Bending in humility to arouse mercy

איתא במשנה שופר של ר"ה של יעל פשוט.

It is taught in the Mishnah that the shofar of Rosh Hashanah is from a wild goat (yael) and is straight.

The Sefas Emes opens with the halachic detail that the preferred shofar is a straight horn, a point he will turn into a lesson about how Bnei Yisrael must conduct themselves on Rosh Hashanah.

ובגמ' א"ר לוי מצוה של ר"ה ויוה"כ בכפופין וכתבו הפוס' דלמצוה בלבד הוא.

And in the Gemara, Rebbi Levi said that the mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is with bent (curved) horns, and the poskim wrote that this is only a preference for the ideal mitzvah.

There is a tension: one source favors a straight horn, another a bent one. The Sefas Emes notes the curved horn is the ideal, which he will explain expresses the avodah of bending oneself in humility.

ויש לבאר הענין כי מצות השופר שהקב"ה וב"ש רוצה שבני ישראל יעוררו מדת הרחמים בעולם כמ"ש ראה שאין העולם מתקיים ושיתף עמו מדה"ר.

The matter can be explained: the mitzvah of the shofar is that Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants Bnei Yisrael to awaken the attribute of mercy (midas harachamim) in the world, as it is said that He saw the world could not endure on strict justice alone, so He joined the attribute of mercy with it.

Hashem created the world to run on chesed and rachamim, not strict din. The shofar is the tool by which Bnei Yisrael arouse that mercy each year.

וזה מתקיים בכל שנה בתחלה הוא בדין ומצות שופר הוא השתתפות מדה"ר שאז הקב"ה עומד מכסא דין ויושב על כסא רחמים.

This is enacted every year: at the outset it begins in strict judgment, and the mitzvah of shofar is the joining-in of the attribute of mercy, for then Hakadosh Baruch Hu rises from the throne of judgment and sits upon the throne of mercy.

Rosh Hashanah begins in din, but the blowing of the shofar moves Hashem, so to speak, from the seat of judgment to the seat of mercy.

ובנ"י באמת יכולין גם במשפט לזכות בדין כי כמו שאין בכח בו"ד להגיד גדולתו של הקב"ה כן אין בכח בו"ד להגיד זכותן של בנ"י המקדשין שמו ית' בעולם בגלוי ובסתר.

And in truth Bnei Yisrael could even be acquitted under strict justice, for just as no flesh-and-blood being can express the greatness of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, so too no flesh-and-blood being can express the merit of Bnei Yisrael, who sanctify His Name in the world both openly and in concealment.

The merit of Bnei Yisrael who are mekadesh Shem Shomayim is so great that, in principle, they could be vindicated even under strict din. The Sefas Emes is showing how beloved Bnei Yisrael are before Hashem.

אכן המצוה בכפופין כדי שיזכו כל העולם ע"י התעוררות הרחמים שבנ"י מתעוררין וכופפין עצמם ומבקשין לעורר מדה"ר בעולם.

However, the mitzvah is with bent horns so that the whole world may be acquitted through the arousal of mercy, when Bnei Yisrael rouse themselves and bend themselves in humility and ask to awaken the attribute of mercy in the world.

Here is why the curved shofar is the ideal: Bnei Yisrael bend themselves in bittul and humility, not seeking acquittal for themselves alone but drawing down mercy upon the entire world.

והבן.

Understand this.

A characteristic call from the Sefas Emes to dwell on the depth of the idea just stated.

וז"ש תקעו כו' בכסה ליום חגינו כי צריכין בר"ה לכסות מדריגות בנ"י ולהתערב בתוך כל הברואים לבקש רחמים.

This is the meaning of "Blow… at the covered time (bakeseh) for the day of our festival" (Tehillim 81:4), for on Rosh Hashanah Bnei Yisrael must conceal their own high levels and mingle among all of creation to ask for mercy.

The word bakeseh ("concealed") teaches that Bnei Yisrael hide their elevated status and place themselves among all created beings, davening for mercy on behalf of everyone rather than standing apart.

