The Will to Play

I'm reading a book.

My friend says to me 'Menachem; let’s play a game of chess'. I would prefer to continue reading, but for the sake of friendship I'll play the game.

Somehow, I feel like he is not interested in playing with me, he is playing because he can't find anything else to do. I immediately loose interest in the game and go back to reading my book. I mean, I am willing to play, but please, you need to want me to play.

I think this is the essence of all the Chasidic commentary on Rosh Hashanah.

We interact with Hashen all year; he is willing to have a relationship with us although it is more natural for him to mind his own business. Yet, once a year he needs to feel that we really want him; that we are not just saying it to be polite.

So we grab the horn and we scream to him from the depth of our hearts. Words won't do it, words are too scripted. It must come from the deepest part of our soul. He must feel that all we want is him.

Then he'll play for another year.

He'll be there when we call him.

We'll know that he is always here, close by, playing with us; if we can't see him, then hey, that's just part of his game.

And we can be sure that if we really want him, then there is nowhere else he'd rather be.