Bs”d Rosh Hashana 5783
Rosh Hashana – 5783
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites
Rosh Hashana begins this Sunday evening and ends Tuesday evening. The New Year is a point in time marked in all cultures and all nations – each one marking the date when the year begins. The Jewish nation marks Rosh Hashana on the Hebrew date of the 1st of Tishrei and on the following day, the 2nd of Tishrei. The Bible does not use the name “Rosh Hashana” for this holiday but refers to it as “Yom Teru’a”, loosely translated as the Day of Blasting (the Shofar), to mark the unique commandment we fulfill on Rosh Hashana – blowing the shofar.
The commandment to blow the shofar is linked in Jewish tradition to two things: It symbolizes the call to stand trial before G-d, as well as the coronation of G-d as king. These two aspects are worthy of a closer look, especially to try to ascertain the connection between them. We, who are lucky to live in democracies, might find the concept of a monarchy to be foreign and strange. The concept of “coronation of G-d as king” seems ancient. Indeed, the Bible, the Jewish nation’s foundation, uses terms of its time to describe the relationship of G-d with the world, humanity, and particularly with the Jewish nation. Jewish sages have always tried to translate biblical terms into ones relevant to the Jewish nation in each generation. We will try as well and ask: What is the significance to us of anointing G-d as king, and how does this description tie in to standing trial at the start of a new year?
In Rosh Hashana prayers, we make the following request:
And so, too, the righteous will see and be glad, the upright will exult, and the devout will be mirthful with glad song. Iniquity will close its mouth and all wickedness will evaporate like smoke when You will remove evil’s domination from the earth. Then You, Hashem, will reign alone over all Your works, on Mount Zion, resting place of Your glory, and in Jerusalem, Your holy city…
This prayer describes G-d’s reign on earth. If we simplify the words of the prayer, we see that we attribute good qualities to G-d’s kingship: justice, integrity, loving-kindness, and the removal of iniquity, wickedness, and evil. This is the main significance of G-d’s reign based on the words of this ancient prayer.
Is this a realistic aspiration? No. But it is a practical plan. When we recite these words and pray for G-d’s kingship, we express our readiness to be partners in expanding and deepening the existence of G-d’s values in the world. When we strive for the rule of justice, integrity, and loving-kindness, we are actually proclaiming: Yes, we can! We are capable and want to operate that way and be guided by these principles. And, on the contrary, removing iniquity, wickedness, and evil is not a dream. Every time we compromise, every proper act we do, every time we fight for justice – we are tipping the scales in favor of G-d’s kingship. It is in our hands, and our prayers on Rosh Hashana express this wholeheartedly.
Here we reach the second symbolism of shofar blowing: standing trial before G-d. At the beginning of the year, we ask ourselves – Where am I headed? How do I want to live this coming year? Am I willing to join the side that believes in eternal, divine values, or G-d forbid, am I indifferent, preferring to be a bystander? Indeed, on Rosh Hashana, we stand trial and ask that the new year be good for us; that we merit a year of happiness, health, and joy. This request is not separate from our desire to live in a world of values that believes in a redemption that will come by actualizing G-d’s kingship. We believe that happiness grows and flourishes when humanity leads itself toward the values of justice, integrity, and loving-kindness while distancing itself from iniquity, wickedness, and evil.
During those precious moments of shofar blowing, we experience the quivering of holiness and transcendence. We are called upon to internalize this holiness and implement it during the new year by living a life that is more moral and more sacred; a life that is G-d fearing through which we become partners in His kingship.
May we all have a good and blessed year, a year of satisfaction, serenity, and happiness, of doing deeds that are blessed and significant.
