Rosh Hashana Thoughts

1. The Radak on Tehillim (81:4)  ונראה כי זה הוא טעם מצות התרועה בראש השנה לפי שבטלו אבותינו מעבודתם ונחו מיגיעם ביום זה והתרועה הוא סימן שלוח עבדים וצאתם מרשות אדניהם וכן צוה הקב״ה תקיעת שופר ביום הכפורים של יובל שהיה סימן לשילוח עבדים וצאתם מרשות אדוניהם כן צוה הקב״ה לתקוע בראש השנה לזכר כי ביום זה בטלה העבדה והיה תחלת חירותנו. According to Radak we blow shofar to remind ourself that it is the day the servitude in Egypt ceased. 

2. Midrash Emor (29:1) בשנים עשר יצא בדימוס אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא לאדם זה סימן לבניך כשם שעמדת לפני בדין היום הזה ויצאת בדימוס כך עתידין בניך לעמוד לפני בדין ביום זה ויוצאין לפני בדימוס אימתי "בחדש השביעי באחד לחדש. How was Adam vindicated he was cursed and thrown out of Gan Eden? Furthermore, not everyone comes out of the din vindicated? 

The Sharay Hamoadim says Chazal mean that the din is an opportunity for tikkun. Without the din on Adam he would have been stuck with his sins, the judgement allowed him the opportunity to obtain a tikkun for himself. So too, the judgement on Rosh Hashana allows us to refocus to find our proper path. 

The Tur says that we prepare as a festival for RH since we know that Hashem will do for us a נס and we will come out vindicated. Why does he say it is a נס, why does he not say we are confident in emerging righteous in the judgement? It may be that it requires a נס to emerge indicated in judgement. In light of the above idea, one can translate נס as raising up as in נתת ליראיך נס להתנוסס for the judgement is a way to elevate ourselves.  

3. The Ran cites the opinion of the Geonim that when Shabbos is Rosh Hashana since we do not say hallel we don't say צדקתך. What is the connection? I would presume the Geonim are of the opinion that we don't say צדקתך only when there is hallel said. The Ran cites those that disagree for it is no worse than any other Rosh Chodesh. But there is no hallel on this Rosh Chodesh? Presumably they hold like the practice that any day without tachnun has no צדקתך. This is the custom of the Shulchan Aruch yet he still rules to say צדקתך on Rosh Hashana? The Besi Yosef has another severah that since it is a day of judgement it makes sense to say צידוק הדין on Rosh Hashana. 

4. Tosfos (32a) asks why why we say the pessukim from כתובים before נביאם in the מלכיות זכרורת שופרות? The pessukim from נביאים that we recite discuss the future days and hence we put them at the end. 

5. Tosfos (16b) cites Beha"g that if a tzibbur has an אונס and can't blow shofar it is considered a year that shofar was not blown but that does not apply on Shabbos. why is Shabbos different from an אונס? See Meshech Chachma Emor. According to the explanation of Chassidus that on Shabbos the idea of shofar is accomplished even without the actual shofar it is different from a regular ones where you are still missing the shofar.  

6. The Ramban (cited in Ritva RH 26 and in his derasha on Rosh Hashana) says that a shofar by definition is the horn detached from the animals after the marrow bone is removed. All horns in their attached stage are called קרן and are called shofar when detached from the animal and fit for blowing. What emerges from the Ramban is that a shofar is something totally detached and removed from the live animal. The lesson here is that the the shofar must be removed from the physical being. This may be why the shofar blowing is the symbol of freedom for the Maharal explains freedom as being removed from physical boundaries (Z'eav Yitraf Ch. 35.)

7. The Gra says that the Hallel of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is made up on Chanukah. We see that RH and YK are not excluded from Hallel but the Hallel in moved to Chanukah. In other words, on RH and YK it is impossible to recite the Hallel because of ספרי חיים ומתים פתוחין but there is an obligation of Hallel. How does Chanukah serve as a makeup time? Chanukah celebrates out victory over יון. Chazal equate יון with חושך. The opposite is RH which is called אורי. This is because on RH we focus on the clarity of Hashem's kingship and dominion over everything. יון attempted to take G-d out of the picture of the world and the victory of Chanukah attested to a return of the light. Hence, Chanukah is the makeup for the Hallah of the Yomin Noraim.  

