Could it be that my eyes deceive me?

Are there in fact both an old woman and a young woman in the same
picture? Is it possible that the line that appears longer is really shorter? Are
the spirals actually circles?

Most of us find optical illusions fascinating. We are intrigued by the
fact that our perception of reality can be so different from reality itself.

One True Reality

As we know everything in the ruchniyus world has a parallel in
the physical world.

Perhaps the Ribono shel Olam placed within the physical world the phenomenon
of optical illusions in order to awaken us to the possibility that our view of
the world may also be an optical illusion. Optical illusions cause us to step
back and question whether the world is truly as we see it. And that question
holds true on many levels.

When we say Shema each day we accept upon ourselves the yoke of Hashem’s
Kingship and express our emunah that Hashem is the One and Only Power in
the world. We cover our eyes to block out the outward appearance of the world.
This reminds us: the world is not as it appears. It may seem like it’s
controlled by many forces and many powers. However I need to remember that the
reality is Hashem Elokeinu Hashem echad — Hashem is our G-d
Hashem is One.

When we usher in Shabbos by lighting candles we also cover our eyes. It
is as if we are saying to ourselves: My perception of the world should not be
as I see it during the six days of the week when I delude myself into thinking
that I am in charge and that it’s my efforts that bring about results. I must
remember that the reality is what Shabbos represents — that it is only with HaKadosh
Baruch Hu’s help that I can accomplish anything.

Peeling Away the Layers

In a world filled with optical illusions it becomes exceedingly
difficult to see clearly. How do I know that what I am seeing is the true
reality?

Rosh HaShanah is an opportunity for us to peel away the layers and see
things as they really are.

Rosh HaShanah is Yom HaDin the day when each of us stands in judgment in
front of the omniscient King of Kings. One would think that the tefillos
of Rosh HaShanah would be devoted to teshuvah — expressing our sincere
regret confessing our aveiros and resolving not to sin again. After
all wouldn’t that be the best way to merit a good judgment?

Astonishingly there is no mention of teshuvah at all in the tefillos
of Rosh HaShanah. Instead the day is devoted to coronating Hashem proclaiming
over and over that Hashem is our King. Why is there no mention of teshuvah on Rosh HaShanah? What is our personal
avodah supposed to be on this day?

While Yom Kippur is devoted to doing teshuvah
for each of the specific aveiros that we have committed Rosh HaShanah is
devoted to getting to the root of those aveiros.

A person’s actions flow from his perspective on life. His perspective in
turn is shaped by the lens through which he looks. The lens shapes the
perspective; the perspective shapes the actions. If we want to change our
actions we need to go back to the source and change our lens. Rosh HaShanah is
a day when we can discover the lens that allows us to see the truth.

The Mesilas Yesharim discusses two types of mistakes we may make
when we look at an object in the dark. Either we don’t see the object at all
or we see it but we mistake it for something else. There may be a pole in the
street and we don’t notice it. Or there may be a pole and we think it is a
person. Our yetzer hara keeps us in the dark and prevents us from seeing
things clearly. We may make the error of not being aware of the enormous harm
of an aveirah or we may make the more serious error of viewing an aveirah
as a mitzvah and a mitzvah as an aveirah. (In fact as the saying goes
when a person does an aveirah the
first time he knows it is an aveirah.
When he does it a second time he regards it as an optional act. When he does
it a third time he considers it a mitzvah. And by the fourth time it becomes
an ideology.)

Such is the power of our personal bias to distort our perception of the
truth. Instead of seeing things as they are we see things through the lens of
what we are and what we want.

Then comes Rosh HaShanah the day that we proclaim Hashem as our King and
the day we work to internalize that message. The purpose of Rosh HaShanah is to
come to the realization that we have been looking through the wrong lens and
as a result we have made many mistakes. Aveiros are the direct
consequence of our lack of awareness that the Ribono shel Olam is King over the
entire world and more importantly that the Ribono shel Olam is King over us. When
we are able to look at every facet of the world through the lens of Hashem
being our King then we are able to redefine ourselves as His servants. When we
see Hashem as controlling every aspect of our life then there is no place for aveiros.

The Light of Rosh HaShanah

In explaining the pasuk “L’David Hashem ori v’yishi” which
we add to our tefillos during the months of Elul and Tishrei the Midrash
explains that “ori” my light refers to Rosh HaShanah while “yishi ”
my salvation refers to Yom Kippur.

Rosh HaShanah is the day that we learn to look at the world through a new
light through the light of malchus Hashem the kingship of Hashem. With
that new perspective we are able to change our actions and do teshuvah on Yom Kippur so that Yom
Kippur can in fact be “yishi ” our salvation.

Looking at the world through the lens of malchus Hashem brings an
additional great benefit. The Gemara says “Imru l’fanai malchuyos … k’dei
shetamlichuni aleichem — Proclaim Me as your King so that you can cause Me
to be King over you.” When we perceive the reality that Hashem is running the
world and recognize that He is our King it causes Hashem to act as our King
and shower upon us blessing and success.

When a Jew brought bikurim the first fruits to the Beis HaMikdash
he would make a proclamation thanking Hashem not just for the fruits but also
for all the chesed that had been done to him until that point in time. The
Sefer HaChinuch explains that the act of recognizing Hashem as the
source of our blessing is what causes Hashem to give us more blessing. That
is why he explains reciting Bircas HaMazon is a segulah for parnassah.
When we affirm in Bircas HaMazon that Hashem is the source of all that we have
it causes Hashem to give us more.

Rav Yosef Leib Bloch ztz”l explains in Shiurei Daas that on
Rosh HaShanah when we internalize the fact that Hashem is our King it serves
as an isarusa d’lesata an arousal from below which becomes the impetus
for an isarusa dil’eila an arousal from above bringing Hashem to act
as our King. Our awareness of Hashem’s power causes Him to exert that power to shower
blessing upon us and to guide us in our journey toward Him.

Not all women are able to go to shul on Rosh HaShanah. Not all women are
able to spend hours reciting the tefillos. However all women are
able to devote some time to the
main avodah of the day — to think and
look inward to work on peeling away the layers of illusion and begin looking
at the world through a new lens of malchus Hashem.

Rosh HaShanah is the day that we learn to look at the world through the light of kingship of
Hashem. With that new perspective we are able to change our actions