Page 8 - Mizrachi RZC Sefer Berachot 5783

Remember there is G-d in this World!
Rabbi Elie Mischel
Editor, HaMizrachi Magazine

About 200 years ago, on a regular weekday afternoon in the middle
of the winter, the great Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, sent word
to all the Jews of Berditchev to gather at the town’s synagogue. At
the scheduled time, people filed into the synagogue nervously.
Generally, when the Rebbe called the people together in this way, it
meant that the Jewish community was in danger.

When everyone was seated, Rav Levi Yitzchak walked to the
middle of the synagogue, banged on the bimah, and cried out: “Jews
– remember that there is a G-d in this world!” And with that, he sat
down. That was it!
The holiday of Rosh Hashana is an extraordinarily busy time; it is
packed with hours of prayer, speeches, family time and – last but
not least - food. And so it’s possible, amidst all of the busy family
time, apples and honey and even prayer, to miss the essence of Rosh
Hashana: remembering that there is a G-d in the world, and that He
is our King!
Speeches, the shofar and even our prayers are, ultimately, a means
to an end. They are powerful ways of making us aware of G-d’s
presence; that our Father who loves us and our King who determines
our fate, is here, among us. Intellectually, we may believe that G-d
exists and is present in this world, but on Rosh Hashana, we seek to
experience His presence.
For many Jews, the powerful prayer of U’Netaneh Tokef is the
highlight of the Rosh Hashana tefillah. More than any other prayer,
it helps us feel that our fate is tenuous. But the truth is,
overemphasizing U’Netaneh Tokef misses the larger goal of Rosh
Hashana. More important than our own fate is the glory of G-d
Himself! From this perspective, the more important prayer is the one
that follows U’Netaneh Tokef: “But You are King, the living and
enduring G-d!” V’Ata Hu Melech Kel Chai v’Kayam!

The cry of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev continues to
reverberate in our own time: “Jews – remember that there is a G-d in
this world!”
Shana Tova!