In a special sichah that HaRav Shternbuch gave over to his talmidim, he talked at length about “Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos,’ and brought the words of the Chasam Sofer that in the year that the shofar is not blown on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we need the zechus of Shabbos in order to protect Am Yisrael instead of the shofar.

Afterward, the Posek HaDor quoted the frightening words of the Aruch L’Ner, saying: “The Ba’al Aruch L’Ner calculated a scary matter that in the years that Rosh Hashanah falls out on Shabbos, Klal Yisrael had either a very good year, like the year that the Cheit Ha’egel was forgiven and the Mishkan was established and they entered Eretz Yisrael, or chas v’shalom the opposite like the two Churbanos Beis Hamikdash h’Rishon vSheini which occurred in years when Rosh Hashanah fell out on Shabbos.”

“And the Aruch L’Ner brought that due to the fact that during these years, there is no tekiyas shofar and we need the zechus Shabbos in place of the shofar, the matter is dependent on Kla Yisrael, for in the years they were Shomer Shabbos properly, the Shabbos vouched for Yisrael, but if chas v’chalilah, they weren’t Shomer Shabbos properly, they weren’t zocheh to this and the accusers weren’t silenced.”

HaRav Shtenbuch added that in the year the Chazon Ish passed away, Rosh Hashanah fell out on Shabbos and his talmidim connected his petirah to the fact that Rosh Hashanah fell out on Shabbos and there were no tekiyos to settle the Midas HaDin, and in accordance with the words of the Aruch L’Ner that the year that Rosh Hashanah falls out on Shabbos is a very dangerous year.

HaRav Shternbuch concluded: “Therefore this year it is appropriate to accept a kabbalah tovah on Rosh Hashanah in a matter related to Kavod Shabbos such as learning hilchos Shabbos throughout the year on a regular basis or to dedicate more time to learning Torah on Shabbos or to be mezakeh harabbim in inspiring others to learn hilchos Shabbos and to become proficient in them and this will help that the kedushas ha’Shabbos will protect us to quiet the accusers.”

HaRav Carlebach, one of the Roshei Yeshivos of the Mir, said the same thing in Beis Yeshaya in Yeshivas Mir prior to the tekiyos, that the bnei yeshivah should be makabeil a chizzuk b’Shemiras Shabbos.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)