Rosh Hashanah, Zichronos, and the Shofar of Moshiach

Topics

• The Zikaron Is for Us
• The Ribono Shel Olam Remembers Anyway
• The Zikaron of the Akedah and the Egel
• The Meaning of the Shofar and the Shvatim
• Why Say Pesukim of Shofaros?
• The Shofar, Satan, and Mashiach
• Malchus, Kiddush Hashem, and the Wars of Mashiach
• Moshe HaKadosh and the Coming of Moshiach
• The Satan and the Fear of Moshiach
• Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros
• Mesirus Nefesh in Our Time
• Avraham and Yitzchak at the Akeidah
• Living as a Korban
• Practical Mesirus Nefesh Today
• Al Malchus and the Soldier’s Attitude
• Closing Blessing

Transcript

# The Zikaron Is for Us

It’s a gold. You see, you can always say it: it’s not the Scheufer, it’s the Yitzchak. You can always say that. Say the same thing by the Scheufer, say the same thing by everything. It’s not the etzem dover. But what it is, is the Elushel Yitzchak. It’s the Yitzchak that’s the zichver.

What’s the taich? It’s not the eifel, but it’s the shvat. I was thinking maybe we could say pshat like this: the chiluk is us and the shvatim. The shvatim are on the eifel. That’s meant for zicher de-shvatim. That’s what Tosafos means. The Ribono Shel Olam wants to be zeicher de-shvatim, so He puts a zicher. There’s no problem with ein kateigorn na’aseh saneigor because it’s the zicher of the shvatim. It’s not a zicher for us. It’s not the zicher of the Elushel Yitzchak; it’s the zicher for us that we could be akar et ha-matzmechem. So therefore we have a problem: ein kateigorn na’aseh saneigor.

The Ribono Shel Olam wants to remember the Avos, the Ribono Shel Olam wants to remember the shvatim. There, the taich is: who cares that it stands for gold? Where the taich is, it’s for us. The zicher is that we should remember Elushel Yitzchak. We can’t have ein kateigorn na’aseh saneigor. You can’t have something which is maskiach and mitzvah and maskiach at the same time. And that is the way we learn it; it’s even deeper. Why? Because the zicher is for us. So the same way the zicher is maskiach of the Elushel Yitzchak, it will also be maskiach of the egel. So then it’s no good.

# The Ribono Shel Olam Remembers Anyway

It’s not for the Avos. It’s not like if I say the word egel, the Ribono Shel Olam won’t be mechapar. The Ribono Shel Olam remembers anyway. It’s like what? Like by Bilaam. It says that at that moment he wanted to curse Klal Yisrael. So the Avos is angry, and when he hears a bad thing about Klal Yisrael, we spoke about it. What’s the peshat by Bilaam? Bilaam was angry; Bilaam knew when Hashem got angry. So what? At that moment, if I would say a bad word to Bilaam, Hashem would curse? Hashem gets angry? Hashem doesn’t know the thing that Bilaam was going to say, the bad thing about Klal Yisrael? You know, it’s a shurah; we spoke about it. We had a whole shurah about this.

But this is not the type of egel. It’s not the peshat that you’re coming to the Ribono Shel Olam and saying, “Ah, me mechapar me’olav.” Wait a second. We’re reminding Hashem about the egel. Believe me, Hashem doesn’t have to forget or remember the egel. The taich is for us. If we’re coming and saying, look at us, this is our potential, so we can’t go and say, look at us, our potential is egel. That’s the peshat.

# The Zikaron of the Akedah and the Egel

With me, Yosef, it’s a very tifah peshat. Here it’s gevaldik. Where the zichron is not so much that the Ribono Shel Olam should remember, and the biggest raya is the Ribono Shel Olam remembers the Akedah at the same time; the Ribono Shel Olam remembers the egel either way. Either way. Either you’re maskir or you’re not maskir, it’s the egel. So what’s the taich? We’re coming to the Ribono Shel Olam and saying, look who we are, because look at our pesht. So you can’t have something which says, look what we are, look at our pesht, and we have an egel. We’re supposed to take the zichron of the Akedah and forget the zichron of the egel. We have to wash away with the that we had from the egel.

That we’re coming to say, look at us, that we’re the zera of Rabbi Tzviachai. We can’t come and say we’re also the zera of the egel. It’s not for the Eberstein. You think it’s for the Eberstein? Come to the Ribono Shel Olam, don’t mention egel. Why don’t you remember egel anyway? No, the saneigor of Klal Yisrael. What’s a saneigor? Think of the taich of saneigor. Saneigor means this is a limutz chutz. What’s a limutz chutz? Ribono Shel Olam, I have this in my potential, so what are you going to show? You also have a potential egel. Well, what are you showing? What are you saying?

