בְּמוֹצָאֵי מְנוּחָה – After the departure of the Sabbath,
קִדַּמְנוּךָ תְּחִלָּה-we approach You [in prayer,]
הַט אָזְנְךָ מִמָּרוֹם-incline Your ear from on high,
יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִלָּה-You Who are enthroned upon praises,
לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל־הָרִנָּה וְאֶל־הַתְּפִלָּה-[and] hear our cry and our prayer!
These words will be recited this מוצאי שבת (the night following Shabbat) as we begin to recite the prayers of Selichot (prayers of forgiveness) which will continue every weekday until Yom Kippur. The liturgy begins with the words:
בְּמוֹצָאֵי מְנוּחָה-After the departure of the Sabbath: The typical way of describing the period of time following the departure of Shabbat is מוצאי שבת, Motza’ai Shabbat, which means the departure of Shabbat. The liturgist used the word מְנוּחָה, menucha, which means rest instead. We know that Shabbat is called יום מנוחה, Yom Menucha, the day of rest, but why refer to it this way in this context?
Rabbi Dov (Bernard) Weinberger, of blessed memory, in his work Shemen HaTov writes that Shabbat is the day we put aside all the pressures and burdens of the week and enter an atmosphere of menucha, rest and tranquility. We have no worries or concerns because we declare that G-d created the world and everything is in His hands. It’s a peaceful day that enables us to focus on Torah study and prayer. It’s a day that we have a mitzvah to partake from delicious foods in honor of Shabbat and to give ourselves the chance to physically rest more than we do during the week. When Shabbat ends on Saturday night we call that Motza’ai Shabbat, the departure of Shabbat and we return to the weekday hustle and bustle.
But this Saturday night we call Motza’ai Menucha, the departure of rest / tranquility, to allude that there is a type of rest and tranquility that needs to depart. We are at times too tranquil about ourselves. We may be too complacent about the way we live our lives and don’t really feel a need to change and improve our relationship with the Almighty and with one another. Starting the first night of Selichot we say to ourselves that this kind of tranquility has to end. We need to get serious and busy with self examination regarding our fulfillment of G-d’s mitzvot and our character development. Rosh Hashana, the day of judgement for the new year is coming. Teshuva, repentance is the key to receiving a judgment for happiness and prosperity. We need to roll up our sleeves and meet the challenge.
There is another line from the same piece of liturgy that we began with at the top of this message.
זוֹחֲלִים וְרוֹעֲדִים -They tremble and quake
מִיּוֹם בֹּאֶךָ -at the day of Your coming [to judge them,]
חָלִים -they are panic-struck—
כְּמַבְכִּירָה -as a woman giving birth the first time.
Rabbi Matisyahu Solomon, of blessed memory, explained that the analogy of the Jewish people approaching the Day of Judgement to a woman giving birth for the first time is a powerful one. This woman has no idea what to expect from childbirth and she’s frightened. But deep down she knows why she’s going through this and why it’s all worth it. From this experience she will hold in her hands a beautiful baby.
Meeting the spiritual demands of Rosh Hashana can be quite challenging. But we know what it’s meant for and what we anticipate from it- a beautiful, new year of spiritual growth, health and happiness for us, our families, and for Klal Yisrael.
Shabbat Shalom!
Kesiva v’chasima tova for us and for our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel and around the world!
Yitzchak