2020/5780

Both this week’s and last week’s Parashah discuss different situations when Klal Yisrael go out to war. In Parashat Shofetim specifically, the Pasuk says “Shema Yisrael Atem Kerovim L’Milchamah,” “Hear Israel, you are about to go into battle.” Rashi explains that the seemingly strange mention of Shema Yisrael is connected to the Mitzvah of Shema itself. “In the merit of saying Shema, you will win the war.” The Mitzvah of Shema is the daily obligation of Kabbalat Ol Malchut Shamayim, accepting the kingship of Hashem onto ourselves. What is the connection between this acceptance of Hashem’s malchut and war? Also, these Parshiyot always appear in the time leading up to the holy Yom Tov of Rosh HaShanah. How do these concepts relate to our personal Avodah on Rosh HaShanah?

Even in the non-Jewish world, the concept of kingship is connected to war. The king is constantly preoccupied with sending his citizens out to battle and waging war with his enemies. Why would a king be so obsessed with war, to the point of risking the lives of his own citizens, where he could easily let his people live peacefully and comfortably?

To answer these questions, we need to delve deeper into the Mitzvah of Kriyat Shema. Aside from the aspect of Kabbalat Ol Malchut Shamayim, Kriyat Shema is also an expression of one’s Mesirat Nefesh, one’s willingness to give one’s life for Hashem. “V’Ahavta Et Hashem Elokecha B’Chol L’Vavecha,” one must loveHashem with his life, even if one must give up his life for Hashem.

One of the king’s main desires is to make sure that his nation feels that the kingship is something connected to the essence of their life. He doesn’t just want the Malchut to be a part of their life, but something critical to their entire being. The way a king can ensure this is by sending the people to war, a situation where they may have to sacrifice their life for the Malchut. This is why a king is constantly preoccupied with war, because he is trying to get his people to be Moser Nefesh for him, in order that the Malchut will become something inseparable from their entire being. For this reason, the two elements found in Kriyat Shema are really one: Once one takes upon himself the kingship of Hashem, it should be in a way that is life-consuming – to the point where he is ready to give up his life for Hashem.

The Beit HaMikdash was the focal point of HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s Malchut in this world. The Gemara in Yoma says that only the kings of the House of David were allowed to be sitting. There were constant guards, as protection for the palace, just as kings protect their castle with guards (see Rambam Peirush Mishnayot on Tamid 1:1). The primary reason for one coming to the Beit HaMikdash was to bring korbanot. A korban, according to Ramban, is an act of Mesirat Nefesh, where one should look as if he himself is giving up his life. Where did one draw this ability and feeling to sacrifice his own life for Hashem? It was only whenentering the king’s palace, where the malchut of Hashem was fully revealed, that he felt his life was deeply connected and rooted in the kingship. Once a person feels that his entire chiyus is the Melech Malchei HaMelachim , he could easily give his life for Hashem.

The primary mitzvah of Rosh HaShanah is the blowing of the Shofar. Rav Saadia Gaon explains that one of the reasons for blowing the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is that when kings used to be coronated it used to be preceded by a Tekiah. When Klal Yisrael enter the beginning of the year and coronate Hashem as their King once again, we too blow the Shofar. However, there is a deeper connection between the blowing of the Shofar and coronating theking.

The blowing of the Shofar comes from a very deep place within a person. Chazal say “Man D’Nafach Mitocho Nafach,” that when one blows it is coming from the deepest place inside of you. When the Baal Tokea blows from the Shofar, he needs to give the entirety of who he is, because in order to crown the king one must feel that one’s entire being is connected to Hashem’s Malchut. When one hears these blows, he must think about the revelation of Hashem’s kingship in this world, and how much it truly means to him.

On Rosh HaShanah we repeat over and over Avinu Malkeinu– that Hashem, you are our father and our king. Chazal explain that ברא כרעא דאבוה, that a son is like the leg of his father. The uniqueness of a father-son relationship is that the son is deeply rooted in the soul of the father. There is no way to disconnect them, as they are bonded in their essence. What we are truly asking of Hashem on Rosh HaShanah is, “we are coronating You Hashem as our King, but we aren’t satisfied with a superficial relationship, but we want Your kingship to be so ingrained within us, like a son is connected to his father!” We want our Malkeinu to be Avinu!

When we go out to war with our Yetzer Hara, the battle must be a fight with one’s entire being, with Mesirat Nefesh, because Hashem’s Malchut is so ingrained within us. We cannot be satisfied with anything less than “VaYomer Kol Asher Neshamah B’Apo,” that only when the entire Neshamah, the Etzem of one’s being says “Hashem Elokei Yisrael Melech”– that Hashem is our king.