Rosh Hashana

“The Holy One, Blessed Be He, says, ‘Say before me on Rosh Hashana (verses expressing) my kingship, remembrance, and the shofar blasts: kingship, so that you will accept my dominion over you, remembrance, so that my recognition of you will come before me for good, and how shall all this occur? Through the blasts of the shofar.’” (Tractate Rosh Hashana 16a)

“Avinu Malkeinu, Our Father, our King, Chatanu lifanecha: understand this not ‘we have sinned (as is the literal translation), but, “our parents have sinned, and. . . ‘ Ein lanu melech eleh atah ‘we have no other king besides You’”.
(Explanation of the Rosh Hashana prayerbook as cited in Mishna Brura)

How is it that we do not mention our sins anywhere in the liturgy of Rosh Hashana? Moreover, when we say the prayer “Avinu Malkeinu, Our Father, Our King”, we are instructed to understand it in a manner different from its simply explanation, focusing not on our shortcomings but those of our family. The day prior to Rosh Hashana, and indeed, the days following, we confess our sins copiously. Yet on this most holy of days, the idea of sin—disappears. Why? Isn’t it a bit hypocritical?

We can understand this seeming anomaly of liturgy with an allegory. In a kingdom, the king makes the laws by which the citizens live. While all the subjects of king are required to follow his laws, the king himself can change them at whim. Hence, if a citizen violates a law and sees that he cannot alter the outcome through the courts, he can come before the king, the lawgiver himself, and implore his mercy upon his repentant servant. If the king sees that the individual truly wishes to mend his ways, he can suspend the intended punishment.

So, too, on Rosh Hashana. While the individual struggles to improve his ways both before and after Rosh Hashana, scrutinizing is actions and begging mercy on his sins, it is most difficult to imagine that one has succeeded in cleansing oneself completely. Thus, the tried-and-true advice is to jump to the king, so to speak, jump over one’s individual sins, and while recognizing the king’s ultimate sovereignity, beg his mercy. No less, this is the focus of our “Malchius, Kingship” verses, the central theme of Rosh Hashana, as we leap beyond our shortcomings to the supernal influence of the Divine Kingdom, where no prosecutor can penetrate. Sin is not mentioned on this day; instead, we dedicate ourselves to recognizing His omnipotent presence—“Our fathers may have sinned, but we have no other king besides You!”

(This d'var Torah is based on the work Shiurei Daas, the essays of the Telsher Roshei HaYeshiva, vol. 1, p. 206)