ani ldodi elul 5715

Chassidic discourse reah Elul 5715

Chapter 1
1-Ani l’dodi v'dodi li. i am my beloveds and my beloved is mine; (shir hashirim 6.3). However before this it is stated dodi li vani lo. My beloved is mine and I am his (shir hashirim 2.16). It is known that the words my beloved is mine and I am his (dodi li vani lo) is from above to below and refers to the time of the month of Nissan which is a preparation to giving the torah. As the verse states a “and when you have freed the people from Egypt you shall worship G-d on this mountain (exodus 3.12 see rashi) and the giving of the torah was from above to below. However the words I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine refers to the time of the month of Elul which is a preparation for tishrie this is in found in the words I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine each of these words end with a letter yud and the fours yuds refers to the forty days that Moses our teacher was on the mountain (rashit chochmo shar ha’tshuva chapter 4) which began in the beginning of the month of Elul.
And this is “I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine for the first letters of these words spell Elul (pri etz chaim shar r’h chapter 1) for the month of Elul the order of services is from below to above. yet we need to understand (see sefer mamarim 5672 ani ldodi) what is the idea of my beloved is mine and I am his which is from above to below and I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine which is from below being as well since both statements conclude with the same words; haroa bshoshanim who browses among the lilies. Though each statement represents the opposite of each other never the less it says by both “who browses among the lilies" (shir hashirim 2.16-6.3)

[Summary: ani ldodi vdodi li and dodi li vani lo refer to the service of below to above and above to below – to the month of Elul and the month of Nissan. asks why both verses conclude with the same words; ho’roa bshoshanim]



Foot notes
1-the term from above to below literally milmalo lmata is a common term in Chassidic philosophy and refers to any divine influence initiated by g-d here it is referring to exodus and the giving of the torah that came about through g-d as the Jewish people where not yet worthy of the miracles and the torah. For more usage see glossary).
2-Elul being ani ldodi vdodi li. for more acronyms on this word see glossary
3-tishrie refers to the month following Elul which is replete with holidays. Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Sukkoth and Simchat Torah.
4-each letter has a numerical value which is known as gematria the number yud is ten. It appears here four times at the end (sofi tevot) of each word of ani ldodi etc and ads up to forty. for more gematria see glossary.
5-sinai
6-rosh chodesh
7-roshie tevot. For more examples see foot note 2
8-literally Seder hoavodo the order of service. In Chassidic philosophy there is a proper service that mans must do to correspond to the spiritual process of that event in order to illicit and receive the full potential of divinity in it.

Glossary chapter one.
1-from above to below:
Other ideas of from above to below and from below to above
Is the classic idea of esarusa delesata an arousal from below and esarusa delelalo an arousal from above. i.e. who inspires man first to return to g-d? Does he awaken himself and then g-d helps or does g-d really plant in man the first thought of return and man acts upon it. The difference is not for here to discuss.
2- The word Elul hints to a) ish lraiahu umtanos levyonim -charity b) eno lyado vsamti loch –torah study c) ashiro lashem vamru lamer – future redemption d) es lvovcho ves levav-repentance
3-gematria i.e. numerical value of letters hinting to deeper meanings in the word. A favorite among others is the Numerical vale of ohr-light is 207 and the word secret spelled roz is also 207. Teaching us that the path to discovering the light of the torah is through studying is secrets.