Maybe take a nas saneigor. Hashem came by the shvatim. It’s not a zichron for us. It’s not a zichron for the others. The Ribono Shel Olam wants the shvatim on the chayishim, not the zichron. It’s not so much that we should remember the shvatim. Egel Rosh Hashanah. Egel Rosh Hashanah. Egel Rosh Hashanah. Egel Rosh Hashanah. Egel Rosh Hashanah. Egel Rosh Hashanah. Egel Rosh Hashanah.

# The Meaning of the Shofar and the Shvatim

We don’t see it. It is speaking in English; it is speaking in Rabbinish. That is what he means. The Rabbinish wants to mask the Shvatim. The Rabbinish wants to mask the Shvatim. The Rabbinish wants to mask the Shvatim.

There is no problem. They can take an ass to the anchor in the city. That is what I am saying. That is the Shabbat in Texas. So the cash is the Shvatim on the city. It is not the Shaifer. It is not the Shaifer. It is the Yitzchak that is the zichrin.

The difference is that the Rabbinish wants to have his record for the Shvatim. That is not negated to the song of Enke, Tegen, Nase, Zan, Eger. Something else. Enke, Tegen, Nase, Zan, Eger is when the zichrin is not the shad, the zichrin, the Shvatim. But it is the zichrin that we should be. Like, then there is a problem with Enke, Tegen, Nase, Zan, Eger. Rabbinish, this is what we could be. Then there is a problem with Enke, Tegen, Nase, Zan, Eger.

# Why Say Pesukim of Shofaros?

I was thinking, when Eneku, the maybe Jewish—I don’t have rights to this, but I was thinking about this—when I told you, bame, the Shaifer goes on what? Malchus. The maishit doesn’t speak about Shaifers. The Gemara never said, Imru lefanei Shaifers u bamel b’Shaifer. It doesn’t speak about that. So what is the Imru lefanei Shaifers? What is the reason to say it? Bishlam to blow Shaifer, I know. But what is the union of saying Shaifers, pesukim of Shaifers? What is that? Why do I have to say pesukim of Shaifers?

As I saw, the Shiltei Giborim adds into the Gemara. Interesting. Where is the Shiltei Giborim? Where is the Gemara? Where is my Gemara Shoshana? Where is my Gemara Shoshana? It is right here. That is Rosh Hashanah. That is Rosh Hashanah? Oh, I am sorry. Eines shiavu lefanei zichranei chamoteiva, Shaifers. Shaifers. Shetitnu leiv v’titzapu li, I am sorry, v’titzapu li yoyim hadin. Shetitnu leiv v’titzapu li yoyim hadin u’li yamos haMashiach. Shaifer. What is Shaifer? Pesukim of Shaifers. Remember the yoyim hadin and v’mitzapu li yamos haMashiach.

Very interesting that Shaifer has in it a tzipui, v’li yamos haMashiach. V’mis, the Rosh Hashanah brings it down.

# The Shofar, Satan, and Mashiach

The Gemara says, la’ma toikim k’shein yoshvim, la’ma toikim k’shein omdim. He says, la’arvis haSatan. Rashi says, what is the ma’arvis haSatan? The Satan sees that when we have the mitzvos, k’shi yishma Yisrael, we have the mitzvos, that shuts up the Satan, that he cannot even capture him. He brings down from the Rosh Hashanah and he hears the call Shaifer. Shaifer gets scared. He thinks Mashiach is here.

You talk about Mashiach for God. If you notice, a lot of the psalms we say are about Mashiach. You talk about Mashiach for God. The Satan thinks Mashiach is here. But mainly he gets scared. Every year he hears it. He should know the trick already by now. What is he scared of? How many times can you put a siren on, one, two, three? Every day it goes off. You know it is nothing. It does not mean anything. What is the pshat Shaifer shel Mashiach? What other kind of pshat is there in this Rosh Hashanah? It is something you teach to children.

He brings down a pshat like a martyr, because he thinks it is kolah shel Mashiach. Why would he think it is kolah shel Mashiach?

# Malchus, Kiddush Hashem, and the Wars of Mashiach

I was thinking it could be the taich as follows: the ultimate Malchus of HaKadosh Baruch Hu is mechayev Kiddush Hashem. It is mechayev Kiddush Hashem. It is interesting. Mashiach is going to change the world with milchemes Hashem. So, milchamah. The Rambam brings it down, Perek Aleph, Halachah Dalet: v’yachiv kol Yisrael leylech bah u’lechazek v’yilochem milchemes Hashem. He has to fight milchamah.

