF PEOPLE, "and bring it to me" (Ibid.).

218. "And Rivkah spoke to Jacob her son..." (Ibid. 6), her heart's beloved, her beloved son given to her since the world was created. She orders him to rouse himself with his own dishes. Jacob awakens below, dons prayers and petitions, and "The voice is Jacob's voice" (Ibid. 22), with the celestial Shofar. SUPERNAL Jacob awakens, WHO IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, towards him, ISAAC, and approaches him, BY JOINING HIM WITH ABRAHAM, WHO IS THE RIGHT. "And he brought it near to him, and he did eat" (Ibid. 25), WHICH MEANS they were incorporated within each other, AND THE MOCHIN SHONE, THE SECRET OF EATING. Once THE CENTRAL COLUMN was included in him, "he brought him wine" (Ibid.), the preserved wine, NAMELY, THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT SHINES FROM BELOW UPWARDS, FIXED BY THE CENTRAL COLUMN. The wine rejoices the heart, the secret of the World to Come, NAMELY THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT IS DRAWN FROM BINAH CALLED THE WORLD TO COME. Then, "he smelt the smell of his garments" (Ibid. 27), THAT IS, the ascending prayers and petitions, "and blessed him" (Ibid.). THAT MEANS anger abated, the heart rejoiced and everything is full of Mercy.

219. Once he is incorporated in Jacob, all the awaiting powers, harsh Judgments and anger dispersed and were no longer present there. Yisrael emerged from Judgment with happiness and blessings. "and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father," on that day, with joy and celestial blessings, "that Esau his brother came in from his hunting" (Ibid. 30), loaded with burdens of the deeds of the world TO DENOUNCE THEM. "And he also had made savory food" (Ibid. 31), sharpening his tongue to give charges and prepare testimony, "and brought it to his father, and said to his father, Let my father arise," rousing himself with his Judgment, "and eat" (Ibid.) the many evil deeds DONE in the whole world that I have found.

220. "And Isaac trembled very much..." (Ibid. 33), for he could not be separated from being incorporated in Jacob, who abides in joy, "and said, Who then is he that has taken venison" by many prayers and petitions, "and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Moreover, he shall be blessed. And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceedingly bitter cry" (Ibid. 33-34), because he saw that his venison was worthless. Eventually he said to him, "Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth..." (Ibid. 39), the mighty men and the multitudes of the other people. This was hardest for him, "And Esau hated Jacob" (Ibid. 41), following him and constantly denouncing him.

221. Jacob goes the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and flees so as to be saved from him. He repents and fasts until Yom Kippur. Then Yisrael know that Esau comes with four hundred people, all prosecutors ready to denounce them. Forthwith, "Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed" (Beresheet 32:8), and raised many prayers and petitions, "And Jacob said, O Elohim of my father Abraham, and Elohim of my father..." (Ibid. 10), until he reached a decision, saying, "For he said, I will appease him with the present that goes before me" (Ibid. 21), "and took of that which came to his hand a present...two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes..." (Ibid. 14-15).

222. "camels..." (Ibid. 16). Such is his side, LIKE CAMELS. Camels are the PRIMORDIAL serpent THAT WAS like a camel. When THE ANGEL Samael tempted Adam TO EAT OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, he was riding on a camel-like serpent. We learned that whoever sees a camel in his dream was punished by death from above but was saved from it. It is all the same, WHICH MEANS THAT THE CAMEL AND THE SERPENT THAT DELIVERED DEATH TO THE WORLD ARE THE SAME THING.

223. Esau then reverted to be Jacob's defender, yet Jacob wanted neither his honey nor his sting, BUT SAID, "Let my master, I pray you, pass over before his servant" (Beresheet 33:14). Then, "Esau returned that day on his way to Seir" (Ibid. 16). When WAS THAT? During the Neilah prayer, since then he parted from the Holy Nation, and the Holy One, blessed be He, forgives their iniquities and atones for them. Once the prosecutor left with the gift and separated from them, the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to rejoice with His children. It is then written, "And Jacob journeyed to Sukkot, and built him a house...therefore the name of the place is called Sukkot" (Ibid. 17). Since Yisrael dwelt in Sukkot, they were saved from the prosecutor and the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoiced in His children. Happy is their lot in this world and in the World to Come. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).