Tefilos for Rosh Hashana
- Why do we not insert personal requests on this day of judgement?
- In all the other prayers of the year we add the different nature of the day in the middle brocha. However, in the Rosh Hashana Prayers we add a lot in the third brocha. Why?
- Why do we introduce the various paragraphs with the word ובכן?
- Why are there nine brochos in the Mussaf Rosh Hashana Prayers as opposed to usually only having seven on Shabbos and Yom Tuv?
Rosh Hashana Prayers Introduction
To truly understand the nature of the Rosh Hashana Prayers we must bring an introduction of the theme of the day. (This is based on the Maamer Hachochma of the Ramchal.) The world was created with bechira for man to chose between good and bad so that man should have earned his reward. The ideal is when good is in charge and the evil is submissive. This is seen in the world as a whole, the nations of the world and the individuals within each nation.
In the nations, the Jews were chosen by Hashem and them being in charge means good is dominant with the other nations joining and assisting them. This results in the kedusha descending into this world and everyone uniting to serve Hashem. However, if the other nations subdue the Jews then evil becomes stronger resulting in the kedusha and Hashem being distanced from this world. These two situations can be described as when the Malchus of Hashem is revealed in the world or hidden.
Rosh Hashana is a special time when the first man was created on the sixth day of creation and since there is no King without a Nation it was the first time Hashem was King. The power of this occurs again each year on this day of Rosh Hashana and this is what we daven for.
How this is seen in the tefilos:
Since this day is when Hashem is revealed as King of the world this is the whole focus of the Rosh Hashana Prayers. It is added in the third brocho since the topic is kedusha, revealing goodness and holiness in the world. This is why the focus is not like we ususally do in the middle brochos of the needs of man, but rather it is focusing on revealing Hashem in the world. We preface the paragraphs with the word ובכן since this is based on the possuk by Ester when she was about to appear before the king and was expressing her inadequacy. (Avudraham) We also realise that our personal needs are annulled before this greater picture of Hashem being openly revealed in the world.
The first paragraph deals with fear enveloping all the nations and thereby they all unite under the Jews to serve Hashem and hence bring kedusha down to the world. The next paragraph shifts to discussing the different levels of individuals within the Jewish Nation who when Hashem is revealed get different labels. We also express the desire to be in Eretz Yisroel the land designated for the greatest place for serving Hashem. The next paragraph talks about when goodness is revealed how different people will react to it in their own way and how then evil will dissipate and be removed from the world.