Sermon for Erev Rosh Hashanah 5783
September 25, 2022
THEREFORE.
I think therefore I am….
It’s raining and I went outside without an umbrella. Therefore I got wet.
I ate too much at dinner. Therefore, I had indigestion.
A useful word this “therefore.” A word that implies some sort of logical connection between what comes before it and what comes after it. A word that implies that the universe ultimately makes sense, even if we don’t quite grasp how, and even if from our own limited perspectives it might at times seem chaotic and random.
THEREFORE.
The Hebrew equivalent of “THEREFORE” is “UVECHEN”.
UVECHEN.
That’s a word that comes up repeatedly in the High Holiday liturgy. You may have already noticed it in our service thus far this evening. But before we get to that, I’d like to point out a key moment in the Bible where we find the word “UVECHEN”.
It’s in the Megillah – the Book of Esther:
Haman (boooo…..) had hatched a plan for the extermination of the Jews of King Achashverosh’s realm.
Mordechai had shared the scary news with his niece Esther who had been chosen as Achashverosh’s Queen --- while secretly hiding her Jewish identity.
And now Uncle Mordechai implores Queen Esther to intercede with King Achashverosh – to enter the royal chamber even though she has not been summoned, thus risking death. And Esther bravely responds:
וּבְכֵ֞ן אָב֤וֹא אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־כַדָּ֔ת וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָבַ֖דְתִּי אָבָֽדְתִּי׃
AND THEREFORE --- UVECHEN ---- I shall go to the king, though it is contrary to the law; and if I am to perish, I shall perish!”[1]
That’s from Esther, chapter 4, verse 16. So, what Esther is, in effect saying, is ---
UVECHEN – It’s logical cause and effect. My people are in danger so therefore I must try to advocate their cause even at risk to myself.
I found a long explanatory footnote about the connection of this verse from Megillat Esther with our spiritual efforts during these Yamim Nora’im/ these Days of Awe --- these Ten Days of Teshuvah that start tonight and extend through the final shofar blast at the end of Yom Kippur:
Here’s what the commentary from the Metsudah Machzor says about Queen Esther’s “UVECHEN”/ “AND THEREFORE” and of its relation to ourselves:
(I’ve edited it slightly, mainly to make the God language gender neutral)
36 The word וּבְכֵן, ‘and [therefore],’ marks the beginning of the special prayers of the [Amidah] recited at each Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur service. According to Avudraham [who lived in 14th century Spain] the Sages chose this word to convey the thought expressed by Esther as she prepared to go before the king on behalf of her people. After telling Mordechai to assemble all the Jews to fast for three days and nights on her behalf, she said, “ וּבְכֵן אָבוֹא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ ‘and [therefore] I will go in to the king” (Esther 4:16). Thus, since today is the Day of Judgment, as we come before the Supreme [Ruler]of [Rulers], the [Blessed] Holy One […], we begin with the words uttered by Esther as she came before the king. The Siddur Maggid Tzedek quoted by Siach Yitzchak writes that the emphasis of Avudraham was on the last words of the verse said by Esther, “וּבְכֵן אָבוֹא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר לֹא כַדָּת,” “And so I will go into the king, even if it is unlawful,” for which one of us can say, “I am virtuous, I have cleansed my heart from sin.” Especially on this great and awesome Day of Judgment, who among us is not embarrassed and ashamed to appear before the [Ruler of Rulers] garbed in sackcloths of sin. If Esther who had fasted for three days in penitence and prayer in preparation for her appearance before the king was nevertheless so terribly frightened that she declared: “וּבְכֵן אָבוֹא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר לֹא כַדָּת” (“And [therefore] I will go into the king, even if it is unlawful,”) then we should certainly tremble in awe before the presence of Hashem on this Day of Judgment, knowing deep in our hearts how little and how poorly we have prepared ourselves. Thus our Sages ordained that we open the prayers with the word וּבְכֵן [“and therefore”] recalling the words of Esther; therewith shattering our delusions of spiritual complacency, and causing us to bow before [God] with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes.
Okay, before anyone runs out of here in a fit of hopelessness, let’s back up a little.
Just remember --- that this yearly exercise we undertake of individual and communal self-assessment is not meant to spiritually paralyze us. Just the opposite. We --- and our liturgy – only go through this process because we have faith in the outcome --- We have faith that God, so to speak, doesn’t expect us to be perfect – rather God, as it were, has compassion for the world and its creatures and therefore “UVECHEN” – we too should have compassion for the world and its creatures. And THEREFORE/ UVECHEN our sincere efforts for teshuvah will be fruitful. As it says in Psalm 27 –
ה' אוֹרִ֣י וְ֭יִשְׁעִי מִמִּ֣י אִירָ֑א ה' מָעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י מִמִּ֥י אֶפְחָֽד׃
The Eternal is my light and my help;
whom should I fear?
