ESSAYS FOR ELUL,
THE YAMIM NORA’IM
AND SUKKOT
by
David Jay Derovan
Ramat Beit Shemesh
Essays for Elul, the Yamim Nora’im and Sukkot
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5 2010, 2016 David Jay Derovan
All Rights Reserved
The articles in this anthology can be used without permission for the sole purpose of teaching
Torah
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Dedicated to the memory
Of my father
Mark Derovan ז"ל
מרדכי בן יהודה משה הכהן ז"ל
And to the memory
of my brother
Daniel Dvir ז"ל
חנוך בו מרדכי הכהן ז"לדניאל
יהא זכרם ברוך
Essays for Elul, the Yamim Nora’im and Sukkot
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Contents
THE MONTH OF ELUL 7
Elul is a Virgo 8
“LeDavid HaShem Ori” and the Month of Elul 9
The Altar, the Blood and Repentance 19
Three Teshuvah Tales 21
Some Things to Think about Before Yom Tov 23
ROSH HASHANAH 25
As Good and as Sweet as Honey 26
The Crying of the Shofar 28
The Malkhi'yot of Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri 31
Why Isn’t Vidui Recited on Rosh HaShanah? 36
The Aish Kodesh, on Teki’at Shofar 38
Shofar and the Avot 40
The Secrets of the Shofar 42
Two Short Notes about the Rosh HaShanah Prayers 45
THE TEN DAYS OF REPENTANCE 47
Out of the Depths: Tehilim 130 48
Erev Shabbat Shuva Dvar Torah 56
Why Now? What Does It Mean? 58
YOM KIPPUR 61
The Teshuvah Transformation 62
The Vidu’i - וידוי - Confession 65
SUKKOT, SHEMINI ATZERET & SIMCHAT TORAH 69
Divray Torah for Sukkot from the Sefat Emet 70
More from the Sefat Emet on Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah 72
The Water Libation and the Rejoicing at the Drawing of the Water 74
Bind Them Together & They Will Atone for Each Other: The Question is “How?” 77
Ushpizin 79
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Outside and Inside in the Sukkah 84
How Can the Sukkah Represent the “Clouds of Glory”? 86
Thoughts to Share about the Ushpizin 89
A Simchat Torah Dvar Torah 101
Setting the Tone for the Entire Year 102
The Letters, the Parchment and Simchat Torah 104
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THE MONTH OF ELUL
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Elul is a Virgo
In 1888, The Sefat Emet made the following comments:
Consider this: The astrological sign of the month of Elul is Virgo, the virgin. This
means that there is an inner point (Nekudah) in the Jewish soul that cannot be ruled by
foreign influences. [It is] a locked garden (Gan Na’ul), a sealed well (Ma’ayan Chatum). And it is called a virgin. Concerning this point (Nekudah) it is said, “I am for my beloved – Ani
LeDodi” (Shir HaShirim 6:3), for this point is never removed from clinging to its root. It is
always committed (Shemurah) to His blessed name.
However, we cannot always find this point. And now, this time [of year] wakens the people of Israel to Teshuvah, and the souls of the Jewish people become closer to Him. So,
too, “my beloved is for me – Dodi Li” (ibid.) means that there are spiritual forces (Middot)
above that are just for the Jewish people. Just as it says, “Behold, I am establishing a covenant, before your entire nation I will perform wonders that were never created on
earth or among the nations” (Shemot 34:10). Thus, there are spiritual forces (Middot) above that are just for the Jewish people. And they are the 13 attributes [of mercy], as it says, “You
taught us to say the 13” (Siddur). The extent to which the inner point of “I am for my
beloved – Ani LeDodi” is revealed so, too, “my beloved is for me – Dodi Li.”
The Pinteleh Yid, that innermost point (Nekudah) of our souls is forever attached to its root in God,
Himself. It is buried so deep, it is so completely hidden that not outside, foreign, unclean influence can affect it. It is virgin territory. And the Sefat Emet teaches us that the month of Elul is the appropriate time
for taking advantage of the Pinteleh Yid, of using its purity and intrinsic Kedushah (sanctity) to reach out
to God. Just as we have a pure, unimpaired link to God, so, He has a special link that is exclusively used
for us, His children, Am Yisra’el. The nexus point, the connective tissue between “I am for my beloved – Ani LeDodi” and “my beloved is for me – Dodi Li” is the 13 attributes of mercy. Indeed, He taught us,
and only us, to sing them, to pour our souls into them. “The prayer of the poor one, as he wraps himself,
and pours out his speech before God” (Tehilim 102:2). The Selichot prayers are built around the 13 attributes of mercy. Therefore, the purpose of the
Selichot prayers is not to say, “I’m sorry” quickly and then off to do something else. The purpose of
Selichot is to use the 13 attributes to connect the “I am for my beloved – Ani LeDodi” to the “my beloved
is for me – Dodi Li.” Sure, we have to apologize for our errors, our sins, but we must also repair the damage these errors have caused in our relationship to HaShem.
The Sefat Emet teaches us that the louder the shout, the more heartfelt the song, the deeper the
sentiment, the more genuine the tear that accompanies the recitation of the 13 attributes of mercy, then
the greater is God’s response of mercy, of compassion, of love. Each of us must reach deep, deep inside to let the virgin Pinteleh Yid sing softly, sweetly, “I am for my beloved – Ani LeDodi.” Only then will we
merit to hear the Godly refrain, “my beloved is for me – Dodi Li.”
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“LeDavid HaShem Ori” and the Month of Elul
An Opening Word about Biblical Poetry The remarks that follow are based to a great extent upon the poetic elements and structure in this
Tehilah. When added to the textual details that are the traditional province of the classical commentaries,
these poetic elements open up new vistas of interpretation and understanding. The telltale sign of Biblical poetry is textual parallelism. The basic poetic form is a verse that can
be divided into two almost equal halves, where each half is parallel in content and in structure. From this basic form multiple variations emerge. Biblical poetry can also contain poetic elements such as
rhyme, rhythm and alliteration that are more familiar to us.
The Question
Twice a day, for almost two months, we recite Psalm 27, LeDavid HaShem Ori. Why? This simple question has an equally simple answer: We are instructed to recite this psalm because it delivers an
important message to us during this time of year. At the same time, it allows us to express feelings we should have during these weeks of repentance, divine judgment and celebration.
The next question is what is the message is delivered and what feelings are we to feel? To answer this question we must take a closer look at the Tehilah (psalm) itself.
Section 1 – The Expression of Great Trust in God
1. “By David” לדוד
Introductory word. While it does not give a specific historical setting for the Tehilah, it does give a general context, namely the life of King David.
The opening phrases of the various psalms often hint at specific events in the lives of the authors. Psalm 27 opens with a simple, non-specific word, “LeDavid - By David.” The general mention of King
David’s name implies that this Tehilah wells up out of a whole life full of experiences, as opposed to any
one event. Thus, you and I are already alerted to the idea that the contents of this Tehilah speaks to each
of us, no matter what our particular life experiences have been.
אוריוישעיממיאירא//יימעוזחייממיאפחדיי “God is my light and my salvation, whom should I fear? \\ God is the stronghold of my life, whom should I dread?”
The two halves of the verse are perfectly parallel. Indeed, in the Hebrew, the number of syllables is
almost the same in the two halves. However, “light and my salvation” implies spiritual salvation,
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whereas “stronghold of my life” implies physical protection. This difference explains the final word in
each rhetorical question. When the issue is spiritual, then the question is one of Yir’ah, reverence and
awe associated with God. When the subject is physical protection, then the simpler word, Pachad, is
used, which means raw fear or being afraid. In this opening verse, the basic theme is struck, but in a veiled manner. The use of the rhetorical
questions hints at the existence of a threat. It is only because of the threat – both spiritual and physical – that elicits the expression of pure faith and trust in God.
2.
לאכלאתבשרי//צריואיביליהמהכשלוונפלורבעלימרעיםבק “The evil ones approach me, to eat my flesh \\ my oppressors and my enemies [who] are against me, they will stumble and fall.”
There are two ways to determine the parallelism in this verse. The difference depends on how one reads
the beginning phrase of the second half of the verse, “my oppressors and my enemies [who] are against me.” The first option is to see the structure as ciastic: “The evil ones approach me, they want to
figuratively eat me alive; less figuratively, they are my enemies and my oppressors, yet they will fail totally.”
The second interpretation matches the opening phrases of the two halves of the verse: “The evil ones approach me, they want to figuratively eat me alive; the evil ones are my oppressors and enemies
and despite their plans, they will fail miserably.” While the first interpretation is suggested by the rhyming sound at the end of Besari and of Li, the
second interpretation allows for a uniformity of structure among all three verses (1-3) in this first section of the Tehilah.
The second verse brings the veiled threat of the first verse into the light of day. Nevertheless, it
ends with a declaration that the enemies will ultimately fail, thus extending the theme of this section.
3. אםתחנהעלימחנהלאייראלבי//אםתקוםעלימלחמהבזאתאניבוטח
“Should an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear \\ Should war arise against
me, in this I am confident.”
Here, too, the parallelism is almost perfect. Once again, the two halves of the verse have almost the same number of syllables.
Each verse in this section takes the tension and the threat up a notch. It begins with a double rhetorical question, “Why do I have to worry or be afraid?” Since the author sees God as his protector
against spiritual and physical threats, the implication is that there is some sort of threat. The second verse speaks of the approach of the evil ones, the enemies, who want to eat the author alive, a
metaphoric expression of the imminent threat. Is the threat truly life threatening or not? It’s hard to say. The third verse, however, makes it clear that as the enemy troops approach and war is imminent, the
threat of death is a real one. Despite everything, the author has trust in God; he has real Bitachon.He even says so out loud,
“In this I am confident – BeZot Ani Botay’ach.” There is no question that his overall trust is in God, yet
the word “in this” seems to imply something specific. The question is “What?” There are only two options within the context of the Tehilah. Rashi answers, “in this” refers to what came before, namely
that God is the author’s protector. Ibn Ezra offers a different opinion. “In this” refers to what follows,
the expressed desire to be with God in His protective palace.
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The difference of opinion between these two esteemed commentators changes our perspective on
the next section of the Tehilah as well. According to Rashi, the next section reflects a wish based on the
outcome of the first section. “Since God will protect me,” declares the author, “Then I will be safe. Thus, I can take advantage of God’s good will toward me and now ask that He allow me into His palace.”
Using Ibn Ezra’s comment, we can see the second section as a continuation of the first. Despite the author’s declaration of his perfect faith and trust, he realizes that he must still ask for God’s
protection. Thus, verses 5 and 6 are the detailed extensions of the author’s faith and trust.
Section 2 – The Request to Visit and Stay in God’s Palace
4. אחתשאלתימאתיי,אותהאבקש
“One thing I ask of God, this I seek \\
The first third of this verse is the introduction to the second section of the Tehilah. The “one” thing that
the author asks of God is reiterated again and again in various forms with various nuances in verses 4-
6. The use of the word “one” is paradoxical. On the one hand, it is a bit disingenuous, for what
follows is a series of requests. On the other hand, all the requests are part and parcel of one central idea, i.e., the request to reside in God’s house.
The author uses two different words for request: She’aylah (“ask”) and Bakashah (“seek”). The Malbim in his commentary on Megilat Esther offers two different explanations that differentiate
between She’aylah and Bakashah. According to the first explanation, word She’aylah implies the request
itself, while the word Bakashah refers to the ultimate goal. For example, to ask your father for a loan is the She’aylah. To use the money you borrow to buy a car is the Bakashah. In our Tehilah, the request to
dwell in God’s house, to bask in His pleasantness is the She’aylah. But the author’s ultimate goal is to be
protected by God while residing in His house. (See verses 5-6) The second explanation offered by the Malbim is much simpler. A She’aylah is a small favor, while
a Bakashah is a large request. In our Tehilah, the small favor is the request to dwell in God’s house. Indeed,
once the Temple was built, every Jew was welcomed as a frequent visitor – a dweller – in God’s house. The large request is that God should protect the author, to hide him from his enemies. This is an unusual
use of the Temple precincts.
שבתיבביתיי,כלימיחיי//לחזותבנעםייולבקרבהיכלו “I will dwell in God’s house, all the days of my life \\ to gaze upon God’s pleasantness, and to visit daily in His palace.”
The second and third parts of this verse are certainly parallel. The only question is whether they have a
ciastic structure or a simple parallelism. There are good reasons to scan the verses either way. The phrase “I will dwell in God’s house” is parallel to the end phrase, “to visit daily in His palace.” While
the description of place is different, the idea is basically the same. However, the repetition of God’s name creates a different parallelism. The obscure verse structure only heightens the unity of the ideas
expressed in the verse. Considering the turmoil and threat that is evident in the first section of the Tehilah, the first
expression of the author’s request is profoundly calming. The whole sense of this part of the verse is
particularly beautiful and tranquil. What Jew would not be happy dwelling in God’s house for all
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eternity? Who would not enjoy basking in God’s glorious pleasantness while paying a daily visit to
God’s Temple? Now contrast this picture with that which wells up from the next verse!
5. כייצפנניבסכהביוםרעה//יסתרניבסתראהלובצורירוממני
“God will hide me in his Sukkah, on a bad day \\ He will conceal me in His tent, He
will raise me upon the rock.”
Structurally, the two halves of this verse are perfectly parallel. Indeed, for the first time in this Tehilah,
a bit of rhyme is introduced, which supports the parallelism. Despite the structural parallelism, the content is not parallel. “On a bad day – a day when I am chased by my enemies – God will hide me in
his Sukkah, He will conceal me in His tent.” In contrast to the first section, where God’s protection is taken for granted, here, the author pleads to be hidden from his enemies by God.
All this is well and good, but the last phrase of the verse is out of kilter with the rest. “He will raise me upon the rock.” If the author must be hidden away, why should he pray that God put him on
top of a “rock” for all to see? The bit of rhyme created by all three verbs in this verse hints at a connection between this phrase and what precedes it in the verse. This textual connection opens up at least two
alternative explanations that answer our question, as well. The first option is to view the idea of being raised upon a rock, a boulder or a high rocky cliff as
a parallel act of protection. Just as hiding in God’s house offers one form of protection, so, too, standing high above one’s enemies on an impregnable cliff is another form of protection.
The second explanation catches the emerging theme of the entire Tehilah, the ebb and flow of the
threat of the enemies versus the triumph over them. Thus, the sense of the verse is “When enemies threaten me, God will hide me well from them. Then I will triumph and God will raise me high over
them, like the one standing high above it all on a rocky cliff.” It would seem from the following verse that this second interpretation fits the context better.
It is ironic that when speaking of basking in God’s glory, God’s place is referred to as a house or as a palace. Yet when the author seeks refuge, that same solid structure suddenly becomes a fragile
Sukkah or tent. Given the options, most of us would choose to hide from our enemies in a solid, complex structure like a palace, not in a tent! However, when God is providing the protection, even a flimsy tent
becomes a rock-solid hiding place and refuge.
6.
“And now . . . ועתה
The word “Ve’atah – and now” is a jargon word. It means that what comes next is the logical, practical next step that arises out of what came before.
ירוםראשי,עלאיביסביבותיואזבחהבאהלוזבחיתרועה
אשירהואזמרהליי “He will raise my head over all of my enemies around me; I will sacrifice in His tent sacrifices of Teru’ah;
Will sing and chant to God!”
Of all the verses we have examined so far, this is first that has almost no poetic structure what so ever. However, it is the logical extension of the previous verse. If God will hide the author, protecting him
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from his enemies, allowing him to emerge at the moment of triumph, then “He will raise my head over
all of my enemies around me.” Once that has occurred then the author will re-enter that same protective
tent to offer sacrifices of thanks and to sing God’s praises. The use of the word Teru’ah to describe the sacrifices hints at Rosh HaShanah. To identify the
sacrifices of thanks as Rosh HaShanah sacrifices forges a conceptual link between the two ideas. Rosh
HaShanah presents a complex set of ideas and symbols. It is the coronation day, the day that we crown God as King. It is also the Day of Judgment, the day when God looks at the record of our behavior, then
judges us and decrees our fate for the coming year. The Teru’ah sounds of the Shofar are reminiscent of
a baby’s crying as he waits for his mother to come and soothe him. Thus, the combination of these images and ideas with the sacrifices the author offers after God saves him creates an idea the expresses
the almost paradoxical thanks to be able to live another day, to celebrate another Rosh HaShanah, to crown God as King, to be judged once again and to shed tears like a baby before God as the Shofar is
sounded. One would think that the author yearned to celebrate another Pesach or Sukkot. These
holidays celebrate national salvation. Thus, they do not give expression to the author’s plight. Rosh HaShanah, however, is the first step toward the personal redemption that the author seeks.
There is one other undercurrent that runs through the verses in this section. King David’s greatest
wish was to build the Temple, a wish that God refused to grant him. Nevertheless, he speaks of the Temple (or the Mishkan) as a house, a palace, a Sukkah and a tent. Each description represents a different
nuance, a different facet of God’s house. While the author desired to literally dwell in God’s house, His Temple, he has to settle for hiding in God’s temporary dwelling, His Mishkan, His tent.
Section 3 – Seeking God’s Face and Protection
7. קוליאקרא//וחנניועננישמעיי//
“Hear, O God \\ my voice calls \\ and have mercy on me and answer me”
Verse 7 has a grand total of six Hebrew words, which are broken up into three phrases, with no poetic structure. This verse introduces the third section, yet it takes the very last idea of the
previous section and develops it, just as section 2 extended the closing idea of section 1. What song will the author sing in God’s tent? He croons a song of prayer for further salvation from his enemies. “Hear, O God, my voice [when] I call.” The phrasing is somewhat awkward, which makes it quite difficult to translate literally and requires the insertion of the word, “when.”
However, the idea that is expressed also begs interpretation. Certainly God will hear the
author’s voice when he calls out to Him! The solution lies is the explanation of a somewhat similar verse in Psalm 130:2, “My Lord, hear my voice! May Your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas.” What does the second half of this verse say that the first half does not? The operative phrase in the second half of the verse is "the voice of my pleas." A more accurate translation would be "May your ears be attentive to the tone of my voice." The author pleads
with God to listen carefully to both the words he utters and to the way he says them. The same idea can be applied to our Tehilah. “Hear, O God, listen to what I am saying. And pay attention to my voice – the tone of voice and the anguish it expresses – when I call out to You.”
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8. לבי//בקשופני//אתפניךייאבקשלךאמר
“For You my heart says, \\ ‘Seek My Face!’ \\ I will seek your face, O God!”
The poetic structure of verse 8 is weak. Once again, we encounter three phrases, the last two of which have an uneven ciastic parallelism. This verse strikes the theme of this section, the search for God’s “face.” The search for God’s face began when God, Himself, promises to shine and raise His face to us as part of the blessings bestowed
upon us by the Kohanim (see Bamidbar 6:24-26). This is despite the fact that God tells Moshe that a person cannot see God’s face and live through the experience (see Shemot 33:19).
In our verse, the search for God’s face is the equivalent of the almost quiet request to dwell in
God’s house. It is the quiet in the eye of the storm. In the previous verse, the author pleads with God to hear his lament and to answer positively. In the next verse, the author prays that God will not abandon
him in his time of need. And in the middle of it all, verse 8 says, “For You – or maybe, to You – my heart says to me, ‘Continue your spiritual search! Aren’t we all commanded to search for God’s face!?’ Thus,
I search for your face, O God!” An undercurrent that runs through this verse, further connecting it with the previous section is
the command to visit the Temple three times a year – on Pesach, Shavu’ot and Sukkot – to see God’s face (see Shemot 23:17 and Devarim 16:16).
9. אלתסתרפניךממני//
אלתטבאףעבדך// עזרתיהיית,אלתטשניואלתעזבניאלהיישעי
“Do not hide Your face from me \\
Do not reject Your servant in anger, You have been my help \\ Do not forsake me, do not abandon me, my God, my savior.”
In verse 9, the first two thirds of the verse team up to create a simple parallelism with the third part of
the verse. The combination of the repetition of the word “Al – do not” with the opening letter Taf of the next word adds a bit of alliteration to the poetic form and helps create the parallelism.
The other parallel phrases create a stark contrast between the kind of assistance that the author requests. On the one hand, God “was my helper” in the past, “helping me in the material world.” On
the other hand, God is the “Lord of my salvation,” which carries with it both an immediacy and directness that is implied by the name, Elohim, as well as the slightly more ephemeral and spiritual
“salvation.”
Here, too, the beginning of the verse extends the idea of the previous verse. “While I search for Your face, please do not hide Your face from me.” If the shining of God’s face upon us is an act of
blessing, then the hiding of His face from us is part of the serious punishment that God promises us if we sin grievously (see Devarim 31:17-18).
10.
“Because . . . כי
The use of the word, “Ki – because” to open verse 10 forges a clear and strong link to the entire previous
verse. Why does the author pray that God not abandon and reject him? Because . . .
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יייאספניאביואמיעזבוני//ו [Though] my father and my mother abandoned me \\
And God will gather me in.”
The clear parallelism of this short verse accomplishes two separate tasks in a very elegant manner. First, we clearly understand why the author turns so emphatically to God, calling for his help. There simply are no people who will help him. Even his parents have left him. This stark statement
need not be understood in a negative light. Indeed, his parents could simply have passed away by this time. Thus, the statement is not a complaint. It is just telling it as it is.
The second task is to express the author’s supreme trust in God. Even though there is no one who can help him, “God will surely gather me in! God will take care of me!”
Like the first and second sections, the third section ends with a declaration of faith, of trust and ultimately of hope. God is there to help. He will always be there!
Section 4 – Salvation from the Enemies Is the Great Hope
11. דרכך//ונחני בארחמישור//למעןשרריהורנייי
“God, teach me Your way \\ And guide me down an level path \\ Against my enemies.”
The fourth and final section of the Tehilah opens with a variation on the song of prayer that ends section
2. The first two phrases are structured poetically, employing a common variation. Each phrase has three words. In the first phrase the opening two words are parallel to the single word that begins the second
phrase. And consequently, the third word of the first phrase is parallel to the last two words of the second phrase.
The third and final phrase in this verse stands alone and is like the punch line, meant to bring the opening two-thirds home, so to speak.
“God, teach me Your way. Teach me the way to Your house and Temple. Teach me the proper way to behave so I may receive your salvation and protection. Teach me Your way to vanquish my
enemies. “And guide me down an even, flat path, not one strewn with rocks and obstacles!” A Mishor is a
plateau or plain. The idea is that the author wishes to travel along a flat and easy path, as opposed to having to climb over mountainous obstacles.
All of this instruction is to lead to the vanquishing of the author’s enemies. Indeed, the word Shorerai is a pun on the word Mishor. “Show me the path that turns enemies into a flat and even path!”
12. אלתתנניבנפשצרי//כיקמוביעדישקר//ויפחחמס
“Do not subject me to the will of my oppressors, for false witnesses have risen against me;
[they] breathe forth violence.”
Whatever this verse lacks in poetic structure – there is none – it makes up for it with unusual use of words. The opening words are plain enough, but just what does “BeNefesh Tzarai” mean? On the Peshat
(straightforward) level, Nefesh never means soul. It usually means life or sometimes it is the genderless
word for person. Rashi and his colleagues, Ibn Ezra and Radak, all agree that here it means desire (see
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Berayshit 23:8). Thus, the sense of the opening of the verse is “Do not fulfill the desire of my enemies, do
not hand me over to them to allow them to do to me whatever they desire.”
The reason why God should protect the author is made abundantly clear. “For false witnesses have risen against me.” Not only that, but “Vifay’ach Chamas!” Here we are presented with another
unusual phrase. Chamas is a combination of sins that lead to the disintegration of society. Chamas was
the sin of the generation that died in the flood, when God saved No’ach, his family and the animals in the ark. However, Vifay’ach is a strange choice of words. The verb means to blow wind forcefully out of
ones mouth. This is the verb used to describe God blowing His breath of life into Adam (see Berayshit
2:7). Not only do the author’s enemies and oppressors (Tzarai) bear false witness against him, but they
speak in a very aggressive way that matches the total disregard for law or justice in what they say. When all the elements are put it all together, the picture that emerges is one where the author
pleads that God not give in to the life desires of his enemies. They testify falsely against him, speaking in aggressive, rough tones, literally sinning in the most disgusting way every time they open their
mouths.
13. רץחייםלולאהאמנתי//לראותבטובייבא
“Were it not for my belief, that I will see the goodness of God in the land of the living.”
Verse 13 also lacks poetic structure. Its vocabulary is plain enough, yet it leaves the reader hanging.
Amos Chacham (Tehilim, vol. 1 in the Da’at Mikra series published by Mosad Harav Kook, in Jerusalem)
explains that the author leaves it to the reader to finish the verse. “Were it not for my belief [in God or in God’s protection], that I will see the goodness of God in the land of the living . . .” What? Then what?
Given the context of the rest of the Tehilah, the rest of the verse must read something like this: “Were it not for my belief, etc., then I would not be able to withstand the onslaught of my enemies.”
If the previous verse describes the threat posed by the author’s enemies, then this verse demonstrates his faith and his trust in God. Indeed, the entire Tehilah reverberates with the ebb and flow
of these two contrasting themes. The author cries out to God, pleading that God save him from his
enemies. This is balanced with one expression after another of the author’s faith and trust in God.
14. קוהאליי//חזקויאמץלבך//וקוהאליי
“Place your hope in God \\ Be strong! He will strengthen your heart \\ and place your
hope in God.”
The final, closing verse of the Tehilah certainly does not fit the standard model of Biblical poetry.
However, it is hard to deny the strong poetic element embedded in the repetition of the opening and closing phrases. Aside from the added Vav – “and” – that attaches the repeated phrase to the verse, both
phrases are exactly alike. To understand this phenomenon of a repeated phrased with “something” in between, we must
turn to the Akedat Yitzchak. As Avraham and Yitzchak head up the hill we know as Mount Moriah, the
Torah comments, “The two walked together” (Berayshit 22:6). As the climbed the hill, Avraham and Yitzchak engage in the only dialogue in the story. Yitzchak politely asks where is the animal for the
sacrifice and Avraham gives him a rather cryptic answer. And then, the Torah comments once again, “The two walked together” (Berayshit 22:8).
Without immersing ourselves in the intricacies of this passage, suffice it to say that the repeated
phrase only makes a strange bit of Chumash all the stranger. The Midrash’s comment provides a solution that can be applied to our Tehilah as well. When they are first described as walking together, the Midrash
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says, “This one to bind his son and this one to worship God,” for Yitzchak did not know yet that he was
to be sacrificed. When the phrase is repeated, the Midrash comments that they walked together, “this
one to bind and this one to be bound.” What had changed from the first “The two walked together” to the second was the fact that now Yitzchak knew that he was the lamb being led to the slaughter.
The pattern seen by the Midrash on the Akedah is applicable to all similar textual phenomena. The repeated words that are exactly alike convey two contradictory messages. The first is that nothing has
changed. For Avraham and Yitzchak on their way to the top of Mount Moriah, their dedication to the task at hand was not changed one iota by their conversation and Yitzchak newfound knowledge. In this
respect, they walked together as before. The second message is that everything was different. Avraham was not the same because his
beloved only son finally realized the enormity of the task ahead. Yitzchak was totally different. In a matter of a few short words, he was transformed from a worshipping bystander to the sacrificial lamb.
And yet, “The two walked together.” It is this combination of irony and pathos that gives the Akedah
story its dramatic power. In our Tehilah, the repeated phrase, “Place your hope in God,” delivers two messages as well. The
theme that runs like a colored ribbon through almost every verse and through every section is the delicate balancing act between banging down God’s door in search of salvation and protection from
one’s enemies on the one hand and declaring one’s firm faith and trust in God on the other. Thus, it is not surprising that in the final verse, the author turns to us, the readers and singers of his psalm, and
urges us to place our trust and hope in God. That is just the beginning of the process. The next step is to be “be strong.” “Look your enemies
straight in the eye,” says the author, “And stand strong against them!” “Do not fear!” he adds, “For God, Himself, will strengthen your heart. He will give you courage.”
If we place our trust and hope in God then He always comes through for us, if only to give us the ability and strength we need to overcome our enemies.
