Several weeks ago, I was honored to be invited to provide a D’var Torah on the High Holy Days, which would be distributed by a rabbinic organization to their membership.
I turned it down.
Usually, I am not one to turn down such invitations, but to write about the Yamim Noraim is different. There is something so awesome and fearful about these days that it is difficult to imagine doing them justice. And since they had many other rabbis, far greater in learning, to ask, I deferred to one of them.
I suppose I have good precedent.
Every Sabbath and holiday, the person who has led the preparatory Psalms and praises steps away at a certain point, and the Chazzan who will lead the morning service begins. On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the “hand-off” is actually in the middle of a sentence, with the Chazzan singing a short, mournful tune, and then loudly declaring HaMelech—“The King!”
The Karliner Rebbe, Reb Aharon, was praying in synagogue one Rosh HaShanah, and when the Chazzan declared HaMelech, he fainted.
He later explained that he was thinking about the Talmudic account regarding the sage Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai approaching the Roman General Vespasian, as the latter was about to enter the Holy City of Jerusalem. Rebbe Yochanan knew that the one to lead the invasion would be a king, and he addressed Vespasian accordingly. Indeed, minutes later the couriers arrived from Rome to declare Vespasian the emperor.
But in the interim, Vespasian responded that Rebbe Yochanan should be killed for two reasons—first, because he was not the king, and second, because if he were the king, why had Rebbe Yochanan delayed approaching him until now?
Hashem is our king throughout the year, the Rebbe concluded, so why have I not approached Him as such every day?
I think, though, that we can justify the extra emphasis that we place upon Hashem being our King at this time. Beginning in the preceding month of Elul, and culminating in these ten days, is an extraordinary time of closeness to Hashem. Each holiday brings a unique spiritual energy with it, and these days are a time to abandon bad habits that take us away from Him, and use the time to “rebuild the relationship” while He is close with us. That is why these are called Yamim Noraim—Days of Awe.
My we all merit to take advantage of these precious days!
