The task of Rosh Hashanah is to crown HaKadosh Baruch Hu as King over us. And there is no king without a nation
Many times over the years, I have emphasized a particular aspect of the Judgment of Rosh Hashanah: We will each stand alone before the Ribbono shel Olam, and He will ask us, “Who are you at this moment? What is your essence? To what do you aspire?” Each of us will be evaluated alone, not in comparison to anyone else.
All three of the Gemara’s explanations of the Mishnah’s description of us at that moment of judgment as “kivnei maron” emphasize that we pass before the King as singular individuals, removed from any social unit.
And the judgment is not on our deeds over our lifetime, or even in the past year. But rather on the direction that we have chosen for ourselves now.
EVERY TIME I have emphasized this particular aspect of the Judgment, I have shortly thereafter received an irritated email from a friend, who is a serious talmid chacham, taking me to task for downplaying the communal aspect of the judgment and of distorting the sources.
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