9. In a letter, the Rebbe's father points out a connection between the three woman who were נפקדה on RH, שרה רחל חנה and the unique letter of each name, ש, ל, נ being the same as the dimensions of the תיבה. He points to a Zohar to make a connection between the תיבה and RH. It is noteworthy as the Berditchever points out that these letters spell the word לשן, speech. These great woman used their power of speech to cry to Hashem to merit children.  

Rosh Hashana On Shabbos

 The Minchas Ani on Ha'azenu (translation from Gemini AI) says: Although regarding a good year, it must be analyzed whether Rosh Hashanah falling on Shabbat is a good sign. Regarding this, we find that the worst years and the best years both had Rosh Hashanah on Shabbat.

For the two years in which the Holy Temple was destroyed, Rosh Hashanah fell on Shabbat, as stated in the Jerusalem Talmud (Taanit, Chapter 4): the day the First Temple was destroyed was the 1st of Av, and it was the first day of the week (Sunday); and the Second Temple was also destroyed on the 9th of Av on the first day of the week, and both were at the conclusion of a Sabbatical year (Moztzei Shevi'it), as stated in the Babylonian Talmud.

According to this calculation, for the First Temple, if the 1st of Av was Sunday (Day 1), then the 1st of Tammuz was Saturday (Day 7) or Friday (Day 6); 1st of Sivan was Thursday (Day 5); 1st of Iyar was Wednesday/Tuesday (Days 3–4); 1st of Nisan was Monday (Day 2); 1st of Adar was Sunday/Saturday (Days 7–1); 1st of Shevat was Friday (Day 6); 1st of Tevet was Wednesday/Thursday (Days 4–5); 1st of Kislev was Tuesday (Day 3); 1st of Marcheshvan was Sunday/Monday (Days 1–2); and 1st of Tishrei was Saturday (Day 7).

Similarly, regarding the Second Temple, which was destroyed on the 9th of Av on Sunday, the 1st of Av was Saturday (Day 7). According to this calculation, Rosh Hashanah would have fallen on Friday (Day 6). However, this is impossible, as stated in Rosh Hashanah (page 20b), because if so, Yom Kippur would fall directly after Shabbat (on Sunday). Therefore, they must have made two months deficient (29 days) so that Rosh Hashanah would fall on Sunday (Day 1). (And we cannot resolve this by assuming it was a leap year, because the year after a Sabbatical year is not made into a leap year).

Conversely, regarding the best years, we find that the forgiveness for the sin of the Golden Calf occurred in a year where Rosh Hashanah fell on Shabbat, as did the inauguration of the Tabernacle (Mishkan)—since Israel left Egypt on a Thursday, as derived in Shabbat (Chapter 9)—as Tosafot wrote in Mekhilta / Kamma (page 82b; see there). Likewise, the year they entered the Land of Israel also had Rosh Hashanah on Shabbat, since Moses died on Shabbat, the 7th of Adar, meaning the 1st of Adar was on Sunday (see Tosafot in Menachot, page 30b, and the Rosh in Arvei Pesachim).

He explains this phenomenon that when RH falls on Shabbos and we don't have shofar, the Shabbos is our zechus. However, it can only be our zechus if we keep Shabbos properly, if not, then it can't be a merit for us. It is the degree of shmerus shabbos in general which justifies canceling the shofar in order to avoid chillul Shabbos, עיי"ש a mashal to explain this concept.

Shofar And Trumpets

The Gemarah RH (27a) says that in the mikdash when the shofar is blown the חצרורת are blown along with it. The Minchas Chinuch (384:4) asks why the Rambam doesn't mention when the chaztrotzros is blown during the offering of  korbanot that the shofar should accompany it? The Sfas Emes suggests since the possuk that we derive the shofar and chaztrotzros go together is בחצוצרות וקול שופר הריעו לפני המלך ה is only when the Torah says the word תרועה to describe the blowing that the shofar and chaztrotzros go together but when blowing together with the korban where the Torah says (Bamidbar 10:10) וּתְקַעְתֶּם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת עַל עֹלֹתֵיכֶם וְעַל זִבְחֵי שַׁלְמֵיכֶם, it says תקיעה, then the chaztrotzros don't need to be accompanied by a shofar. While this scriptural difference it notable, why does the Torah switch the terminology? The Malbim explains that the teruah blast is blown at times of difficulty demonstrating our fear of the din and judgement while the tekiah blown at coronations is demonstrative of happiness hence וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶם וּבְמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם וּבְרָאשֵׁי חׇדְשֵׁיכֶם וּתְקַעְתֶּם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת עַל עֹלֹתֵיכֶם וְעַל זִבְחֵי שַׁלְמֵיכֶם, the tekiah blast is blown at times of joy. In light of this the Sfas Emes can be understood that to create more of a serious mood at a time of din the חצוצרות וקול שופר go together but at times of joy it suffices by what the Torah says to blow (Dibros Ariel siman 63.) 

