Dvar Torah for Rosh Hashanah

Based on Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #21

“On Rosh Hashanah one must be wise, thinking only good thoughts, of how Hashem (God) will do good things for us....
“One must be happy on Rosh Hashanah. One must cry as well.
“On the first day of Rosh Hashanah one must speak as little as possible.”

In case you’re wondering how much effect your thoughts could possibly have in helping you and other Jews (and mankind) to have a good year, here are some excerpts from Likutey MoHaran and Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom on the subject of thought:

“Know that thought is very powerful. If a person concentrates very deeply about something he can bring it about. Even if he concentrates very greatly that he should have money, he certainly will have it. The same is true of anything else....”
(Likutey MoHaran I, #193)

“A thought is very, very precious, for complete entities can be made from it, entities that will last as long as Creation exists... The main thing is that it should be honest... If it is not honest, the opposite sort of things are made from it.”
(Likutey MoHaran II, #53)

“Guard your thoughts carefully, for thought can literally create a living thing.
The higher a faculty, the further it can reach.
One can kick something with his foot a certain distance, but with his hand he can throw it even further. With one’s voice one can call to another far away. With one’s ears he can hear sounds that are miles away. With one’s eyes he can see [the stars].
Highest of all is the mind, which can penetrate the loftiest heights. Therefore, guard your thoughts very carefully.”
(Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom, #46)

“Human thought has tremendous potential. Thought can bring about many things... When thought is intensely concentrated, it can exert great influence. Every faculty of the mind, both conscious and unconscious, down to the innermost point, must be focused without distraction... To accomplish this, the focused thought must spell out every step of the desired result in detail. If the thought is incomplete... it can lead one to error.
“One can make use of this suggestion in his studies. One may envision the fact that he wants to study [a certain part of the Torah]. By picturing how much he needs to study daily and how he will go about doing this, by concentrating to the point of being obsessed one can, if his desire is strong enough, fulfill his plan.”
(Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom, #62)

In the few days remaining of this year, let us be smart enough to choose the proper thoughts to concentrate upon during Rosh Hashanah. (One might say that on Rosh Hashanah you have to use your head.)

The happiness of Rosh Hashanah is also related to thought. The Rebbe writes that only if one is happy can he think clearly (Likutey MoHaran II, #10). However, the main happiness of Rosh Hashanah comes from the fact that one is repenting, starting to live a new, starting to exist with a clean slate. This is in part reflected in the fact that it is a long established custom that Jews travel to be with tzaddikim (righteous leaders) for the High Holidays. They come to learn how to be better Jews. Even in those times and places where this is not possible, Jews have gone to be with other Jews for the High Holidays, to share and learn from one another how to improve their Jewishness. Even if one’s progress is the merest hairsbreadth, he has great cause to rejoice (Rabbi Nachman’s Stories, pp. 448-450).

Our repentance, our mitzvah of listening to the shofar blasts, arouse Hashem’s pity on us. Thus, even though Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Judgement we celebrate it by eating festive meals: We are loved by our Father and He wants to take us back. “...Go eat delicious foods in joy, and drink sweet beverages. Send portions to those who have none prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad, for your rejoicing in Hashem is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). (See Yalkut Shimoni #1071 that this verse relates to Rosh Hashanah.)

In Likutey Halakhot (Hilkhot Rosh Hashanah 4:2) Reb Noson touches on the silence of the first day of Rosh Hashanah. He writes:

“When a person begins to repent, in Heaven there are tremendous accusations hurled against him. They won’t let him approach God. The prosecutors don’t let up. Because of this his words are stuck and he cannot speak properly. This is why we are not to make any mention whatsoever of our sins on Rosh Hashanah. The prosecution is so great we dare not add to it.

“This is why we blow the shofar - a wordless cry. From the depths of our hearts we must summon the proper voice - a cry, a sigh, a growl or a roar. We have no answers for accusers, no excuses to offer God. We only have our voices. [see Rabbi Nachman’s Stories, p. 401, “His silence was an answer (to all the denunciation and slander he was suffering).”]

“This is a fundamental point of teshuvah (repenting). By admitting that one has become animal-like as a result of his behavior and is incapable of speaking, that he can offer no justification for what he has done, God takes pity on him and brings him to ever higher levels. One can even become worthy of that silence which is even greater than speech.”

This year - and every year - may we all be granted to be written and inscribed in the Book of the Righteous, Amen!

agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!