Don’t Stop

During maariv at the start of Yom Kippur we were like angels – we said Baruch sheim kvod malchuso l’olam va’ed (during krias shema) aloud. This seems a little strange – we still had the taste of the food in our mouths! And yet at the end of Yom Kippur, after a whole day of fasting and afflicting ourselves when we said shema during maariv we do not say baruch sheim aloud! Surely we were more like angels then!

Man is defined by his thoughts and intentions. At the onset of Yom Kippur, despite the full stomach, we were focused on the special day ahead of us – we were like angels. At the end of Yom Kippur, we were thinking about what we were going to break the fast on. We had lost our resemblance to angels

We have to look at what we accomplished on Yom Kippur, but it does not stop there. We have to utilize Yom Kippur as a stepping stone for growth for the upcoming year. We all have room for development. (R’ Avigdor Neventzal based on R’ Shlomo Zalman Aurbach)

Yom Kippur – Confession and Redemption

Sin, says the Maharal, is only incidental to the neshamah (soul) of the Jew. It cannot blemish the neshamah itself. Rather it superimposes layers of impurity that separate one from his essence. It also forms a barrier to separate him from his connection to Hashem, since one’s connection to Hashem is through that essence that remains forever holy, pure and untainted. When one becomes distant and detached from his essence, he also becomes estranged from Hashem.

Teshuvah (repentance), then, is the return of the Jew to his essence and the breakdown of the barriers that separate him from Hashem. Hashem does not leave the Jew when he sins; rather the Jew loses contact with Hashem, Who still resides within the essence of his soul. As the sages say on the verse, “I am asleep, but my heart is awake” (Shir HaShirim 5:2), my heart refers to Hashem. Though the Jew sleeps and loses consciousness of Hashem, Hashem still occupies his heart.

This helps us understand another reason why there is a need to confess. By articulating his sin in vidui, the Jew makes it something external to himself. Then he is able to detach those layers of sin that have accreted on his neshamah. Vidui itself becomes an act of purification. Thus, Targum Yonasan translates the word “purify” in the verse “Before Hashem should you purify yourself” (Vayikra 16:30), as “confess.” The confession is itself the act of purification.

When a Jew feels Hashem has abandoned him, says Sforno, he gives up hope, since he thinks that it is G-d Who must first return. But in truth it is man who has strayed from his essence, and he can find G-d where he originally left Him. Teshuvah is thus literally redemption: “Return to Me for I have redeemed you” (Yeshayahu 44:22). One redeems his untainted essence from the layers of sin and impurity that encrust it.
(Rabbi Zev Leff)

Miller’s Musings Parshas Haazinu: All The Small Things

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Quote of the Week: “Focus on things that are small enough to change, but big enough to matter.”

Miller’s Musings

Parshas Ha’azinu

All The Small Things

Although rather arcane and esoteric, our Parsha contains ideas and advice that are as relevant and important today as they ever were. Cloaked in poetic language and magnificent imagery, Moshe is telling the Jewish people of what has been, what will be and most importantly what should be. One example is the verse that describes Hashem as “The Rock, perfect are His deeds, because all of His ways are just”. The Gemoro uses this as a proof for the adage “All who say Hashem is forgiving of sins, his life will be relinquished.” This is a rather surprising statement since we believe Hashem to be a loving and merciful G-d Who only desires us to repent from sin and attain absolution. Why would it be wrong, and deserving of such consequences to state that this is so? Is this not something we want to claim about Hashem? That He is compassionate and forbearing?

As is always the case, whenever there are two Hebrew words that appear to be entirely synonymous, in actual fact there is some distinction between them. The word for forgiving used in the Gemoro quoted above is “ותרן”, rather than the more typical expression of one who is מוחל. The difference between these two terms for pardoning sin is subtle yet crucial. For whereas the latter one implies an active decision to forgo the right to punish a transgression, the word “ותרן” denotes giving a lack of significance to what has been done, thereby making it unworthy of reprisal. One deems an act worthy of punishment, but with a pardon applied to it. The other suggests the offense is undeserving of attention. Someone saying that Hashem is a “ותרן”, is in truth like those who say Hashem created the world and now acts as an absentee landlord, disinterested in our lives and detached from the running of the world. It is to say that the sin and sinners are unimportant to Hashem and there can be nothing further from the truth.

