Given our proximity to the upcoming Rosh Hashana, I believe it is appropriate to share a thought related to Rosh HaShanah.
In the sefer Orchos Rabbeinu, the author brings a ruling of the Chazon Ish that a person may insert into his Rosh HaShanah prayers any type of personal requests to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. At this auspicious time, a person has license to ask for whatever he needs—be it financial support, matters of health, shidduchim for family members—whatever a person needs! This is the time to pour out our hearts to the Ribono shel Olam.
This ruling is by no means obvious. We have spoken in past years in a Halachic context about whether personal requests are even permitted on Rosh HaShanah. The Vilna Gaon’s opinion—based on a Zohar—is that a person is not supposed to ask for any personal needs on Rosh HaShanah. The reason for that—as the text of the Rosh HaShanah liturgy indicates—is that the time is dedicated to asking for the revelation of the Glory of G-d on the entire universe.
If the Ribono shel Olam is the Melech (King), and we are supposed to be devoted servants, there is only one thing that should be our concern—the revelation of the Glory of Heaven (Gilui Kevod Shamayim). We have been in Galus for 2,000 years, most of the world does not recognize the Ribono shel Olam, and the Shechina is in Exile, so to speak. It is a terrible situation. According to the Gaon and the Zohar, Aseres Yemei Teshuva (the Ten Days of Repentance) and Yom Kippur are the time for personal requests.
However, Rosh HaShanah is the time for petitioning that G-d’s Glory should be recognized throughout the world. So, what is pshat in the Chazon Ish?
The sefer Leket Rishimos by Rav Nosson Wachtfogel, zt”l, quotes the last schmooze that Rav Leib Chassman said in the Chevron Yeshiva the year before he died, on the last Rosh HaShanah of his life. Rav Leib Chassman quoted an idea in the name of the Chofetz Chaim. He gave a parable: The Czar of Russia went out to visit his kingdom. He began his grand tour in what was then the capital city – St. Petersburg. He marched through the streets of St. Petersburg and was given the honor due a monarch. The ceremonies, the pomp and the circumstance were not to be equaled.
He finished his tour of St. Petersburg and he went on to what was then the second most important city in Russia—Moscow. Moscow also put on a very impressive show. It was not as elaborate and extravagant as St. Petersburg, but it was still very, very impressive. And so it went from province to province and from city to city, town to town, and village to village throughout the country.
The Czar was about to come into one of the smaller villages of the empire in the hinterlands of the country, far away from the capital. It was a town of peasants where they barely knew about the Czar. The people had no grasp of his stature or the aura of his dominion. Think of hillbillies—rednecks from the hills of Appalachia—who were the inhabitants of this town and were now being graced with a visit by the distinguished Head of State.
The custom here was that when a stranger came into town, they threw stones at him. They did not like strangers visiting their village. Before the arrival of the Czar, the mayor of this little village gets up and addresses the people. He tells them, “Listen, the Czar is coming. I must ask of you one thing: Please don’t throw any stones! You don’t need to bring out a brass band. You don’t need to get dressed up in your holiday best, but just don’t throw rocks!” The mayor’s request was heeded. The Czar came, he did not get much of a reception, but at least no one threw any stones at him.
Tragedy was averted and his visit passed without negative consequences for this little village.
The Chofetz Chaim continued with his parable: When the Ribono shel Olam visits this world on the Day of Judgement, he first visits the Holy Patriarchs. They give Him an ample Kabalas Panim (welcome) because they know who the Ribono shel Olam is. He then goes through the generations—Moshe Rabbeinu, Yehoshua, etc. The reception down through the ages is not as elaborate as with the Avos, but it is certainly very appropriate. The Chazon Ish was in effect saying that we are like those peasants in the last stop on the Czar’s grand tour of the country. We are like those subjects of the Czar who had no idea who the Czar was and what he represented.
We don’t appreciate who the King of the World is. For us to go ahead and say that our main request in life is “You should rule over the whole world and over all Your creations” is not really sincere. We are not holding at that level. But we need to show the Ribono shel Olam that we believe that everything comes from Him. By directing our pleas for Parnassah and Gezunt and Hatzlacha and Shidduchim and Nachas (and the list goes on...) to Him, we are at least verbalizing our conviction that everything comes from the Almighty. If we tell that to the Ribono shel Olam and we believe it, that itself is a form of Kavod to the Ribono shel Olam.
He knows that we don’t have the proper level of Fear of His Majesty, and Awe and Reverence. Just like those poor farmers in Siberia who do not know who the Czar is or what the Czar is, we are so far removed from Giluy Shechina that we no longer have a proper understanding of the revelation of the Glory of G-d on the entire universe.
For sure, the Zohar is right and the Gaon is right. For sure, in the perfect world, we should be concerned about Hashem alone ruling over all His creations, and everyone knowing that He created them, etc., etc. But we are not holding by that. So how do we show the Ribono shel Olam that He is the King and everything comes from Him?
We do it by saying: Ribono shel Olam I NEED Your Help. I need parnassah. I need a shidduch. I know that everything comes from You. This is an expression of accepting the Yoke of Heaven — that He is in charge and from Him comes all. Therefore, because of our low stature, it is acceptable to place our needs before Him. This is the twenty-first century version of “V’Simloch Ata Levadecha al kol ma’asecha!” (May You alone reign over all your creations!)
