The first thing that comes to mind when we say Rosh Hashana is the Shofar. Our Sages explain that the blowing of the Shofar resembles the coronation ceremony of a human king where trumpets were blown.
This year, the first day of Rosh Hashana will be on Shabbat. According to the Torah, there is no difference between Rosh Hashana on a weekday or on Shabbat with regard to Shofar blowing. Nonetheless, the rabbis decided that when Rosh Hashana falls on a Shabbat, Shofar blowing is canceled. This is to prevent a situation where one may decide to carry his Shofar out into the street so his teacher could show him how to blow. As carrying an object four feet in a public domain is a desecration of Shabbat, the law was changed in order to prevent the people from sinning. The only place where this new decree did not apply was in the Holy Temple in Yerushalayim, where even on Shabbat the Shofar was sounded.
It is known that when the rabbis pushed off a divine commandment, there was certain to be a profound explanation for the added restrictions. Considering this, we can assume that the reason we don't blow Shofar on a Shabbat Rosh Hashana is because, in actuality, there is no need to do so.
When we blow the Shofar, we crown Hashem as King of the universe. When Hashem sees that His people want Him, He begins to enjoy His creations, causing Him to ?want? to be King for another year. On Shabbat, the entire universe is on a higher spiritual level, where Hashem's pleasure in His creation already exists. Therefore, there is no need to arouse this pre-existing feeling with the Shofar.
Although the world was created on the 25th day of Elul, we celebrate Rosh Hashana on the birthday of mankind, who was created on the sixth day.
Initially Hashem created the world out of his good-hearted ?nature?. After man was created, Hashem set up a system in which the world's existence depends on our acceptance of His Kingship. In theory, this would mean that if on this Rosh Hashanah the Shofar would not be blown and prayers not said, the world would cease to exist.
Based on this idea, the following question comes to light: If man's involvement is so crucial in the process of crowning Hashem for another year, then how could it be possible that when Rosh Hashana falls on a Shabbat, we do not blow Shofar?
We must therefore conclude that not blowing Shofar on Shabbat is different from not blowing the Shofar on any other day of the year. It is a divine service, which is fulfilled by lack of action.
What is the purpose of the Shofar?
As mentioned earlier, blowing the Shofar confirms that we want to renew our relationship with Hashem as our King. We do so by accepting the yoke of Heaven. In other words, we submit ourselves to Hashem. We focus completely on Him and, in result, nullify our own ego.
Man was brought down into this world to labor, as is written, ?Six days you shall work.? On the seventh day, however, man was commanded to rest. We cannot assume that Shabbat is merely a day of rest; it is also a holy day, when the entire creation is elevated to a higher spiritual level. On this day, we simply are not capable of work. This experience is similar to the overwhelming feeling a servant has when he walks into the king's inner chamber. He becomes paralyzed with awe. In the same manner, the G-dly presence felt on Shabbat affects us intensely, resulting in a paralyzing fear that does not allow us to work. Nonetheless, this self-nullification is still not enough for Rosh Hashana, because we are required to blow the Shofar as well. We therefore can conclude that when Rosh Hashana falls on Shabbat, we receive a double dose of this self-nullification.
To understand the difference between Shabbat and Rosh Hashana, we must familiarize ourselves with what the Torah tells us about the first time these days occurred.
The very first Rosh Hashana was on the sixth day of creation, the day Adam was made. The first Shabbat was a few hours later. As soon as Adam was created, he gathered the entire creation together and said: (Psalm 95) ?Come! .... Let us let us kneel before our maker.? This is a reference to the Rosh Hashana service. Then, Adam crowned Hashem as King of the world when he had every creature submit itself to Hashem.
But this wasn't a total self-nullification because a) Adam had given the creations a reason why they should submit themselves (He is our maker) and b) there was a concrete action involved in showing this respect to a higher force; the act of kneeling. We can compare this to a slave who works day and night for his master. Although he is totally committed to his boss, he still maintains his own unique personality. His submission comes out of understanding that he receives all he needs from his master.
Then Shabbat arrived with its paralyzing revelations and Adam wasn't even able to bow down.
When man stands before his maker, he does not feel like the slave who works for his master. As a matter of fact, he does not feel himself at all. Instead, he realizes that the king is everything and, in essence, he, the servant, is nothing.
Now we can understand why on a Rosh Hashana that falls on Shabbat, we do not blow Shofar.
Blowing the Shofar is reminiscent of the kneeling of Adam. It expresses the willingness of the people to accept Hashem. However, it is merely a voluntary submission, which comes when we realize that we receive all our needs from G-d. We are still aware of our own personalities, yet we want to give ourselves over to a higher force. On Shabbat, however, we reach a much higher level, and experience Hashem's greatness, which does not allow us to feel ourselves. Therefore, we are not able to blow Shofar. In other words, by not blowing on Shabbat Rosh Hashana there is not just a lack of this part of the service, but the Rosh Hashana service is on a more intense level.
