The Mussaf of Rosh Hashanah Contains All the Principles of Emunah
The Sefer HaIkrim (authored by Rav Yosef Albo, a 15th-century Rishon) elaborates on the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah’s instituting the recitation of the pesukim of Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofros during the Mussaf of Rosh Hashanah. He explains that each of these has the purpose of internalizing the important yesodos of emunah and Yiddishkeit that lie within these pesukim.
This important avodah extends beyond the tefillah of Mussaf. Throughout the exalted days of Rosh Hashanah, a Yid must imbibe and breathe in these fundamental and foundational principles of Yiddishkeit so that through this he will merit a positive outcome in the great judgment, and he will live with these principles throughout the year—as tzaddikim have taught us that Rosh Hashanah is the head, which directly affects and inspires the entire year.
When a Yid lives with his emunah, it affects not only himself and those around him—but indeed the entire world. Yiddishe kinder are called ראשית, the firstborn, and when we think and speak concepts of holiness and emunah on this first day of the year, it influences the entire world—as we say, תבל יושבי כל וידעו יכירו, all inhabitants of the world will know You, and פעלתו אתה כי פעול כל וידע, every creation will know that You created him. Any awareness of a Creator in the world, throughout the year, comes from our engagement in these yesodos of emunah on Rosh Hashanah.
Living and Breathing “Malchiyos, Zichronos, Shofros”
These fundamental principles of Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofros must be reiterated again and again over these exalted days. We must prepare ourselves for Yom Tov with these thoughts in our minds, and we are to keep these themes in the forefront of our thinking throughout Rosh Hashanah—not only during davening.
Musaf is the time when we recite these pesukim together with the shofar blast—but these fundamental ideas must accompany us throughout these days, and even after we leave Tishrei behind. The Anshei Knesses HaGedolah have designed these tefillos with a precise order:
First comes Malchiyos—in which we acknowledge that the Ribbono shel Olam is the King Who conducts the entire world and creation. We remember that every event in the world occurs with Hashgachah Pratis. We must internalize this in our hearts and minds, and we must do teshuvah if we have forgotten it, and then pick ourselves up and resume talking and thinking emunah.
Thereafter comes Zichronos—in which we recall our deep and eternal bond with Hashem, and we remember how deeply Hashem loves us. Being permeated by these feelings of connection and love will obviate any need to pursue pleasure in foreign sources—because we will be filled with pleasure and love.
Finally comes Shofros—the belief that Torah comes from Heaven. The “simple blast” of a Yiddishe krechtz (sigh) of yearning enables us to live the Malchiyos and Zichronos.
In the following three essays, we will examine in depth the fundamental yesodos in Yiddishkeit as we learn them from the timeless words of Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofros that we recite during the exalted moments of Rosh Hashanah at Mussaf.
Blueprint for a Wonderful Verdict
These yesodos of our faith are the gift that the Ribbono shel Olam has given us in the days of Rosh Hashanah. They have the ability to elevate every Yid and return him to his proper place. They redeem us from our personal galus and raise up our lives to a higher plane.
May the Ribbono shel Olam help us to properly fulfill the היום מצוות, the avodah of these exalted days. May He illuminate for us the ways in which the Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofros apply to our lives specifically; what we must take away from this avodah, and how our neshamah must internalize these fundamental ideas.
The Ribbono shel Olam wants every one of us to merit a positive verdict on this day of judgment—and He has thus given us a blueprint for doing this. Because, when a Yid merits internalizing the Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofros, he is cleansed, purified, and elevated—and he becomes an entirely new person, and a new person merits a year of sweetness and light.
May we all merit a טובה וחתימה כתיבה, a year that is blessed ברוחניות ובגשמיות, and to finally hear the Great Blast of the shofar of Mashiach.
