Tefillah

Davening for One’s Friend:

Rosh Hashanah is referred to as Yom Hazikaron (the Day of Remembrance). Sefer Tiferes Shlomo (on Rosh Hashanah) explains that on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, one is meant to daven for the honor of Hashem and for the pain He feels from the fact that the Shechinah is in exile. On the second day, one should daven for the nation of Yisroel as a whole and to beseech Hashem to grant His people all their needs.

This is seen from the verse (Malachi 3:16): “Then the G-d-fearing men spoke to one another, and Hashem hearkened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before Him.” This can be understood to mean that when one davens for others in Klal Yisroel, Hashem hears and accepts the prayers.

This also explains the verse that states (Bereishis 8:1): “And G-d remembered Noach and all the wild animals and all the domestic animals that were with him in the teiva.” The word “teiva” can also mean “a word”. Accordingly, the pasuk can mean that since Noach spoke about the animals and prayed for them, Hashem remembered him. It is thus certain that He hears the prayers of one who davens for his fellow men.

With this in mind, we can explain that Rosh Hashanah is called “Yom Hazikaron” because on this day everyone must remember his friends and pray for them.

The Tefillah of the Public:

Sefer M’Zekeinim Esbonen (on Rosh Hashanah) writes that someone once came to Rav Moshe Midner zt”l with a sick child and asked him to daven for the boy. He advised him to sit with the boy by the door of the mikvah on erev Shabbos, and to ask for a bracha from each of the hundreds of Yidden who pass by. He said that it is certain that from all those brachos, at least one will be effective.

We see that the blessings of Jews have a strong effect, which is why we all bless each other to have a “shana tov”, as it is certain that at least one of the brachos we receive will bear fruit.

Davening, Not Learning:

Sefer Imrei Hakodesh quotes Rav Uri of Strelisk zy”a as saying, “We see how great tefillah is from the fact that the early sages didn’t decree that we should learn a lot of Torah on Rosh Hashanah. Rather, they said that we should daven a lot on this day.”

Crowning Hashem Through Tefillah:

The Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 16A) states: “Say before me “Malchius” in order for me to rule over you.” The Bais Avrohom zy”a explains this Gemara by quoting the pasuk: “He’emanti ki adaber”, which he translates to mean: “I have emunah because I speak.”

When one speaks about matters of emunah, he will come to have genuine emunah. This is also the meaning of the Gemara. When one speaks about Malchius, meaning when one talks about having emunah in Hashem, he is able to have him rule over him because he will come to have a lot of emunah.

The Bais Avrohom continues by explaining the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 32A) that says that one opinion holds that we should say ten pesukim of Malchius, while one opinion holds that we should say three. A third opinion says that even if we only say: “In Your Torah it says to say Shema Yisroel…”, that is sufficient to fulfil the obligation.

He explains that everyone must serve Hashem according to his personal level. Some need to do a lot, while others can do less. And for some, even very little is enough. The main thing is to anoint Him as the King who rules over you.

Asking for Goodness in Order to Increase Hashem’s Glory:

In the tefillos of Rosh Hashanah, we recite the words: “And, therefore, give honor to Your nation.” The Sifsei Tzadik (on Rosh Hashanah, Ois 2) asks why we daven for honor. Don’t we usually say that it is preferable to flee from honor?

He answers that this actually refers to Hashem’s honor. We are davening that His honor should be increased through us. When one does this, he can ask for whatever he needs, as his intentions are to use the goodness he receives to honor Hashem.

Asking for Gashmius to be Better Able to Serve Hashem:

Rav Hertzel Koppel’s (quoted in Sefer Ohr Hachochmah, Ois 162) said that he heard an explanation from the Chozeh of Lublin zy”a on the pasuk in Tehillim (119:91): “For Your judgment, we stand today, for we are all Your servants.” The Chozeh explained that if one stands before Hashem for “His judgment, meaning that he wants to be granted parnassah or peace of mind so that he can better serve Hashem, then “we are all His servants”, meaning that even the yeitzer hara becomes a servant of Hashem and doesn’t try to stop him from receiving what he asks for.