Zichronos Fills Our Soul
Shlomo HaMelech tells us in Koheles (6:7) תמלא לא הנפש וגם, the soul is not satisfied. The problem is always that the nefesh is hungry. That’s the source from which all problems stem. However, if we satisfy the nefesh, it won’t need anything else. If we internalize these beautiful pesukim of Zichronos, we will feel such a closeness and connection that we wouldn’t need anything else.
When we blow the shofar at Zichronos, we express our innermost desire that we all harbor for the Ribbono shel Olam. And the feeling of desire that we experience after we have fallen is even greater—because it brings about yearning and pining that we can feel only after we went through the darkness.
The Ribbono shel Olam created the world with a schedule of events of all kinds. Some periods of our lives bring us great challenges, and within those challenges, a Yid will seek out the Ribbono shel Olam! He will remember on Rosh Hashanah that just as there’s the great principle of מלכיות, of emunah, there’s Zichronos, which remind us of the great and deep covenant with Hashem.
The Pinnacle of Pleasure
The Sefarim HaKedoshim explain that the middah of yesod entails the connection of all a person’s kochos to one entity (it can be a connection to Hashem and kedushah, and it may be the opposite, chas v’shalom)—and every person can work on enhancing this connection. We may recite Tehillim to arouse our love and connection to Hashem; we may learn before davening so that we raise the level of warmth and fervor of our davening; and we may invest in our Shabbos, so that it is permeated with fire and warmth.
The yetzer hara has managed to convince us that “avodas Hashem” brings to mind all our failures in serving Hashem and that it means “hard work,” while the pleasures of This World are pure joy....
This is the worst kelipah possible! The ratzon Hashem is that when we think of avodas Hashem, we should think of the greatest pleasure! This is the truth! This is true joy! Serving Hashem is pure delight!
Remembering the Inner Love
“Remembering” occurs when we draw out old memories that lie dormant in our minds... dormant and forgotten—the way we would try and remember the name of an old classmate or how an old song begins. Every Yid has the love for Hashem etched on his soul. Everyone has this love contained inside his heart. זכרון, remembering, means that we bring this inner memory to the fore, so it doesn’t remain suppressed inside.
Eliciting and bringing out this inner fire of love is the very fulfillment of זכרונות! We channel the conduct of the Ribbono shel Olam, Who remembers the sacrifices and the love of our forefathers and wants us to remember this great love between us as well. Therefore, we rise at the start of a new year. We forget the past, and we remember the true and eternal love that lies inside all our hearts.
This is an avodah that spans our entire lives—but Rosh Hashanah is when we meditate on this theme of זכרונות, a work of positivity and love that eradicates any and all evils. The Ribbono shel Olam declares: I love you! הברית זוכר, I remember our covenant and connection!
