Malchuyot in the Musaf Amidah on Rosh Hashanah – a segula for acknowledging the sovereignty of the Almighty

Malchuyot in the Musaf Amidah on Rosh Hashanah – a segula for acknowledging the sovereignty of the Almighty

Sovereignty

The Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 16b) states:

“Recite the section of Malchuyot (in the Musaf prayer) before Me, so that you will acknowledge My sovereignty over you.”

Maor Va-Shemesh explains this as follows: “Recite Malchuyot on Rosh Hashanah with all your heart—and then you will be able to acknowledge the sovereignty of the Almighty throughout the entire year.”

This segula consists of reciting Malchuyot and reflecting on the fact that the Almighty is King.

One of the central ideas of Rosh Hashanah is to proclaim that the Almighty is King and to ask that His sovereignty become known to every creature in the world.

Trisker Rebbe (Magen Avraham on Vayikra) writes that when Esther became queen, King Ahasuerus sent gifts to his subjects (Megillat Esther 2:18).

This is the custom of kings and queens: when they are crowned, they give gifts to their citizens.

So too, on Rosh Hashanah, when we have the honor of crowning the Almighty as King over the entire world, He responds by giving us many gifts—berachot.

Maor Va-Shemesh writes: “The Almighty created the entire world so that every creature would recognize His sovereignty, that He governs everything… The Almighty chose us as His nation so that we would observe His commandments and proclaim His unity twice a day (Shema Yisrael).”

Throughout the year, it is difficult for most people to accept the sovereignty of the Almighty fully [because of sins and the schemes of the yetzer hara].

On Rosh Hashanah, however, we must lovingly and wholeheartedly accept Him as our King.

This will strengthen us so that we can proclaim His unity when we recite the Shema throughout the year. Fortunate is the person who is privileged to attain holy and pure thoughts about unifying the Name of the Almighty during the forty-eight hours of Rosh Hashanah—this will fill him with kedushah and deveikut for the entire year.

Every moment of Rosh Hashanah gives us the strength to internalize throughout the year that the Almighty is King.”

The Shofar

The mitzvah of the shofar is also connected with proclaiming the Almighty’s kingship.

Rabbeinu Saadia Gaon explains that it is customary to sound the shofar when crowning a king.

Therefore, on Rosh Hashanah we are commanded to sound the shofar—for it is precisely on this day that we crown the Almighty as King.

The Jurik Rebbe taught that the difference between “Melech” and “Adon” is that an “Adon” is a ruler who governs according to his own will, without consulting anyone.

“Melech,” by contrast, seeks counsel from others (one of the meanings of the word “melech” is “to consult” [Berachot 27b]).

The Jurik Rebbe taught that during the Holocaust, the Almighty conducted Himself as an Adon, because He did not heed the counsel of the tzadikim.

The Makhnovka Rebbe (the son-in-law of the Jurik Rebbe) added that on Rosh Hashanah, when we recite Malchuyot and crown the Almighty as King, one consequence of this act is that from then on the Almighty will relate to us as a “Melech,” and not as an “Adon,” and will accept the counsel of the tzadikim.

This is also hinted at in the words, “Recite before Me verses of Kingship.”

Repeat the pesukim in Malchuyot and the other prayers on Rosh Hashanah concerning the sovereignty of the Almighty. Words spoken with this intention awaken faith. Repeat the tefillot that speak of the sovereignty of the Almighty until you feel in every cell of your body: “The Almighty is King!”

This emunah will draw down upon us deveikut and inner faith for the entire year.

Moreover, it is precisely this emunah that will serve as our merit, through which we will be worthy of a good year.

The Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 11b) states that the enslavement in Egypt ended specifically on Rosh Hashanah. Similarly, every person can free himself from his troubles on this day.

The Malchuyot blessing begins with the words: “Al ken nekaveh lach...”

The first letters spell the word “Akan”—the Sages say that this prayer was composed by Achan when he was being led to his execution. They enumerate the many sins he committed.

Why, then, do we begin Malchuyot with a prayer composed specifically by him?

