Parshas Ki Tavo 5786 "You have proclaimed Hashem today" - the avodah of crowning the King on Rosh Hashanah

00:00 Master of the Universe—a story about the holy Rebbe of Berditchev. Once, the Rebbe of Berditchev entered a shul. He saw a Jew putting on tefillin, and as the Jew went to put them on, they slipped from his hands and fell to the ground. The Jew immediately ran to pick up the tefillin. He held them in his hands and kissed them with all his warmth, deeply distressed that they had fallen to the ground. When the Rebbe of Berditchev saw this, he raised his hands to Hakadosh Boruch Hu and said: “Master of the Universe, look at Your Jew. When his tefillin fall, see how he picks them up and kisses them with such love.” The Gemara in Berachos says that Hakadosh Boruch Hu puts on tefillin. And the Gemara asks, “What is written in the tefillin of the Master of the world?” The Gemara says that in Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s tefillin it is written: “And who is like Your people Israel, one nation on earth?” Who are Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s people, the one and only nation on earth? That is what is written in His tefillin. And the Gemara derives this from the verses in Parshas Ki Savo, our weekly parsha: “You have distinguished Hashem today,” and “Hashem has distinguished you today.” The Jews chose Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and Hakadosh Boruch Hu chooses the Jews. “You have made Me unique in the world.” The Jews proclaim Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s uniqueness, praising Him and setting Him apart from everything else. They say, “You have distinguished Hashem.” And Hakadosh Boruch Hu proclaims the Jews unique. In Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s tefillin it is written—while in the Jews’ tefillin it is written, “Hear, O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One,” where we proclaim

01:59 Hashem’s oneness; that is one expression of uniqueness. And in Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s tefillin it is written, “And who is like Your people Israel, one nation on earth?” That, too, is an expression of uniqueness. The Rebbe of Berditchev said: In Your tefillin, the tefillin of the Master of the world, the greatness of the Jewish people is written: “And who is like Your people Israel, one nation on earth?” But this Jew has fallen to the ground during the exile. “For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the earth”—the Jewish people are in exile. Your Jew, Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s Jew, has fallen. So, our Father in Heaven, Your tefillin, which speak of the Jewish people, have fallen. Pick them up, kiss them, and take them out of exile. This is the verse in the weekly parsha: “You have distinguished Hashem today, and Hashem has distinguished you today.” The verse teaches us the greatness of the Jewish people. These are the two things, as we said: the Jews choose Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and Hakadosh Boruch Hu chooses the Jews. And this is what he relates [?], and what the verse in the weekly parsha says. The Alter Rebbe explains “You have distinguished Hashem today, and Hashem has distinguished you today”—the Alter Rebbe says that “today” refers to Rosh Hashanah. The Alter Rebbe explains that, beginning with Parshas Ki Savo, the word “today” appears several times in these parshiyos. Parshas Ki Savo, Nitzavim—“You are standing today”—Ki Seitzei, and so on. The Alter Rebbe explains that all these references to “today” point to Rosh Hashanah: “This day is the beginning of Your works.” And the holy Shelah writes that the parshiyos speak about the concerns of

03:50 the time when they are read. When a parsha is read, it applies at that time. This is not a coincidence, G-d forbid, but Divine providence: the parsha speaks about the events and the Yomim Tovim of that time. The Shelah writes this in Parshas Vayeishev, and the same applies to our subject: the parsha read in the weeks around Rosh Hashanah alludes to Rosh Hashanah. When the verse says, “You have distinguished Hashem today,” the Alter Rebbe says it is connected to Rosh Hashanah, when the Jews crown Hakadosh Boruch Hu as King, and Hakadosh Boruch Hu chooses the Jews and accepts them as His people and His kingdom. The details written in the parsha are connected to Rosh Hashanah. And even before that, since we read Parshas Ki Savo in Elul, the verse also applies to the whole month of Elul, which culminates in Rosh Hashanah. As the Maharsha says about the teaching of our Sages in the Gemara in Berachos, he explains “You have distinguished Hashem today, and Hashem has distinguished you today”: “You have made Me unique in the world, and I will make you unique in the world.” The Maharsha says this corresponds to the verse “I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine,” which is connected to this verse. There is “I am my Beloved’s,” in which the Jews choose Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and that is “You have distinguished Hashem today.” The Jews praise Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Rashi says that “have distinguished” is an expression of glory, or of setting apart and separating, and that is the idea of “I am my Beloved’s.” And afterward,

