Teshuva of a Nation

The following was written and edited for the Rosh Hashanah 5784 edition of Shabbat Lashem, Bnei Akiva’s weekly publication.

Ironically enough, the build up to the Yomim Noraim can be a very selfish time. We run around cleaning up our averot, confessing, apologising, worrying about our own fate. We bury our heads in Sefarim during Elul Zman or we fuss over whether we’ve cooked the right food or invited the right combination of guests. Especially when compared to other Yom Tovim, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur can encourage one to act quite self-absorbed. Even the concept of Teshuva is, at first, very individualistic. It’s about doing the cheshbon hanefesh (literally, accounting of the soul) to become closer to Hashem, or become the best version of ourselves that we can be.

And yet, this is exactly what Rosh Hashanah is not about. If we examine the Rosh Hashanah machzor, there is no mention of personal sin or penitence. We don’t make any resolutions to improve or recite vidui. Instead, we daven together, as a kehillah, tefilot of a completely different theme: the entire world coming together to accept the sovereignty of Hashem.

In fact, even when it comes to Teshuva, we are specifically required to make efforts both individually and collectively:

“From my straits I called to Hashem. He answered me, and set me in a wide expanse”
“מִן־הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָּהּ עָנָנִי בַמֶּרְחָב יָהּ”

Tehilim 118:5

This is the passuk of Tehillim we recite before blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah. The typical perush here is that the straights are narrow, suffocating feelings that, with the help of Hashem, we can escape to the wide expanses. Rav Kook, on the other hand, likened it to the contrast between the Prat (the individual) and the Klal (the collective). While we might be busy during Elul dealing with our own faults and errors, Rav Kook calls for our outlook to widen on Rosh Hashanah. He calls for a move from focusing on Teshuva Pratit (individual teshuva) to Teshuva Klalit, a collective repentance of the entire nation together:

“The genuine teshuva of the entire nation of Israel is a mighty, powerful vision that provides reserves of might and strength. This living teshuva flows not from isolated, fragmented souls, but from the treasury of the nation’s collective soul, Knesset Yisrael”

Rav Kook, an article printed in hayesod in 1934

Rav Kook further explores this concept in his book, Orot Hateshuva, particularly in the context of the beginning of the return of the Jewish people to its land, its language and its Torah. However, this notion of national, collective teshuva is not only brought down by Rav Kook.

Just last week we read, in Netzavim, the various brachot Hashem will bestow upon us, interspersed with calls for national teshuva. Regarding these, Rav Yitzchak Arama author of one of the most unique and influential commentaries on Chumash, during the onset of the Spanish inquisition, writes:

You see this starts with teshuva, as is written, “and you will return to the Hashem your G-d”. And then comes redemption, as is written, “Hashem your G-d will bring back your captives”. But there is more teshuva after the redemption, as is written, “and you shall return and listen to the voice of Hashem”. After this second teshuva, there is a further expansion of Redemption: “and Hashem your G-d will make you abundantly prosperous” followed by stronger teshuva: “you will return to the lord your G-d with all your heart and all your soul.”

Rav Yitzchak arama, Akedat yitzchak

Rav Arama’s chronological reading of this describes a gradual process of repentance interspersed with redemption, as Rav Druckman put it, kima kima (step by step). Not only is this a perfect example of Hashem calling for our collective teshuva, but it shows that collective teshuva is exactly what is required for our redemption. The first step to redemption is not to run around worrying about ourselves but to do teshuva return to Hashem, as a nation first.

At this time of palpable division, may we all, as we daven in the Rosh Hashanah Amidah,  “come together as one, to fulfil [Hashem’s] will with an undivided heart”.

וְיֵעָשׂוּ כֻלָּם אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם

ROsh hashanah machzor