A Day of Change
Now, if that's the case, then we can better understand our approach to Rosh Hashanah; it’s not the day of asking, of trying to get what we want. It’s the day of changing our minds. And the tefillos are long; they’re filled with very many ideas because this is the day! The day of blowing for remembering, that’s the best day to start fresh; it’s the opportunity to remember and review very many great ideals and to thereby get a new mind.
That’s why in Mussaf we say various pessukim of malchuyos, zichronos and shofros; and for each one there are ten pessukim. So some people think it’s a game, a matching game. We have to say, let’s say, ten pessukim of zichronos so the Chachomim opened up a Concordance and looked up under the letters ז-כ-ר and they chose ten pessukim.
No, that’s foolish. Each possuk is chosen as a lesson, a teaching what to think. You’re davening Mussaf and you’re thinking what the pessukim are saying, what they’re trying to teach you, and you’re getting a new mind.
Building a Teivah for the Year
Just as an example so you’ll understand better what I’m saying. Let’s say the pessukim of zichronos. When you say וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹקים אֶת נֹחַ (Bereishis 8:1) you have to think about what it’s trying to tell you. Did you think about that last Rosh Hashanah? So think about it now at least.
Here is Noach, riding out on the ocean. It's a tremendously stormy ocean, and all around him is nothing but mabul. Mabul means ‘destruction’ – from balah; all around, everything is being destroyed because of the sins of the generation.
And Noach and his family are the only ones left. What’s going to be? And then finally וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹקים אֶת נֹחַ – Hashem remembered Noach. It means that the one who remains loyal to Hashem, he’ll be remembered. Around you, the whole world is sinning. On all sides terrible things; evolution, immorality, television, libraries, and the loyal Jews, we’re riding on the teivah of Torah. And therefore just like He remembered Noach, He’ll remember the descendants of Noach.
The Decree of Parnassa
Or another zikaron. טֶ רֶ ף נָ תַ ן לִ י רֵ אָ י ו – Hashem gives parnassah to those who fear Him, יִזְכֹּר לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ (Tehillim 111:5). When you go out and make a living, you work in your factory, in your office, on your farm and you're making a living, you should know Hashem is giving it to you. He remembers His bris.
Do we remember it? People are coming from the streets carrying shopping bags full of food. The whole world is busy carrying food from the stores, from the butcher shops. Refrigerators are packed with food. The pantry is packed with food. Are they thinking that Hashem is feeding them? Are they thinking that Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave them the food? “What do you mean?” they say. “We paid for it. It's our money.”
Oh, that’s what we need Rosh Hashanah for, to prepare for a long year of shopping in the grocery. To remind us that He is fulfilling His promise; He’s zan es haolam kulo. That’s one of the aspects of zichronos that we have to think about on Rosh Hashanah; that this year I’m going to have a different attitude when I bring home my paycheck or I go shopping and bring home bags full of food. I won’t think it’s me. I’ll remember that it's Hakadosh Baruch Hu's bris.
Torah Attitudes Light the Way
Now there are many other things mentioned in Mussaf and like I said in the beginning, we don’t have enough time. But at least we should learn from these examples the principle that Rosh Hashanah is not merely a day of one element, of one ideal. It’s a day of impressing on our souls the Torah attitudes that are to be a foundation for the rest of the year. Because that’s the only way a person can have a year of success – he must have a Torah head. What else is going to light our way in this world? The New York Times? The shoteh who talks to you from the radio?
נֵר לְרַגְלִי דְבָרֶיךָ א וֹ ר לִנְתִיבָתִי – It’s Your Word that will be a light for me, that’s what will light our path in this world (Tehillim 119:105)
So while the chazan is singing tra la la and spending time on his business of keeping the niggun, you utilize the time for your business and think about the various things you're going to try to achieve on Rosh Hashanah. Spend a little time on the pessukim, thinking what they’re saying to you.
And little by little, by being mispallel, we are getting ourselves to think of the great ideals for which Rosh Hashanah is made. Zichron – it's a day for remembering. “And if you’ll do it,” Hashem says, “then I'll remember you. I see that you’re facing the new year with a new mind, new attitudes, and so I’ll give you a year that will be good for you.”
The Number One Attitude
Now, of all the ideals that we are expected to remember on Rosh Hashanah, the most fundamental one, the most urgent one, is Hashem Melech. Everything else – the blowing of the shofar, the davening, the pessukim of malchiyos, zichronos, v’shofros, even all the minhagim – they’re all subsets of the one most fundamental idea that we have to think about on Rosh Hashanah: Hashem is the King! That’s the avodah of Rosh Hashanah; it’s the ikkar, the core of this day.