The Eternal is the stronghold of my life,
whom should I dread?
And so, that word --- UVECHEN/ THEREFORE --- Queen Esther’s faithful exclamation --- comes up prominently in our High Holiday liturgy.
So, did anyone notice it in the silent Amidah we did a few moments ago?
I’ll point you to it --- Let’s open our machzorim to the bottom of page 41:
Here’s where the unique features of the Amidah for both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur first appear[2]:
It’s in the context of the third blessing of the Amidah, known as Kedushat Hashem (in the evening version) or as the Kedushah (in its longer version in the morning and afternoon amidot). This third blessing of the Amidah invites us to think of ourselves as the earthly counterparts to angels on high. That, like the angels of Jewish tradition – we should be occupied with praising and serving God – and with giving one another permission to do so in everyone’s own unique ways.
We have three different insertions into the Amidah here in the High Holiday Machzor starting with the word “UVECHEN” (“AND THEREFORE”) --- and a fourth insertion starting with the word “VETIMLOKH” (“AND YOU SHALL RULE”)
I’ve decided to use these four paragraphs as my “chomer lidrosh” – that is to say, as the texts I’ll try to sermonize about – for my four High Holiday sermons.
So here we are at Sermon Number 1 (Erev Rosh Hashanah) --- Let’s look at that first “UVECHEN” insertion (at the bottom of page 41):
I’m going to try to translate it pretty literally line by line rather than using the more interpretive English in our machzor:
וּבְכֵן
And therefore
תֵּן פַּחְדְּךָ ה' אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ
grant that Your awe, Adonay, our God,
עַל כָּל מַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ
be upon all Your works,
וְאֵימָתְךָ עַל כָּל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָֽאתָ.
and Your dread upon all You have created;
וְיִירָאֽוּךָ כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים
and may all [Your] works fear You,
וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְפָנֶיךָ
כָּל הַבְּרוּאִים.
and may all created beings bow down before You.
וְיֵעָשׂוּ כֻלָּם אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת
And may they all form a single band
לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ
to do Your will
בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם.
with a perfect heart.
כְּמוֹ שֶׁיָּדַֽעְנוּ ה' אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ
For we know Adonay, our God
שֶׁהַשִּׁלְטוֹן לְפָנֶֽיךָ
that rulership is Yours,
עֹז בְּיָדְךָ
strength is in Your hand,
וּגְבוּרָה בִּימִינֶֽךָ
And might is in Your right hand
וְשִׁמְךָ נוֹרָא
and Your Name is awesome
עַל כָּל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָֽאתָ:
over all You have created.
**********
When I recite these words in prayer, the phrases that jump out at me are the ones that stress how we, not just we in this room, not just we in the Jewish community but we --- כָּל הַבְּרוּאִים (all created beings) – are in this together. That all of us are charged to form אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת (one band, one fellowship, one collectivity, one human race.).
Climate change is upon us. No nation can combat it alone.
Public health inequities are rampant. No nation can remedy it alone.
Hatred and terrorism plague the planet. No nation can battle it alone.
It sometimes seems like we are in a chaotic, senseless world. But that’s only our limited perspective. We need to believe that it somehow does all make sense. That there is cause and effect. That there is a “THEREFORE” --- an “UVECHEN” ---in play in our lives.
All this reminds me of the finale of Beethoven’s 9th symphony with its setting of Schiller’s Ode to Joy –
Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such' ihn über'm Sternenzelt!
Über Sternen muß er wohnen.
I’ll take the liberty here of revising those lyrics slightly to make them more gender inclusive as I render them in English ---
Be embraced, O you Millions!
This kiss is for all the world!
Brothers and Sisters! Above the starry canopy
A loving parent must dwell.
Can you sense the Creator, O world?
Seek the Creator above the starry canopy.
Above the stars God must dwell.
Those words were written in 1785, and set to music by Beethoven in 1824. But they still ring true for us on Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of the world.
An affirmation of hope and faith that recall the machzor’s call for all humankind to join together in
אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת
לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ
בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם[3].
a single band
to do Your will
with a perfect heart.
UVECHEN – THEREFORE – Let us enter the new year 5783 full of hope, faith and determination to heal ourselves and to heal the world.
Shanah tovah u’metukah
© Rabbi David Steinberg
Erev Rosh Hashanah 5783/ September 2022
[1] Esther 4:16
[2] The extra language in the first two blessings of the Amidah appear throughout the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah (Ten Days of Repentance from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur) but the “uvechen” insertions only occur on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
[3] “Agudah echat la’asot retzonkha beleyvav shaleym”
