September 03, 2023

To Blow or Not to Blow: The Debate Between Kotzk and Chabad

1 hour 24 minutes

Chassidus Morning Class:

Rabbi YY Jacobson presented this class on Monday, 25 Elul, 5783, September 11, 2023, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

This is part one of a text-based class in a Sicha, a public address by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, presented on Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech, 23 Elul, 5749 (September 23, 1989), published in Sefer Hasichos 5749 vol. 2, exploring the true meaning of not blowing shofar when Rosh Hashanah coincides with Shabbos.

How is it possible that we don’t coronate G-d as King when Rosh Hashanah is Shabbos?

The Rebbe explores three states of Bitul—of alignment with the Divine oneness. The first is the way it can be experienced on Rosh Hashanah during the weekdays; the second is the experience of Shabbos Rosh Hashanah, and finally, the experience in the Beis Hamikdash, where they blew shofar even on Shabbos.

The first level is about surrender of self; the second, deeper level, is the complete fusion of self with Divine oneness, without any act of surrender, thus not blowing the shofar is far deeper than blowing the shofar. Then there is the third state, when nothing needs to be negated, not even a sense of identity and self. That is why in the Beis Hamikdash we did blow shofar on Shabbos Rosh Hashanah.

There is you. There is not you. And there is the space where “you” need not be negated, so that you can be you. Transcendence and infinity can also be a trap, and don’t capture the ultimate reality. Whenever we negate something, “He is not finite,” “I am not my ego,” we are still defined by it, albeit in a negative way. In the ultimate truth, the self is not a contradiction to oneness.

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