Defending Yidden
It was Rosh Hashana in the shul of Belz. The Sar Shalom of Belz called over his son, Reb Yehoshua of Belz, and said, “Go to the corner of the shul and listen to the two chassidim who are talking to each other.”
Reb Yehoshua walked over and heard one saying to the other, “What should we do? How can we daven to Hashem for a good year? We know how many times we fell during the year and did not do Hashem’s will.”
Reb Yehoshua returned to his father and told him what he had heard.
The Sar Shalom explained that in Shamayim, the yetzer hara came before the Heavenly Court and asked, “What is so special about the Yidden? The goyim also give tzedakah. They also do good deeds. Why does Hashem love the Yidden so much?”
The heavenly defender answered, “Go listen to two Yidden in Belz right now. They are brokenhearted over the times they fell for their yetzer hara during the year. This is what is so special about the Yidden! They have a lev nishbar, a broken heart, because they feel that they have become distant from Hashem.”
Did you know?
It was Rosh Hashana in the shul of Belz. The Sar Shalom of Belz called over his son, Reb Yehoshua of Belz, and said, “Go to the corner of the shul and listen to the two chassidim who are talking to each other.”
Reb Yehoshua walked over and heard one saying to the other, “What should we do? How can we daven to Hashem for a good year? We know how many times we fell during the year and did not do Hashem’s will.”
Reb Yehoshua returned to his father and told him what he had heard.
The Sar Shalom explained that in Shamayim, the yetzer hara came before the Heavenly Court and asked, “What is so special about the Yidden? The goyim also give tzedakah. They also do good deeds. Why does Hashem love the Yidden so much?”
The heavenly defender answered, “Go listen to two Yidden in Belz right now. They are brokenhearted over the times they fell for their yetzer hara during the year. This is what is so special about the Yidden! They have a lev nishbar, a broken heart, because they feel that they have become distant from Hashem.”
The Terumas Hadeshen would eat the simanim of Rosh Hashana throughout the entire Aseres Yemei Teshuva. The Gemara says to eat simanim at the beginning of the year, and he considered all ten days to be the beginning of the year.
The Yaavetz writes in his siddur that the siman in the Tur that discusses tekias shofar is (586 תקפ״ו), which is the same numerical value as shofar. He writes that even though the Tur did not do this on purpose, since he wrote his sefer l’shem Shamayim, Hashem showed him this beautiful sign.
The Pri Chadash would send mishloach manos to poor people on Erev Rosh Hashana, based on the passuk in Nechemiah, “V’shilchu manos l’ein nachon lo” — send portions to those who do not have.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 98 – Rosh Hashana.