What does a new year mean to most of the people in the world?
"Celebrating" with eating and drinking and wild abandon. Have
a blast in honor of the new year.
Needless to say, for the Jewish people a new year is an
entirely different experience. Though it is a yom tov and we
mark it also with a festive meal, yet it is also an awesome
day of judgment, in which all creation is evaluated and the
fate of the world as a whole and all its individual parts is
decided. At the same time, we focus on praying that Hashem's
kingship of the world become evident to the whole world,
accepting His rule upon ourselves and praying that its truth
will overwhelm the rest of the world as well.
Certainly these two themes emphasize each other. As we review
our deeds and are aware of the heavenly judgment that is
taking place, it makes us more aware of the fact that Hashem
is King over us and over the universe, and at the same time it
makes His rule more evident in ourselves.
Umalchuso bakol mosholoh -- His Kingdom rules all.
Whether we introspect and weigh the propriety and correctness
of our deepest thoughts, whether we think back about how we
have dealt with our parents, our spouses, our siblings,
whether we review how we have treated the most exalted people
we come in contact with or the lowliest menial workers -- all
come within the purview of Hashem's teachings to us and all
must reflect the fact that we are His subjects and that we
conduct ourselves according to the way He wants us to
behave.
Both someone who takes a penny that is not rightfully his and
someone who takes millions, is limiting malchus
Shomayim.
No detail is too small, no hiding place too obscure, no
creature too insignificant, to reflect the influence of
Hashem Yisborach at all times.
Whatever we can do to correct something, in ourselves or in
the world around us, is another step -- large or small --
towards the time when Hashem will be King of all the world.
So profound is this principle, that we cannot always
accurately determine what is, from Hashem's perspective,
important or trivial. Not only is Hashem concerned with what
we might see as insignificant, but He may value that "small"
detail more than something else that appears to our eyes to be
much more important. There are small things that we trample
underfoot, but they really stand at the highest point of the
world.
We must do our best to fulfill all of the Torah, without
exception, and to evaluate and improve ourselves in everything
that we do.
So, when we ask, "meloch al kol ho'olom kulo
bichvodecho," in order to do our part to make this a
reality we must reflect, repent and resolve to mend our ways.
Then we will surely merit a kesiva vechasimah tova.