This should be enough for us. We have prayed and pleaded with God and He has answered us. “No!” says the author. “Once again you must place your hope in God.” The first message delivered here
is the idea of the never-ending cycle. Just as the threat of the enemies is followed by the expression of faith in God’s salvation and protection ebbs and flows throughout the entire Tehilah, so, too, we must
again and again, especially after each triumph, “place your hope in God!”
However, the second message is just as important. Once you have experienced the moment of placing your trust in God, which is followed by the invigorating sense of strength He provides, the next
moment of placing your hope in God is totally different from the first. To be touched by God, to feel His strength changes us to the point that the next time we turn to Him is a deeper, richer experience.
Psalm 27 and the Month of Elul
Elul is the month of repentance. Elul is the month of introspection and self-evaluation. Elul is the
month when we must look all of our old and new enemies straight in the eye and overcome them, especially the worst enemy of all, the Yetzer Hara – the evil inclination.
Our Tehilah, Psalm 27, is recited twice a day throughout the month of Elul as a lesson in faith and
hope. A Jew must never despair. The Tehilah starts out by announcing that we have no reason to be afraid because God is our light and our redeemer. And the Tehilah ends with a singular message of hope
and trust in God that is renewed again and again. If in between, we must pray to God for protection
and salvation, so be it. So long as we remember that He is the “stronghold, the fortress of my life . . . the
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one who gives us strength and courage,” then we can turn to Him again and again “to place our hope
in God.”
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The Altar, the Blood and Repentance
As we march through the month of Elul, there is a growing awareness that Rosh Hashanah, the
annual day of judgment, is just around the corner. So, it is only natural that our thoughts turn to Teshuvah.
There are two special days on the Jewish calendar when an observant Jew can climb into the car and travel to a far away Shul to participate in the Davening there. One of these days is Purim. You can
literally go anywhere to hear the Megilah read. The other day is actually Selichot night. So, many years
ago, in search of a different, hopefully more inspiring Selichot service, I traveled across town to a local
Yeshiva to hear Selichot. Arriving ten minutes early, I caught the tail end of the pre-Selichot pep talk given by one of the Yeshiva’s teachers. The upshot of his talk was that Teshuvah is impossible. Teshuvah
– repentance – is so complicated, so difficult to do properly that it is well nigh impossible. I felt like
closing my Selichot book and going home, even before the service began. What a downer! Yes, I stayed for Selichot that night, but only because I was convinced then as I am convinced now
that he was absolutely wrong. Teshuvah is not impossible. Au contraire, as we say in Yiddish, Teshuvah
is actually easy. Sure, there are rules and regulations – check out the laws of Teshuvah in the Rambam –
but once you get the hang of it you see that it is not difficult at all. However, like so many things in life, it is not the doing that is difficult, it is the resolve to do it
that is hard. We always have to swallow hard to apologize to someone. We have all experienced the humiliation, the great uneasiness that accompanies the words, “I’m sorry. I won’t do that again.”
So, here is a pep talk in the form of a Dvar Torah to get us into the mood and to build up our determination to do Teshuvah.
HaRav Mordechai Ya’akov Leiner of Izbitza, in his May HaShilo’ach (vol. II, p. 75), compares two different sacrifices. The Korban Olah, the burnt offering, and the Korban Chatat, the sin offering, are
slaughtered in the same area of the Temple courtyard. The Olah is very different from the Chatat. Every
bit of the Olah is burnt totally, while the Kohanim eat parts of the Chatat. The two daily sacrifices and the
additional, Musaf, sacrifice on Shabbat were Olah sacrifices. On the other hand, a person could voluntarily donate an Olah to achieve Kaparah, atonement, for the sin of thinking evil, sinful thought.
The Chatat was brought to the Temple only when an individual had committed an actual sin. An
example would be the mistaken violation (Shogeg) of Shabbat law. Thus, why does the Torah demand
that they be slaughtered in the same spot in the Temple? The Izbitzer answers by quoting the Midrash (Tanna Devay Eliyahu Rabbah chapter 22) that states
that even if a person has sinned hundreds of times, each sin worse than the previous one and then repents, God declares that He welcomes the person with open arms, filled the mercy and compassion
and gladly accepts his or her Teshuvah. If a person’s most grievous sin is to look at a non-kosher candy
bar and to think about buying it and eating it, only to actually purchase and eat the candy bar with the OU on it, then that person is a Tzaddik! The Olah is an offering brought by a truly righteous person,
whose only sins occur in the individual’s head. By slaughtering the Chatat, the sin offering, where we
slaughter the Olah God is telling us that He considers the two sacrifices as equal as well as the two people who brought them. The sinner who actually did something wrong and repents and makes
amends by bringing a Chatat is viewed by God as a Tzaddik. The sinner becomes the Tzaddik, who brings
the Olah sacrifice.
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Already, the Izbitzer has raised our spirits and hopes. No matter how many sins, no matter how
horrible we might think they are, God is ready and willing to accept our Teshuvah and the allow us to
atone for our sins. A little bit of Teshuvah goes a very long way!
There’s more, says the May HaShilo’ach. Along three sides of the Altar in the Temple there was a red line, the Chut HaSikra, which divided the sides of the Altar into upper and lower halves. If we look
at the laws concerning the sprinkling of the blood on the Altar, we see a significant difference between
the Olah and the Chatat. The blood of the Olah was splashed below the Chut HaSikra, while the blood of the Chatat was sprinkled above the Chut HaSikra. This, says the Izbitzer, reflects the difference between
a Tzaddik and a Ba’al Teshuvah. Rabbi Abahu says in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 99a) that a Tzaddik cannot
stand where a Ba’al Teshuvah stands. Ultimately, a Ba’al Teshuvah rises above the Tzaddik. The reason for
this says the Izbitzer (vol. II, p. 207) is the cry of the heart that is symbolized by the blood. The Ba’al Teshuvah mistakenly feels that there is no hope, there is no way out of the morass. Thus, the Ba’al
Teshuvah cries out from the very depths of his heart and soul. This cry of repentance rises way above
the prayers of the Tzaddik. Thus, the blood of the Ba’al Teshuvah’s Chatat offering is sprinkled above the
blood of the Tzaddik’s Olah sacrifice. Once again, the Izbitzer has steeled our determination to do Teshuvah. If we cry out to God
sincerely, from the depths of being then He hears and raises us to ever-higher levels. And don’t take the
words “cry out” too literally. Just as God hears our Shemonah Esray loudly and clearly even though we do not say the words out loud, so, too, He hears the wailing of our heart even though the cry
reverberates in our thoughts in our soul, but is not heard outside of ourselves. Contrary to that Yeshiva teacher’s message so long ago, the Izbitzer and dozens of other Chassidic
Rebbe’im and non-Chassidic ones as well teach us that there is only hope. Teshuvah is not hard. You only
have to want to do it. And it is really not difficult to begin. And once you start -- even with just a little bit – it gets even easier. Indeed, God, Himself, is ready and willing to welcome us with open arms, with
compassion and sensitivity and love. All we have to do is start. Remember it’s already the middle of Elul and Rosh Hashanah is just around the corner.
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Three Teshuvah Tales
Rocks and Pebbles The story is told about the Chafetz Cha’yim, Rav Yisra’el Me’ir HaCohen of Radin, the author of
the Mishnah Berurah. One morning during the month of Elul, the Chafetz Cha’yim gathered his yeshiva
students around him and announced that the next day, each one was to come to the yeshiva with as large a sack as he could find. The next morning, he once again gathered all of his students and said,
“This morning, instead of sitting in the Beit Midrash and learning, I want each of you to go out to the
near by forest and to fill your sacks with the largest rocks you can find.” Well, if the Rebbe asked, then they must comply. So, everyone trudged out to the forest behind
the yeshiva and filled their sacks with the biggest rocks they could find. When they had all assembled again in the Beit Midrash, each with a sack of four or five large rocks, the Chafetz Cha’yim then said to
them, “Now you are to return to the forest with your sacks of rocks and to put every rock back exactly where you found it.”
Well, if the Rebbe asked, then they must comply. So, everyone trudged out to the forest behind the yeshiva and went looking for the places where they found their rocks. When the returned to the Beit
Midrash, the Chafetz Cha’yim announced that they must bring the sacks again the next day.
The next morning, the Chafetz Cha’yim sent them again out to the forest. This time, their task was to fill the sacks with the smallest pebbles they could find. And so they did.
When they returned to the Beit Midrash, the Chafetz Cha’yim gathered them all around and said,
“Now go back to the forest and return each pebble to the exact spot where you found it.” A great uproar ensued. Finally, one of the elder students stepped forward and said, “But Rebbe,
how can we return all these pebbles to the exact places where we found them? We each have hundreds and hundreds of pebbles?!?”
“The same problem,” said the Chafetz Cha’yim, “exists concerning Teshuvah. When we do a big sin – like violating Shabbat -- it leaves a great gapping hole in our soul. Thus, we remember it well and
we can easily do Teshuvah for it. However, when we do little sins – like slighting someone or not moving quickly enough to help someone – they pile up and fill our sacks just like the big sins. But who
remembers them all? How can we do Teshuvah for them all? That is why we must be as careful, if not more so with all the little things we do. As it says in Pirkay Avot, “Be careful with the easy Mitzvot, just
as you are with the difficult ones” (Avot 2:1).
The Little Jew The Chafetz Cha’yim was traveling by train back to Radin. He shared a compartment with three
other Jews, religious businessmen. It was a long boring train ride, so the three men took out a pack of cards, to play a game to while away the time. The only problem was that they needed a fourth “hand.”
So they turned to the little old Jew who had his nose stuck in a book and him if he would join them in their card game. He politely refused. After a short while, the cards came out again and the little old man
with the Sefer asked to play again and again he refused.
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A while later, after asking him a third time, the three men became so angry that they shoved the
little old Jew and his suitcase out of the compartment and locked the door. Thus, the Chafetz Cha’yim
rode the rest of the way to Radin while sitting on the floor of the corridor of the train. The custom in those days was for businessmen to visit the local Rav or Rosh Yeshiva after
successfully concluding their business, to leave some Tzedakah to be distributed in town. Thus, the three
businessmen from the train were ushered in to see the famous Chafetz Cha’yim. The minute they entered the room and recognized the old man from the train, they started to cry and pull out their hair in dismay,
begging the Chafetz Cha’yim to forgive them for mistreating him.
“Oh, I cannot forgive you,” said the Chafetz Cha’yim calmly. “You must go back to the train station and find the little old man and ask him for forgiveness.”
“But you are the little old man!” they wailed in unison. “No, no,” said the Chafetz Cha’yim gently. “You did not throw me, the Rosh Yeshiva out of the
train compartment. You threw out a simple old Jew. Go find him and he will certainly forgive you.”
Needless to say, the three businessmen begged and cried and pleaded with the Chafetz Cha’yim that he forgive them. And in the end he did forgive them.
Strange Noises For almost a month, the yeshiva students witnessed the very same thing every night. Around the
time that the Beit Midrash would start to empty out, the Chafetz Cha’yim would go into his office, shut the door and for the next half hour the students heard a persistent banging or thumping noise coming
from behind the office door. Thump! Thump! Thump! Just what was the Rebbe doing in there? He wasn’t building anything, because those who entered the office during the day reported that they saw
no sign of tools or materials. What was he doing? Finally, one of the boys got up the courage to ask the Rebbe what was going on.
“Oh that…” said the Chafetz Cha’yim with a chuckle. “You see, I am a very short man and I am
also a Kohen. God willing, the Moshi’ach will come, the Temple will be rebuilt and then it will be my turn to light the Menorah. But the Menorah is very tall and I am short. And I am afraid that even with
the three steps, I will not be able to reach. So, every night I go into the office and I practice jumping. The thumping you hear is me practicing jumping so I will be able to light the Menorah in the Beit
HaMikdash.”
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Some Things to Think about Before Yom Tov1
1 As involved Jews we all follow the news, especially news about Israel. So, we are all aware that this past Sunday two car bombs went off during evening rush hour in two separate cities, Tiberias and
Haifa. The only people killed by the bombs were the Israeli Arabs who had driven them into town. Two bombs went off. The “live” footage on Israeli TV illustrated very well the phenomenal power
of the bombs. There simply was nothing left of the car in Haifa, just a few pieces of tangled metal and body parts spread around a mostly empty parking lot. The other four cars parked nearby were total
losses. In Tiberias, a little more of the car was left intact, but windows were blown out on both sides of
the street and since this car bomb went off on a main street, in traffic, a number of other cars were damaged. Tremendous explosive power, streets filled with cars and people, rush hour, five o’ clock in
the evening and not one Jew died as a result of the two car bombs. The 70 year-old woman who was the one most seriously injured is well on the way to recovery.
There is only one explanation. It was a miracle. And to what do we owe this miracle? In my opinion, there are two factors that came together. The first is a verse in Devarim: “The land that God,
your Lord, seeks; the eyes of God, your Lord, are upon it from the beginning of the year until the end of the year” (Devarim 11:12). Just as the Jewish people are special, so, too, the land of Israel is special.
God watches over us, especially when we are in Eretz Yisra’el. Combine this with the fact that the night
before was Selichot night. Hundreds of thousands of Jews, if not millions, stayed up late to plead with
God for forgiveness. Is it any wonder then that a miracle, actually two miracles, occurred the next day?
2 During the Aseret Yemay Teshuvah (10 days of repentance), we add four short lines into the
Shemonah Esray. Based on a custom started by the Ge’onim, we add Zakhraynu LeCha’yim (remember us for life), Mi Khamokha Av HaRachamim (who is like You, merciful Father), U’Khetov LeCha’yim (write us
for life) and Besefer Cha’yim (in the book of life).
The common theme is life, plain and simple. In each case, each inserted text is a petition that God grant us life. There is no need for all the complicated commentary (which is out there!) to understand
the idea here. When pre-historic man or woman stepped out of the cave in the morning there was an immediate
adrenaline rush. Who knew if a saber-toothed tiger wasn’t waiting right above the cave’s entrance for his two-legged breakfast? Medieval men and women also experienced a strong daily dose of fear and
trembling. Even the streets of the large cities were dangerous. Think of the Talmudic instructions never to leave just one person alone in Shul at the end of the Davening. Someone had to stay behind so there
would be two people to walk home across the fields back to town. In ancient times, life was precious
precisely because it was so precarious a business. You and I on the other hand lead rather placid lives. We don’t even get excited about driving on
the freeway. Hundreds of tons of metal whizzing around us at 65-75 miles an hour and we barely notice.
1 This essay was written in September 2001, thus, the reference to a recent event in the opening paragraph.
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In today’s world, life is still precious, but most of us don’t feel the aching need to pray for life. We don’t
feel threatened.
So how are we to recite these four prayers for life? Despite the comfortable security we experience, we must somehow connect with the simple, straightforward message of these short added texts. No
matter how healthy and comfortable and secure we are, we must conjure up in our minds the idea that from Rosh HaShanah until Yom Kippur, we are literally fighting for our lives. We must say these four little
prayers as if our very lives depended upon their recitation. Just as God poured the very soul of life into the first human being and into every human after the first, we must pour our souls into our prayers to
achieve the life that God so desires to grant us.
3 During the Aseret Yemay Teshuvah (10 days of repentance), we make two changes in the Shemonah
Esray. We say “HaMelekh HaKadosh – the holy king” instead of “Ha’E-l HaKadosh – the holy God” and
“Melekh HaMishpat – King of judgment” instead of ”Melekh Ohayv Tzedakah U’Mishpat – King who loves justice and judgment.” The theme of God as King runs through all of our prayers during this ten-day
period. We relate to God in two ways. God is both imminent, present and transcendent, hidden. He is
addressed as “Atah – You” as if He were standing right in front of us. And we speak of “His sanctifying
us through His Mitzvot” as if He was removed from us, hidden, beyond our reach – in every which way. Of course, we are to experience God in both ways. We recite Shemonah Esray referring to God exclusively
as “Atah – You.” However, we are constantly aware that God is beyond us, hidden from view both
physically and intellectually. These two aspects of our relationship with God can be seen in the phrase “Avinu Malkaynu – Our
Father, our King” used throughout the Aseret Yemay Teshuvah. As our Father, God is close to us. He is
like the warm, cuddly grandfather, who puts an arm around our shoulder and kisses our head while murmuring soft reassurances. At the same time, God is the King, who rules from on high, from His
Mikdash in the heavens.
By making these subtle changes in the Shemonah Esray during the Ten Days of Repentance, we shift gears and emphasize God as King. The problem is that this is the antithesis of what these days are
all about. The forty days from the beginning of Elul until Yom Kippur are days of closeness to God. “Call to Him when He is near!” “Seek Him out when He is to be found!” How can He be close when
He’s the hidden King? One way to resolve the difficulty is to say that our calling out to Him and search for Him
motivates God to remove himself from the throne of law (Din) and sit on the throne of mercy (Rachamim)
instead. But this doesn’t solve the problem of our constantly addressing God as King. The solution lies in the reverse of the above process. We have a golden opportunity during these
ten days in particular to connect with the hidden, transcendent King. We literally come before the King. We ride the sounds of the Shofar upwards, beyond the corporeal confines of our world to ascend to His
hidden world. We can actually penetrate the obscuring cloud and gray that hides Him, only to emerge into the ineffable, unintelligible light that envelope the King of kings. Only then, do we come to fully
realize (but not understand) that the Father and the King are truly one and the same.
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ROSH HASHANAH
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As Good and as Sweet as Honey
A Rosh HaShanah Dvar Torah based on Reb Tzaddok HaCohen of Lublin, Pri Tzaddik, vol. 5, pp. 82b-83a
Every year, we dip a slice of apple into the honey. As we watch the honey slowly slide towards our fingertips, we recite the Berachah for the apple. And finally, after tasting the combined sweetness of
the honey with the slightly tart taste of the apple, we recite a Yehi Ratzon, a one-line prayer. May it be
Your will, that you renew the coming year for us, for goodness and for sweetness – Yehi Ratzon, Shetechadaysh Alaynu Shanah Tovah U’Metukah!
We certainly understand the simple meaning of the words. However, the fact that the observance
of this custom is so wide spread and that the simple act of eating apple with honey speaks to our hearts hints at a deeper meaning.
What does it mean for God to “renew” the year? Indeed, the literal translation of Shetechadaysh is “to make new.” What does that mean?
Every landmark in time, be it a festival or be it Shabbat, indicates that God reinvigorates the coming period of time with new life, with a refreshed soul, so to speak. Each landmark in time marks
the investment of the coming period of time with a particular flavor or color. To a certain extent, the weekly Torah portion, read on Shabbat, colors the coming week with its themes and ideas. Thus, life is
a complex series of interlocking cycles, with Shabbat and the festivals marking both the beginnings and the ends.
Rosh HaShanah is also a landmark in time. However, it teaches us that the cycles of life are also spirals. As the cycles go round and round, the spiritual quality of our lives rises and falls, spirals up and
spirals down. With the taste of the apple and honey still on our tongues, we pray that, first and foremost, the
new year be a good one. The Hebrew word for good is Tovah. Thus, we are praying that God assist us
to follow the path of Torah, which is the path of goodness. By doing so, we come ever closer to the level of Tzaddik, and a Tzaddik is associated with Tovah, goodness, as Isaiah said, “Greet the Tzaddik, for he is
good” (Isaiah 3:10). Even if a person does not feel the unique sweetness of Torah and Mitzvot, the effort to observe
more meticulously, to understand better and to develop a more Godly life results in attaining the level
of Tzaddik. “The light has been sown for the Tzaddik; and happiness for the pure of heart – Or Zaru’a
La’Tzaddik; U’Le’Yishray Lev Simchah” (Psalms 97:11) There is a level above that of Tzaddik. This is the
level of the pure of heart. At this point, the individual, with God’s assistance, has spiraled up to achieve purity of heart. Those of pure heart feel the joy of Torah. They feel the sweetness of Mitzvot.
These two levels correspond to Na’aseh VeNishma, “we will do and we will listen” (Shemot 24:7).
A Tzaddik performs the Mitzvot whether he understands or not, whether he feels spiritually uplifted or
not. This is implied by the Jews’ cry of “Na’aseh - we will do.” However, to rise to the level where the joy is heartfelt and the understanding is clear is to spiral up to the purity of “VeNishma - and we will
listen.”
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Thus, with the taste of the apple and honey still lingering in our mouths, we end our prayer with
a request that God assist us to taste the sweetness, to feel the joy of Torah and Mitzvot. We, too, want to
be pure of heart. May God grant each and every one of us and all of the House of Israel a new year filled with
goodness and sweetness.
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The Crying of the Shofar
This Dvar Torah is based on a Hebrew article, “Israel’s Hidden and Revealed Teshuvah,” Yemay Zicharon, by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, W.Z.O., Jerusalem, 1986, pp. 215-227
Hidden Worlds and Revealed Worlds
How many worlds do you live in? What a silly question, you ask. Why, there is only one world, you exclaim. The earth is part of a solar system that is part of the Milky Way that is only one star system
in a very vast universe. There is only one world! If you think Jewishly instead of astronomically you would answer differently. There are two basic
worlds that are parallel to each other and co-exist with each other. These two intertwined worlds are called the “revealed” world and the “hidden” world. The revealed world has both physical and spiritual
aspects. Indeed, the universe is contained within the revealed world. The hidden world, however, is purely spiritual.
Rav Soloveitchik relates both of these worlds to the individual human being. The revealed world centers on a person’s honor and self-worth. The interpersonal Mitzvot give expression to the honor and
respect due each individual. The Mitzvot connected to the Exodus emphasize the value of a human
being, while reminding us the slavery runs counter to the intrinsic worth of a person. (p. 219) The hidden world is the world of holiness and sanctity. Shabbat, the holidays, Kashrut and family
purity teach us about the sanctity of the human being and the individual’s ability to grow in holiness and to be involved in holiness. (p. 219)
On Rosh HaShanah, the individual must grapple with his inner being, with his own personal hidden world. On Rosh HaShanah, a person must decide what he or she values most. Are we only
outwardly religious, just going through the motions so we can be accepted into a pleasant society of good neighbors and friends? Or is our commitment to Torah and Mitzvot found deep in our hearts, in
our souls? (p. 220)
I Confess That I Did Everything Properly!
The Torah reminds us in an interesting way that our inner, hidden commitment must be reflected in our outer, revealed behavior. At the end of each three year cycle of Ma’aser, the tithes, each person
must be sure to have given all the appropriate tithes to the proper recipients. When all is done, the
individual then performs the Vidu’i Ma’asrot, the Ma’aser confession, declaring that he has fulfilled the Mitzvot properly, even though he took a few extra months to complete the task.
Why, asks Rav Soloveitchik, must the person “confess” if he has successfully performed the
Mitzvah? Isn’t the confession an indication of having done something wrong? The answer lies in the timing. Even though all was accomplished and the different Ma’asrot, tithes,
were distributed properly, the fact that the person waited until the last minute indicates that down deep inside there was something lacking. In the individual’s hidden world, his commitment was flawed.
Thus, the person confesses his “sin” despite having performed the Mitzvot to the letter of the law. That
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is just the point: The God is interested in more that just observing according to the letter of the law. God
wants the heart, as well. The hidden world must in complete congruence with the revealed world. (p.
221)
The Power of the Shofar If God is going to check our inner feelings and commitment on Rosh HaShanah, then we are in
trouble! Can we be sure that our hidden world is intact? Are we as devoted to Torah and Mitzvot as we
think we are? Are we without doubt? Does our heart play a vital role in our Mitzvah observance? Do we have great Kavanah every time we perform a Mitzvah?
How are we ever going to be acquitted in God’s court on Rosh HaShanah? Do not despair. God is not interested in finding us guilty. Au contraire, He commanded us to
blow that Shofar and it is the Shofar that melts away God’s strict, disciplinary judgment and leaves only His overriding love and mercy and sensitivity.
How? Why? It should not be news to any of us that the sounds of the Shofar are associated with crying. Rav
Soloveitchik points out that Onkelos the verse from Bamidbar (29:1), “It will be a day of Teru’ah for you”
as “It will be a day of crying for you.” We are all aware that the reason why we have both the Teru’ah and the Shevarim sounds of the Shofar is because the Rabbis of the Talmud could not decide on how
Sisra’s mother cried. Any way you slice it, the sounds of the Shofar are sounds of crying.
Why do people cry? Asks Rav Soloveitchik. Crying reflects the maelstrom of emotions that hit a person when he or she is surprised. Unable to express the complex, strong emotions brought on by the
surprise, the person cries. (p. 222)
Yosef Cries On two occasions, Yosef breaks down and cries in front of his brothers. The first time is just after
he revealed his identity to his brothers. If anyone should have cried, it should have been the brothers. They were the ones who were surprised. Indeed, Binyamin does cry. But there was no surprise here for
Yosef, so why did he cry? The second time is after the whole clan had returned to Egypt from Canaan, where they had
buried Ya’akov. The brothers felt that Yosef’s attitude toward them had changed. Quoting the Midrash, Rashi reports that Yosef no longer invited them to dine with him. The Midrash also says that another
indication was Yosef’s desire to see the pit into which his brother’s threw him before selling him. So, the brothers confront Yosef, saying that their father had asked that Yosef forgive them. Yosef responds
by breaking out in tears. Why? He knew very well that he acted in a way that would compel his brothers to react as they did. This came as no surprise. So, why did he cry?
Rav Soloveitchik explains that twice Yosef suffered through a great battle between his revealed self and hidden self. Each time, his revealed self demanded that his brothers be punished for selling him
as a slave and driving him away from the family. And each time, Yosef was taken completely by surprise to discover that very deep down in his hidden self he still had enormous love for his brothers. Each
time, he was surprised as this over abiding love overwhelmed him and drove away any thought of retribution and punishment. Thus, Yosef cried. (pp. 222-224)
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Know Your Hidden Self Teshuvah comes when we confront our hidden world, our inner self. Know yourself. Explore your
inner self. Delve into your hidden world. You can. It is possible for you to do so. Only when you are
honest with yourself, when you get to know yourself outside and inside, can you do Teshuvah. (p. 225)
The Crying of the Shofar Changes Everything
A Midrash: Satan comes to God to complain about the Jews. So, God says to him, “I need witnesses. Two or more witnesses are necessary to convict someone in My court of law.” Satan brings
the sun and the moon as witnesses. However, the moon is hidden on Rosh HaShanah. Rosh HaShanah is the only major holiday to occur on the first day of the month when the moon is hidden from view.
Thus, Satan is left with only one witness and God refuses to convict on the testimony of only one witness.
According to this Midrash, says Rav Soloveitchik, the sun bears witness regarding the revealed world of the Jew. The sun testifies to every act of goodness or sin committed by the Jew. The moon, on
the other hand, is supposed to testify regarding the Jew’s inner, hidden world. This would be the most damning testimony of all. The moon, symbol of the dark and the night, would tell the court if a person’s
heart and soul were really involved. Where is the moon? The moon did not show up in court. It is hidden away on Rosh HaShanah
because God looks beyond the first level of depth within a Jew’s hidden world. God peers into the deepest reaches of a Jew’s soul and there He discovers the undying, ever present connection between
the Jew and God Himself. In the most hidden part, down deep inside, God finds the love a Jew has for God and His Torah. Then a person’s hidden world ceases to be a prosecutor and becomes a defense
attorney. (pp. 226-227) When does this occur? It happens when the Shofar is sounded. The crying of the Shofar penetrates
deep into each Jew’s hidden world, revealing the innermost core of love and commitment to God. Then God rises from the throne of law, discipline and judgment and He sits down on the throne of love,
mercy, compassion and sensitivity.
