Dvar Torah for Shabbat-Rosh HaShanah

Based on Likutey Halakhot, Shabbat 1

[1]

On Rosh HaShanah one must act wisely and only think good thoughts. One should only keep in mind that God will be good to us.

One must be happy on Rosh HaShanah, and yet one must cry.

On the first day of Rosh HaShanah, one must speak as little as possible. The Rebbe said that a great leader must be even more careful about this. The Rebbe himself would not even say most of the piyut (additional liturgical poems) on Rosh HaShanah. He only said that which was written by Rabbi Elazar Kalir. He would omit the rest, because as a leader, he was extremely careful not to say a single unnecessary word.

Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #21

[2]

This is a piece that we did for Rosh HaShanah 5757 , when the first of day of Rosh HaShanah was Shabbat.

In many places throughout Likutey MoHaran Rebbe Nachman teaches us that the face is indicitive one of one's inner intelligence. Intelligence doesn't mean mere IQ. Intelligence means fear of God, which is what the “fool” of Psalms lacks (Psalms 92:7). About a person who has such intelligence it is written, "A person's wisdom makes his face shine" (Ecclesiastes 8:1).

This light is off anytime we're spiritually asleep, unconscious, as it were. Interestingly, this is also the situation we find ourselves in at the start of Rosh HaShanah. This state of unconsciousness parallels the deep sleep that God placed upon Adam on the sixth day, the day Adam was created (Genesis 2:21). That day was the very first Rosh HaShanah. How do we wake ourselves up? How do we turn on the light of fear?

The call of the shofar is what stirs us: the simplicity of the tekiah (the long, straight blast), the brokeness of the shevarim (the three short blasts) and the shattered crying of the teruah (the nine very short blasts) each has its lesson, its message that can pierce our stone hearts and bring us to the realization of God's love and patience, of His strength and claims upon us. The three notes parallel the Patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzchok and Ya'akov (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), respectively.

However, what happens this year, when the first day of Rosh HaShanah, the more holy of the two, falls on Shabbat and we DON'T blow the shofar? Certainly when our Sages legislated that we not blow the shofar on Shabbat-Rosh HaShanah they did not leave us without any means to “regain consciousness.” What do we do?

Rebbe Nachman writes (Likutey MoHaran I, 57) that the eating, the oneg (delight), of Shabbat can bring one to the aspect of, "A person's wisdom makes his face shine." For the eating of Shabbat is 100% pure holiness. One of the simpler meanings of this statement is that the eating of Shabbat affords us the ability to more clearly recognize that God is in total control of everything that happens in the world at large and in our (very) personal lives as well. And not only that. It also produces within us the "heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 35:26) that allows us to accept His loving authority.

Like the three notes of the shofar, the three meals of Shabbat also parallel the Patriarchs. Thus with our eating of Shabbat we can accomplish the same consciousness-raising as we would with hearing the shofar. This is true not only on Shabbat-Rosh HaShanah, but every Shabbat the whole year long! So listen well to what the wine and challah have to say (that's a different lesson!).

[3]

Jerusalem will not be built until there is peace among the Jews.
Sefer Aleh-Bet (The Aleph-Bet Book) Emunah (Faith) A:46

The Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple) will not be built until haugtiness ceases to exist.
ibid., A:49

With the unity that will exist among the Jewish people, Mashiach will come.
ibid., A:50

Those who hear accusations against the Jewish people must speak on their behalf, going out of their way to do so if necessary.
ibid., Hamtakat HaDinim (Sweeteing Judgement) A:72

Silence sweetens harsh judgements.
ibid., A:84

[4]

From the High Holiday liturgy:

horeini mah sheh’avakeish/havineini mah sheh’eshal
teach me what I should seek/make me understand what I should ask for

Much of the prayers of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are devoted to asking God for the privilege to fear Him and be in awe of Him. May we all be worthy having a pure and proper fear and awe of our Blessed Creator and of observing His mitzvot with true Yiddishe simcha (cheer; see Likutey Moharan I, Lesson #5).

To you and yours and to kol Beit Yisrael (the entire Jewish people) a gut gebenshet yor (a good, blessed year). May we all be inscribed in the book of the tzadikim (righteous). May we all be worthy of seeing the ultimate redemption, with the coming of the Mashiach and the building of the Holy Temple, speedily, in our days. AMEN!