There are a number of paragraphs added to the third blessing of the Amidah for Rosh Hashanah, beginning with ובכן תן פחדך — And so, too, bestow Your fear, devoted to the subject of Hashem’s kingship and sovereignty over the world. Indeed, for the next ten days, this blessing will conclude with the words המלך הקדוש — The Holy King.
Our Honor or His?
In light of this, it is interesting to take note of the second paragraph where we ask ובכן תן כבוד לעמך — and so, too, give honor to Your people. Does this request not constitute a departure from the theme of Hashem’s kingship?
The commentaries explain that in reality, the honor of the Jewish People and Hashem’s kingship are intimately bound up with one another. The ultimate success and perfection of humankind comes from people recognizing Hashem as their Creator and living their lives in accordance with His will. The most tangible basis for recognizing Hashem in the world is the success and well-being of His people Israel. When we thrive, the nations of the world see that there is a God and that He is involved with the world. When we suffer, they take this as an indication that He is distant. Thus the verse states in Hallel:[1]
Not for our sake, Hashem, rather, give honor to Your name… Why should the nations say, “Where is your God?”
It is with this in mind that we request of Hashem on numerous occasions over the course of these days, עשה למען שמך — Act for the sake of Your name. With these words we are saying that through our well-being, awareness of Hashem’s name will be promoted and increased, and that is of ultimate benefit for the Divine plan for the world. This connection is expressed even more explicitly in words that we say during the Selichos prayers: בנו נקרא שמך ה’ עשה למען שמך — Your name is called through us, Hashem act for the sake of Your name.
This idea represents the full expression what it means for us to be “Hashem’s people.” Thus, within the context of our plea for awareness of Hashem as ruler of the world, we ask ובכן תן כבוד לעמך — And so, too, give honor to Your people. Having chosen us as His people, our honor and Hashem’s honor are intertwined.
Needless to say, our intent with these words is not to try and be magnanimous towards Hashem, as if to imply that it is in His interests to be kind to us, and we are just trying to help. Rather, we are saying that even if we should lack the means for Divine grace on our own merits, we plead that if for no other reason, Hashem at least favor us for the sake of His name.
A Nation’s Horizon
This idea is what lies behind the mystical concept of שכינתא בגלותא — the Divine presence in exile. As long as the Jewish People are in exile, awareness of the Divine presence has no natural vehicle for expression, and thus it is said to be “in exile” with them. Thus, the future redemption of the Jewish People will also involve the “redemption” of the Divine name.[2]
Thus, we should note that with the entry of the idea of Hashem’s name into the equation, the horizons of our petitions on this day expand dramatically.
Once we access this concept, we are no longer “merely” asking for a healthy and successful new year as “guardians” of Hashem’s name. The full awareness of Hashem as guiding the destiny of Jewish People comes not through our well-being in exile but through our redemption. Hence, our prayers turn toward the final redemption that will bring about total recognition of Hashem as ruler of the world.
Israel among the Nations
This historic role of representing Hashem’s name and message in the world has had repercussions over the generations for how certain other nations have related to the Jewish People.
When the people of Israel would go to war, Moshe would pray, קומה ה’ ויפוצו אויבך — Arise Hashem and make your enemies disperse.[3] Commenting on these words, Rashi says, “The enemies of Israel are the enemies of Hashem.” On a fundamental level, their pathological and otherwise inexplicable hatred for the people of Israel is in revolt to Hashem’s message that we bear.
This idea finds acute expression in the nation of Amalek, who attacked the people of Israel for no apparent reason soon after they left Egypt. After that battle, Hashem declared that “there is a war between Hashem and Amalek for all generations.”[4] What Amalek found so objectionable in the Jewish People, to the extent that they were willing to try an annihilate them, was the fact that they represent Hashem’s message in this world.
Thus, that verse begins by stating, regarding Amalek: כי יד על כס יה — It is a hand raised against the throne of God. Rashi comments on that verse that the Divine name יה is missing the two final letters of וה, and the word כס (throne) is missing the final letter א, “For neither the (Divine) name nor the throne are complete as long as Amalek exists.” Hashem’s “name” and “throne” represent an awareness and appreciation of His supervision and guidance of the course of world events. Amalek are campaigning to eradicate any such awareness, and to that end they are fully willing to eradicate the nation that represents it.[5]
It is difficult to identify Amalek in our times as a distinct nation, however, as progenitors of a pitched anti-Semitic ideology, their vassals exist within many nations. Indeed, according to numerous commentators, when we say in our Rosh Hashanah prayers that in the future Hashem will תעביר ממשלת זדון מן הארץ — Remove the dominion of evil from the world, the reference is to Amalek, which suggests that they still exist.
The Mouth of Iniquity
This idea of opposing the message of Hashem as carried by the people of Israel also finds expression in the ongoing pathological vilification of the Jewish People, in which Israel can do no right and her enemies can do no wrong. There are nations calling for its outright destruction with impunity, nations who criticize and condemn Israel incessantly, yet whose crimes against their neighbors and even their own population elicit no criticism whatsoever. Various critical voices seem to lose all perspective, as well as any self-respect for their judicial faculties and balanced moral assessments. The people of Israel thus endure the soul-destroying experience of having their every innocent act blackened, and every sincere gesture thrown back in their face.
In our Rosh Hashanah prayers, we look forward to a time when עולתה תקפץ פיה — Iniquity will close its mouth. What is the concept of iniquity having a “mouth”? This refers to the defamatory and derogatory statements that are the mouthpiece of evil. Not only are they oppressive in themselves, they also breed a climate of antagonism that can then support and encourage actual acts of aggression against the people of Israel. In our times more than ever, we are witness to the power of words in shaping actions, and the arena of discussion and debate is as much a battlefield as the one where bullets and missiles fly.
We pray for פתחון פה למיחלים לך — Eloquent speech for those who are devoted to You. We ask for the words with which to ably and proudly represent Hashem, His message, and His people against the mouth of iniquity, until that mouth is closed and the beauty of Hashem’s word and His people will be recognized by all. May that time come speedily in our days!
B’virkas kesiva vachasima tova.
[1] Tehillim 115:2.
[2] See Megillah 29a, which expounds the verse dealing with the return of the exiles (Devarim 30:3) ושב ה’ אלהיך את שבותך, and reads it as “And Hashem shall return along with you.” See also Beis HaLevi, Vayigash, s.v., al tira. Rabbeinu Yonah (commentary to Rif on Berachos chap. 5) explains in this vein the verse in Yeshayahu (45:15): אכן אתה אל מסתתר אלהי ישראל מושיע — Indeed, you are a hidden God, the God of Israel saves. The prophet is saying that for the most part Hashem’s presence in the world is concealed. That being said, the exception to this concealment is when He acts to save the people of Israel. A basic survey of the experiences of the Jewish People in the land of Israel over the last eighty years will provide more than ample expression to this comment of Rabbeinu Yonah.
[3] Bamidbar 10:35.
[4] Shemos 17:16.
[5] In a verse that we recite often, the prophet Zechariah (14:9) foretells of a time when Hashem’s dominion will be recognized by all, והיה ה’ למלך על כל הארץ ביום ההוא יהיה ה’ אחד ושמו אחד — Hashem will be King over the entire world, on that day Hashem will be One and His name will be one. Regarding the words ביום ההוא — on that day, commentators point out that the word הוא is comprised of the letters hei, vav, and aleph. These represent the three missing letters from Hashem’s name and His throne, which will be restored in the future when the entire world recognizes His kingship.