By Rabbi Moshe Pogrow
The Yamim Tovim in Nissan and Sivan remind us of the Divine source of all we have: freedom, Land, Law—as well as what these elements produce: the prosperity of the community.
Pesach with its Omer and Shavuos with its two loaves are the constitution festivals of the Jewish nation. Tishrei, however, is a month of contemplation and introspection.
In Tishrei, we examine our relationship with these elements of our prosperity, and we ascend to the heights of purity and truth, for only through them can the blessings of life be realized.
Rosh Hashanah does not commemorate gifts received from Hashem. Rather, it calls us to work on ourselves. Its special mitzvos are shabbason, refraining from activity that alters the world and shapes our future; and zichron teruah. Teruah is familiar to us from yovel: a signal for people and property to be freed from outside ownership and returned to the mission assigned to them by Hashem. It is a call for far-reaching change in existing social relationships of men, a call to restore what was ordained by Hashem.
It is in the Name of Hashem, the sole Master of men and property, that the teruah calls for freedom. Hence, what produces the teruah is not the man-made trumpet, but the shofar, created by Hashem.
The teruah of Rosh Hashanah is also described as bashofar, sounded in the name of Hashem. And it has a similar message. Whereas the teruah shel yovel affects the relationship of property and owners, teruah shel Rosh Hashanah affects the moral relationship of man and G-d. It summons us to a moral yovel. It calls upon us to return to Hashem and to spiritual freedom, to recover all the spiritual assets that were once ours but which we have since lost through our sins.
Thus, it is also a signal for spiritual escape, to journey forth and give up the old ways that we have grown fond of but are unacceptable to Hashem.
It calls us to a moral struggle against the enemy of our spiritual welfare, and assures us that Hashem will support us in our fight: venizkartem lifnei Hashem Elokeichem, v’noshatem mei’oyveichem.
Based on the commentary of Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch zt”l on Chumash, with permission from the publisher.