05:29 in “my Beloved is mine,” in “Hashem has distinguished you today,” Hakadosh Boruch Hu chooses us “to be His treasured people,” and “to be a holy people to Hashem your G-d.” That is “I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine.” But what is this whole idea about? Let’s explain a little: What are these words saying? What is the meaning of the verses “You have distinguished Hashem today, and Hashem has distinguished you today”? There are a number of interpretations, a number of explanations. Even for the word “have distinguished,” we find several interpretations in the sefarim. How is this word explained? Rashi says it means setting apart and separating, or it is an expression of glory. Other commentators say it specifically means speaking. Still others say it refers to clothing, a garment—the word “imrah” refers to a garment, clothing, as in “Hashem reigns; He is clothed in majesty.” The commentators offer several interpretations of this idea. What is its meaning here? Chassidus discusses it at length. In any case, one of the points connected here to Rosh Hashanah appears in a maamar of the Tzemach Tzedek, where he discusses at length the three general interpretations of “have distinguished”: an expression of praise and glory, praise and greatness, [unclear]; an expression referring to clothing, “imrah,” meaning a garment, clothing; and an expression of saying and speech. The Tzemach Tzedek says:

07:25 All of these are ideas connected to Rosh Hashanah. Why? Because the Gemara says—where is the Gemara? In Rosh Hashanah—the Gemara speaks about “Recite verses of kingship before Me.” When Rosh Hashanah arrives, Hakadosh Boruch Hu asks the Jews and tells them, “Recite verses of kingship before Me.” The word “recite” is similar to “You have distinguished Hashem.” “Recite verses of kingship before Me”: Hakadosh Boruch Hu tells the Jews to recite verses of kingship in their prayers, “so that you will crown Me as King over you”; and “verses of remembrance, so that your remembrance will rise before Me for good.” “And through what? Through the shofar.” The Tzemach Tzedek says that the avodah of Rosh Hashanah is “Recite verses of kingship before Me”: the Jews crown Hakadosh Boruch Hu as King and draw down His kingship [unclear] from “recite,” from “You have distinguished Hashem.” Kingship is also drawn down through praise and greatness, when we praise Hakadosh Boruch Hu. That is the meaning of “have distinguished” as an expression of praise and greatness; through this, kingship—the King and His reign—is revealed. The source of kingship, on the very highest levels, as explained in Chassidus and Kabbalah, is the King’s sovereignty, an essential sovereignty. This is on the highest and deepest levels of G-dliness. And through this, kingship is drawn down from its source [unclear].

09:24 And when the Jews offer praise—“have distinguished” in the sense of praise and greatness—they reveal Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s essential sovereignty, His kingship. Afterward, they draw it down below through the interpretation of a garment or clothing: “Hashem reigns; He is clothed in majesty.” Hakadosh Boruch Hu, the King, puts on the garment—“He is clothed in majesty”—and that is the garment of kingship. From the sovereignty of kingship, from praise and greatness and the source of kingship on the very highest levels, this is drawn into a garment: “Hashem reigns; He is clothed in majesty,” the garment of kingship. Sovereignty, kingship, then reaches the point where Hakadosh Boruch Hu is King over the Jewish people and reveals His sovereignty, His kingship, in the world. “Hashem reigns; He is clothed in majesty. Hashem is clothed in strength; He has girded Himself. The world is established and will not falter.” When the sovereignty of kingship is drawn down, then “the world is established”: this causes the world to stand and endure, and Hakadosh Boruch Hu to reign—“Your kingship is a kingship over all worlds, and Your rule is in every generation.” Afterward, it comes into saying and speech, the sefirah of Malchus. As explained in Tanya, Malchus is associated with speech—“the word of Hashem,” “a king’s word has authority.” Through his speech, a king extends his rule downward; how much more so Above. “By the word of Hashem the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their hosts”: through Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s Malchus and speech, He brings everything into being, gives it life, and sustains it. And this is the avodah of Rosh Hashanah when Rosh Hashanah arrives. He says, “Recite before Me”—“recite” reflects all these interpretations: “recite” in the sense of praise and greatness, praising Hakadosh Boruch Hu with the greatest and most exalted praises [unclear].

