Saturday, August 29, 2015

Where is Rosh Hashana?

In his Sefer אשיחה בחוקיך, Rav Avraham Zvi Kluger points out the many hidden aspects of Rosh Hashana. Within the Torah itself, the purpose of the holiday is absent. The Mitzvah of Shofar must be pieced together from several source. Indeed this is not the only area in which the concept of proclaiming a king is somewhat ambiguous in the Torah. The Mitzvah of appointing a king is not clearly explained, and one of the main functions of the king, namely the building of the Bais HaMikodosh, is poorly explained as well.
He explains that this is because it is necessary for a person to decide on his own to choose God as King, and it is not something that can be commanded. The same is true for the choosing of a human king, as well as the Temple.
There are those who understand that belief in God is not a Mitzvah. They explain that until someone understands that God created existence and remains intimately involved with its continued existence, one cannot be commanded to believe, that is precisely the issue, who commanded us? First one must choose to believe, then he can be commanded.
A מלך, Melech, king indicates a ruler who is accepted upon the people of their own volition. He is not someone who is forced upon the people. One Rosh Hashana when God asks us to make him Melech he is asking us to come to a point of being willing to accept him of our own volition and not as a result of force.
It is for this reason that the aspect of Rosh Hashana as the day to accept Hashem as King is hidden in the Torah. It cannot, by definition, be commanded. If it was commanded it would be lacking the main goal as it would not be emanating from our free will.