And therefore if we’re going to change our minds about anything it should be that; that’s the first thing and last thing to think about. Whatever else we’re saying, whatever other ideas we’re thinking, the background of everything is “Hashem Melech.”
Of course, you have to know what you’re saying. Just to scream ‘Hashem Melech’ the same way a goy screams “Go Yanks,” that’s nothing. There have to be some solid thoughts behind those two words if it’s going to have its intended effect.
A Calendar Quirk
So we’ll start as follows, with a question. Why was the first day of Tishrei chosen for Rosh Hashanah instead of the first day of Nissan? After all, the Torah states that Nissan is the first of the months. We count our months from Nissan according to the way the Torah speaks. So why shouldn’t Rosh Hashanah be on Rosh Chodesh Nissan?
Now I’m not capable of saying this is the answer, but I have a right to guess, and my guess is as follows: We say on Rosh Hashanah again and again, “Today is the birthday of the world.” It means that the world was created on alef Tishrei. And so even though Nissan is our nation’s birthday – Yetzias Mitzrayim, that’s when we became a nation – but there’s another consideration and that is the birthday of the world, when Hakadosh Baruch Hu created everything. Because that’s when He became King.
The Day He Sat on the Throne
Like we say in the davening; it’s talking there about Creation and it says the King Who has been exalted all by Himself since then.
Now wasn’t He exalted before He created the world? He needs the world to make Him exalted?
And the answer is to be exalted in the minds of men, that was the purpose of Creation. Not to be a King but so that man should be able to achieve the perfection of recognizing the King. That’s the number one function of creation, to learn ‘HaMelech’.
The King, Who has been exalted, all by Himself, from the time that He created the world and Man. Because that’s why He created everything. When Hakadosh Baruch Hu made this universe and He filled it with phenomena, the chief purpose was that man should see the plan and purpose in them and he should marvel at the wisdom that they demonstrate, and understand clearly from whatever he sees that there is a Creator. That’s what it means to make Him your King – when you can see the Creator wherever you turn. When you think about Him because of every natural object you see, that’s called Hashem Melech.
Laying the Foundation
And Rosh Hashanah, that’s the day set aside for that. Of course, it doesn’t mean that it’s the day we accomplish it – the day is too short for that – but it’s the day we have to think about this function and recommit ourselves to this function: the day of Creation, that’s the day we begin the rest of the year.
On Rosh Hashanah we say, “This year I’ll look at the universe with Torah eyes, with the eyes I acquired on Rosh Hashanah. I won’t look at everything like the prevaricators, the people who twist facts, do. I’m going to use my native intellect and by means of everything I see in the world I’m going to come to the firm immovable conviction that there is a Creator. And even though it will be a conviction that grows stronger and stronger every day, the foundation for being mamlich Hashem all year long, I’m going to firmly lay down on Rosh Hashanah.”
Dip the Apple in the Mind
So when you dip the apple in the honey, it’s a good idea to think about having a sweet year; that’s the purpose of the honey, to encourage you to daven. But there’s something even more important. The apple! Because the apple reminds you of the Creator, the King!
This apple?! A King?
Absolutely. Because how else could such a thing be? Can you make an apple? Can DuPont make an apple? Will they ever be able to make an apple? Never! Never in a million years. The apple is so full of wisdom and cunning and planning that they’ll never know enough to create even one of these fruits. They’ll never be able to replicate that machinery no matter how much they try.
A New Beginning
So while everyone is saying their tefillos – תְּחֵא הַשָׁנָה הַזֹּאת – you’re adding another thought: “Look at this miracle apple sitting on the table!” Such a remarkable phenomenon that the fruit is wrapped in a container, a wrapper that is actually waxed, a plastic waxed coating that’s very thin. It’s not too difficult for the teeth to bite through but still strong enough to maintain the fruit for a long time – not only during the many months that it hangs on the tree, but also for a long time after it’s picked off the tree. If you don’t breach the wrapper by cutting the apple into slices to give out, the apple will remain fresh on your table for days. It’s a food wrapped in a protective covering and when the time comes to eat the food you eat the wrapper along with it!
And so this man who understands that the birthday of the world, that’s the day to look at Creation and make the Creator king, he knows that the apple is only one example of millions. He knows that Hashem’s wisdom fills the world; creation is bursting with testimony to the King, and so he’s preparing his mind for a successful year of proclaiming ‘Hashem Melech’.
