Our Parsha notes:
"And Aaron did so, toward the face of the Menorah he kindled the lamps, as Hashem had commanded Moshe." (Sefer Bamidbar, Perek
8, posuk 3 translation as rendered in the Artscroll Chumash, page 775)
Many commentators including Rashi and the S'fas Emes, as cited by by R' Zelig Pliskin in "Growth Through Torah", note that this posuk
expresses the epitomization of the enthusiasm and constancy of Aaron HaKohen's Service in the Mishkan as a paradigm for B'nai Yisrael
to emulate.
R' Pliskin writes (Sefer "Growth Through Torah", Parsha Beha’aloscha, page 318):
Rashi comments: "This is to tell the praise of Aaron that he did not change."
The S'fas Emes explained that usually when a person starts something new, he feels very enthusiastic about what he is doing. He is
excited about the good he is doing and feels very motivated. But after some time passes the enthusiasm and excitement get lost. This
is the praise of Aaron. Every time he lit the lamp in the Tabernacle [Mishkan], he did so with the same enthusiasm as on the first day.
So, what does Aaron Hakohen's enthusiasm and constancy have to do with Aleinu?
Well, as if it weren't enough that we blow through P'sukei d'Zimra and that the Sh'liach b'Tzibbor's repetition of Shemona Esrei ranges between the speed of Kentucky Derby winner "Carry Back" and a 100-plus mph Aroldis Chapman fastball, by the time we get to Aleinu, most blow through it in a mad rush out of shul. It seems as if Aleinu is but an after-thought to most. If it weren't for Kaddish afterwards, gang-way for the stampede!
Not exactly the personification of the paradigm of Aaron HaKohen's enthusiasm and constancy. This mad dash sounds more like what R' Pliskin subsequently writes on the above posuk (ibid - Sefer "Growth Through Torah", Parsha Beha’aloscha, page 318):
...After doing the same thing over and over, people get bored... In order to accomplish anything, one needs to master the ability of
sustaining enthusiasm.... as if it were the first time.
Aleinu L’Shabeiyach: The verbalization of OUR Chiyuv — it's our obligation as Jews to praise and glorify Hashem’s name. Aleinu is the
most often said, the most repetitious and unchangeable, yet the most under-rated, least respected, but perhaps most of all of our daily
tefillot.
No one even bothers to take the time, when vocalizing the tefillah, to even focus on the meanings of it: that Yehoshua davened it
forwards, backwards, sideways through as the Jews encircled Yericho and the Shofars blew until Yericho’s walls fell in heaps.
A Shliach Tzibbor was recently timed at less than 30 seconds.
Rabbi Ari Enkin makes this compelling statement regarding Aleinu in his Halacha Sefer (”Daled Amos” pge 24):
I have heard interpretations that the entire prayer service is simply one gigantic preparation for the recitation of Aleinu.
Rabbi Enkin then includes a reference footnote to the Mishne Berura 132:8A where the Rama tells us:
Say “Aleinu L’Shabeiyach” while standing after tefillah and be careful to daven it with kavanah.
From where and from whom did the impetus for Rabbi Enkin’s compelling statement come? R’Shimshon Pincus, who asks a startling
question in his well-known and oft-referenced sefer on Tefillah; Nefesh Shimshon, as well as other sources, provide jaw-dropping citings,
some of which are para-phrased here give clues to back Rabbi Enkin’s compelling statement:
1/ R’ Pincus cites a responsa of the Gaonim from sometime between 500 to 1,000 CE where someone asks: How is it possible that
Aleinu is said in Chutz L’Aretz? Such a high-level tefillah shouldn’t be permitted to be davened except in a place close to Hashem,
Yehoshua only davened Aleinu upon entering Eretz Yisrael.
From this question, we see the specialness of Aleinu — that on no other tefillah is such a question asked. There must be something
great, mighty and elevated in Aleinu which can’t be appreciated in any other locale.
2/ R’Pincus cites the Gry’z Z’l as noting that the whole power of the Yetzer Hora and its troops on the human mind is through the
imagination, convincing man that he (man) is in control.
If only man would say with vigor and strength that… [all that the Yetzer Hora has convinced man of man’s control of] are Hevel V’rik —
vanity and emptiness and that there is nothing real in them, he (man) would then find it easier to recognize that… Hashem Keilokim —
that there is nothing else.
Afterwards, Satan would not have power to mess with man’s mind because man realizes that everything is
dependent upon Him. R’Pincus brings as Aleinu’s purpose that it reinforces the feeling of the Jew, as he leaves tefillot, that he is totally
dependent upon Hashem.
3/ Another Sefer, L’David Shiur by Asher Elbaz seems to answer R’Pincus’ citing from Gaonim responsa citing R’Hai Gaon which
indicates that by those in Chutz L’Aretz aiming their tefillahs toward Israel and toward the Beit HaMikdash, the Jewish world’s tefillahs
rise to Shemayim from the Mikdash.
4/ Sefer L’David Shiur cites the Rokeach who notes that Yehoshua Ben Nun repeated Aleinu on his knees in awe and in a loud voice in a
tune which makes the heart rejoice. Therefore, a person should have kavanah to sing Aleinu with all of his might to his Creator.
5/ Sefer L’David Shiur cites the Chida which says to say Aleinu word-by-word [seeming obvious to not slur or mumble-jumble them]
because it is a very awesome praise full of very high secrets.
6/ L’David Shiur also cites the M’Chazik Bracha (Koof, Lamed, Bet) which indicates that there is no other praise to our Creator like Aleinu
and that it is higher than all of the praises in the world.
But, yet we have the unmitigated gall to blow through Aleinu and then flee out of Shul three times a day, like kids running from school lest
they be piled with more lessons and homework? Indeed! People don't seem to realize, or they seem to discount, that Aleinu is an
integral part of Our Service -- Our individual and collective Divine Service. It's Our chance to emulate Aaron HaKohen.
And when someone questions why or how it is possible to give such short shrift to Aleinu, the responses seem with defensiveness,
invoking oft-overused expression: "ti'erka b'tzibbor", and with rationalization about how they have to get to work, drive the kids to Gan or to
Yeshiva Ketanah, etc. -- as they run out of Shul like a bunch of scared rabbits, afraid of their shadows, in dread fear of being fired, or of
being yelled at by their spouse, etc. instead of acting like men.
But whose time is it anyway?? And if Hashem controls all, might it then stand to reason that, if they took a little more time -- if the
Shaliach Tzibbor slowed down and properly pronounced the repetition of Shemonah Essrei and didn't rush through Aleinu, to get to the
Kaddish afterwards, so that everyone could then flock out of Shul like a buffalo herd, that Hashem would then bring a reconfiguration to
our day such that the extra time wouldn't make kids late for school, wouldn't make adults late for their jobs, that all of their work would
get done on time and that noone would fear for their jobs??
Or, if things didn't happen precisely that way, that what did happen would show for the best anyway?