11:18 In the prayers. And then, “Say before Me verses of kingship”—this is the language of kingship. “Say before Me” means speaking: the speech of prayer, the speech of Torah. Through the words of Torah and prayer said on Rosh Hashanah, we bring about the revelation of the supreme Master’s kingship. What is kingship? Kingship comes specifically with willingness and pleasure. As is known, kingship involves willingness and pleasure, and “A king’s splendor is in a multitude of people.” The supreme Master’s sovereignty in essence already exists; what must be drawn down is His kingship. What is kingship? It means that Hakadosh Boruch Hu takes upon Himself to lead, to bestow, to give life, and to grant all blessings—willingly and with pleasure. When this comes down into actual reality, it is expressed in being inscribed and sealed for good, for a good and sweet year materially and spiritually. To bring this about, there must be a corresponding response on our part. For Hakadosh Boruch Hu to agree to accept the kingship, Jews must crown the King. In other words, for Hakadosh Boruch Hu to accept the kingship, Jews must accept the yoke of His kingship. They must actually do all these things, and their acceptance of the yoke of Heaven must shine with willingness, with pleasure, with genuine connection, with genuine love, with genuine awe. And when a Jew gives himself over to Hakadosh Boruch Hu with all his heart and soul,

13:07 through this he draws down and brings about the revelation of Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s kingship here in the world. There is another point the Alter Rebbe explains in the maamar on “You have declared Hashem.” The word is “he’emarta.” It does not say simply “saying” or “you said”; it says “he’emarta.” Grammatically, “he’emarta” means that you cause Him to speak. “You have declared Hashem”—you cause Him to speak. The Alter Rebbe says that the meaning is that we, the Jewish people, arouse Hakadosh Boruch Hu to speak. This is the power a Jew has—the power of his actions, the power of his prayers. Through his avodah, through his teshuvah, through his prayer, through his avodah on Rosh Hashanah and during the month of Elul—the “I am my Beloved’s”—he brings about “he’emarta”: he causes Hakadosh Boruch Hu, so to speak, to speak, to bestow, to give. This is along the lines of the well-known teaching of the Baal Shem Tov about a person’s shadow: “Hashem is your shadow.” Hakadosh Boruch Hu is like a person’s shadow. As a person moves, so it is reflected in the shadow. The shadow repeats every movement a person makes. So too in a person’s avodah: by doing things here below, he brings about those same things Above. And as the Maggid of Mezritch taught: “Know what is above you”—know that what happens Above comes from you.

14:54 So you bring things about; you open them up—you open up everything Above. Along these lines is what the Alter Rebbe says here in the maamar in explaining “he’emarta”: Jews cause Hakadosh Boruch Hu to speak. Indeed, in Kedushas Levi, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev offers his own explanation of “You have declared Hashem” and makes this point: through their avodah, Jews have the power, so to speak, to influence Hakadosh Boruch Hu to speak, to bestow blessings upon the world and upon the Jewish people, and to grant every form of abundance to the world. So this is “You have declared Hashem”: through our avodah, through our words and speech, through our prayer, through the Torah a Jew studies—especially during these days of Elul, the days of mercy, when we engage in Torah study and speak words of Torah, in the avodah of prayer and its spoken words, and in tzedakah—“I speak with righteousness, mighty to save,” as it says in the haftorah. [unclear] Speech, also in tzedakah. Through all the forms of speech a Jew engages in here below, “know what is above you”: “You have declared Hashem.” This causes Hakadosh Boruch Hu Above to bestow blessings and speak in favor of the Jewish people, granting all the good things a Jew needs throughout the year, including being inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet year. By contrast, the second verse also says, “And Hashem has declared you.” This, too, means that Hakadosh Boruch Hu causes a Jew to speak. “And Hashem has declared you.” The Alter Rebbe explains:

16:36 What does “And Hashem has declared you” mean? That Hakadosh Boruch Hu causes you to speak. This is something several chassidim have discussed: when a Jew studies Torah, the verse “I have placed My words in your mouth” is fulfilled—“And Hashem has declared you.” Hakadosh Boruch Hu speaks through my mouth, so to speak. When a Jew studies Torah, it is the words of Hakadosh Boruch Hu passing through my mouth. “And Hashem has declared you”—Hakadosh Boruch Hu speaks through me. “Hashem, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.” These are the praises of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and I am only a vessel. I speak the words of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. When I study Torah, they are the words of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. In Likkutei Torah, the Alter Rebbe explains the expression “itmar” several times: it means that the teaching seems to be spoken of its own accord. I am only a vessel; I repeat the words of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. The Torah passes through my mouth. And this is what the verse says, “You have declared Hashem”: through a Jew’s power, through “I am my Beloved’s,” when he gives himself over to Hakadosh Boruch Hu, he brings about “he’emarta” Above—that Hakadosh Boruch Hu speaks and bestows. He crowns Hakadosh Boruch Hu as King. This is a Jew’s power: to crown Hakadosh Boruch Hu, to reveal His kingship and bring it into effect. “Say before Me verses of kingship”—through speech, in a manner of pleasure, praise, and greatness; so that the kingship is accompanied by praise and pleasure, and Hakadosh Boruch Hu bestows here below, with His speech here below, all blessings and abundance openly. And through this, “Hashem has declared you,” so that throughout the

