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TheHumbleKing,orTheCurtainWith

OnJuly16th,2008,twocoffinscontainingtheremainsofJewish
soldierscrossedtheborderbetweenIsraelandLebanonatRosh
haNikra.Crossingintheotherdirectionwasamonster,amanwhose
impurenameIwontmentiononthisholyday.HelandedthatdayinBeirut
Airport,toaHeroswelcome.Hewasfestoonedwithhonors,accolades,
andmedals,andtothisdayremainsafreemanrespectedandrevered.
Inlightofrecenteventsinourownneighborhood,itisworthwhileto
mentionthattheseizureoftheAchilleLauroship,andthesubsequent
brutalmurderofLeonKlinghofferwasapreviousattempttosecurethe
releaseofthisperson.

InIsrael,thereisawoman,SmadarHaran,whositswithAmerican
newspaperstobeinterviewedregardingherfeelingsatthereleaseofthis
terrorist.Shehasnotforgotten,andaspainfulasitis,norshouldwe.30
yearsago,afterapeacefulShabbat,thisnowreleasedmanenteredher
apartment,kidnappedherhusbandDannyandherdaughterEinat,a
precociousandpreciousfouryearold.Smadarhidinacrawlspacewith
theirtwoyearoldYael.Ihavenostrengthtorecountthedetails,but
SmadarHaransitsfortheinterviewsalone,surroundednotbytheloving
embraceofbothhergrowndaughtersnorherhusband.Foratime,
SmadarwasIsraelsiconicvictimofterror.Itwasshewhowasinvitedby
YitzhakRabintoaccompanyandgivestrengthashesignedtheOslo
accords,andalthoughshedeclined,Rabinsaidlaterthatasheshook
handswithanotherterrorist,itwasSmadarandherdecimatedfirstfamily
thatwereonhismind.
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PerhapsthecrowningprayeroftheHighHolidays,
communicatestousthenotionthatinescapablyso,theprimarythemeof
thisdayisoneofDivineJudgement,.Wearebroughtupupontheidea
thattodayisthedaywhenAngelstremble,theheavensaregrippedwith
fearandforeboding,andmankindpassesbeforeitscreatorforanhonest
accountingofthedeedsoftheindividualandthecollective.Allthese
thingsdeclareofRoshhaShana,!Judgementdayhascome!
Webegintodaytochangeourmostbasicprayerstoreflectthis
consciousnessasweaddtoourShemonahEsrei,
proclaimingGodthejudgeinsteadofGodtheHoly.

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IntheeyesoftheSages,therewasnogreatercalltoheresythanthe
assenttoanarchythereisnolawandnojudge!These
fourwordsunderminetheentireedificeofJewishexistence,andmakea
mockeryofourbeliefinGodandhisgoodness,becausetheydeclareit
irrelevant.Moreover,theyrenderthedayofJudgementafarce,inwhich
weJewsbegfordivinemercyinwhentheexperienceandperceptionof
manycryoutthatitdoesnotexist.ItisstorieslikeSmadarHarans,andthe
countlessotherslikeitthatsmearacrossJewishhistory,thatIconfess
compelmeattimestoatleastwhisper,Godforbid,.
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Today,wealsoannounce,itisthebirthdayofthe
world,theanniversaryofcreation.TheTorahtellsusthestoryofcreation
indetail,andnotmuchlater,wemeetthefirstmurderer,Cain.ThePesikta
recordstheargumentthatimmediatelyprecededthisactoffratricide.
Cain,perhapssteelinghimselfforthedeed,declares:,,
thereisnolaw,nojudge,noworldtocome,
andnorewardfortherighteous!Abel,perhapsacceptinghisterriblefate,
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bravelyresponds:,,thelaw
isreal,thejudgeexists,thereisgoingtobeaworldafterthisone,andthe
righteouswillberewardedthere!