The source of this difference is rooted in the different spiritual levels that sustain the world. G-d is omnipresent (= is everywhere). Since he is omnipotent (= all powerful), too, He created a system in which man is made to feel as if there is something besides for Him. The lowest level of that system is our physical world. This world is constantly being sustained by a G-dly power designed so that we would not realize it. When Torah says that Hashem created the world in six days, it means that, at that time, only the concealed G-dly power was active ?down here?, allowing for an independent feeling of physical existence. For this reason, we work six days a week on our surrounding environment and ourselves, in order to bring out the hidden G-dliness within everything we see. On the seventh day, when Hashem stopped working, the world becomes elevated to a higher spiritual plane, where a more revealed G-dly energy sustains the world. On this day there is no need for ?work? - i.e., the transformation of the mundane to the holy - because everything is already permeated with the realization that Hashem created it.
[This is not only theory. The Halacha is that someone who is not careful in certain areas of purity of food, (which doesn't apply these days) can not be trusted on his word that a certain item is still pure. However, on Shabbat he is trusted, for on that day he is not able to lie.]
To summarize:
On weekdays, we can feel ourselves, because the world is being sustained by a concealed G-dly force.
Therefore,
* We have to deal with worldly matters;
* On Rosh Hashana, we have to use a Shofar to show that we accept Hashem as King, although we still consider ourselves independent beings.
On Shabbat there is a revealed G-dly force that does not allow us to feel our own existence.
Therefore,
* We can't work on Shabbat;
* On Rosh Hashana Shabbat we can't blow Shofar.
Based on this, we can ask a powerful question. Why in the Temple was the Shofar blown even on Shabbat?
It would seem that in such a holy place, Hashem's presence would be felt stronger than anywhere else. Such a strong, palpable G-dly presence would suggest that even on a weekday Rosh Hashana, one would not be able to blow Shofar there. Yet, we see that on the contrary, even on Shabbat we blow Shofar there.
If someone were to say of some idea, ?This is such a profound wisdom, it's too heavy for me to pick up,? we would laugh at him. Wisdom is not measured in terms of weight. The term ?heavy? does not apply to wisdom. Hashem, in essence, has nothing to do with any physical or spiritual levels. When we speak about a level of Divine energy where a physical world cannot exist, there is still mention of a thing called ?world?; it just doesn't actually exist there. When we speak about Hashem the way He is in essence, wherein He is truly omnipresent, the mere mention of anything but Him is laughable.
On weekdays, we are.
On Shabbat, we are not.
In the holy Temple, we are not even not.
In the Temple, nature and higher-than-nature blended. Space and beyond space was mixed. Time and above time came together. Therefore, there was no need to point out the lack of an independent identity of the world, because the term ?world? didn't apply there.
On a weekday, we submit ourselves like a slave. On Shabbat we cannot move because we are too overwhelmed by the King?s presence. In the Temple, where nothing but Hashem exists, we are the King. The blowing of the Shofar there is not the submission of an independently existing being to a higher force; it is an automatic action. It is as if the King moves his finger.
The Torah can be looked at in two different ways. In general, when we speak about the Torah, we think of the hora'ot, the teachings, we can learn from it. More specifically, the 613 mitzvot. There is, however, an essential difference between the mitzvot and the Torah. The mitzvot, as well as all the other lessons we learn from the Torah, are addressed to us, the people. There is, however, another dimension to Torah, which is the Torah the way it is as Hashem's wisdom. As such, it does not depend on the existence of a world or a Jewish people. As our sages explain: parents were created because there is a mitzvah to honor them; we do not honor them because they exist. These two dimensions in Torah explain why we don't blow the Shofar on Shabbat, but in the Beit Hamikdash they did.
When we look at the mitzvah of Shofar, we take the world and ourselves into consideration. Therefore, on weekdays, when there ?is? a world, we blow. On Shabbat, when there is ?no? world, we don't. When we speak about the level where there is no possibility for a physical world, we only look at the Torah as Hashem's wisdom. Since the Torah speaks about a Shofar being blown on Rosh Hashana, this must happen. As a result, Hashem created a world so that there would be Jewish people who would blow the Shofar. This world is, in essence, only an expression of G-d's will and not an independent existence.
This also explains why on Shabbat Rosh Hashana we do not skip the prayers that deal with the Shofar, even though we don't blow it. By mentioning the Shofar the way it is mentioned in the Torah, it is as if we have actually blown the Shofar the way they did in the Temple.