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The Malkhi'yot of Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri
Introduction: The Problem
The Mishnah in Rosh HaShana2 records an argument between Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri and Rabbi Akiva as to where to place the section of "מלכיות - Malkhi'yot" (concerning God's sovereignty) in the
Musaf of Rosh HaShana:
Mishnah: The order of the Berakhot is: He recites Avot (אברהם מחי'ה) Gevurot ,(מגן
הקדוש) and Kedushat HaShem (המתים and includes Malkhi'yot with them, but does 3(מלך
not blow the Shofar. [He recites] Kedushat HaYom (כלהארץ ;and blows the Shofar (מלךעל
Zikhronot (God remembers) and blows the Shofar; Shofarot (about the Shofar) and blows
the Shofar. He then recites Avodah (המחזירשכינתולציון), Hoda'ah (הטובשמךולךנאה
These are the words of Rabbi Yochanan 4.(עושההשלום) and Birkhat Kohanim (להודות
ben Nuri. Rabbi Akiva asked him: If he does not blow the Shofar for Malkhi'yot, then
why does he recite it? Rather, He recites Avot, Gevurot and Kedushat HaShem. He includes Malkhi'yot with Kedushat HaYom and blows the Shofar; [He recites] Zikhronot
and blows the Shofar; Shofarot and blows the Shofar. He then recites Avodah, Hoda'ah and
Birkhat Kohanim.
The Gemara5 tells a story: Once in Usha, where Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel was in charge, Rabbi
Yochanan ben Beroka was the Chazzan and he recited Malkhi'yot as part of Kedushat HaShem. "That's not
the way we customarily did it in Yavneh" remarked Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel. The following year, Rabbi Chaninah, son of Rabbi Yosi HaGlili, recited the Malkhi'yot according to Rabbi Akiva and Rabban
Shimon ben Gamliel commented, "That's the way we customarily did it in Yavneh!" Thus, without explicitly saying so, the Gemara decides that Rabbi Akiva is correct, since that is
the way it was recited in Yavneh. According to the Yerushalmi,6 in Yehudah (in and around Jerusalem)
they recited Malkhi'yot according to Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri, while in the Galil, they recited Malkhi'yot
according to Rabbi Akiva. Then the Yerushalmi proceeds to tell the above story.
Even though all of our Machzorim follow Rabbi Akiva's opinion and include Malkhi'yot with Kedushat HaYom, it is evident from the Gemara that there were times and places when people followed
Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri's opinion. So what happened to the Malkhi'yot of Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri?
Was it the same text as Rabbi Akiva's? And what are they really arguing about anyway?
2 Rosh HaShana 32a. 3 Throughout the year, we recite "HaEl HaKadosh - הא-להקדוש" as the end of this blessing. However, during the Ten
Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, "HaMelekh HaKadosh - הקדוש is the correct "המלך
ending for this Berakha. 4 This phrase, "Oseh HaShalom - עושההשלום," is used as the closing for the last Berakha of the Shemonah Esray during
the Ten Days of Repentance. 5 Rosh HaShana 32a. 6 Yerushalmi, Rosh HaShana ch. 4, halacha 6.
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A First Answer
Zev Yaavetz, in his Mekor HaBerakhot - 7,מקורהברכות asks what happened to the Malkhi'yot of
Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri. He begins his answer by quoting the Yerushalmi mentioned above, and concludes that the Malkhi'yot of Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri was not thrown away but must be in the
Machzor somewhere. The logical place to look is at the Berakha of Kedushat HaShem.
Thus, says Yaavetz, if we examine the Kedusha, which is part of this Berakha in the repetition of
the Shemonah Esray, we find that the theme of "מלכות - God's sovereignty" is present, especially in the
closing quotation:
8ימלוךה'לעולם,אלקיךציוןלדורודור,הללוי'ה.
God will reign forever, Your Lord, Zion, from generation to generation, Hallelujah.9
Furthermore, a comparison of the text of "עלינולשבח - Alaynu Leshabay'ach," the beginning of our
Malkhi'yot, with "ובכןתןפחדך - And now, put Your fear, etc." (the paragraphs which are added to the
Berakha of Kedushat HaShem on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur) shows us that the two texts are parallel thematically, as is illustrated by the similarities in phrasing:
ובכןתןפחדך)ותמלוך(עלינולשבח)עלכןנקוה(
.ותמלוךאתה1.ותמלוךעליהםמהרהלעולםועד1
...You will reign over them And You will reign .לבדך2.כיהמלכותשלךהיא2
For sovereignty is Yours You alone .ככתובבדבריקדשך3ככתובבתורתך .3
As written in Your Torah ...As written in Your
.ימלוךה'לעולם...4.ה'ימלוךלעולםועד4
God will reign forever God will reign forever
Therefore, concludes Yaavetz, just as "עלינולשבח - Alaynu Leshabay'ach," is the beginning of our
Malkhi'yot (as prescribed by Rabbi Akiva), so, too, "ובכןתןפחדך - And now, put Your fear, etc.," is the
introduction to the Malkhi'yot of Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri.
A Second Answer
L.A. Rosenthal10 accepts Yaavetz's proofs and takes his conclusion one step further. The paragraphs of "פחדך תן Introduction" to the Malkhi'yot of Rabbi - פתיחתא" are not just the "ובכן
7 Berlin, 1910, pp. 27-29. 8 Tehilim 146:10. 9 Ibid. 10 In LeDavid Tzvi, Sefer Yovel LeRav David Tzvi Hoffman, Berlin (1914) תרע"ד, pp. 234-240.
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Yochanan ben Nuri, they constitute the entire Malkhi'yot! This conclusion is based first and foremost on
the very next Mishnah in Rosh HaShana:11
[We do not recite] less than ten [Biblical quotations dealing with] Malkhi'yot, less than ten [dealing with] Zikhronot, less than ten [dealing with] Shofarot. Rabbi Yochanan ben
Nuri said: If he recited three for each, he has fulfilled [his obligation].
After discussing why ten quotations are necessary and their attendant symbolism, the Gemara
concludes that the halacha is according to Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri. While the Shulchan Arukh12 rules
that we must recite ten verses in each of these three special sections of the Musaf of Rosh Hashana, the Magen Avraham13 rules that "בדיעבד - in extreme circumstances" we can recite only three verses in each
section, since the Gemara does accept Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri's opinion.
Most of the commentaries14 agree that in placing the very minimum at three verses Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri obligates us to recite one verse from the Torah, one from the Prophets and one from
the Ketuvim. A close examination of the paragraphs of "ובכןתןפחדך" reveals, says Rosenthal, that the
three requisite verses are there:
15שמעישראלה'אלקינוה'אחד .1
16Hear O Israel, God, Our Lord, God is one
17ימלוךה'לעולם,אלקיךציוןלדורודור,הללוי'ה .2
God will reign forever, Your Lord, Zion, from generation to generation, Hallelujah18
19להקדושנקדשבצדקה-ותבמשפט,וא-ויגבהה'צבא .3
The God of hosts is exalted through justice and the holy God is sanctified through righteousness20
Rosenthal's conclusion is reinforced by noting that just as the prescribed order of the ten verses is to begin with quotations from the Torah, followed by quotations from the Ketuvim and to conclude
with quotations from Nevi'im, here, too, this same sequence is followed, first Deuteronomy 6:4, then
Psalms 146:10 and finally Isaiah 5:16. Thus, one riddle is solved. The Malkhi'yot of Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri did not disappear, it is
right where it was in the first place, inserted into the Berakha of Kedushat HaShem. True, the halacha was
concluded in Rabbi Akiva's favor and we do recite a separate section called Malkhi'yot as part of the
Berakha of Kedushat HaYom, which is followed by Shofar-blowing. However, we only say Musaf twice on Rosh HaShana, yet the Rabbis of the Talmud included Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri's Malkhi'yot in every
Shemonah Esray on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur. Thus, we say it a total of thirteen times! Irony of
11 Rosh HaShana 32b. 12 Orach Cha’yim, sec. תקצ"א, para. 4. 13 ad. loc. 14 See Rashi, Rosh HaShana 32b, s.v. O' Dilma. 15 Devarim 6:4, in the middle of the Kedusha of Musaf. 16 Ibid. 17 Tehilim 146:10. 18 Ibid. 19 Yeshayahu 5:16. 20 Ibid.
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ironies, for Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri to lose the halachic battle, but to be the grand winner of the
liturgical one.
And What Are They Really Arguing About Anyway?
Could it be that Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri and Rabbi Akiva are arguing about what is the essence
of Rosh HaShana? Rabbi Akiva views Shofar as the essence of Rosh HaShana. Shofar is a complex Mitzvah to perform
and it carries with it a multiplicity of nuance and meaning. The symbolism of Shofar falls into three,
main, broad categories, which we call Malkhi'yot, Zikhronot and Shofarot. The Shofar of Malkhi'yot is
blown as part of a coronation ceremony. On Rosh HaShana we crown God as King over the entire world. The Shofar of Zikhronot reminds us and God of past and future events. We force God to make sense out
of the tangled web of our past, thereby brightening our future. The Shofar of Shofarot relates to the very
act of blowing the Shofar. We perform this Mitzvah, as we do all others, for the purpose of connecting
with God, of encountering Him. As Reb Tzadok HaCohen of Lublin comments,21 God also fulfills the Mitzvah of Shofar by listening to our Shofar-blowing.
Thus, Rabbi Akiva sees Malkhi'yot as an integral part of Shofar. "If he does not blow the Shofar for
Malkhi'yot," asks Rabbi Akiva in the Mishnah,22 "then why does he recite it?" Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri, on the other hand, sees Malkhi'yot as a theological construct which has
a life of its own irrespective of its connection to Shofar. He views Malkhi'yot as the central theme of Rosh
HaShana. The question is where is the most appropriate conceptual slot for this idea in the Shemonah
Esray? The answer is the Berakha of Kedushat HaShem. God's sovereignty (Malkhi'yot) must be recognized on every level of existence. Rosh HaShana helps us extend God's rule to every little corner of our lives.
We dedicate every act, every breath to God: " ה-ה,הללוי-כלהנשמהתהללי - With every breath You,
God, will be praised, Hallelujah."23
Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri reminds us that through the total acceptance of the yoke of God's Kingship we strengthen our relationship with God to the point of connecting with the highest, most
exalted spiritual level, the very source of God's holiness; "אתהקדושושמךקדוש - You are holy and
Your name is holy" (Shemonah Esray). By turning our every breath into a praise of God, we transform
ourselves. We change into God-directed, spiritual, holy beings; "וקדושיםבכליוםיהללוך,סלה - And
holy ones will praise You every day, Selah." Halachically, Rabbi Akiva is correct, Malkhi'yot is certainly a major element in the Mitzvah of
Shofar, and thus it takes its place alongside Zikhronot and Shofarot. However, Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri's
concept goes to heart of our acceptance of God as King, so it is appropriately included in every Rosh
HaShana and Yom Kippur Shemonah Esray.
There is another possible explanation for the argument between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri:
For Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri, the concept of God's sovereignty (Malkhi'yot) is a universal one.
God reigns over the entire world, the entire universe; "ליתאתרפנוימיני'ה - There is no place where He
is absent." This aspect of God's Malkhi'yot is linked to the other most universal aspect of God, namely
His essential holiness. Kedusha is more than just a description of God, Himself. It is also a conceptual
21 In Pri Tzaddik, Vol. 5, Rosh HaShana no. 29, p. 187. 22 Rosh HaShana 32a. 23 Tehilim 150, end.
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framework for understanding God's relationship to our world. We begin by singing, "קדוש קדוש, קדוש,
- מלאכלהארץכבודו" Holy, holy, holy is the God of hosts"24 but we finish the verse with - ה'צבא-ות
the whole world is filled with His glory."25 God is holy beyond all human conception, but His glory fills every nook and cranny of our existence. Thus, these two concepts belong together.
While Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri's theological perception is correct, resulting in our recitation of his Malkhi'yot throughout Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, the halacha gives Rabbi Akiva the nod. From
Rabbi Akiva's practical perspective, God's Malkhi'yot in our world can only be perceived properly
through Jewish eyes. The Gemara, in Rosh HaShana26 states:
פרות:מלכיות,כדישתמליכוניעליכם.ואמרולפניבראשהשנהמלכיותזכרונותושו
זכרונות,כדישיעלהזיכרוניכםלפנילטובה.ובמה?בשופר.
Recite for me Malkhi'yot, Zikhronot and Shofarot: Malkhi'yot, so you will crown Me as
King over you. Zikhronot, so I will remember you beneficently. And how [will I
remember]? with the Shofar.
The glue that holds all these concepts together is the specific relationship between God and His people, Israel. We are the ones who crown God as King. We are His worthy subjects who rejoice at the
anniversary of God's coronation with reminiscences of our shared history. We worship Him with the sweet sounds of the Shofar.
Thus, according to Rabbi Akiva, Malkhi'yot must reflect a particularistic view of God as King.
This explains another interesting halachic phenomenon. We are all aware that the proper order of scriptures is Torah, Prophets and then Ketuvim. So why is the order in Malkhi'yot, Zikhronot and Shofarot,
first Torah, then Ketuvim and finally Prophets?27 Ketuvim before Prophets? A close examination of the
verses quoted reveals that, in general, the verses from the Prophets relate to the people of Israel, while the quotations from the Ketuvim are more universal in content, lack specific reference to Israel. Thus, the
universal verses from Ketuvim are surrounded by the more particularistic verses from the Torah and
Prophets.
Conclusion
What is Malkhi'yot? How are we to understand the idea of God as King? And into what conceptual
framework does this idea belong? These are the issues which occupied Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri and his colleague, Rabbi Akiva. While the halacha favored Rabbi Akiva, there is no question that Rabbi
Yochanan ben Nuri's conception of Malkhi'yot is considered of supreme importance. In the end, we are asked to adopt both points of view: To see Malkhi'yot as Rabbi Akiva did, as
an integral part of the Mitzvah of Shofar, indicative of the special relationship between God and His
people, Israel. And to understand Malkhi'yot as taught by Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri, as a universal
concept which expresses the necessity to allow God's holiness to permeate all of creation, the ability of God's sanctity to affect all of our existence.
24 Yeshayahu 6:3 25 Ibid. 26 Rosh HaShana 16a. 27 The tenth quotation in each section is appropriately from Torah, i.e. closing cycle.
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Why Isn’t Vidui Recited on Rosh HaShanah?
The following Dvar Torah is based on the 18th Derush (sermon) in Midbar Shur by HaRav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, Jerusalem, 5759, pp. 170-174.
The Midrash (Pesiktah DeRav Kahana) connects Psalm 27 – LeDavid Hashem Ori – with Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur: “[God is] my light” refers to Rosh HaShanah; “and my salvation” refers to
Yom Kippur. In his sermon, Rav kook begins by asking why Rosh HaShanah is associated with the concept of light. To answer this question, he poses another one. Why isn’t Vidui (the confessional) recited
on Rosh HaShanah?
To answer this second question, Rav Kook takes us back to familiar territory, to the Gemara in Yoma (86b). There, the Gemara quotes two seemingly contradictory statements. (a) If you repent, then
your willful sins (Zedonot) are turned into mistaken sins (Shegagot). (b) If you do Teshuvah, then your
willful sins (Zedonot) are turned into merit (Zechu’yot). They cease to be sins! To reconcile these two
statements, the Gemara explains that the first refers to repentance performed out of fear (Yir’ah), while the second statement assumes Teshuvah May’ahavah, repentance performed out of love.
Rav Kook interprets the Gemara almost literally. The fear that motivates the first kind of
repentance is very simply the fear of punishment. Teshuvah May’ahavah is repentance performed out of
love for God. The true challenge is Teshuvah May’ahavah, repentance performed out of love. For the love of God
to act as a motivating force, the spiritual, divine light hidden in one’s soul has to shine brightly. It has to illuminate a person emotionally and intellectually. This light is the key that unlocks the
understanding and knowledge of God raises the individual to the level of repentance performed out of love.
Unfortunately, sin or the accumulation of sins creates a cloud in one’s mind that blinds one to the light. Even the transformation of sins into mistakes does not help, says Rav Kook. For mistakes are still
sins, only of a lesser degree. And therefore, they continue to block out the very light needed to illuminate the soul with knowledge of God that leads to repentance out of love.
Rav Kook points to Psalm 19. Verses 12 and 13 are usually translated thusly: “Your servant pays them heed, in obeying them there is much [reward]. Who can be aware of errors? Clear me of
unperceived guilt.” Rav Kook gives these verses an unusual twist. He relates the word Nizhar in verse
12 to the root, Zohar, meaning light. Thus, the verse reads: “Your servant is illuminated by them, by the Mitzvot, for he obeys them through the realization of their exalted nature and value,” and not just
because he fears punishment. Thus, he prays that concerning his errors, his mistaken sins, which he
cannot understand, and his hidden sins, performed without thinking, God should cleanse him. However, points out Rav Kook, before this cleansing can take place the individual must rise to the level
where the exalted nature and phenomenal value of Torah and Mitzvot are recognized. And therein lies the problem.
The solution is Rosh HaShanah. On Rosh HaShanah, we blow the Shofar and recite the special prayers of the day, which
cumulatively clear away the clouds of sin and allow our inner light to shine. Every phrase, every
paragraph – especially of the Musaf Shemonah Esray – brings us closer and closer to Teshuvah May’ahavah, repentance performed out of love.
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As our souls sing the Pi’yutim, as our minds concentrate on the meaning of the words, our love
for God wells up inside us and breaks forth, pushing us to sing with greater spirit, to close our eyes in
greater concentration and Kavanah.
For this kind of repentance out of love, no Vidui is necessary. That is why it is not recited on Rosh HaShanah, the day of Teshuvah May’ahavah, the day when God’s light illuminates everyone’s face.
“LeDavid, HaShem Ori – By King David: God is my light” on Rosh HaShanah.
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The Aish Kodesh, on Teki’at Shofar
HaRav Kalonymos Kalman Shapira, the Piaseczna Rebbe, the Aish Kodesh, from the Derech HaMelech, pp. 209-210
Translated by David Jay Derovan
We can understand the inner meaning Teki’at Shofar with the following parable from the Imray Elimelech:
There once was a king whose son grievously sinned against his father. As punishment, the king
banished his son and sent him into exile in a far off land. After a short while, the king became distraught. “I cannot bear to be away from my son even one
more day!” he said. Then he thought, “If I show myself to my son, then he will no longer be in exile.” The solution to the king’s dilemma was to have a secret room built next to his son’s room in the far off
land. From this room, the king could see and hear his son, but he could not be seen or heard. As a result, both the king and his son were in exile together.
Over time, the king witnessed his son’s difficult life. He listened to his son’s weeping and the king wept as well, but never so his son could hear him. Thus, both the father and the son suffered in
exile. Day in and day out the son was consumed by his pain and his Tzorus.28 However, from time to
time, when his mind was clear, he thought, “I feel that my father is close by.” He searched here and there, but could not find the king, his father. These thoughts only heightened his deep, soulful longing
for his father. “The spirit of my father is here! It is here!” sighed the son. “Father! Father!” he called out. “If I
could only see you and kiss you again!” The king witnessed his son’s yearning, which only increased his own love and pain, but he steeled
himself against coming out of hiding. It was not yet time. Time passed and the son experienced tremendous trouble and almost unbearable pain. Finally,
he returned to his room and fell exhausted onto the floor. Once again, he felt his father’s spirit near by. He burst into tears and wept bitterly, “My father, if you could only see me in my time of trouble! Has
your love for me ceased? Oh, father, I feel that you are close to me but I cannot see you!” In the room next door, the king listened as his son cried out again and again in pain. This time,
he could no longer remain silent. He, too, began to cry out loud. His son heard his father crying, recognized his voice and thus discovered where his father was hiding. With his last bit of strength, he
ran to his father and hugged him and kissed him. Finally, the king and his son were together again.
We all understand to what the parable is referring. We, Am Yisra’el sinned, and Avinu Malkaynu
(our Father, our King) exiled us. However, HaKadosh Boruch Hu cannot be without us, so, He, too, Keveyachol,29 went into exile as well, to a place where He cannot be seen. And where did He hide? Inside
each of us! This is why every Jew feels that HaShem is close, but he does not know where He is.
28 Troubles, problems, life’s difficulties 29 Meaning, as if to say
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God witnesses our pain, our trouble and our tears. The Shechinah is in Galus and does not reveal
herself to us, to Am Yisra’el, for the time has not come.
And each of us calls out, “Listen HaShem to my voice! Love me and answer me!30 Show Your love
for me by answering me. Then I will hear Your voice and run to You and grab hold of You, Kiveyachol,
and I will not let go!” The sound of the Shofar is the voice of HaShem. “The Lord ascends with Teru’ah, HaShem with
voice of the Shofar.”31 We can hear the voice of HaShem when we cry out and weep to such an extent
that His stern discipline melts away so that He, too, cries and weeps with us. “The Lord ascends with Teru’ah, HaShem with voice of the Shofar.” Therefore, “Sing, Elokim, sing!”32 Call out to HaShem!
Certainly, this is how we will be saved and redeemed: We will hear God’s very own voice in the sounds of the Shofar. Then He will be revealed to us and we will be together with Him and He will save us.33
30 In Hebrew: שמעה'קוליחנניוענני 31 Tehilim 47:6 – עלהאלקיםבתרועהה'בקולשופר 32 Tehilim 47:6 – זמרואלקיםזמרו 33 From: HaRav Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Piaseczna Rebbe, Derech HaMelech, Jerusalem 5755-1995, pp. 209-
210
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Shofar and the Avot
One Way of Looking at Things Anything that comes in groups of threes is automatically associated with the three Avot,
Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’akov. Thus, the fact that the sounds of the Shofar come in threes --- Teki’ah,
Shevarim-Teru’ah, Teki’ah -- allows us to associate these sounds with the Avot:
The first Teki’ah = Avraham
The Shevarim-Teru’ah = Yitzchak
The final Teki’ah = Ya’akov
The first Teki’ah represents the Chesed (loving kindness) of Avraham. The Shevarim-Teru’ah is a broken
sound that represents the broken heart of Teshuvah, which results from the correct recognition of the
Din, law and judgment, the Midah of Yitzchak. The last Teki’ah symbolizes the Rachamim, sensitivity, of Ya’akov, i.e. the proper mixture of Chesed and Din.
The Sefat Emet says that when listening to the sound of the Shofar we must have the Kavanah
(intention) that God should rise from the Throne of Din (judgment) and sit on the Throne of Rachamim
(sensitivity). Indeed, we must be careful to complete the process; otherwise we are left with God sitting on the Throne of Din (judgment) or left hanging somewhere in between. This means, first of all, that we
carry the proper Kavanah through to the last Teki’ah, to the Rachamim of Ya’akov.
A Second Way of Looking at Things
Strangely enough, the above connections and associations do not contradict a totally different way of comparing the Avot to the Shofar’s sounds. The first set of Shofar sounds we hear in Shul has
Teki’ah, Shevarim-Teru’ah, Teki’ah three times, then Teki’ah, Shevarim, Teki’ah three times, then Teki’ah,
Teru’ah, Teki’ah three times. Thus, Teki’ah, Shevarim-Teru’ah, Teki’ah is associated with Avraham. Since
he is the first of the Avot, Avraham included the elements and characteristics of the other two, including the Shevarim-Teru’ah of Yitzchak.
Teki’ah, Shevarim, Teki’ah represents Yitzchak. Here we see that the essence of the Din, the spiritual
force of Yitzchak, is the Shevarim. The crying of the heart as the process of Teshuvah returns us to proper
observance of God’s Din, His law. Ya’akov is the last group of Teki’ah, Teru’ah, Teki’ah. This last grouping also symbolizes the end of
the process whereby God rises from the throne of judgment and sits down on the throne of forgiveness
and love. The Shevarim of Yitzchak is broken down even further into the Teru’ah, representing the complete subjugation of the self to God, a crucial element in the Midah of Ya’akov. Thus, the Teru’ah is
the crowning achievement of Rachamim.
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A Third Way of Looking at Things
When these Shofar blasts are repeated during the repetition of the Shemonah Esray, we then blow
the Shofar on three separate occasions, for Malchi’yot, Zichronot and Shofarot. And these three sections of the Musaf are also associated with the Avot:
Malchi’yot = Avraham Zichronot = Yitzchak
Shofarot = Ya’akov
However, each of these groups of Shofar blasts is a set of ten sounds:
Teki’ah, Shevarim-Teru’ah, Teki’ah Teki’ah, Shevarim, Teki’ah Teki’ah, Teru’ah, Teki’ah
Ten, of course, is the number representing physical and spiritual perfection. Yet, here we have all the different combinations associated with each of the Avot. On the one hand, we learn from this that each
of the Avot contains all the other elements and characteristics of the others. On the other hand, this
teaches us that to achieve perfection we must combine – each in his or her own way – all of the elements and spiritual characteristics of the Avot.
As we listen to the Shofar, we pray that God grant us the ability to achieve the perfection of ten
by emulating the Avot. This is but another facet of the diamond that is Teki’at Shofar.
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The Secrets of the Shofar
Based on an essay by Rav Ya’akov Moshe Charlap, May Marom – Uri VeYish’I, Jerusalem 1991, pp 184-186
Making the Grade When you were in school, were you an A student? Did you try to be an A student? Everyone
wants to be an A student. That’s why you studied hard for exams and slaved over your “papers.” Now the question is: When you do Mitzvot, does God give you a grade of A?
In a sense, one can use the academic analogy of getting grades for understanding our Mitzvah performance. If you read the Shulchan Aruch carefully you will soon realize that the instructions in the
Shulchan Aruch are – on the whole – meant to get you only a passing grade. The phrase that appears most often in the Shulchan Aruch is Yotzay Yeday Chovah (יוצאידיחובה), meaning that you have just
fulfilled the minimal requirements of the Mitzvah. Do exactly what is written in the Shulchan Aruch and
you get a grade of C, just passing. You’ve fulfilled your obligation, minimally - Yotzay Yeday Chovah
.(יוצאידיחובה)
What the Shulchan Aruch does not tell you is how to get a grade of A.
So, how can you get a grade of A from God for your observance of a Mitzvah? The key is Kavanah.
Getting an A for Listening to the Shofar The Mitzvah of Rosh HaShanah – spelled THE – is without a doubt, blowing the Shofar. Actually,
most of us fulfill the Mitzvah by just listening to the Shofar being blown. The question we must ask ourselves is are we just going to stand there and listen to the sounds of the Shofar with an empty head
and heart – and be יוצאידיחובה – Yoytzi Zein – or are we going to add some heartfelt Kavanah (כוונת
?and strive for a grade of A from God (הלב
Like so many other Halachic concepts, Kavanah is full of nuance and complex meaning. Our
understanding of Kavanah is usually associated with prayer. We all know that we must pray with
Kavanah, which we correctly associate with concentration. The very beginning of Kavanah in the act of prayer is to concentrate on the meaning of the words that we recite. However, when listening to the
sounds of the Shofar, there are no words to say. In fact, it is prohibited to say anything while the Shofar is blown.
If so, then on what should we concentrate when we listen to the Shofar? There are many possible answers to this question. Here, is a straightforward one that can be used
by everyone. The Shofar – like all other Mitzvot - is a complex Mitzvah. Indeed, we blow the Shofar three times during the repetition of the Musaf Shemonah Esray, after Malchi’yot, Zichronot and Shofarot.
Perhaps, we should think about the themes of each section in turn as we listen to the Shofar’s sounds.
Malchi’yot (מלכויות) is all about the sovereignty of God in the world and over us, His nation -
מלכותשמיםקבלתעול . Thus, we can ruminate over the idea of God as king and how it relates to our
lives.
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The verses of Zichronot (זכרונות) are a prayer in which we ask God to remember the good times.
Remember all the times you saved us and the world. Remember how You saved Yitzchak when you
tested his father Avraham. When listening to the blowing of the Shofar after Zichronot, we can think of
all the “good” times we have had with God, of all the times He has saved us and our family and our people during our lifetime.
The theme of Shofarot(שופרות) is to awaken God’s compassion and mercy for us as we awaken
to do Teshuvah. Therefore, we can meditate on how we will do Teshuvah during the upcoming days of Teshuvah that culminate with Yom Kippur.
Without a doubt, such thoughts that we can associate with the sounds of the Shofar as we hear
them is a good way to begin to work our way towards a grade of A.
The Limits of Our Understanding Rav Ya’akov Moshe Charlop offers us another set of ideas to meditate on when listening to the
Shofar. Science is truly a wonderful thing. Think of all the great things science has given us: Modern
medicine, modern technology, new products like plastic, and a greater understanding of how the world functions, just think of physics and biology. However, there is one question that science cannot answer:
Why? Why the world was created the way it is?
