The king in the field is an idea that the Alter Rebbe suggests to answer the following question: If the 13 attributes of divine mercy are shining the entire month of Elul and not just on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, why isn't the whole thing Yuntif?

To this the Alter Rebbe brings an allegory. Imagine the entire year the king is secluded in his palace or on official foreign policy trips. At the end of the year, the king returns from his trips and walks amongst the people in the fields on his way back to the palace. Everyone goes out to greet the king. The king's clothing is not as regal, he's in a good mood and anyone and everyone can approach him and ask for what they need or tell the king what's on their mind.

When the king reaches the palace, that is Rosh Hashana. The king is once again secluded yet this is the time of year we actually enter the palace to approach the king in majestic splendor.

That is the end of the basic allegory from the Alter Rebbe.

Chassidus further explains in regards to Yom Kippur:
Neila means "closing the doors" its a private moment with just you and the king. The highest level of your soul to the essence of Hashem. A very deep intense moment...

You might ask, "how can every soul have a private moment with Hashem at the same time?" In answer, there are no time, space and enlivening light issues with the infinite... Besides, in the essence as the soul is part Hashem so the souls are as one as well. It is a communal singularity, we share the moment on a personal, internal level as well as on a broader klal Yisrael level. They don't have to contradict. We are as one with those in shul around us and one with all the Jews all around the world. The higher you reach, the more one everything becomes.

The Zohar hakadosh actually uses a similar allegory that appears as an extension of this idea when speaking about Sukkos. Sukkos is like a time when the king, still in royal garb, takes a chair and sits at the entrance to the palace. The king is once again approachable by all but this time in the palace atmosphere. Perhaps that is why it is considered by the Zohar a time when you can change the divine decree decided during Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and can call back the kings messenger who carries it up until Hoshana Rabba.

So you get in good with the king in Elul, come in front of him for judgment during the high holidays and approach him on his lawn chair to entreat a favor on Sukkos.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Yakov said to Eisav כה אמר עבדך יעקב. - the word כ״ה hints to the acceptance of  מלכות שמים in the 25 letters of the pasuk שמע ישראל, the concept of עבדך. We say "listen ישראל,"  like it says in this pasuk, "thus says Yakov.״ He then says עם לבן גרתי I lived with Lavan, גרתי גימט׳ תרי״ג, this refers to the second paragraph of Shma, והיה the acceptance of the מצוות.  This is like our sages said about Shma, why do we preface the first paragraph of Shma to the second? To first accept upon yourself the rule of heaven and afterwards the rule of the מצוות. Ohr Hatorah Vayishlach, Mamer Im Lavan Garti
Read more
There both is and isn't a mazel for Israel and how the name Moshe is not reflexive. The two opinions in Gemara about whether or not -יש מזל לישראל Israel is under the influence of "mazal" are actually both in agreement with each other מר אמר חדא ומר אמר חדא ולא פליגי. The mazal that Israel does not have is to be under the influence of the astrological signs and heavenly מזלות. Where Israel does have mazal is the higher concept of mazal, beyond nature. About this it states, "everything is dependent on mazal, even the sefer Torah in the heichal." Hence, Avraham was told to leave his land, since, as Rashi explains, "here you won't have children." If Avraham was beyond the mazal already, this would not have mattered.(Even with his name change where he was told - "leave behind your astrology", it was that the mazal of "Avraham" would have children even if the name "Avram" wouldn't.) Under the mazal,
Read more

Ahavat Aztmo

Ahavat Aztmo is usually hidden. It is only revealed at certain times, for example, when a person is in danger.  It is then that a person strives with the utmost and for self preservation. -Mittler Rebbe With this we can, perhaps, get insite into the mitzah of loving ones fellowman like yourself.  First, it is the hidden level that you are loving, not the revealed.  Second, expressing this love means striving to the point of self sacrifice to preserve the well being of another who is in trouble.
Read more