אם ירצה ה׳
(September 28, 2000)
Q: On Rosh Hashanah should one spend time praying for his physical and spiritual needs or just on being mamlich Hashem?
A: On Rosh Hashanah don't pray for anything. You have no time for that now. On Rosh Hashanah we pray for only one thing. We want deah! Gedolah deah! Awareness of Hashem! That's what we say all day long, ה׳ מלך ה׳ מלך ה׳ ימלוך לעולם ועד. That’s the most important thing. Hashem is our King. He is the Ruler of the world. He is our Father. He is our Creator.
In your heart you could add, you could think in your mind, yes. In your mind you could add whatever you want. You want parnasah, you want a good shidduch, add that. You want a refuah sheleimah, add it. But don't say it. Only one thing you say on this day because the day is so important.
And after you finish davening and you come home, don't be meisiach da'as. Keep your mind on the subject. “I'm eating leshem shamayim. I'm eating to serve Hashem.” It's a good idea to say that when you come home from the tefilah betzibbur, say “I'm eating leshem shamayim, to serve Hashem, to have koach to serve Hashem further and further.”
Because Rosh Hashanah is a day devoted for one purpose. Malchus shamayim. To be afraid of Hashem.
Not only that you're afraid of Hashem. To be aware that Hashem has made the world. It's the birthday of the world. Hashem made the world! And He makes it in existence every second. גוזר – He has decreed it, ומקיים – and He upholds the world every second. You have to think about these things. The whole world is in existence, every second, only because He’s creating it.
It's not so easy to think that because the world is contaminated with all the wicked ideas of the neighbors around us, all the reshaim. All the apikorsim, Jewish apikorsim. And the goyim, ovdei avodah zarah.
And even frum Jews, lehavdil. Many times they don't even think at all. And our minds are contaminated by them. We have to learn to free our minds of them and think independently. Rosh Hashanah is for us to think that Hashem is the melech haolam. He made the world. The world is nothing but הוא אמר – He said, ויהי – and He brought it into existence. And all the thoughts of Rosh Hashanah are concentrated on one great thing, yiras Hashem. That's the great lesson of Rosh Hashanah.
However, we must remember that we have to be zocheh in our request for a new year, and therefore if you come to Hakadosh Baruch Hu with a program, “I intend Ribono Shel Olam bli neder this year to devote my life. I'm going to think about making progress in coming closer to You and loving You more and fearing You more and filling my mind with Torah attitudes with more mussar, more yiras Hashem, more ahavas Hashem. I'm going to think about these things. I'm going to think about it.”
You have to think about it. It doesn't mean all day long. Even if you think for a minute, it's a big accomplishment. Think two minutes, twice a day, a minute, very good. If you're able to think three times a day, you're a chacham. The more you think about these things, the more you're successful.
And by the way, men or women, boys or girls, anybody can do that. Even children when they hear this they can practice it. It's a tremendous zechus to keep in your mind the thoughts about Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Hashem mishamayim hishkif – Hashem looks down from heaven, leros hayesh maskil – to see are there any wise people down below. Anybody wise down below? Doresh Elokim – who thinks about Me. Hashem is looking down. “Anybody down below thinking about Me,” Hashem says. Hashem mishamayim hishkif leros hayesh maskil doresh Elokim. Is there anybody wise enough to think about Me?
“Oh,” Hashem says, “Here's one. Here's one. Here's one. Oh.” That's what Hashem wants. A maskil, people with seichel, who seek Hashem. And the purpose of seeking Hashem is la'asos, make something out of yourself.
And remember it's only a short time. When the time comes, it's too late. Too late. Too late. Olam Hazeh is only a prozdor. It's only a lobby. Hurry up in the lobby when you're still here. Do all you can to make yourself better and better and better. Never stop making yourself better. Even when you're old don't think you finished the job. Keep on until your last minute.
עד מתי חייב ללמוד תורה – How long do you have to learn Torah? עד יום מותו – until you die. שנאמר אדם כי ימות באוהל. Keep on learning until your last minute.
A woman until the last minute she shteigs; the old lady walks into the kitchen with a cane. She thinks, “I'm going to put on the gas range to cook a tea kettle of hot water for the family to drink tea, whatever it is,” so she should think “I'm doing it leshem shamayim.”
Oh, that's a wise old woman. A wise old woman. You should never give up until your last minute.
And therefore you remember the story of Reb Zelmele, Rav Chaim Volozhiner's brother. He was on his deathbed. He was dying on his deathbed and all the people were standing around his deathbed and he was sitting and learning. He was sitting and learning while he was dying. Somebody said to him, “My dear brother, take a rest. You're suffering.” You don't die easily. It's painful to die.
“No,” he said. “That's the Gemara in Eiruvin. עד מתי חייב ללמוד תורה עד יום מותו.”
Then he asked, “I want a cane.” He wanted a cane. Because the Gemara says שליש בישיבה – a third of your life sitting down, שליש בשכיבה – a third lying down and שליש בהליכה – and a third walking around. You sleep eight hours and then you have to sit and walk. You have to divide your time. So he wanted to walk a little bit to be mekayem the ma'amar Chazal in the Gemara.
There was a cane there in the corner. They said, “Here's a cane.”
He said, “It's not my cane. I can’t use it without permission.”
But the owner wasn't there so they sent a shaliach running to look for the person who owns the cane.
So the shaliach ran and the person came running. “Oh yes,” he said. “The owner said yes, you can take it.”
Only then he took the cane. It's ossur to borrow a cane without reshus of the owner.
He walked around a little bit, kept on learning while he was walking. Then he went back to the bed and died. That's how he died. He died oved Hashem until his last minute; he was mekayem all he could.
We can do it too at the end! It doesn't have to be like him. Even to think, “Hakadosh Baruch Hu You're taking my life away and I love You.” The Gemara says ואהבת את ה׳ אלוקיך בכל נפשך you should love Hashem אפילו בשעה שנוטל את נפשך – even if He takes your life away you should love Him. Even in your last minute. Imagine a man is dying. Some people are very embittered. Dying? I have to leave my world? Ay yay yay. No. He says, “I love You Hashem. I love You! Even though I'm dying, I thank You Hashem.”
“Oh,” Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, “Come to Me My beloved child. You're the one I'm waiting for.”
And therefore we have to prepare ourselves in this world as much as we can to gain a Torah mind and get ready to meet Hakadosh Baruch Hu in one hundred and twenty years and Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, “If that's the case, I'll give you one hundred and twenty years.”
Leshanah tovah tikasvu veteichasmu kulchem lealter lechaim tovim besifram shel tzaddikim gemurim atem vechol hanelvim aleichem.
(September 28, 2000)