What are the root reasons why the world was created as we see it today? Our sages understood this point and they taught, “Do not investigate things that is beyond you”
Does that mean that we are not to ask “why” questions? Of course .(Chagigah 13 ,במופלאממךאלתדרוש)
not, there are indeed answers to these questions. The question is how to access them. A higher level law and understanding – a חוקעליון – was employed by God in deciding how His
will would be carried out in creating this world and setting up the way it functions. Rav Charlop explains that this higher level law and understanding is the secret of the Sefirah of
Binah (בינה). Binah is above the level of Da’at (דעת) straightforward understanding. There is a limit to
human understanding.
To explore the root explanations of why the world is the way it is, to reach for the higher level law and understanding – the חוקעליון – is to reach beyond human understanding.
This idea gives us a new explanation of the sin of Adam and Eve. Adam tried to answer the question “Why?” Since the answers are hidden from our view, there is room for evil to take advantage
of the situation. In eating from the Tree of knowledge of Good and Bad (עץהדעתטובורע) Adam tried
to go beyond the limits of human understanding. In doing so, he opened the door to evil. The evil inclination takes advantage of our befuddlement, of our doubts: If it doesn’t make sense, then why are
you doing it? Why not do it my way?
When the final revelation takes place in the end of days, the higher level law and understanding – the חוקעליון – will be revealed and all the evil will dissipate and disappear. There will be no more
doubts. Even those Mitzvot that we call Chukim (חוקים) will be understood.
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The Secret of the Shofar
“On the day when the world returns to the point of its origin,” writes Rav Charlop, “the highest level of God’s will awakens, thus establishing all of existence – once again – on its logical foundations,
with perfect clarity. And the entire world will benefit from the revelation of God’s higher level law and understanding.
Then God will judge the world to see if it has transcended the level of simple Da’at (דעת) –
knowledge – and has prepared itself to rise to the level of Binah.” Satan senses that if this happens, then he’s out of a job, so he busies himself presenting the case
for the prosecution. We are taught by our sages that the power of the Shofar is derived from the secret of Binah
This is the ultimate answer to Satan’s prosecutorial claims against us: We gird .(שהשופרבסודבינה)
ourselves to skip over Da’at (דעת) and we ascend and cling tenaciously to the root of Binah.
This leap of ascension awakens within us a glimpse of the future. The sounds of the Shofar allow the first rays of that which is hidden, that which is beyond our intellect but not beyond our experience
to break through. The sounds of the Shofar throw Satan and his entire crew into total confusion. They cease to
prosecute us and to complain about us. We, on the other hand, are filled with happiness.
Using the Secret of the Shofar Whoever tries with all his might to prepare himself to really hear the sounds of the Shofar, to
allow them to wash over him, to be enveloped by them, ascends to the level of Binah. He receives flashes of great light. He experiences the pleasure of the light of the Shechinah – God’s presence. He feels the
evil disappear and realizes that there are no words to describe what he is feeling, a sense of ineffable,
total Hitpa’alut (התפעלות).
All the collective happiness that humans have experienced does not begin to compare to this
feeling of joy. All the knowledge of Torah – Chumash, Mishnah, Talmud - and all other wisdom pales as
the person is enveloped by an indescribable joy and happiness. “I rejoice in Your words – God – as one rejoices when finding an enormous treasure - ששאנכיעלאמרתךכמוצאשללרב” (Tehilim 119:162).
Based on what Rav Charlop teaches us, we can now strive harder and dig deeper into ourselves to achieve a grade of A in the Mitzvah of Shofar:
As we stand to listen to the sounds of the Shofar, we should close our eyes and let the sounds sweep over us. Let the sounds penetrate our hearts.
Don’t try to understand – rise above the Da’at (דעת), the intellect.
Just feel. Let your Neshamah rise with the Shofar’s sounds – rise to Binah.
As the sounds of the Shofar swirl around you, feel the overwhelming joy of clinging to God .(דביקות)
Happy are the people who know the secret of the Teru’ah – the sounds of the Shofar אשריהעםיודעיתרועה
God, we will go forward with the light of Your face באורפניךיהלכוןה'
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Two Short Notes about the Rosh HaShanah
Prayers
From May Marom Al HaTefilah, by Rav Ya’akov Moshe Charlop, Jerusalem 1979, p. 260
“All the Evil Will Disappear Like Smoke When You Remove
the Government of Evil from the Land” All the evil opposition in the world really does not exist, except solely in the innermost
imagination. This means that its (evil’s) very essence is only for the purpose of free choice. Thus, it is unnecessary that the evil opposition should actually exist, except in one’s imagination. Therefore, a
person’s imaginative faculties have the power to void this evil completely. If a person purifies his or her imaginative powers, thinks only about the good, and gives himself or herself over to it (i.e., the good)
with complete desire and craving, then the evil does not occupy space within the person at all. Indeed, evil only occupies “space” (in a person’s mind) at a time when the imaginative faculties are not pure,
when the person imagines (i.e., thinks of) bad behaviors and despicable and lowly things. As a result, experience changes at different times. Sometimes, a person reaches a great height,
where he or she has no cognizance of the existence of evil because the person has uprooted the evil from his or her imaginative faculties. Thus, it has no existence at all. And at other times, a person descends
from the heights and his imagination is not cleansed completely [in preparation for] spirituality and high places. This is exactly how a person creates evil.
Therefore, during the High Holy Days, at a time when we crown our Creator as king over all the worlds, and we ask that “all the evil will disappear like smoke when you remove the government of
evil from the land,” the individual must perfect him or herself in this way. At least let the person not conjure up any evil and conscious wickedness in his or her own imagination. By raising one’s
imaginative faculties to great heights, and by committing oneself totally to the desire and yearning for good, this actually removes evil from the person, until it has no existence whatsoever. And in this way,
we crown God as king over all the worlds.
“King Who Desires Life, Remember Us for Life” From May Marom Al HaTefilah, by Rav Ya’akov Moshe Charlop, Jerusalem 1979, p. 256
We ask, “King who desires life, remember us for life,” not as dogs who howl, “Give us life! Give
us wealth!” Rather, we ask that life be embedded within us through true love from the very source of life, may He be blessed, for He desires life. All this, so this love and desire [of God] will never leave us,
not even for a moment during our lives, and by contrast, not leaving an opening for the sovereignty of the evil behaviors. Through our total cleaving and commitment to the truth, the very source of life, may
He be blessed, we should be ruled by good behaviors and virtues that cause and motivate us to observe Torah and Mitzvot with an ascendant strength.
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THE TEN DAYS OF
REPENTANCE
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Out of the Depths: Tehilim 130
A First Word "Short and sweet" is the basic reaction to Tehilim 130. Of all the chapters from Sefer Tehilim which
are repeated throughout the High Holy Days, chapter 130 is both the shortest and ostensibly the easiest
to understand. Inserted into the Shacharit prayers every morning during the Ten Days of Repentance, it gives expression to the individual's yearning for God's forgiveness. The end of the Psalm promises that
God will indeed forgive by redeeming all of Israel from their sins.
However, a closer look at these eight short verses will reveal a somewhat different message, one which is much deeper and more significant. As we plumb the depths of the Tehilim 130, we will also try
to answer the question as to why it is recited at the end of Pesukay D'Zimra, just before Borkhu.
The Structure of the Text
The eight verses of the Psalm are divisible into four couplets (Those who read Hebrew are encouraged to read the Psalm in Hebrew as well):34
ה:-ו-ה-)א(שירהמעלותממעמקיםקראתיךי
1 - A Song of the Steps:35 Out of the depths I called to You, HaShem. נישמעהבקוליתהיינהאזניךקשבותלקולתחנוני:-)ב(אד
2 - My Lord, hear my voice! May Your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas.
The point: "God, Listen!"
נימייעמד:-האד-עונותתשמרי)ג(אם
3 - If you preserve iniquities, Yah; my Lord, who could withstand it.36 )ד(כיעמךהסליחהלמעןתורא:
4 - For with You is forgiveness, that You will be feared. The point: "Only You, God, can forgive."
הקותהנפשיולדברוהוחלתי:-ו-ה-)ה(קויתיי
34 Amos Chakham, in Sefer Tehilim of the Da'at Mikra series published by Mosad HaRav Kook, Jerusalem 1981, vol.
2, pp. 477-481, divides the Tehilah into only two sections, but in his summary essay, he divides each section into two halves! His opinion and his reasons will be considered later.
35 The opening phrase, which serves as the "headline" of the Psalm has been translated literally, for as Amos
Chakham points out (see above, note 1), the 15 chapters of Tehilim, 120-134, which share this common heading
were most probably sung by the Levi'im on the steps of the Bayt HaMikdash during the Simchat Bayt HaSho'ayvah party held on Sukkot.
36 Rather than translate Mi Ya’amod as "survive," as do so many others, an idiomatic English phrase was chosen which captures both the literal meaning and the sense of the Hebrew phrase better.
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5 - I hoped, HaShem, my whole being37 hoped; and I yearned for His word. )ו(נפשילאדנימשמריםלבקרשמריםלבקר:
6 - My whole being is to My Lord, more than the watchmen for the dawn, watchmen
for the dawn. The point: "I turn anxiously to God."
ההחסדוהרבהעמופדות:-ו-ה-הכיעםי-ו-ה-)ז(יחלישראלאלי
7 - Israel will yearn for HaShem, for with HaShem is the loving-kindness, and with Him
is most redemption. )ח(והואיפדהאתישראלמכלעונתיו:
8 - And He will redeem Israel from all of his iniquities. The point: God will redeem Israel from their sins.
As is evident from the above presentation, the structure of the Psalm is clean, neat and lends itself
to a clear presentation of the progression of ideas contained in the chapter.
The Use of the Different Names of God
One of the more intriguing aspects of this Psalm is the use of three different names of God. We must confront two questions in this regard: 1. What is the meaning or implication of each of these
names? 2. Why does the author of the Psalm switch from name to name? The most commonly used and familiar name employed here is the Tetragrammaton, the ineffable,
unpronounceable,38 personal name, Y-H-V-H. The Rabbis of the Talmud and Midrash give this name of God a particular meaning. The Sifray39 teaches us:
היםזו-.כלמקוםשנאמראללרחוםוחנון-כלמקוםשנאמרה'זומדתרחמיםשנאמרה'א
היםלאתקלל:-היםיבואדברשניהם.ואומרשםאל-מדתהדיןשנאמרעדהאל
Everywhere " Y-H-V-H - Adonai" is written it refers to divine mercy, as it says, " Y-H-V-H
- Adonai, God of mercy and compassion."40 And everywhere "Elohim" is written it refers to
divine judgment, as it says, "onto the judge [Elohim] will come the complaint of these two,"41 and as it says, "Do not curse a judge [Elohim]."42
The interpretation of the name Y-H-V-H as mercy, compassion and love certainly fits the tone and content of this Psalm. It is to this aspect of God that the author turns in his search for divine forgiveness.
37 The word Nefesh in Peshat does not mean soul. Rather, it means the individual or the life of the individual. For
this reason we have rendered it as the "whole being" of the person, which captures both the Peshat and the Derash meanings.
38 The correct pronunciation of this name was lost during the Talmudic period. In the Koren edition of the Chumash
and Tanach, it appears without vowels. The vowels which usually accompany this name in most other printed
texts are in reality an ancient printer's device to remind the reader to pronounce Y-H-V-H as Adonai. See our discussion for the reason why this name was used as the substitute for Y-H-V-H.
39 Sifray on Devarim 3:23. 40 Ibid. 34:6. 41 Ibid. 22:8. 42 Ibid. 22:27
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The interpretation of the name, Adonai, is a bit more complicated. The word "Adonai" appears
eleven times in the Torah as a name of God.43 From the context of each and every verse where this name
appears, it is apparent that the word "Adonai" is the name of God used in prayer. In ten out of the eleven
places where this name appears, it is used in the context of a petitional prayer. The exception is a prayer of praise to God. Since this is the name of God associated with prayer in the Torah, the Rabbis of the
Talmud adopted it as the substitute for the unpronounceable Tetragrammaton. Thus, we say "Adonai" instead of Y-H-V-H when we pray or read from the Torah. Once again, it is easy to see why this name
of God appears in our Psalm. The author is most certainly beseeching God in prayer to forgive him for his sins.
The third name which appears in Tehilim 130 is Yah (spelled Y-H in Hebrew). Even though this
word is truly only the first half of the Tetragrammaton (Y-H-V-H), it is used in the Tanach as a separate name for God. The interpretation of this name is complicated by the fact that it is used in many different
contexts. It appears only twice in the Torah,44 three times in Sefer Yesha'yahu45 and nineteen times in
Tehilim, including chapter 130.46 We turn to this name of God in blessing, praise, thanks and song. Indeed, God, Himself, even swears by this name that He will forever wage war on Amalek:47
המלחמהלה'בעמלקמדרדר:-ויאמרכיידעלכסי
He (God) said, "For a hand is on the throne of Yah [declaring] God's war on Amalek, from
generation to generation.
This verse is most instructive, for the interplay between the two names of God seems to imply that Yah is in control and determines what Y-H-V-H will do! The other seeming anomaly here is that Y-H-V-H,
the God of love and mercy, will be the one who wages war.48 Eliezer HaRoke'ach49 understands the name Yah to mean the aggressive, authoritative aspect of
God. In Kabbalah, the first half of God's name, Yah, represents the upper level of three Sefirot: Keter,
Chokhmah and Binah. These Sefirot are by virtue of their proximity to God, Himself, the most perfect
expression of His will, which dictates how the entire created universe, both spiritual and physical, will function. This would then explain why Yah has the authority, so to speak, to say that even God's divine
mercy and compassion will be enlisted in the fight against Amalek, the epitome of evil. We may, therefore, conclude that Yah is that aspect of God which dictates and determines how God will manifest
Himself in This World.
Even with these definitions of God's names in hand, the question of their usage within the Psalm still remains. The answer to that question will be part of our analysis of the text of the Psalm itself.
Part I - God, Listen!
"Out of the depths I called to You, HaShem" (verse 1). Out of the depths of utter despair and
desperation, the author calls to God. The entire tone of the Psalm, as will become evident, is set by this
43 For a more complete explication of this name and a complete citation of sources, see my article titled, Adonai
Elohim Merciful in Judgment, The Explication of a Strange Phrase in Devarim 3:24. 44 Shemot 15:2 and 17:16. 45 Yesha'yahu 12:2, 38:11 and 26:4. 46 This does not take into account all the numerous times the word, Halelu’yah, appears in Sefer Tehilim. 47 Shemot 17:16. 48 A similar juxtaposition which raises the same question is in Shemot 15:2 & 3. 49 Perush Siddur HaTefilah LaRoke'ach, edited by Moshe Hershler, Machon HaRav Hershler: Jerusalem 5752, vol. 1,
p. 215.
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verse and supports this interpretation.50 The call comes from far away, from the author's deep anxiety
over his fear that God will not forgive him for his sins. Therefore, he calls out to God using the
Tetragrammaton, Y-H-V-H, for the author desires that God should relate to him as the loving, merciful, beneficent and, ultimately, forgiving God.
"My Lord, hear my voice! May Your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas" (verse 2). While not a perfect model of Biblical poetry,51 the two halves of the verse say approximately the same thing.
Using the name, Adonai, the author prays to God, beseeching Him to listen attentively to his prayer. However, closer examination reveals, as it usually does with Biblical poetry, that each half of the verse
has its own distinct message. "Hear my voice" is a very aggressive and forceful statement. It is as if the author was grabbing
God by the lapels with two shaking fists, sticking his face within an inch of God's and screaming, "Listen!" Indeed, there is another, deeper meaning to this words: "Hear my voice" also means "Do as I
say! -- It is not enough that You just listen attentively, God, I pray to You, begging You, You must do as I ask."
If that statement was sufficient, the verse would have ended there. Since it does not end there, what does the second half say that the first half does not? "May your ears be attentive to the voice of my
pleas." The operative phrase here is "the voice of my pleas." A more accurate translation would be "May your ears be attentive to the tone of my voice." The author pleads with God to listen carefully to both
the words he utters and to the way he says them. "Listen carefully, God, so you can hear the sound of
desperation, the tone of despair, the voice of utter helplessness."
Part II - Only You, God, Can Forgive "If you preserve iniquities, Yah; my Lord, who could withstand it" (verse 3). Here is the crux of
the problem: If God functions as Yah, so to speak, then how can there be atonement or forgiveness for
one's iniquities? As Yah, God declares war on evil; as Yah, God enlists His mercy and compassion in the
fight against sin. "Iniquity" is synonymous with sin, however it does not carry the same meaning as the Hebrew
word, "Avonot." There are three words in Hebrew for sin: "Chayt," "Avon" and "Pesha." These are usually understood as a hierarchy of ever more grievous sin, with Chayt as the bottom rung and Pesha as the top
rung. For example, Rashi explains the use of all three of these words in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy52
according to the Gemara.53 Chayt refers to sin committed by mistake (Shogayg, in Hebrew); Avon is a sin committed purposefully (Mayzid, in Hebrew); and Pesha is a sin performed as an act of rebellion.
This is not the only way to look at the triumvirate of sin. The Malbim54 explains Chayt as the result
of lust or desire. Pesha is the sin of rebellion, while Avon results from the corruption of thought55 and
50 Radak and Seforno say that the author calls from the depths of the exile, the Diaspora. Given the Midrashic
connection with the rise and descent of the waters under the Temple, Amos Chakham, in Da'at Mikra, understands the depths as the figurative depths of the sea, as if the author is drowning. However, the Psalm does
not really support either of these readings. 51 Usually, the two halves of the sentence would be closer in length, but here the first half has 3 words and the
second half has 5 words. 52 Shemot 34:7. The list of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy reappears in Bamidbar 14:18, and it includes the three
synonyms for sin. 53 Yoma 36b. 54 On Shemot 34:7. 55 See Torah Shelaymah on Parshat Ki Tisa ch. 34, no. 70*, in the notes; and on Parshat Shelach ch. 14, no. 136.
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intelligence which leads to pagan practices and heresy. Thus, the most grievous of these sins is Avon,
which explains why it is listed first in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy among the sins which God will
forgive. It also accounts for the fact that in the end of the same verse, God promises to remember the Avon of the fathers when He punishes the children for repeating their father's sin.56 In a somewhat
similar vein, Rabbenu Bachai says that Avon is a sin of thought, while Chayt and Pesha are sins of action,
committed by mistake or on purpose, respectively.57 Menachem Ricanati58 compares these three words, Avon, Pesha and Chayt, which appear in the
Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, along with the next word in the verse, Venakeh ("I will cleanse"), to four
levels of punishment. Avon is equal to stoning, the punishment for a rebellious son,59 who is put to death
even before he can commit a capital crime, since he is determined to be irredeemable. Pesha refers to capital punishment meted out for a sin performed after receiving the proper warning, in front of
witnesses. Chayt hints at the punishment of 39 lashes, the Torah's system of corporal punishment.
VeNakeh is the cleansing of the repeat offender, who has received his lashes but continues to sin.60 To return to our Psalm, why does the author use the term, Avon, exclusively? After reviewing the
various explanations, the answer is clear. A Chayt is a mistake, easily explained and easily atoned. A
Pesha is a rebellious act, aimed at angering God. In a fit of pique, the sinner lashes out, thinking that the
sin will somehow hurt God. Once that anger is gone, once the silliness of the act is shamefully admitted, the way of repentance is clear, atonement is just around the corner. However, what do you do with an
Avon? How do you repent for a sin committed purposefully but thoughtlessly? How do you atone for thinking something wrong, for believing the wrong theology, for allowing the mind and heart to become
so caught up in corrupt and debased thoughts that there seems to be no end to them? This is the problem of the author of this Psalm. His angst and despair is the result of not only one Avon, but of many, of
Avonot.61
So, if God behaves, so to speak, as Yah, the One who pursues evil relentlessly, chasing Amalek in
every generation, meting out death to the rebellious son, engulfing the sons in punishment as they repeat the Avon of their fathers, then all is lost. The last resort is to pray, to invoke the name, Adonai,
and say, "Lord, who could withstand it." "For with You is forgiveness, that You will be feared" (verse 4). Certainly, forgiveness can only be
granted by God. Indeed, it is that fact which casts the darkness of fear across the author's face. Only God can forgive, but how do you get Him to do so as you stand before Him with outstretched hands,
palms up, dripping with Avon? The question alone is good reason to be afraid.62
56 Rashi, Shemot 34:7. 57 Rabbaynu Bachai Al HaTorah, Mosad HaRav Kook: Jerusalem, 1967, vol. 2, p. 352, on Shemot 34:7. In his Kabbalistic
interpretation, Avon is also separated off from the other two. 58 Ricanati Al HaTorah on Shemot 34:7. 59 See Devarim 21:18-21. 60 The actual punishment involves putting the person in the Kipa, a low room, where he is fed only grain which
eventually bloats his stomach to the point of killing him. 61 It is significant to note that even though the other two categories of sin are mentioned throughout, the middle
section (Kedushat HaYom) of the Shemonah Esray for Yom Kippur begins and ends with a reference to Avonot only! Apparently, these are the hardest sins to atone and therefore the emphasis is on them.
62 This interpretation is contrary to that of the commentaries who understand this phrase as a reference to the
concept of יראתשמים - overall reverence for God. As important as this concept is, this is not what the verse is
referring to.
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Part III - I Turn Anxiously to God
"I hoped, HaShem, my whole being63 hoped; and I yearned for His word" (verse 5). The Hebrew
phrasing of the first half of this verse is a bit confusing. Even though the Hebrew does not include the word "to," almost all the commentaries read the phrase as "I hoped to God."64 The reason for their doing
so is twofold: A. this is the way they normally interpret such phrasing65 and B. to read the phrase as "God, I hoped" is problematic, for then the verse switches from second person to third person in mid-
stream! There is another possibility. The Tetragrammaton in the first half of the verse is not an attempt to
address God directly, in the second person, nor is it a description of how the author addressed God, in the third person. Rather here, the Tetragrammaton, Y-H-V-H, is a description of the behavioral
characteristic the author hoped that God would use while relating to him. This would make the two halves of the verse more balanced and equal, the merciful aspect of God is then equal to God's word at
the end of the verse. Thus, the sense of the verse is "I Hoped for God to manifest Himself as pure Rachamim (mercy, compassion, love and forgiveness); I hoped with all my being; I prayed (or yearned)
for his word, `I forgive you - Salachti!'66"
Amos Chakham67 points out cogently that at the beginning of this verse, the half way point, the author switches gears. Instead of continuing in the second person and addressing God directly, he
changes to third person and speaks of God indirectly as He or Him. On this basis, he divides the Psalm into two equal halves. It is important to note that in his summary essay, he divides each half of the
Psalm into two, thus, in the end his understanding of the structure of the Psalm is the same as ours. However, he does not explain why the switch in person is made.
The last word in the previous verse, the end of the first half of the Psalm, is "fear." The author suddenly realizes that there is a deeper significance to his despair. The Rashba, in his Chiddushay
Aggadot,68 reminds us that we relate to God and address Him in two ways. In the blessing recited before
performing a Mitzvah, we say, "Who sanctified us with His commandments." We, thus, express our
understanding of God as a transcendent deity, removed, hidden and beyond our reach. This is the concept of God as King, the second half of the famous phrase, "Avinu Malkaynu - Our Father, our King."
However, there is a second approach to God, one that receives special emphasis in Judaism. God is also "Avinu - Our Father." He is immanent, manifest, present. As the Rashba teaches us, God sits right before
us, face to face, smiling benevolently, warmly, as we address him in a blessing as "Atah - You!"
The author of the Psalm begins by addressing God as You. He appeals to God, almost screaming in despair, in desperation, directly, until finally he realizes the depth of his problem: How do you
remove the permanent stain of Avonot? Slowly, his hope for forgiveness turns to naked fear. He senses,
he feels God manifest presence slip slowly away. God becomes distant, removed. The very mention of hope, of yearning with all his being, reflects the hopelessness of his situation.
63 To repeat the note above: the word נפש in Peshat does not mean soul. Rather, it means the individual or the life
of the individual. For this reason we have rendered it as the "whole being" of the person, which captures both the
Peshat and the Derash meanings. 64 See Metzudot David, Malbim and Amos Chakham in Da'at Mikra. Rashi and Radak avoid this pitfall by
interpreting the verse differently. 65 See the commentaries to the beginning of verse 7 of Tehilim 47. 66 See Bamidbar 14:20: “God said: I have forgiven as you said. “ 67 In his commentary in Sefer Tehilim of the Da'at Mikra series published by Mosad HaRav Kook, Jerusalem 1981,
vol. 2, pp. 477-481. 68 On Berakhot 40b.
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"My whole being is to My Lord, more than the watchmen for the dawn, watchmen for the dawn"
(verse 6). The author is certainly to be commended for his tenaciousness, he doesn't give up. Praying
fervently, using the appropriate name of God in prayer, pouring body and soul into his prayers, he declares that there has to be salvation in the end, that the requested forgiveness must follow sin, just as
the light of dawn chases away the darkness of night. Indeed, the author's anticipation of forgiveness, his desire to drawn once again into the loving embrace of God is even stronger than those night
watchmen who sit around nervous and bored, waiting for dawn so they can go home to their beds.
Part IV - Redemption from Sin "Israel will yearn for HaShem, for with HaShem is the loving-kindness, and with Him is most
redemption" (verse 7). Even though the author's desire for the metaphoric dawn is greater than the
anticipation of the actual dawn by the watchmen, the repetition of the phrase, "watchmen for the dawn," creates an image in our mind's eye: We see the author as he steps out onto the parapet, pulling his cloak
around him against the re-dawn cold. He looks out through the darkness to the east, searching the horizon for a hint of the morning light, the light that will bring forgiveness, the light which will dispel
his fear. As he stares pensively into the distance, a bit of a smile slowly forms. There is hope! All is not lost! God is truly pure Rachamim (mercy, compassion, love and forgiveness). He will surely translate
His divine Rachamim into acts of Chesed, loving kindness. God will certainly respond this way because
every individual Jew is not alone, he is also part of Israel, the people, the nation, the collective soul of Knesset Yisra'el.
This then is the author's solution to his problem. He will be granted a form of forgiveness for his iniquitous Avonot as part of the people of Israel. In truth, the answer is bittersweet. Redemption from
sin is not the same as forgiveness or atonement. Forgiveness is a personal act performed by God as the
benevolent father. Atonement is a total act, wherein the sin is even transformed into merit.69 Redemption, however, is truly only a change in status, from sinner to non-sinner, and it is accomplished
from afar, not in the presence of the redeemed individual. The model here is based on the redemption of captives, Pidyon Shevu'yim. The ransom is hardly ever paid in the presence of the captives. And the
release from captivity transforms the person into a free man but the memory of the captivity and the wounds endured remain fresh for a long time afterwards. Here, too, the author's solution will redeem
him from the captivity of his sins but the taste of the entire experience will linger on. "And He will redeem Israel from all of his iniquities" (verse 8). Secure in the certainty of the
answer to his dread and despair, the author ends the Psalm with a firm statement, "Yes, God will surely redeem Israel and me, too, from all of our collected Avonot." Forgiveness is achieved, albeit not in a
really satisfying fashion. The last two verses of the Psalm have a brighter, more upbeat tone than the
previous six verses. However the last word in Avonot, actually, Avonotav - his Avonot. Even after redemption, the taste will linger on.
Tehilim 130 in Our Prayers The decision to include this Psalm in the daily morning prayers during the Ten Days of
Repentance is understandable. Here is the Psalm that teaches us that there is always hope. Even if you
69 See Yoma 86b.
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are calling to God out of the deepest despair that results from the worst sins, God responds, maybe not
in the way we would really wish He would, but the Chesed, the loving kindness of God is boundless and
He will ultimately forgive. One question still remains: Why was the Psalm inserted into the prayers after the close of Pesukay
D'Zimra, just before Borkhu?
To answer this question we must understand an argument between two first generation Amora'im, Rav and Shmu'el. As every Talmud student knows, Rav and Shmu'el are very important
people. Their disagreements in halachic matters appear innumerable times throughout the Talmud.
