How do we proclaim Hashem's majesty?
Do we walk down Mea Shearim and announce on a Speakerphone:
"Yehudim Yekarim!! Listen up! Hashem is the King!"
That's one way. Maybe.
But there is another way.
A more global way.
Allow me to share the following famous parable...
A king sent his servant to a different country as an emissary to visit a different king.
Before he left, the king gave him one warning.
"Do not make any bets, no matter what!"
The servant of course obeyed, albeit a little confused.
So he went to visit the king, and on his way back, he stopped at an inn.
There were these guys drinking there and joking around.
One of them said to the servant:
"Wow. You have a huge hump on your back!"
The servant was shocked and offended.
"No I do not!"
"Yes, you do"
After arguing the point back and forth a bit, the drunk guy said:
"Ok. I'll bet you 200 rubles that you have a hump on your back!"
The servant thought for a moment.
On one hand, he was not supposed to be making any bets.
On the other hand, this was an easy 200 rubles in his pocket, or even for the king's treasury.
So he took off his shirt, proved that he had no hump, and collected his prize.
When he got back to his king's palace, the king asked him immediately:
"So, did you make any bets?"
The servant answered:
"Well actually, yes. I wasn't going to, but then this guy basically made this ridiculous bet that won me an easy 200 rubles. Here you go, Your Highness."
The king let out a cry.
"Fool! I made a 5000 ruble bet with the other king that no matter what, you would not make any bets and would remain loyal to my command!!"
My friends, every time we say 'No' to the "easy money" of our desires, a shock is heard 'round the world.
The Malachim sing Hashem's praises.
The trees, the birds, everything.
It's a tremendous revelation of Hashem's majesty and kingship.
We are showing that we remain loyal to the King, no matter what.
And that's what a Kiddush Hashem is about.
The greatest Kiddush Hashem.
(A quote from the song Uri wrote over here)
Suddenly he feels a need to act out,
he turns to shamayim and starts to shout out.
HASHEM! You know what I really want to do,
But I wont do it, because I love you.
A commotion takes place up above.
It is now very clear that the angels are in love.
In whose zchus was this one born,
this mortal man who takes the heavens by storm??
Hashem sits on his throne, proud as can be,
as he watches the angels jump up and sing.
He says to himself with a smile on his face,
"if only my boy knew what he does to this place!"
My dearest friends,
How often do we say 'No'?
Ok, sometimes we say 'Yes'.
But all of us here have said 'No'.
Do you know what that no does?!
It is the greatest Kiddush Hashem possible.
We are offered this amazing pleasure and we say, "No thank you; Hashem said No."
We have no idea what it does up in Shamayim.
So when you say Aleinu, which is the tefilla that proclaim's Hashem's majesty,
Think for a moment.
I am a big part of that.
I cause Hashem's majesty to be proclaimed across the world every day.
Wow.