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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
New Life on Rosh Hashana BY RABBI DANIEL GLATSTEIN
In
the Mussaf of Rosh Hashana, at the end of the bracha of Shofaros, we state, “Ki atah shomeiah kol shofar u’ma’azin teruah v’ein domeh Lach. Baruch Atah Hashem shomeah kol teru’as amo Yisroel.” The words “v’ein domeh Lach, and there is no one comparable to You,” seem superfluous; they seemingly do not lend anything to the bracha. They are a truism that can be inscribed in any bracha, to any tefillah, yet, it is added only to the bracha of Shofaros. Why? In addition, there is a concept in halacha that we require “me’ein hachasimah samuch lachasimah, the words near the conclusion of a bracha must be similar to and reflect the subject of the bracha’s closing words.” The words that immediately precede the Baruch Atah at the end of a bracha must address the same subject as the closing words of the bracha. The addition of the words v’ein domeh Lach, however, seem to be in contradiction to this halachic rule, as they are completely unrelated to the conclusion of the bracha. It would seem more logical to omit the words v’ein domeh Lach so that the praise of Hashem — that He is attentive to our shofar blasts — will flow seamlessly into the conclusion of the bracha. These words, v’ein domeh Lach, therefore, must be articulating a central theme fundamental to Rosh Hashanah and the mitzvah of shofar.
The Tefillah of the Shofar We have learned that in addition to the fact that tekias shofar is one of the 248 mitzvos asei, positive command-
ments, there is another dimension of tekias shofar: It is a form of tefillah, of prayer to Hashem. What type of tefillah is shofar; what is it requesting? Merubim tzarchei amcha, the needs of Hashem’s nation are numerous. We all have many wants and needs to request of Hashem: health, parnassah, children. Everyone has nisyonos, challenges for which they need assistance. The Ribbono shel Olam recognizes this, and therefore He gives us a gift: the shofar. The sound of the shofar is the unarticulated cry of the Jew. “Ribbono shel Olam, I throw my burden on You! I cannot articulate the many needs I have, but from the sound of the shofar You are able to understand what we need! Ki atah shomeiah kol shofar; You are able to understand the tefillah of the shofar, which includes even needs of which we are unaware. v’ein domeh Lach, and there is no one like You, Who could hear in the sound of the shofar the myriad requests and needs that we have, both those we wish to articulate and those that we cannot articulate. You, Hashem, are able to uncover and discover the true requirements of every Jew. It is the sound of the shofar that encapsulates and encompasses the unarticulated cry for all of man’s needs. There is no one like You, Hashem — for only You can hear all of this in the cry of the shofar.” There is, however, a deeper explanation for the words v’ein domeh Lach, There is no one like You, as these words have a very specific connotation. These words refer to the ability, specific to Hashem, of divining these unarticulated prayers.
Expectations of a Miracle The Tur cites the following, based on a Midrash: We groom ourselves before Rosh Hashana. We take haircuts and bathe, despite the Yom HaDin that is approaching. There is no nation like Klal Yisrael, who know the methodology of their G-d, His customs and laws. When one is about to be judged, especially for a capital offense, he wears black clothing as if in mourning, he lets his hair grow wild and unkempt, he does not cut his nails, and he does not bathe. He is so frightened of the upcoming trial, he is so consumed with fear, that he cannot even focus his mind on personal hygiene. The Bnei Yisrael, however, are different. As the Yom HaDin approaches, we dress in white clothing, we cut our hair, we trim our beards, we cut our nails. We do groom ourselves irrespective of the upcoming judgment. We even go so far as to have festive meals, replete with delicacies. The Tur concludes: we are confident that Hashem will perform a miracle. What does the Tur mean, we are confident in the performance of a miracle? What miracle occurs on Rosh Hashanah? The Tur should simply write that we are confident that we will be zocheh in the judgment, that we will have a favorable din, and that we conduct ourselves in this fashion because we feel assured that we will be acquitted. What is the miracle to which he is referring? Rav Moshe Shapiro, cited in the sefer Az Yashir by Rav Moshe Schwerd, teaches that the key to understanding what transpires on Rosh Hashanah is contained in the three
words: v’ein domeh Lach. We use this expression in two places in davening. Every day, in every Shemoneh Esrei, in the bracha of Atah gibor, we say, Who is like You, Master of mighty deeds, and who can be compared to You, King Who causes death and restores life. The words “u’mi domeh Lach, and who can be compared to You” in this context refer specifically to Techiyas HaMeisim. Hashem has infinite abilities, and He can perform endless wonders. Here is one example worth mentioning: A fetus in utero does not breathe through its lungs. It receives oxygen from the mother, via the umbilical cord. The lungs are not used for respiration. As the baby’s blood returns to its heart, to the right atrium, there is no need for that blood to proceed to the right ventricle and subsequently to the pulmonary artery — to the lungs — since the baby’s blood does not receive oxygen from its lungs. Rather, the blood from the right atrium proceeds directly to the left atrium via an opening in the heart, the foramen ovale, bypassing the lungs and pulmonary circulation. But a baby couldn’t survive after birth, even briefly, with a hole in its heart. Miraculously, when a baby is born and cries for the first time and starts to breathe, the lungs inflate and the foramen ovale closes. This forces the blood in the right atrium to now go to the right ventricle and then to the lungs in order to receive oxygen. This incredible miracle enables a child to survive after birth, and yet it is not classified as u’mi domeh Lach. There is only one single miracle, one neis, that we reference by saying,
