Building For The King

Once upon a time, there was a man who wanted to show gratitude towards his beloved king. He spent many days thinking of a gift that would be appropriate for royalty. At long last, he settled on a grand and majestic idea. He would build the king a new palace.

He approached the king, and humbly requested that he be granted permission to build a new palace. The king told him to prepare plans, and then, if he would like them, he would give the man the go-ahead for the palace.

And so, the man got to work. He sat down and drew up the most elaborate, most gorgeous, most majestic palace a king could ever want. He spent hours and hours, days and days, drawing and redrawing, planning and re-planning. Finally, at long last, the plans were complete.

And so, the man went back to the king, and presented him with his fabulous drawings. The king looked them over with pleasure. He happily agreed to allow the construction to begin.

"Where shall I build the palace?" the man asked. The king selected one of the best pieces of real estate in the kingdom, and told the man that the palace should be built on it.

"What materials shall I use to build the palace?" the man inquired. The king then pointed the man toward the capital, where they had the building supply center for the city. The king wrote a note, and sealed it with his royal seal, telling the suppliers to give the man all the materials he needed. The king also instructed them to treat him well, and charge it to the royal account.

So the man set off. He arrived at the suppliers, presented them with the note, and proceeded to take the finest, most expensive building materials to the construction site. Day after day, when the man would arrive, the suppliers would lead him past all of the builders in line, and present him with excellent materials. Then, the man would turn and leave, and he wouldn't pay a penny.

After a few days, the builders on line started to get angry. They started to protest. "Who is this guy that you let him skip the line like that?" "Yeah, and why do you always give him the best materials?!" "Oh, and don't forget this man never pays a blessed penny!"

The suppliers pulled out the note, by way of explanation. "Don't you get it? This man is working to build a palace for the king! When a person is working for the king, he provides them with all of the finest materials to work with!"


We are now approaching Rosh Hashanah, the day of judgement. It is a day when we have to ask Hashem for everything that we might want over the course of the year. It would seem, on such a day, that it would be best to daven the regular weekday shemoneh esrei, which covers pretty much all the bakashos we might have, right?

But no, on Rosh Hashanah we don't say that shemoneh esrei. In fact, we don't make bakashos during shemoneh esrei. Instead, we spend our time on the avoda of the day, being mamlich Hashem as our king. But we feel a little tinge, we want to ask Hashem for our bakashos too!

Just as the man in this mashul, we first have to show the King that we are doing it for Him. We have to prepare a plan of the "palace" that we will build for the "King" this year. Once we establish that we are living our lives for Him, and that we are doing everything for our King, then, and only then, are we able to request the all of the things that we may need to build our palace for Hashem. Because, indeed, when a person is working for the King, He provides them with all of the finest materials to work with!

Wishing all of you a kesivah vechasima tova, and a year full of good things!

(I heard this mashal in the name of R' Matisyahu Salomon)