I recently saw a beautiful thought that I’d like to share, from the sefer Kol Ram, by Rav Moshe Feinstein z’l
He poses the following question:
When we describe the Yom Tov of Rosh Hashana in our prayers, we say
את יום הזכרון הזה
This Day of Remembrance
Why do we call it a day of remembrance?
Simply speaking, it’s because G-d remembers us on this day. There is a section of our prayers called Zichronot, Remembrance, in which we talk about G-d remembering us. But Rav Moshe is bothered by that, because, as he says, the holidays are usually about what we do. Hag Hamatzot is about us eating the matzot. Succot/ Zman Simchtenu, is all about what we do. Even Yom Kippurim, he says, is about what we need to do to be forgiven. We are involved in the Kaparah/Atonement process.
But it seems that Yom HaZicharon is only on G-d’s end. Why would the holiday get that name?
He answers with a tremendous Hiddush. He says that Yom HaZicharon is not only about G-d’s remembrance. G-d remembers every day. Rather, he says, Yom HaZicharon is the day that we remember G-d.
It’s the day that G-d is supposed to be on our minds. He says that we are always supposed to be mindful of what we’re doing; we should always be aware and cognizant of our mitzvot. But on Rosh Hashanah it should be more than on any other day. It’s the day that we are supposed to be totally aware of what we’re doing, and have
G-d in our minds. The opening words of Shulchan Aruch are,
שויתי את נגדי תמיד גה כלל גדול בתורה במעלות הצדיקים
Having Hashem before you at all times is a fundamental of the whole Torah, and the way of righteous people.
Rambam quotes this, in Moreh Nevuchim. He explains that when a person is in front of a king, he doesn’t act the way he might act in front of his family. Every action and motion is different.
I once heard advice for Rosh Hashana: A person is supposed pick an Adam Gadol, a great man that he reveres. I use Rabbi Ades - when I’m in his presence, I’m in an
awe-some state. He’s a great Gadol for me, and I see him whenever I’m in Israel.
If I was walking with him, and someone upset me, I wouldn’t raise my voice. If I was driving with him and someone cut me off, I’d remain cool, calm, and collected, because Rabbi Ades was watching and I’d want to make a good impression.
So, for the two days of Rosh Hashana, imagine that this rabbi or great person is walking around with you. That person is
G-d. G-d is everywhere, every day of the year. But on Rosh Hashana, it’s a fundamental. Why? Why is having G-d in our minds the focus of Rosh Hashana?
Before we answer that, we have to bring out another beautiful point: in our Rosh Hashana Musaf prayers, there are three sections. They are:
Malchuyot-G-d is King,
Zichronot- G-d Remembers, and
Shofarot- referring to the Shofar of Har Sinai.
The Sfat Emet says in his commentary on Rosh Hashana, written in the year תרסב
that these three emunah principles correspond to our three Avot.
Malchuyot/G-d is king, refers to Avraham, who was the one that coronated G-d as King. Yaakov, Ish Tam, symbolizes Torah, and is represented by the Shofar which was blown on Har Sinai- the third unit of our Musaf- Shofarot, to believe that
G-d gave us the Torah Min Hashamayim - from Heaven.
Zichronot, by the process of elimination, leaves us with Yitzhak Avinu. What does he have to do with remembrance?
Simply speaking, the Midrash tells us that G-d views it as if the ash of Yitzhak Avinu is sitting in front of Him at all times. He constantly remembers the ash of Yitzhak Avinu, because he was willing to give up his life at the Akedah. This causes G-d to remember the Jewish people for the good.
But, he says, everything that G-d does is measure for measure. It’s not just by chance that Yitzhak is remembered at all times. It’s because Yitzhak never forgot G-d for even a second. That’s why Yitzhak is on G-d’s mind every second.
On Rosh Hashana, what we have to do is לזכר
את השי"ת תמיד. כי כל איש לפי מה שזוכר את הבורא כן נזכר לטובה למעלה
Remember Hashem always
Because the more you remember G-d, the more you are remembered up above.
So the Sfat Emet and Rav Moshe Feinstein are saying the exact same thing- it’s not just about G-d remembering us. It’s about us remembering G-d on Rosh Hashanah, which is of course, the fundamental of Bitachon.
After I saw this, I realized that it’s quite clear in our Musaf prayers. Before each unit, there’s an introduction. Alenu Leshabeach is the introduction to Malchuyot, and there’s an introduction to G-d remembering. It starts off talking about G-d remembering everything, and goes through a very scary description of how G-d doesn’t forget any thing, that there is nothing hidden from him from the beginning of time until the end of time, what your mission is and what your capabilities are... and G-d judges everyone, all the countries- for life, for death, for famine.... it’s a very scary description. Who is not remembered on this day?
And then it says in the middle, in what seems to be off topic,
אַשְׁרֵי אִישׁ שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁכָּחֶךָ, וּבֶן אָדָם יִתְאַמֵּץ בָּךְ. כִּי דוֹרְשֶׁיךָ לְעוֹלָם לֹא יִכָּשֵׁלוּ
Fortunate is the man that doesn’t forget You, and the human being that holds on tight. Because those that search for you will not forever stumble.
This can be interpreted as, they will never stumble, or they won’t stumble forever- they might stumble but they’ll get up
And you will never embarrass those that seek refuge in you.
What is this little bitachon dose dropped in here? Rav Wolbe says that this is the way or get a good Zicharon. But according to what we are learning today, it’s deeper than that. Zichronot is about two things- G-d remembering me, and me remembering G-d. So we have to put that little dose of remembrance in the middle. And this little dose is bitachon.
Rav Chaim Vital says that these words of the prayer are specifically talking about Bitachon. In Shaare Kedusha he talks about bitachon and how a person has to realize that
תחבולותיו, מעלין ומורידין כלל, כי לא לקלים המרוץ, וישליך יהבו עליו
Your deeds don’t make a difference at all, therefore throw your needs on G-d.
That concept is exactly what we say in our Rosh Hashana Musaf prayers, and he quotes this line,
אשרי איש שלא ישכחך ובן אדם יתאמץ בך כי דורשיך לעולם
Fortunate is the man that doesn’t forget You, and the human being that hold on tight.
It’s an unbelievable dose of bitachon in the middle of our Musaf prayers, in order to get us through our judgement. But it’s not just about that moment. It’s the whole day of Rosh Hashanah, as we heard from Rav Moshe. That’s our job- to exercise our bitachon muscles, as much as possible, on Rosh Hashanah. That’s the secret to our success.
Bezrat Hashem, those of us that have been working on our bitachon for such a long time will have an easier time fulfilling this wonderful concept of zicharon. But it doesn’t just mean bitachon. Having G-d on your mind means realizing everything about G-d. Talk about Him at the table, in all the ways we can have Him in our minds.
1-seeing Him in your life in His daily Hashgacha
2-finding Him in creation ( like with an apple or orange, Rabbi Miller style)
3- in learning His Torah
(It’s brought down from the Arizal, that one should finish the four chapters of Masechet Rosh Hashana, on Rosh Hashana)
These are all wonderful things that we can do on Rosh Hashana, and Bezrat Hashem, they will be a zechut for us.
Tizku Leshanim Rabot