והאמת כי עי"ז מקבלין בנ"י כל השפע גם השייך להאומות ע"י שכולם ניצולו בשביל בנ"י.

And the truth is that through this Bnei Yisrael receive all the bounty (shefa), even that which belongs to the nations, since all of them are saved on account of Bnei Yisrael.

Precisely by lowering themselves to plead for the whole world, Bnei Yisrael become the conduit through which all bounty flows, for the rest of creation is sustained only in their merit.

והענין הוא דאיתא מאי טעם פתח בבראשית משום כח מעשיו הגיד כו'.

The matter is as it is taught: why did the Torah begin with "Bereishis"? Because of "the power of His deeds He told to His people" (Tehillim 111:6).

The Sefas Emes invokes Rashi's question on the first verse of the Torah, which he will tie to the theme of Rosh Hashanah as the day commemorating creation.

ופרשנו בכמה מקומות כי הנהגת בנ"י הוא למעלה מהטבע בהנהגת שמו הגדול בבחי' הנסים ונפלאות וזה ניסן שנה שיש עמה חדשים שדבוק בהשורש וההתחדשות.

We have explained in many places that the conduct of Bnei Yisrael is above nature, under the governance of His great Name in the mode of miracles and wonders; and this is Nissan — a "year that has months with it" — which is connected to the root and to renewal.

Bnei Yisrael live above the natural order, in the realm of nissim. Nissan, the spring month of redemption, represents constant renewal and connection to the source, the supernatural mode of Hashem's governance.

ותשרי הוא בחי' שנה שאין עמה חדשים.

And Tishrei is the aspect of a "year that has no months with it."

By contrast, Tishrei represents the dimension of nature and concealment, a more hidden mode of divine governance than the open miracles of Nissan.

ואיתא בזוה"ק תשרי ישת חושך סתרו.

And it is brought in the Zohar Hakadosh that Tishrei is alluded to in "He made darkness His hiding-place" (Tehillim 18:12).

The Zohar links Tishrei to concealment ("darkness"), reinforcing that this season carries the aspect of hester, where Hashem's light is hidden within nature.

דכ' מראשית השנה וגם דרשו חכמים כל שנה שרשה בתחלתה מתעשרת בסופה דכתיב מרשית חסר.

For it is written "from the beginning of the year" (Devarim 11:12), and the Sages also expounded: any year that is impoverished (rash) at its beginning becomes rich at its end, as it is written "mereishis" spelled deficient (resh-shin-yud-tav).

The defective spelling of "reishis" hints at the word rash, poor. A year that begins in humble poverty of self — bending oneself before Hashem — ends in spiritual wealth.

וזהו תשרי.

And this is Tishrei.

Tishrei, the month of Rosh Hashanah, is the season of this beginning — entering humbly so as to be enriched.

וע"י התקיעות ממשיכין האלף להתדבק באחדות שהוא השורש וההתחדשות ועי"ז מתגלה האור.

And through the shofar blasts they draw the aleph to cling to the Oneness — which is the root and renewal — and through this the light is revealed.

The shofar draws the aleph (the One, Hashem's unity) into the concealed world of Tishrei, binding creation back to its root, so that the hidden divine light shines forth even within nature.

והשי"ת נתן גם ר"ה ויו"כ תוך המועדות הוא כמו שפתח התורה בבראשית משום כח מעשיו הגיד כו'.

And that Hashem Yisborach placed Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur among the festivals is like the Torah beginning with "Bereishis," because of "the power of His deeds He told."

Just as the Torah opens with creation to declare Hashem's power, so the Yamim Noraim are set among the moadim to reveal that same creative power and Hashem's mastery over the world.

פי' כח מעשיו הוא מעשה בראשית.

That is, "the power of His deeds" refers to the act of creation (maaseh bereishis).

The Sefas Emes clarifies that "the power of His deeds" means the work of creation itself.

