Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. TwerskiMalchus: The Theme of Rosh Hashanah

Democracy may nave diminished our yiras shamayim (awe of Hashem). In the Talmud and Torah literature we often find parables that attempt to enhance our yiras shamayim by saying, "If one were in the presence of a mortal king, how cautious one would be with one's words and deeds. How much greater should one's caution be in the presence of the Almighty King." This may not have much impact on us, since we do not relate to a mortal king today. We elect a president for a period of time, who does not have unlimited powers. To the contrary, his powers are limited by congress and the courts. After his term is over, he is an ordinary citizen. Even in countries that do have a king, it is usually a ceremonial position, with power resting in the hands of an elected government.

Compare that with the Talmudical account of R' Yohanan ben Zakai, whose disciples visited him when he was ill, and found him crying. They said, "Light of Israel, the pillar of right, why are you crying?" R' Yohanan replied, "If I was being led to trial before an earthly king, who is here today but in his grave tomorrow, who, if he is angry with me, his anger is not eternal, who, if he imprisons me, the imprisonment is not eternal, who, if he puts me to death, my death is not eternal, and I am able to appease him with words or bribe him with money, yet I would be fearful and cry, and now, that I will be led before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed is He, Whose life and existence is eternal, and if He is angry with me, his anger is eternal, and if He imprisons me, the imprisonment is eternal, and if He puts me to death, my death is eternal, and I cannot appease Him with words nor bribe Him with money, shall I not cry?"

The disciples then asked him, "Our teacher, bless us." R' Yohanan replied, "May your fear of Hashem be as great as your fear of mortals." The disciples said, "Is that all you can say to us?" R' Yohanan replied, "I wish that it were so. You must know, when a person commits a sin, he says, 'I just don't want a person to see me (but is not concerned that Hashem sees him')."

Shortly before his death, R' Yohanan said, "Remove all the utensils so that they shall not become tamei (contaminated) when I die, and prepare a chair for Hizkiyahu, king of Judah, who is coming to escort me" (Berachos 28b).

This interchange between R' Yohanan and his disciples is most enlightening. We believe Hashem exists and is all-powerful, but this belief is an abstraction, and may not be enough to deter a person from sin. If we have the emotional experience of the awe we have standing before a powerful earthly monarch, we may perhaps be able to extrapolate and develop the awe of standing before Hashem, the King of kings. But in a democratic country, where one may freely criticize the president or the ceremonial king, this reference point is lacking. R' Yohanan tells us that without this reference point, we may be remiss in awe of Hashem. We do not know what it means to tremble before a king.

Hashem said, "Recite verses of kingship before me, to enthrone Me over you...and with what? With the shofar" (Rosh Hashanah 34b). The prophet says, "If the shofar is sounded in a town, will the people not tremble?...When a lion roars, who does not fear?" (Amos 3: 6-8).

R' Yeruchem of Mir said, "When I saw a lion, I understood its enormous might, and that as king of the beasts, all animals are in awe of him. Primitive peoples, seeing the might of the sun, worshipped it as a god, not realizing that the sun is but one of His many servants" (Daas Chochmah Umussar vol.4 p.248). In our tefillos we pray, "Let everything with a life's breath in its nostrils proclaim 'Hashem, the G-d of Israel, is King, and His Kinship rules over everything.'" In our poverty of having an emotional experience of the awe of Hashem, we must extrapolate from objects that inspire us with awe, as a reference point for awe of Hashem.

"If the shofar is sounded in a town, will the people not tremble?" Beginning with the first day of Elul, we sound the shofar daily to inspire us with the awe of Hashem, that His Sovereignty is absolute. We must know that He controls everything in the universe, from the greatest galaxies to the most minute insects. The only thing that Hashem does not control is a person's moral decisions, because He has given a person freedom to choose between right and wrong,"

It is of interest that when Rosh Hashanah occurs on Shabbos, we do not blow the shofar. This is not only to avoid a person's carrying the shofar in a public thorofare, but also because the kedushah of Shabbos, and the awareness that Hashem created the world and is its only Master, can provide the appreciation of Hashem's sovereignty. On Rosh Hashanah we say, "Today is the birthday of the world." Shabbos, like Rosh Hashanah, is a testimony to Hashem's creation of the world.

Belief in the existence of Hashem is not yet malchus. Primitive peoples believed in the existence of G-d, but felt that G-d was too supreme to bother with this tiny speck of the Earth and with mere mortals. That is why, in our tefillos of malchus we pray, "Reign over the entire universe in Your glory...Let everything that has been made know that You are its Maker." The Israelites, upon their liberation from Egypt did believe in Hashem (Exodus 4:31), but it was not until they witnessed the miraculous dividing of the Reed Sea that they exclaimed, "Hashem shall reign for all eternity!" (Exodus 15:18). Only then were they convinced that Hashem controls the world and His Providence is over all things, animate and inanimate. This is why, on Rosh Hashanah we begin saying hamelech hakadosh. Kedushah means that Hashem is separated and far above everything in the universe, but He is also the melech, the King that operates and controls the universe.

Every day, we cite many berachos and say, Blessed are You, Hashem, Our G-d, King of the world. But precisely because we say these words so often, we do not concentrate on their meaning. Rosh Hashanah should give us a much greater appreciation of malchus, so that when we say the words, "Hashem, Our G-d, King of the world," we will think of Hashem's absolute sovereignty.

When we think of the infinite greatness of Hashem, and that by comparison we are less than infinitesimally small, we may lose our sense of significance. We must be aware that as creations of Hashem, we are endowed with a Divine soul, which makes us potentially great. This is why R' Yohanan, having expressed his utter effacement before Hashem, nevertheless told his disciples before his death. "Prepare a chair for Hizkiyahu, king of Judah, who is coming to escort me." He knew that no less a personage than Hizkiyahu, king of Judah, would greet him.

Rosh Hashanah marks the sixth day of creation, the day on which Hashem created man and endowed him with a divine neshamah. We appreciate the malchus of Hashem, and are proud that we are privileged to be His subjects.

Editor's Note: This is an Excerpt from Rav Dr. Twerski's new book, Twerski on Machzor - Rosh Hashanah