Rosh Hashana: Changing the World Starts from Within
Liluei Nishmas Ita bas Chanoch Aharon Bistritzky
A common theme in Chassidus regarding Rosh Hashana is the dual nature of this day. On the one hand, it is the day of judgment, and on the other hand, it is the creation of the world. As we say in our prayers, “Today is the birthday of the world” and “Today is the beginning of Hashem’s handiwork.” However, we also know that the universe wasn’t created on Rosh Hashana—the first of Tishrei—but six days earlier, as Rosh Hashana marks the creation of Adam. So which is it? Is it the day of the world's creation, or the creation and judgment of humankind?
The answer lies in the connection between the two. While the physical world was created six days earlier, Rosh Hashana commemorates the creation and judgment of humanity. In fact, the entire world’s existence revolves around the creation of humankind. As the Gemara in Sanhedrin explains, Adam was created as one individual to teach that every person should view themselves as if the entire world was created for them. Each individual is as important and unique as the very first human, and the whole universe serves as a place for us to refine, elevate, and bring G-dliness into. When we do this, even as individuals, we justify and elevate the creation of the entire world. The world exists for humanity, and when people fulfill their purpose, the world fulfills its own.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe offers a practical lesson from this idea in a letter addressed to the Jewish people. The Rebbe notes that people often focus on global issues, particularly around the time of Rosh Hashana. Conversations revolve around world politics, news, and crises, and we may feel that by discussing these matters, we are participating in the world's judgment. However, this mindset can distract us from our own personal responsibility. The true way to change the world is by changing ourselves first. As individuals, we may not be able to solve global problems, but we can undoubtedly refine our own behavior and actions. And when we improve ourselves, we uplift the world, because the world centers around the individual.
As we enter the new year, it’s important to remind ourselves that the world was created for each of us. This doesn’t mean the world belongs to us in a selfish or narcissistic way, but rather that the world is our responsibility. We don’t have to be politicians or leaders to affect change; we simply need to focus on improving ourselves. When we refine the person, the world naturally falls into place.
There is a beautiful anecdote that illustrates this point. A young boy kept asking his busy father to play with him, but the father, trying to finish his work, repeatedly told the boy, “Not now.” To keep his son occupied, the father tore a magazine page featuring a portrait of the globe into a hundred pieces, thinking it would take his son a long time to reassemble it. But the boy returned just a few minutes later, saying, “Daddy, I fixed the puzzle.” Surprised, the father asked how he did it so quickly. The boy responded, “I didn’t know what the world looked like, but on the back of the page was a picture of a person, and I know what a person looks like. When I fixed the person, the world came together.”
May we all merit a ksiva v’chasima tova l’shana tova u’metuka—a year of revealed blessings and redemption for us and the entire world.
Adapted from Life Talks on the Parsha