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Listening to the Shofar, Becoming the Shofar by Rav Yaakov Feitman
Listening to the Shofar, Becoming the Shofar
BY RAV YAAKOV FEITMAN
What exactly is Rosh Hashana all about? If one answers that it is the day that we are judged, this response is not at all clear as being correct. Rav Yosef Elyashiv, zt”l, (Sefer He’aros on Maseches Rosh Hashana, page 86, on RH 16a) struggles with the difference between the daily judgment we all undergo and that of Rosh Hashana. In other words, the essence of Rosh Hashana may not be in the judgment from heaven as much as in what we do to prepare for this holy day. Therefore, let us look for a moment at what we can gain from Rosh Hashana immediately, even before formal judgment or decisions about our lives have been made. Chazal (Rosh Hashana 26b) teach that the shofar should be bent or curved because on Rosh Hashana “the more that we bend and submit ourselves, the better things will be.” But what exactly does this mean? The pasuk (Bamidbar 29:2) tells us concerning the korban of Rosh Hashana “and you shall make the korban olah.” Now, the usual word used in this context is v’hikravtem (and you shall offer). Why does the Torah change the language about the Rosh Hashana korban?
Chazal answer that on Rosh Hashana “a person must make himself into the korban olah.” We have all begun saying Selichos, which is supposed to begin at least four days before Rosh Hashana. The reason for these four days is that just as an animal being offered as a korban required four days of examination, so do we, ourselves, require at least four days of self-examination to be worthy of a good result on Rosh Hashana. Rav Aharon Leib Steinman, zt”l, further explains this concept by an analysis of all the yomim tovim. On Pesach, we are judged concerning the crops, so we eat a grain product, matzah. On Shavuos, we are judged concerning the fruit trees, so we bring Bikkurim. On Sukkos, we are judged concerning the water, so we wave the lulav, esrog, hadassim and aravos, which grow by the water. But on Rosh Hashana, we, ourselves, are judged, so we, in effect, offer ourselves in lieu of a sacrifice, and so we must make ourselves into a korban. Now, we do not believe in human sacrifice, so what exactly are we offering to Hashem? The answer is that we are offering our complete and total subjugation to our Creator. In case we don’t know how exactly to do this or the power that this carries, let me share a story Rav Yitzchok Kolodetzky, shlita (rosh kollel and son-in-law of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita), told when he visited our shul.
In Rechasim, there is a charedi girls’ school, where a student was deemed exceptional by her teachers and principals alike for her tzniyus, yiras shomayim and general demeanor. On P.T.A. night, her father arrived for his meeting, a man with long hair, many tattoos, and other indications of being far from traditional Judaism. The Menahel gently asked the father: how did you merit having such an amazing daughter? He answered with the following story: “Twenty-five years ago, there were important elections happening in the Knesset, and Rav Ovadya Yosef visited the moshav where I live. He was wearing the special garb of the Rishon R’Tzion – the Sephardic Chief Rabbi – and I lined up with everyone else for the privilege of greeting him and receiving his blessing. I certainly wanted to kiss his hand and speak to him, but I knew that he would ask me do something. I was so moved by the moment that I decided that I would abide by whatever he tells me to do. However, I was extremely afraid that he would command me to keep Shabbat or kashrut, and I was terrified. I didn’t think that I was ready or able to accept such a difficult assignment. When my turn came, he said to me in powerful tones, ‘Send your children to a chareidi school and you will have nachat from them.’ “This commitment, too, scared me very much but I had decided to follow whatever he demanded, and I kept my word. It was very difficult, but I am glad that we sent our children. Now I am truly blessed by how they turned out.”
Rav Kolodetzky concluded the anecdote by saying, “What do we learn from this story? When someone, even one who is far from Torah and mitzvos, bends his head to his Maker, he has been mekabel ohl malchus Shomayim. That in and of itself can result in a wonderful daughter such as this man has. This is represented by the posuk that we recite before the blowing of the shofar: “Happy is the nation which knows the teruah” (Tehillim 89:16). This means “the nation which knows how to subjugate themselves to Hashem.” When the nation does this properly, the result is the end of this posuk: “Hashem b’ohr panecha yehaleichun,” they merit walking by the light of Hashem’s face. We, too, on Rosh Hashana, say the ten passages which constitute Malchiyos, Hashem’s royalty. When we fully accept Hashem as our King, only could good things result. That is the true essence of Rosh Hashana. Of course, we are judged, but then again, every day is a day of judgment. However, Rosh Hashana offers closeness not just to a great tzaddik, a gadol b’Yisrael, but to the Creator Himself. In fact, not only do we acknowledge His majesty, but we participate in His coronation. That is certainly an incredible honor, but like the young woman’s father, it carries responsibilities as well. G-d willing, if we are as loyal and committed in our words as that father, we will also be zocheh to the fulfillment of all our prayers with a kesivah v’chasima tova for all.
