"A disease-ridden Jew, familiar with much suffering, once came to the Chofetz Chaim." These were the opening words of HaRav Nisan Goldberg.
He continued, "The Chofetz Chaim asked him how everything was with him.
'I must say that it could be a lot better,' the man replied.
'If things could be fine and good, wouldn't the Master of Goodness make life better?' the Chofetz Chaim observed. 'But the truth is that any present condition is truly the best for us.'
If we experienced a difficult year, a year of darkness, then that is what we needed. It was thus decreed to live through darkness and uncertainty, a year of dread and trembling, a year when we all saw in reality that Hashem is A-mighty, removed from any other power in the world.
Yes, it was a year of suffering with thousands of Jews dying, and thousands more living in fear, in the midst of war. But we also were privileged to see a beam of light shining out of the sea of blackness where the halls of Torah study were full of vibrant study, despite the economic trials of impoverished yeshivos due to attempts to strangle us financially.
True, it was a year of "and I will surely conceal My face from you."
And he continues:
The gemora in Rosh Hashonoh says that even if the entire year was one of Heavenly concealment, however, during these days preceding the final judgment, Hashem does not conceal His face from us but rather, looks upon us favorably. Amazingly, this is a period of closeness, of a show of love towards us.
And what is expected of us in this period preceding the Day of Judgment?
HaRav Goldberg: If we always experience a divisive curtain before us as we stand in prayer, on Rosh Hashonoh, Hashem hearkens to our cries immediately, without any barrier between us. "Hashem is near to those who call out to Him, to those who truly cry out."
One must pray with genuine focus in order to feel that 'there is none beside Him', for that is when He is truly close by. These are days of, "Seek Hashem when He is accessible, call out to Him when His presence is nigh." He is close, but we must seek Him with all our might, for that is when His presence can be felt.
Let me explain: We find ourselves in the last week of the year, a time of self examination, of taking stock. It is very common for people to be complacent and not to be afraid of the approaching Day of Judgment. As Dovid Hamelech said: "And I, in my self-satisfied state, believed that I would never flounder."
But if we remain serene, what will we do when and if 'You conceal Your face and I will be frightened?' ...as we witnessed this past year?
We must not forget that there is judgment on Rosh Hashonoh, which is not at all simple. Each and every one of us is responsible not only for himself, his parents, and his family, but for the entire body of Jewry.
In his work Derech Hashem, the Ramchal writes regarding the mitzva of Shema — that if we desire that all be well in the world, we must strive for a greater measure of increased awareness of Hashem's dominion in the world. The more we crown Hashem as our King on Rosh Hashonoh and during the rest of the year, the better will be the judgment for the entire world. If we do not toil to increase His kingship over us, it will harm the world.
Rosh Hashonoh is referred to 'Ori - my light', and we must make sure that we do not turn our head aside in equanimity, for then we will miss out on all the goodness He can provide and the great light which He radiates unto us and the world.
HaRav Avrohom Gurwitz, Rosh Yeshivas Gateshead, was wont to repeatedly say what we learned from the event of the Jews standing at the foothill of the mountains Grizim and Eival which was described in last week's parshah. At that time, the Leviim invoked the blessings upon Har Grizim and the curses upon Har Eival.
HaRav Shamshon Rafael Hirsch notes that Har Grizim is green with lush growth, a place conducive for growth and inhabitation, while Har Eival is dry, barren and bare of human habitation. One sees the two mountains, standing side by side, of equal height. Each receive equal amounts of rainfall, but one is fertile and the other is barren.
This all depends on a capacity of absorption. The earth on Har Grizim is fertile which enables it to benefit and flourish from the rain while the ground on Har Eival is rocky and cannot absorb the rain; the earth there will forever be hard and dry.
We must extrapolate this to the time of Rosh Hashonoh and indeed, the entire coming year depends on our preparing ourselves in anticipation during the period preceding it.
Perhaps you can talk about tefillah on Rosh Hashanah?
HaRav Goldberg: Our tefillah is very central on Rosh Hashanah. The gemora in Brochos writes, "Olam Habo is not like Olam Hazeh. In Olam Habo there is no eating and drinking, no being fruitful, no business, no jealousy, no hatred, no competition. Rather the tzadikim sit with their crowns on their heads and enjoy the aura of the Shechina."
What crown do the tzadikim have on their heads?
The Baal Haturim on parshas Ki Sovo writes, "What Yisrael praise Hashem is glory for him (tiferes). And this is what it means when it says that HaKodosh Boruch Hu will put a garland on the head of each tzaddik. In other words, the garland that people put on HaKodosh Boruch Hu, as it were, with their tefillah, is returned to them..."
Since the central idea of the tefillah on Rosh Hashanah is to coronate HaKodosh Boruch Hu, in the future Hashem will take each person's tefillah and put it as a crown on his head. This is amazing.