Thus, it would be most surprising to discover an argument between the two which is not quoted in the Talmud Bavli, yet just such an argument exists. Nevertheless, there is a Machloket (disagreement) which
appears in the Talmud Yerushalmi70 and in a variant reading of the Midrash Tehilim71 but not in the
Talmud Bavli. Rav says that when reciting a blessing, one must say the word, "Atah - You." Shmu'el, on the other hand, says that the word, "Atah - You," can be omitted.
The reason why this argument does not appear in the Talmud Bavli is clear. The proper halachic
practice is based on Rav's opinion, to the extent that there is not even room to consider doing otherwise. Thus, Shmu'el's opinion is best ignored, if not forgotten. However, what is their disagreement really
about? What ideas or difference in conception serve as the foundation for their differing opinions? Shmu'el feels that a Jew must be cognizant of God's presence at all times. The awareness that we
stand face to face with God at every waking moment, day and night, should be so strong that when addressing God in a blessing there is no need to be reminded that we are speaking directly to Him. Rav
replies that Shmu'el's concept is certainly the ideal, but it is not real. No one walks around all day with a fully conscious awareness of God's presence. Our minds are so totally preoccupied by other matters
that we must be reminded while reciting a Berakha that we are addressing God directly, so we must say the word, "Atah - You." And certainly, Rav is correct and so his opinion is accepted halachically.
All this is well and good, until we remember that there is one moment when the word "Atah -
You" is omitted in our prayers. When the congregation responds to the Chazzan's call, "Bless God, who
is blessed! - Borchu Et HaShem HaMevorach," they answer, "[You], HaShem, are blessed forever! - Baruch HaShem HaMevorach Le’Olam Va’ed." Here, the word "Atah - You" is missing. This short responsive
reading, pronounced only in the presence of a Minyan, in between Pesukay D'Zimra and the Shema,
requires that we stand and bow in acknowledgment of God's presence. Before we begin the Shema, we
must firmly etch into our consciousness the real awareness that we stand before the King of all Kings, before our loving Father, and speak to him face to face. This awareness must be so strong that we need
no reminder, thus, we can omit the word "Atah - You." During the Ten Days of Repentance, we recite Tehilim 130 before Borkhu. On the one hand, the
message is clear. Do not despair, one way or another, God will forgive us, even our most grievous sins,
if we only call out to Him from the depths. On the other hand, the very placement of the Psalm in the prayers delivers a more subtle message. Even if the most we can expect is redemption from sin, not true
forgiveness or atonement, this bittersweet solution is not the end. Our relationship with God continues. Get back on track. Strive mightily to regain entry into His magnificent presence. If we only try, it
happens! And quicker than we might think it would, for after Tehilim 130 comes Kaddish which only introduces Borkhu; and Borkhu is a sublime moment of supreme, conscious awareness that we are indeed
in God's presence, that we never really left it, that we can once again feel and sense the love, goodness
and blessing of Y-H-V-H, the God of Rachamim.
70 Yerushalmi Berakhot 9:1. 71 See Midrash Tehilim, edited by Shlomo Buber, Mizmor 15, sec. 8, note 32.
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Erev Shabbat Shuva Dvar Torah
On Friday night, Parashat Ki Tavo, the Piacezna Rebbe, Rav Kalman Menachem Shapira Shlita, spoke about the proper way to say, “I’m sorry.” He developed the idea that the appropriate method for
asking forgiveness is to simply apologize without explanation. There is no need to offer excuses or
rationalizations along with the apology. Just say, “I’m sorry.” Subsequently, my son, Yehoshua, noticed that this idea is also found in the Gemara. In Talmud
Bavli Yoma 86b, we read the following:
“A person must detail his sin (when performing the Mitzvah of Vidu’i, the confession), as it says,
‘Please! This nation has performed a very great sin having made a golden god (i.e., the golden calf)’ (Shemot 32:31). These are the words of Rabbi Yehudah ben Babah.
“Rabbi Akiva said: [All one should say is] ‘Happy is he whose transgression (Pesha) is lifted (i.e.
forgiven) and whose sin (Chata’ah) is covered.
“[The Gemara asks Rabbi Akiva:] What about what Moshe Rabbenu said, ‘having made a golden god’? (Implying that one must detail one’s sins)
“[The Gemara answers:] Like Rabbi Yanai. Rabbi Yanai said: Moshe said before God, ‘Master of
the Universe, all the silver and gold that You gave Am Yisra’el until they said, “Enough!” caused them to make a golden god.’ “
As Rav Adin Steinzaltz explains, Rabbi Akiva agrees with Rabbi Yanai, who says that Moshe is
not detailing the sin. Rather, he is giving excuses to explain why the people sinned, and this is unacceptable. It is interesting to note that the Rambam (Laws of Repentance 2:3) accepts Rabbi Yehudah
ben Babah’s opinion as law, rejecting Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yanai’s interpretation of the verse. However, one could say that the detailing of one’s sins is not an exercise in making excuses for the sin
itself. At the end of his talk, the Piacezna Rebbe, Rav Kalman Menachem Shapira Shlita, told the
following story. The Rebbe said that this in fact was his favorite story because it epitomizes what it
means to be a Jew. Here is the story:
In one of the concentration camps during the war there was a Jewish Kapo named Anna. She was particularly brutal, hitting the women indiscriminately every time she stepped into the concentration
camp barracks. At one point, the women decided that enough was enough and the very next time Anna entered the barracks, the inmates through a blanket over her, knocked her to the ground and the beat
her with their hands and feet. The only one who did not take part in the beating of Anna was Safta Yentl, an older woman. She
sat timidly, huddled in a corner. After all the women ran out of the barracks, she brought Anna some water and then disappeared out the door.
In time, the Nazis beat the women mercilessly in an effort to see who was responsible for the attack on Anna. Their efforts were unsuccessful.
After the war, Savta Yentl was walking down a street in Europe and there she saw Anna. Anna immediately approached her and begged Yentl not to reveal the fact that Anna was a Kapo in the camps.
Yentl agreed. Then Anna insisted that Savta Yentl should accompany her to the hospital where she had to undergo a medical procedure. Anna explained that she was very frightened. She said that she feared
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that God would punish her for all she had done by letting her die during the operation. So, Yentl went
with Anna to the hospital.
After getting her settled in a bed, the nurse came in to prep Anna for the minor operation that would be performed under general anesthesia. As the nurse began to administer the anesthesia, Anna
became quite agitated and insisted that Yentl hold her hand and not let go. Then Anna began to cry and apologize to Yentl for all of her brutal behavior. “Please forgive,” she wailed. “Please, tell me that you
forgive me!” Seeing that her cries for forgiveness were sincere, Yentl felt love for Anna. She said, “Yes, I forgive
you and so do all of those you hurt.” As she said this, Anna slipped into unconsciousness from the anesthesia. The nurse turned to Yentl and asked if Anna was her sister. “Yes,” replied Yentl, “She’s my
sister,” gently holding Anna’s hand in her own. When Anna began to regain consciousness, she quickly looked around and didn’t see Yentl. The
nurse said to her, “Your sister passed away while you were having the medical procedure.”
The Piacezna Rebbe said that here you have story that depicts what a Jew is really like. The first model is Yentl. She is a true Tzaddik, filled with sensitivity, kindness and love.
The second model is Anna. She represents the lowest possible level to which a Jew can descend, to be a brutal Kapo grossly mistreating other Jews. Yet, in the end, Anna becomes a Ba’alat Teshvah. The
goodness that is hidden in every Jew comes to the fore. She doesn’t make excuses for the evil she has
done. She doesn’t try to rationalize it away. She just cries and says she’s sorry. She gives no excuses. She doe not try to rationalize her behavior away. And in the end, she is forgiven.
Certainly, none of us is an “Anna.” None of us has ever stooped so low. On the other hand, we are still striving to be a “Safta Yenta,” to become a perfect Tzaddik. And this is the best time to do so. The
Aseret Yemai Teshuvah were “designed” just for that: To give each of us an opportunity to become a Ba’al
Teshuvah. Indeed, what is true in apologizing to people is certainly true when asking God for forgiveness.
While we must detail our sins so we are sure of that for which we are apologizing, in the end we must simply say, “I’m sorry.”
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Why Now? What Does It Mean?
Erev Yom Kippur 5774 / 2013
It has happened before. Not long ago, in 1991 during the first Gulf War, Israel was a bystander to
a major conflict that threatened to spill over and involve her directly in a war that was very dangerous. Saddam Hussein, to make that very point, launched some of his scuds at Israel. A total of 39 scuds
landed in Israel and miraculously not one person was killed directly by a scud. (One person did die of a heart attack during an attack.) On the other hand, a scud rocket landed in the U.S. Marine barracks in
Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, and over 25 U.S. marines died in the attack. So, scuds are very dangerous weapons.
In Torah law, the number 39 is very significant. There are 39 categories of forbidden activity on Shabbat. In addition, an individual who violates a prohibition is punished with a maximum of 39 lashes.
By allowing 39 scud rockets to land in Israel without anyone dying as a result is the equivalent of God telling us that He personally protects us from the life-threatening dangers lurking beyond our borders.
However, He punished us for not taking adequate care of the less-fortunate people who dwell within our borders. This was a time when there were whole families who were homeless and camping out next
door to the Prime Minister’s office.
Fast forward to this week: Dr. Eilat Mazar, the archeologist in change of the dig in the area next to the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem announced a “once-in-a-lifetime” find. Just 50
short meters from the Temple, Mazar’s team uncovered a cache of ancient gold coins and jewelry, as well as a beautiful 10 centimeter-wide medallion:
The medallion and the rest of the artifacts would have been a startling discovery at any time, in any place in Israel. However, my first question is “Why now?” The assumption is that the timing of this
find is important. This leads me to the second question, “What does it mean?”
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, of blessed memory, wrote that the timing of scientific discoveries throughout the ages was not random. Rather, God was responsible for the timing of the discoveries
because they had to fit into His plan for the flow of history.
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I would humbly submit that the same is true about outstanding and unusual events in Jewish
history, in general, and in our times, in particular. Consequently, I strongly feel that the finding of this
medallion this week, during “Aseret Yemay Teshuvah,” while President Obama is dithering about bombing Syria is truly a message to us from God.
Back in 1991, the State of Israel and its inhabitants were is a very precarious position. We could have been sucked into the Gulf War very easily. Who knows what the result would have been? We
could have witnessed the outbreak of a war between Israel and her neighbors. How many lives could have been lost? How much damage would have occurred? We will never know because God saved us
and even more startling, He told us so with 39 scuds! Today, we are in a similar position. Once again we are bystanders watching anxiously as other
players act or could act in ways that could have deadly ramifications on our lives. This week we could have been sucked into the civil war in Syria. Once again, God has sent us a message in a very subtle
way. A sparkling, gold medallion that looks almost like new was discovered just a few meters from the place of the Beit HaMikdash.
Do you think the timing is coincidental? The gold items were hidden away during or before the Persian conquest of the land of Israel in 614 BCE. Most probably, the Jews who buried the items were
evacuating their home because of the invasion. Thus, the coins and the jewelry and the medallion are symbolic of a disaster that befell the Jews once again. We know this because of the dates on the coins
that were found. For almost 1,400 years the items laid buried under the ground close to the Temple mount.
Archeologists have been digging in the area south of the Temple Mount for about 40 years. And in 40 years, the beautiful gold items were hidden from us. So, the fact that these things were found now, this
week, tells us that they were meant to be found now. God wanted them to be found now! God wants these items, especially the medallion, to tell us something “now”! The question is “What is the
message?” What does it mean?
Look again at the medallion. On the left is a shofar. On the right is obviously a Sefer Torah with a cloth cover, which, by the way, is an image that appears here for the very first time on an ancient
artifact. In the middle, occupying most of the space is a 7-branched Menorah. The significance of the Shofar is well-known to us all. It is the symbol of repentance, of Teshuvah.
The Rambam writes that we sound the Shofar to wake us from our stupor so we can return to serve God obediently.
The Sefer Torah obviously represents the entirety of Torah. God, Torah and Israel are one. God looked into the Torah and created the world. Torah is the “Tree of Life” for those who hold it close. The
Torah is the Jewish “blood” that flows through our veins and souls. Torah is our life as Jews. The Menorah is a little more complicated. Most of us would say that the purpose of the Menorah
was to provide light in the Temple. But God rejects that assumption, say our sages, hinting that He does not need the light. Certainly one of the meanings of the Menorah is found in the short paragraph men
recite after placing the Tefilin on the head: “From Your wisdom, God most high, grant me [wisdom], and from Your understanding grant
me understanding. May Your loving-kindness be greatly upon me, and in your might may my enemies and those who rise against me be subdued. Pour Your goodly oil on the seven branches of the Menorah
so that Your good flows down upon Your creatures. You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with Your favor.” (The Koren Siddur)
The seven branches of the Menorah serve as the conduits for all of the goodness and blessing that streams from God above to all of the world’s creatures below, including all of us in the State of Israel.
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The medallion is round. The circular shape indicates wholeness and completion and unity. The
three images on the medallion form a single unit. They function together.
Taken all together, the message of the gold medallion is that the continued flow of the beneficence and blessing from God to us and the entire world is maintained by repentance and renewed dedication
to God, as well as the Torah, which includes studying Torah, observing the Torah’s Mitzvot and living by Torah.
The message certainly is appropriate for the days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. Nevertheless, I think that the message goes beyond a sermon heard by every Jew who attended religious
services on Rosh HaShanah or will hear on Yom Kippur. God is saying to us that we are safe. As war and civil unrest and death swirls around us in every
direction we look, we are safe. We are safe from what is going on in Syria, in Egypt, in Iraq, in Libya and in Lebanon. In fact, the keys to our safety are found in the symbols on the gold medallion. The
Menorah, supported by the Sefer Torah and the Shofar are the keys to our safety. This message does not come from a Rabbi or a sage. It comes directly from God. It seems to me
that this little detail is reason enough that we pay attention.
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YOM KIPPUR
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The Teshuvah Transformation
An Interesting Idea Kabbalists and Chassidim share an interesting idea: Since God is eternal and beyond time, then
whatever God says or does is also eternal and beyond time. It is on this basis that Rav Kook says in Orot
HaTorah that when we learn Torah we should be able to hear God’s voice from Sinai whispering in our ear.
To a certain extent, this idea is the basis for the inordinate spiritual and emotional impact that the
words of the Tanach have on us. When we read these words, we are actually hearing God speak to us. Indeed, like radio or TV waves that shimmer across the universe endlessly – Lehavdil – God’s voice that
spoke the words to Torah to Moshe Rabbenu still reverberates through those same words as we read
them. A clear example of this phenomenon is the simple Peshat of an entire Tehilah. Tehilim 136 is 26
verses long where each verse ends with the same phrase. Here are the first three verses:
י’לההודו(א) י//טובכ :חסדולעולםכי//האלקיםלאלקיהודו(ב) :חסדולעולםכי//האדניםלאדניהודו(ג) :חסדולעלםכ
1. Give thanks to the Lord because He is good // for His loving kindness is eternal.
2. Give thanks to the Lord of lords // for His loving kindness is eternal. 3. Give thanks to the Master of masters // for His loving kindness is eternal.
Even a cursory reading of this Tehilah indicates that there are aspects about God and His actions that
are everlasting. Beginning with His goodness and extending through various aspects of the Exodus in
Egypt and the conquering of the Land of Israel and culminating with his on-going provision of sustenance to a hungry world, God’s actions of loving kindness last literally forever!
Think of the 13 Midot of Rachamim
There is an odd question that can be asked concerning our recitation of the 13 attributes of Rachamim. Here are the source-verses for what we recite (Shemot 34:6-7):
חסדנצר(ז)ואמתחסדורבאפיםארךוחנוןרחוםאל’ה’ה:ויקראפניועל’הויעבר(ו)
-ונקהוחטאהופשעעוןנשאלאלפים עלבניםבניועלבניםעלאבותעוןפקדינקהלא :רבעיםועלשלשים
(6) God passed by before [Moses’] face and proclaimed: “God, God, Omnipotent, merciful and kind, slow to anger, with tremendous [resources of] love and truth, (7) He remembers
deeds of love for thousands [of generations], forgiving sin, rebellion and error, and He cleanses (us from sin) - He does not cleanse [those who do not repent], but keeps in mind
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the sins of the fathers to their children and grandchildren, to the third and fourth
generation.”
Notice that what we recite as the 13 Midot of Rachamim does not include the second half of verse 7
(separated from the first half by a hyphen). There is a Halachic principle that we do not recite “half verses” or parts of verses or parts of
verses: “Any verse that Moshe Rabbenu did not end, we do not end - אנן,משהפסקיהדלאפסוקאכל
ליהפסקינןלא ” (Talmud Bavli, Ta’anit 27b & Megilah 22a). If so, then why do recite only the first half of
Shemot 34, verse 7? The answer comes from the Gemara in Rosh HaShanah (17b):
מלמד,לאומרואפשראיכתובמקראאלמלא:יוחנןרביאמר."ויקראפניועל'הויעבר"
תפלהסדרלמשהלווהראה,צבורכשליחהואברוךהקדוששנתעטף שישראלזמןכל:לואמר. .להםמוחלואני,הזהכסדרלפנייעשו,חוטאין .תשובהויעשההאדםשיחטאלאחרהואואני,האדםשיחטאקודםהואאני'."ה'ה" ,ריקםחוזרותשאינןמדותעשרהלשלשכרותהברית:יהודהרבאמר."וחנוןרחוםאל" .בריתכרתאנכיהנה:י(לדשמות)שנאמר
“God passed by before [Moses’] face and proclaimed.” Rabbi Yochanan said: If were
not written in Scripture, we could not say this: [The verse] teaches us that God wrapped Himself [in a Talit] like a Chazzan and showed Moshe the order of the prayer. He (God)
said to him, “Whenever Israel sins, let them do (i.e., recite) this order before Me and I will
forgive them.” “God, God.” “I am He before man sins; I am He after man sins and repents.”
“Omnipotent, merciful and kind.” Rav Yehudah said: A covenant was created for the 13 Midot, that [whoever recites them] does not return empty-handed, as it says,
“Behold, I am establishing a covenant” (Shemot 34:10).
We recite only the list of the 13 attributes of God’s Rachamim (merciful sensitivity) and not the end of
verse 7 because that is exactly what God taught Moshe Rabbenu to do.
However, the Gemara continues and teaches is in three different ways that the initial act of
teaching Moshe Rabbenu and his subsequent recital of the 13 Midot and the resulting forgiveness from God is eternal and everlasting. According to Rabbi Yochanan, God tells Moshe that he should teach us
to recite these words so we, too, may achieve God’s forgiveness. Then the anonymous statement indicates that God, Himself, remains the loving, forgiving God both before the sin and after the sin
accompanied by repentance. In other words, the recitation of the 13 Midot of Rachamim in effect removes
the sin completely, restoring our relationship with God back to how it was prior to the sin. And finally, Rav Yehudah teaches us that we actually have a contractual agreement – a covenant – with God that
the recitation of the 13 Midot of Rachamim results in God’s forgiveness. Is there any wonder why the authors of the Selichot for the Ten Days of Repentance and for those recited on Yom Kippur chose the
13 Midot of Rachamim as the central act of asking for God’s forgiveness?
Teshuvah as Transformation When we recite the 13 Midot of Rachamim we are repeating the words that God spoke to Moshe
Rabbenu and we are repeating the very same words that Moshe spoke to God (see Bamidbar 14:18 &
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Devarim 4:31). While repeating God’s words, Moshe could actually hear God singing these words to
him, teaching him how to recite them to good effect. Indeed, it is the hearing of God’s voice
reverberating in him mind that allows Moshe to connect spiritually with the process of forgiveness that God set into motion when He initially taught these words to Moshe. Indeed, the process is an eternal
one, for all of God’s words and acts are eternal. Therefore, when we recite the 13 Midot of Rachamim, we, too, should be able to hear God singing
the words to Moshe Rabbenu. And even if we do not actually hear God’s singing, we can sing along with
Him and thereby still connect with the everlasting process He set into motion. If we sing the 13 Midot of Rachamim, praising God for His multifaceted and eternal love and
kindness, endeavoring to hear His voice through ours, then He promises not turn us away empty-
handed. Our Teshuvah will be accepted and God will restore the loving, caring relationship with Him that we enjoyed before the sin. The Teshuvah that wells up out of our love for God, His Torah and His
people will transform our sins into meritorious deeds and we will once again be at one with God.
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The Vidu’i - וידוי - Confession
Note: It is suggested that you copy these pages and take them with you to Shul on Yom
Kippur and use them while reciting the Vidu’i, the confession, actually saying those phrases or lines which are appropriate.
Ashamnu - We are guilty of sin: We are guilty even if we do not admit to being guilty; we will - אשמנו
confess and give no excuses for our actions (Eliner). We ate nonkosher food; we ate without reciting
Berakhot (Cha'yay Adam).
Bagadnu - We acted treasonably: We have rebelled against God (Baer). We repaid good with evil - בגדנו
(Iyun Tefila). We did not perform Mitzvot with full intention or enthusiastically (Eliner). We did not
learn Torah when we should have; we recited a Berakha Levatalah (i.e. unnecessarily) or without the requisite Kavanah; we did not recite the Shema or Shemonah Esray on time; we failed to perform an active
Mitzvah or to abide by a prohibitive one (Cha'yay Adam).
Gazalnu - We are guilty of stealing: We did not greet others in a friendly manner (Eliner). We - גזלנו
borrowed from others without asking permission.
Dibarnu Dofi - We spoke slander: We were unfairly critical (Baer). We tried to harm others - דברנודופי
using speech; We spoke deceptively, with a "forked tongue" (Eliner). We spoke using foul language; we
spoke of business matters on Shabbat or Yom Tov (Cha'yay Adam).
He’evinu - We acted brazenly: We acted perversely; we perverted the truth (Eliner). We caused - העוינו
others to act perversely; we committed sexual offenses; we had evil thoughts; we looked at others for the purpose of sexual self-stimulation; we embarrassed others in public (Cha'yay Adam).
VeHirshanu - We caused others to act wickedly: We did evil; we caused others to do evil; we - והרשענו
became evil (Eliner).
Zadnu - We sinned intentionally: We sinned with an evil heart (Iyun Tefila). We sinned - זדנו
intentionally thinking it was all in fun; we sinned intentionally to feed our lusts and desires (Eliner). We
did not treat our parents with the requisite honor; we did not treat Torah scholars with the requisite honor (Cha'yay Adam).
.Chamasnu - We acted fraudulently: We prevented others from learning Torah (Mecklenberg) - חמסנו
We desecrated Shabbat and Yom Tov (Baer). We have stolen violently (Iyun Tefila). We grabbed that
which is not ours (Eliner). We desecrated God's name (Cha'yay Adam).
שקר Tafalnu Sheker - We lied thoughtlessly: We framed our lies in truth to make them - טפלנו
believable (Mecklenberg). We piled one lie on another (Eliner). We associated and befriended evil
people (Cha'yay Adam).
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Ya’atznu Ra - We purposely gave poor advice: We gave poor advice carelessly or to benefit - יעצנורע
ourselves (Eliner). We acted improperly with members of the opposite sex (Cha'yay Adam).
Kazavnu - We spoke falsely: We did not fulfill promises made to others (Si'ach Yitzchak). We hid - כזבנו
the truth for our own benefit (Eliner). We became angry (Cha'yay Adam).
Latznu - We acted scornfully: We misused our leisure time. We engaged in pointless and foolish - לצנו
speech (Mecklenberg). We were not serious when we should have been (Eliner). We wore Shatnez; we did not pay our workers on time (Cha'yay Adam). We hurt others by making fun of them.
.Maradnu - We rebelled: We sinned as a conscious rebellion against God (Iyun Tefila) - מרדנו
Na’atznu - We provoked God with our sins: We swore falsely (Baer). We desecrated God's name - נאצנו
(Eliner). We had pleasure from this world without reciting a Berakha (Cha'yay Adam).
.Sararnu - We have turned off the correct path: We acted like rebellious children (Eliner) - סררנו
Avinu - We have committed iniquity: We have committed the most grievous sins (Eliner). We - עוינו
intentionally sinned for the purpose of satisfying our bodily lusts and desires (Cha'yay Adam).
.Pashanu - We have transgressed: We sinned by rebelling against God (Cha'yay Adam) - פשענו
Tzararnu - We have oppressed: We publicly exhibited our hatred, especially against God (Dover - צררנו
Shalom). We made trouble for ourselves, for others or to our environment (Eliner).
Kashinu Oref - We acted obstinately: We did not accept proper rebuke and criticism (Etz - קשינועורף
Yosef). We obstinately refused to do Teshuva (Eliner). We refused to recognize life's trials and
tribulations as coming from God as a cue to do Teshuva (Cha'yay Adam).
.Rashanu - We acted evilly: We raised our hands violently against others (Etz Yosef) - רשענו
Shichatnu - We have corrupted: We wasted our strength and opportunity in life on sin; we did - שחתנו
not learn Torah when the opportunity was there (Eliner). We have committed both major and minor
sexual transgressions (Cha'yay Adam).
.Ti’avnu - We have committed abomination: We performed disgusting acts (Eliner) - תעבנו
Ta’inu - We have sinned unintentionally: We fooled ourselves into sinning (Baer). We became - תעינו
entrapped in sin (Dover Shalom).
Titanu - We have sinned through deception: We have caused others to sin through our - תעתענו
deception (Baer).
Sources: Baer – Yitzchak Baer, Seder Avodat Yisrael, Tel Aviv 1957
Cha'yay Adam – Avraham Danzig, Cha'yay Adam
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Dover Shalom – Yitzchak Eliyahu Landau in: Otzar HaTefilot, Otzar HaSefarim, New York 1966, Vol. 2
Eliner – Eliezer Eliner, “Payrush Melukat LeTefilot Yamim Nora’im” in: Chaim Chamiel, ed., Yamim
Norai’im, Ma’ayanot Series, Dept. for Education and Culture in the Diaspora, WZO, Jerusalem
1968, 630-687 Etz Yosef – Aryeh Leib Gordon in: Otzar HaTefilot, Otzar HaSefarim, New York 1966, Vol. 2
Iyun Tefila – Chanoch Zundel ben Yosef in: Otzar HaTefilot, Otzar HaSefarim, New York 1966, Vol. 2
Mecklenberg – Ya’akov Tzvi Mecklenberg, Siddur Iyun Tefilah, Jerusalem 1989
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SUKKOT, SHEMINI ATZERET
& SIMCHAT TORAH
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Divray Torah for Sukkot from the Sefat Emet
by Reb Yehuda Arye Leib Alter of Gur; Translated by Rabbi David Derovan Note: Words in brackets [ ] have been added to assist in understanding the text.
1872 - תרל"ב
The eight days of Sukkot give life to all the days of the year. For the extension of sustenance (חיות
- Chi’yut) from Rosh HaShanah occurs on the “holiday,” during Nisuch HaMa’yim (The Water Libation).
The seven days of Sukkot represent the life in This World (Olam HaZeh), which is why the nations also have a “hold” [in it] and this is [symbolized by] the 70 bullocks. But Shemini Atzeret [represents] the
World to Come (Olam HaBah), which is a life unique to Israel, for the Torah is our life.
This is Atzeret, for the Torah is the inner sustenance (חיות - Chi’yut), only it has been clothed in
the acts of Creation (בראשית Ma’asay Berayshit). The life in This World is only externalism - מעשי
,which is why it requires protection and a Sukkah, the testimony which God ,(Chitzoni’yut - חיצוניות)
Himself, gives that the essence of our lives is Torah and the World to Come. This is what is meant by
the Zohar, that [the Sukkah] is “צילאדמיהמנותא - Tzilah DeMayhamnutah - the shade of faithfulness.”
However, Shemini Atzeret, which is actually (ממש - Mamash) the life of the World to Come, does not
need protection nor the shade of the Sukkah, for it is a Sukkah in and of itself. Perhaps this is what the Rabbis, of blessed memory, meant [when they said that] we dwell or sit, when we really do not sit in
the Sukkah [on Shemini Atzeret].
1874 - תרל"ד
The idea of the Sukkah is [that it is] like a Chuppah which completes the marriage between a man
and woman, [as it says,] “In Sukkot I made them dwell...” For with Exodus from Egypt the people of Israel were sanctified to God (קידושין - Kiddushin) as it says, “I am HaShem, who sanctified you, who
took you out of Egypt.”