It is also noteworthy that the Rambam never mentions explicitly that on yoval the shofar was blown together with chaztrotzros (Rashi RH 27a does say it was.) The Minchas Chinuch (331:2) assumes the Rambam expects you to know it from the laws of Rosh Hashana. However it may be the Rambam holds it is only in a time of tzarah or on RH that in the Mikdash both שופר וחצרורות were blown. Rav Yehuda Zoldan suggests only in the context of a blowing both for a זכרון and as an act of תרועה that both shofar and chaztrotzros go together and only in tzarah and on RH do the pessukim highlight both aspects.

R' Brown (Moadanay Moshe) suggests that when there is a din of blowing both in the Mikdash and outside the Mikdash then the Gemarah is saying the blowing in the Mikdash is different than outside and has both shofar and chaztrotzros but when the entire law of blowing is only present in the Mikdash like blowing by a korban and the possuk specifies חצוצרות we can't say the possuk is imprecise and are limited to the instrument the Torah says. 

What is the nature of the blowing of both the tekiah and teruah on RH in light of the Malbim's explanation that the two sounds are reflective of opposite moods? The Chasam Sofer writes that on RH the cry of the teruah besides being reflective of the pain we feel for not having acted properly during the past year, it is also a cry of joy over the fact that we merit to be attached to Hashem for he has created us for His honor to be Jew as we say in עלינו לשבח. Why is RH the time for this reflection that Hashem created us for His honor? 

RH is the day of the creation of man. The purpose of man's creation is to accept the malchus of Hashem. Every RH we reaffirm our acceptance of the malchus of Hashem. It is Klal Yisrael that is dedicated to carry on this mission of Adam. אתם קרויין אדם and that acknowledgement of the fact that we are carrying on the mission of Adam, that is part of the kabbalas malchus on RH. This is the element of the tekiah. Yes, we cry over the missed opportunities, but we are in joy over the ability that we are the one's who can carry on the mission of Adam. 

Trumpets And Korbanot

The Rambam Klei Mikdash (3:5) says the kohanim would blow the trumpets when offering the korbanot on holidays and Rosh Chodesh שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶם וּבְמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם וּבְרָאשֵׁי חָדְשֵׁיכֶם וּתְקַעְתֶּם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת" (במדבר י, י). In Temmidim (6:6) he says that the every day during the ניסוך יין the kohanim would blow the trumpets - is the blowing of trumpets only on holidays or every day? The Chinuch (384) raises the possbility that every day trumpets are needed but the leviem can blow them but on the holidays it is a mitzvah for kohanim. However, this does not seem to work in the Rambam for he says the kohanim blow the trumpets during the daily avodah? 

The Even Ha'ezel says that on the Rambam says the trumpets are blown on the holiday at the time of offering the korban vs. every day it is done during the ניסוך. This difference is because the ניסוך is the time to sing shirah and the trumpets are blown as part of the שירה vs. the holidays is a special law of blowing trumpets at the time of the korban itself derived from וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶם וכו. 

The second law of blowing on holidays is it a law in korbanot or a separate law in honor of the day? It would seem from the fact that the Rambam connects it to the korban that it is a law in the korban. On the other hand, it is only said at the time of the korban not together with the korban perse. In the gilyon משא נחום he understands from the fact that the the Sifrey says the trumpet blasts are not מעכב the korban that it is just a law in the honor of the day. He says that is why the Sifri Zuta needs to exclude a pasul kohan from blowing the trumpets, if it is just a law in korban, why do I need a new מיעוט? However, one could argue the derasha itself tells us it is a law in the korban and that is why a pasul kohan is invalid. 

