During the Rosh Hashanah holiday, I read a thought provoking essay on the nature of the holiday, especially in regard to the theme of identifying G-d as our King. Admittedly, my mind did wander a bit to the comparison between project leader and project team, but I quickly dismissed that as being A) not relevant for the day and B) overstating a bit the role of the PM 😉
The essay, written by Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe in his book “Alei Shor” volume 2, points out that the rule of a true king as a national, socio-economic reality has not been known by our generation. Unlike previous generations from all over the world, we only know democratic, socialist, communist, etc. forms of governmental rule. We don’t know what it means to live under the omnipotent and often whimsical rule of a single entity that is not a violent dictator.
If G-d wants us to be able to relate to Him as King, why did He let the actual experience of what it means to live under a king become historical and abstract? Also, and more practically, how are we to properly relate to the theme of his Kingship on the day of Rosh Hashannah?
Rabbi Wolbe explains that with the trend of the world at large towards renaissance and enlightenment, towards democracy and the voice of the individual, the cultural tolerance for complete submission to a single person’s law has waned to the point that only violent dictators can wield the power of “kings.” There have been times, however, where people live in lands not their own while their king is in exile – working behind the scenes to regain his rule. The loyalists to this exiled king work underground to support and promote the interests and restoration of their nation and their king.
This idea, that G-d is our King in exile, and that we are scattered among the world to do our part to restore His kingship, is sourced in the well known Talmudic concept that when the Second Temple was destroyed 2000 years ago, the Shekina [name of G-d] went into exile with the Jewish people. While we don’t live under the rule of a foreign king, there is a pervasive imposition of the power of “zadon” – evil. This includes gross examples of violence and sexual abuse, along with more subtle versions of vengeance, argument, hatred and jealousy.
On Rosh Hashanna, we remind ourselves that our King is in exile, and our positive free choices in the face of the negative forces around us, are the acts of guerrilla warfare that contribute to the restoration of his crown.
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