Accepting Hashem's kingship beyond free choice

ראש השנה הוא בכסה.

Rosh Hashanah is "ba'keseh" (at the concealed time).

The Sefas Emes opens from the pasuk that the shofar is sounded "ba'keseh" — Rosh Hashanah is a day whose essence is hidden, the new moon yet unrevealed.

והענין הוא עפ"י מאמרם ז"ל בפסוק ואבדיל אתכם מן העמים כו' שנתערבו בנ"י בתוכם ואח"כ נבררו מהם כדי להיות להם תקומה ג"כ.

And the matter is based on the teaching of Chazal on the verse "And I have separated you from the nations" (Vayikra 20:26) — that Bnei Yisrael first became intermingled among them and afterward were selected out from them, so that the nations too should have a means of endurance.

Chazal explain that Bnei Yisrael are first mixed in among the nations and only then separated out, and this very process gives the nations a share of survival through them.

בורר וחוזר ובורר ע"ש.

He sorts, and sorts again — see there.

The selection is a repeated process: a sorting, then a re-sorting, as the Midrash describes.

וכמו כן בכל שנה שמתחדש הבריאה.

And likewise every year, when the creation is renewed.

This same cycle of mixing and selecting repeats annually as creation itself is renewed on Rosh Hashanah.

מתחדש ג"כ בחירת בנ"י.

The choosing of Bnei Yisrael is also renewed.

Each year Hashem's choice of Bnei Yisrael is renewed afresh along with the renewal of creation.

ולכן מתחלה נסתר חיבת בנ"י ואח"כ מתחדש בחירת בנ"י ובימים אלו נתברר משפט בנ"י שהם בוחרים במלכות שמים באהבה ובשמחה כמ"ש ישמחו במלכותך שומרי שבת.

Therefore at first the cherished love of Bnei Yisrael is concealed, and afterward the choosing of Bnei Yisrael is renewed; and in these days the "judgment" of Bnei Yisrael is clarified — that they choose the malchus Shomayim (Kingship of Heaven) with love and joy, as it is written, "Those who keep Shabbos shall rejoice in Your kingship."

This is why Rosh Hashanah is "concealed": Hashem's love is first hidden and then renewed, and what is "clarified" in judgment is that Bnei Yisrael willingly and joyfully accept the Kingship of Heaven.

כי בזמן שליטת מלכות שמים המה ימים נוראים.

For at the time when the Kingship of Heaven holds sway, these are Days of Awe.

When malchus Shomayim is fully manifest, the days become awesome and fearsome.

ובנ"י מקבלים הימים בשמחה ע"י שהם שומרי שבת.

And Bnei Yisrael receive these days with joy, because they are keepers of Shabbos.

Despite the awe, Bnei Yisrael greet these days joyfully — a capacity rooted in their being shomrei Shabbos.

ובאמת אין יכולים לקבל בשמחה כל זמן שהאדם משוקע בהטבע.

And in truth one cannot receive it with joy so long as a person is sunk in nature.

As long as a person is immersed in the natural, physical world, he cannot greet the Kingship of Heaven with joy.

רק בנ"י שהם דבוקים בהשי"ת והמה למעלה מן הטבע וזה אות השבת שבא להם נשמה יתירה למעלה מהטבע ואז יכולין לקבל מלכות שמים בשמחה.

Only Bnei Yisrael, who are bound to Hashem Yisbarach and stand above nature — and this is the sign of Shabbos, that an extra neshamah (neshamah yeseirah) comes to them, above nature — and then they are able to receive the Kingship of Heaven with joy.

Bnei Yisrael's bond to Hashem lifts them above nature, signified by the neshamah yeseirah of Shabbos, and from that supernatural vantage point they can accept malchus Shomayim with simchah.

וכ"כ ומלכותו ברצון קבלו עליהם כשנעשה להם הנס בים ונתעלו מן הטבע.

And so it is written, "And His kingship they accepted upon themselves willingly" — when the miracle was wrought for them at the sea and they were elevated above nature.

At Krias Yam Suf, raised above the natural order by open miracle, Bnei Yisrael willingly crowned Hashem as King — the model for accepting malchus with joy.

וענין אמרו לפני מלכיות שתמליכוני הוא כי באמת קודם חטא האדם לא הי' הבחירה.

And the meaning of "Recite before Me Malchuyos, so that you crown Me as King" is that in truth, before the sin of Adam there was no bechirah (free choice).

The Gemara's directive to say Malchuyos points to a deeper idea: before the cheit of Adam HaRishon, free will as we know it did not exist.

והי' מבורר מלכות שמים בעולם.

And the Kingship of Heaven was clearly evident in the world.

Before the sin, Hashem's sovereignty was plainly manifest, leaving no room for doubt or choice.

ורק ע"י עץ הדעת טו"ר ניתן הבחירה לאדם.

And only through the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil was bechirah given to man.

It was the Eitz HaDaas that introduced the mixture of good and evil, and with it the burden of free choice.

וכשבנ"י מקבלין בשלימות מלכותו ית' יכולין לצאת מזה ולהנטל מהם הבחירה כמו שהי' באנשי כנה"ג שניטל מהם יצרא דע"ז.

And when Bnei Yisrael accept His kingship in completeness, they are able to emerge from this and have the bechirah taken from them — as happened with the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah, from whom the yetzer for idolatry was removed.

By fully accepting Hashem's kingship, Bnei Yisrael can transcend free choice altogether, just as the Men of the Great Assembly succeeded in having the drive for avodah zarah removed from the world.

וע"ז מבקשין תן פחדך כו'.

And concerning this we request, "Instill Your fear..." etc.

The Rosh Hashanah prayer "Place Your awe upon all Your works" is a request that Hashem's kingship become so evident that choice falls away.

וידע כל פעול כו' היינו לבטל הבחירה.

"And let every creature know..." — that is, to nullify the bechirah.

The plea "let everything that has been made know that You made it" is essentially a request to abolish free choice by making Hashem's sovereignty undeniable.

והרשעים שמחים בזה שהבחירה בידם לעשות מה שלבם חפץ.

And the resha'im rejoice in this — that the bechirah is in their hands to do whatever their heart desires.

The wicked delight in free will precisely because it lets them follow their own desires.

ובנ"י מבקשין ליקח מהם הבחירה כנ"ל:

But Bnei Yisrael request to have the bechirah taken from them, as above.

The righteous long for the opposite — to be freed from choice entirely, so that nothing stands between them and complete bittul to Hashem's kingship.

Summary: Rosh Hashanah is "ba'keseh," concealed, because Hashem's love for Bnei Yisrael is first hidden and then renewed each year as creation is renewed — a constant "sorting and re-sorting" of Bnei Yisrael from among the nations. What is clarified in the judgment is that Bnei Yisrael joyfully accept the Kingship of Heaven, a joy possible only because, as shomrei Shabbos bound to Hashem, they stand above nature. Deeper still, the avodah of Malchuyos expresses the yearning to return to the state before the cheit of Adam, when Hashem's sovereignty was so manifest that there was no free choice. While the wicked cherish free will to indulge their desires, Bnei Yisrael pray to have bechirah removed so that nothing obstructs their total bittul to malchus Shomayim.