Chazal tell us that the wars when Mashiach comes will be unbelievable. Why do you need these wars? Why do you need these wars? What is wrong if Mashiach comes peacefully? Peacefully.

# Moshe HaKadosh and the Coming of Moshiach

He changes the whole world around. Who is Moshe HaKadosh for? And if a king comes from Beis David, living in the land of Yitzchak and mitzvah in the land of David, because there is a land that his grandfather built, and a brother called Yisrael came to him and to his brothers, he went to Moshe HaKadosh. What does he need Moshe HaKadosh for? What does he need it for?

We all know, because I will tell us: unbelievable things will happen when Moshe HaKadosh comes. It has to be with Moshe HaKadosh. The king of Moshe HaKadosh has to come with Moshe HaKadosh. It is not going to work easily. It is not going to come by talking and convincing the world. It has to be with Moshe HaKadosh. Why? Because that is the ultimate king of Moshe HaKadosh, vahavdil elaf havdalos.

The Muslims, the whole Yisrael, this nekudah, suicide. They are ready to kill themselves for the king. They do it, and they have no cheshbonos in what they do. But there is a Yisrael like this, that the king of Moshe HaKadosh, that you should give up your life for the king. It is just that fish.

Kiddush tells us that in every war there is no halachah of shluchim mitzvah einan nizakin. Why is there no halachah of shluchim mitzvah einan nizakin? How can people die in a war? Shluchim mitzvah einan nizakin — you are going on a mitzvah. The Torah says, shas sakonim. When there is a shas sakonim, there is no guarantee you are going to live.

A milchamah, the time of Moshiach, eyno kach. Enoch ha-nami, you have to go on kiddush Hashem. You have to be ready to die for the Ribono Shel Olam. That is for the malchus, the ultimate malchus. Hoya b’yom hahu malchus, you talk to Moshiach HaGadol, Hashem is malchus. Hashem Melech — when Hashem will be the king, it is mechayev. If mechayev is certain, it is your snappish. There would have to be milchamah. How can you be a milchamah? I think that is the title we hear too.

# The Satan and the Fear of Moshiach

The Satan. What is the Satan? The Satan is a malach hamaves. The Satan is mekatrig on Klal Yisrael. What is the ultimate, the ultimate me’sasim, the p of the Satan? It is the inyan of Moshiach. Moshiach is attached, that Klal Yisrael is ready to accept the malchus, to give up their life for it. That is me’sasim.

It is not so much that he is afraid Moshiach is coming now. The inyan that Moshiach is coming, Klal Yisrael waits for that, and that shuts him up. If he is afraid Moshiach is here now, he does not know he will be here. What shuts him up is that Klal Yisrael waits for Moshiach, which means they wait for the day that they accept the malchus of the Ribbono Shel Olam completely, and they are ready to be moser nefesh for it.

V’ad ha’izehu shippur ad yitka b’shofar gadol. What does that mean? What does it mean? This is v’ad ha’izehu shippur ad yitka b’shofar gadol that will be blown when Moshiach comes. It does not mean that it is now that it is happening. When he hears the kol of Moshiach, it reminds him: this is the kol of Moshiach. This is the blowing that Klal Yisrael will blow. We are ready to go on kiddush Hashem, and that keeps him quiet.

Al derech k’me’at what Rashi says. Rashi learns the chiyuv v’hamitzvah keeps him quiet. The Yerushalmi learns it is not the chiyuv v’hamitzvah, but it is the yitka b’shofar gadol. He hears in the shofar the kol of Moshiach. And that is what the Shiltei Giborim says. When you mention the shofaros, what do you have to hear? You have to hear the shippur of Moshiach, that we await Moshiach.

# Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros

What is all this for? Malchiyos. The yesod of Rosh Hashanah is Hashem as the Melech, and meila we have Malchiyos. And meila we have Zichronos, Kiddush Hashem. And we also have shofaros. What? Yom hadin, which is malchus, the Ribono Shel Olam is the Melech ha-omed b’din. And the tzipur of Moshiach, where Hashem will be the ultimate Melech, and it will be Hashem Melech, Moshe b’goyim, and all the Moshiach in the Shiltei Giborim. It will be the final malchus.

This is b’shofar and b’meila is all b’shofar. It is all one shiltei malchus: Malchiyos, Zichronos, and that is why we say shofaros. To be in awe of the people. What? Yom hadin and Moshiach. Tzipur of Moshiach. Shiltei Giborim. And this is the taich of b’meila and b’shofar.

