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What does it mean that we "make" Hashem (ה׳) king on Rosh Hashanah if He is already sovereign? The shiur develops a radical reading: hamlachah is an invitation with conditions—we crown Him only with the understanding that He commits to providing a path to kaparah through Yom Kippur. The sa'ir hamishtalei'ach becomes the clearest expression of this covenant, binding the King to work toward our survival in din.
Rabbi Zweig opens with a Midrash connecting Rosh Hashanah's malchios to Yom Kippur's kaparah, focusing on the verse "Ekra Elokim Elyon" and the phrase "Kel shegomar alai b'Yom Kippur." The question is posed: why does the Midrash link the coronation of Hashem (ה׳) as King on Rosh Hashanah specifically to the process of the sa'ir hamishtalei'ach on Yom Kippur? What is the essential connection between hamlachah and kaparah? Rabbi Zweig suggests that the word "ekra" should not be translated merely as "I will call out" but rather as "I will invite" or even "I will designate"—citing parallels in Tanach and Yiddish usage where keri'ah means invitation (e.g., Esther's "ani karuy"). This semantic shift reframes the entire concept of hamlachah on Rosh Hashanah: we are not passively recognizing an existing reality but actively inviting Hashem to accept the role of King over us. The coronation is a mutual act, not an imposed sovereignty.
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Midrash on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, "Ekra Elokim Elyon"
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