The three hundred and eighth "cheder" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Friday, second day of Rosh Hashanah, 5704.
Before today's lessons, the Rebbe refers to one of the tefillah passages connected to Rosh Hashanah, with the words: "Lakel orech din — in the Mussaf prayer." What is the meaning of this line? There is a very ancient piyyut, apparently from even before the era of the Tannaim, whose author is unknown, called "Lakel orech din." The piyyut contains praises of the Holy One, blessed be He, connected to judgment and law — how the Holy One, blessed be He, despite the strict judgment, has mercy on His creatures, and so on — and it is arranged entirely according to the order of the alef-beit.
There are various customs regarding exactly when this piyut is recited. In most Ashkenazic communities the practice is to say it on the first day of Rosh Hashanah at Shacharis; and regarding the second day opinions differ — some say it also on the second day at Shacharis, and some say it at Musaf. Here the Rebbe brings that according to our custom, on the second day of Rosh Hashanah — and this is the saying for the second day of Rosh Hashanah — the piyut is recited during the Musaf prayer. This is our custom.
And what is the reason for this? In the sefer "Eliyah Rabbah" — a well-known halachic authority from over three hundred years ago — the reason is explained. Why on the first day do we recite it during Shacharis, and on the second day during Musaf? Because there are in the Gemara two opinions as to during which hours the Holy One, blessed be He, judges the world: some say during the first three hours, and some say during the second three hours. Therefore, in order to fulfill all the opinions, the piyut is divided in such a way that on one day it is recited during Shacharis — which generally takes place within the first three hours — and on the second day during Musaf, which leans more toward the second three hours. This is the reason for the difference between the two days of Rosh Hashanah.
Shiurim: Chumash, Haazinu, sheini... Shishi, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim: on the 2nd of the month one recites from chapter 10 through chapter 17 inclusive, and the three additional chapters are 91, 92, and 93.
Tanya: On this day one continues Iggeret 20. The lesson begins on page 258 with the words "vehagam sheha'yesh," and concludes on page 130 with the word "ilato."
Here the Rebbe notes an additional custom connected to the fact that this day is Friday, and thus Erev Shabbat. Every Erev Shabbat, before the Minchah prayer, we recite chapter 107 of Tehillim — the "Hodu" psalm — and "Patach Eliyahu." The recitation of chapter 107 is an ordinance of the Baal Shem Tov. And what is the reason for reciting it every Erev Shabbat? It serves as a blessing of thanksgiving to Hashem, for as is known there are four who must give thanks, and all of them are alluded to in this psalm regarding the events that befell them. And the Jew thanks the Holy One, blessed be He, that during the course of the week he had "ovdin dechol" (weekday matters), and, thank G-d, we were not harmed by any of the weekday matters — neither in body nor in soul, neither materially nor spiritually; for this we give thanks to Hashem every Erev Shabbat.
However, if Erev Shabbos itself is a Yom Tov, as in this case where Friday is Rosh Hashanah, there are no "ovdin dechol" (weekday activities), and there is no transition from "ovdin dechol" to Shabbos; therefore, in such a situation one does not say "Hodu." This is the first point that the Rebbe makes: "At Minchah one does not say 'Hodu,' but one does say 'Pesach Eliyahu.'"
"Pesach Eliyahu" is a passage from the introduction to the Zohar. Although there are customs to recite it during the middle of the week, and some say it before Shacharis, according to our custom it is recited specifically on erev Shabbos. There are explanations in Chassidus as to why this passage is connected specifically to the tefillah in which we usher in the Shabbos. In any case, this does not depend on whether it is a weekday or a Yom Tov; on every erev Shabbos one should recite "Pesach Eliyahu," as the Rebbe says that it is recited.
Now comes the teaching. As an introduction: there is a siddur containing chassidic discourses of the Alter Rebbe, called "Siddur im DaCh" (Divrei Elokim Chaim). In that siddur, in the section called "Shaar Krias Shema," there is a maamar whose dibbur-hamaschil is "Lehavin hahefresh bein Krias Shema liShmoneh Esrei uvein Shmoneh Esrei laTorah" (To understand the difference between Krias Shema and Shmoneh Esrei, and between Shmoneh Esrei and Torah). Further on in the maamar a kabbalistic concept is explained called "Shem Mem-Beis" — a Divine Name of forty-two letters alluded to in forty-two words — and the content of this Name is an ascent from below to above.
In the maamar, the Alter Rebbe mentions that the prayer familiar to us, "Ana beKoach gedulat yeminecha tatir tzerurah," likewise comprises 42 words, and this passage corresponds to the Name of 42; therefore, whenever there is a stage of ascent, one recites "Ana beKoach." As a first example, he mentions there that, as is known, before the sounding of the shofar one recites "Ana beKoach," and he further brings additional examples, such as before Kabbalat Shabbat and the like. This is the wording there in the maamar.
A Jew wrote to the Rebbe Rayatz and asked: What is meant by what is written in the maamar — is the intent literally that one should actually recite "Ana BeKoach" before the sounding of the shofar, or perhaps the intent is to allude to "Ana BeKoach"? For in the second stanza of "Ana BeKoach" — "Kabel rinat amcha, sagveinu, tahareinu, nora" — there are initial letters that spell out "kra Satan" [as one sees in the siddur alongside the "Ana BeKoach"], and behold, also in the verses that precede the sounding of the shofar — "Koli shamata... rosh devarcha emet... arev avdecha letov" — the initial letters spell out "kra Satan."
If so, asked the Jew, is the intention that it suffices to allude to and have in mind the phrase "Kra Satan" of the 42-letter Name that is hinted at in the verses, or must one actually recite "Ana BeKoach"? To this comes the response we shall now read — the letter of the Rebbe Rayatz from 29 Tishrei 5698.
And what does the Rebbe answer? Here is the daily teaching: "That which is written in the Siddur, in the Gate of Kriat Shema, in the discourse beginning 'Lehavin ha-hefresh' (page 74, column 1), that before the sounding of the shofar one says Ana Bekoach, means — generally speaking — the kavanot derived from the verses." Here there is no longer the question of the Jew, but immediately the explanation: one does not actually recite "Ana Bekoach," rather the intention refers to the kavanah contained in the verses said before the sounding of the shofar, "whose initial letters form the second Name of the forty-two-letter Name" — "Kera Satan" — and this is the very same kavanah and the very same allusion.
The Rebbe Rayatz adds: "Indeed, there are those who direct their intent to the words Ana BeKoach, etc., in thought, but do not pronounce the letters and words" — there are those who do not actually recite it but rather think through all of "Ana BeKoach" in their mind, yet without articulating the words "Ana BeKoach" nor even the letters that allude to the Name of 42. He adds a third statement concerning the kavanos: "And one who occupies himself with the kavanos" — someone who is connected to the kavanos and engages in them and knows what to have in mind — this is not a superficial intent regarding the words alone, but rather "he must study the matters clearly in the writings of the Arizal," studying at length in the writings of the Arizal the meaning of each kavanah; and if he understands the meaning of the matters well, "then his intent is desirable" and his kavanos have significance. This is the Rebbe Rayatz's approach regarding the "Ana BeKoach" that precedes the sounding of the shofar.