There are those who question the very nature of our lives as Jews. They question activities that require the most precise attention to detail and a focus on elements that are considered minutiae to most. The common refrain is “Do you think G-d really cares? Does He not have more important things to worry about?”, when in truth the very notion that anything is more or less pressing for Hashem is entirely illogical. Everything for Him is equal in requiring no effort at all, being that He is infinitely powerful. But more than that, as we have explained, to Hashem every act that we do, both good and bad, is of tremendous significance. He does care about our efforts and our intentions and He cares if we rise to our challenges and triumph over them. This time of the year is all about looking at what needs changing and how we can affect that change. Knowing that what we do, in the most real sense, means something, is crucial to ensuring that we take this process seriously. It allows us to think sincerely about where we are living up to our potential and in which parts of our life we are falling way short. Hashem is concerned with all we are and all we do. He is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives and only desires that for our sake we make the most of the opportunity we have.

*May this Shabbos help us see how much we truly mean to Him*

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Nothing Wrong

The days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and especially Yom Kippur itself, is a special time for teshuva. Hashem gives us an amazing opportunity to cleanse our souls.

However, many of us are not aware of many of the things that we are doing wrong. And it is not just the once off erring. Bad habits have crept in. The society around us behaves in a certain way and we follow their trend. We are oblivious to many shortcomings. Do we guard our mouths properly both from what comes in and what goes out? Do we always treat others with the the respect that is due to them? How often do we insult others and not think too much about their feelings? What about our business dealings? Have we always been honest? Would we like to be on the receiving end of the way we behaved? Sometimes there are more fundamental questions that also need to be addressed. Are our lives being led on the right path? Is their purpose to our lives? Is that purpose the purpose that Hashem created us for?

On Yom Kippur we keep away from the distractions of the physical side of life – we do not eat and drink nor do we do some other physical acts. This frees us up to search our souls and try evaluate who we are and who we should be.

Parshas Ha’azinu

Hashem is referred to as a “G-d of faith without injustice” (32:4). What does it mean that Hashem is a G-d of faith? He consistently sustains us and provides all our needs, so it would seem an understatement to say that He can be trusted!

The verse is not telling us that Hashem happens to be trustworthy. Rather, one of the attributes that Hashem uses to run the world is that He is a G-d of faith. G-d has faith in His creation. Hashem believed in the world and then created it. Hashem believed in the world because He knew that He had provided every aspect of creation with the wherewithal to fulfill its purpose. So too Hashem gave each individual the ability and the tools to fulfill his unique role in creation. If Hashem believes in us, then we should also believe in ourselves. Each one of us has been given a perfect package, individually designed by the Almighty. We just need to choose to utilize them correctly. (R’ Yaakov Greenwald based on the Steipler)

The Essence of a Jew

The Maharal of Prague explains that sin is only incidental to the neshama (soul) of the Jew. It cannot blemish the soul itself, but only superimposes layers of impurity that separate him from his essence. It also forms a barrier to separate him from his connection to Hashem, since one’s connection to Hashem is through that essence of the Jew that remains forever holy, pure and untainted. When one becomes distant and detached from his essence, he also becomes estranged from Hashem. Teshuvah is the return of the Jew to his essence and the breakdown of the barriers that separate him from Hashem. Hashem does not leave the Jew when he sins, but rather it is the Jew who loses contact with Hashem Who still resides within the essence of his soul.

In this light our Sages comment on the verse in Shir HaShirim (5:2), “I am asleep, but my heart is awake” that “my heart” refers to Hashem (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:2). Thought the Jews sleeps and loses conscious contact with Hashem, Hashem still occupies his heart. Hence, to properly approach teshuvah as a return to an untainted essence, we must remove these peripheral layers of sin, leaving the essence unimpeded.
(Rabbi Zev Leff)

Jubilant Judgements

We find various sources which describe the prescribed attitude that we should embrace as we approach Rosh Hashana as being one of happiness. How is that appropriate for the awesome day of judgement!
An answer offered is that a life without rules and consequences would be one void of meaning!

Rules and repercussions create for us boundaries and aspirations. They offer us a means by which we can measure our progress, celebrate our accomplishments and plan to fix our failures.
Hashem’s reaction to our deeds, both good and bad, should infuse us with the ultimate feeling of self worth- the Creator of the entire universe and beyond, is interested in the actions of “little me”!

