We are going through the prayer of L’Olam Yehe Adam in the Korbanot section, and the next part we say is Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokenu Hashem Echad, (we will discuss it’s meaning next week). The next part, after Shema, is quoted by the Yalkut Shemoni (as we said, everything has a source) It refers to the time each morning, when the world wakes up; that is the time of day that God gets angry. (Bilam knew that moment and tried to curse the Jewish people at that time)
Why does God get angry at this early-morning part of the day? The Gemara says that it’s because this is when the world gets up and bows to the sun, and doesn't recognize God.
They eat, they drink, and they enjoy the new day without recognizing God. As such, God wants to destroy the world, if not for the fact that the Jewish people are saying Shema Yisrael. We cause the world not to be destroyed when we say Keriat Shema every single day.
That's a powerful statement.
The Midrash, in Devarim (chapter 6, pasuk 836) says that when Hashem looks at the world and he sees the theaters and the circuses, and they're sitting there being entertained, being calm, complacent and serene, while God's Bet Hamikdash is destroyed, God wants to wipe the world out. Then we come to the Bet HaKeneset and Bet Midrash and say Keriat Shema, and the angels gather around God and they say (and this is what we say in Korbanot following Shema Yisrael),
אַתָּה הוּא אֶחָד קוֹדֵם שֶׁבָּרָאתָ הָעוֹלָם, וְאַתָּה הוּא אֶחָד לְאַחַר שֶׁבָּרָאתָ הָעוֹלָם, אַתָּה הוּא אֵל בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְאַתָּה הוּא אֵל בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא, וְאַתָּה־ה֑וּא וּ֝שְׁנוֹתֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִתָּֽמּוּ׃
You're the God before the world was created. You are the God after the world was created. You’re God in this world and You're God in the next world. Your years will never end. Make Your name holy in your world, on the nation. God, use the Jewish people as a way to bring a sanctification to your name.
That is what we say everyday after Keriat Shema. And we end with the beracha of Baruch Makadesh Shemo B’Rabim
And it says then,
מיד נוחה דעתו של הקב"ה ואינו מחריב עולמו
Miyad/ immediately, when God hears the angels say that, God calms down, so to say, and doesn't destroy the world.
That's what Atah Kadosh means. God is holy, Yoshev Teholit Yisrael- simply, this means He dwells in our prayers; When we pray, God is here. But the Midrash says Yoshev could also mean Yishuv Hada’at, which means to calm someone down.
God is holy, and He gets calmed down by the Jewish prayers.
So we have to appreciate what we do every single morning. Every morning, we are causing the world not to be destroyed. We get the credit for keeping the world safe, because we're saying Keriat Shema. We're recognizing God's Oneness.
And, if I may add, similar things happens every single year. God looks at the world on Rosh Hashanah, the day of creation. And it says that the angels ask, “What is man? What are You doing, God? Why are you keeping this world going? Look how bad they are! Look what they're doing.”
And every year it only gets worse. So what's the answer? God’s answer is that “There are Jewish people that are saying, Shema Yisrael and accepting Me as King.”
This is true every day, but especially on Rosh Hashanah.
We have to get ready and really prepare for this great, awesome day of Rosh Hashanah, by appreciating what happens every day, when we say these powerful worlds of Hashem Echad, realizing that God is One before the world, and God is One after the world.
What does that mean?
Rabbi Ades gave a great mashal.
He tells the true story of a man we’ll call Jack, who asked his friend Abe to take his son into his business.
Abe says, No problem, and spends the entire day with Jack’s son, showing him everything in the business… the warehouse, the production line.. the whole day. Unbelievable.
Then Jack calls up Abe and says, “I really want to thank you for spending so much time with my son.” And Abe says, “No, I didn’t just do that with your son. I go through that process with everyone that comes to work for me, because I want to show them that I had a production line, I had a warehouse, and I had a design team before they came. The company was here before he came, and the company with continue after he leaves.”
Rabbi Ades says it’s the same thing with this world. We think, “Oh, God needs me.”
But God says, “I was doing fine before you came and will continue fine after you. You're here? Roll up your sleeves and work. Don't think the world needs you.” God is here throughout.
It’s like when young children look at their parents' wedding album and ask, “Where was I?” And the parents say, “You weren't here.”
What do you mean?
“You just weren't here.”
That's true for all of us. Look at your parents' wedding album. You weren't there. Where were you? God created you Yesh M’ayin/something from nothing. That's a sobering pill. But that is what we're supposed to be thinking about as we get ready for the high holidays. We have to appreciate what God is doing for us, and B’Ezrat Hashem will continue doing for us.
Have a wonderful day.