Rosh Hashanah - Kabbalah and Chassidus - Maamar Zeh HaYom 5741
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
Maamar Zeh Hayom, by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, delivered on Rosh Hashanah 5741 (1980) and published in 5748 (1987).
In translation by Noah Shavrick azkf@comcast.net
1) “This is the day of the beginning of your actions, a remembrance to the first day.” And it is known, that the plain usage of the term “HaYom (The day)” refers to Rosh Hashanah. The meaning of “Zeh (This) is the day” is that on the day of Rosh Hashanah there is drawn out the aspect of “This”; since on Rosh Hashanah the Bnei Yisroel crown Hakadosh Baruch Hu as the King and they actively cause the revelation of His Malchus, may He be blessed, throughout the entire world, to the point that “everything made will know that You have made it,” that even the aspect of what is made in Asiyah (and certainly in Yetsirah and Beriyah) they will know that You have made them. This is the meaning of “This is the day,” that on Rosh Hashanah, G-dliness is drawn out in a literal revelation, to the point of “This”, where each person can point with their finger and say, “Zeh (This)”. We can say that this is also the explanation that is said about the day of Rosh Hashanah, “This is the day of the beginning of your actions,” for we know the specific explanation about this from the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, the Maharash, the Rashab, and my father-in-law the Rebbe, the Nasi of our generation, that on the 25th of Elul, the world was created, while Rosh Hashanah is the day Adam Harishon was created, which was the 6th day of creation. So how can we say about this day that it was the beginning of your actions? Also, why is Rosh Hashanah on the 1st of Tishrei and not on the 25th of Elul? Furthermore, on Rosh Hashanah, “All those who have come to the world will pass before You like a flock of sheep,” not just human beings, but also the creations from the level of the animals, plants and minerals, so why is Rosh Hashanah specifically on the day of the creation of man? (more…)