Together as One we Stand United and Victorious on Rosh Hashana
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
First I would like to wish everyone a Ksiva v'Chasima Tovah l'Shana Tovah u'Mesuka. Hashem should fulfill everyone's requests both spiritually and physically together with the requests of Klal Yisroel. Most of all we should all merit the complete and ultimate redemption this year.
In Hayom Yom it’s written that the Alter Rebbe related: When I was in Mezritch I heard from my Rebbe, the Maggid, in the name of the Baal Shem Tov that Hashem blesses Rosh Hashana and the month of Tishrei. From that bracha we take the strength to bless the other eleven months. What is the nusach of Hashem’s bracha? It is the opening verse of parshas Nitzavim; “Atem nitzavim hayom kulchem- you are standing today (on Rosh Hashana) all of you”. We are all standing together as one unit before the King. It is because we stand together that we are meritorious in judgment.
The greatness of the bracha at the beginning of parshas Nitzavim is that we stand firm on the great day of Judgement, Rosh HaShana, and when the greatness of the service of every Jew is revealed, the Heavenly Court decides in our favor. It is not just that Hashem overrides the Heavenly Court and gives us a pardon. Rather Hashem gives us a bracha that gives us the strength to stand firm unafraid because we trust that Hashem values our service of Him, and then Heavenly Court agrees.
This teaching was revealed through the Baal Shem Tov. The bracha was in the Chumash before Baal Shem Tov. Why was this teaching revealed by the Baal Shem Tov and not in a previous generation? The reason is because the purpose of Chassidus is to reveal the deepest levels of the Torah, the neshama of the Torah. Chassidus was revealed to arouse our neshamos from the deep slumber and weakness that the Jewish people fell into in a particularly bitter moment of galus. This revelation of Chassidus continued to expand to the point that the arousal of the neshama on it’s deepest levels should be understood and absorbed, similar to food absorbed in the body. The Alter Rebbe explains this with the mashal of the precious stone in the crown of the King that was pulverized in order to create a medicine to save the life of the prince. This is a mashal for Chassidus.
Why does the Torah enumerate 10 types of people, heads of tribes, judges, water carriers etc.? Isn’t the important thing that we are together as one? Also why does the pasuk say kulchem, all of you, isn’t that obvious?
The explanation brought in Likutei Torah and Sichos is that we are one unit from the vantage point of the neshama. Therefore it is necessary to emphasize that we are all one unit with regard to coronating Hashem as the King of all of us, kulchem. The reason that the 10 different groups are mentioned, the heads, hands, feet, men women and children until water carriers and woodchoppers is to show that we are like one big body.
Just as a body has different parts yet they all work together in complete harmony so too the Jewish people. Every part of the body has a discrete function necessary to complete the body. All the body’s systems and limbs need one other and come together as one. It is specifically because the body is one that each part can serve and be helpful to the rest of the body. So too with Klal Yisroel; we are all one essence. Therefore whatever unique quality each person has, it can be of use to another Jew. We can help each other like feet can help a head get to where it needs to go.
Therefore unity is both general and personal. I am both a servant of Hashem in general as well as an individual with a unique mission. Each one of us doing our best automatically serves the Klal. This is an explanation as to why the Rebbe gave his entire attention to each person he met. The Rebbe always brings out the special characteristic meant for that individual. Very often he then puts that characteristic to work for the sake of the individual and the Klal.
By each of us recognizing and then best utilizing what we do best for the Klal, we stand as one, meritorious in judgment before Rosh Hashana.
On Rosh Hashana each one of us realizes that we are accepting Hashem as King together as one. At the same time we should also recognize that each one of us is accepting Hashem as our personal King and that Hashem values our particular service. By doing so we reveal Hashem's sovereignty in all aspects. This extends beyond our performance of Torah and mitzvos into every detail of our personal lives and daily activities.
As we enter the time of Rosh Hashana and accept Hashem as the true and sovereign King we do so with two things in mind. We remember that Hashem is King over all of Klal Yisroel and all of creation. We accept Hashem as our King equally no matter who we are. We also accept Hashem's sovereignty personally, He is my King and I am His servant. We then relate it to all that we do in our lives and for others. By not just recognizing Hashem in general but by living with Hashem as our King in every detail of our daily lives in what we do for others do we reveal Hashem's Kingship the most, and have the greatest effect on the entire world.
The unity in the bracha in parsha’s Nitzavim is even greater than the unity of Matan Torah. By Matan Torah we camped as one person with one heart without noticeable differences. In this bracha we count 10 types of people, heads of tribes, judges, water carriers etc. like a body with separate limbs. The simple folk aspire to the greatness of the leaders and the leaders are moved by the motivation of the simple folk to change and aspire beyond themselves with purity and simplicity. Each type of person wants, sees and feels the special value of the other and wants to unite as one. This is a greater unity that includes the unique qualities of each in the other.
Wishing everyone a Ksiva v'Chasima Tovah l'Shana Tovah u'Mesuka and to be with the Rebbe in the Beis HaMikdash hearing Shofar Shel Moshiach