Removing External Temptation

ומל ה אלקיך אֶת־לְבָבְךָ֖ וְאֶת־לְבַ֣ב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת ה אלקיך בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ לְמַ֥עַן חַיֶּֽיךָ

The Or HaChaim asks: since the previous pesukim already describe Klal Yisrael doing teshuvah, why is there a need for the milah of the heart? Why does the possuk say "ומל... לבבך" and not "עָרְלַת לְבַבְכֶם" like it says in Parshas Ekev (10:16), when presumably it is the orlas halev that needs to be removed? Why does the pasuk add that Hashem will also circumcise the hearts of one's children? Why does the pasuk end with "לְמַ֥עַן חַיֶּֽיךָ", which would seem to imply loving Hashem for one's own self-serving purposes?

The possuk in Ekev and the possuk in Nitzavim are referring to two different types of milah of the heart. The possuk in Ekev which describes a person removing their own ערלת הלב in referring to a person needing to perfect their own heart from its desires to be open to fully serving Hashem. It refers to a person achieving internal perfection. The possuk in Nitzavim describes a person led astray because of what they saw done around them, ותראו את שקוציהם וכו.  Even after doing teshuva and returning to Hashem, there is always a lingering concern that external influences will lead them astray once more. Because it is beyond a person's human capability to completely eliminate external pressure, Hashem says I will מל your heart - cut off the connection between the eyes and the heart so that external sights no longer influence the person's internal world.

This act of disconnection automatically leads to the love of Hashem being implanted within one's family forever, as there will no longer be external temptations. In this context, "לְמַ֥עַן חַיֶּֽיךָ" means that this act of  milah will allow one's entire life to be completely consumed with the love of Hashem (based on Likutei Sichos, vol. 29.)

The Netziv explains למען חייך doesn't mean to ensure one's physical life but rather a fulfillment of one's spiritual potential. The Neztiv writes in a few places that חי refers to spiritual vitality and fulfillment hence צדיקים קרויין חיים וכו. He adds here that love requires reciprocity and outside Eretz Yisrael where there is not a direct connection with Hashem, one can not feel the same level of fulfillment, of חיות and that is the beracha the possuk is giving that Hashem will give a person the ability to feel the absolute fulfillment of spiritual life. 

Two Types of Klallos

The Ridvaz in a Teshuva (volume 2 #789) was asked why is there nechama after the klallos in Ki Savo like there is in Bechukosai where it says וזכרתי את ברית וכו? He answers the nechama is found in Netzavim which is all part of the bris where we are promised to do teshuva. The Gra also follows this approach and says that is why is it is not written in Ki Savo itself since it will take a long time to do teshuva. Why does the nechama hinge on teshuva? 

The Gemarah Megillah (31b) says that the klallos in Bechokosai are said by Hashem and in a plural form as opposed to Ke Tavo that is said by Moshe and in single form. According to the Gra (Nitzavim) that means that the first klallos in Bechukosai are said to every individual but the klallos in Ke Savo are said to the nation as a whole. Why is there this difference? See a nice explanation by R' Yehuda Eisenshtein. I would just like to go in a slightly different approach that the klallos in Ki Savo are given right as Klal Yisrael is about to enter Eretz Yisrael. It is in Eretz Yisrael that the nation is defined as a klal, as one body. That is why it is in this bris that that there is an obligation of ערבות given for now the nation becomes one body. Hence in Bechokosai the nechama is to remember the zechus Avos for on an individual level the zechus Avos helps but for a national redemption it is necessary for teshuva to bring people together.

Two Enemies

כי תצא למלחמה על איביך ונתנו ה אלקיך בידך ושבית שביו

The possuk first identifies the enemies in the plural form and then changes to the singular form, ונתנו, why the switch? (The Baal HaTurim says איביך in missing a י but that is not how we have it, see Minchas Shai.) The Kli Yakar explains that there are two enemies, there is the enemy that the war is being waged against, the external enemy and then there is the internal enemy, the fight with the yetzer harah. These two approaches carry over into the next pessukim. The parsha of יפת תואר on the first level of the general war against the enemy speaks of a situation of לא דברה תורה אלא כנגד יצר הרע. On the level of a personal fight the Or HaChayim explains the יפת תואר refers to trapping the sparks of kedusha that one elevates by abstaining from sin.