Curiously,theTorahsaysafewverseslater,Cain
wentoutfrombeforethepresenceofGod.TheZoharteachesusthatthis
isanexpressionoftheheresyofCainhethoughthewouldbeableto
avoidthejudgmentalgazeofGod,andthatsomehowhewouldgetaway
withwhathehaddone.Whenheisconfrontedwithhiswickeddeed
,yourbrothersbloodscreamsfromtheground!
hecollapsesunderthepressureandfinallyrelents,mysin
istoogreattobear!

Thislastexchangeiscomparabletoanotherstanzafrom:

,andallthepeopleoftheworldpassbeforeyou
injudgement.NomatterCainsattemptstopretendthereisno,no
matterourpropensitysometimestoperceiveanabsenceof,theapex
ofourHighHolidayprayersaffirmsthatyes,eveninthe
deepestconcealment,ultimately,thereisalawandThe
OneTrueJudgeexists.
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Iwanttosuggestthatitisthisideathatliesatthecoreofourservice
today.Weprayforlife,health,family,friends,sustenance,&prosperity,
butintruth,thesearepersonalandeventuallyfleetingthings.Thedeepest
yearningofallintheRoshhaShanaprayersisthatGodrevealhimselfnot
asthegreatprovider,butasthegreatJudge.IntheHasidicsources,Rosh
haShanaisthe,thedayofcoronation.Thisisthethemeof
wearedesperatelytryingtocoaxGodfromhishidingplace,torestore
order,honesty,andrighteousnesstoaworldthatseemstobeincreasingly
devoidofthesethings,thereturnoftheking.Simplylookatour:we
beseech,showthyselfbeforeall
ofmankind!andeverylivingthingwillrealizeitscreator
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weareessentiallybegging
GodtorevealthatheisstillKing,andthatjusticestillexists.Oncewe
countertheclaim,anythingbecomespossible,wecan
believeonceagain.WecanevendeclarethatGod,,is
LonglivethegreatandholyKing,whositsinjudgement.

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Oneglaringquestionstillremains:howdowecopeinthemeantime,
beforethedaywhenallevilwilldissipatelikewispsofsmoke?Thetruth
isIdonothaveagoodanswer.Itissohardtomaintainthisfaithinthe
faceofsuchcorruptionandlies,inthisplacewhereevilseemsto
perpetuallyhavetheupperhand.Ideallywestriveforthisfaith,toechothe
wordsofDr.King:Ihaven'tlostfaith,becausethearcofthemoral
universeislong,butitbendstowardjustice.Weshallovercome
becauseNoliecanliveforever."

TheJewishpeopleisonethatisnotafraidofalongroadwehave
beenonitforthousandsofyears.Iwanttoconcludetodaywithadifferent
approach,arevolutionaryideathatcanhelptideusoverduringthese
timeswhenGodsjusticeandtruthseemtobeinhiding.

Towardtheendofhisshortlife,RebbeNahmanofBreslovdeclared
thathewouldnowbegintotellstories.Storiessucceedwhereordinary
Torahdoesnot.13ofthesestorieswerecollectedinasmallbookcalled
SippureiMaasiyot.Oneofthose,perhapsthemostcrypticofall,is
unnumberedanduntitledinmosttraditionalprintings.InHassidutBreslov,
ithascometobeknownastheTaleofthePortrait.

Once there was a king who had a collection of all

the portraits of all the kings in the worldsave
one, a certain king who signed himself as mighty,
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a man of truth and humility. The king asked his
trusted advisor, to travel to that country and bring
back a portrait of this king, who was known to be a
recluse. He added: I know that he is mighty, for his
country is well fortified; it is surrounded by the
sea, and by a great swamp, and there is but one
narrow path leading to the cityand all this is
protected by soldiers and cannons. But what is
meant by his description of himself as a man of
truth and humility?
So the advisor journeyed to that country. The
advisor arrives at the country, and soon realizes
that it is filled with corruption, lies and bribery.
He brings a lot of money, which he quickly
discovers is needed to bribe every official he
encounters, Even the highest officials, even the
judges, are corrupt and dishonest.
He finally gets to see the king, and tells him
everything he has seen. The officials standing
about try to stop him, but they cannot do so out of
fear. At first, he says, he thought the king was
corrupt and dishonest like everyone elsefor what
else would one expect of the king of a corrupt land
like this?but from his reaction to what he tells
him he understands that the king, is indeed a man
of truth, and for that reason cannot bear to see the
lies and corruption all about him, and therefore
prefers to hide behind a curtain.
The sage continues to praise the king more and
more, and the king leans forward to hear him. But
the more he praises the king, the king, being a
truly humble person, becomes smaller and smaller.
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At last, he can hold back no longer, and the king
pushes aside the curtain to see the advisor, and he
sees his face, and brings the portrait home to his
home country.

