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TORAT MIZRACHI MIZRACHI EDUCATORS

Rabbi Reuven Taragin Rabbanit Shani Taragin

Rosh Hashanah

How We Get Hashem to Remember

The Malchuyot Focus mission should be to serve Him, we The Shofar as the
are often too busy to reflect and focus Common Facilitator
he Torah tells us two things
about Rosh Hashanah – that it our lives on this mission. On Rosh The Gemara concludes by presenting
Tis a day of terua (horn blowing) Hashanah – the day Hashem created the shofar as the tool meant to inspire
and that its goal is zikaron (memory). Man – we blow the shofar to remind the unique aspects of both malchuyot
These two words are the basis for the us that we are His creations and that and zichronot.
berachot of zichronot and shofarot. we should work to live up to the goals
we were created to accomplish. First, we use the shofar as a corona-
Two questions need to be asked. The tion horn. In addition to the general
first is the relationship between the The Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 331)
two – terua and zikaron. The second uses the Rambam’s explanation to coronation symbolism, our shofar
is about the third beracha – mal- explain the first approach as well. The also reminds us of the shofar that
chuyot – that we not only add, but question is not what Hashem remem- proclaimed Hashem’s presence at
actually begin with, and emphasize bers, but what He associates with us Har Sinai for Matan Torah. We then
throughout our Rosh Hashanah and (lizkor lachem). When we identify use the ram’s shofar to remind us and
Aseret Yemei Teshuva liturgy. with Akeidat Yitzchak as a model for (through this) Hashem of Akeidat
our religious commitment, Hashem Yitzchak – the symbol of the com-
Why do we focus on malchuyot – the sees us in this same light. Our will- mitment modeled by our forefathers
one beracha not mentioned (explic- ingness to sacrifice ourselves for and
itly) by the Torah in reference to Rosh commit ourselves to Avodat Hashem and ancestors for us to emulate. After
Hashanah? the beracha of zichronot, we blow
merits us Hashem’s rachamim the shofar as part of shofarot, which
(mercy) and His blessings for the con- describe the shofar gadol that will
Zikaron – Who Needs Reminding? tinued good life we can use to best herald the final redemption.
The answer lies in understanding who serve Him.
zikaron aims to remind and how it May our sincere and complete kab-
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does so. Rashi and the Rashbam on Zikaron Hinges on Malchuyot balat ol malchut shamayim bring
Vayikra 23:24 explain that zikaron Hashem to view us in a way that
aims to remind Hashem – of us We can now understand the central- merits Him blessing us with an
(Rashbam) and of Akeidat Yitzchak ity of malchuyot. The mission we are upcoming year of good health, hatzla-
(Rashi). This approach is based on meant to remember on Rosh Hasha- cha and the Final Redemption.
the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 16a) nah is rooted in the recognition of
that explains we use a ram’s horn to Hashem as our King and Creator. The
remind Hashem of the akeida. 1 Torah focuses on the goal – zikaron. 1 The connection of the shofar to the akeida
We focus on the means – malchuyot – also appears in the Midrash Rabbah (Bere-
The obvious question is why Hashem which helps us develop and maintain ishit Rabbah 56:10). See also Vayikra Rabbah
needs reminding? This is probably the zikaron mindset. (29 DH Rebbe Yehoshua) that also sees the
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part of the reason why the Rambam shofar as aiming to impact Hashem.
explains zikaron’s goal differently. The This approach is summarized by the 2 Mishneh Torah Teshuva 3:4. See also
Rambam understands that we are the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 16a), which Yerushalayim (RH 58:4) and the Midrash
ones who need reminding – the shofar quotes Hashem’s explanation of mal- Tanchuma (Vayishlach 2), which also see the
shofar as aiming to impact Man.
reminds us of Hashem by waking us chuyot’s goal as ‘for you to accept Me
from the stupor of our normal rou- as King’ and then that of zichronot as Rabbi Reuven Taragin is Educational
tines. Though we know that Hashem ‘for your memory to rise positively Director of Mizrachi and Dean of the
created us and therefore our life’s before Me.’ Yeshivat HaKotel Overseas Program.

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