Baruch Hashem we are up to the tenth pasuk of the Shofarot. Over the month of Elul we've gone through 30 pesukim, and anyone who has participated in all of them should pat themselves on the back. Great job.
Bli Neder, we will post the complete transcript for those that want to print it out to read over the holiday.
And now, our final pasuk-
וּבְי֨וֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶ֥ם וּֽבְמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם֮ וּבְרָאשֵׁ֣י חׇדְשֵׁיכֶם֒ וּתְקַעְתֶּ֣ם בַּחֲצֹֽצְרֹ֗ת עַ֚ל עֹלֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וְעַ֖ל זִבְחֵ֣י שַׁלְמֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָי֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם לְזִכָּרוֹן֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם And on the day of your happiness, on your holidays, and your Rosh Chodesh's.. Blow with trumpets on your Olahs, and on your peace offerings, it will be for you a remembrance. in front of Hashem, your God. I am Hashem, your God.
The Gemara in Rosh Hashanah, as well as the Sifri on Bahalotecha, explains that this is the source for Malchuyot, Zichronot and Shofarot. We've spent a month on 30 pesukim based on the Gemara where God says, If you want to have a good judgment on Rosh Hashanah, say pesukim to discuss Hashem's Kingdom, say pesukim that discuss Hashem remembering us, and say pesukim that talk about the Shofarot, the revelations of Har Sinai, of our shofar, and of the shofar of the future, which, as we explained, was really all one shofar of revelation.
All of that comes from our pasuk.
Toward the end of the pasuk it says, says, Utkatem/Blow. That's the shofar.
Vehayu Lachem Lezikaron/God will remember you- that is Zichronot.
Ani hashem Elokechem/ I am Hashem, your God. That's Malchuyot.
There we have it, Malchuyot, Zichronot and Shofarot all come from this pasuk.
The Sifri points out that it's out of order. The first thing we mentioned is Shofarot. But, he says we put Malchuyot/Hashem's kingdom first, because first you have to accept God as King. After He's King, then you ask Him to remember you.
And what's going to arouse Him to remember you? The shofar of freedom, says the Sifri.
We don't only want the shofar of today, we want the Shofar Gadol. Who's going to blow that shofar? Hashem Elokim- God is going to blow it.
This final pasuk is all inclusive and that's why it's number 30, because everything we've been doing until now is from this pasuk. This is our source.
One of the Gerrer Rebbis, known as the Lev Simcha offers a beautiful way to read the pasuk. He says it doesn't fit with the Gemara and Rishonim on the pasuk, but it's a way to read it to bring out a lesson- Really, we know this pasuk is talking about Rosh Hashanah, and possibly many other things, but let's take it at face value. It's only talking about Rosh Hashanah, Malchuyot, Zichronot and Shofarot. So let's start from the beginning of the pasuk. Firstly,
וּבְי֨וֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶ֥םIt's a day of happiness.
As we've been stressing throughout, Rosh Hashanah is a day of happiness. It's called Yom Haggenu. The prophet, when he saw them crying in the times of Ezra and Nechemyah, said, Don't cry. It's not a time for crying.
Secondly,
וּֽבְמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם֮It's a holiday.
Rosh Hashanah is called a Yom Tov.
And thirdly,
וּבְרָאשֵׁ֣י חׇדְשֵׁיכֶם It comes out on Rosh Chodesh.
All three of these forces are in our Rosh Hashanah, and according to the way he reads it, all three descriptions are about the same day. It's a happy day, it's a holiday and it's Rosh Chodesh. Aside from Rosh Hashana, we never have a happy day that's a Rosh Chodesh and a holiday.
Rosh Chodesh usually is just Rosh Chodesh. It's not a holiday, it's not a Moed. And when we have a Moed, it's not usually Rosh Chodesh. It might be a happy day. Sukkot and Pesach are happy days, and they are holidays. But they aren't on Rosh Chodesh.
When do we have all three come together?
Only on Rosh Hashanah. That's why this is the last pasuk that we read, that has, incapsulated in it, this important lesson. Yes, it's a Day of Judgment, and yes, it is a Day of Kingdom, but it's also a day of happiness.
Why is it a day of happiness? Rav Wolbe says- What is the meaning of the word Moed? We say holiday but that's not the real meaning. Based on a pasuk in Amos 3,3 where it says,
הֲיֵלְכ֥וּ שְׁנַ֖יִם יַחְדָּ֑ו בִּלְתִּ֖י אִם־נוֹעָֽדוּ׃
Can two people walk together? Unless there were Noadu.
Rashi says, they set a time to meet. So Moed means a time that you set to meet. Rav Wolbe points out that Tisha B'Av is called a Moed. How could Tisha B'Av be called a holiday? The answer is, holiday doesn't mean celebration.
Holiday means we're meeting. We can have a time to meet to discuss our differences. We can have a time to meet to discuss the problems that we're having in our relationship.
And yes, it is a relationship. We're not divorced. It's a meeting. It's a meeting of minds. There are different types of meetings. So there's no question that Rosh Hashanah is a Moed. It is a time to meet. But we're adding that if you look at it properly, it's not just a time of meeting. It's a time of meeting that has in it a happiness, and a celebration, if we use it properly.
That's our whole story. Rosh Hashanah is a time to meet. Who am I meeting? I'm meeting my Father. I'm meeting my King. And if I have the right attitude towards our relationship all year, says Rav Wolbe, it's going to be especially meaningful at the time of the shofar. It's like I haven't seen that special relative in a year, and now he's coming close.
On Rosh Hashanah, we say, Ki ba. God is coming. God is coming into our hearts. Let's see how we accept Him.
I wish everybody Tizku L'Shanim Rabot, a special year. And with help, Hashem sees how much time and effort we are putting into His pesukim. It's all taken into consideration. And Hashem will bring us all a special happy, and sweet, good new year.