WhatwassupposedtobeamassiverevelationoftheKingmighty,
amanoftruthandnobilityturnedouttobenexttonothingpeekingoutfrom
behindthickcurtainsofconcealment.Theadvisormustreturntohishome,
withanearlyblankportrait,ameretrace,potentiallydisillusionedbythelies
andcorruptionhefoundinthelandofthemightyking.Allheisleftwithis
hisexperienceandmemoriesoffleetingcontactwiththemightyand
humbleKinghimself.

ThemightykingisGod,andwearetheadvisor.WeexpectRosh
haShana,thedayofcoronation,tobefilledwithpompandcircumstance,
andinsteaditissolemnandeventheconceptof,joy,isingreat
doubt.DespitethefactthatagreatShofarisbeingsounded,onlya
,asmall,stillvoiceisheard.Ithinkthatwecanchalkthisupto
thefactthatthereisanunspokendisappointment,adisillusionmentwith
thewhoisnotreadilyevidentinourworldwhoisconcealed
behindthecurtain.Thetruth,RebbeNahmanmaybeteachingus,isthat
untilwecanpaintthefullportrait,allwehaveleftisourselves,ourfamilies,
ourfriends,ourcommunityournation.WecarrytheportraitoftheKing
withinus,wearewalkingportraits.Webearthememoryofthe
trueKingofrighteousness,truth,andjusticeinourheartsandasJewsitis
onourholiestdaysthatwerecommitourselvestospreadingthismessage
to,allofcreation,eventhoughallofcreationexclaimspayno
attentiontothemanbehindthecurtain!.AsJews,wefirebackthat
despiteitall,weknowthatbehindthecurtainliessomethingtrulygreatand
powerful,despiteallthewickednessthatsurroundsus.OnRosh
haShana,wecomesoclosetodrawingbackthecurtain.
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WecannowreturntoSmadarHaran.Onewouldexpectandforgive
Smadarforsuccumbingtowhatshecalledtheabyssofpainshe
constantlyliveswithinthewakeofhersingulartragedyandthesheer
unfairnessofitall.However,inauniquelyJewishway,thatisnotthecase.
SmadarHaranrefusedtoliveinthepast.Shemourned,thenmarried,then
raisedanewfamily.Heranswerastowhy?how?camefromhermother,
shesaid.Yousee,hermotherwasasurvivorofyetanotherradicalevil
perpetratedagainstourpeople,inEurope.Smadarsmothertaughtheran
equallyradicalresponse:

MyMotherlosteveryone,butmymothersrevenge,theJewish
revenge,istobuildafamilyandbuildalife.Fromonegenerationto
another,weknowthatwemustputstrengthintodeveloping,buildingour
minds,ourhands,ourideastobecreative...

OurresponsetotheconcealmentoftheKingistodeclareourfaith
thatultimately,thedayofJudgementwillcome,thewillbetruly
revealed.ThedayforthatisknowntousasRoshhaShana.Wemarkthe
verypassageoftime,thecomingofanewyearbyproclaimingthis.Inthe
meantime,wemustcultivatethattrace,thatimageoftheMightyand
HumbleKingwithinus,thisyearningforanewworld,andtoproclaimtothe
world,,,.Mayitbethewillof
Godthatweall,together,merittoseethatgloriousday.