Breaking judgment to reveal mercy

כתיב אשרי העם יודעי תרועה ובזוה"ק דמתברין ההיא תרועה כמו ויודע בהם אנשי סוכות.

It is written, "Fortunate is the people that knows the teruah" (Tehillim 89:16); and in the Zohar HaKadosh, that they break that teruah, like "and he made known to them [i.e., taught a lesson to] the men of Sukkos" (Shoftim 8:16).

The Sefas Emes cites the Zohar's reading of "yodei teruah": the root can mean "breaking," as in Gideon "teaching a lesson" to the men of Sukkos. Bnei Yisrael "break" the teruah — they shatter the force of strict judgment that the shofar-blast represents.

כי באמת הדין הוא רק מכסה.

For in truth the din (judgment) is only a covering.

Strict judgment is not the ultimate reality; it is merely an outer garment, a screen that conceals something deeper.

אבל לפנים משורת הדין נמצא הרחמים כמ"ש שיתף עמו מדת הרחמים.

But beyond the letter of the law (lifnim mishuras hadin) is found mercy (rachamim), as it says that He joined to it the attribute of mercy.

Hidden within and beneath the din lies rachamim. Chazal teach that Hashem partnered the middah of mercy with the middah of judgment in creating the world.

א"כ הוא גנוז תוך הדין.

If so, it [the mercy] is concealed within the din.

Mercy is therefore not opposed to judgment but is hidden inside it, waiting to be uncovered.

והנה מילוי אותיות דין גי' מלכות.

Now the "filling" of the letters of "din" (דין) equals the gematria of "malchus" (מלכות).

When the letters of "din" are spelled out in full (the milui), their numerical value matches that of "malchus" (kingship) — hinting that din is really an expression of Hashem's sovereignty.

ל"ת ו"ד ו"ן גי' מלכות.

[The full spellings] lamed-tav, vav-dalet, vav-nun equal the gematria of malchus.

He spells it out: the filling letters of dalet (dalet-lamed-tav), yud (yud-vav-dalet), and nun (nun-vav-nun) add up to the value of malchus, confirming the link between judgment and kingship.

שתכלית הדין כדי לידע דאית דין ודיין כמ"ש והאלקים עשה שיראו מלפניו.

For the purpose of the din is in order that one should know "that there is a Judge and judgment," as it says, "and Elokim has done it so that they should fear before Him" (Koheles 3:14).

The whole aim of judgment is to instill awareness of Hashem's sovereignty — that there is a Judge and accountability — leading a person to yiras Shomayim, to fear standing before Him.

אבל בנ"י דכ' ומלכותו ברצון קבלו עליהם.

But Bnei Yisrael, of whom it is written, "and His kingship they accepted upon themselves willingly (b'ratzon)."

Whereas the nations need din to coerce recognition of Hashem, Yisrael accept His malchus out of love and willingness, not under compulsion.

והקדימו ה' ימלוך לעולם ועד.

And they preceded with "Hashem shall reign forever and ever."

At the Yam Suf, Yisrael proclaimed "Hashem yimloch l'olam va'ed," eagerly crowning Hashem as King of their own accord.

לכן כ' ותרועת מלך בו.

Therefore it is written, "and the teruah of the King is in him" (Bamidbar 23:21).

Because Yisrael willingly accept His reign, their teruah is bound up with kingship — "the trumpet-blast of the King is among them."

שהם מקבלין מלכותו ברצון.

For they receive His kingship willingly.

Their relationship to Hashem's sovereignty is one of willing acceptance rather than fear-driven submission.

ובזה יודעי תרועה באור פניך יהלכון שהוא התגלות מדת הרחמים ושוברין המחיצה ובאין לפנים משורת הדין כנ"ל:

And through this, "those who know the teruah walk in the light of Your countenance" (Tehillim 89:16) — which is the revelation of the attribute of mercy; and they break the partition and enter "beyond the letter of the law," as above.

Because Yisrael accept Hashem's kingship willingly, they are the "yodei teruah" who can break through the screen of din and walk in the light of His Face — uncovering the hidden rachamim and reaching the level of lifnim mishuras hadin.

Summary: The teruah of Rosh Hashanah is "broken" by Bnei Yisrael — they shatter the screen of strict judgment. Din is only an outer covering; concealed within it is mercy, for Hashem partnered rachamim with din. The gematria of "din" (when its letters are filled out) equals "malchus," showing that judgment exists to make a person recognize Hashem's kingship. But Yisrael accept His malchus willingly, out of love, and so they are the "yodei teruah" who break through the partition, reveal the hidden mercy, and reach lifnim mishuras hadin, walking in the light of Hashem's countenance.