חלק ב — תורה 1

14. It is then possible to implement Rosh HaShanah. When a person sits down to talk about another person, it is “Rosh HaShanah,” which is the Day of Judgment—for he sits in judgment of his fellow man. A person must be very careful about this. He has to take a good look at himself and ask if he is fit to pass judgment on his fellow man. “For judgment belongs to God” (Deuteronomy 1:17). The Blessed One alone is fit to judge a person, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place (Avot 2:4).

Who can understand and project himself into another’s place, other than God? For He is the Place of the world, and the world is not His place (Bereishit Rabbah 68:9). Each and every person has a place with God, and so He alone can judge a person. God is the Master of Compassion and in regard to us does surely “judge every person favorably” (Avot 1:6).

We see His compassion in that, for our benefit, He specified that Rosh HaShanah, the Day of Judgment, should fall on the New Moon. This is really a great kindness, for how could we be so presumptuous to ask for forgiveness from God? He was therefore kind to us and set the Day of Judgment, Rosh HaShanah, on [the day of] the New Moon, when God Himself, as it were, seeks forgiveness, as in “Bring an atonement offering on My behalf,” which was said in connection with the New Moon (as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught; Shavuot 9a). And so we are not embarrassed to ask for forgiveness on the Day of Judgment, since He Himself asks for forgiveness then.

Moreover, because God Himself, as it were, comes to the point where He must say, “Bring an atonement offering on My behalf”—that is, He did something for which He is obliged to feel remorse and say, “Bring… on My behalf”—consequently we are not embarrassed to bring our sins before Him, to ask for forgiveness and feel remorse over them. For God, too, did something which caused Him to feel remorse. We thus see His great compassion.

Therefore, God alone is fit to judge the world, because He knows each person’s place inasmuch as all the places are with Him—for He is the Place of the world, and the world is not His place.

Even though we find places that were inspirited by the Divine Presence, such as the Holy Temple, the intent is not that His Godliness was restricted to there, God forbid. This is as Shlomo said (1 Kings 8:27), “Why, neither heaven nor the heavens of heaven can contain You, how much less this House….” God channeled His Holiness there only because of the beautiful things that were there, for the Holy Temple contained depictions of the works of Creation and depictions of the Garden of Eden (see Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction, p.13a). But as for God, the world is not His place. Rather, He is the Place of the world.

Therefore, God is able to implement Rosh HaShanah, the Day of Judgment, because He fulfills: “Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place”—for He is the Place of the world.

And this is the meaning of “Your House, the Holy Dwelling; O God, for the length of days” (Psalms 93:5). That is, God channeled only His Holiness into the Holy Temple, on account of the beautiful things that were there. But as for God Himself, the world is not His place; rather, He is the Place of the world. Thus, “O God, for the length of days”—that is, He can implement Rosh HaShanah, which is one long day.

Thus, someone who grabs onto the Kisey HaKavod (Throne of Glory), the roots of the souls, is also the place of the world, as in “He endows them with a kisey kavod (seat of honor)—for the pillars of the earth are God’s; He has founded the world upon them” (1 Samuel 2:8). In other words, by means of the Throne of Glory, the roots of the souls, he becomes the place of the world, as in “He has founded the world upon them,” and so can implement Rosh HaShanah, as discussed above.