How to create a new world
There is no escaping the fact that this year has been one where the Jewish people have felt (indeed, have been) judged and attacked by almost the entire world. At such a time, it is difficult, even unfair, to ask us to center on the Yom HaDin (Judgement Day) nature of Rosh HaShanah. It is a time, rather, for us to come together, in solidarity. It is time to support and defend one another, strong in the knowledge that we are God’s people with a special mandate about how we are to live our lives and the role that we are meant to play in this world.
This is the theme of malkhiyot, of kingship, which is central to the entire period of the Asseret Yimei Teshuvah, the 10 Days of Repentance, from Rosh HaShanah through Yom Kippur. We gather on Rosh HaShanah together to declare God as king, not just overselves, but over the entire world. We imagine what a more Godly world might look it and we long for its realization.
וְיֶאֱתָיוּ כֹל לְעָבְדֶךָ וִיבָרְכוּ שֵׁם כְּבוֹדֶךָ… וִיהַלְלוּךָ כָּל אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ וְיוֹאמְרוּ תָמִיד יִגְדַּל ה’
And all will come to serve You and to bless Your venerable name…
Those from the far reaches of the land will praise You, and they will declare constantly, ‘May God be exalted.’
The message of malkhiyot (kingship) is relevant at all times, but it is particularly pertinent now. When the world around us looks this bleak, when we are besieged and attacked, it is easy to grow despondent. We may think of the future with anxiety or choose to not think about it all. But we will never overcome this moment unless we begin to imagine what a better tomorrow looks like, both in the Diaspora and in Israel.
In past history and in our current reality, leaders and movements who articulate a concrete and compelling vision of the future are the ones which have gained large, passionate followings and transformed society, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. Either way, envisioning and articulating such a world has always been the key first step to bringing it about. This can be a particular challenge for those who focus on liberal values and maximizing human freedom. Those who hold these values dear often talk exclusively about rights and opportunities without describing the world it is that they are trying to achieve, without telling us what we are to be working towards.
Malkhiyot calls on us to do exactly that. If we can work this coming year to imagine a more perfect world, to nurture, to cultivate and to articulate that vision, then we can approach the future with hope and optimism. In so doing, we can do our part to help make that vision a reality.
Shanah Tovah!
