RH - Three "Quickies"

#1

Malchuyot
Descriptive or Prescriptive?

See Breishit ch. 24 v. 3 and V. 7

Rashi sensitively points out that Hashem is in v3 God of Heaven and Earth
And in v7 just God of Heaven

Rabbi Shmeul Goldin of Englewood - in a Humash class - pointed out that it was Avraham's mission to MAKE the God of Heaven into the God of earth too!

I adapted this to a RH sermonette on Malchuyot. That is malchuyot is not JUST Descriptive but also Prescriptive. That we sons of Avraham are on a mission to spread the word - to Make Hashem God of the earth!

On RH we ritually coronate God with the Shofar. While During the year we "spread the word"
[metaphorically] by our acts and deeds as "ohr lagoyim".

#2

Elul Preparedness

[Adapted from Talk: Elul - Themes of Teshuva]

This question arose in Yeshivat Ner Israel:

If YK is the day of forgiveness
And if RH is the day of Judgment

Then why not have YK precede RH? That would provide forgiveness BEFORE the judgment - and we would be Judged favourably?

There were several answers given

Here is my take:

That's why we do selichot BEFORE RH [earliest customs started AFTER]

And the special LONG Selichot on Erev RH - one of the few weekdays that Aveilim are allowed to attend shul - is a form of YK Qatan.

So the Custom of Pre-RH Selichot addresses this very dilemma - we don't wait, we don't procrastinate, rather we pro-actively address the problem. We pre-empt it.

#3

Themes of Dignity vs. Themes of Subservience

First
See Mishna RH CH. 3, Mishnayot 2-5

There is a plugta between Tanna Qama and R Yehudah Re: the shape of the RH shofar

TQ: straight
RY: curved, bent

All have straight hatzotrot

All have bend Shofar for Taanit Tzibbur

Straight - emphasizes straight
Thinking but also the DIGNITY of human kind [strictly speaking RH is birth of ADAM-Havvah, not of the physical universe]

Bent symbolizes subservience to God
[Shi'bud].

Which theme best represents RH? Dignified Coronation of God. Or bent subservience TO GOD.

It seems the psaq favors R Yehudah, curved wins

But there is AISI a legacy of Dignity

See Mishna RH 1:2
Kol .. Ovrim befanav kivnei Maron

We all are reviewed as a shepherd tends his flock

Yet alternatively the Bavli cites khayyalot Beth David as soldiers This dovetails with Albeck's girsa - kivnumerion which paints the scene as a "Caesar inspecting his legions". This emphasises the dignity of TQ

While the curved Shofar prevails Halachically, both themes are interwoven into the liturgy

Also see earlier version:
NishmaBlog: Competing Images of Rosh Hashana

http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/2007/09/competing-images-of-rosh-hashana.html

Shalom
RRW