May we all be inscribed for a good year and may we merit hearing the Shofar this year in the Beit Hamikdash with the coming of Moshiach, now!
This year, the first day of Rosh Hashana will be on Shabbat. According to the Torah, there is no difference between Rosh Hashana on a weekday or on Shabbat with regard to Shofar blowing. Nonetheless, the rabbis decided that when Rosh Hashana falls on a Shabbat, Shofar blowing is canceled. This is to prevent a situation where one may decide to carry his Shofar out into the street so his teacher could show him how to blow. As carrying an object four feet in a public domain is a desecration of Shabbat, the law was changed in order to prevent the people from sinning. The only place where this new decree did not apply was in the Holy Temple in Yerushalayim, where even on Shabbat the Shofar was sounded.
It is known that when the rabbis pushed off a divine commandment, there was certain to be a profound explanation for the added restrictions. Considering this, we can assume that the reason we don't blow Shofar on a Shabbat Rosh Hashana is because, in actuality, there is no need to do so.
When we blow the Shofar, we crown Hashem as King of the universe. When Hashem sees that His people want Him, He begins to enjoy His creations, causing Him to ?want? to be King for another year. On Shabbat, the entire universe is on a higher spiritual level, where Hashem's pleasure in His creation already exists. Therefore, there is no need to arouse this pre-existing feeling with the Shofar.
Although the world was created on the 25th day of Elul, we celebrate Rosh Hashana on the birthday of mankind, who was created on the sixth day.
Initially Hashem created the world out of his good-hearted ?nature?. After man was created, Hashem set up a system in which the world's existence depends on our acceptance of His Kingship. In theory, this would mean that if on this Rosh Hashanah the Shofar would not be blown and prayers not said, the world would cease to exist.
Based on this idea, the following question comes to light: If man's involvement is so crucial in the process of crowning Hashem for another year, then how could it be possible that when Rosh Hashana falls on a Shabbat, we do not blow Shofar?
We must therefore conclude that not blowing Shofar on Shabbat is different from not blowing the Shofar on any other day of the year. It is a divine service, which is fulfilled by lack of action.
What is the purpose of the Shofar?
As mentioned earlier, blowing the Shofar confirms that we want to renew our relationship with Hashem as our King. We do so by accepting the yoke of Heaven. In other words, we submit ourselves to Hashem. We focus completely on Him and, in result, nullify our own ego.
Man was brought down into this world to labor, as is written, ?Six days you shall work.? On the seventh day, however, man was commanded to rest. We cannot assume that Shabbat is merely a day of rest; it is also a holy day, when the entire creation is elevated to a higher spiritual level. On this day, we simply are not capable of work. This experience is similar to the overwhelming feeling a servant has when he walks into the king's inner chamber. He becomes paralyzed with awe. In the same manner, the G-dly presence felt on Shabbat affects us intensely, resulting in a paralyzing fear that does not allow us to work. Nonetheless, this self-nullification is still not enough for Rosh Hashana, because we are required to blow the Shofar as well. We therefore can conclude that when Rosh Hashana falls on Shabbat, we receive a double dose of this self-nullification.
To understand the difference between Shabbat and Rosh Hashana, we must familiarize ourselves with what the Torah tells us about the first time these days occurred.
The very first Rosh Hashana was on the sixth day of creation, the day Adam was made. The first Shabbat was a few hours later. As soon as Adam was created, he gathered the entire creation together and said: (Psalm 95) ?Come! .... Let us let us kneel before our maker.? This is a reference to the Rosh Hashana service. Then, Adam crowned Hashem as King of the world when he had every creature submit itself to Hashem.
But this wasn't a total self-nullification because a) Adam had given the creations a reason why they should submit themselves (He is our maker) and b) there was a concrete action involved in showing this respect to a higher force; the act of kneeling. We can compare this to a slave who works day and night for his master. Although he is totally committed to his boss, he still maintains his own unique personality. His submission comes out of understanding that he receives all he needs from his master.
Then Shabbat arrived with its paralyzing revelations and Adam wasn't even able to bow down.
When man stands before his maker, he does not feel like the slave who works for his master. As a matter of fact, he does not feel himself at all. Instead, he realizes that the king is everything and, in essence, he, the servant, is nothing.
Now we can understand why on a Rosh Hashana that falls on Shabbat, we do not blow Shofar.
Blowing the Shofar is reminiscent of the kneeling of Adam. It expresses the willingness of the people to accept Hashem. However, it is merely a voluntary submission, which comes when we realize that we receive all our needs from G-d. We are still aware of our own personalities, yet we want to give ourselves over to a higher force. On Shabbat, however, we reach a much higher level, and experience Hashem's greatness, which does not allow us to feel ourselves. Therefore, we are not able to blow Shofar. In other words, by not blowing on Shabbat Rosh Hashana there is not just a lack of this part of the service, but the Rosh Hashana service is on a more intense level.
