By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
The following was written by Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis based on a drasha given by Rav Moshe Sternbuch, Rosh Av Beis Din of the Eidah Hachareidis of Yerushalayim.
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MAJESTY BEFORE PARDON
Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Judgment. Logically, it seems that this should come after we have already repented on Yom Kippur. Why, then, is the actual order the exact opposite, with Rosh Hashanah preceding Yom Kippur? We can gain a deeper appreciation of the order of these two Yomim Tovim from the following analogy.
There was once a person who violated the law of the king many times. He was finally caught, arrested, and sentenced to be hanged. Before he was killed, the guards told him that he would not be given the opportunity for pardon, since he had transgressed the king's will many times, but before he is hanged, the king himself would come to him and hear whether he deserved clemency.
When the king arrived, he asked the prisoner why he had broken the law so many times. The accused replied, “While it is true that I acted improperly on many occasions, this was because I did not know the greatness of the king.” He added that now, since he had seen what a glorious monarch he has, he would never even consider acting improperly.
The king accepted his argument and let him free. However, he was told that from now on, he should be extremely careful. Breaking the law even one more time would be punished with immediate hanging.
So, too, during the course of the year, on many occasions we are lax in our Torah observance. We have strayed so far away from where we are meant to be that we do not really understand Hashem's greatness. However, we do realize that during the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur our lives are at stake, and we ask Hashem for pardon.
On Rosh Hashanah, the Shechinah is close to us, and after the experience of having truly felt this Divine Presence, we can say honestly that we will try not to sin anymore. Hashem accepts our pleas and gives us more time. If during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah we take the opportunity to fix our ways, then we are given another chance for the upcoming year.
For this reason, there is no aliyah l'regel on Rosh Hashanah. During the other Yomim Tovim, we need to go up to Yerushalayim and the Bais Hamikdosh to experience closeness to Hashem. On Rosh Hashanah, Hashem is with us, and wherever we are, we can feel His Presence.
RECOGNIZING THE KING
As explained in the previous section, one reason that Rosh Hashanah precedes Yom Kippur is that recognizing Hashem's greatness can help us achieve pardon. However, there is another, more fundamental reason: without Rosh Hashanah beforehand, Yom Kippur would be almost meaningless.
All year long we transgress, and then the Yomim Noraim come and we hope to do teshuvah. Turning straight to Hashem without prior preparation could potentially be worthless. Even after our repentance, what prevents us from slipping back into our old ways?
On Rosh Hashanah, by saying Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros, we strengthen our emunah regarding Hashem's absolute authority over every inch of the universe. After we have achieved this level of recognition, we can do teshuvah properly. Only once these fundamental principles of Judaism are engraved on our hearts can we hope that our teshuvah will make a lasting impression, and that we will sincerely change our ways.
MONARCHY VS. DICTATORSHIP
We have now offered two reasons why Rosh Hashanah comes before Yom Kippur. The first is in order to recognize His greatness, for this will help enable us to do teshuvah in the present moment. The second is to plant emunah in our hearts so that we should not sin again in the future.
In order to properly grasp Hashem's Kingship, we must know that there are two types of rulers. A melech, king, refers to a leader who is accepted by his people. A moshel, on the other hand, is a dictator, who usurps power to further his own interests.
If we choose to make Hashem our king, then we will receive the benefits and freedom of a monarchy. However, if we do not accept Hashem as our king, He will be forced to take the role of a moshel. Under such circumstances, we will have to suffer the consequences of a dictatorship.
On Rosh Hashanah, the choice stands before us which type of rulership we will choose. We should spend all our time involved with tefillah, Torah and chesed, and not waste a moment of this precious day. In doing so, we show that Hashem is our King, and we will benefit from His gracious rule.
DEAD OR ALIVE
On Rosh Hashanah, the books of life and death are open in front of Hashem, and which one we will be inscribed in depends on how we act during these days. Yet, many extremely wicked people stay alive from year to year even though they do not mend their ways. How can we understand this phenomenon?
