Standing Before Hashem

This post is based upon a shmuuz by R' Elefant. 

The Gemarah Rosh Hashana (26a) says  שופר כיון דלזכרון הוא כבפנים דמי.  What does זכרון have anything to do with making it כלפנים?  The Gemarah (16a) says אמר הקב"ה אמרו לפני בר"ה מלכיות זכרונות ושופרות. מלכיות – כדי שתמליכוני עליכם, זכרונות – כדי שיבא לפני זכרונכם לטובה.  How does saying pesskim of זכרונות cause us to be remembered for good?      

The possuk in Bechukosay (26:42) says וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקוֹב וְאַף אֶת בְּרִיתִי יִצְחָק וְאַף אֶת בְּרִיתִי אַבְרָהָם אֶזְכֹּר וְהָאָרֶץ אֶזְכֹּר Rashi says ולמה לא נאמרה זכירה ביצחק אלא אפרו של יצחק נראה לפני צבור ומונח על המזבח.  What does this mean that Yitzchak doesn't need to be remembered because his ashes are there?  Rav Tzaddok explains that Yitzchak had the middah of yirah which means he always saw himself as standing before Hashem.  Therefore, middah kineged middah, Hashem always is viewing Yitzchak.  When one recognizes that they are standing before Hashem, Hashem remembers the individual as well.  Hence, if one recites the pessukim of zichronot, one is cognizant of being before Hashem, then the individual is remembered.  That is what the Gemarah means that by blowing the shofar and accepting the fact that one is before Hashem, therefore one is as close to Hashem as can be just like the kohan gadol in the kodesh hakadashim. 

Why is Rosh Hashana the day for this focus?  Since it is the day of the creation of man, one can go back to the original point of creation where man recognized that he is always standing before Hashem.  

Why does Rosh Hashana come before Yom Kippur when it would seem more logical to come into the new year cleansed form sin?   

The Gemarah Sanhedrin (43b) says אריב"ל כל הזובח את יצרו ומתודה עליו מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו כיבדו להקב"ה.  Why is saying viduy considered a kavod for Hashem?  We see in the intro. to vidduy תָּבֹא לְפָנֶיךָ תְּפִלָּתֵנוּ. וְאַל־תִּתְעַלַּם מַלְכֵּנוּ מִתְּחִנָּתֵנוּ.  Where is the תפלה and תחינה in vidduy?  

 The yesod of viduy is to say על חטא שחטאנו לפניך, to acknowledge that one is before Hashem and one's sins was due to a lack of that recognition.  Hence, when one does vidduy, and says I am before You, Hahem, that is an increase of the kavod Hashem in the world.  One has "brought" Hashem into a place of one's soul where Hi Presence was not felt yet.  That is why vidduy is called an act of prayer for prayer means to stand before Hashem (Rav Chayim Tefillah.)  So too, when one does vidduy one places themselves before Hashem.  That is the yesod of teshuva; to place Hashem before one's self.  וְהַחֲזִירֵנוּ בִתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה לְפָנֶיךָ, to come before Hashem.  That is the prayer of the shofar a well.  It is man placing himself before Hashem.  This is a process that starts with the avodah of Rosh Hashana, of accepting Hashem's dominion over one's self and is completed with the vidduy on Yom Kippur.  The starting point has to be Rosh Hashana to inspire one's vidduy to be a true vidduy.