1875 - תרל"ה
The Sukkah commemorates the clouds of glory (הכבוד Ananay HaKavod). How did the - ענני
people of Israel merit the clouds of glory? In the holy Zohar [it refers to the verse] “I remember the love
of your youth... your traveling after Me in the desert...” The idea is that by accepting upon themselves
His sovereignty [they merited the clouds of glory]. For after the Exodus from Egypt, they were afraid for their souls, that they should not fall a second time under the rule of the evil one (סטראאחרא -
literally, the other side). Thus, even though free choice is given to a person, nevertheless this also is a matter of free choice.
A person can totally choose not to exercise his free choice. Rather, the person chooses [to accept] His guidance, that He guide us down a straight path.
These ideas [are most relevant] after the days of judgment, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, when the people of Israel have been cleansed from sin. That is when we need to choose His guidance.
This, too, is an aspect of Teshuvah.
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Previously, we repented out of fear (יראה - Yir’ah), but now it is [Teshuvah] out of love, for we see
the great love of HaShem, that he has forgiven us and purified us from sin. Therefore, we return to Him,
understanding that we have no place of our own, [we must only] be covered by His “shade.”
A hint to Simchat Torah [is in the verse] “You shall love God, your Lord, with all your hearts,
with all your soul and with all your wealth. These words, which I have commanded you today, will be... - למאדךוהיוהדבריםהאלהאשראנכימצווךהיוםואהבתאתה'אלקיךבכללבבךובכלנפשךובכ .”
“Your hearts” refers to Rosh HaShanah and the ten days of repentance, when the people of Israel repent and desire to “enslave” even their evil thought to HaShem. This is the “two inclinations” (בשנייצריך -
Bishnay Yitzrecha).
“Your soul” is Yom Kippur, [as it says,] “You will oppress your souls.
“Your wealth” is Sukkot, the holiday of In-gathering, “when you gather...” Nevertheless, they leave all their wealth to live in a temporary dwelling (i.e. the Sukkah), to be covered by His “shade.”
Then, “These words, which I have commanded you today, will be on your heart” for afterward a person can accept the words of Torah into his heart. This is the Shemini Atzeret, when we stop and
receive the light of Torah in the depths of our hearts.
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More from the Sefat Emet on Shemini Atzeret
& Simchat Torah
Shemini Atzeret, an Added Festival
If we celebrate only three festivals - Pesach, Shavu’ot and Sukkot – why is Shemini Atzeret
considered to be a separate festival? The Sefat Emet offers two answers to this question. The first is that the significance and spiritual meaning of Shemini Atzeret is dependent on our behavior during the three
major festivals. If we observe them properly, with the appropriate dedication and sincerity, then we merit the full blessing of the added holiday of Shemini Atzeret.
The second answer is to look at sets of three where there is an added fourth element. The first of these is the three crowns (see the Mishnah in Avot 4:13): “Rabbi Shimon said: There are three crowns:
the crown of torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty. However, the crown of a good name exceeds them all.” The second set is the three patriarchs – Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’akov – while
King David is even greater because he is the fourth leg of God’s throne. Here the idea is that like the two sets of three plus one more, the three festivals are each significant and unique in their own way.
However, the fourth, added element, surpasses them. Shemini Atzeret does not relate to a historical event, nor does it have a specific, special Mitzvah. Rather, it is a moment in time, when God chooses to
celebrate quietly, alone with His people, Israel.
Simchat Torah as Preparation for the Whole Year
According to the Sefat Emet, Simchat Torah is a day of preparation for the rest of the new year. Indeed, it is the equivalent of reciting the blessing over the Torah when one is called for an Aliyah to
the Torah. Just as the blessing reminds us of who gave us the Torah, so, too, Simchat Torah is a day to remember that the Torah is composed of the words of the living God. On Simchat Torah, we rededicate
ourselves to Torah, to the study of Torah and its observance. The Sefat Emet adds that Simchat Torah is especially important “for business people who are
occupied with making a living all year long and do not have an opportunity to devote themselves exclusively to Torah. Nevertheless, through the festivities on Simchat Torah, they set Torah in their
hearts and declare that they cannot separate themselves from the words of Torah.” In essence, the joy of Torah and of learning Torah belongs to every Jew on Simchat Torah.
The End of the Torah Is Tied to the Beginning
The Sefat Emet posits that the continuation of the last verse of the Torah (Devarim 34:12), “. . . before the eyes of all of Israel” is “in the beginning, the Lord created” (Berayshit 1:1). The end of the
Torah (Chumash) is tied to the beginning.
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This idea explains the well-known statement that God looked into the Torah and then created the
world. The Sefat Emet writes: “In truth, the Torah is ascendant beyond ascendance. In addition, the
[Torah] has multiple ascendant paths that are above the highest worlds. However, it was with the Torah that is understandable ‘in the eyes of all of Israel’ that God used to create the world.”
The deepest depths of Torah are so ascendant that they are to some extent inaccessible to us. However, the level of Torah God employed for the creation of the world was one where all of Torah is
completely accessible to everyone. Torah is not just for great scholars or mystics. Torah is for everyone.
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The Water Libation and the Rejoicing at the
Drawing of the Water
In ancient times the biggest party of the year was held in the most sacred place on earth.
Yom Kippur had passed and the “Shook” (the open marketplace) in Jerusalem was mobbed with people buying and selling in preparation for the Sukkot holiday. Finally, as the sun set the “Shook” was
silent; the sounds of prayer resonated from the prayer houses; Sukkot had begun. The next morning was devoted to inspirational prayer and sacrifice in the Temple; the afternoon
was devoted to entertaining visitors who had made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Nightfall and the usually quiet streets of Jerusalem were thronged with families heading to the Temple. It was time for
Simchat Bayt HaSho’ayvah, the rejoicing of the drawing of the water. The party was about to begin. “The Chalil (the wooden flute) was sometimes five days and sometimes six days. This refers to
the Chalil of Bayt HaSho’ayvah which is not sounded on Shabbat or on Yom Tov. They said that whoever
did not see the rejoicing of Bayt HaSho’ayvah never saw rejoicing in their life.” (Mishnah, Sukkot 5:1)
“At the close of the first Yom Tov day of the holiday [of Sukkot], they would descend upon the Women’s Court [of the Temple] and make an important arrangement (so the women can be present).
“There were golden candelabra with four great golden bowls on top of each one, with four ladders, one for each [bowl]. And four young priests in training, each holding a bucket with 120 Lug of
oil, [ascended] and poured [the oil] into each bowl.” (Mishnah, Sukkot 5:2)
“The wicks, for lighting the candelabra, were made out of the worn out clothes of the priests. And there was not a single courtyard in Jerusalem which was not illuminated by the light of Bayt
HaSho’ayvah.” (Mishnah, Sukkot 5:3)
“The pious men and men of good deeds would dance before the crowd holding lighted torches in their hands, and they would sing songs of praise to God. The Levites would play their innumerable
instruments while standing on the fifteen steps descending from the Israel’s Court into the Women’s Court. The steps where the Levites stood with their instruments corresponded to the 15 Psalms of Shir
HaMa’alot (ch.s 120-134).
“Two priests stood with holding the great trumpets at the entrance to the upper gate, at the top of the stairs descending from the Israel’s Court into the Women’s Court. When the dawn was
announced, they blew a Teki’ah (a prolonged blast), then a Teru’ah (a broken, quavering blast), then a
Teki’ah again. When they descended to the tenth step, they blew a Teki’ah (a prolonged blast), then a Teru’ah (a broken, quavering blast), then a Teki’ah again. When they descended to the Women’s court,
they blew a Teki’ah (a prolonged blast), then a Teru’ah (a broken, quavering blast), then a Teki’ah again.
They continued to blow their trumpets until they reached the gate in the eastern wall. When they reached this eastern gate, they turned around to face west and said: Our fathers, who lived here, would
stand with their backs to the Temple building and face east, bowing east to the sun. However, our eyes are to God. Rabbi Yehudah said: They would repeat the recitation by saying: We are for God and our
eyes are to God.” (Mishnah, Sukkot 5:4)
As the dawn slowly broke over the crest of Har HaTzofim (Mt. Scopus), the priests quickly exited the eastern gate and headed south across the paved plateau surrounding the Temple and its courtyards.
Down the stairs, out of the Chuldah gates at the foot of the Temple mount they scurried, through the quiet streets, down to the hill to the Shilo’ah pool.
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“How was the Nisuch HaMa’yim (the water libation) performed? A golden jug, holding three Lug
was filled with water from the Shilo’ach Pool. They ascended to the Water Gate, [once again] they blew
a Teki’ah (a prolonged blast), then a Teru’ah (a broken, quavering blast), then a Teki’ah, [as they entered
the Temple compound]. The priest [carrying the jug] ascended the ramp [to the top of the altar] and turned to the left.” (Mishnah, Sukkot 4:9)
Two silver bowls were fitted into the corner of the altar. One was for the daily wine libations, which accompanied every sacrifice. The other was for the water libation ceremony performed on
Sukkot. The priest carrying the jug of water arrived just as his colleague was about to pour the libation of wine, as part of the daily, morning sacrifice.
The party in the Women’s court ended at dawn. The music, the dancing and the singing had stopped. The crowd now stood shoulder to shoulder in the narrow strip of courtyard called the Israel
Court, facing the altar which rose in front of the Temple building. An unearthly silence reigned as the priest raised two ornate jugs, one in each hand. All eyes were upon him as he slowly poured from each
jug. The purple wine descending through one bowl while the clear water descending through the other bowl into the pipes running through the altar, under the Temple courtyards and into the mountain. The
priest turned around signaling that the ceremony was over. Slowly, with mounting force and volume the daily prayers began. Soon, the walls of the Temple reverberated with the singing of the Hallel, the
praises of God, in honor of Sukkot.
The prayers finished and the crowd headed home for a bite to eat and some sleep. “Yes, the night-long rejoicing of Bayt HaSho’ayvah was beautiful,” they said one to another. “Yes, the Nisuch HaMa’yim
(the water libation) was beautiful. But now we must rest, for tonight it begins all over again!”
As the Mishnah teaches us, sometimes the rejoicing of Bayt HaSho’ayvah followed by the Nisuch
HaMa’yim (the water libation) took place five times during Sukkot, sometimes even six times. It all depended on when Shabbat occurred. Indeed, the Simchat Bayt HaSho’ayvah was the greatest, most
wonderful party, all in the holiest of places, the Temple.
However, as we look back in time and read the fine description of these events in the Mishnah a question comes to mind. If the water libation was preceded by the rejoicing of Bayt HaSho’ayvah, then
why is the order reversed in the Mishnah? A quick check the citations in parentheses above reveals that
the description of the water libation is found in the fourth chapter of Tractate Sukkot, and the details of Simchat Bayt HaSho’ayvah appear in chapter five. Why does the Mishnah change the order?
When we examine the Mishnah Torah of the Rambam, a similar question arises. Rambam tucks
away the laws concerning the Nisuch HaMa’yim (the water libation) among the laws of the daily and
holiday sacrifice (Sefer Avodah, Laws of Temidim U’Musafim 10:6-10). The laws governing the rejoicing of Bayt HaSho’ayvah appear in an altogether different book in Rambam’s code, in Sefer Zemanim, which
contains the laws of the holiday rituals. If these two ceremonies occurred together, why does Rambam,
and the Mishnah, for that matter, separate them? The answer is obvious: The rejoicing of Bayt HaSho’ayvah and the Nisuch HaMa’yim (the water
libation) are indeed two separate rituals. What is not obvious is their significance.
Nisuch HaMa’yim (the water libation) is unique among the rest of the Mitzvot of the Torah. It
requires no preparation or any complicated procedure to perform. It is simply the pouring of water into the opening of a pipe in the altar. Thus, this simple Mitzvah is the symbol of post-Yom Kippur Mitzvah
observance. The priest represents each and every Jew. After Yom Kippur, the Jew stands before God in purity,
without sin. The pure, clear water, drawn from a pool fed by a well, represents the simplest, purest offering that can me made to God. And the pure, simple movement of pouring the water symbolizes
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the purity of dedication and commitment to God. This special ceremony, performed only during the
Sukkot holiday, accompanies the daily sacrifice, implying that we are to extend this moment of purity,
of pure observance and devotion to God into our daily lives. Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, the compiler of the Mishnah, understood that Nisuch HaMa’yim (the
water libation) is the first stage. Only after this level of sanctity and purity has been reached can we proceed to the next level, to the rejoicing of Bayt HaSho’ayvah.
Simchat Bayt HaSho’ayvah, the nightlong singing and dancing in the Temple courtyard, was a very unique experience. Only the most righteous and pious people actually danced. Only the Levites, who
provided the music in the Temple on a daily basis, were allowed to play their instruments. Everyone else, men, women and children just watched, just listened. Yet, “whoever did not see the rejoicing of
Bayt HaSho’ayvah never saw rejoicing in their life” (Mishnah, Sukkot 5:1). What made this event so
special? Rambam answers. The rejoicing in the Temple was the pure joy and happiness of performing a Mitzvah:
The joy a person experiences when performing a Mitzvah and from loving God, who commanded
them, is a great act of worship. Whoever refrains from participating in this joy deserves punishment, as it says, “Because
you did not worship God, your Lord, with joy and goodness of heart” (Deuteronomy 28:46). Anyone who is arrogant and demands honor for himself on such occasions is both a sinner and
a fool. This is what Shlomo warned of when he said, “Do not glorify yourself in the presence of a King” (Proverbs 25:6).
Whoever humbles himself and carrying himself humbly at these times, is great and honored, serving [God] out of love. This is what David, King of Israel, said, “I will make myself
even more contemptible than this, humbling myself in my own eyes” (Samuel II 6:22). There is no greatness and honor other than rejoicing before God, as it says, “King David
was leaping and dancing before God” (ibid. 6:16). (Rambam, Mishnah Torah, Zemanim, Laws of Sukkah VeLulav 8:15)
The ultimate happiness is to serve God out of love. Happiness should well up in a Jew’s heart while performing a Mitzvah. And when the observance of the Mitzvah is accompanied by humility and
humbleness, then the joy of the Mitzvah becomes the ultimate happiness. This is what the gathered crowd witnessed and this is the lesson that they took home with them.
The Mishnah states that “And there was not a single courtyard in Jerusalem which was not illuminated by the light of Bayt HaSho’ayvah” (Mishnah, Sukkot 5:3). The Gemara comments that “a
woman could sort out kernels of grain by the light of Bayt HaSho’ayvah” (Sukkah 53a). This statement
teaches us the final lesson. The “woman” represents every Jew; and her mundane, daily activity of picking out the good grain from the bad symbolizes just that, our earthly, daily lives. However, the
point is that the pure joy, the spiritual light from performing God’s commandments (from Bayt
HaSho’ayvah) must light up and illuminate everything we do, especially our everyday lives. Thus, the combined events of the rejoicing of Bayt HaSho’ayvah and the Nisuch HaMa’yim (the water libation) first
teach us to strive to serve God in purity. We are challenged to maintain the purity of the water libation
as we observe God’s Mitzvot every day. The second lesson is one of love, humbleness and joy. This elegant, exquisite combination of feelings begins with a Mitzvah, only to continue, to color and affect
every aspect of our lives.
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Bind Them Together & They Will Atone for
Each Other: The Question is “How?”
There is no question that the holiday of Sukkot is intimately related to Rosh HaShanah and Yom
Kippur. With only four days separating Sukkot from Yom Kippur, there must be a strong connection between the two. Indeed, this is borne out in part by the Hoshanah prayers that we recite throughout
Sukkot. The very name of these prayers – Hoshanah, please save us – alludes to the themes of Teshuvah
(repentance) and atonement that are the hallmark of Yom Kippur. It is with this in mind that we now turn to an evocative quotation from the Rebbe of Sochatchov,
the Shem MiShmu’el:
“That is that the four species of the Lulav hint at four groups of Jews: Those with Torah and
Mitzvot, those with Torah and no Mitzvot, those with Mitzvot and no Torah, and those without Torah or Mitzvot. And each group gives that which is his to the total community,
meaning that his accrued merit (Zechut) is not his own, rather it belongs to the entire
community. This is what the Midrash (VaYikra Rabbah 30:12) means when it says: They (i.e.,
the four species of the Lulav) are bound together as one unit and they atone for each other.” Shem MiShmu’el, Mo’adim p. 136
The basis for Reb Shmu’el of Sochatchov’s remarks is the Midrash in VaYikra Rabbah (30:12). The Midrash compares the people of Israel to the four species. The Etrog, which tastes good and smells good,
represents those Jews who have Torah and good deeds. The Lulav, which tastes good but has no smell,
symbolizes the Jews with Torah but no good deeds. The Hadassim, which smell very good but have no taste, hint at the Jews who have good deeds, but no Torah. The Aravot, which have neither taste nor
smell, allude to the Jews who have no Torah and no good deeds. The Midrash ends with God saying,
“They are bound together as one unit and they atone for each other.” We will not take umbrage with Reb Shmu’el for changing the “good deeds” of the Midrash into
Mitzvot. However, it is his interpretation of the end of the Midrash that is puzzling. The very idea that the four species symbolize all the different kinds of Jews and that they all come
together as one on Sukkot is very beautiful. However, the Shem MiShmu’el adds a twist of his own. The
act of unification of the entire people of Israel has further ramifications. In coming together, each group contributes its accrued merit (Zechut) to the whole. Thus, every group assists in achieving an overall
atonement for everyone. This, too, is a beautiful idea and we pray fervently that this mass atonement actually takes place!
Nevertheless, there is still a question that begs for an answer. Just what merit has the fourth group accrued? What merit is contributed by those Jews without
Torah and Mitzvot? The Shem MiShmu’el does not raise this question, and as a result he does not answer
it. Thus, it is up to us to answer for him. If the fourth group – those without Torah and Mitzvot – are indeed joining the rest of Klal Yisra’el,
then we can safely assume that they are doing Teshuvah (repentance). And the Shem MiShmu’el, along
with a whole host of others, says that the Teshuvah of Yom Kippur is repentance performed out of fear and awe (Yir’ah). The result is that the sins are counted as mistakes. However, the repentance performed
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on Sukkot Teshuvah motivated by love. In that case, the sins are transformed into merit. In this way,
those without Torah and Mitzvot, who are doing Teshuvah on Sukkot, have a great deal of merit to
contribute to the community at large and to thereby assist in achieving atonement for Klal Yisra’el.
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Ushpizin
Introduction Just as the cool winds of fall begin to drive off the summer heat, Jews around the world turn into
builders. After the rigors of Yom Kippur, they go out into their backyards, out onto their terraces and
they erect Sukkot. Then for seven nights and days, Jews leave the solid four walls and roof of their homes and move into their Sukkot, covered with S'khakh, a weave of palm branches or other forms of plant life
loose enough so the rain can fall into their soup and so they can stargaze on a more clement eve.
Thus, on the first night of the holiday amid the laughter of parents greeting guests and of the scrapping of folding chairs on the patio floor in the Sukkah, the heads of the households raise their
holiday prayer books and in somewhat hesitant tones the result of having to read an ancient formula in Aramaic, that sister tongue to Hebrew, they welcome the Biblical guests into the Sukkah, "I invite to my
meal the exalted guests, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and David. May it please you,
Abraham, my exalted guest, that all the other exalted guests dwell here with me and with you -- Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and David."
How odd! As if eating a lavish, multi-course meal on the best china under the stars as they twinkle through the palm branches isn't strange enough. These seven Biblical figures, who are without a doubt
among the most prominent heroes of the Bible, are not physically present. Nor are they called upon to perform any special service, such as blessing the food or keep the rain from chasing everyone back into
the house. So why invite them into the Sukkah?
The Sukkah, the S'khakh and the Sefirot The custom of inviting the Ushpizin, a different Biblical "guest," into the Sukkah on each night of
Sukkot is based on the Zohar:72
Come and see: When a man sits in this dwelling (the Sukkah), the "צילאדמהימנותא
- the shade of faithfulness," the Shekhinah, spreads its wings over him from above.
Avraham and five73 other righteous ones come to dwell with him.
The most important part of the Sukkah is the S'khakh, the roof made of branches and leaves.
According to the Halacha, this roof must provide more shade than sunlight. For this reason, the Zohar calls the roof of the Sukkah "צילא- shade." The significance of the S'khakh is in the shadow it casts on the
inside of the Sukkah.
However, the whole phrase, " מהימנותאצילאד - the shade of faithfulness," gives added meaning
to the S'khakh and to the entire Sukkah. According to the Zohar, by simply entering the Sukkah, a person
72 Zohar, Emor 103b. 73 Even though there are seven Ushpizin, only six are mentioned here. See the continuation of the Zohar quotation,
below, where all seven are mentioned.
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comes under God's wings, so to speak, the S'khakh being the earthly representation of God's protective
presence. The Sukkah represents the clouds which God used to protect the people of Israel as they
traveled and lived in the desert after leaving Egypt.74 As the Rebbe of Slonim75 points out, this miracle
was not limited to the experience during the 40 years in the desert. Rather, the miracle of the clouds, commemorated by the Sukkah, is an eternal one: It is the miracle of God's protective providence which
envelopes each and every Jew, all the time, throughout the generations. Indeed, it is God's faithfulness as the protector of the people of Israel that is being celebrated, while the Jew expresses his or her
complete faith in God by entering the Sukkah. In a sense, the Zohar's use of the phrase, "צילאדמהימנותא
- the shade of faithfulness," is a double entendre implying God's faithfulness and our faith in Him. The Zohar identifies the S'khakh as the Shekhinah, God's presence. To enter the Sukkah is to enter
into God's presence, to sit together with the Shekhinah. The Zohar is not just presenting us with an
intriguing concept; it is trying to teach us how to experience the Mitzvah of Sukkah. The Mitzvah is
performed physically by eating, drinking, sitting and sleeping in the Sukkah, but the spiritual impact of that physical activity must be the experience of God's presence, the Shekhinah.
The complexity of this spiritual experience is hinted at by the mention of Avraham Avinu and the
others who accompany him into the Sukkah.
While God, Himself, is a simple unity, He reveals Himself in creation in many different ways. We, therefore, perceive God's manifestation as a complex system of spiritual forces. These spiritual
forces which connect us to God, Himself, and through which He manifests Himself in our world are the ten Sefirot. In the Zohar, the seven lower Sefirot are associated with seven Biblical figures: "Chesed - love"
= Avraham; "Gevurah - strength" = Yitzchak; "Tiferet - beauty" = Ya'akov; "Netzach - eternity" = Moshe;
"Hod - glory" = Aharon; "Yesod - foundation" = Yosef; "Malkhut - sovereignty" = King David. Each of these Biblical characters embodies a specific, spiritual characteristic. Each Biblical personality in the
above list represents his Sefirah, meaning its spiritual force, in its purest form.76 The question is how do
these seven Biblical figures relate to the experience of God's presence in the Sukkah?
Seven Days and Seven Guests
Needless to say, these Biblical gentlemen are familiar to us as the Ushpizin, the guests we invite into our Sukkah each day of Sukkot. The Zohar continues:
Rabbi Abba said: Avraham, five righteous ones and King David come to dwell with him, as it is written, "בסוכותתשבושבעתימים - You (plural) will dwell in Sukkot seven
days."77 It says, "seven days," not "for seven days," just as it says, "because, six days (not
in six days) God made the heavens and the earth."78 A person should rejoice with shining countenance each and every day (of the festival) with these guests who visit
him.
74 See Tur, Orach Cha'yim the beginning of section תרכ"ה. 75 Rabbi Shalom Noach Brazovsky, Sefer Netivot Shalom, Yeshivat Bayt Avraham - Slonim: Jerusalem, Vol. 2, תשנ"א,
p. קצו. 76 These Biblical figures did function using the other characteristics. However, only these characteristics dominated
their personalities and behavior. Other Biblical figures do not embody just one Sefirah characteristic but are
almagams of different Sefirot. 77 VaYikra 23:42. 78 Shemot 31:17.
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Rabbi Abba points out a textual anomaly which he uses to teach us that the "seven days" are
actually commanded to dwell in the Sukkot. The "seven days," along with anything else numbering seven, are tied conceptually to the seven Biblical characters who embody the seven lower Sefirot. Thus,
the Biblical text is hinting at the idea that each day of Sukkot is unique, just as each of the seven days of
creation were unique and different. The special quality of each day of Sukkot is associated with the
uniqueness of the seven Ushpizin, as will be demonstrated presently. To "rejoice with shining countenance" implies that the Jew who dwells in his Sukkah is connecting
spiritually with God. The idea of "shining countenance" alludes to the blessing which God gives us via
the Priestly Blessing, "God will shine His countenance upon you - 79",יארה'פניואליך and to Moshe's
face which shined with light after he came down from Mt. Sinai the second time.80 To "rejoice with
shining countenance" is to bask in the goodness of God's blessing, i.e. to sit in "the shade of faithfulness," and to have a deep and moving spiritual experience, just as Moshe Rabaynu did on Mt. Sinai.
Rabbi Abba has more to say on this issue:
Rabbi Abba also said: It is written, "בסוכותתשבו - You (plural) will dwell in Sukkot"
and then (at the end of the same verse) "ישבובסוכות - they will dwell in Sukkot."81 First
"You (plural) will dwell" then "they will dwell." The former refers to the Ushpizin, the
latter to people in general.
The entire verse reads: "בסוכותתשבושבעתימיםכלהאזרחבישראלישבובסוכות - You (plural)
will dwell in Sukkot seven days, every citizen in Israel will dwell in Sukkot." Once again, Rabbi Abba
points out a textual oddity, namely the change from second person (You, plural) to the third person (they). This, too, becomes the source for a Derashah. It would seem that the Torah purposely sets up the
encounter between the aspects of His Shekhinah, His presence (represented by the Ushpizin), and His
people, Israel, by commanding both to dwell in the Sukkah. In a sense, it is almost as if the Mitzvah of dwelling in the Sukkah is defined by Rabbi Abba as a Mitzvah to dwell with the Ushpizin in the Sukkah.
While the Mitzvah is performed physically, the goal is to have a spiritual experience.
Inviting the Ushpizin
Based on Rabbi Abba's Derashah, Rav Hamnuna Sava did the following, as described in the Zohar:
The former refers to the Ushpizin, just as Rav Hamnuna Sava would rejoice upon
entering the Sukkah. He would stand inside the doorway and say, "Let us invite the
Ushpizin, the guests." He would set the table, then stand up, recite the Berakhah (of Kiddush) and say, "שבעתימים You (plural) will dwell in Sukkot - בסוכותתשבו
seven days. עלאין,תיבותיבואושפיזין - Be seated exalted guests, be seated. תיבו
Be seated faithful guests, be seated." He would raise his - אושפיזיןמהימנותא,תיבו
79 Bamidbar 6:25. 80 See Shemot 34:27-35. 81 VaYikra 23:42.
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hands, rejoice and say, "Worthy is our portion, worthy is the portion of Israel, as it
is written, עמו חלקה' .for God's portion is His people.'82" and then he sat down - כי
Here, we come to the crux of the matter. Apparently, Rav Hamnuna is credited with originating
the custom of inviting the Ushpizin into the Sukkah. A number of things are noteworthy here: It is important to notice how Rav Hamnuna incorporates the new ritual of Ushpizin into the
existing rituals of entering the Sukkah and Kiddush. The spiritual experience of the Sukkah begins the
moment you enter, even before any other rituals or acts are performed. At the same time, the entrance of the Ushpizin, so to speak, colors and affects everything that goes on the Sukkah, beginning with
Kiddush.
The very words Rav Hamnuna used have become part of what we say today in inviting the Ushpizin into our Sukkot. The reason for this is the unique phrasing used by Rav Hamnuna. He makes a
special point to call the Ushpizin the "מהימנותא faithful" is - מהימנותא" .faithful guests - אושפיזין
purposefully reminiscent of "צילאדמהימנותא - the shade of faithfulness," for these faithful guests are
the medium for experiencing the faithful Shekhinah. Thus, the experience of God's presence during
Sukkot, while dwelling in the Sukkah, is a complex one. On each day of the holiday, the experience is
different, on each day God manifests Himself differently. These different experiences resulting from different manifestations are best described and typified by the seven Ushpizin.
