Rosh Hashanah 5784
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We add in the first bracha of Shemoneh Esrei during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah,זכרנו לחיים מלך חפץ בחיים וכתבנו בספר החיים. We pray to Hashem that He should remember us for life and write us in the book of life; a very reasonable request. However, we end with the words למענך אלוקים חיים. We say to Hashem that it’s in His best interest to remember us for life. This seems a bit presumptuous on our part; how we can claim it’s beneficial to Gd to have compassion on us and keep us alive?
Rashi on the first pasuk of the Torah brings the Medrash Rabbah (1,1) which states בראשית ברא, בשביל ישראל שנקראו ראשית. Hashem created the world for Clal Yisrael. And our mission is to serve Hashem and bring honor to Him, as it says in the end of Avos (Chapter 6, Mishnah 11), כל מה שברא הקב"ה בעולמו לא בראו אלא לכבודו שנאמר כל הנקרא בשמי ולכבודי בראתיו, יצרתיו אף עשיתיו. We ask Hashem to give us life for Him so that we can perform our task and serve Hashem and bring Him honor.
The pasuk in Bereishis states (Chapter 31, Pasuk 1), וירא אלוקים את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאד. The Medrash Rabbah (8,5) on the pasuk teaches that the word מאד refers to אדם. And the Gemara in Yevamos 61A teaches אתם קרויים אדם; you, Clal Yisrael, are called אדם. Bnei Yisrael are the focus of creation, and when Hashem looked out at what He created, His focus was on the טוב מאד of Clal Yisrael. He was looking primarily at Clal Yisrael.
But when we daven on Rosh Hashanah, we pray that the Kingship of Hashem should not only be on us, but on the entire world. ותן פחדך ד' אלוקינו על כל מעשיך ואימתך על כל מה שבראת. The Chidushei Harim teaches that this is because on Rosh Hashanah we need to have an עין טובה, a good eye even towards the nations of the world. He quotes the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah 25A which says זיל לעין טב וקדשיה לירחא. Go to Ein Tov and sanctify the New Moon. He says that this Gemara is intimating that one needs an עין טובה in order to sanctify the New Moon and the New Year. One with an Ayin Tova wants others to have good things as well; consequently, this trait is expressed by wanting the other nations to serve Hashem as well, and this is essential for Rosh Hashanah.
The Gemara in Sotah 8B teaches במדה שאדם מודד, מודדין לו; one receives back measure for measure how he acted. One with an עין טובה is described in Avos (Chapter 5, Mishnah 19) as being a student of Avraham Avinu. Avraham Avinu reached out to others and wanted them to know Hashem. Similarly, we need to want others to have good things, to have success, and to have meaning in their lives by serving Hashem. This is the essence of Ayin Tova.
On Rosh Hashanah, we invoke the merit of Avraham Avinu at the Akeidat Yitzchak. The pasuk says by Avraham Avinu after he sacrifices the ram instead of Yitzchak (Chapter 22, 14) אשר יאמר היום בהר ד' יראה. This is the midah k’neged midah of the עין טובה. When we look favorably upon others and wish them only well, בהר ד' יראה. Hashem will look favorably upon us and forgive us for our sins, as Rashi teaches on the pasuk. And the word היום can be understood as the day of Rosh Hashanah. On Rosh Hashanah our Ayin Tova is expressed by wanting all to come under His realm. And then we hope to be rewarded by being viewed favorably Hashem as well.
The upshot is that on Rosh Hashanah we need to work on our character traits as well. The Mishnah in Avos (Chapter 4, Mishnah 21) lists the basic categories of evil by stating הקנאה התאוה והכבוד מוציאין את האדם מן העולם. Jealousy, lust, and the desire for honor take a person out of this world. The antidote for these is to be a student of Avraham Avinu, Ayin Tova to combat jealousy, Nefesh Shefeilah to combat lust, and Ruach Nemucha to combat honor. And when we make ourselves true students of Avraham Avinu, we merit in kind with the reward of Avraham Avinu for Akeidat Yitzchak; being seen and viewed favorably by Hashem and forgiving us for our sins.
Good Shabbos and Kesiva V’Chasima Tova
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