Awakening from our Slumber and seeing Hashem’s desire
to be Crowned as King by each and every Jew
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
With Rosh Hashanah approaching I would like to wish everyone a Kasiva v’Chasima Tovah l’Shana Tovah u’Mesukah, a good and healthy new year in all that we need physically and spiritually.
The first Rosh Hashanah mentioned in the Torah, the day that Adam HaRishon was created was a Friday, the 6th day of creation. The Machzor for Rosh Hashana makes the following statement about Rosh Hashanah: “This Day is the beginning of Your actions, a remembrance to the first day.” A question arises; why do we refer to Rosh Hashanah as “the beginning of Your actions” when it was already the sixth day of creation. How are we to make sense of it being called the beginning of your actions when 5 days of creation, 5 days of action had already passed? The answer is that on Rosh Hashanah the day Adam HaRishon was created is the day that the purpose of creation was revealed and the day that creation was brought to its completion.
Hashem created a large world filled with many species of animals and plants, birds and fish, the earth, the sky and the sea. The purpose of it all was not for the wildlife, bird sanctuaries or Earth Day as great or as beautiful as they might be. The purpose of creation began when man arrived. It was man that made all of Hashem’s creations aware that Hashem created them. Man prepared the world toward the objective of making it into a dwelling place for Hashem’s presence. The only one who could carry this purpose to its fulfillment was man. Before man was created it was not possible. Once Adam HaRishon was created he succeeded in this mission by calling together the entire creation and proclaiming: “Come let us kneel and bow before Hashem the one who created us”.
The focal point of Rosh Hashanah is to crown Hashem as King. How do we crown Hashem? By blowing the shofar. In the spiritual sense the shofar is the outcry of the neshama to Hashem with teshuvah, to crown Him our King both in general and to each person individually.
Why does Hashem need man, a soul in a physical body with all it’s limitations to crown Him and what is His goal in creation?. Chassidus explains that Hashem wanted a dwelling place in this physical world. Although Hashem could have done this by Himself without the help of man, nevertheless, Hashem specifically wanted this to be accomplished by a soul within a body within this physical limited world by learning His Torah and doing His mitzvos. It is under these particular circumstances and in this specific fashion that Hashem desired His dwelling place in this world.
All of this is represented within the mitzvah of the shofar. Why do we blow the shofar? It’s a gezeras haKasuv, a decree without a reason. We blow the shofar because that's what Hashem wants. Even though there is no reason there is a remez, a hint. As the Rambam says there is a hint in the mitzvah of shofar, to waken from our slumber and return to Hashem to fulfill our purpose.
When Rosh Hashanah falls on weekdays we blow the shofar both days. When Rosh Hashanah falls out on the Shabbos we blow the shofar only one day. Why do we not blow the shofar on Shabbos? Also, how do we accomplish the same purpose of shofar without blowing it on Shabbos?
The answer given why we do not blow the shofar on Shabbos is because someone who is not familiar how to blow might forget about the Shabbos and take it out into the street to to inquire how to do the mitzvah and come to carry the shofar on Shabbos. How can the entire Jewish people give up on such a great mitzvah just because there is a chance someone who forgets might carry on Shabbos?
The answer is that whatever is accomplished by the blowing of the shofar is automatically accomplished by the kedusha of the Shabbos. If the Shabbos, which is sanctified by Hashem takes the place of the shofar, then definitely the coronation of Hashem as King was done on the highest level possible. If that is so then why blow the shofar on the second day of Rosh Hashanah? What more could possibly be added?
From the fact that we nevertheless do blow the shofar anyway, we come to see the greatness of the Jewish people and what we are capable of accomplishing. Even though the first day of Rosh Hashanah was on Shabbos and everything was accomplished in terms a crowning Hashem as King on the highest level, nevertheless Hashem says that that is not enough. Hashem is telling us; I need you to take the shofar, make a bracha and blow it to be heard throughout the world. We, the Jewish people who are here in this physical world, soul within the body with all its limitations are wanted, valued and needed by Hashem to proclaim Him as King.
This year, a year when the first day of Rosh Hashanah is on Shabbos is a year that expresses the greatness of the service of each and every Jew. Hashem is saying “I need you”, “Ahavti Eschem Amar Hashem, Hashem says, I Love you”
Each and everyone of us no matter who we are or our station in life are like Adam HaRishon. The fact that he was alone in the world teaches us that every person has to view themselves as alone in the sense of having a unique a sacred responsibility (as if he or she were alone and the only one available) towards all of creation and has within themselves the inherent abilities to bring the world to its completion by revealing Hashem’s glory in this world today as we stand prepared to enter the year 5781. As the Rebbe said “Turn over the world today!”. Each person in their own unique way has the power to reveal Moshiach, today.
A Shana Tovah uMesukah!