The judgment on Rosh Hashanah is not merely whether one's physical existence will continue. Rather, on the Yom Hadin, a person is judged vis-à-vis his spiritual status. If his main purpose in life is to get to the World to Come, then he is deemed alive. If, however, his main focus in life is physical pleasures of this world, he is labeled dead and his judgment will be shaped by that status.
This is what we mean when we ask for life between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We say, “Remember us for life, for Your sake, the living Hashem.” Wanting life purely for Hashem's sake means that we are asking for a life filled with opportunities to do mitzvos. Our physical needs, which must be taken care to achieve this end, are only one detail in this request for life that we ask for.
ANGELS' SONG
On most Yomim Tovim, we recite Hallel. Chazal tell us that on Rosh Hashanah, since the books of life and death are open in front of Hashem, singing Hallel would not be appropriate. Instead, we express our closeness to Hashem through the beautiful tefillos of the day.
Tosafos notes that while we do not recite shirah, the malachim do sing this prayer. At first glance, the words of Tosafos are extremely difficult to comprehend. If Hallel is not appropriate for us at this time, why should the malachim sing it?
On Rosh Hashanah, the entire world is judged and, at times, very harsh punishments need to be meted out for the upcoming year. We cannot sing Hallel, for our outlook is limited, and we could not possibly fathom the full extent of such judgments. During such tough moments, singing Hallel would be completely out of place.
The angels, however, have a much broader scope of vision and understand why everything that Hashem does is ultimately for the best. For them, there is no contradiction to sing Hallel even while the harshest judgment is transpiring. It is for this reason that they are allowed to sing this song of praise on Rosh Hashanah.
REMEMBERING AKEIDAS YITZCHOK
One of the central themes of Rosh Hashanah is remembering the sacrifice of Yitzchok. We repeatedly ask Hashem not to forget this auspicious event. Our prayers beg the question: Hashem remembers everything, so why must we ask Him not to forget this?
Although the Al-mighty will certainly always remember Akeidas Yitzchok, there is a reason that we repeatedly ask Him to remember it on the Yom Hadin. Before Avrohom was able to even graze his son, an angel stopped him, and Yitzchok came out of the Akeidah without a scratch. Yitzchok was unscathed, yet Hashem viewed Avrohom's act as if he had actually sacrificed his son on the altar.
On Rosh Hashanah, we ask Hashem to look at us in the same light. Even if we have not made significant changes in our lives during the days preceding Rosh Hashanah, nonetheless, we ask the Al-mighty to see us as he viewed Avrohom. Since it is our deepest inner desire to make these changes, we turn to Hashem to look at us like we have already made them.
This connection to Akeidas Yitzchak is further expressed in the sacrifices of Rosh Hashanah. On all other festivals, we are instructed to offer numerous korbanos as part of the service in the Bais Hamikdosh. Regarding Rosh Hashanah, we are told “va'asisam,” that we should each make our very selves a sacrifice.
As Rosh Hashanah draws closer, we may feel very far away from this lofty goal. Even if the yeitzer harah tells us that there is no hope, we should strengthen ourselves to keep going and to accomplish whatever we can. During these days, when the entire world is steeped in impurity, our service is especially dear to Hashem, and anything we can do, any positive step at all, is very, very precious to Him.
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Rabbi Travis is a rosh kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim, and is the author of Shaylos U'Teshuvos Toras Chaim and "Praying With Joy - A Daily Tefilla Companion," a practical daily guide to improving one's prayers, available from Feldheim Publishers. Rav Shternbuch's weekly shiurim on the parsha, compiled and edited by Rabbi Travis, are now available as a sefer titled “A Voice in the Darkness.” For more information about his work, contact dytravis@actcom.com.
TEASER
Our service is especially dear to Hashem, and anything we can do, any positive step at all, is very, very precious to Him.
