Teshuvah heals the world's deficiency

במד' חכמות בנתה ביתה כו' שלחה נערותי' תקרא אדם וחוה כו' ועוד כו' נערותי' תקרא ויהי ביום השמיני קרא כו'.

In the Midrash: "Wisdom has built her house," etc., "she has sent forth her maidens, she calls" — this refers to Adam and Chavah, etc., and further, "her maidens she calls" — "and it was on the eighth day, He called," etc.

The Sefas Emes cites the Midrash on the verse in Mishlei (9:1-3) about Chochmah building her house and sending forth her maidens "to call." The Midrash connects this "calling" both to Adam and Chavah and to the "calling" of the eighth day of the Mishkan's dedication — "vayehi bayom hashemini kara."

פי' הדברים דעוה"ז אינו בשלימות וצריך להיות המשכה מעולם העליון והוא הקריאה שצריך להיות נמצא השלימות ע"י האדם שיפיק רצון מה' שהוא המלך שהשלום שלו.

The explanation of the matter is that this world is not in a state of completeness, and there must be a drawing-down (hamshachah) from the upper world — and this is the "calling": that completeness must come about through the person, who draws forth ratzon (favor/will) from Hashem, who is the King to whom shalom (peace/wholeness) belongs.

Olam HaZeh is inherently incomplete; its wholeness depends on shefa being drawn down from the higher world. That act of drawing-down is the "calling," and it is meant to come about through the person, who elicits favor from Hashem — the King of shalom, in whom all wholeness resides.

ואמת כי [*קודם] החטא הי' כך הרצון להיות השלימות ע"י אדם כו'.

And it is true that [before] the sin, this was the will — that completeness should come about through Adam, etc.

Before the cheit of Adam HaRishon, the Divine plan was indeed that the world's perfection would be achieved through man, who would draw the higher world's wholeness into this world.

אך אחר החטא [*הראשון] וגם אחר החטא שנתקלקל הקדמת נעשה לנשמע כו' ונאמר ג"כ כאדם תמותון.

But after the [first] sin, and also after the sin (of the Eigel) through which the precedence of "naaseh" to "nishma" was damaged, it was likewise said, "you shall die like Adam."

Two sins disrupted this. The first sin of Adam, and then the cheit ha'eigel, which marred the lofty achievement of "naaseh venishma" — placing "we will do" before "we will hear." Through these, mortality and deficiency returned — "ke'adam temusun" (Tehillim 82:7).

נשאר ג"כ חסרון בעוה"ז וכן כ' מהר"ל ז"ל כי בעוה"ז דבוק החסרון.

A deficiency (chisaron) likewise remained in this world, and so the Maharal, of blessed memory, wrote, that in this world a deficiency is attached.

As a result, a lack remains embedded in Olam HaZeh. The Sefas Emes brings the Maharal's teaching that deficiency clings to this world by its very nature.

איברא כך נראה שזה רק אחר החטא כנ"ל.

However, it appears that this is only after the sin, as above.

The Sefas Emes qualifies the Maharal: this attached deficiency is not the original design but a consequence of the cheit — only afterward did lack become bound up with the world.

אמנם במה יתקיים העולם ע"י התשובה שמגעת עד כסא הכבוד.

Nevertheless, through what does the world endure? Through teshuvah, which reaches up to the Kisei HaKavod (the Throne of Glory).

If lack now clings to the world, what keeps it standing? Teshuvah. Teshuvah ascends all the way to the Throne of Glory (cf. Yoma 86a), reaching the very source of life above.

א"כ הוא מעורר חיות מעולם העליון ומביא רפואה לעולם.

If so, it (teshuvah) awakens chiyus (vitality) from the upper world and brings healing (refuah) to the world.

Because teshuvah reaches so high, it draws fresh vitality down from the higher world and brings refuah to the world's deficiency — it is the new channel for the "drawing-down" that man's avodah was meant to accomplish.

וז"פ ביום השמיני קרא כו' כי בנ"י היו אז בעלי תשובה כידוע.

And this is the meaning of "on the eighth day He called," etc., for Bnei Yisrael were then baalei teshuvah, as is known.

This explains the "calling" of the eighth day: at the dedication of the Mishkan, Bnei Yisrael had become baalei teshuvah after the cheit ha'eigel, and through their teshuvah they merited the "calling" — the drawing-down of holiness and healing into the world.

וז"ש לאהרן למה אתה בוש לכך נבחרת.

And this is what was said to Aharon: "Why are you ashamed? For this you were chosen."

The Midrash relates that Aharon HaKohen hung back in shame, and Moshe Rabbeinu told him, "Why are you ashamed? It is for this very thing that you were chosen."

שאהרן הי' בוש ע"י חטא העגל ואמר לו מרע"ה כי מדריגת בנ"י עתה ע"י התשובה ולכן הוא שייך לזה דוקא.

For Aharon was ashamed on account of the cheit ha'eigel, and Moshe Rabbeinu said to him that the level of Bnei Yisrael now was attained through teshuvah, and therefore it was precisely he who was fit for this.

Aharon's shame stemmed from his role in the cheit ha'eigel. But Moshe Rabbeinu's answer was profound: since the entire madreigah of Bnei Yisrael at this moment was the madreigah of teshuvah, Aharon — who himself had to do teshuvah — was the one most fitting to lead the avodah and draw down the healing.

ואין צריך להתרחק ע"י החטא שניתקן ע"י תשובה:

And one need not distance oneself on account of a sin that has been rectified through teshuvah.

The closing lesson: a cheit that has been repaired through teshuvah should not cause a person to hold himself back. On the contrary, the very teshuvah that mended it makes him fit to draw down vitality and healing.

Summary: This world is inherently incomplete and needs wholeness "called" down from above, originally through man before the cheit. After the sins of Adam and the Eigel, deficiency became embedded in the world, but teshuvah — which reaches the Throne of Glory — now awakens fresh vitality and brings healing. The "calling" of the eighth day came precisely because Bnei Yisrael were baalei teshuvah, and so Moshe Rabbeinu told the ashamed Aharon that a sin rectified through teshuvah is no cause to withdraw — it is the very source of his fitness.