There is a halachic principle that governs mitzvos that one fulfills by hearing from someone else, such as the mitzvos of shofar, megillah, and kiddush. That is, the one who enables others to fulfill their obligation must himself be obligated in that particular mitzvah. If the person blowing the shofar, reading the megillah, or saying kiddush is not required to perform the given mitzvah, such as if he is under the age of bar mitzvah, the listener does not fulfill his obligation and must perform the mitzvah again. Nevertheless, one who already fulfilled his obligation may still blow the shofar, read the megillah, or recite kiddush for others. The halacha does not view him as an individual who is totally exempt; rather he is still labeled halachically as one who is obligated. How do we understand this distinction? If practically he no longer has to do this mitzvah because he has already done it, how can he enable others to fulfill their obligation?
Rashi in (Maseches Rosh Hashanah 29a) explains that the previously obligated individual is still viewed as being in a state of obligation because it does not suffice merely to fulfill one's personal mitzvah. As long as there is any Jew who has not heard the shofar, megillah, or kiddush, every Jew is still "obligated" in these mitzvos. This halachic principle is an extension of the concept of arvus, "kol yisrael arevim zeh lazeh - all Jews are responsible for one another." This principle is introduced in Parshas Nitzavim. Moshe Rabbeinu is instructed to tell the Jewish People that once they enter Eretz Yisrael they will be held accountable for one another. Torah is not just a covenant of individuals with Hashem, but rather with the entire Jewish Nation is one unit. It is this relationship that enables one Jew to assist another since in a very real halachic sense, one has never completed one's Avodas Hashem if there are others who have not yet completed theirs.
This unity of the Jewish People impacts on our fulfillment of tekias Shofar in another significant manner. The broken sound of the shofar is described by the Torah as being a Teruah which is translated to mean a crying sound. It is for this reason that we blow different forms of this sound. The Shevarim, Teruah, and Shevarim-Teruah are all different forms of crying, and because of the different possibilities of which one we should blow, we blow all of them. The very sound of the shofar highlights the emotional prayer that is symbolized by the cries of the shofar, which is an integral part of Rosh Hashanah. What should our focus be on as we pour our hearts and present our shofar cries to Hashem on Rosh Hashanah? There are two individuals who are referred to on Rosh Hashanah as crying and neither of them are appropriate models for us to emulate. In the Torah Reading of the first day of Rosh Hashanah we read about Hagar who cries when she was in great distress. Her son, Yishmael, was sick and the Torah describes how she left him alone and just cried. Rather than comforting her ill child, she is entirely wrapped up in her own sorrow. The mother of Sisra who cries when her son doesn't return from battle also plays a role on Rosh Hashanah. Our custom is to blow one hundred shofar blasts corresponding to the one hundred cries of the mother of Sisra. Perhaps our custom is highlighting the fundamental distinction between our hundred sounds and the sounds of crying of Sisra's mother. The mother of Sisra is described in Sefer Shoftim as sobbing for her son whom she is concerned about because he hasn't yet returned. She is comforted by the assurances that he must be delayed because he is still involved in his murderous battles. She who at first appears to be a sensitive, caring mother who is crying for fear of her child's fate is actually one who shows no such compassion for the victims of her son's barbaric behavior. The mother of Sisra cries for her own pain but is oblivious to the pain of others.
In contrast to the tears shed by Hagar and Sisra's mother, the tears of Rachel also play a prominent role on Rosh Hashanah. In the haftorah on the second day of Rosh Hashanah we read of Rochel's tears that were shed as her children were exiled from Eretz Yisrael. The majority of the Jews exiled during the destruction of the first Beis Hamikdash were not technically Rochel's children, rather they were mostly from the tribe of Yehuda who was Leah's son. Nevertheless, in Rachel's eyes, her sister's children were like hers. Chazal note that it was the sensitivity that Rochel had for Leah in helping her avoid embarrassment on the night that Lavan switched Rochel for Leah that ultimately merited Rochel's prayers being answered. Rochel symbolized the total selflessness of prayer. She cried for any Jew as she would for her own children.
As we blow the shofar and our prayers and tears ascend to heaven, we should look at others around us. What are their needs? What can we ask Hashem on their behalf? If we can elevate our prayers to include the needs of others, we are truly fulfilling "Kol Yisrael areivim zeh lazeh", we are responsible for one another. As we beseech Hashem as a nation this Rosh Hashanah, may we merit that of our prayers be answers.
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