Shofar and the soul's recognition before Hashem

בראש השנה יצא יוסף מבית האסורים.

On Rosh Hashanah Yosef went out from the prison house.

Chazal teach that Yosef's release from prison occurred on Rosh Hashanah, the theme the Sefas Emes now unfolds.

אמר אמו"ז ז"ל כי נקודה הפנימית אות ברית קודש יש לה חירות מערלה אשר סובבת אותה.

My grandfather, of blessed memory, said that the inner point — the sign of the holy bris — attains freedom from the orlah (foreskin) that surrounds it.

The Chiddushei HaRim taught that on Rosh Hashanah the holy inner point of the soul is liberated from the husk of concealment that encases it, just as Yosef (the "tzaddik" who guarded the bris) was freed.

ונראה כי הענין הוא כמו שהקב"ה מגלה השגחתו ית' בזה היום שכל באי העולם עוברין לפניו.

And it appears that the matter is as follows: just as Hashem reveals His Hashgachah (providence) on this day, when all who come into the world pass before Him,

On Rosh Hashanah Hashem's providence is openly revealed as every creature passes before Him in judgment.

כמו כן בנפש האדם מתגלה הארת הנשמה.

so too within a person's soul the illumination of the neshamah is revealed.

Mirroring that cosmic revelation, the light of one's own neshamah shines forth within on this day.

ואמרו חז"ל הנשמה נדמית להקב"ה מה הקב"ה יושב בחדרי חדרים כו' מה הקב"ה זן עולם כולו כן הנשמה זנה הגוף.

And Chazal said: the neshamah resembles the Holy One, blessed be He — just as Hashem dwells in the innermost chambers, etc.; just as Hashem sustains the entire world, so the neshamah sustains the body.

The soul is modeled after Hashem: hidden in the body's depths as Hashem is hidden, and giving life to the body as Hashem gives life to the world.

ובילקוט גורס הקב"ה דן העולם והנשמה הגוף.

And the Yalkut has the version: Hashem judges the world, and the neshamah judges the body.

An alternate text adds the parallel of judgment — as Hashem judges the world, the neshamah is meant to judge the body.

לכן בימים האלו כמו שהקב"ה דן העולם.

Therefore in these days, just as Hashem judges the world,

This judgment-parallel carries a directive for the Days of Awe.

כך צריך כל בעל נפש להשגיח ולדון את הגוף ביותר מכל ימי השנה.

so must every person of soul oversee and judge his body more than on any other days of the year.

Each person must take up the neshamah's role and scrutinize and judge his own physical self with special intensity during this season.

בפרט בני ישראל שיש להם חלק אלקות כמ"ש אנכי ה' אלקיך.

Especially Bnei Yisrael, who have a portion of the Divine, as it is written, "I am Hashem your God."

Bnei Yisrael bear a literal share of Godliness within, as the pasuk "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" attests.

לכן כפי מה שנעשה למעלה מתעורר בנפש איש הישראלי.

Therefore, in accordance with what occurs Above, an arousal stirs in the soul of the Jew.

Because of that inner Divine portion, whatever transpires in the upper worlds awakens a corresponding stirring in the Jewish soul.

וע"ז כתיב ותרועת מלך בו כי מרגישין ודבקין ברצון עליון אשר מתגלה בכל עת ועת.

And on this it is written, "and the teruah of the King is in him" (Bamidbar 23:21), for they sense and cling to the supernal ratzon (will) that is revealed at each and every moment.

The "King's teruah" within Yisrael means they feel and attach themselves to the ratzon Hashem as it continually unfolds.

וז"ש ה' האמרת וה' האמירך.

And this is the meaning of "You have proclaimed Hashem... and Hashem has proclaimed you" (Devarim 26:17-18).

There is a mutual "proclaiming" between Hashem and Yisrael, which the Sefas Emes now explains.

פי' אין מי שמכיר בעולם דברי אלקים חיים רק בני ישראל.

Its meaning: there is no one in the world who recognizes the words of the living God except Bnei Yisrael.

Only Bnei Yisrael discern and acknowledge the living word of Hashem in the world — this is their "proclaiming" of Him.

וכמו כן אין דברים למטה שיהיו מעוררים למעלה רק דברי בנ"י.

And likewise there are no words below that arouse Above except the words of Bnei Yisrael.

Reciprocally, only the words and avodah of Bnei Yisrael have the power to awaken a response in the upper worlds.

וזה הוא ענין השופר שאמרו חז"ל דלזכרון אתי וכלפנים דמי.

And this is the matter of the shofar, of which Chazal said that it comes for remembrance and is considered as if inward (before Hashem).

The shofar's sound serves as a "remembrance" that is regarded as entering the innermost place before Hashem.

דכ' רואים את הקולות ואמר אמו"ז ז"ל כי זהו ענין טב"ע דקלא שבנ"י הכירו וראו מתוך הקול אלקותו ית"ש ודפח"ח.

For it is written, "and they saw the sounds" (Shemos 20:15), and my grandfather, of blessed memory, said that this is the matter of "the imprint of the voice" (teviyas eina d'kala) — that Bnei Yisrael recognized and saw, from within the sound, His Godliness, may His Name be blessed; and these are words fitting to him who said them.

At Sinai, "seeing the sounds" meant Bnei Yisrael perceived Hashem Himself within the voice — recognizing it as one recognizes a voice's unmistakable imprint.

וכמו כן אנו נאמר כי בתקיעת קול שופר מתראין לפניו ית"ש והוא מכיר בטביעות עינא דקלא קול יעקב.

And likewise we may say that through the sounding of the shofar's voice we appear before Him, may His Name be blessed, and He recognizes, by the imprint of the voice, "the voice of Yaakov."

When we blow the shofar we present ourselves before Hashem, and He identifies us as His own by the unmistakable "voice of Yaakov" within that sound.

וזהו האמרת והאמירך.

And this is "You have proclaimed... and He has proclaimed you."

The mutual recognition through the shofar is precisely this double proclamation between Yisrael and Hashem.

חטיבה אחת.

One single entity.

Hashem and Yisrael are bound as one inseparable bond, "a single chativah," as Chazal say of this verse.

להיות מתעוררין למטה בהתעוררות שלמעלה:

To be aroused below through the arousal that is Above.

The goal is that the awakening in the heavenly realm should ignite a matching awakening in us below.

Summary: On Rosh Hashanah, when Hashem reveals His providence and judges the world, the inner point of the soul — the holy bris within — is freed from its surrounding husk, and the light of the neshamah shines forth. As Hashem judges the world, each Jew must judge his own body, for Bnei Yisrael carry a portion of Godliness and alone recognize and arouse Hashem's word. The shofar embodies this mutual recognition: through its sound we appear before Hashem and He knows us by "the voice of Yaakov," so that the arousal Above ignites our arousal below — Hashem and Yisrael bound as one.