Rav Yisrael Meir haKohein, the Chafetz Chaim, asked why Rosh haShanah comes before Yom Kippur.

After all, David haMelekh writes, “ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־טֹ֑וב – turn away from evil and do good.” (Tehillim 34:15) And it makes sense; I would naturally think that leaving Evil behind is a prerequisite for pursuing Good.

Yom Kippur is a day of contrition, of Vidui (confession) and dread.

Rosh haShanah is a day of accepting Hashem as our King.

So the Chafeitz Chaim asks, wouldn’t it make more sense, therefore, for Yom Kippur to be the preparation for Rosh haShanah? Why is it the other way around?

Here is the CC’s basic idea, but with a very different presentation:

You probably know the Hebrew for the title of this post, “Last in deed, first in thought”, as we say it in Lekha Dodi – “סוֹף מַעֲשֶׂה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה תְּחִלָּה”. Rav Shelomo al-Qabetz, when he wrote this, was referencing an earlier Medrash (Bereishis Rabba 19:3; Medrash Tehillim 92). They ask:

If Shabbos is the ultimate purpose of Creation, why did Hashem create it last?

The medrash uses a mashal (parable):

A king builds a chupah for his bride. He spends days decorating it, painting it, and putting it together. What is missing? The bride. Once the bride enters, the purpose of the entire structure is realized.

Thus we have Lekha Dodi, where Shabbos is called a bride. The one who was last in being made, but first in intention.

The first use of the words “סוֹף מַעֲשֶׂה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה תְּחִלָּה” may be by Rav Shelomo ibn Gavirol in his seifer Keser Malkhus. He uses the same metaphor as the medrash to explain the creation of humanity at the end of the last day of Creation. First Hashem had to build our abode, furnish it, provide the supplies for us to breathe, eat, drink, have the resources to make things. (I would add: and the challenges we need to overcome in order to grow). Only once the house is ready can you move in.

Causality goes from past to future. I throw a ball before it flies to my son.” But purpose goes from future to past, “I want my son to catch the ball, so first I must throw it to him.” If Shabbos or the human being is the purpose, it has to be at the end of creation.

When actually putting things into practice, like in that line from Tehillim, one has to turn away from evil first, and then one has the ability to do good.

But in thought…

In thought we have to start with our goals, then with planning to get there, and only then can we take the first step of leaving our mistakes. Working backward.

First have to have clear what good entails. We need to make Hashem King, to commit to bringing His Will and His Good into the world. Rather than chasing whatever seems good in the moment. Or feels good even as our heads tell us it’s a mistake.

So we much first spend Rosh haShanah internalizing what we could and should be, and creating an aspiration and desire to get there.

Only then can we realize how far we are in the here and now to that aspiration, and have a true and honest regret.

First hitch your wagon to the stars. Then get up off the ground.

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With berakhos for a Shanah Tovah uMesuqah — a good and sweet year, a year where we all not only recieve Hashem’s good, but it comes as a pleasant and happy, “sweet”, experience. (H/T the Bostoner Rebbe zt”l)