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Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Oseh Ha-Shalom: Returning the Hei

Why do we say עושה השלום "oseh ha-shalom" instead of עושה שלום "oseh shalom" during the Yomim Nora'im?

In plain translation, the significance of the change is difficult to understand, since the only difference is the addition of the word "the":

English Hebrew
Regular He Who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace... עשה שלום במרומיו, הוא יעשה שלום...
Yomim Nora'im He Who makes the peace in His heights, may He make peace... עשה השלום במרומיו, הוא יעשה שלום...

What meaning does the insertion add? To understand this, we need to preface the idea of teshuvah.

The Yomim Nora'im between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are also known as the Aseres Y'mei Teshuvah (the ten days of teshuvah), since our primary divine service during this time is teshuvah. (As I mentioned in an earlier post, teshuvah translates as returning [to our pure and essential state of divine connectedness].)

The plain meaning ("return") being known, let's understand another level. The Kabbalists break up the word teshuvah תשוב״ה into tashuv hei תשוב ה׳, which means "return the letter hei ה." They explain that each of the letters of G‑d's Name correspond to a different stage in creation of the universe, called an "olam" or "world." Our tradition teaches us of four worlds corresponding to the four letters of the name Havayeh: Emanation (י), Creation (ה), Formation (ו), and Action (ה).

The first three worlds of Emanation, Creation and Formation are quite abstract in nature compared to final stage of Action, even when we are only considering spiritual Action; all the more so physical Action. In the realm of halachah, for example, there is no way to perform a mitzvah, except through Action. (Even the commandment to love G‑d is fulfilled through actively and consciously thinking about things that lead to loving G‑d, such as His kindness to us, how despite being so great and exalted He deigned to reveal Himself to us with love, how he took Israel to be His, and that this is so not just of the collective, but also of each individual of Israel, etc.) Without exception, every mitzvah is dependent on Action.

However, we also have the principle of opposites: "He made them opposite each other" (Koheles 7:14). Just as there is Action on the side of Holiness, there is also Action of the Other Side. Just as it is only possible to connect with G‑d through Action, although even an iron wall cannot separate us from our Father in Heaven, (sinful Actions do separate us from Him).

So we find that in the hidden worlds of Emanation, Creation and Formation, it is not possible to be separated from G‑d, to do anything against His Will. Angels do not sin, because they exist in these worlds, which transcend Action. Only a human who lives within the final world of Action is capable of rebellion, and in so doing, causing an exile, Heaven forfend, of the Shechinah.

Now, it is known that the final letter hei ה of the name Havayeh corresponds to the Shechinah. The service of teshuvah therefore returns the Shechinah to Her place in G‑d's Will, together with the other worlds and letters that articulate it. And here we have the returning of the hei—tashuv hei תשוב ה׳.

Returning to our opening question, why do we say "ha-shalom״ during the ten days of teshuvah instead of "shalom," it appears to me that the phrase could be rendered as עושה [ל]ה׳ שלום "He Who makes peace for the hei"—Oseh [la]hei shalom." That is to say, when we make peace for the hei below and return Her from exile, G‑d responds in kind, as it is written, "He tells His doings to Jacob, His decrees and ordinances to Israel," (Shemos 21:1) that the mitzvos that G‑d Himself performs, he gave to us. Furthermore, "G‑d is your shadow," (Tehillim 121:5) and when a Jew below performs a mitzvah, G‑d (may He be exalted) does the same in response.

And now we can understand: When we do teshuvah below, we return the Shechinah from Her exile, and return the hei (tashuv hei) to its place in G‑d's name. In response to us bringing peace to the hei below, G-d brings peace to the hei above.

Thus we say "Oseh ha-shalom bim'romav"—"He Who makes peace for the hei in His heights, may He make peace upon us and upon all Israel, and let us say Amen."

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