Hayom Yom 27 Adar 2 - Enter before G‑d by actual practice down below

Parshas HaChodeshמְבָרְכִים רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן[On the Shabbos preceding Rosh Chodesh,] we bless the new month, Nissan. אֲמִירַת כָּל הַתְּהִלִּים בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה. יוֹם הִתְוַעֲדוּת[It is our custom] to recite the entire Book of Tehillim early in the morning and to hold a farbrengen on that day.הפטורה: כֹּה אָמַר - עוֹלַת תָּמִידThe haftarah [of Parshas HaChodesh] begins Ko amar and ends olas tamid (Yechezkel 45:18 - 46:15).מִשִּׂיחַת אַאַמוּ"רThe following teaching is drawn from a sichah of my revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab]:חֵטְא בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הָיָ' בְּקָרְבָתָם לִפְנֵי ה' וַיָּמוּתוּThe sin of Aharon’s sons was that “when they drew near before G‑d, they died.” רָצוֹא בְּלִי שׁוֹב[They experienced] ratzo without shov. דעֶר אֱמֶת אִיז אַז מְ'קוּמְט לִפְנֵי ה' דאַרְף זַיין תִּטְהָרוּ, רֵיין אוּן קְלאָהְרIn truth, when one comes “before G‑d” he must be pure and clear, עֶס מוּז זִיךְ דעֶרְהעֶרעֶן אִין מַעֲשֶׂה בְּפוֹעַלand this must find expression in one’s actual practice, כָּל הַגָּבוֹהַּ גָּבוֹהַּ בְּיוֹתֵר יוֹרֵד לְמַטָּה מַטָּה בְּיוֹתֵרfor the higher a level is, the lower it descends. וְרָצוֹא בְּלִי שׁוֹב, הִיא מִיתָהIndeed, ratzo without shov is death.וְעַל זֶה בָּא צִוּוּי ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה (וַיִּקְרָא טז בּ)For this reason, G‑d commanded Moshe שֶׁיּאֹמַר לְאַהֲרֹן, אוֹתִיּוֹת נִרְאֶה, to tell Aharon - the name Aharon (אהרן) comprises the same letters as the word meaning “seen” י,(נראה)י וּבְכֹחוֹת הַנֶּפֶשׁ הוּא הַשְׂכָּלָהwhich, in terms of our spiritual faculties, is identified with the intellect.לֵאמֹר[“He shall not enter the holy chamber at all times — beyond the curtain, in front of the cover that is upon the Ark — so that he shall not die, for I appear upon the cover in a cloud. With this [offering], Aharon may enter the holy chamber….”]בִּשְׁבִיל לָבוֹא אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ גַּם מִבֵּית לַפָּרוֹכֶת שֶׁהוּא לִפְנֵי הַצִּמְצוּם[The above-quoted verse continues, speaking of] “enter[ing] the holy chamber, beyond the curtain.” [In spiritual terms, this refers to the highest levels of Divinity] that “precede” the tzimtzum. דאַרְף מעֶן ווִיסעֶןOne must realize אַז עַל הָאָרֹן, אוֹתִיוֹת נִרְאֶה, הַשְׂכָּלָהthat “upon the Ark (הארן)” — which also shares the letters of the word נראה, thus also referring to intellect — אִיז פאַראַן אַ כַּפּוֹרֶת, אַ כַּוָּנָה פוּן אַ פאַרשְׁטעֶל, וואָס דאָס אִיז דעֶר פְּנֵי הַכַּפּוֹרֶתthere is a cover, an intended self-concealment that is alluded to by the phrase, “in front of the cover.” אֲשֶׁר עַל כֵּן וְלֹא יָמוּתAnd one is told: “He shall not die” — זאָל מעֶן נִיט בְּלַייבּעֶן בַּאם רָצוֹא אַלֵייןone should not content himself with the thrust of ratzo alone.כִּי בֶּעָנָן אֵרָאֶה עַל הַכַּפּוֹרֶת[The rationale is that] “I appear in a cloud upon the cover.” דעֶר צִמְצוּם הָרִאשׁוֹן אִיז כַּוָּנָתוֹ הַגִּלּוּי[Paradoxically, the intentional self-screening that is called] the First Tzimztum exists for the sake of [G‑d’s ultimate] self-revelation [to man]. אוּן דעֶר מָבוֹא צוּ דעֶם אִיז דעֶר וְאַלThe prerequisite to that revelation is hinted at by the phrase “he shall not,” בִּטּוּל עַצְמִיhumbling one’s ego, טאָן וואָס חֲסִידוּת הֵייסְט, נִיט דאָס וואָס דעֶר שֵׂכֶל זאָגְטwhich means doing what Chassidus demands, not what one’s own intellect dictates. דאַן אִיז יָבוֹא אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁWith this preparation, one “may enter the holy chamber.”Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in EnglishFor questions and follow-up: [email protected]