The parent who punishes is the parent who cares.

Whilst true that Rosh Hashana is a serious and daunting day- the stakes are high. However this is the day which announces loud and clear that what we do matters.

We ought to be delirious!

R’ Ezer Pine

For You

We know that Rosh Hashana is the Day of Judgement. It then seems quite strange that we say to Hashem (in davening), “Don’t stand in judgement with Your servant…” If the day of Rosh Hashana has bee designated by Hashem as a day of judgement how can we ask Hashem not to judge us? We also say to Hashem (in davening), “Silence the accuser and take a defender in his place.” This is also seems strange. Imagine being accused of committing a certain crime and coming to court and telling the judge to ignore the prosecutor and just listen to the defender!

A parable is given to explain the answer and this gives us an important insight about the day of Rosh Hashana. A man committed a certain crime and faced judgement by the king. If guilty he would be sentenced to a long period in jail. The evidence against him was compelling and he admitted his crime. He was guilty. The king asked him if he had any excuses. Was there any reason he should not receive the severe punishment? The man responded to the king, “Look at me. I am big. I am strong. I can be the best bodyguard you could ever have. I am here for you.” The king heard this and was sold. This man could be the perfect bodyguard and so he let him off so that he could work for him.

On Rosh Hashana we coronate Hashem. “Hashem, You are our King. I am here for you. I want to do what You want me to do.”

At Home For Selichos and Rosh Hashana

We have now started reciting selichos before shacharis. Many of us are still davening at home. Can we say selichos without a minyan? A person who is davening at home by himself, without a minyan, does say selichos, but he does not say the 13 attributes (that begins Hashem, Hashem). He also should not say the sections that are normally said in Aramaic. It is permitted to say the 13 attributes in the tune that they are leined from a sefer Torah.

A person who is davening without a minyan on Rosh Hashana should not daven mussaf during the first three halachik hours of the day. This is because Hashem judges the world according to strict justice during this time, and a person’s merits may not be sufficient to qualify for a favourable verdict. Ideally, a person who is davening by himself should hear the shofar before he davens mussaf. If this is not possible, he may hear the shofar after the mussaf prayer. (R’ Shimon Sofer based on Shulchan Aruch and Mishne Brurah)

Selichos: We Are Flawed

We (Ashkenazim) started saying Selichos last night or this morning

On Rosh Hashana we symbolically bring ourselves as a sacrifice to Hashem. A sacrifice needs four days of inspection to make sure it is blemish free and fit for an offering to Hashem. For this reason, we say Selichos for at least four days before Rosh Hashana. This idea is difficult to understand. Are we then coming in to Rosh Hashana after four days of Selichos blemish-free? Are we expected to remove all of our blemishes from the past year before Rosh Hashana begins? Is this not the function of Rosh Hashana and the Ten Days of Repentance culminating with Yom Kippur?

The purpose of this self-inspection for blemishes is not to discover that we are blemish-free, but rather to admit that we have blemishes at all. Human nature prevents us from seeing our spiritual blemishes. Excuses, justifications, even complex philosophies are created to mask our spiritual shortcomings and even turn them into virtues. The most basic form of confession for Yom Kippur is “Aval anachnu chatanu (But we have sinned)” (Rambam, Hilchos Teshuva 2:8). Although the word aval can also mean “verily” or “true,” we can also explain it with its usual meaning of “but.” On Yom Kippur we must reflect on all the “buts,” and after all that we still admit that we have sinned. Therefore we must prepare for Rosh Hashana, the Ten Days of Repentence, and ultimately Yom Kippur with four days of inspection to acknowledge our spiritual blemishes.

Coming into Rosh Hashana with this knowledge and awareness makes us the ideal sacrifice. As the sages relate (Vayikra Rabba 7), in the human realm G-d desires broken vessels as it says, “A broken and crushed heart G-d will not reject” (Tehillim 51:19). The Kotzker Rebbe poignantly described this phenomenon: there is nothing more whole than a broken heart.

In this light we begin our Selichos with the statement, “To G-d belongs the righteousness and we are ashamed.” Shame and embarrassment reflect the broken heart, which is the key to forgiveness. Our sages relate that one who is ashamed of his sin is forgiven for all his sins (Berachos 12b).
(Rabbi Zev Leff)