Malchus: Getting Back to Basics

I wasn’t planning to write a new post this year. The inspiration just wasn’t there. I don’t like to force it; I prefer to let it come naturally. However Hashem gave me a moment of clarity. I’m writing this as I sit waiting for Selichos at Chatzos, just hours after my family and I found ourselves in the bomb shelter again. For the second time in six months, we were keeping our children calm while trying to stay composed ourselves, with the sounds of explosions and air raid sirens all around us.

Thankfully and miraculously, no one was directly hurt in this attack. (There were casualties in an earlier attack in Yaffo, but the lack of casualties in this large-scale Iranian attack is astonishing.) Of course, we thank Hashem for the miracle, and beyond that I believe there’s a deeper message here that relates directly to Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah is about proclaiming Hashem as the King of the universe. We often hear this concept, Hashem is the Melech, year after year, yet what does it truly mean? It’s easy to repeat, yet harder to internalize and live by. We speak about Malchus Hashem, however it can feel abstract and distant, especially when we’re not sure how it applies to our daily lives.

Being the Melech means Hashem is actively involved in every part of our lives, guiding everything from global events to the personal challenges we face. Malchus isn’t reserved for Rosh Hashanah or moments of awe; it’s something we’re meant to recognize constantly. Every detail of our world, both big and small, is under His rulership.

When we declare Hashem as the King, it’s a statement of belief and a call to action. We’re acknowledging that everything we experience is guided by Him, even when we don’t understand or when things seem difficult.  Recognizing the Malchus of Hashem is more than something to say, it’s also something to live by. This recognition should shape how we live each day, whether it is during the Yamim Noraim or throughout the year.

For many, Rosh Hashanah is often approached with fear, a day marked by anxiety. While awe and seriousness are certainly part of it, the essence of the day is actually quite simple: recognize Hashem as the Melech, the King. When we do that, we’re active participants in His kingdom. We make ourselves count. By acknowledging and elevating His Malchus, we make His rule that much grander, and we, in turn, become part of something infinitely larger.

At the core of our belief is the principle of Ein Od Milvado, "There is none besides Him." When life’s events seem harsh or difficult to understand, we sweeten them by focusing on Hashem and connecting to Him fully. As the Nefesh HaChaim teaches, when we fully align ourselves with Hashem’s will, each of us has the power to change the trajectory of the entire world. 

This idea is central to Rosh Hashanah and is also a principle we live by daily. Every time we say Aleinu, which we recite multiple times a day, we express our hope for the entire world to recognize Hashem’s Malchus:

"לתקן עולם במלכות ש-די וכל בני בשר יקראו בשמך, להפנות אליך כל רשעי ארץ, יכירו וידעו כל יושבי תבל"

the words יכירו וידעו, "They will recognize and know", stress that Malchus Hashem is not an abstract concept. It is an eventual reality, one in which the entire world will come to truly know and experience Hashem’s Malchus. This is the ultimate goal:  to perfect the world under the reign of Hashem, as we declare every day in our tefillos.

This same theme is echoed in Mizmor L'Todah, which we recite daily:

עבדו את־יהוה בשמחה באו לפניו ברננה. דעו כי־יהוה הוא אלהים הוא־עשנו (ולא) [ולו] אנחנו עמו וצאן מרעיתו

"Serve Hashem with gladness; come before Him with joyous song. Know that Hashem, He is God; it is He who made us, and we are His..."

Just as Aleinu calls for the world to recognize Hashem’s Malchus, Mizmor L'Todah reminds us to approach this recognition with gratitude and joy, knowing that Hashem created and guides us. This simple act of acknowledging His Malchus, whether through daily tefillah or moments of personal challenge, brings us closer to Him and enhances His malchus over the world.

The message of Rosh Hashanah is clear: Malchus Hashem is not limited to one day or to extraordinary moments. It’s about recognizing Hashem’s rule over the entire world and seeing His hand in everything that happens. Every time we say or even think Ein Od Milvado, we crown Him again as our King and contribute to His greatness.

As we enter this new year, let’s bear in mind the simplicity of Rosh Hashanah: giving Hashem the credit and recognizing Him as King, today and as an ongoing practice. In doing so, may we merit the ultimate bracha of Hashra’as HaShechinah and all the bracha that comes with it.

Ksiva V’Chasima Tova