Rosh Hashana 5778

Being a Part of the Purpose of the World

BY Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah

In Maseches Rosh Hashana (16a), the sages teach us that Rosh Hashana is the day that we make Hashem king over us. The Ritva (ibid.) adds that the shofar is blown for this purpose, to demark the “coronation” of Hashem, as is done in worldly kingdoms when coronating the king. The prayers of Rosh Hashana focus on Hashem’s kingship, to the exclusion of all other subjects. The question is, why? This is the day that will determine our fate for the upcoming year (Ritva 16b). Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to say the requests included in our daily prayers, such as health, livelihood, peace, etc.? Why aren’t these said on Rosh Hashana?

Moreover, since we are being judged by Hashem on this day, wouldn’t it be logical to do teshuva and say vidui for our sins? Why is there no mention of teshuva or vidui in the Rosh Hashana prayers? The Zohar states that vidui said on Rosh Hashana is as if we are helping our own prosecution! Why is this? We say vidui during the Ten Days of Repentance, so why not on Rosh Hashana, too?

The Slonimer Rebbe answers that every Rosh Hashana is like a new creation of the entire universe. Last year is over, and just as on the first Rosh Hashana Hashem created the word, so too on this Rosh Hashana, Hashem is creating everything again from scratch. Therefore, on this day Hashem sits on His throne and decides who among us will have a place in His new world, and how great a place or role he will receive, depending on what he has done with his life until now.

The Rebbe would say that if we understand the essence of Rosh Hashanah, we can then understand why the avoda of this day focuses solely on making Hashem king over us. He would explain this with an analogy: A king founded a new city. Each year, on the day of this city’s founding, the king would visit the city. In the presence of all the citizens, he would review the city’s accomplishments, to assess whether he should continue his leadership over the city, and if so, how much time and resources to invest in it. What should be the role of the king’s subjects on that day? Of course, they should join together to show honor to the king, greeting him with banners, declaring: Long live the king!

For us as well, Hashem is renewing His kingship over the world and is deciding what, if any, role there will be for us in it. Now is the time to declare our loyalty to Hashem, and how much we want His kingship to be upon us and upon the entire world.

The purpose of the world is to reveal Hashem’s glory (Yishaya 43:7). The more we are a part of this purpose, the greater our chances of having a part in this for the coming year. This is why the entire tefilla of Rosh Hashana revolves around Hashem’s kingship — we are davening that Hashem should be king over us and the whole world. Doing this brings out His glory.

Of course we can’t ask Hashem for our petty needs on this day. This has nothing to do with Hashem’s glory. All the more so we cannot mention our sins on this day. How would this bring out Hashem’s glory, to admit that we rebelled against Him? We can’t mention such a thing on this day! Even though we want to do teshuva, still, mentioning our sins on Rosh Hashana undermines His glory, especially if we are not 100 percent penitent.

Out tefillos are that Hashem be king over us. We’re not asking that He should be king, because that is true even without us; rather, He should be king over us. What does it mean, that He is king over us? It means that our motivation at all times is to do Hashem’s will; not what we want but what He wants. How different would our lives be if we would have this motivation at all times! This brings glory to Hashem.

Another part of making Hashem king over us is showing Him that we are happy to have the yoke of His mitzvos. Of course, we cannot show too much happiness on this day. When the books of life and death are open before Him, we cannot say Hallel (Rosh Hashana 32b). However, we should feel happy and express our appreciation that we are part of Hashem’s coronation.

The Chasam Sofer would say that the sound of a shofar is like a cry, but with two parts to it: There is a cry over the judgment of Rosh Hashana, but also a cry of joy, as the coronation of a king is a joyful event. The Vilna Gaon was especially happy at the time of the shofar blowing. This is the time to express joy that until now, Hashem has given us a place within His kingdom in fulfilling His mitzvos, and that He wants to bless us with the ability to go on and serve Him for another year. Showing that we are happy with the yoke of the mitzvos is a big part of accepting Hashem’s kingship over us.

The sages say that “the Satan is confused by the blowing of the shofar” (Rosh Hashana 16a-b). What confuses the Satan is that we blow the shofar repeatedly — before, during and after Mussaf, repeating various combinations of tekiya, teruah and shevarim until we reach 100 shofar blasts. The Satan cannot understand — if blowing the shofar is a mitzvah, do it once and then you’re finished! Why do it again and again? We, however, blow the shofar again and again, demonstrating that we are happy with Hashem’s mitzvos (ibid., Rashi 16b). This is what silences the Satan from prosecuting against us. We see from this that our demonstration of joy over mitzvos actually has the power to gain us a new year of life!

Rav Steinman would note that another part of making Hashem king over us is to feel humble and act this way on Rosh Hashana. A person can say the entire text of the Rosh Hashana Machzor, Rav Steinman would say, and yet inside, he is thinking to himself: “Of course, I want Hashem to be king over the world, but I myself am doing just fine. I’m healthy, I have a good job, I live in a good neighborhood, my children learn in good schools — I’m not worried for myself.” This is gaava (vanity), and it takes away from making Hashem king over us! The Ramban (Igeres Haramban) states that whoever feels vanity before Hashem is rebelling against Him!

Rav Friedlander was very ill, and Rosh Hashanah was approaching. In his weakened state he could not stand up before the yeshiva and speak, so he wrote a letter to the bachurim, stating: We should feel on Rosh Hashanah as if we have no merits whatsoever, no credit to our name. No one knows what will be, no matter how much a person may see himself as ‘set up.’ However well things may be going for us, no one can know what will be. The truth is, Hashem made it easier for me this year, because my situation is really at this level, but we should all try to feel that we are at this stage, that we have nothing at all, and through this may we merit all to be together this coming year.”

May we make Hashem king over us on Rosh Hashana!