The Rebbe says:

1. Beginning from Rosh Chodesh Elul (the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul) until Rosh Hashanah (the New Year) [1] we blow the Shofar [2] everyday to arouse us to repent and bring ourselves closer to Hashem (G-d).

More specifically, the Shofar awakens a fear of Hashem in our hearts.

2. The Rebbe now points out the difference between the blowing the Shofar during the month of Elul and on Rosh Hashanah:

The Weekly Sedra – The Shofar

The Rebbe says:

1. Beginning from Rosh Chodesh Elul (the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul) until Rosh Hashanah (the New Year) [1] we blow the Shofar [2] everyday to arouse us to repent and bring ourselves closer to Hashem (G-d).

More specifically, the Shofar awakens a fear of Hashem in our hearts.

2. The Rebbe now points out the difference between the blowing the Shofar during the month of Elul and on Rosh Hashanah:

The Tzemach Tzedek (the third Chabad Rebbe, Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson) tells us [3] that the blowing the Shofar during the month of Elul awakens a “lower fear” (Yirah Tatta) of Hashem and the blowing of the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah awakens a “higher fear” (Yirah Eilah) of Hashem.

Question: What exactly is “lower fear” and “higher fear”?

Answer: To understand this we must first understand what fear is. In short, fear is born when you recognize that there is a greater power then yourself. Therefore, the more you recognize how awesome this greater power is, the more fear you will have.

In our case, the greater power is Hashem. The fear we have of Hashem is born from our understanding of how great He is.

The “lower fear” is awakened when we realize that Hashem is the one who created this great world with all its’ amazing things.

The “higher fear” is awakened when we realize that Hashem is totally above the world and the creation of the world did not cause a change in Him at all [4].

Now, we must understand that awakening the “lower fear” is in our hands however awakening the “higher fear” is not:

Since the “lower fear” is born from our understanding that Hashem is the creator of the world, we can meditate on how great this world is with all its numerous ingredients and we can arouse a fear of Hashem.

However since the “higher fear” comes from the knowledge that Hashem is above the world, we cannot sit and contemplate on His specifics because He is above our understanding. Therefore, the only way we can be aroused with the “higher fear” is if Hashem gives it to us as a gift.

3. The Rebbe now explains how we can cause Hashem to give us the gift of the “higher fear”:

Every time we fulfill Hashem’s Commandments and do a Mitzvah, we are bringing Hashem into our lives and this elicits the “higher fear” of Him. As it says [5], “And Hashem commanded us to do all these statutes in order to fear Him” [6].

4. The Rebbe now returns to his statement earlier that blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah awakens within us the “higher fear” and explains why:

Bearing the above explanation in mind we can now understand why blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah awakens within us the “higher fear” while blowing the Shofar during the month of Elul only awakens within us the “lower fear”:

Blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a Mitzvah (Commandment), and therefore, as we said earlier, when we fulfill this Mitzvah Hashem grants us the gift of the “higher fear”. However blowing of the Shofar during the month of Elul is not a Mitzvah, it is a custom [7], therefore it only awakens the “lower fear”.

5. The Rebbe now explains how the blowing of the Shofar during the month of Elul, which only awakens the “lower fear”, actually has something to it that the Shofar blowing of Rosh Hashanah does not have:

Standing in Shul (Synagogue) on Rosh Hashanah is like being in the king’s palace and standing in his throne room where you are automatically awed by the king’s great majesty and splendor. Therefore, it is not a great personal accomplishment to have fear of Hashem on Rosh Hashanah.

However, during the month of Elul, when Hashem comes out to the field and is not robed in his royal clothes and is not wearing his crown of glory and we are comfortable to stand near Him [8], we are tested to arouse within ourselves fear of Him. And when we do, Hashem is very appreciative of our work [9].

6. The Rebbe now takes this a step further:

Not only is there a greatness in the blowing of the Shofar during the month of Elul over the blowing the Shofar during Rosh Hashanah (even though the Shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah elicits the “higher fear” within us), but, even more:

We can only internalize the flow of life which Hashem sends us on Rosh Hashanah through blowing the Shofar during the month of Elul!

Question: Why is this so?

Answer: We know that the flow of life that Hashem sends us (in general, and specifically) on Rosh Hashanah can only be internalized and accepted by someone who is Bitul (nullified) to Hashem.

We also know that real nullification to Hashem is when we create a fear of Hashem even though the fear was not there. And this only happens during the month of Elul, not during Rosh Hashanah.

Therefore, in order to internalize the great energy of life that Hashem sends us on Rosh Hashanah, we must first have the nullification of blowing the Shofar during the month of Elul.

7. May it be Hashem’s will that through His children the Yidin working on themselves to create a fear of Him even though we don’t naturally feel it, He will send Moshiach right NOW to take us out of Golus (exile)!

Translated and adapted by Rabbi Shalom Goldberg. Taken from Sefer Hamamorim Meluket, Ani L’Dodi Tuf Shin Lamed Beis.

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Footnotes:
[1] The New Year starts on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. Tishrei is the month after Elul.

[2] The Shofar is a horn that is used as a musical instrument for Jewish religious purposes.

[3] See Or Hatorah, Parshas Nitzavim, Page 1.

[4] With humans, even we did not have a serious life altering change after we do something, we must have changed somewhat. For example, even when you push a cart down the street and start sweating profusely, you have still changed. However with Hashem, the creation of the whole world did not affect a change in Him at all!

[5] See Deuteronomy, Chapter 6, Verse 24.

[6] See Likutei Torah, Page 13, 2nd paragraph, which explains that the fear discussed in this verse is the “higher fear”. See also Sefer Hamamorim, Tuf Reish Samach Hei, Page 202 and onwards. And others.

[7] Indeed, we do not make a Blessing over the blowing of the Shofar during the month of Elul.

[8] As we explained in the previous D’var Torah, entitled “Rosh Chodesh Elul”.

[9] See how the verse “It is special in the eyes of Hashem” (Psalms, Chaper 116, Verse 15) is explained in Sefer Hamamorim, Tuf Reish Pei Ches.

Translated and adapted by Rabbi Shalom Goldberg. Taken from Likutei Sichos Volume four.