Rosh HaShanah, Rebbe Nachman, and Eretz Yisrael
by Tzvi Fishman
If Rebbe Nachman were alive today, I’m quite sure he’d spend Rosh Hashanah in Israel. He himself teaches that all of our of our prayers on Rosh HaShanah are accepted in the merit of the Land of Israel, the Land of our Forefathers, where “the eyes of the Lord look upon from the beginning of the year till the end” (see “Likutei Etzot Hamishulash” on Rosh HaShanah).
Rebbe Nachman was full of praise and yearning for Eretz Yisrael. He writes that a Jew’s service of G-d can only be complete in the Land of Israel, and that everywhere he went, he was on the way to Eretz Yisrael. In fact, his teachings about Rosh Hashanah explain that the essence of the holiday is completely immersed and dependent upon the special treasures of the Holy Land. This is because on Rosh Hashanah we declare G-d’s Kingship (Malchut) over our lives and over the world, and in the secrets of the Kabbalah, Eretz Yisrael embodies the concept of Malchut where G-d’s Kingship is most gloriously manifested. Nothing more fervently expresses the acceptance of G-d’s Kingship than living in Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Hashem.
Thus the greatest illumination of the Divine Presence on Rosh HaShanah appears in the Land of Israel. HaShanah. Rebbe Nachman’s teaches:
“The principle element of a Jew’s holiness is that he merit to rise higher and higher in the service of G-d, and this comes from the holiness of Eretz Yisrael. And the principle victory in the battle that must be fought and won in this world is to come to Eretz Yisrael. And all this is the essence of our Divine worship from Rosh Hashanah unto Shimini Atzeret, everything is to reveal the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, in order that we might merit to come speedily to Eretz Yisrael. And this is the essence of the establishment of Malchut that we are engaged in at this time, as explained in the writings of the Arizal, because the principle building of Malchut is to reveal the Kingship of G-d to everyone in the world, which we fervently pray for during these days, and the principle revelation of G-d’s Kingship is in the Land of Israel. Thus, the essence of Israel’s holiness is revealed on Rosh Hashanah, as it is written in the Torah, ‘The eyes of the L-rd your G-d are constantly upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end.’”
Also:
“The entire essence of the blessings of Malchiot, Zichronot, and Shofarot on Rosh Hashanah, everything is to reveal the holiness of Eretz Yisrael. For this is the central place of the ingathering of the exiles, through the blast of the shofar, as it says, ‘On this day, a shofar will be blown.’ For all of our Divine service on Rosh Hashanah is to reveal the holiness of Eretz Yisrael and to merit to return speedily to our Land.”
May the ingathering of the dispersed in foreign lands reach its completion in the coming year, Amen.
