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“Why is Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Judgment, before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement? Shouldn’t it be reversed – first atone and then be judged?” Then he answered his own question: This is a sign of G-d’s greatness and kindness to us. First, He makes a day when we judge and assess our shortcomings. Only after this does G-d give us a day of atonement to rectify ourselves. The final atonement only comes after the ten days of Teshuva; the days from Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur are a gift from G-d to work on and improve ourselves. The Haftorah of the second day of Rosh Hashanah focuses on Hannah, a childless woman. Through her holiday prayers in the Sanctuary at Shiloh, she would be blessed to give birth to a baby who would grow up to be the Prophet Shmuel (Samuel). When Eli, the high priest at the time, watched Hannah’s fervent prayer, he believed she was intoxicated, not from alcohol but from spiritual energy. Fervent prayer was considered disrespectful. Since it was Eli’s duty to help Jews maintain proper spiritual intentions, he asked her, “How long will be your drunkenness?” Hannah answered, “I am pouring out my soul before G-d.” I am not drunk, she was saying, I am connecting my soul to G-d through my prayer.
One of the reasons this Haftorah is read on Rosh Hashanah is because it is on this day that Hannah’s prayers were answered. In fact, there is another lesson here for us; it is exactly her type of prayer that G-d desires from us. Let’s examine the prayer of Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Judgment. We place our requests before G-d. We pray for our spiritual well being, asking for help in our observance of the commandments, and we pray for our physical needs, for the well being of our children, our health, and our livelihood.
Yet Rosh Hashanah is also the day we acknowledge and crown G-d as King over every aspect of our lives. How does one crown a king and accept his kingship? By humbling oneself before the king, nullifying oneself to the point of being unconcerned with personal needs. The Lubavitcher Rebbe asks, if this is the case, why do we spend so much time on Rosh Hashanah praying for our own necessities? Because, deep down, on a soul level, we understand that material blessings are actually being given in order to serve G-d in the best way.

A Jewish person’s prayer for physical well-being is not for the sake of leading a self-serving life of luxury. A Jew prays to G-d to grant his or her physical needs as an integral part of establishing G-d as our Lord and King. Making G-d our King means not limiting His dominion to the synagogue or to the moment of doing a mitzvah. We need to make G-d King in every aspect of our lives and every place in the world all through the year. This is the reason we ask G-d for our physical needs on Rosh Hashana. Everything, even the most mundane physicality, should be a dwelling place for G-d. On Rosh Hashanah, we ask for G-d’s help to give us the ability to fully serve Him.

Hannah exemplified this intent in her prayer. She vowed that if G-d would give her a son, she would dedicate his life to Divine service. Hannah was not asking for a child just to fulfill her maternal needs or to have someone to love, but rather to show her total commitment to G-d’s kingship. This is the model for our holiday prayers. We ask for our physical needs, and even if we are primarily concerned with them for selfish reasons, deep down, the essence of our prayer is an outpouring of the soul, longing to connect to and serve G-d. And, just as Hannah was answered on Rosh Hashanah, so should G-d fulfill, for each of us, all of our requests for a good and sweet year.

I once met a young man named Richard who told me that a simple analogy was enough to help him put aside all of his worldly concerns, and wholly dedicate himself to Judaism. He said, “What is the difference between belief and faith? Remember that man who used to jump over 20 parked cars with his motorcycle? Belief is believing he will do it. Faith is getting on the motorcycle behind him.” Before the High Holidays, each Jew person is being asked to have faith in G-d and His Torah. This year, do not be an observer. Get on the bike! Let G-d do the rest.

Shabbat Shalom and L’Shana Tova.
May every Jew be written and signed for a good and sweet new year! Shaul

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