The Zohar continues:
The latter ("ישבובסוכות - they will dwell in Sukkot") refers to people in general, for
he who has a portion among the holy nation sits "בצילאדמהימנותא - in the shade of
faithfulness" to receive guests, that he may rejoice in This World and in the World to Come.
Here, the performance of the Mitzvah of Sukkah is clearly perceived as connecting spiritually with
the Shekhinah. Indeed, the very joy one experiences in This World and in the World to Come is a direct
result of the spiritual encounter with God. This is what the Sukkah and the Ushpizin are all about!
A Final Word
The identification of the Ushpizin, the Biblical guests, with the Sefirot strikes right at the heart of the Kabbalistic concept of Mitzvot. Every Mitzvah offers the individual an opportunity to reach out to
God spiritually; to encounter His ineffable presence, the Shekhinah; to raise our earthly experience and
transform it into a spiritual, God-directed one. By dwelling in the Sukkah, we sit in the shadow of God, we sense His "צילאדמהימנותא - the
shade of faithfulness." However, the custom of inviting the Ushpizin into our Sukkah teaches us that
Sukkot is a complex holiday. Indeed, each day of the holiday is different. Each day of Sukkot allows us
to connect a different aspect of our existence, of our complex personalities to God through the medium of the seven Sefirot.
82 Devarim 32:9. This quotation is often quoted as indicative of the close relationship that exists between
God and His people, Israel. While this relationship is based historically on the legacy of these seven key
Biblical figures, the Kabbalah sees them as solidifying the spiritual aspects of this relationship and as the points of contact between God and His people.
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As the cool fall wind rustles the S'khakh, we bundle ourselves up and enter the Sukkah to enjoy a
festive meal. Reading the unfamiliar Aramaic carefully, we invite one of the Ushpizin to join us. "Come,
enter, sit with us," we sing. "Color us with your unique spiritual hue; bathe us in Godly light, in the
".the shade of faithfulness - צילאדמהימנותא
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Outside and Inside in the Sukkah
Are you a Gematria fan? Some people love Gematria, the numerical equivalence based on the letters of the Hebrew alphabet that connects ideas when two words or phrases have the same numerical
value. There is no question that Gematria – a Aramaicized version of the Greek word, geometry, i.e.
arithmetic and mathematics – plays a role in Jewish thought. Maybe not a giant role, but it is there and it often achieves astounding results. I am not a dyed-in-the-wool fan of Gematria. However, when a good
one comes my way, I get excited and want to share it with others. If you have not guessed already where this is leading, then let me be more specific: Here is a Dvar Torah for Sukkot based on a Gematria.
Reb Avraham Yehoshua of Apt points out in his work, Ohayv Yisra’el, that the word, Sukkah, is the numerical equivalent of two of God’s names. The first and last letters – Samech (60) and Hay (5) –
equal 65, the Gematria of God’s name, Adonai (Alef =1; Daled = 4; Nun = 50; Yod = 10. All together, that is
65). The two inner letters of the word, Sukkah – Vav (6) and Chaf (20) – equal 26, the Gematria of God’s
ineffable name, the Tetragrammaton (Yod = 10; Hay = 5; Vav = 6; Hay = 5. Together, they equal 26). A lovely coincidence, you say. Yet the Ohayv Yisra’el claims that this unique equivalence between
Sukkah and these two names of God goes to the very heart of what the Sukkah is all about.
Beginning in Elul and continuing through the Ten Days of Repentance, we do glorious battle with the Yetzer Hara. We engage the enemy in every nook and cranny of our lives. We fight to expunge the
sins we have committed. We work hard to correct the habits, behaviors and failings that led to these
sins. Using every available weapon at our disposal, we valiantly try to win the war and not just a couple of battles.
One of the weapons we use is the firm declaration we make on Rosh HaShanah that God is King. By re-accepting His sovereignty and integrating it into our lives throughout the Ten Days of Repentance,
we eventually emerge as victors as we pour our hearts and souls into the final words of the Ne’ilah service as Yom Kippur draws to a close.
Traditionally, we head out to work on the Sukkah after breaking our Yom Kippur fast. The
building of the outer shell of the Sukkah – the walls and the Sechach – is to encounter God as He reveals
Himself in the world. By accepting God as King, we are given the license to call Him “Master – Adonai.”
This name of God is the one we use in our prayers and in our study because we no longer know the correct pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton. Adonai is an all-encompassing name, hinting at the God
of mercy and sensitivity and love (Yod; Hay; Vav; and Hay) and at the God who sits in judgment, the
disciplinarian who rebukes and punishes (Elokim).
Finally, on Sukkot itself, we enter into God’s palace, His Sukkah. Since we have paid the price of
admission, the acknowledgement of God as the King over the entire universe, as Adonai, we are ushered into the inner sanctum, into the presence of God, Himself, hinted at by His very own personal name,
the Tetragrammaton (Yod; Hay; Vav; and Hay). On Yom Kippur, only the Kohen Gadol is allowed into the
inner sanctum of the Temple. On Sukkot, every Jew builds God’s Temple on his patio, balcony or in the
backyard of his home. On Sukkot, every Jew becomes the Kohen Gadol and enters the sanctum sanctorum, the Kodesh HaKodashim, the Sukkah.
Thus, the very word, Sukkah, reminds us that the temporary hut covered with branches and leaves
represents two aspects of our God-encounter. The outer letters are numerically equivalent to God’s
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name, Adonai. The outer, physical walls and ceiling of the Sukkah represent God as we encounter Him
in the outer, physical world. The Gematria of the inner letters represent the inner, most holy name of
God, for it is inside the Sukkah that the Jew is ushered into the presence of the Holy One, blessed be His
name, (Yod; Hay; Vav; and Hay).
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How Can the Sukkah Represent the “Clouds of
Glory”?
The Question
My wife tells the story of how her sister and her close friend battled a fierce wind and rain storm to keep their Sukkah from literally blowing away. When our family lived in the Har Nof neighborhood
of Jerusalem, we witnessed Sukkot flying away during a particularly windy rain storm. Why are these stories important? Because they demonstrate that these flying Sukkot were actually
built according to the Halacha. Halachically, a Sukkah must be able to withstand an everyday wind, but it is not necessary to build the Sukkah so it will withstand a hurricane.
All of this information is pertinent to a question I was asked. At times, it takes a question from a friend or a student to help you think through an issue to which you never gave much thought.
My friend, Dr. Danny Berelowitz, asked why does the Shulchan Aruch begin the laws of Sukkah
by stating that the Sukkah is built so we will remember the “Clouds of Glory – הכבוד See Shulchan) ”.ענני
Aruch, Orach Cha’yim 625:1) This is indeed the accepted view from the Gemara. However, why is it
important to tell us this?
True, one could answer that Rav Yosef Karo, the author of the Shulchan Aruch, is just trying to give us a bit of background information before detailing how the Mitzvah of Sukkah is performed.
Nevertheless, Dr. Berelowitz’s question is a good one: How can the Sukkah represent the “Clouds of Glory – ענניהכבוד”?
The Answer
The answer is based on an interpretation of a Midrashic story. The following version is from Ruth
Rabbah 3:4. The story also appears in the Gemara (Eruvin, 63a) and in Shemot Rabbah (52:1).
On Erev Pesach or, as some say, on Erev Yom Kippur, Rabbi Chi’yah and Rabbi Shimon
ben Chalaftah were sitting and learning Torah in the big Bayt Midrash in Tiberias. They heard the people (out in the street) moaning and complaining (about their lack of money).
He (Rabbi Shimon ben Chalaftah) said, “What are they going to do?” He (Rabbi Chi’yah) answered, “Those who can, will sell something. Those who
cannot will go to their employer and he will give them something.” He (Rabbi Shimon ben Chalaftah) said, “I, too, will go to my employer and He will
give to me.” So, he went out and prayed in the valley near Tiberias. He saw a single hand holding out a single gemstone. He took it to Rabbenu (Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi).
He said to him, “Where did you get this from? This [stone] is very precious. Here,
take three Dinars and go buy [what you need] to honor the holiday. After the holiday, we will get the word out and whoever will pay the price will buy it.”
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He (Rabbi Shimon ben Chalaftah) took the three Dinars and bought his provisions
and went home.
His wife said to him, “Shimon, have you become a thief? All your assets aren’t worth a hundred Maneh. So where did you get all these provisions?”
He immediately told her what happened.
She said to him, “Do you desire that your portion in the World to Come will be one gemstone less than that of your friends?”
He said to her, “What shall we do?” She said, “Go return these provisions to their owner, and the three Dinars to their
owner and the gemstone to its owner.” When Rabbenu (Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi) heard, he was very upset. He sent for her.
He said to her, “Why do you cause so much distress to this Tzaddik?”
She answered, “Do you want his portion in the World to Come to be one gemstone less than yours?”
He (Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi) said, “And if it is deficient, will we not be able to make
up the difference?” She answered, “Rebbe, on this earth we have merited to see your face, but didn’t
Raish Lakish (Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish) say, ‘Each and every Tzaddik has his own abode [in the World to Come].”
He admitted to her [that she was right]. Not only this, but the way of the ones above is to give and their way is not to take
anything back. The last miracle was more difficult than the first. When he received it (the gemstone), his hand was below and the one who gave it had his hand above, like someone
handing something to a friend.
There is much to say about this intriguing story, especially about Rav Shimon ben Chalafta’s very wise wife. However, for our purposes here we will concentrate on understanding the meaning behind
the precious stone. The precious stone is the deus ex machina of the story. The whole story hinges on this element. In
Ruth Rabbah, Rabbi Shimon ben Chalaftah takes it to his teacher and colleague, Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi,
known as “Rebbe.” “Rebbe” was a phenomenally wealthy person, yet he did not recognize the stone, even though he realizes that it is very valuable. So he lends three Dinars against its value, which they
would determine after the holiday.
Only one person recognizes the true value of the stone, Rabbi Shimon’s wife. This unnamed woman is certainly the wisest person in this tale. She clearly sees that God has offered her husband a
little bit of his Olam HaBah (עולםהבא - World to Come). If you pray for salvation, then God answers in
kind. Rabbi Shimon ben Chalaftah did all the right things. He imitated Moshe Rabbenu and God saved
him. God saved him by utilizing Rabbi Shimon’s ultimate reward, his portion in the Olam HaBah (World
to Come). Rabbi Yosef Yehudah Leib Bloch (1860-1930, Telz, Lithuania), in his Shi’uray Da’at (שעורידעת -
p. 44 ff.) explains the deeper meaning of this central element in the story. He begins with a very simple
question. We usually assume that our reward in Olam HaBah (World to Come) will be sublimely
spiritual. Indeed, since no one has been there and come back to report, we cannot even begin to comprehend the magnificence of our eternal, spiritual reward for our life of Torah, Mitzvot and good
deeds. Therefore, how is it possible, asks Rabbi Bloch, that such sublime spirituality can be transformed into such crass physicality as a gemstone?
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Rabbi Bloch answers by positing a theological principle. All of the worlds, spiritual and physical,
are truly one. Their intrinsic unity is what allows us to perform a physical act – a Mitzvah, for instance
– and to make spiritual waves, so to speak, which lap up against the shore of where God alone exists. As it rises through the interconnecting spiral of physical and spiritual worlds, our physical act is
translated into the form appropriate for that plane of existence. Its inherent spirituality becomes its essential feature.
By the same token, when something from heaven descends it, too, is transformed into a form or state that is appropriate for the world in which it comes to rest. Thus, the chunk of magnificent Olam
HaBah (World to Come) is translated, so to speak, into something physical, yet still so magnificent that
even the fabulously wealthy “Rebbe” cannot accurately evaluate its price in This World terms. This principle can also be applied to the Sukkah. After leaving Egypt, the Jews travelled through
the Sinai desert under the “Clouds of Glory – ענניהכבוד.” This was a continual, miraculous experience.
God’s protection descended through the higher worlds to a lower one that hovers just above our level
of existence, i.e., the level of miracles. On that level God’s protection manifested itself as “Clouds of Glory – ענניהכבוד.”
Today, we do not live on a level of miracles like the Jews in the desert. Rather, ours is the most mundane of worlds, the lowest of all the levels. Thus, God’s protection – as it descends to us – manifests
itself as a man-made hut with a fragile roof made of reed mats or palm fronds, even though a really stiff wind could send it flying away. Today, we still sit in the same “shadow of faith – צילאדמהמנותא” that
our ancestors sat in the desert, except that today instead of clouds of glory we sit in a Sukkah.
This then is what Rav Yosef Karo is trying to hint at: Our Sukkah is the “Clouds of Glory – ענני
”!!הכבוד
How do we know that this is the case? We know when we construct the Sukkah according to the Halacha. Observing the Halacha meticulously allows us to reconstruct the “Clouds of Glory – ענני
every year. Indeed, that is the role of Halacha in Jewish life. It lays out before us the correct path ”הכבוד
for achieving the Torah’s spiritual goals.
Like a Father with a Child
“So what did the “Clouds of Glory – ענניהכבוד” do?” asked my friend Dr. Berelowitz. “Did you
ever walk with a small child?” I answered. It is customary to answer a question with another question! When you walk with a small child, she holds your hand to feel secure. If she starts to fall, you
steady her. If she does fall, you brush off her knees and hands and dry her tears. If she runs off to play on the grass, she looks back to make sure you are there watching over her. That is what God did for the
entire Jewish people as they travelled through the desert. And the “Clouds of Glory – ענניהכבוד” were
the physical manifestation of that sense of security and protection He provided.
So, too, today, when we sit in the Sukkah we are meant to feel just as secure, to feel that God is there to protect us, to lift us up when we fall and to dry our tears when we cry. We sit in the Sukkah
and bask in the same shadow of God’s faithfulness that was cast by the “Clouds of Glory – ענניהכבוד”
so many generations ago.
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Thoughts to Share about the Ushpizin
An Explanation In my humble opinion, the ritual of Ushpizin is most fascinating. We all understand that the
inviting of the Ushpizin – the holy guests – is a symbolic act. The best way to understand what we are
doing is to think of the scene from the very first Star Wars movie where C3PO and R2d2 are walking
down the corridor on the Death Star and they get a message from Luke Skywalker to shut down the garbage compacter he and his friends care stuck in. R2D2 rolls up to an outlet on the wall and he extends
little “arm” that plugs into the outlet. This connects him to the entire Death Star computer system, allowing him to help Luke and Co. Lehavdil, every time we perform a Mitzvah our soul send out a
spiritual “arm” that connects into the vastly complex spiritual world of Sefirot (spiritual forces) and
Olamot (worlds) that link us with God, Himself.
The message of the Ushpizin is that there is not just one outlet to plug into. Rather, there are numerous outlets. On each day of Sukkot, we have an opportunity to “plug in” spiritually in a different
way. Each of the seven Ushpizin represents a different Sefirah – spiritual force – that forms a link between
us and God. Each of these seven people – Avraham, Yitzchak, Ya’akov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef and David – was the embodiment of a spiritual force. By inviting each one into our Sukkah on the days of
Sukkot, we link ourselves to God through this spiritual force. All of the above comes as an explanation for what follows. Many people go through the motions
and invite the Ushpizin in at every meal during Sukkot. Even if there is an awareness of the overall meaning of the invitation, little thought is given as to how each of Ushpizin can affect our lives.
Therefore, the following is meant as a tool to use to make the experience of inviting the Ushpizin
more meaningful. First, the text of the Ushpizin for each day is presented. Then one aspect of that
“guest’s” personality and experience is discussed along with how that impacts on us today. Since the Ushpizin is recited at the beginning of a meal, this short presentation can be read or summarized for all
present and then discussed. The third element is a short series of “talking points” and/or questions that can be used in
addition to or instead of the short presentation piece. They are meant to generate thought and discussion. And possibly lead those present to come up with their our ideas about the Ushpizin and how
learn from them to relate to God.
All in all, the idea is that a short discussion of the individual and his impact of the Jewish people throughout the ages and on us will bring home the meaning and significance of Ushpizin.
On a personal note, I would very much welcome hearing from you if you used this material and
if it “worked.” And I especially would appreciate hearing your comments, criticisms and suggestions. I look at this as an opening gambit in what can become a way to make Sukkot even more special than it
is already!
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The First Day of Sukkot – Avraham Avinu
On the first night of Sukkot, before reciting Kiddush, it is customary to recite the following:
תפילה כשנכנסים לסוכה
בו ש כות ת ס מו ב רך ש ני הבורא יתב ר צו אש ה כ הריני מוכן ומזומן לקיים מצות סכ
י בת כות הוש י בס ם כ כות: למען ידעו דרתיכ ס בו ב ישראל יש זרח ב ל הא בעת ימים כ ש
ני ישראל ב ת ב ץ מצרים: א ר הוציאי אותם מא
סדר אושפיזין
יזין פ יבו אוש יבו ת ין, ת יש יזין קד פ יבו אוש יבו ת יזין עילאין, ת פ יבו אוש יבו ת ת
ק ה' עמו יעקב ח י חל כתיב כ אה חולקיהון דישראל ד ל נחלתו: דמהימנותא, זכ ב
ת כינתך בינינו ותפרוס עלינו סכ ה ש ר ש ת יך ה' אלהי ואלהי אבותי ש פנ יהי רצון מל
ה כינת ריך הוא וש א ב מא דקודש מין ליחדא ש אנחנו מקי ה ש זכות מצות סכ ך ב לומ ש
דח יף אותם ב ל ישראל, ולהק ם כ ש לים ב יחודא ש ם י"ה בו"ה ב ילו ורחימו ליחדא ש
ע פ ם יוש ר יעיר קנו, ומש ש נ מעלה כ ם מל יה הור נטוי על ראש דוש והט ך הק בוד יו כ מז
ך )פב"פ א ים לעבד פע החי יך ארוצה ש ך מצות ר יתי החוצה וד ך(. ובזכות צאתי מב מת
יזין פ אתי טהרני, ומאוש סני מעוני ומחט ב ב כ ר י נדוד, וה אלו הרחקת ב לי זאת כ יחש
היינה אזנ מהימנותא ת יזין ד פ אין אוש ם צמאים על רכות, ולרעבים ג ובות רב ב יך קש
טירתי עת פ ך ב נפ ר צל כ סת ת ולחסות ב ב ן לי זכות לש אמנים, ותת ן לחמם ומימם הנ ת
חים, ו עים פ י תמטיר על רש טר, כ ם וממ ר ובה מצות מן העולם, ולחסות מז תהא חש
לוים יה וכל מצות הת יה ותנא יה ודקדוק רט כל פ יה ב מת אלו קי אני מקים כ ה זו ש סכ
עבוד ש ב ים על האדמה אדמת קד ב ימים רב נו ליש ה. ותיטיב לנו החתימה, ותזכ ך ב ת
רוך ה' לעולם אמן ואמן: ך. ב וביראת
Continue with the actual invitation on the next page: Before each meal in the Sukkah on the first day it is customary to recite:
יזין עילאין אברהם יצחק פ וד:אזמין לסעודתי אוש ה אהרן יוסף וד יעקב מש
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יזי עילאי יצחק יעקב פ ל אוש ך כ י ועמ יזי עילאי דיתבי עמ פ מטי מינך אברהם אוש ב
וד: ה אהרן יוסף וד מש
Avraham Avinu
The Gemara in Berachot (26b) quotes a Baraitah that attributes the establishment of the three daily
prayers (Shacharit, Minchah and Ma’ariv) to the Avot. Here is the section about Avraham:
Avraham established Tefilat Shacharit, as it says, "Abraham rose early in the morning to the
place where he had stood" (Berayshit 19:27). "Standing" refers to prayer, as it says, "Then Pinchas stood up and prayed" (Tehilim 106:30).
After the Torah tells us that the angels saved Lot and his family from Sodom and how Lot’s wife turns into a pillar of salt, there is a flashback to the early morning: "Abraham rose early in the morning to the
place where he had stood before God" (Berayshit 1927). What was Avraham praying for? He couldn’t have been beseeching God to save Sodom. The Torah states that he could see the smoke rising from the
destruction. Rather, he prayed for his nephew Lot and Lot’s family. Indeed, in verse 29 we read that God remembered Avraham and sent Lot out of Sodom.
Avraham is identified with the Midah of Chesed (חסד), unlimited love. It is with a heart brimming
over with love that Avraham pleads with God to at least save his nephew Lot and his family. Pleading with God for our personal needs and those of Am Yisra’el is an essential part of our daily prayers. We
are able to selflessly pray for the benefit of others with a heart filled with love and caring because our
grandfather Avraham planted his Midah of Chesed (חסד) in our soul and in the soul of every Jew.
Talking Points about Avraham Avinu
The three Berachot that surround the Shema can be seen to reflect the three Avot. How can we see Avraham Avinu in the first Berachah of Yotzer HaMe’orot (יוצרהמאורות)? (Hint: The way the
sun, moon and stars serve God is a model to be copied. Are they the only models?)
The first three Berachot and the last three Berachot of the Shemonah Esray are linked to the
Ushpizin. The first Berachah is that of Avraham Avinu. If so, then why are all of the Avot mentioned in this Berachah? And why of all of the events in Avraham’s life is there a hint to his
battle with the four kings in the closing words of the Berachah (מגןאברהם)? Where does the
idea Chesed appear in this Berachah?
How can we mention Avraham without referring to the Akedat Yitzchak? What makes this
episode in his life so unique? And how has it affected Jewish life throughout the ages? Do you remember the reference to the Akedat Yitzchak in the Musaf of Rosh HaShanah?
Which of the episodes in Avraham Avinu’s life do you find the most significant and
meaningful? Why? How has it impacted on your life?
The Second Day of Sukkot – Yitzchak Avinu
Before each meal in the Sukkah on the second day it is customary to recite:
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וד: ה אהרן יוסף וד יזין עילאין אברהם יצחק יעקב מש פ אזמין לסעודתי אוש
י פ מטי מינך יצחק אוש יזי עילאי אברהם יעקב ב פ ל אוש ך כ י ועמ זי עילאי דיתבי עמ
וד: ה אהרן יוסף וד מש
Yitzchak Avinu If asked to point out the most significant event in Yitzchak Avinu’s life most of us would probably
say the Akedat Yitzchak. And when asked to choose an event where Yitzchak is the major player, we
would certainly suggest the episode where Yitzchak attempts to give the blessings to Esav. Rav Tzaddok HaCohen of Lublin offers an intriguing insight into what took place. He begins by
saying that light is usually symbolic of wisdom (חכמה). The Zohar (vol. 3, p. 104a) states that God gave
Yitzchak the three gifts of wisdom, wealth and Gevurah (self-discipline). The idea is that Yitzchak was
linked to God via these three gifts.
This idea makes the beginning of the episode of the blessings all the more poignant. When the Torah opens its description of the episode by saying that “Isaac had grown old and his eyesight was
fading” (Berayshit 27:1) the implication is that he was not acting wisely. Nevertheless, God helped Yitzchak: “For God will be with you when you are foolish, and He will keep your foot from being caught
or tripped - מלכדרגלךושמרבכסלךיהיהה'כי ” (Mishlay 3:26). Thus, God arranges matters so that
Yitzchak unintentionally blesses Ya’akov. Rav Tzaddok ends his discussion with the following quote: “But let him that boasts exult in this,
that he understands and knows Me, for I am the Lord who practices kindness, justice and righteousness on the earth; for in these things I delight, says the Lord - אותיוידעהשכלכיאםבזאתיתהללהמתהלל
ה'עשהחסדמשפטוצדקהבארץכיבאלהחפצתינאםה'כיאני ” (Jeremiah 9:23). There is an inexorable
link between “understanding and knowing Me” and God’s practicing kindness (חסד). If we make every
attempt to use our gift of wisdom (חכמה) to know and understand God – by learning Torah, of course
– then God will help us, especially when our wisdom fails us. This is the lesson that our grandfather Yitzchak teaches us.
Talking Points about Yitzchak Avinu The second of the three Berachot that surround the Shema is identified with Yitzchak. Even a
cursory glance at the Berachah reveals that it is about Torah. So how does the idea of Torah
connect with Yitzchak? (Hint: Yitzchak’s Midah is Gevurah (גבורה), self-discipline. What is the
essential role of Halacha?) The second Berachah of the three Berachot of the Shemonah Esray is the Berachah of Yitzchak.
Yitzchak’s Midah is Gevurah (גבורה). Where do we find variations of the word, Gevurah (גבורה),
in this Berachah? Can you define the concept of Gevurah (גבורה) by looking at the text of the
Berachah?
Which of the episodes in Yitzchak’s life do your find most interesting? Why? How does it impact on your life?
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The Third Day of Sukkot – Ya’akov Avinu
Before each meal in the Sukkah on the third day it is customary to recite:
יזין עילאין פ וד:אזמין לסעודתי אוש ה אהרן יוסף וד אברהם יצחק יעקב מש
יזי עילאי אברהם יצחק פ ל אוש ך כ י ועמ יזי עילאי דיתבי עמ פ מטי מינך יעקב אוש ב
וד: ה אהרן יוסף וד מש
Ya’akov Avinu
Ya'akov remained alone at the abandoned campsite. Suddenly, a man attacked him and wrestled with him until dawn. Even though he succeeded wrenching Ya'akov's thighbone out of its socket,
Ya’akov didn’t let go. "Let me go,” pleaded the man, “for the dawn is breaking." Sensing that this was no mere man, Ya’akov answered, "I will not free you unless you bless me."
“What is your name?" asked the man that Ya’akov had pinned to the ground. "Ya'akov," he replied. The the man said, "You will no longer be called by your name, Ya'akov, rather Yisra'el, for you
have fought with Elohim and with and proven yourself worthy." (Berayshit 32:24-29)
Contrary to the almost enchanted life led by his father and grandfather, Ya'akov, before becoming Yisra'el, has a pretty rough time. Like his father and grandfather, Ya'akov had God working for him, so
to speak, yet things work out all right for him because of his own efforts. Now upon returning to Canaan, Ya'akov is blessed with a new name, Yisra'el. The name Yisra'el represents a potential within
Ya'akov which is now about to be actualized. It is the ability to transcend the earthly; it is the capability to achieve spiritual heights; it is the power to become the holy man. This is the new potentiality implied
by the name Yisra'el. The patriarchs of the people Israel were more than just ethical examples and models of behavior.
They ingrained in the Jewish personality and psyche, into our very souls, particular Midot, traits. Part of the spiritual inheritance we received from Ya'akov was the potential for every Jew to live in two
worlds at once: to remain a worldly person involved in the mundane and to be a transcendent, holy one, able to unite spiritually with God. To actualize this potential effectively is not easy. This, too, we
learn from Ya'akov as he initially struggles with being Yisra'el. It takes many difficult experiences until one can control both his earthiness and his spiritual drives.
The Torah actually provides us with testimony from a non-Jew, that we did, indeed, receive this unique inheritance and that in is truly part of us. Bilaam, the evil prophet who is hired by Balak, king
of Midian, stands on a mountaintop overlooking the Jewish camp. As he speaks, God transforms every thought of his from a horrendous curse into a magnificent blessing. At one point, Bilaam says (Bamidbar
24:5):
מהטובואוהליךיעקב,משכנותיךישראל.
How good are your tents (Ohel), Ya'akov, your tabernacles (Mishkan), Yisra'el.
Ya'akov, the earthy, practical person, lives in an everyday Ohel, a tent, while Yisra’el lives in a Mishkan,
a tabernacle, a place sanctified to and by God, Himself. In the end, we can all be both Ya'akov and
Yisra'el, the bearers and givers of blessing, both material and spiritual.
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Talking Points about Ya’akov Avinu
The third of the Berachot around the Shema is about Ge’ulah, redemption. This is the Berachah of
Ya’akov. How does the theme of redemption relate to Ya’akov Avinu? (Hint: Didn’t Ya’akov go into exile and return?)
