Humility turns the remnant into the beginning

בגמ' שנה שרשה בתחלתה מתעשרת בסופה כו' מראשית מרשית כו'.

In the Gemara: "A year that is impoverished at its beginning becomes wealthy at its end," etc.; "from its beginning (meireishis)" is written defectively (as meireishis), etc.

Chazal derive from the defective spelling of "from the beginning of the year" that a year which begins in humility and lack ends in blessing and abundance.

פי' שעיקר התחדשות בר"ה כפי הביטול שמבטלין הכל אל השורש.

The explanation is that the essential renewal on Rosh Hashanah corresponds to the bittul (self-nullification) with which one nullifies everything to the Root.

The fresh life and blessing that flow down on Rosh Hashanah are drawn precisely through nullifying oneself and all of creation back to its Source in Hashem.

והכנה זו הוא בבנ"י שמה"ט נקראו ראשית שמקושרין ומבוטלין אל השורש.

And this preparation lies within Bnei Yisrael, who for this reason are called "Reishis" (the first/choicest), for they are bound and nullified to the Root.

Bnei Yisrael are called "Reishis" because their very essence is to be connected to and nullified before Hashem, making them the channel for renewal.

ובכוחם מתחדשת השפע בכל ר"ה.

And through their power the shefa (flow of blessing) is renewed each Rosh Hashanah.

It is by virtue of Bnei Yisrael's bittul that the world's life-flow is renewed annually.

ובגמ' לשארית נחלתו אלי' וקוץ בה למי שמשים עצמו כשיריים.

And in the Gemara: "to the remnant (she'eris) of His inheritance" (Michah 7:18) — "to it there is also a thorn" — refers to one who makes himself like leftovers/remnants.

Chazal expound that Hashem bears the sins of "the remnant of His inheritance," meaning the person who humbles himself, regarding himself as a mere leftover.

ולכאורה יפלא דוודאי מי שנאמר עליו עון ופשע א"כ למה יתגאה עוד.

At first glance this is astonishing: surely one of whom "iniquity and transgression" is said — why would he be arrogant anyway?

If the verse speaks of a sinner laden with iniquity, the demand that he be humble seems superfluous — what does such a person have to be proud of?

אכן האמת כי אפילו החוטא צריך לידע כי אעפ"י שחטא כשמכיר את מקומו ומבטל עצמו אל השורש ע"י התשובה יש לו מקום באותו הראשית ע"י שיודע שהוא השיריים ובא למפרע אל הראשית מצד השארית.

But the truth is that even the sinner must know that, although he has sinned, when he recognizes his place and nullifies himself to the Root through teshuvah, he has a place in that very "Reishis" — by knowing that he is the "leftover," he comes retroactively to the "Beginning" by way of the "remnant."

Even a sinner retains a portion in holiness: by humbly seeing himself as a mere remnant and nullifying himself through teshuvah, he reconnects, from the "tail end," all the way back to the original "Reishis."

וזה הכח שיש בנפש ישראל ע"י התורה שנקראת ראשית.

And this is the power present in the soul of a Yid through the Torah, which is called "Reishis."

The Torah, itself called "Reishis," implants in every Jewish soul the power to return to the source no matter how far one has fallen.

וכתיב תורת ה' תמימה משיבת נפש וחכמים אמרו הפוך בה והפוך בה כו'.

And it is written, "The Torah of Hashem is perfect, restoring the soul" (Tehillim 19:8), and the Sages said, "Turn it over and turn it over again," etc. (Avos 5:22).

The Torah restores the soul, and Chazal urge us to keep turning it over and over, for everything is contained within it.

וזה הרמז אלי' וקוץ בה וכדאיתא בזוה"ק אורייתא אילנא דכולא בה פירין ועלין וקליפין.

And this is the hint of "to it there is also a thorn," and as the Zohar HaKadosh states: the Torah is a tree in which there is everything — fruits, leaves, and bark (peels).

The Torah is likened to a tree containing fruit (the inner essence), leaves, and even bark — every level, high and low, has its place within it.

וע"י שמבטל עצמו אפילו הוא רחוק יכול לעלות מעלה וקליפה להיות לו דביקות בגוף האילן.

And through nullifying himself, even one who is far can rise from leaf and bark to attain deveikus (attachment) to the body of the tree itself.

By humbling himself, even a person at the lowest "bark" level can ascend and cleave to the very trunk of the Torah-tree.

והוא הסימן אל החוטא אעפ"י שחטא אם אינו מרוחק אצל עצמו לגמרי ויודע ומאמין שאעפ"כ יש לו חלק בתורה ובבורא עולם אם כי הוא בשפל המצב מתהפך מצירוף שארית לראשית כנ"ל.

And this is the sign for the sinner: although he has sinned, if he is not utterly estranged in his own eyes, and he knows and believes that nevertheless he has a portion in the Torah and in the Creator of the world — then even though he is in a lowly state, he is transformed from the category of "remnant" to "Reishis," as above.

The key for the sinner is not to give up on himself: so long as he still believes he has a share in Torah and in Hashem, his humble "remnant" status itself flips into the exalted "Beginning."

ובאמת לשארית נחלתו נאמר על דורות השפלים שלנו שאבותינו היו עיקר הראשית שקבלו התורה.

And in truth, "to the remnant of His inheritance" is said concerning our lowly generations, for our forefathers were the essential "Reishis" who received the Torah.

Our ancestors stood at Sinai as the primary "Beginning," while we, the later generations, are the "remnant" that follows.

ואנחנו כפי הביטול בבחי' שארית יכולין להתדבק בהראשית:

And we, according to our bittul in the aspect of "remnant," are able to cling to the "Reishis."

Precisely by embracing our lowly "remnant" status with humility, we too can attach ourselves to the original source of holiness our forefathers established.

Summary: The renewal of Rosh Hashanah flows through bittul — nullifying oneself to the Root. Bnei Yisrael, and the Torah within them, are called "Reishis." Even a sinner, by humbly recognizing himself as a mere "remnant" and not despairing of his portion in Torah and in Hashem, transforms that very lowliness into a path back to the original "Beginning," cleaving to the source like a leaf rising to the trunk of the tree.