To teach us that even if a person has committed many sins—as many as Achan—he can still do teshuvah and proclaim the Almighty as King. And the Almighty will accept his teshuvah. (Chatam Sofer, Devarim 30:5)

Malchuyot in the Musaf Amidah on Rosh Hashanah

“Al ken nekaveh lach, Adonai Eloheinu, lirot meherah betiferet uzecha, lehaavir gilulim min haaretz, vehaelilim karot yikaretun, letaken olam bemalchut Shaddai, vechol-benei vasar yikreu vishmecha, lehafnot elecha kol-rish'ei aretz, yakiru veyede'u kol-yoshvei tevel, ki lecha tichra kol-berech, tishava kol-lashon, lefanecha Adonai Eloheinu yichre'u veyipolu, velikhvod shimcha yekar yitenu, vikabelu chulam et-ol malchutecha, vetimloch alehem meherah leolam va'ed, ki hamalchut shelecha hi, uleolmei ad timloch bechavod, kakatuv betoratecha;

Adonai yimloch leolam va'ed: vene'emar: lo hibit aven beYaakov velo ra'ah amal beYisrael, Adonai Elohav imo uteru'at Melech bo: vene'emar: vayehi vishurun Melech, behitasef rashei am yachad shivtei Yisrael:

Uvidivrei kodshecha katuv lemor: ki laAdonai hameluchah, umoshel bagoyim: vene'emar: Adonai malach ge'ut lavesh, lavesh Adonai oz hitazar, af-tikon tevel bal-timot: vene'emar: seu shearim rasheichem vehinase'u pitch ei olam, veyavo Melech hakavod: mi zeh Melech hakavod, Adonai izuz vegibor, Adonai gibor milchamah: seu shearim rasheichem use'u pitch ei olam, veyavo Melech hakavod: mi hu zeh Melech hakavod, Adonai Tzevaot hu Melech hakavod selah:

Ve'al yedei avadecha hanevi'im katuv lemor: ko amar Adonai Melech Yisrael vegoalo Adonai Tzevaot, ani rishon va'ani acharon umibaladai ein Elohim: vene'emar; vealu moshim behar Tziyon lishpot et har Esav, vehaytah laAdonai hameluchah: vene'emar; vehayah Adonai leMelech al kol haaretz, bayom hahu yihyeh Adonai echad ushmo echad: uvetoratecha Adonai Eloheinu katuv lemor: Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad:

Eloheinu ve-Elohei avoteinu, meloch al kol-haolam kulo bichvodecha, vehinase al kol-haaretz bikarecha, vehofa bahadar ge'on uzecha, al kol-yoshvei tevel artzecha, veyeda kol-pa'ul ki atah fe'alto, veyavin kol-yetzur ki atah yetzarto, veyomar kol asher neshamah beapo;

Adonai Elohei Yisrael Melech, umalchuto bakol mashalah.”

Translation

(And therefore we hope to You, O L-rd, our G-d, that we will soon behold the glory of Your might, which will remove idols from the earth and utterly destroy the false gods. The world will be perfected under the sovereignty of the Almighty, and all mankind will call upon Your Name; all the wicked of the earth will turn to You.

All the inhabitants of the world will recognize and understand that before You every knee must bow and every tongue swear allegiance.

Before You, O L-rd, our G-d, they will bow and prostrate themselves.

They will render honor to Your glorious Name; they will all accept Your royal rule, and soon You will reign over them forever and ever, for the kingdom is Yours, and You will reign in glory for all eternity, as it is written in Your Torah: “The L-rd shall reign forever and ever.”

And it is said: “He has seen no iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen toil in Israel; the L-rd their G-d is with them, and the acclaim of the King is among them.”

And it is said: “And He became King in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people gathered, all the tribes of Israel united.”

And in Your holy Scriptures it is written: “For kingship belongs to the L-rd, and He rules over the nations.”

And it is said: “The L-rd has reigned; He has clothed Himself with majesty. The L-rd has clothed Himself, He has girded Himself with strength; He has also established the world, so that it cannot be moved.”

And it is said: “Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, that the glorious King may enter! Who is this glorious King? The L-rd, strong and mighty, the L-rd, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, you everlasting doors, that the glorious King may enter! Who is He, this glorious King? The L-rd of Hosts—He is the glorious King forever!”

And from the words of Your servants, the prophets, it is written: “Thus said the L-rd, King of Israel and its Redeemer, the L-rd of Hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no G-d besides Me.”

And it is said: “And saviors shall ascend Mount Zion to judge Mount Esau, and kingship shall be the L-rd’s.”

And it is said: “The L-rd shall be King over the entire earth; on that day the L-rd shall be One and His Name One.” And in Your Torah it is written: “Hear, O Israel: the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One.”

Our G-d and G-d of our fathers! Reign over the entire world in Your glory, arise over all the earth in Your majesty, and reveal Yourself in the splendor of Your mighty grandeur to all who dwell upon the earth, Your planet. Every creature will know that You created it, and every being will understand that You fashioned it.

And every person endowed with a soul will say: “The L-rd, G-d of Israel, is King, and His kingship rules over all”!)