Now there was a day when the sons of Elohim came to present themselves before Hashem"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon talks about Rosh Hashanah, when harsh judgment is present in the world, telling us that the day spoken of in the title was Rosh Hashanah. We learn that "the sons of Elohim" are the supreme court, the seventy officials who always surround the King, and that everyone must take care to honor the Holy Name in order to avoid judgment.

Relevance

The power of Rosh Hashanah is available to us. Reading this portion with great remorse sweetens and annuls judgments otherwise in store for us, by awakening Mercy. And because this secret of Rosh Hashanah is revealed through the Zohar - the soul and essence of the Torah and the world - the effect is cosmic. The entire world is sweetened with mercy as judgments are repealed. The Supreme Court is permanently adjourned, and our adversaries - the prosecuting attorneys Satan and Lilit - are relieved of their duties.

Elisha Job Judgment Rosh Hashanah Year

351. Rabbi Yehuda said TO RABBI SHIMON, Let my master say some beautiful things about Rosh Hashanah. Rabbi Shimon began by quoting: "Allow there was (Heb. vayehi) a day" (Iyov 1:6). Wherever it is written: vayehi, it is A TERM OF anguish. "Now there was a day" refers to anguish. Certainly "Now there was a day" refers to a day on which there is anguish, and this is Rosh Hashanah, a day on which there is harsh Judgment on the world. SIMILARLY: "And it happened one day, that Elisha passed to Shunem" (II Melachim 4:8) was on the day of Rosh Hashanah. And wherever it is said "And it happened one day" the day referred to is Rosh Hashanah. CONSEQUENTLY, "Now there was a day when the sons of the Elohim came" (Iyov 1:6) refers to the day of Rosh Hashanah.

351. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, לֵימָא לָן מֹר, מִלִּין מְעַלְּיָתָא דְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה. פָּתַח רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם. בְּכָל אֲתָר דִּכְתִיב וַיְהִי, אִיהוּ צַעַר, וַיְהִי בִּימֵי צַעַר. וַדַאי, וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם, יוֹמָא דְּאִית בֵּיהּ צַעַר, וְדָא הוּא רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, יוֹמָא דְּאִית בֵּיהּ דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא עַל עָלְמָא. וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיַּעֲבֹר אֱלִישָׁע אֶל שׁוּנֵם, יוֹמָא דְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הֲוָה. וּבְכָל אֲתָר וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם, דָּא רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה. וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיָבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים, יוֹם רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הֲוָה.

Isaac Job Judgment Mercy Rosh Hashanah

352. בְּכָל זִמְנָא תְּרֵין יוֹמִין אִינּוּן, מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין, דְּלִהֱוֵי יִצְחָק כָּלִיל דִּינָא וְרַחֲמֵי, תְּרֵין יוֹמִין וְלָא חַד. דְּאִלְמָלֵא יִשְׁתְּכַח יְחִידָאי, יַחֲרִיב עָלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב תְּרֵין זִמְנִין, וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם.

Court Female Holy Name Judgment Lilit Satan, The Seventy Shechinah Torah Zeir Anpin

353. "the sons of the Elohim came:" These are certainly the supreme court, the sons of the Elohim, before whom the children of the King, NAMELY YISRAEL, draw near. And they are the seventy officials who always surround the King, and they decree sentences on the world. "to present themselves before (lit. 'upon') Hashem:" HE ASKS, do they stand upon Hashem? HE ANSWERS, No, but when they stand to judge THE WORLD, the first to be judged is the one who does not honor the Holy Name and does not respect the Torah and His servants. So, too, whoever is not concerned about the honor of the Holy Name, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, that it be not desecrated on earth, and whoever is not concerned over the honor of the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, he does not give honor to this Name. "and the adversary came also amongst them" (Ibid.): "also" adds the female of the adversary, LILIT. And so it is here: "to present themselves before Hashem" means that the Satan, too, was concerned for the honor of this Name, THAT IS TO SAY, HE CAME TO INCITE AGAINST IT.

353. וַיָבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹֹהִים, אִלֵּין ב"ד רַבְרְבָא. בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹֹהִים וַדַּאי, בְּנוֹי דְּמַלְכָּא קְרִיבִין לְגַבֵּיהּ. וְאִינּוּן שַׁבְעִין מְמָנָן, דְּסָחֲרִין תְּדִירָא לְמַלְכָּא. וְאִינּוּן חַתְכִין דִּינָא עַל עָלְמָא. לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל יְיָ,' וְכִי עַל יְיָ' קַיְימֵי. אֶלָּא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִלֵּין קַיְימֵי עַל דִּינָא, דִּינָא קַדְמָאָה דְּכֹלָּא בֵּיהּ, מַאן הוּא. דְּלָא יוֹקִיר לִשְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּדְלָא יוֹקִיר לְאוֹרַיְיתָא וּלְעַבְדּוֹי. אוֹף הָכִי, מַאן הוּא דְּלָא חָיִישׁ עַל יְקָרָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִישָׁא, דְּלָא יִתְחַלֵּל בְּאַרְעָא. מַאן הוּא דְּלָא חָיִישׁ לִיקָרֵיהּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מַאן הוּא דְּלָא שַׁוֵּי יְקָר לִשְׁמָא דָּא. וַיָּבֹא גַּם הַשָּׁטָן בְּתוֹכָם, גַּם, לְרַבּוֹת הַהִיא נוּקְבָּא דִּילֵיהּ. אוֹף הָכִי לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל יְיָ,' דְּאִיהוּ חָיִישׁ נָמֵי לִיקָרָא דִּשְׁמָא דָּא.