18:15 year, when a Jew studies Torah and fulfills mitzvos, he does so with this awareness: the Torah I study is “My words”—the Torah of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, “My words in your mouth.” The mitzvos I perform are “Who has sanctified us with His commandments”—they are the mitzvos of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and I perform them. And likewise with every aspect of Torah and prayer: this is the Torah of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, the prayer of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, passing through my mouth; it is Hakadosh Boruch Hu sustaining it from Above. And here we come to another point, a very rich point, that the Rebbe wants to emphasize in these verses. What does the phrase “that you should be a treasured people” mean here in connection with Rosh Hashanah? Among the praises in these verses—wonderful praises of the Jewish people and of the bond between Jews and Hakadosh Boruch Hu—the verse says, “that you should be a treasured people.” Rashi says of “a treasured people” that it connects to Parshas Yisro, where Hakadosh Boruch Hu said at the Giving of the Torah, “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” and “You shall be My treasure among all the peoples.” Rashi explains what “treasure,” this praise of the Jews, means: a treasure like precious vessels, gems, and pearls that kings keep stored in a treasury. So too, “that you should be a treasured people.” And here the question arises: What

19:47 is so praiseworthy about vessels, gems, and pearls stored in a treasury? They are hidden away, kept in a treasury; what comes of that? Money and gold can be used for the needs of the country. When a king has money and gold, he uses them for the country’s needs. Sometimes, during a war, treasures are spent to win the war. But when treasures lie hidden away and no one sees them, what use are they? And particularly in what this represents regarding Jews: what does it mean that Jews are “a treasured people,” like precious objects, gems, and pearls lying hidden in a treasury? How does that express the greatness of the Jewish people? The Rebbe adds: Similarly, for a king, the things he keeps hidden are not only for use in a war. They are connected with the exaltedness of kingship, so to speak, with his very essence. The exaltedness of kingship touches the king’s essence, in that he is exalted; that is the exaltedness of kingship. And when a king has hidden things, things concealed and sealed away, exceedingly precious to him, which no one knows about and which lie hidden there, this expresses the king’s essential exaltedness, which is not tied to that. On the contrary, this is part of what defines kingship: beyond the fact that the king governs the country, he is exalted in his very essence, and that is his true distinction. It is expressed in these things—in hidden, concealed treasures, in things kept out of sight, in sealed-away treasures. And this is what is meant regarding Jewish souls, regarding Jews. The Jewish people are not only [unclear] in order to make a dwelling for Hakadosh Boruch Hu in the lower realms, that Jews [unclear].

21:50 [unclear] the world, and Torah and mitzvos, and serving Hashem, [unclear]. This is the special quality of the Jewish people: they are an am segulah, a treasured people—a hidden treasure. The Jews’ connection with Hakadosh Boruch Hu is not only because of their Torah and mitzvos; it is an essential bond. The Jews are above the world, above Torah and mitzvos, above making a dwelling for Hashem in the lower realms, above everything. The Jews are rooted in Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself, beyond all these matters. And this is revealed on Rosh Hashanah. On Rosh Hashanah, when we stand before the blowing of the shofar and say, “He will choose our inheritance for us, the pride of Yaakov, whom He loves forever,” Hakadosh Boruch Hu chooses the Jews with an essential choice, out of an essential love for the Jews that is beyond everything. And this is [unclear] how the Jews can crown Hakadosh Boruch Hu as King. Because we are above all these matters, the Jews can be the ones to whom He says, “Say before Me”; they can bring forth in Hakadosh Boruch Hu a new will, a new delight in kingship. And this is the work we need to do in these days of the month of Elul, in this final period, when the King is in the field, receiving everyone graciously and showing a smiling face to all. This is the time to come to the King, draw close to the King, and accept upon ourselves the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven with love, with delight, with joy. To prepare for the great day of Rosh Hashanah, [unclear], to crown Hakadosh Boruch Hu as King. And may there immediately be “You have distinguished Hashem today,” in all its meanings, and “Hashem has distinguished you today,” in all its meanings, “to be His treasured people.” May this be revealed in the world. And it goes on to say there, “for praise, for a name, and for glory”: that it should not remain hidden, but be revealed in the world, so that the whole world and all the Jews recognize and know—“for praise, for a name, and for glory,” “to place you above all the nations”—that there should be

23:42 a revelation of His blessed kingship in the world, and a revelation of the glory of the Jewish people and their praise in the world. And may Hakadosh Boruch Hu help [unclear], and may it be openly revealed: “And who is like Your people Israel, one nation on earth.” Amen, may it be His will. May you be inscribed and sealed for good, and have a good and sweet year [unclear].