The central theme of Rosh Hashanah is Malchiyos, royalty or kingship. But what exactly is wanted of us in this definition? Surely, as we recite daily in Adon Olam, Hashem was king before there was a world and will still be king when there is none. What role can we possibly play in this grand scheme?
Chazal (Rosh Hashanah 16a) give the answer: “Say [the words] of Malchiyos so that I will rule over you.”
Although these words are soothing and comforting, since they allow us to somehow play a part in Hashem’s coronation, how do we do so?
One answer has been attributed to a distinction made by the Gaon of Vilna. The posuk (Tehillim 22:29) tells us, “For melucha (kingship) belongs to Hashem umoshel (and He rules) the nations. The Gra explains that “a moshel is one who rules by force, such as a despot or dictator, but a melech rules by acclimation. He has been accepted and crowned by the people.” Indeed, this is our role in Hashem’s malchus. We fully accept his kingship and submit to His authority. However, the obvious question is that we do this several times each day when we are mekabel ohl Malchus Shomayim. When we perform the mitzvah de’Oraisa of reciting Krias Shema at least three times a day, we have already accepted Hashem as our king. So what do we do any differently on Rosh Hashanah? The surprising, frightening but uplifting answer is that we officiate at His coronation.
But, again, what does it mean for all of us?
The answer is that each and every time that we give everything up for Hashem, we have placed the divine crown on His head. This can take on many forms, not just, G-d forbid, when a Jew dies al kiddush Hashem. As the Heavenly maggid told Rav Yosef Karo, “Since you have lived al kiddush Hashem, you will not have to die al kiddush Hashem.” On Rosh Hashanah, when we stand in judgment before our Maker, He knows whether or not our decisions, aspirations and goals are based upon Hashem’s glory or what we think is best for ourselves. That is what it means to be a subject to a king, especially the King of kings. Let us listen to the sagas of several people who merited not just saying Malchiyos, but placed doing the divine will before their own requirements.
One of the roshei yeshiva of Yeshivas Derech Chaim, Rav Goel Yochanan Elkarif, related the story of a young Bais Yaakov girl who was hoping to earn a high enough salary to support a worthy kollel yungerman when the time was right. She therefore studied to enter the field of tax consultant. She usually did very well on her tests, and studied hard for the test in this field, but did not do well. She was nervous, tired and passed, but was worried that she didn’t score well enough to get a good job. After receiving her score, she began to cry, continuing to sob as she sat on the bus going home. She thought to herself, “Why, Ribono Shel Olam, did this happen to me? All I wanted was to support someone who will learn for many years and build a bayis ne’eman b’Yisroel.” Still teary-eyed, she took out her Tehillim and began to daven.
A kindly stranger asked her what was wrong, saying that it is good to share one’s troubles with someone else. She told her tale of woe, but the stranger first asked, “Well, then, if the test is over, why are you still saying Tehillim?” The girl’s answer is what interests us today. She responded, “I am telling Hashem, ‘Ribono Shel Olam, I don’t understand why you did this to me, but I know that whatever You do is for my best. I am saying Tehillim to ask You to help me now.”
The woman looked at her now with new eyes. “Listen to me,” she began. “I am an assistant director general in a big tax firm. This time of year, we are always looking for new talent. You have impressed greatly with your faith and seriousness. Here is my telephone number and address. I cannot guarantee anything, but please come tomorrow for an interview.”
She got the job, found a wonderful shidduch, and is raising a beautiful Torah family. Had she passed the test and not cried on the bus, who knows what would have happened? But her disappointment and acceptance of Hashem’s decisions led to success and a new life. She fulfilled subjugating oneself to the Melech, which leads to brocha and happiness.
A rosh kollel in Eretz Yisroel was having difficulty raising the necessary funds and was advised to travel to Brazil, where there were wealthy Jews. He protested that he had no connections there, but finally went, saying Tehillim during the entire journey. The area where he was to visit was considered dangerous at night, so he had limited time to complete his mission, but he trusted in Hashem that something good would happen. Luckily, there was a kindly Jew who had rooms in his home designated for such visitors. He unpacked his bags and began making “cold calls.” Before he could even complete a call, the phone rang. He picked up the phone and a deep voice announced cryptically, “I promised to get back to you and here I am.”
It turned out that the last rosh kollel who had stayed at the hachnosas orchim house had placed a call to a potential donor, made his case, but could not schedule an appointment. Now he was calling back, but that visitor had already left and no one knew where to reach him. Now our friend introduced himself, made his case, and the philanthropist at the other end said, “Please do come right over. I have just made some money and am prepared to give you the maaser.” Since the rosh kollel had placed himself completely in the hands of the King, he had fulfilled his obligation of Malchiyos and Hashem sent everything he needed to support the kollel for a long time.
We will recite in the Rosh Hashanah davening, “Hashem, may You reign over the entire world in Your glory.” The Taz asks: Why the seemingly redundant words “kol ha’olam kulo”? The Taz answers along the lines of the Gra that we want Hashem to reign over the entire world, both Jew and gentile. This is learned from the words melucha and moshel. However, we are also praying that we should have the understanding to submit to Hashem’s will even when things do not seem to be going our way. The Chofetz Chaim uses this concept to explain the posuk (Tehillim 23:60) which states, “May only goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life.” He asks: Why would these wonderful traits have to pursue a person? Why was he running away from these gifts? The Chofetz Chaim answers that often, we don’t realize what is for our benefit. That is why Nochum Ish Gam Zu taught that we should always say, “This, too, is for the best,” and Rabi Akiva said, “Whatever Hashem does is for the best.” However, we sadly don’t appreciate that Hashem is actually giving us something that we will cherish and we complain or at least run away. But Hashem is so kind that He chases after us to bestow what we need and for which we will eventually be grateful.”
Accepting the King’s will and becoming His subject can be an everyday project, but the time to undertake this commitment is our birthday as human beings, Rosh Hashanah. This is the day to focus on Malchiyos, when we accept that Hashem knows what is best for us and we, as His loyal subjects, thank Him for everything. Our role to play as Yidden in Hashem’s world is be mekabel everything He does because He is not a moshel over us, but a kind, loving and benevolent King. Like the Mechaber who lived al kiddush Hashem, like the Bais Yaakov girl, we must recognize that whether or not we understand at any given moment what Hashem is doing for us, it is all a gift for which we must be grateful. Like the rosh kollel, we must accept that even if we didn’t make the phone call, Hashem will call us when He deems it the right time.
If we don’t just recite Malchiyos, but live the pesukim, we will surely earn the response we seek from our Creator and King. At this difficult time in our history, we can only listen in awe to those who have lost children and husbands in Gaza, and hostages and family who were slaughtered brutally and savagely, yet declare their allegiance and love for Hashem our King. May we soon be able to thank Hashem for the open and obvious gifts that He gives us for a new year with a kesivah vachasimah tovah to all.