The source of this difference is rooted in the different spiritual levels that sustain the world. G-d is omnipresent (= is everywhere). Since he is omnipotent (= all powerful), too, He created a system in which man is made to feel as if there is something besides for Him. The lowest level of that system is our physical world. This world is constantly being sustained by a G-dly power designed so that we would not realize it. When Torah says that Hashem created the world in six days, it means that, at that time, only the concealed G-dly power was active ?down here?, allowing for an independent feeling of physical existence. For this reason, we work six days a week on our surrounding environment and ourselves, in order to bring out the hidden G-dliness within everything we see. On the seventh day, when Hashem stopped working, the world becomes elevated to a higher spiritual plane, where a more revealed G-dly energy sustains the world. On this day there is no need for ?work? - i.e., the transformation of the mundane to the holy - because everything is already permeated with the realization that Hashem created it.
[This is not only theory. The Halacha is that someone who is not careful in certain areas of purity of food, (which doesn't apply these days) can not be trusted on his word that a certain item is still pure. However, on Shabbat he is trusted, for on that day he is not able to lie.]
To summarize:
On weekdays, we can feel ourselves, because the world is being sustained by a concealed G-dly force.
Therefore,
* We have to deal with worldly matters;
* On Rosh Hashana, we have to use a Shofar to show that we accept Hashem as King, although we still consider ourselves independent beings.
On Shabbat there is a revealed G-dly force that does not allow us to feel our own existence.
Therefore,
* We can't work on Shabbat;
* On Rosh Hashana Shabbat we can't blow Shofar.
Based on this, we can ask a powerful question. Why in the Temple was the Shofar blown even on Shabbat?
It would seem that in such a holy place, Hashem's presence would be felt stronger than anywhere else. Such a strong, palpable G-dly presence would suggest that even on a weekday Rosh Hashana, one would not be able to blow Shofar there. Yet, we see that on the contrary, even on Shabbat we blow Shofar there.
If someone were to say of some idea, ?This is such a profound wisdom, it's too heavy for me to pick up,? we would laugh at him. Wisdom is not measured in terms of weight. The term ?heavy? does not apply to wisdom. Hashem, in essence, has nothing to do with any physical or spiritual levels. When we speak about a level of Divine energy where a physical world cannot exist, there is still mention of a thing called ?world?; it just doesn't actually exist there. When we speak about Hashem the way He is in essence, wherein He is truly omnipresent, the mere mention of anything but Him is laughable.
On weekdays, we are.
On Shabbat, we are not.
In the holy Temple, we are not even not.
In the Temple, nature and higher-than-nature blended. Space and beyond space was mixed. Time and above time came together. Therefore, there was no need to point out the lack of an independent identity of the world, because the term ?world? didn't apply there.
On a weekday, we submit ourselves like a slave. On Shabbat we cannot move because we are too overwhelmed by the King?s presence. In the Temple, where nothing but Hashem exists, we are the King. The blowing of the Shofar there is not the submission of an independently existing being to a higher force; it is an automatic action. It is as if the King moves his finger.
The Torah can be looked at in two different ways. In general, when we speak about the Torah, we think of the hora'ot, the teachings, we can learn from it. More specifically, the 613 mitzvot. There is, however, an essential difference between the mitzvot and the Torah. The mitzvot, as well as all the other lessons we learn from the Torah, are addressed to us, the people. There is, however, another dimension to Torah, which is the Torah the way it is as Hashem's wisdom. As such, it does not depend on the existence of a world or a Jewish people. As our sages explain: parents were created because there is a mitzvah to honor them; we do not honor them because they exist. These two dimensions in Torah explain why we don't blow the Shofar on Shabbat, but in the Beit Hamikdash they did.
When we look at the mitzvah of Shofar, we take the world and ourselves into consideration. Therefore, on weekdays, when there ?is? a world, we blow. On Shabbat, when there is ?no? world, we don't. When we speak about the level where there is no possibility for a physical world, we only look at the Torah as Hashem's wisdom. Since the Torah speaks about a Shofar being blown on Rosh Hashana, this must happen. As a result, Hashem created a world so that there would be Jewish people who would blow the Shofar. This world is, in essence, only an expression of G-d's will and not an independent existence.
This also explains why on Shabbat Rosh Hashana we do not skip the prayers that deal with the Shofar, even though we don't blow it. By mentioning the Shofar the way it is mentioned in the Torah, it is as if we have actually blown the Shofar the way they did in the Temple.
May we all be inscribed for a good year and may we merit hearing the Shofar this year in the Beit Hamikdash with the coming of Moshiach, now!