Rosh Hashanah Speech

We're about to blow the shofar.I'm scared. There are too many people I know that are hurting. It seems this Rosh Hashanah is a critical one. I don't recall a Rosh hashana which seems so deciding. So many people are hurting. Here in America everything looks so shaky. The future is so uncertain.
And there is the shofar. The power of the shofar is immense. Napoleon was attacking Russia. It was in 1812. A great Rebbe - Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin was praying for the French. Everything would be so much easier under french rule. Us Jews would be able to breathe easily. The Russians made our lives unbearable. Then there was Rabbi Shneur Zalman the first Lubavitcher Rebbe. He prayed for the Russians. "By the Russians our bodies will suffer, with the French our soul will suffer" he felt under Napoleon Jews would live freely but Judaism would not survive and he couldn't let that happen.
So in heaven they didn't know who to accede to. Two great tzaddikim, who to follow. So up there in heaven they decided that whoever blows the shofar on Rosh Hashana first that side would win. That's the power of the shofar. We can never fathom what and how far reaching the blowing of the shofar is.
Rabbi Shlomo wakes up way before dawn prepares himself for prayer at the crack of dawn he begins racing through the prayers. In no time he's up to the shofar blowing, he raises the shofar to his lips he's about to blow and he says the Litvak the Lithuanian referring to Rabbi Shneur Zalman beat me to it. Rabbi Shneur Zalman at the crack of dawn before prayers or anything took the shofar and blew. He beat Rabbi Shlomo and the Russians won. That's the power of the shofar.
And now we're about to blow the shofar and the future looks so uncertain. What's going to happen with this years Shofar blow? Are we going to make it out okay? And our family, our friends? There seems to be so much more at stake this year. Life isn't as certain anymore as it used to be.
Let us turn to Hashem, let us demand a good year. As we blow the shofar we'll tell G-d there's too much suffering A great Rabbi, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, thousands of people would come to him before the High Holidays so that he should pray for them. He was a very righteous man and his prayers where extremely effective. The custom was to give some money to charity and to write your name on a note and hand it to the Rabbi. And every year people would bring anything they could afford. One year Rabbi Levi Yitzchak announces a ruble a head. He's only giving his blessing if you give a ruble to charity, a ruble per person. One woman walks in to the Rabbi's office, she's holding a newborn. She's a widow. Beyond poor. And she says Rabbi I have only one ruble. I asked begged everything. I only could come up with one ruble. Would you please bless us.
I'm sorry says the Rabbi, a ruble per person. You must find another ruble or I can only bless either you or your child.
But Rebbe I searched everywhere, I've asked everyone. Rebbe I can't.
The rabbi replies We'll write you down for a good year. The child he's young innocent, he hasn't sinned he could go without the blessing.
The poor woman she's almost screaming Rebbe No, you don't relate to a mother's heart he's my child you must write him down. Without him I've no reason to live.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak stands up and turns to heaven, Hashem you heard this woman's words. She'll sacrifice everything for her child. Hashem we are your children, have mercy as a mother has mercy on her children.
Maybe this is what we should be saying, as we blow the shofar. G-d we are your children. You must give us a good year. A year of health, of prosperity of all that we need, treat us like your children.
And please you promised us so long ago, a world without suffering a world of peace. It has been so long. Please make this the year. That's the power of the shofar.