The third Berachah of the Shemonah Esray is identified with Ya’akov: “You are holy and Your
name is holy, and every day holy ones praise You - קדושושמךקדושוקדושיםבכליוםאתה
How does the content of this Berachah relate to Ya’akov Avinu? What does it mean ”.יהללוךסלה
to be holy? How was Ya’akov holy? (Hint: Reb Tzaddok and many others point to the fact that
all of Ya’akov’s children were Tzaddikim as an indication of Ya’akov’s inherent holiness.) Ya’akov was 15 years old when his grandfather, Avraham Avinu, died. Just imagine what he
must have learned from his zaidie during the time he knew him. Think of the 10 year-old
Ya’akov running into the tent and jumping into Avraham’s lap. “Tell me the story of the Akedah
again Saba,” he asks enthusiastically. Avraham clears his throat and begins, “Well, I was sleeping and God came…” Across the tent, Yitzchak gets up and mumbles, “I can’t bear to hear
that story again…” and walks out. Think of how important it is to learn from one’s grandparents. How do you think knowing
Avraham affected Ya’akov? How has knowing your grandparents affected your life? The Midah of Ya’akov is called either Tiferet, beauty, or Emet, truth. How important is the
concept of beauty in our lives? How important is the concept of truth in our lives? And how do
these two concepts interface? Can beauty and truth coexist? How?
The Fourth Day of Sukkot – Moshe Rabbenu
Before each meal in the Sukkah on the fourth day it is customary to recite:
יזין עילאין אברהם פ וד:אזמין לסעודתי אוש ה אהרן יוסף וד יצחק יעקב מש
יזי עילאי אברהם יצחק פ ל אוש ך כ י ועמ יזי עילאי דיתבי עמ פ ה אוש מטי מינך מש ב
וד: יעקב אהרן יוסף וד
Moshe Rabbenu
“He (Moshe) said: "Show me, now, Your glory!" - כבדךאתנאהראניויאמר ” (Shemot 33:18). What
did Moshe want from God? What more could he ask for? Didn’t he already speak to God face to face?
(See Shemot 33:11) “With him I speak mouth to mouth; in a vision and not in riddles, and he beholds the
image of the Lord” (Bamidbar 12:8). What was he looking for? A number of commentators say that Moshe wanted to know more about God. He wanted to
understand more concerning God. When God replies that Moshe cannot see His face, for “a man cannot see Me and live” (Shemot 33:20), God is in essence saying that you, Moshe, cannot know more, you have
reached the limit of your intellect. It must mean that because just nine verses earlier in the same chapter
the Torah states that Moshe spoke to God face to face.
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In the end, Moshe sees God from behind. The Sages say that all he saw was the knot of the Tefilin
on the back of God’s neck. Indeed, the knowledge of God, Himself, is the equivalent of seeing someone
from behind. How much would we know about someone if all we saw was the back of their neck? There is a sharp difference between knowledge, intellect and understanding as opposed to
experience. We all have limited knowledge and understanding of things. Few of us know how a car really works, but we have had the experience of riding in one or driving one. Do you really know how
electricity works? What happens in those copper wires? I don’t know, but I’ve experienced a mild electric shock, so I know experientially that the electricity is there.
Moshe Rabbenu saw God face to face. “Face to face,” as Rambam explained, is the way a
description of the experience of Moshe Rabbenu’s prophecy, his experience of God. However, Moshe ultimately realizes that even his understanding of God was next to nothing, despite all he did know.
Before we recite the Shemonah Esray, we take three steps and then three steps forward. Before the
Shemonah Esray, we step out of our level of existence and climb three steps into God’s plane of existence. After rising to “heaven” and talking with God, we take our leave, so to speak, by backing down the
same staircase. We retrace our steps, moving from His plane of existence back into our world. And we stop on the way to bow, first to our left – which is God’s right hand side - because we have been speaking
to Him literally face to face! We will never truly comprehend God. In that sense, He is hidden and removed from us.
However, we, too, can experience God’s presence. Three times a day in Shemonah Esray, and
innumerable times every day, with every Berachah we recite, we can rise to His plane of existence, to stand beside Him, to be with Him, and to speak to him face to face.
Talking Points about Moshe Rabbenu The third to the last Berachah of the Shemonah Esray (רצה) “belongs” to Moshe Rabbenu. What is
it about the content of this Berachah that reminds you of Moshe Rabbenu? Did Moshe pray? Did
Moshe do the Avodah (עבודה)? What does the word Avodah (עבודה) refer to?
The Midah of Moshe is Netzach (נצח), eternity. Moshe is described in Chassidic literature as the
“source” of Torah throughout the ages. This certainly makes sense since he was the one who first teaches Torah to Am Yisra’el. So, how then does Torah interface with the idea of eternity? Is
the Torah eternal? If no, why not? If yes, then why? Which of the episodes in Moshe’s life do your find most interesting? Why? How does it impact
on your life? Did you see the movie, The Prince of Egypt? In what ways was that presentation of the Exodus
story different from that of the Torah? Did any aspect of the movie enhance your
understanding of the Torah’s description of the events? (While The Prince of Egypt is not an integral part of the Mikra’ot Gedolot, it does make for a good discussion!)
One more question based on the The Prince of Egypt. There was one idea presented in the movie
that I, personally, have never seen addressed in Chazal or the Mefarshim: The movie makes a big
deal out of the fact that Moshe must have known Pharaoh well, having grown up in the palace. The Torah itself makes no reference whatsoever to this point. Why?
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The Fifth Day of Sukkot – Aharon HaCohen
Before each meal in the Sukkah on the fifth day it is customary to recite:
יזין פ וד:אזמין לסעודתי אוש ה אהרן יוסף וד עילאין אברהם יצחק יעקב מש
יזי עילאי אברהם יצחק פ ל אוש ך כ י ועמ יזי עילאי דיתבי עמ פ מטי מינך אהרן אוש ב
וד: ה יוסף וד יעקב מש
Aharon HaCohen
Aharon HaCohen teaches us a lesson in unity. The Torah provides the cure even before the
symptoms of the disease appear. The division of the Jewish people into tribes is essential to our existence. It is intrinsic to our nationhood. Not everyone can be cut from the same cloth. Diversity
contributes to our eternal survival. However, it carries with it the danger of disunity, of fractious discord. When standing, facing the high priest, resplendent in his eight priestly garments, we are
confronted by the view of the Choshen: Twelve individual stones representing twelve individual tribes. This is the revealed (Itgali’yah) perspective of the people of Israel.
On the other hand, the two stones, whose edges we see peeking up from the shoulder straps of
the Ayfod, the apron to which the Choshen is attached, also contain the names of the tribes. On these stones the tribal names are inscribed together, not separately. This is the concealed (Itkasi’ya)
perspective, the hidden essential root of the people of Israel. Outwardly, for all to see, we look as if we
are divided, as if our first loyalty is to our tribe. However, inwardly, hidden away in the depths of our souls, we are one. The Jews are united before God.
What connects these two aspects? How do we rise about the divisions, the disunity to achieve a united, perfect whole? The Choshen rested “on Aharon’s heart” (Shemot 28:30). In Pirkay Avot, Hillel
teaches us: “We should all become students of Aharon, namely, to love peace, to pursue peace, to love all humanity and to bring them closer to Torah.” When Aharon would find two people fighting, he
would use every trick he knew to bring them together and make peace between them. Aharon is the ultimate priest. Inside the Temple walls, he makes peace between God and man. Outside the Temple
walls, he makes peace between man and man; he creates unity out of disunity. Every Jew is Aharon. We are a kingdom of priests (ibid. 19:6). In each of our hearts are the power
and the strength to create unity out of disunity, to bring harmony between the revealed (Itgali’yah)
perspective of the people of Israel and the concealed (Itkasi’ya) perspective, the hidden essential root of our people. We can turn the divided tribes into a single, unified people.
Talking Points about Aharon HaCohen The Midah of Aharon is Hod (הוד), usually translated as glory. However, if we look at the second
to the last Berachah of Shemonah Esray (מודים), we see that there are two complementary aspects
of Hod. There are found in the two phrases: (a) אנחנולךמודים and (b) לךנודה . What are the
two aspects of Hod? Why were they placed in the same paragraph?
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At one point in his life, Aharon becomes famous for not speaking. Can you remember when
that occurred? Why was Aharon silent?
If Aharon was Moshe’s equal, why wasn’t he the leader of the people?
The Sixth Day of Sukkot – Yosef HaTzaddik
Before each meal in the Sukkah on the sixth day it is customary to recite:
ה אהרן יוסף יזין עילאין אברהם יצחק יעקב מש פ וד:אזמין לסעודתי אוש וד
יזי עילאי אברהם יצחק פ ל אוש ך כ י ועמ יזי עילאי דיתבי עמ פ מטי מינך יוסף אוש ב
וד: ה אהרן וד יעקב מש
Yosef HaTzaddik
The moment was a silent one. On the dais sat the Egyptian viceroy. He was a
youngish man with a serious face. Not ten feet away stood the man from Canaan. He, too, was not old, but his face was burned dark by the sun and there was sadness in his eyes that
spoke volumes about hard times. Behind him stood his ten brothers, whose concentrated gazes of concern fell on their brother and the bearded Egyptian.
The silence that hung between them was charged with electricity that was ready to spark. Through his interpreter, the Egyptian had just announced that the youngest of the
brothers would remain as a slave in the palace while the rest of the Canaanites would be ushered out of town. The droning tone of the interpreter made the harsh sentence sound
even harder. For a long moment, the Canaanite stared deeply into the hard, dark eyes of the
viceroy. He tried in vain to read the thoughts behind the carefully groomed Egyptian face. Without dropping his gaze, Yehuda stepped forward and spoke. The sadness in his eyes
was gone. In its place, there was a fierceness that belied the quiet tones of his speech.
The last 14 chapters of Sefer Berayshit belong to Yosef. He is a full-fledged protagonist on the
Biblical stage. While Yosef occupies center stage, off to the side Yehuda competes for our attention. Finally, as he steps forward to challenge the Egyptian, Yehuda takes center stage. In true Jewish fashion,
his only weapons are words. “The voice is the voice of Ya’akov.” Yosef and Yehuda. With great insight, Rav Soloveitchik points out that these two are the sum
total of all the brothers. All twelve brothers, all twelve tribes, ultimately all of Am Yisra’el are bound up in these two individuals. The interaction between them takes on mythic proportions. The Greeks would
have described the scene as a clash of the titans, a fierce battle between two gods. However, the Torah paints a realistic picture of flesh and blood people, one with the upper hand and the other caught in
what seems to be a no-win situation. Yet we know that there is something else going on here. We sense that there are deep
undercurrents that swirl around each turn of phrase. Yosef is more than just a Jewish kid who made good, who is determined to use his anonymity to drive his brothers crazy. Yehuda is more than just a
stranger trying desperately to save his brother’s life and himself from eternal scorn and damnation.
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Each in his own way leaves his mark deeply engraved on the Jewish soul. Every Jew has a bit of Yosef
and a bit of Yehuda inside. That is why we identify so strongly with them both as we read the story
again and again. So, what did we inherit from them? When Yosef arrived in Egypt, he was very careful to hide his piety and righteousness. Yosef is
described as being very handsome and beautiful. Rashi says that he carefully groomed his hair. The Zohar understands from the fact that Yosef left his shirt with Potiphar’s wife that he was very fastidious
about his clothes and the way he dressed. All this was done to hide his inner self, his inner essence of foundational righteousness (Tzaddik Yesod Olam). His refusal to be seduced by Potiphar’s wife takes
place in the privacy of her boudoir, where there are no witnesses. Yosef is the most shining example of
the purification of one’s inner life. Yehuda, on the other hand, was recognized by all as a Tzaddik. Everything he did spoke of his
piety. All were witness to his greatness. Yehuda publicly announces that Tamar was right and he was wrong.
Reb Shmu’el of Sochatshov, in his Shem MiShmu’el (Berayshit, Parashat Va’Yigash, p. 271, year 5672-
1912) explains. Certainly, each of them has his own advantages. Yosef, the Tzaddik, funnels the effluence of Kedushah, holiness, from above to below. Yehuda, the king, receives the flow of sanctity by
proclaiming through songs and praises the sovereignty to God in the world, thus, attaching all that is
below with all that is above. Together, the two brothers form a circle, a complete circuit for the effluence of Kedushah from
above to below and back again. The circle is complete only when the two brothers, Yosef and Yehuda, unite.
Each and every Jew is both Yosef and Yehuda. Each and every Jew can be the inner and outer Tzaddik, all at the same time. Each and every Jew has the ability to sanctify God’s name in private and
in public with every deed and act. Every Jew can be the perfect Tzaddik, highest-level Chasid (Yosef) or
the other kind of great person is called the one who rules himself (Yehuda) or some combination thereof. Sefer Berayshit closes with the death of all the brothers, including Yosef and Yehuda. But that is
only the beginning of the story. Now the stage is set for you and me. We must step out into the spotlight,
into center stage and assume the roles of Yosef and Yehuda.
Talking Points about Yosef The Midah of Yosef is Yesod (יסוד), foundation. His righteousness is considered to be the
foundation of all spiritual life. This righteousness is based on the story of Yosef and Potifar’s
wife. How does Yosef demonstrate his righteousness during that episode? (This is obviously not a question to discuss with small children.)
Why didn’t Yosef “phone home” when he was in Egypt? Could he have sent a message to his family while he was in prison? While he was the viceroy in Egypt? If yes, then why didn’t he?
(Hint: Could his reluctance to “phone home” be connected to his interpretations of his dreams?) How would you have reacted to a brother like Yosef?
Why does Ya’akov cry when he meets Yosef in Egypt? Which episode about Yosef do you find most intriguing? Why?
Why is the Ushpizin of Yosef not listed in chronological order, after Ya’akov?
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The Seventh Day of Sukkot – David HaMelech
Before each meal in the Sukkah on the seventh day it is customary to recite:
וד: ה אהרן יוסף וד יזין עילאין אברהם יצחק יעקב מש פ אזמין לסעודתי אוש
ך י ועמ יזי עילאי דיתבי עמ פ וד אוש מטי מינך ד יזי עילאי אברהם יצחק ב פ ל אוש כ
ה אהרן ויוסף: יעקב מש
David HaMelech
The Midah of King David is Malchut (מלכות), kingship. David was and is the archetypal king of
Israel. We are familiar with his rather tumultuous life. We remember well that he was the great conqueror who was responsible for finishing the conquering of the land of Israel, especially Jerusalem.
On the other hand, King David is best remember for Sefer Tehilim, the book we use to express our
wishes, hopes, praise and thanks to God. In a sense, King David’s life is filled with contradictions, the most glaring of which is the disparate
images of him as a warrior with so much blood on his hands that he is forbidden to build the Temple and as the most spiritual and sensitive of singers.
One way of reconciling these seemingly contradictory aspects of his life is to understand that the Midah of Malchut (מלכות), kingship, begins and ends with the acceptance of the yoke of heaven’s
sovereignty – שמים מלכות עול David saw his wars as part of his religious mission and he .קבלת
certainly saw his writing of Tehilim as part and parcel of the same mission. While the warrior waged war for earthly gains, the Psalmist taught us how to conquer the heavens.
Reb Tzaddok HaCohen of Lublin connects King David with Shabbat. Shabbat is the seventh day
of the week and David is the seventh of the Ushpizin. Indeed, one of the hallmarks of our acceptance of God as king is our observance of the Shabbat, down the minutest detail.
At the same time, Reb Tzaddok points out that a significant part of King David’s legacy to us is the ability for the individual to rise and ascend irrespective of the group. Isn’t that what a king is?
Someone who has risen above all of the rest? This idea, too, brings us full circle back to Sefer Tehilim. When a Jew accepts God as King, then
prayer becomes a very important part of his life. And there is no prayer service without some verse or
chapter from Tehilim. We individually and collective raise our spirits and our souls as we send the words of Tehilim gliding heavenward – all thanks to the red-headed, most sensitive and soulful of kings.
Talking Points about David HaMelech The final Berachah of Shemonah Esray (שיםשלום) is identified with Yosef and David. According
the Kabbalah, blessing (ברכה) is achieved when the Midah of Malchut (kingship) “rises”
(combines) with that of Yesod (foundation). Try reading the Berachah of (שיםשלום), translating
it accurately and discussing it’s contents.
Which of the episodes in the life of King David do you find interesting? Why? Which verse or chapter from Sefer Tehilim do you find most meaningful? Why?
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The seventh day of Sukkot is Hoshanah Rabbah – the day we pray the great prayer for
redemption. What is the connection between King David and redemption?
The Prayer for Bidding Farewell to the Sukkah
It is customary to go out to the Sukkah during the afternoon of Hoshanah Rabbah and to eat something (cake, fruit, etc.) in the Sukkah. Afterwards, the following is recited.
ה זכ ן א ה זו כ סוכ י ב בת י ויש מת קי ם ש ש יך ה' אלהינו ואלהי אבותינו כ פנ יהי רצון מל
ל לויתן: ה ש סוכ ב ב אה ליש נה הב לש
Reb Simcha Bunim of Peshischah liked to say, “I find it very hard to leave the Sukkah. I can’t leave because I am surrounded by all of the souls of the Tzaddikim.”
(Quoted by Reb Chanoch Henach of Alexander in Chashvah Letovah Al HaTorah, p. 20)
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A Simchat Torah Dvar Torah
From the Sefat Emet on Sukkot
1875 - תרל"ה
רמזלשמחתתורה:"ואהבתאתה'אלקיךבכללבבךכו'נפשךכו'מאדךוהיוהדבריםהאלהכו'."
"לבבך"הואבראשהשנהועשרתימיתשובה,שבניישראלשביםוחפציםלשעבדגםמחשבותהרעותלהשי"ת.וזהובשנייצריך.
"נפשך"הואביוםהכפורים,"ועניתםאתנפשותיכם."
"מאדך"הואבסוכותזמןהאסיף"באספך"כו'ואעפ"כמניחיןכלמאודיהםלישבבדירתארעיולחסותבצלוית'.
ואחרכך"והיוהדבריםהאלהכו'עללבבך"שאחריזהיכולאדםלקבלדבריתורהבלבו.והואשמיניארתהתורהבעומקהלב:עצרתלעצורולקבלה
A hint to Simchat Torah [is in the verse] “You shall love God, your Lord, with all your hearts, with all your soul and with all your wealth. These words, which I have commanded you today, will
be... - עלנפשךובכלמאדךוהיוהדבריםהאלהאשראנכימצווךהיוםואהבתאתה'אלקיךבכללבבךובכל
”.לבבך
“Your hearts - לבבך refers to Rosh HaShanah and the ten days of repentance, when the ”בכל
people of Israel repent and desire to “enslave” even their evil thoughts to HaShem. This is the “two inclinations” (בשנייצריך - Bishnay Yitzrecha).
“Your soul - ובכלנפשך” is Yom Kippur, [as it says,] “You will oppress your souls.”
“Your wealth - מאדך ”...is Sukkot, the holiday of In-gathering, “when you gather ”ובכל
Nevertheless, they leave all their wealth to live in a temporary dwelling (i.e. the Sukkah), to be covered by His “shade.”
Then, “These words, which I have commanded you today, will be on your heart - והיוהדברים
עללבבךהאלהאשראנכימצווךהיום ” for afterward a person can accept the words of Torah into his
heart. This is the Shemini Atzeret, when we stop and receive the light of Torah in the depths of our
hearts.
NOTES: 1. How do you enslave evil thoughts to God? Could this be a reference to the early Chassidic
method of dealing with “foreign thoughts” during the Shemonah Esray? The idea was to attach the “evil – foreign” thought to the appropriate Sefirah and then to sanctify the
thought and send it heavenward.
2. Despite the singular importance of each of the first three holidays – Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot – the Sefat Emet teaches us that the culmination is on Simchat Torah,
when we “receive the light of Torah in the depths of our hearts.” 3. By connecting these holidays with the second verse of the Shema, the Sefat Emet teaches us
that the only way to proceed from one stage to the next is through the love of HaShem – “
."ואהבתאתה'אלקיך
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Setting the Tone for the Entire Year
A Dvar Torah for Simchat Torah by Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alter of Gur, from the Sefat Emet, Vol. 5, p. 92a. Translated and annotated by David Derovan
5634 – 1873
שמחתתורההואהכנהעלכלהשנהלהיותקבועבתורה
Simchat Torah is the preparation for the entire year to become set in Torah
(Note: Simchat Torah is the time when every Jew sets his/her attitude and relationship to Torah just as
Tefilat Geshem sets the amount of rain to fall throughout the coming year.
This puts Simchat Torah squarely into the same mould as Rosh HaShanah, when a person’s destiny is determined for the coming year.)
חז"לעלשלאברכובתורהתחלה.כמ"ש
As our Rabbis (Chazal) said, “…that they did not bless the Torah first.”
(Note: The Sefat Emet is referring to the Gemara in Baba Metzi’a 85b, where the Gemara tries to understand Yirmi’yahu 9:12, “God said, ‘Because they abandoned My Torah that I gave to them.’ “ Rav Yehuda
quotes Rav as saying, “They did not bless the Torah first.” Rashi explains that the failure to say the
blessings prior to studying Torah indicates that the Torah is not important. The Sefat Emet turns this idea on its head. By participating in Simchat Torah, a Jew indicates just how important Torah is to
his/her life.)
ולכןבתחלתהשנהיששמחתתורהשיתבונןהאדםגדלותהתורהשהםדבריאלקיםחיים.Therefore, Simchat Torah is [celebrated] at the beginning of the year, so a person will
understand the greatness of Torah, which is the word of the living God.
(Note: The Sefat Emet purposely does not define the word “Torah.” Thus, his description of Torah as “Divray Elokim Cha’yim – literally, words of the living Lord,” he is creating a veiled reference to the
Rabbinic statement -- see Eruvin 13b for instance -- that whenever two Talmudic rabbis argue, even
though only one opinion is accepted as Halacha, both statements are “Divray Elokim Cha’yim – literally, words of the living Lord.” This allusion broadens the scope of the Sefat Emet’s statement to include
both Torah SheBichtav and Torah SheBa’al Peh.)
וע"יהתשוקהוהשמחהלהתדבקבתורהנשאראח"כדביקותמעסקהתורה.Through the longing and the joy of clinging to the Torah [the individual] remains attached to the
occupation of Torah.
(Note: The Sefat Emet uses the Hebrew root Davak twice. In context, we have translated it first as
“clinging” and then as “attached.” However, the Chassidic idea of Devaykut, attachment and clinging
to God is very subtly hinted at here. For a literal translation of the end of the sentence would read:
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“afterwards an attachment (Devaykut) remains from the occupation with Torah.” The implication is that
by occupying oneself with Torah in joy and in longing for God, a person achieves Devaykut, a spiritual
attachment to God, Himself.
Indeed, תלמודתורהכנגדכולם, learning Torah is the most spiritual Mitzvah activity!)
'הולאחרי'ה.כמ"שבמדרשוזאתהברכהשישברכתהתורהלפניJust as the Midrash says, “ ‘And this is the blessing’ implying that there are blessings over the
Torah [reading] both before and afterwards.”
(Note: The Sefat Emet returns to the idea of the Torah blessings, only here the reference is to the blessings
recited by a man who is called to the Torah. If we celebrate Simchat Torah properly, with joy and “longing” then we will merit a year filled with Torah learning and knowledge. And at the end of the
year there will be another blessing, that of Devaykut, a spiritual attachment to God, Himself. Here, the idea of “before” and “afterwards” refers to the beginning and the end of the year.)
וכןאףאנשיםסוחריםשבכלהשנהאיןעוסקיםתמידבתורה.מ"מע"יהשמחהבתחלתהשנהשקובעה.מועיללושלאישכחלגמריאףשעוסקבדבריםאחרים.וכתיבשמחבלבווקשהלולפרושמדבריתור
זבולוןבצאתך.וקשהכילמהישמחבחלקזה. And so, even businesspeople, who are not occupied with Torah all year long, set in their
hearts [their attitude and relationship with Torah] at the beginning of the year through the joy,
[to the extent that] they will find it difficult to separate themselves from the words of Torah. It
prevents them from totally forgetting [the Torah] even when they are occupied with other things.
It is written, “Zevulun rejoices as he goes out” (Devarim 33:18). It is difficult! Why should
he be happy with this?
(Note: The Sefat Emet asks why Zevulun is happy that he must “go out” to work, instead of studying Torah all day long?)
זהיהי'נשמרבצאתו.ולכןיששמחתתורהבתחלתרקשהואעצהשע"יהשמחהקודםשיצאלסחורהע"י
השנהכנ"ל:
Rather, this is good advice. Through the joy [he experiences] before he goes to work, he is
protected as he goes out. And this is why Simchat Torah occurs at the beginning of the year.
(Note: Simchat Torah is not just for Yeshiva students. It is for everybody. And the blessing it brings has
as much an effect on a businessperson as it does on a Yeshiva student. To dance and sing, to rejoice on Simchat Torah is to leave an indelible mark on one’s heart. That mark is the seal of God – Emet – truth
– that is found in every word and letter of the Torah. And that truth accompanies a person wherever they go, whatever they do.
“And this is why Simchat Torah occurs at the beginning of the year.”)
Essays for Elul, the Yamim Nora’im and Sukkot
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The Letters, the Parchment and Simchat Torah
A Dvar Torah for Simchat Torah By Rav Shlomo Yosef Zevin From LeTorah U’LeMo’adim, Avraham Tzi’yoni Pub.: Tel Aviv, 1961, pp. 315
Translated by Netanel Derovan
Every letter [in a Sefer Torah that is not - כלאותשאיןהגוילמוקףלהמארבערוחותיה,פסולה“
surrounded by parchment on all four sides is Pasul (i.e., unfit for use)” (Menachot 34). The blank Klaf
(parchment) surrounding the letters of the Sefer Torah is of a higher importance than the letters
themselves. Midrash Shemot Rabbah tells us that Moshe took the Karnay Hod, the rays of light that streamed
from his forehead, from the ink that was left in his inkwell. The letters of the Torah have an obvious holiness, but there is something even holier, and that is the ink left unused. That ink that did not form
words is the source of Moshe’s luminescence. The leftover ink equals the blank parchment that surrounds the letters, for there it would have gone.
The letters and the blank parchment need each other to exist, because the letter is Pasul if it
touches another letter and isn’t surrounded by Klaf. And the Klaf without the letters means nothing. The inner influence of the letters comes first, then the outer influence of the blank space surrounding it, the
leftover ink, comes next. We must learn the letters of the Torah from Berayshit(the first word of the Torah) to “before the
eyes of all of Israel” (the last words of the Torah). We must learn and understand the inner light of
Torah. Once completed, each person, according to his understanding must uncover the outer meaning, the leftover ink, the blank spaces in the margin. This is the source of the Karnay Hod, the rays of light,
the revelation of Simcha during the Hakafot on Simchat Torah.
The Hakafot on Simchat Torah express the Simcha and revelation of light that we get from the surrounding parchment, because Hakafot is a custom not defined in any text, written or oral. Rather, it
comes from the surrounding space, so to speak. The revelation of light during the Hakafot does not start
on Simchat Torah. It actually begins with the emergence of the simple, pure, whiteness of the High Holy
Days. The Shofar is also a symbol of wordlessness, of the white around the letters. As we say in Unetaneh
Tokef, “the great Shofar is sounded, and the quiet, thin sound is heard.” The wordlessness of the Shofar
outweighs even the might of the exalted prayers of Malkhi’yot, Shofarot and Zikhronot of the Rosh HaShanah Musaf. So, too, the High Priest, upon entering the Holy of Holies, would not utter a word
until he came out. Complete holy silence.
The High Holy Days raise the very depths of the soul, the surrounding parchment of the heart, which is above, holier the written and spoken word. As a result, the surrounding Klaf (parchment) of
God, Himself, descends to us. This is the Sukkah.
The Sukkah that surrounds us for seven days commemorates the clouds of glory that God used to envelop us and protect us for 40 years in the desert. Therefore, being enveloped by God’s protection is
a source of our joy, “the time of our joy,” the Karnay Hod, the rays of light.
And the Hakafot on Simchat Torah have an added quality that of the Sukkah. For the Hakafot continue the cycle. On Simchat Torah, we read “before the eyes of all of Israel” (the end of the Torah) and
Essays for Elul, the Yamim Nora’im and Sukkot
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start again with Berayshit(the beginning of the Torah), thus extending the surrounding of parchment,
providing a continuing source of Simcha and the Karnay Hod, the rays of light.