“Malchuyot,” says the Gemara. “Imru lefanai malchuyot,” Hashem says, “say before me malchuyot, the section of proclaiming Hashem as king, kedei shetamlichuni aleichem, so that I should be your king.” Zichronot (Hashem's memory, so to speak): say Zichronot, which is Hashem's memory, so to speak; kedei sheya'aleh zichroneichem lefanai letova, so that your memories will come before me for good. So, u'vameh (and how?) Beshofar (with the shofar, a ritual horn). Somehow, that sentence that I just read to you is supposed to show how proclaiming Him as king, Zichronot—everything that He remembers—and the shofar intersect. Let me try to explain what I think it means, based on what we said.
Malchuyot is what Hashem is doing for us. It is how Hashem is here in our life. Zichronot is Hashem remembering what we are doing for Him, because Zichronot is Hashem remembering all the things that we, as a nation or as individuals, have ever done. Zichronot is Hashem remembering. Malchuyot is, “I know how you are here.” Zichronot is, “You know that we are there. You know that we're with you, we're paying attention to you, we're doing mitzvot (commandments) for you, we're acting for you.” That's what Zichronot is.
And how is this done, says the Gemara, Bameh? Beshofar. How is it done with the shofar? What does that mean? How is it done with the shofar? It means this: Everyone wants to know the reason for the shofar. Everybody tries to look for an answer to the question, “What am I supposed to think when the shofar is sounding?” The main thing you're supposed to think when the shofar is sounding—the main thing. There's a lot of other things. This main thing is not going to make you feel great. It's not going to be so easy. You're not going to say, “Oh wow, now I got it.” But this is the main thing. The main thing you're supposed to be thinking when the shofar is sounding is, “I am doing a mitzvah that Hashem commanded, and I don't understand why.” That's the main thing. The Rambam says the word: Shofar is gezerah hi milfanai. It's a decree from Hashem. Now, there are other explanations: it wakes us up, it makes us do teshuvah (repentance), and it makes us realize.
But the simple mitzvah of shofar is that I don't understand, because that's what creates the relationship between me and him. The relationship between me and Hashem is the fact that he is here without my understanding. He's here without it being clear. That's the relationship. The relationship is: Hashem, I know you're here. The relationship is: I am doing everything for you up there. How is that relationship happening? Like the shofar with no understanding. That's how I make Hashem as king. That's how my mitzvot are meaningful. How are my mitzvot powerful and Hashem king? When I do it without understanding, just knowing He's here.
And maybe that's why the Gemara says that when you sound the shofar, it also reminds us of the Akedah. Why do we have to remember the Akedah? The Akedah is the ultimate example of someone doing something for Hashem, knowing He's here, completely unclear. Abraham Avinu said, “I am going to slaughter my son, even though I was blessed by Hashem.” Abraham Avinu said, “I am going to slaughter my son, even though I was blessed by Hashem.” “Even though I was blessed by Hashem.” And this son is supposed to multiply. He's supposed to be the father of the Jewish people. Nothing makes any sense to me. But Hashem is here. Hashem told me to do it. I'm going to do it. So the shofar reminds us of the relationship between us and Hashem. And that relationship is His presence without clarity.