Q:
What does it mean עלה אלוקים בתרועה והשם בקול שופר – Elokim goes up at the sound of the shofar blast; He goes up at the sound of the shofar. What does it mean “He goes up”?
A:
Reb Ezra, as usual, is asking a good question. What does it mean, “He goes up”?
It means that He is exalted. Because when the shofar is sounded one of the significances is to proclaim that the world has a ruler. The world is not ownerless. Hashem melech olam va’ed. Hakodosh Boruch Hu is the ruler; He controls the world. He has wisdom and power and all the affairs of the world are controlled by Him.
But we forget this. We get caught up in this world and we forget sometimes that there is a King who is in full control. And therefore once a year, on Rosh Hashana, we come together and we shout, “Hashem melech, Hashem malach, Hashem yimloch li’Olam va’ed – Hashem is King, Hashem always was the King, and Hashem will be the King forever.” And we blow the shofar to proclaim that most important truth to ourselves and to the world.
And so, “Elokim goes up,” means He becomes exalted at the sound of the shofar; He becomes exalted in the minds of Mankind.
TAPE # 85
