Installment #3: The King is in the field – So What?

(screenshots from the link below to the drama "Moon Embracing the Sun." what a title, right?)

I don't know how much this will resonate for anyone but I feel a need to broach this as an educator. This isn't so much for mommies as it is for anyone in this generation.

I don't know how much we are able to understand Rosh HaShana anymore. As I mentioned in the first 2 entries – the essence of Rosh Hashana is coronating Hashem to rule over us as a king. The trappings and protocol of Monarchy, as it was "once upon a time," is what stands behind many of the elements of observing this day. But that is the problem right there, because Kingship is the one concept we don't understand today. As Democracy and Communism swept the globe, both were - successfully - hellbent on eliminating Monarchy and caused that entity to barely exist and hence become unfamiliar to most of the world.

From the very structure of the Amidah to blowing the shofar – everything is meant to create an associative experience of the awesomeness of Monarchy. But if we lack the software, then clicking on the icon does nothing because it has no program to run. What I would like to do in this chapter is fill in some blanks, so that when we reach the words in the siddur or even attend the shofar blowing, the hyperlinks (yes, I'm switching metaphors) have some kind of website to open up to, even if it's under construction. 

First and foremost, a king was deified so often, due to the fact that he is equated with being the source of Life and Death. Everything associated with him had grave (quite literally!) consequences. For example: anyone caught casually glancing at the King's face – by chance or deliberately – was executed. Justice has nothing to do with it. If you saw the king's face without permission – you forfeited your life. (It's not for nothing that Hashem says to Moshe "one cannot see My face and live.") I discovered this fact from various sageuks (Korean historical dramas) but lest you think this was only a Korean tradition, check out this midrash from Beresheet Rabbah 65:10:

"Another thing: [why did Yitzchak become blind in his old age?] ["…and his eyes became dimmed] from seeing" - from the power of that vision during the time that our father Avraham was binding Yitzchak his son on the altar, Yitzchak lifted up his eyes on high and gazed at the Shechinah. Our Sages composed a parable to explain this, to what can this be compared? Like a king who is strolling around the entrance of his castle and he lifted up his eyes and saw his beloved friend's son peeping out the window [and he saw the king]. He said to himself "if I kill him, I will be harming my beloved friend. So instead I will decree that the windows be shut/sealed!' And so it was while our father Avraham was binding Yitzchak his son on the altar, he lifted up his eyes and gazed at the Shechinah. HaKadosh Baruch Hu said "if I kill him [Yitzchak] now, I will be harming Avraham my beloved friend, rather I will decree that his eyes be dimmed and when Yitzchak grew old his eyes dimmed..."

It doesn't need to be said that there are layers upon layers of significance embedded in this midrash, and I will not even attempt to analyze it here. But on the most basic level, notice how our Sages in the 4^th century take for granted the convention that glancing at the king mundanely - warrants automatic death. (From what I understand there is a two-fold rationale behind this ancient rule: 1. To maintain the king's aura of mystery and reverence and 2. Quite practically – to protect him from assasins. You can't kill the king if you don't know who he is.) Now imagine how much more perilous other interactions were with the king…

Now I want us to apply this to Elul and Rosh Hashana which in some way complement each other. When the Alter Rebbe (who lived under monarchical rule, not Communism) wrote that in Elul "the King is in the field and greets everyone with a smiling face," do we have any idea what that means?! How radical that is?! It means all judgements are suspended; all protocol, all the pomp and circumstance, and most importantly, the danger of death – all are lessened (I do not know if they are suspended altogether). The king lets go of all of his privilege and puts his life in danger to connect with the people.

[To get a tiny glimmer of the paradox of a mortal king going out to the people (king in the field) watch minutes 11:10-14:30 here: https://myasiantv.to/drama/the-moon-embracing-the-sun/episode-7/ The irony is that on the one hand, this is the humbled, casual procession where the King has left the palace to connect with the people of the villages, outside the capital. On the other hand, even the stripped down version is still incredibly ceremonious and opulent. Notice how even the guards do not look at him and are ready to stab anyone who lifts their head. (FTR – this very much reminded me of the way I imagined the Leviim carrying the Mishkan in the desert for 40 years.)]

And then we enter Rosh Hashana and the King starts making His way slowly back into the palace. After the King has roused the hearts of the people with his vulnerability, he returns to the palace (after Yom Kipur) and all of the former protocols of Life and Death. He signs and seals His subjects in the Royal ledgers.

What's poignant about this isn't how impressive the king is but what does this mean for us? How did the King's presence in the field affect us? That is what we are meditating upon on Rosh Hashana (and even Yom Kipur). Now we have a whole new reference point for "Avinu Malkeinu": the state of informality and closeness in Elul (Avinu) creates a love that leads to awe (Malkeinu). We want the King because He really wants us – Ani Le'Dodi Ve'Dodi Li (ELU"L). And we see that that is the focus much of the Rosh Hashana prayers ("zocher ha-brit," etc etc).

Today, concepts like submission, awe, obedience, and respect are stigmatized but they need not be. When they come from tyranny and detachment – they become empty and even destructive; but if they come from affection and choice, then they become a framework that contains and protects the love. (This is the key to parenting, marriage, etc fyi.) May our prayers for a return to (rectified and balanced) Monarchy be answered and may we merit to coronate Hashem in our hearts and Moshiach in Jerusalem, this year.

Next Installment be"H: Yom Kipur