BS”D

REMARKABLE RECOLLECTIONS: ROSH HASHANAH

Shira Smiles shiur 2021/5782

Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein

The body of the Rosh Hashanah Mussaf Amidah has three major components. The three sections are cited in a Mishneh: “Recite before Me on Rosh Hashanah… Malchuyot/Kingship…, Zichronot/Rembrance. So that your remembrance should arise before Me for good [purpose] … and with what? With the shofar.” Zichronos/Remembrance will be the core of our discussion here.

Our overriding question is what does memory signify in relation to Hashem Who is Omniscient and does not forget? To arrive at some understanding, we need to explore the deeper meaning of this Mishneh. Further, while we generally ascribe memory to Hashem in this Mishneh, Rabbi Leff and others posit that the Mishneh refers to our memories coming before Hashem, for Hashem to remember us for the good. Further, why do we refer to Rosh Hashanah as Yom Hazikaron/The Day of Remembrance when the Torah refers to the rituals as Shabbason zichron teruah/a day of rest… a remembrance with shofar blasts…, and as Yom Teruah/a Day of shofar sounding.

Rosh Hashanah is also the first day of aseret yemei teshuvah/the Ten Days of Repentance. However, Rav Scheinerman notes that in all the proof text verses cited in this section of Mussaf, there are no verses that would urge us toward repentance and no mention of punishment.

So while one purpose of blowing the shofar is to coronate Hashem as King, Rabbi Mintzberg in Ben Melech notes that blowing the shofar also symbolizes Hashem’s judging us. But there is nothing in the verses that delineates this day as the beginning of a new year or of the shofar bringing remembrance. Why is it a festival sanctified as a day of rest? The Torah specifies that Hashem performed acts of chesed for us on all the other festivals, whether He redeemed us from Egypt, sustained us in the desert, or gave us His Torah. What specific good did Hashem do for us, for Bnei Yisroel, on this day? If we say we celebrate the Day of Judgment, it is the entire world that is judged, not just Bnei Yisroel. This certainly makes the day significant, but why would it be a festival for Bnei Yisroel? We don’t even recite Hallel on this day. What makes it a festival is that blowing the shofar evokes memories of chesed and good before Hashem, from the covenant with Noach to the covenant with our forefathers. The blessing at the end of this section concludes with “Zocher habris/He Who remembers the covenant.” It is the memory of this covenant that we pray will ensure us a good year and is the cause of celebration.

Just as Malchuyot/Coronation and Shofrot/shofar blasts require an active component from us, so does Zichronot/Remembrance. This active component is tied to the teshuvah process, so important at this time of year. Rabbi Scheinerman notes that while we can do teshuvah all year round, most closely through regretting our past misdeeds, Rosh Hashanah carries with it an additional element. Through the memories evoked by the shofar and the recitation of these specific verses, we are reminded initially of Hashem’s love for the entire world and then to His special, heightened love for Bnei Yisroel. We hear Him calling us His most precious son and His delightful child. Hashem’s love for us stirs reciprocal love within our souls, and we yearn to reconnect with Him. Our teshuvah during the rest of the year is generally prompted by fear of punishment; on Rosh Hashanah it is prompted through love. Because of this love, we are inspired to give more tzedakah and to seek opportunities to do more mitzvoth. The shofar awakens our hearts, inspiring us with memories that arouse the love for Hashem within us. Teshuvah on Rosh Hashanah is a teshuvah that impacts the essence of the person rather than teshuvah for sins. It is a teshuvah that desires not so much expiation for sins as much as a return of connection to Hakodosh Boruch Hu.

On Rosh Hashanah, Hashem becomes not only Hamelech Hamishpat/The King of Judgment, but also the King that we welcome with an open heart, writes Rabbi Wolbe. When we recall Hashem through the memories evoked by the shofar, we are triggering Hashem’s remembering us, adds Rabbi Scheinerman.  When we say Hashem is remembering us letovah/for good, we are reminding ourselves that Hashem is always ready to bestow good upon us. The message of Zichronot, writes Rabbi Bernstein, is not about our reminding Hashem about us, but about reminding ourselves about Him.

When Hashem remembers us, writes the Tolna Rebbe, it is not always for the good. But because we ask Hashem to remember us even in judgment, we are signifying that we want that connection in all circumstances. We are ready, even to stand in judgment before You. That’s why, although the Torah calls it Yom Teruah/the Day of Sounding the Shofar, we call it Yom Hazikaron/the Day of Remembrance. In spite of its being a day of awe and trepidation, we still celebrate this day of connection with beauty, with our festive food and clothing. On this day we stand before You either as Your children or as Your servants. In our desire to form the relationship, we accept both the love and the judgment. Our service of the day, our teshuvah, is to yearn to connect with Hashem, even if the connection is harsh and judgmental.

Rabbi Zev Leff Presents us with a profoundly encouraging perspective on this Day of Remembrance, this day of Man’s creation. It is true that Hashem is judging us on this day, but it is not a quick dismissive judgment. Hashem takes two full days to review and consider our actions. Surely we and our actions have meaning, are significant. Hashem cares about us, and our actions are purposeful and meaningful. The Ohel Moshe echos this thought. The verses cited point to the significance of Man. If Hashem remembers me, I am significant, worthy of being remembered, and, like our Patriarchs in the verses cited, I too can have a relationship with the Creator.

Zichronot/Remembrance is the essence of who we are, writes Rabbi Wolbe. It is not only that Hashem remembers us, but that we remember ourselves and our own importance. If Hashem cares about me, I must care about myself, I must weigh my actions and my words. It is all significant. The three books representing our lives are open. Hashem reviews the text of our lives, copies the contents and decides where to paste that entry. Nothing is hidden from Him. As Rabbi Weissblum notes in Heorat Derech, we too must take stock of our lives. We too must consider whether we are living up to the potential Hashem has invested in us. If what I do matters to Hashem, it should surely matter to me. I must put in the effort to actualize the potential Hashem sees in me.

There are two related words in our liturgy that refer to memory, writes Rabbi Berkowitz. Zachor includes not only everything we’ve done, but also all the circumstances surrounding our actions. Pakod, on the other hand, refers to Hashem’s actions in response to what we have done. His response considers the effort we expended or mitigating circumstances. We should judge ourselves with similar criteria. Are we truly trying to the best of our ability? Are we performing mitzvoth by rote, or are we investing self into them? As Hashem considers all these factors, so must we also introspect honestly.

Every action we take is significant. Will it be a link in the chain that brings the world closer to Hashem’s vision, or will it break the chain, asks Rabbi Friedlander in Rinat Chaim.Teshuvah as a means of repairing our role in the world, of actualizing my purpose, a purpose and mission that affects the entire world. And on that final judgment, will we be able to answer that we truly became the person Hashem had envisioned us to be.

Rabbi Scheinerman cites the words he heard from a wise man. “If you don’t know your purpose in life, you don’t know what you should do even in the next fifteen minutes.” Have that vision of self, recognize your significance, and connect again to Hashem to actualize the vision Hashem had of you when He created you. May this Rosh Hashanah, this anniversary of creation, be a year we recreate ourselves in the image Hashem has of us.

Ketivah vachtimah tovah.