It states in this week's parashah (Devarim 29:9) אלקיכם 'ה לפני כולכם היום נצבים אתם, "You are all standing this day before Hashem, your G-d." Notice that Moshe said אתם, you are standing before Hashem. These words imply that the nation was standing before Hashem, but Moshe himself wasn't. The Sfas Emes explains that Moshe Rabbeinu was telling Bnei Yisrael, "You are on a higher level than I am. You are before Hashem, as Chazal say, 'In the place where baalei teshuvah stand, the greatest tzaddikim cannot stand. It is a level beyond where I can be.'"
The Sfas Emes concludes that this is an encouraging lesson for our generation. We must know our potential and the levels we can reach, precisely because we live in a lowly generation. When we do teshuvah, we reach the highest levels.
It also states in this week's parashah (Devarim 30:5) מאבתיך והרבך והיטבך, "He will do good to you, and He will make you more numerous than your forefathers." The Chasam Sofer zt'l teaches a fantastic lesson. He explains that Hashem made us greater than the Avos hakadoshim because we are baalei teshuvah, and baalei teshuvah reach levels that the greatest tzaddikim cannot.
We begin the brachah of Malchiyos with לך נקוה כן על. The first letters spell ן"עכ. Chazal tell us that Achan created this tefillah when he was taken to be put to death. Chazal tell us the many sins that Achan committed. Why do we begin Malchiyos with the prayer he composed?
To teach us that even if we committed many aveiros, as many as Achan, we can do teshuvah, pronounce Hashem as King, and Hashem will accept us.
Before tekiyas shofar, we recite Tehillim (47) קרח לבני למנצח, a psalm composed by Korach's children, who did teshuvah moments before they were swallowed into the earth. This, too, reminds us that regardless of our past, we can always do teshuvah. The children of Korach did teshuvah, and so can we.
A counsel for teshuvah is to accept a kabbalah tovah. Slonimer tzaddikim say that a good kabbalah is a protection in this world and the next world, but it must be kept continuously.
It states in halachah (581), "You should be cautious to choose the best, and most appropriate shaliach tzibur you can find, someone who excels in Torah and good deeds, that he should be the chazan for selichos and the yamim noraim..." It is also brought in the poskim that the chazan and the one who blows shofar should prepare for three days before Rosh Hashanah, checking their deeds and doing teshuvah because the community relies on them to plead on their behalf.
A chazan was studying the machzor before Rosh Hashanah, preparing the songs and tunes of the tefillos. Rebbe Mordechai of Nadvorna zt'l told him, "The machzor is the same as last year. Instead of looking into the machzor, I advise you to look into yourself to see what needs improvement."
The Chasam Sofer zt'l says that in our generation, the tzaddikim aren't as great as they were in the past, and we can't rely on the chazanim as much as people relied on them in the past. Therefore, in our times, everyone should consider himself the chazan, and he should be occupied in teshuvah so he will be worthy to plead for himself, his family, and Klal Yisrael.
Mashal of the Fox and the Lion
8. The Beis Yisrael of Gur zy'a related the following mashal: The lion – king of the jungle – became angry at the animals of his kingdom and wanted to punish them. All the animals gathered and sought a way to appease the king, but they didn’t know what to say or do. The fox spoke up, "I have three hundred mashalim (parables) that I can tell the king to explain our situation and our point of view. He will certainly be appeased. Come with me." The animals were relieved that the fox had a solution, and they all went together to the lion, the king of the forest.
After walking for some time, the fox told the animals, "I forgot one hundred parables. But do not worry. I still have another two hundred parables." They walked on. A mile later the fox said, "I forgot another hundred parables, but there's nothing to worry about. I still have one hundred parables that I can tell the king." When they came before the lion, the fox told them, "I just forgot the last one hundred parables, too. It is now up to you to cry and beg the king for mercy." (From the start, the clever fox didn’t have anything to tell the king. But he realized that their only hope was to go to the lion and to plead, to arouse his compassion. Therefore, the fox told the animals he had three hundred parables, so they would follow him to the lion. And then he told them that it was up to them to do whatever they could to save themselves.)
The Beis Yisrael zt'l explained that chassidim go to their rebbe for Rosh Hashanah and rely on their rebbe to help them in their judgment. But the rebbe may tell them, "I am at a loss. I don’t know what to say to Hashem, to pardon our sins, or how to earn a good year. Now it is up to you to pray and to do whatever you can to appease the King."
