BY RABBANIT SHANI TARAGIN

The Mussaf of Rosh Hashanah is structured around three majestic pillars: Malchuyot, Zichronot, and Shofarot. The Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 32a) records a dispute regarding the placement of Malchuyot and whether its verses should be accompanied by the shofar blast. Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri maintains that Malchuyot is recited within Kedushat Hashem (the sanctification of Hashem’s name) without shofar blasts; Rabbi Akiva insists that Malchuyot must be conjoined with Kedushat HaYom (the sanctification of the day) accompanied by shofar blowing.

On the surface, this may seem a technical disagreement – a question of liturgical arrangement. Yet, as the Gemara and careful analysis reveal, the difference is profound. It reflects two fundamentally distinct conceptions of what Rosh Hashanah is at its core.

For Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri, Hashem’s Kingship is a constant truth connected to His name, His essence, not contingent upon our coronation. The holiness of Rosh Hashanah stands on its own; it is a day set apart to recognize and affirm that Hashem is King, much as we might declare HaMelech HaKadosh in our Amidah. The day’s sanctity is descriptive – a recognition of an eternal reality.

Rabbi Akiva, however, views Rosh Hashanah not only as a day of recognition, but as the day of Divine coronation. It is not enough to acknowledge Hashem’s reign – we must actively proclaim and enthrone Him. Malchuyot is the essence of the day. For Rabbi Akiva, the shofar must accompany the coronation, for as we recite in Tehillim 47, it is the coronation trumpet! To crown the King without its resounding call would be unthinkable.

The Gemara sharpens this point: Rabbi Akiva’s astonishment with Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri’s position is not merely at omitting the shofar, but at potentially only reciting nine verses, omitting the tenth verse of Malchuyot – “Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad.” For Rabbi Akiva, whose life and death were defined by kabbalat ol malchut Shamayim — accepting the yoke of Heaven’s Kingship through reciting Shema – how could one crown Hashem without the ultimate declaration of His Oneness?

The Shema is more than a statement of theology; it is the act of coronation itself. It demands not only belief but loyalty, love, and readiness for sacrifice – as Rabbi Akiva demonstrated during times of crisis, from the Hadrianic decrees to his final moments, prolonging the word Echad as his soul left him (Berachot 61b).

This year, the echoes of Shema Yisrael have taken on new and poignant resonance. The countless cries of soldiers entering Gaza, braving danger to protect the nation, ring out with this sacred declaration. Victims of the October 7 attacks, in their last moments, breathed these words as their final testament of faith. Hostages, enduring unimaginable captivity, whispered Shema Yisrael as a lifeline to hope and connection with Hashem. Parents huddled in bomb shelters with their children, trembling but resolute, affirm the eternal truth of Hashem’s unity amidst chaos.

Across the world, the cry of Shema Yisrael intertwines with the fervent chorus of Am Yisrael Chai – the people of Israel live, resilient and steadfast. These cries are not only expressions of faith but a collective coronation, a powerful acceptance of Hashem’s kingship under the most challenging circumstances.

Since October 7, the Jewish world has experienced a seismic shift. Across Israel and the Diaspora, there has been a noticeable rise in acts of unity, prayer, mitzvah observance, and open declarations of faith. In countless conversations, people speak more readily about Hashem, about miracles, and about the need for spiritual strengthening. In the crucible of crisis, many have rediscovered what Rabbi Akiva lived – that the essence of Jewish identity is bound up with crowning Hashem as King.

These stirrings are not incidental; they are the footsteps of redemption. Zechariah’s vision – “On that day Hashem will be One and His Name One” (14:9) – does not begin in some distant Messianic future. It begins the moment we, as a people, make Hashem One in our lives. National coronation precedes universal coronation.

Rabbi Akiva’s message to us this year is clear:

Do not let Rosh Hashanah be merely a day of recognition. Make it a day of enthronement. Do not be content to acknowledge Hashem’s Kingship; declare it, proclaim it, and seal it with the shofar and the Shema.

When we say Shema Yisrael, we are not reciting a familiar verse; we are joining the eternal coronation ceremony. We are pledging loyalty to the King not only in times of peace but in times of trial. And when the shofar sounds, we are not merely recalling our covenant at Sinai – we are heralding the day when Zechariah’s prophecy will be fulfilled. Each blast is a note in the anthem of Hashem’s Kingship over the world. If we truly make Hashem One in our hearts and in our nation, then the day will come – and perhaps sooner than we dare to dream – when the whole world will echo our declaration: Hashem Echad.

 

Rabbanit Shani Taragin is Educational Director of Mizrachi, Mizrachi Lapidot and Matan Eshkolot Programs for Educators, and the Rosh Beit Midrash of Mizrachi-Tzemach David Women’s Learning Hub, Mizrachi Lapidot and Yeshiva University in Israel Women’s Torah Studies Program.