Access Your Potential

The Gemorah in Rosh Hashana (11a) says בר"ה נפקדה שרה רחל וחנה בר"ה יצא יוסף מבית האסורין בר"ה בטלה עבודה מאבותינו במצרים.  Why did all these events happen on Rosh Hashana?   תקעו בחדש שופר בכסה ליום חגנו.  Why is Rosh Hashana called the day the moon is covered, what is its significance?  And why does Rosh Hashana occur on Rosh Chodesh, is there a shared theme? 

היום הרת עולם. But the world was created on 25 Elul?  Because man was created on Rosh Hashana it is considered the birth of the world.  Why is man's creation celebrated as the beginning of the world?  Because it is mankind that was granted the ability and capability to bring out the full potential of all the ingredients imbedded in the world.  All of the events that Chazal enumerate happened on Rosh Hashana ware various forms of people being freed from shackles that have held them back from being able to bring out their potential.  Yosef was locked in jail and subsequently the entire nation was enslaved holding them back from being able to accomplish great tasks such as saving Egypt from famine and Mattan Torah.  This potential for greatness was unlocked on Rosh Hashana.  The same is true of Sarah, Rachel and Chanah, all who could not bear children.  Their wombs, their place of bringing forth offspring into the world were closed up.  The ability to bring out that locked up potential was accessed on Rosh Hashana.  The word רחם, womb is also the root of the word רחמים.  We ask for mercy, meaning we ask Hashem to open our wombs, to open our capabilities to succeed.

The possuk (Devarim 11:12) says אֶ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־י״י֥ אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ דֹּרֵ֣שׁ אֹתָ֑הּ תָּמִ֗יד עֵינֵ֨י י״י֤ אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ בָּ֔הּ מֵֽרֵשִׁית֙ הַשָּׁנָ֔ה וְעַ֖ד אַחֲרִ֥ית שָׁנָֽה.  It says השנה and ends שנה, what happened to the ה?  There is a vort that at the beginning of the year people say it is the year!  They have a book full of new years resolutions all and are sure that this year they will accomplish all that they have been wishing to do.  However, as the year moves in it turns into שנה.  The book of resolutions, the dreams and hopes are all gone and it is just another year.  Rosh Hashana is the time to say השנה!  It is my year this year.  It is the time when one can take a hard look at themselves and look at all the potential that they have.  This is what is represented by the the כסא ליום חגנו.  The moon is currently hidden from sight but we know that its full self is still there just looking to realign itself in order to shine its brightest.  So too we just need to turn a little in order to be able to shine.  There is a מעין, a זעיר אנפין of this every Rosh Chodesh when the moon fades away but we celebrate that we know it will come back in full force.  This reminds us of our abilities which may be blocked out but are still there and can be brought out.  Rosh Hashana is the super Rosh Chodesh.  It is the time to daven to be able to accomplish one's dreams not just for the month but for the entire year.