“And it came to pass at that time, that Avimelech and Pichol captain of his army spoke to Avraham, saying, G-d is with you in all that you do.” (Bereishis 21:22)

In the Torah reading of Rosh Hashanah, we read about an encounter between Avraham and Avimelech, yet it seems to have nothing to do with the mood of this holy day!

The Pri Megadim asks a question about one of the tefilos that is unique to Rosh Hashanah: We say, Hashem is “kovesh ca’aso (suppresses His anger) in judgement” (Artscroll Machzor p. 330). What is the difference between not getting angry on Yom HaDin and not getting angry on a different day?

I recently heard a story about Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ZTZ”L that I think is worth sharing. A friend of mine went in to discuss a hashkafic issue that had halachic ramifications. Reb Shlomo Zalman, for whatever reason it may be, did not really want to get involved in the question and tried to prevail on my friend to ask someone else. My friend insisted and Rav Shlomo Zalman eventually acquiesced. They came to a satisfactory conclusion for all parties involved. As my friend was leaving, he had the chutzpah to say to Reb Shlomo Zalman, “I see that I was right! It was good that we discussed this issue, because in the end it worked out well.” Reb Shlomo Zalman looked at him in amazement and said, “I don’t mind being wrong.” I believe that this mussar is something that we could all use. To be selfless to the point that it doesn’t bother us at all if we made a mistake, as long as we are doing the will of Hashem.

On Rosh Hashanah we accept upon ourselves Hashem’s reign, and that may sometimes include being judged unfavorably. We accept this even though we understand that this could have a negative impact on us. The Ohev Yisrael tells us that this is the message of Avimelech and Avraham Avinu. Avimelech saw that Avraham was an embodiment of Hashem’s presence in this world, and therefore he wanted to have a pact with him. Hence, we have the name “Avi Melech” – the Father who is King. And his servant’s name was Pichol, meaning that everything (Col) Hashem says (Pi) happens.

The message from this Torah reading on Rosh Hashanah is that we must come to a recognition that we are wrong and make a new bond with Hashem just as the king Avimelech did. It is not a question of whether we will suffer or not; instead, it is about doing what is right and proper. This is perhaps our major service of this day. Hashem on this day does the exact opposite of what a king normally does. On this day of judgement for all, it seems inappropriate that Hashem be mevater when he is trying to assert himself as king. Yet Hashem’s ultimate goal is for Klal Yisrael’s good, and therefore He is kovesh ca’aso – restrains his anger – for the betterment of klal Yisrael.

In short, Hashem is looking out for us. It is as if He goes against what He should be doing as King and holds back His anger. In turn, we are supposed to go against human nature and subjugate ourselves to Hashem, even if there may be negative consequences for us (by Hashem looking at our record). This is because we are looking out for Hashem’s honor. The idea of making a resolution for the new year is not just to avoid punishment. It is actually for a loftier cause, which is to show Hashem that we are willing to take on resolutions to invigorate our service to Him.