ועיקרו יצירת אדה"ר שבוודאי בכל ר"ה ניתקן קצת חטא האדם.

And its essence is the forming of Adam HaRishon, for certainly on every Rosh Hashanah a measure of the sin of man is rectified.

The climax of creation was the formation of man. Since Adam was created on Rosh Hashanah, each year on this day there is a partial tikkun of his sin, a renewal of mankind's purpose.

והנה מעלת האבות גבוה מזה אך כדי לזכות בני ישראל מסר להם גם בחי' אלו.

Now the level of the Avos is higher than this, yet in order to give merit to Bnei Yisrael, He handed over to them these aspects as well.

The Avos stood on a loftier rung, but Hashem transmitted their spiritual powers down to all of Bnei Yisrael so that every Jew can access them.

והכל במדה עפ"י מ"ש במ"א בענין העקידה כי לשחוט הבן אין כל כך דבר גדול בעבור ציווי השי"ת.

And all of this is measured, in accordance with what we said elsewhere regarding the Akeidah: that to slaughter one's son is not in itself such a great thing when it is done because Hashem Yisborach commanded it.

The Sefas Emes makes a striking point: simply obeying a command, even to sacrifice a son, is not the greatness of the Akeidah — for a true servant fulfills any command of his Master.

רק שאאע"ה הבין וראה כל כחן של ישראל שעתיד לצאת מיצחק וכ"ז מסר בעבור לקיים רצון השי"ת שעה אחת שלא לעבור על רצונו ית'.

Rather, Avraham Avinu understood and saw the entire power of Bnei Yisrael destined to come forth from Yitzchak, and he handed all of this over in order to fulfill the will of Hashem Yisborach for a single hour, so as not to transgress His ratzon.

The true greatness was that Avraham saw all the future of Bnei Yisrael bound up in Yitzchak, and was willing to surrender that entire future for one moment of doing ratzon Hashem. That total bittul of self-interest was the real nisayon.

ולכן שילם לו הקב"ה מדה במדה ולא חשכת את בנך כו' וירש זרעך את שער אויביו שכל השערים השייכים לכל האומות הכל נמסר לבנ"י ע"י שמסר כל כוחן של ישראל בעבור רצונו ית' כנ"ל.

Therefore Hakadosh Baruch Hu repaid him measure for measure: "you did not withhold your son…" and "your offspring shall inherit the gate of their enemies" (Bereishis 22:16-17) — that all the "gates" belonging to all the nations were handed over to Bnei Yisrael, because he handed over all the power of Bnei Yisrael for His will, as above.

Because Avraham gave up everything for Hashem's will, he was rewarded measure for measure: all the "gates" (the channels of bounty) of the nations were transferred to his descendants — the very point the Sefas Emes made earlier about Bnei Yisrael receiving even the nations' shefa.

כי בוודאי אין השי"ת משליט לברי' רק מי שמצא לבבו נאמן לפניו שאין נוגע לו שום דבר וזה הי' הנסיון כנ"ל: יי.

For certainly Hashem Yisborach grants dominion to a creature only when He finds his heart faithful before Him, that nothing touches his own self-interest — and this was the test, as above.

Hashem entrusts power only to one whose heart is wholly faithful, with no trace of personal stake. Avraham's nisayon proved exactly this selfless faithfulness — the same midah of bittul that the curved shofar of Rosh Hashanah calls upon all of Bnei Yisrael to express.

Summary: The straight versus bent shofar opens a meditation on Rosh Hashanah as the day Bnei Yisrael bend themselves in humility (bittul) and conceal their own greatness, mingling among all creation to arouse Hashem's mercy upon the whole world. Just as Tishrei is the hidden "year without renewal" into which the shofar draws the One, and just as Avraham at the Akeidah surrendered the entire future of Bnei Yisrael purely to do ratzon Hashem, so the avodah of Rosh Hashanah is total faithfulness with no self-interest — through which Bnei Yisrael become the channel of all blessing for the world.