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Daily Chizuk #1454
Holidays / Yamim Tovim
SALVATION FROM TROUBLE: Moving Beyond Hoping for Change
Why Don’t We Say Hallel on Rosh Hashana?
Chazal tell us that the malachim ask HaKadosh Baruch Hu why the Jewish people don't say Hallel on Rosh Hashanah. The Chatam Sofer in his Derashot asked, why would the angels think that we should say Hallel on Rosh Hashanah. On Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, we are celebrating the miracles that Hashem did for us when He took us out of Mitzrayim and gave us the Torah. So that is why we say Hallel on those holidays. But there were no miracles that took place on Rosh Hashanah that should warrant saying Hallel. So why would they think that we should say it?
The Chatam Sofer answered, that we have been in galut for nearly 2000 years, and now a new year is coming up and there are still Jews in the world keeping Torah and mitzvot just like they did during the days of Moshe Rabbeinu. Not only that, there are people interested in knowing what time they have until to say Kriyat Shema or until what time they have to say the Amidah. The angels in heaven are amazed that after centuries of persecutions and attempts to get us away from religion, we keep coming back stronger than ever.
If we would think about it logically, it doesn't make any sense that there are millions of Jews flourishing in Torah and mitzvot after what we have been through. There are people in every shul across the world learning, praying, doing gemilut chasadim and serving Hashem in the most beautiful ways. The main time to recognize this miracle would be at the beginning of a new year.
Our Avot never imagined that in the year 5785, we would still be in galut, and yet still keep every halacha the best way possible. We're still educating our children with purity. We still stand in shul on Rosh Hashanah and accept the kingship of Hashem and we say Malchuyot, Zichronot and Shofarot just like they did in the days of Ravah and Abayeh. There is no miracle greater than this.
Everything we do on that day matters so much. We eat sweet foods, we act on our best behavior, and we are supposed to put forth our best spiritual efforts in everything we do that day.
If we want to do mitzvot with a feeling of life, we have to at least show it outwardly. Even if we may not always have kavanah throughout the year during our tefila, we should make a special effort on Rosh Hashanah to focus from the beginning of the tefila all the way to the end. Hashem is ready to shower us with the greatest year, both spiritually and physically, but first we have to do our part. To get spiritual blessings, we have to want them deep down and show it as well.
B'ezrat Hashem, everybody should be inscribed in the Sefer Hachaim, both spiritually and physically.
Shabbat Shalom!
Chazal tell us that the malachim ask HaKadosh Baruch Hu why the Jewish people don't say Hallel on Rosh Hashanah. The Chatam Sofer in his Derashot asked, why would the angels think that we should say Hallel on Rosh Hashanah. On Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, we are celebrating the miracles that Hashem did for us when He took us out of Mitzrayim and gave us the Torah. So that is why we say Hallel on those holidays. But there were no miracles that took place on Rosh Hashanah that should warrant saying Hallel. So why would they think that we should say it?
The Chatam Sofer answered, that we have been in galut for nearly 2000 years, and now a new year is coming up and there are still Jews in the world keeping Torah and mitzvot just like they did during the days of Moshe Rabbeinu. Not only that, there are people interested in knowing what time they have until to say Kriyat Shema or until what time they have to say the Amidah. The angels in heaven are amazed that after centuries of persecutions and attempts to get us away from religion, we keep coming back stronger than ever.
If we would think about it logically, it doesn't make any sense that there are millions of Jews flourishing in Torah and mitzvot after what we have been through. There are people in every shul across the world learning, praying, doing gemilut chasadim and serving Hashem in the most beautiful ways. The main time to recognize this miracle would be at the beginning of a new year.
Our Avot never imagined that in the year 5785, we would still be in galut, and yet still keep every halacha the best way possible. We're still educating our children with purity. We still stand in shul on Rosh Hashanah and accept the kingship of Hashem and we say Malchuyot, Zichronot and Shofarot just like they did in the days of Ravah and Abayeh. There is no miracle greater than this.
Everything we do on that day matters so much. We eat sweet foods, we act on our best behavior, and we are supposed to put forth our best spiritual efforts in everything we do that day.
If we want to do mitzvot with a feeling of life, we have to at least show it outwardly. Even if we may not always have kavanah throughout the year during our tefila, we should make a special effort on Rosh Hashanah to focus from the beginning of the tefila all the way to the end. Hashem is ready to shower us with the greatest year, both spiritually and physically, but first we have to do our part. To get spiritual blessings, we have to want them deep down and show it as well.
B'ezrat Hashem, everybody should be inscribed in the Sefer Hachaim, both spiritually and physically.
Shabbat Shalom!
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