The Fern Sidman Commentaries:
September 19th, 2006: "A ROSH HASHANA MESSAGE"

In a few short days, we will once again (with Hashem’s help) usher in a New Year. The year 5767 will fast be upon us. And with much awe and trepidation, we approach the Almighty on this day of judgment and we beseech Him for mercy and for forgiveness and to grant us life.

We take this time to review our deeds, both personal and communal of the year that has past. We take upon ourselves to do repentance for any misdeeds or rebellious acts that we may have committed and we also review the opportunities that we did not seize.to sanctify Hashem’s name.

Over the past year, the Jewish nation and the Land of Israel have suffered the greatest military defeat in its history. We have witnessed the resurgence of Hezbollah and have have also seen the rise of Hamas to power. We have witnessed the bloody police riots against settlers in Amona. We have witnessed a government in Israel that is riddled with incompetency, conflict and corruption, whose agenda is the furtherance the covergence-realignment plan that will reproduce the scenario that we witnessed in Gush Katif. We have witnessed a rise in virulent anti-Semitism and the emergence of an Iranian madman named Ahmadinejad who declares his intention of wiping Israel off the map with his burgeoning nuclear arsenal. We have witnessed the legacy of the Holocaust mocked and ridiculed. There is no doubt that the threat of Islamo-Fascism is has reached hitherto unknown proportions and its philosophy is being embraced by many more potential adherents.

We are living in frightening times. The Jewish people and the land of Israel stands alone. There are no human allies to rush to our defense, as the world stands silent. While the level of bellicose rhetoric from our enemies continues to reach new levels, the silence of world Jewry is deafening. We are a people immersed in despair, confusion and mired in apathy and indifference because we are paralyzed by fear. There is no doubt that we’ve lived through similar times. In Europe in 1938, as the evil forces of Jew hatred goose stepped their way through Berlin, the world also stood silent as did world Jewry. As a result, we lost six million of our brethren. The parallel can easily be drawn to the situation that we face today.

And we stand perplexed and confused, we must know in our hearts that we cannot expect and will not receive the world’s assistance when it comes to defending ourselves against the heinous onslaught of our enemies. Our only ally is the Almighty G-d of Israel. Our only source of comfort and solace during these turbulent times is our direct connection to the Master of the Universe. At this time of Rosh HaShana, on this judgment day, our only hope, our only line of defense is to cleave to Hashem Yisborach.

As we stand in our synagogues and beat our breasts for our past sins and we ask ourselves what we can do to change our ways. We ask ourselves how we can improve our deeds. We ask ourselves how we can serve the Almighty G-d of Israel in a fitting and appropriate way.

We ask ourselves what the meaning of Kiddush Hashem really means, and why, out of fear, we did not summon up the strength and courage to do Hashem’s will. We ask ourselves why we did not do everything in our power to oust a government bent on wanton destruction of Jewish settlements. We must ask ourselves why we were humiliated and defeated by our terrorist enemies.

Did we really sacrifice ourselves for the Almighty? At this juncture of the year, it is exceptionally important to review a story that relates the true essence of Kiddush Hashem, of true and painful sacrifice for the Klall, for Hashem.

Every Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur we open up our Machzorim and recite the “U’Netaneh Tokef” prayer. The story behind this piyut, a prayer-poem, is sad and poignant and represents Ahavas Torah is a dramatic way.

The prayer is attributed to Rabbi Amnon of Mainz, Germany who lived about one thousand years ago. The Bishop of Mainz summoned Rabbi Amnon, a great Torah scholar, to his court and offered him a ministerial post on the condition that Rabbi Amnon would convert to Christianity. Rabbi Amnon refused. The Bishop insisted and continued to press Rabbi Amnon to accept his offer. Of course, Rabbi Amnon continued to refuse. One day, however, Rabbi Amnon asked the Bishop for three days to consider his offer.

As soon as Rabbi Amnon returned home, he was distraught at the terrible mistake he had made of even appearing to consider the Bishop’s offer and the betrayal of G-d. For three days he fasted and did not sleep and he prayed to Hashem for forgiveness. When the deadline for the decision arrived, the Bishop sent messenger after messenger to bring Rabbi Amnon to him, but he refused to go. Finally, the Bishop had him forcibly brought to him and demanded a response. The Rabbi responded, "I should have my tongue cut out for having spoken falsely." The Bishop responded that he would not cut out his tongue for it had spoken properly, rather he would cut off his legs because he had not come to him. The non-Jews then proceeded to cut each joint of his legs and arms. After each joint they would ask him if he wanted to convert to Christianity and Rabbi Amnon would refuse. When this was completed they sent him home together with the pieces.

When Rosh HaShana came a short time later, Rabbi Amnon ordered that he be brought to the synagogue next to the Chazzan. When the time came for the Kedusha prayer Rabbi Amnon told the chazzan to pause so that he could sanctify the name of Hashem. He then recited the prayer, "U’Nesaneh Tokef" in which he speaks about the great judgement which takes place on Rosh HaShanah and that all of Hashem’s judgements are true. Immediately after the Kedusha prayer Rabbi Amnon passed away.

Three days later Rabbi Amnon appeared in a dream to Rabbi K’lonimus ben Meshullam of Mainz and taught him the text of this prayer and commanded him to spread it throughout the Jewish world.

The following is a translation of selections from this prayer:

We shall now speak of the power of this day’s holiness,
for it is awesome and frightening...
It is true that You alone are the One Who judges, who proves, knows and
testifies, writes and seals...
And remembers all that is forgotten...
All Creatures of the world will pass before you like sheep...
On Rosh HaShana shall be written and on Yom Kippur shall be sealed
how many will pass from the world and how many will be created,
who will live and who will die,...
who by water, who by fire, who by sword, who by beast,
who by famine, and who by thirst…
Who will rest and who will wander...
who will become poor and who will become rich,
who will be lowered down and who will be lifted up.
And repentance, prayer and charity remove the evil decree!
For You do not desire the death of he who deserves death
but rather that he should return from his way and live.
Until the day of his death You wait for him,
if he returns You accept him immediately.