Bless us, our Father, all as one -- the Amidah.
On this day our divine service revolves around the acceptance of G‑d as King. Throughout the year, we regard G‑d’s sovereignty as an established fact and we relate to Him through His edicts, His precepts. On Rosh Hashanah we focus on the essence of our relationship with G‑d, accepting His sovereignty in an act of homage that encompasses our entire existence. In making this commitment, the fundamental G‑dly spark at the core of our being comes to the surface.
This expression of our spiritual potential has an effect in the human realm as well as in our relationship with G‑d. In paying homage to a mortal king, the most august of nobles and the humblest of subjects bow together; their joint act of submission efficiently levels them. By the same token regardless of our differing levels of understanding and self-refinement, are joined in the unifying act of accepting G‑d’s sovereignty.
This bond which unites different individuals extends beyond the shared act of homage. At the deep-seated level of the soul where man is one with G‑d, there is no division between one man and another. Recognizing our unity with G‑d in the king-subject relationship thus reveals the internal unity which binds the entire Jewish people.
Rosh Hashanah is a day of judgment, the time at which G‑d determines our future in the year to come. By standing unified, together as one people, we bring about a year of blessings. 1 “Bless us, our Father, all as one.”
When is the father truly happy? -- When he sees all of his children relating to one another lovingly. In the same way when G‑d observes the unity of our people and perceives the bonds of genuine love that connect us together, His joy finds expression in abundant blessings for success in all our endeavors for the coming year.2
