Since Adam (the first person) was created on Rosh Hashanah, whereas the world in general was created on the 25th of Elul, and on the sixth day of Creation Adam was created “in Hashem’s ‘image’ and ‘likeness.’” Meaning that his soul included the inner dimension and purpose of all of the creations, as it is written, “And He (Hashem) blew into his (Adam’s) nostrils a soul of Life,” meaning that his soul contained all of the life of all the souls.
The idea of Adam being created “in Hashem’s image and likeness,” means that just like Hashem contains all of the life of every creature in Himself all at once, so too, on a micro-level, Adam’s soul included all of the spiritual life of all the creations.
Therefore, on every Rosh Hashanah there is a new combination of letters of Hashem’s statement, “Let us make Adam in our image and likeness,” and this ‘new’ statement is a revelation from the Source of Life, which encompasses all worlds, and is a general life-force for the entire year.
And every year there is a new combination of letters in order to bring down a new life-force for the year. Afterward, the general life-force that was drawn down on Rosh Hashanah becomes divided into specific allocations of energy, which are spread out over the twelve months, and each month receives its life from the general revelation of life (on Rosh Hashanah), and each day of the month receives its specific amount of Life from the general life-force revealed on Rosh Chodesh.
Therefore, our Sages said, (Rosh Hashanah 8a) “Which holiday do we celebrate when the new moon is hidden? Rosh Hashanah.” This is because it is the general source of life for the year.
Therefore, the specific life-force associated with a particular month (the month of Tishrei) is nullified to the general life-force of the entire year, like a ray of light is nullified in front the entire light of the sun.
The day of Rosh Hashanah is also Rosh Chodesh Tishrei. However, we don’t mention Rosh Chodesh in most of the prayers of Rosh Hashanah (except for one mention in Musaf). This is because Rosh Chodesh is only a specific allocation from the general Life-Force of Rosh Hashanah, and is therefore relatively insignificant in comparison to it. This is similar to how a small light is nullified and not noticeable in the presence of a much greater light.
This is similar to what we say in our daily prayers, (Baruch Sheamar) “Blessed be Hashem who spoke once and the world came into being,” referring to the One Statement that contains the general life-force for the entire world.
This is the meaning of what our Sages said, (Avos 5:1) “The world could have been created with One Statement,” meaning, that on a certain level, the world actually was created with “One Statement,” which is the general life-force of all of creation.
The Baruch Sheamar prayer continues, “Blessed be Hashem who says and makes things.” This refers to Hashem’s specific “Statements” that bring down a specific life-force, which is a new letter combination for every day.
Similarly, the life-force of one year is not the same the same life-force as the previous year. This is what we say in the prayers of Rosh Hashanah, “This day is the beginning of your works,” since on this day there is a new revelation of energy for that year, from the general life-force that includes the life-force of all of the years, for all of time.
So too, regarding the Torah, it says, “These words (of the Torah) that I (Hashem) command you today,” since every day the Torah needs to descend through all the spiritual levels until it comes down to be expressed in actual time.
Just like on Rosh Hashanah a new Life from Hashem from a level that is beyond time, and includes all of time at once, is drawn down into a specific time of one year, so too, the Torah comes from a level beyond the limitations of time, and descends into the limitations of time.
Every day, there is a new revelation of the Torah that comes down into the limitations of time.
This is why we say every day the blessing of “Blessed are You, Hashem, who gives the Torah,” in the present tense, meaning, Who gives us today a new revelation of the Torah, from its level of existing beyond time to how it exists within the parameters of time.
So too, the Jewish People’s souls are renewed each day, like it says, (Eicha 3:23) “They are new every morning, so that they can make great their faith in You (Hashem).”
Meaning that every day a person needs to re-awaken his faith in Hashem on new level. He then draws new faith from the source of faith in Hashem.
For, as it says in Tehillim, (139:16) “Days were formed by Hashem for each person,” that all the days of a person’s life that are at least around seventy years, were formed and designated by Hashem, exactly how many years each person will live.
And the verse concludes, (ibid) “Days were formed by Hashem for each person ‘וְלֹּא-when there was not’ anyone created yet.” This is according to the way ‘וְלֹּא’ is written, with a letter א. However, according to how it is read, as ‘וְלוֹ’ with a letter ו, the meaning is ‘וְלוֹ-and to him.’ So, we can read the verse, “Days were formed for each person, וְלוֹ-and the purpose for him אֶחָד בָהֶם-is to reveal the Oneness of Hashem in each of those days.”
This means that the days that Hashem designated as the life span for each person is in order that he reveal and improve the faith in Hashem’s Oneness that is shining into him, on a new and increased level each day.
This is the meaning of “רַבָה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ - great is the faith in You.” The meaning of ‘רַבָה-great,’ is a reference to the truly great and unlimited level of how Hashem is ‘Soveiv-encompasses all worlds.’ This unlimited level is the source of a person’s faith in Hashem’s Oneness.
How does he re-awaken his faith in Hashem every day? Through seeing each day that in the night Hashem makes the sun set, and every morning He makes the sun rise and makes people and animals wake up from sleep; and this power of Hashem is continually making this happen according to the order He arranged. From this, he will recognize that Hashem Himself, the Creator of time, must be higher than time.
In other words, the verse that tells us to renew and increase our faith in Hashem’s Oneness also gives advice on how to do that: By seeing that Hashem gives us our soul new and refreshed each day, and by seeing how Hashem renews the entire world every day, we are reminded that Hashem is constantly creating and renewing all of creation. The only way that Hashem can create the world and all of the changes of time from day to day is if He Himself exists beyond the limitations of time and space, from a point beyond any changes. From there, He can create anything that is finite and subject to change. The Rambam and Chovos HaLevavos explain the reasoning of this:
- Something cannot create itself.
- If it were created by something made of parts, then that thing needs something else to put it together. If it were created by something finite, then it had a beginning and also had to be created at some point.
- There cannot be an infinite number of finite causes. Ultimately, there must be a beginning point before which there was no finite or limited, changing, existence.
- This Original Being that existed before all finite, changing things existed is eternal and unchanging. He is not made of parts and cannot be grasped or defined. He alone created everything finite, limited, and changing from total non-existence.
We see from this chain of thought that by recognizing that Hashem is creating and renewing the world, we can think deeply into this and realize that the world must be created by Hashem, Who is totally beyond all change and all limitations of time and space.
Thus, by seeing our renewed existence every morning, we are able to strengthen our faith in Hashem, Who is beyond all limitations, and encompasses all worlds equally.