And that is what the Satan gets afraid of. The Satan hears this, this kol. He does not think Moshiach is here now. He knows that Moshiach will come, and Klal Yisrael is waiting for Moshiach, and they are ready to be moser nefesh for Moshiach. This scares off the Satan. With this, I want to end.

# Mesirus Nefesh in Our Time

Today we do not ask anybody to be moser nefesh in that sense. People may go to extremes, perhaps a little bit, but the matzav is not one in which we are asked to be moser nefesh in the dangerous, literal sense. We do not have that today. So how, in the kind of world we live in, do we go to mesirus nefesh? How do we do it?

On Rosh Hashanah, the yesod is that Hashem is Malchus. Even for mesirus nefesh, even to be ready for mesirus nefesh—how do you have that today?

# Avraham and Yitzchak at the Akeidah

I have told you many times that Avraham Avinu was mispallel that his son should go for the Akeidah. He wanted to make the Akeidah; he wanted it with all his heart. Yet, l’khu’ra, his tefillos were not answered.

Now the kashe of the world is: who had the bigger son, Avraham or Yitzchak? We say in the Rosh Hashanah davening, “Akeidas Yitzchak le-zaro shel Avraham,” and also, “Akeidas Yitzchak le-zaro shel Yitzchak.” Who had the bigger son? L’khu’ra, Yitzchak, because he gave himself up for Kiddush Hashem. So the world asks: if so, why do we say that Avraham had the greater zechus? Because Avraham had to go on living without Yitzchak.

Yitzchak, in one moment, is able to jump into the fire, to jump into the fire for Kiddush Hashem. We find many people who are able to do that at a certain moment, with a certain his’orerus. You jump in. But to live a life of yissurim for Ahavas Hashem is more difficult. So we say, “Akeidas Yitzchak le-zaro shel Avraham, b’rachamim tizkor.” It is Avraham’s chesed, so to speak. Not Yitzchak—Avraham gets the credit for the Akeidah of Yitzchak.

# Living as a Korban

I told you over another Akeidah of Yitzchak as well. Yitzchak was the Akeidah. Avraham Avinu’s tefillah was for this Akeidah. Why? Because it is more difficult to live as a korban than to die as a korban. Understand that Yitzchak lived as a korban; that is why he could not leave. It says clearly that he could not leave Eretz Yisrael, because he did not want to leave. To live as a korban is a greater Akeidah, a greater mesirus nefesh, a greater maaseh Kiddush Hashem than to die for Kiddush Hashem. Living Kiddush Hashem may be greater than dying Kiddush Hashem.

So Avraham Avinu’s tefillah was for this kabbalah. Avraham asks, “I want to make an Akeidah.” The Ribbono shel Olam answers: you made an Akeidah; this is the Akeidah. You will make your son live a life as a korban.

# Practical Mesirus Nefesh Today

Today, in practice, we do not ask anybody to live as a korban in that literal sense. But to live as a korban, yes—that you can do. What does mesirus nefesh mean? You come to your son and say: “Rabbeinu, mesirus nefesh.” And what does that mean? It means learning; it means davening, even if it is difficult. It is difficult—everybody has difficulties. Believe me, every person in the world has his difficulties. That is called mesirus nefesh.

No one has to go and stand in front of a fire, baruch Hashem, for Kiddush Hashem. We are not put into that matzav, baruch Hashem. There were times when Klal Yisrael was put into that matzav. We are not put into that matzav. So what is our Kiddush Hashem? Our Kiddush Hashem is to live like a korban, to live Kiddush Hashem.

You conquer yourself, you conquer yourself. It is hard to get up in the morning; you get up anyway. It is hard to learn; you learn anyway. It is difficult to daven; you daven anyway. Bein adam l’chaveiro is difficult; sometimes it is difficult to get along with people. You work on yourself. You conquer yourself. It is not easy. Then you show the Ribbono shel Olam mesirus nefesh.

# Al Malchus and the Soldier’s Attitude

And that is the mesirus nefesh that Rosh Hashanah is mechayev, al malchus al mishbach. A person has to be mekabel upon himself to be a soldier, a soldier. And a soldier’s attitude is to fight normally, to die for the Melech. Here it does not mean to die for the Melech; it means to die with the retzonos, to kill your retzonos. Whatever you are looking for, whatever you need, whatever your taavos—leave it alone. I learn, I daven no matter what. I am mekayem al malchus al mishbach.

# Closing Blessing

And with this, we take leave. A good year, a Shana Tova.

Rabbi Yisrael says, “I look at your potential. I see who you can be.” Rabbi Yisrael has the potential of the others. Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov has a kever, has unbelievable potential, has potential.

Shana Tova.