Aleinu and perfecting the world

בנוסח עלינו לשבח שניתקן במלכיות. ואיתא כי יהושע תיקנו.

Regarding the text of "Aleinu l'shabei'ach," which was instituted as part of [the] Malchiyos [of Rosh Hashanah]; and it is brought that Yehoshua composed it.

The Sefas Emes turns to the prayer "Aleinu," which is recited in the Malchiyos section of the Rosh Hashanah Mussaf and is attributed to Yehoshua. He will connect its theme to Yehoshua's entry into Eretz Yisrael.

והיינו שבתחלה נכנסו לארץ ישראל ברצון האמת להעביר גלולים כו' וכדי לתקן עולם כו'.

That is, at first they entered Eretz Yisrael with the true ratzon (will) "to remove idols (gilulim)" and "in order to perfect the world (l'sakein olam)."

The phrases of Aleinu — "to remove idols" and "to perfect the world under the kingship of Hashem" — express the original, sincere intent with which Yehoshua and Bnei Yisrael entered the Land: to uproot idolatry and to rectify the entire world.

כי אם הי' מתקיים כמצות ה' שלא להניח מהז' אומות והי' ניתקן א"י כראוי בידינו ממילא הי' טובה לכל העולם.

For had it been carried out according to the mitzvah of Hashem, not to leave any of the seven nations, and had Eretz Yisrael been rectified properly by our hands, then automatically there would have been good for the entire world.

Had Bnei Yisrael fulfilled the command to drive out the seven Canaanite nations completely and to establish the Land in holiness, the resulting tikkun would have radiated outward, bringing blessing and rectification to all the nations of the world.

אך אח"כ חטאנו והשארנו מהם וזה הי' גרם כל הגלות ולכן מוכרחים אנו עכשיו לעבור במקומות שאר האומות ומבקשין תן פחדך כו'.

But afterward we sinned and left some of them, and this caused the entire galus; therefore we are now compelled to pass through the places of the other nations, and we beseech, "Place Your fear [upon all that You have made]" (from the Rosh Hashanah liturgy).

Because Bnei Yisrael failed and left some of the Canaanite nations in the Land, the work of perfecting the world was left undone — and this is the root cause of the entire exile. Now, scattered among the nations, we are forced to wander through their lands, and we pray that Hashem instill His fear upon all creation, completing the tikkun that we left unfinished.

ויעשו כולם אגודה אחת.

"And may they all form a single band (agudah achas)" [to do Your will with a whole heart].

Our prayer is that all peoples unite as one band to serve Hashem — the very goal of "l'sakein olam," perfecting the world under His kingship, which was the original purpose of entering the Land.

וכאשר יהי' הגאולה לעתיד בוודאי יהי' מתוקן כל זה ובכח זה אנו שבין בתשובה על החטא שהשארנו מהם.

And when the geulah comes in the future, certainly all of this will be rectified; and with this power we do teshuvah for the sin of having left some of them.

The final redemption will complete the unfinished tikkun. Drawing strength from this certainty, we are able to do teshuvah specifically for the original failure — leaving some of the nations in the Land — confident that it will ultimately be set right.

עכ"ז מעוררין ג"כ זכות מחשבה טובה הראשונה שהי' לנו להעביר גלולים כו' וממילא בטוחים אנו להיות טוב אחרית דבר מראשיתו:

Even so, we also arouse the merit of the original good intention (machshavah tovah) that we had, "to remove idols," and consequently we are confident that "the end of a matter will be better than its beginning" (Koheles 7:8).

By reciting Aleinu, we reawaken the merit of the pure original intent with which we entered the Land — the sincere desire to uproot idolatry and perfect the world. Even though we fell short in deed, that good intention still stands to our credit, giving us confidence that the end of the story will surpass its beginning, and the world will yet be perfected.

Summary: The Aleinu prayer, composed by Yehoshua and placed in the Malchiyos of Rosh Hashanah, recalls the pure original intent of entering Eretz Yisrael — "to remove idols" and "to perfect the world" under Hashem's kingship. Had Bnei Yisrael fully driven out the seven nations, the world would have been rectified; but the failure to do so caused the entire galus. Now, scattered among the nations, we pray that Hashem place His fear upon all, that all peoples unite as one band. We do teshuvah for that original failure, and by reawakening the merit of our sincere original intention, we are confident that the geulah will complete the tikkun and "the end will be better than the beginning."