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Why is the story of Yishmael read on Rosh Hashanah, and why is there no vidui (confession) in the davening? Rosh Hashanah is not about confessing past sins but about kabbalas malchus—accepting Hashem (ה׳)'s sovereignty and rejecting rebelliousness. The shiur explains that Yishmael was saved because he prayed and accepted his role as God's subject, not because he did teshuvah. Similarly, we must internalize that we owe Hashem allegiance and are willing to accept consequences for our actions.
The shiur addresses fundamental questions about Rosh Hashanah: Why do we adopt higher standards only during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah if it appears we're trying to impress God temporarily? Why is there no vidui (confession) on Rosh Hashanah despite it being called a day of teshuvah? And what is the connection between Rosh Hashanah and the Torah (תורה) reading about Yishmael? Rabbi Zweig explains that the parsha of Vayeira—the story of Sarah conceiving Yitzchok, the rivalry between Yitzchok and Yishmael, and Yishmael's near-death in the desert—seems utterly disconnected from Rosh Hashanah. Yet this has been the kriyat haTorah for 2,000 years. The key lies in understanding what the Gemara (גמרא) derives from Yishmael's salvation: "Ain dan es ha'adam ela l'fi sha'ah"—a person is judged only according to what he is at that moment. The angels protested that Yishmael's descendants would persecute the Jewish people, yet Hashem (ה׳) saved him based on his state at that time.
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Why does saying Vayechulu on Friday night make us God's partner in creation when the same words said Wednesday have no such effect? The shiur develops a yesod that Shabbos gives us the unique power to empower God as King—making our words acts of creation that objectively change reality. This power extends to blessing children, shalom bayis, and building deeper family relationships on Shabbos.
Why does Rosh Hashanah precede Yom Kippur when teshuvah follows judgment? The shiur develops the principle that Rosh Hashanah is not a tally of past deeds but a chance to forge a new identity through malchus. On Yom Kippur, we ask Hashem to wipe away the damage done by the person we no longer are.
Parshas Vayeira (Bereishis 21)
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