We’re now on the last stretch before Rosh Hashono; this Shabbos the Eibishter Himself is poised to bless the new month and the new year. Each of us is on high alert, scrambling to decide on our final and last minute preparations that will – hopefully – catapult us into the yomim nora’im mindset.
Undoubtedly, there are many aspects to Rosh Hashono, and many different facets to this important Yom Tov. Each of us surely learned numerous ideas, whether in nigleh or in chassidus or in halocho or all of the above, that together help form our understanding of the day and of what it means to us.
But we can’t lose sight of the main point: On Rosh Hashono we crown Hashem as King, or – in the terminology of chassidus – we are involved in ”binyan hamalchus”, - in reawakening Hashem’s desire to be our King. We do this by reaffirming our subservience to Him. We reaccept the Yoke of His commandments, and we express, through the sound of the shofar, our unconditional dedication to serving Him.
It is this commitment that is what Hashem desires, it is His “taavo”, and it is therefore what bring to the fore His willingness to be our King for another year. It is that willingness to serve as our King that is the source of the existence of the entire world and all that is in it, and – for that matter – all of the worlds.
And while this is unquestionably what Rosh Hashono is all about, we have to bring it down to ourselves. We can’t get lost in lofty words or ideas; the above-mentioned commitment must be tangible, real, practical and concrete.
This is the idea behind the emphasis by our Rebbeim that everyone accept upon his or her self every Rosh Hashono a new hiddur. Our commitment to Hashem and accepting Him as our King needs to be expressed in a very practical way in our daily behavior. And that expression can be in very mundane simple acts.
Such as refraining from eating the cucumbers because of our concern with the directives of the shulchan Aruch.
Our aim is to live our lives in a way in which everything that we do is merely a further expression of our servitude to our King. Therefore, the only criteria for every act or non-act is: What does the Eibishter want from me right now.
In the years when the Alter Rebbe used to say short maamorim, he once said a maamar on the Possuk אשרי העם שככה לו אשרי העם 'שה אלקיו. The Alter Rebbe explained that the translation of "ככה" is “azoi” or “just so”. The translation of the posuk is: “fortunate is the nation who’s avoda is in a way of “kocho”, their only consideration is ‘what does Hashem want of me’, and that is the only goal; - “azoi un nisht andersh”, it is just so and can’t be any other way. Such a nation, and such an avoda, results in “Hashem” being “Elokov”.
Our focus on Rosh Hashonoh is that every detail of our life should be in accordance to what the Eibishter wants. Just so. And – as lofty and important this concept is as an ideal - this has to come out in the little things.
Because the proof is in the pudding, and the Kabolas ol is in the Cucumbers.
On the day on which he was created, on Rosh hashonoh, Odom horishon called out to all of the creations in the world, saying בואו נשתחוה ונכרעה נברכה לפני 'ה עושינו. He was calling on the entire world and all who inhabit it to join him in expressing their total servitude to Hashem. This was what took place on the first Rosh Hashono, and it is this that is the central theme, the very essence, of every Rosh Hashonoh.
R’ Michel of Apotzk was one of the foremost chassidim of the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe and the Tzemach Tzedek. He was an exalted individual, who lived a spiritual life, completely detached from worldly concerns.
It is told of him that he spent forty years sleeping on a bench, to deprive himself of any trace of earthly pleasure. Needless to say, this helped him to attain even loftier heights in his spiritual ascent. Before his passing, however, he remarked that he is now wiser, and he regrets this practice. ‘It is conceivable’, he observed, ‘that the lifestyle that I adapted may have affected my health adversely, and may have, thus, ultimately shortened my life. I now recognize’, he concluded, ‘that if this practice shortened my life even by one day, then it was not worthwhile. Because one day of putting on teffilin is more important and precious than 40 years of depriving myself the pleasure of sleeping in a bed’.
It is said that the Tzemach Tzedek remarked, when this was repeated to him: ‘He is correct, but to arrive at such a realization one may need to (achieve the refinement that can only be attained by) sleep(ing) on a bench for 40 years’!
[This story, or very similar versions of it with the same point, is told about a number of chassidim. I don’t know if it occurred more than once, or there are differing versions about who it took place with].
On Rosh Hashono we all are sure to attain great spiritual heights. This is the time when the King is in “heichal malchuso”, - in His palace, when we all have a greater sense of His greatness and aloofness. It is the time of “kiruv hama’or el hanitzutz”, - when every single one of us is closer to our source, and more in tune with our yechida shebenefesh.
But none of that is as important as the practical application, the way we channel the experience into one more day of carrying out Hashem’s directives, one more instance of doing exactly what He asked and expects of us, exactly the way He told us to (azoi un nisht andersh) “just so”, and one more instance of abstaining from an action (or thought or speech) that is contrary to Torah or Mitzvos or halocho, not for any other reason except that this is what Hashem told me not to do.
Let us use out these precious final moments of Ellul to greet the King in the field, and let us take advantage of Rosh Hashono to truly accept Him as a King over us fully and unconditionally. And this acceptance should be manifested in every detail of our behaviour; - everything we do should be an expression of our heartfelt desire of "תמליכוני עליכם".
And this should be the last step for the Eibishter’s Kingship being revealed throughout the world "'והי 'ה להלך על כל הארץ . . 'ה אחד ושמו אחד" NOW!
L’chaim! May we each do our part to fulfill the mitzvah of the day of anointing Hashem as our King, and may He bring our work to its’ ultimate goal and success, with the complete manifestation of His Kingship, through the final revelation of Moshiach Tzidkeinu TUMYM!!!
Rabbi Akiva Wagner
ט"מי ולמטה ובגשמיות בפשטות וגאולה לישועה ,רבקה בן הלוי מרדכי שלום 'ר לזכות ממש י"תומ
