Yom Kippur-2017

 

·        In Messechet Shabbos 89b, there is a puzzling interchange between Hashem and the three Avos.

·        It says, “In the future, Hashem will say to Avraham, ‘Your children have sinned against Me.  Avraham will answer, ‘Yemachoo, wipe them out, for the sanctification of your Name’. 

·        Then Hashem will go to Yaakov, who it says ‘experienced the pain of bringing up children’, and would be expected to plead for mercy. Hashem said to Yaakov, ‘Your children have sinned’.  Yaakov will also answer to Hashem, ‘Yemachoo, wipe them out for the sanctification of your Name’.

·        Then Hashem will say to Yitzchak, ‘Your children have sinned against me.’ Yaakov will then answer to Hashem, ‘Are they my children and not Your children? They gave precedence of Naaseh (we will do) over Nishma (we will hear).’

·        And then Hashem will listen to Yitzchak, and will forgive the Jewish People.”

 

·        How can we make sense of this cryptic Gemorah?  What could it possibly mean, what could it be teaching us?

·        Let’s see if Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler’s essay on Lech Lecha called “The Attributes of our Forefathers” can help us understand this Gemorah.

 

·        Rabbi Dessler quotes the Ramban, who says “ Avraham represents the height of Chesed, Yitzchak represents the fullness of the fear of Hashem, and Yaakov represents the height of truth, Emes …. These three qualities refer to the three sefirot: Avraham: chesed, Yitzchak: gevura, and Yaakov: tiferet.

·        Rabbi Dessler continues with an explanation of these three qualities.

·        Chesed, represented by Avraham – Through the power of lovingkindness, a person turns his efforts towards his fellow beings and tries to make them happy and influence them for good to the best of his ability.  This is the power of giving.

·        The Fear of Hashem, represented by Yitzchak –With the fear and awe of Hashem, a person turns inward on himself.  His chief concern is that his actions will meet the strict criteria of the Divine will.

·        Truth, represented by Yaakov – Searching for truth clarifies for a person the right way in avodat Hashem.  He is less likely to fall into the extremes of chesed and Yirah and will thus avoid their negative aspects

 

·        Rabbi Dessler points out that these correspond to the three things that that the world stands on (Pirkei Avos 1:2): Torah, Avodah, and Gemilas Chasadim.

·        In this configuration,

o   Torah = truth = Yaakov

o   Avodah = Gevurah = Yitzchak

o   Gemilas Chasadim = Chesed = Avraham

 

·        I think that these three attributes can also be seen in the first paragraph of the Shema.

·        “You should love Hashem with all Levavecha, all Nafshecha, and all Meodacha.”

·        The rest of the first paragraph of the Shemah explains what these three spheres of human activity are.

 

·        First Levavecha: All these words will be on your heart.

·        This might represent the Torah, Truth, and integrity of Yaakov.

·        Second Nafshecha: You should repeat them with your children, and discuss them when you are in your house and walking on your way.

·        This might represent the Chesed and interpersonal focus of Avraham – our inter-relationship with other people – family, friends, and others that we deal with on a daily basis.

·        Third Meodecha: And you should tie them onto your arms and between your eyes and write them on the doorposts of your house and city gates.

·        This could represent the Gevurah of Yitzchak, the attention to the details of daily avodah as represented by Tefillin and Mezzuzot.

 

·        On Yom Kippur we say that the Gezerah can be annulled by Tzedakah, Tefilla, and Tshuva.

·        Perhaps these represent the same three spheres of human activity

·        Tzedakah is the Chesed of Avraham.

·        Tefillah is the Avodah that Yitzchak specializes in, exemplified by Tefillin and Mezzuzot.

·        Tshuva is the inner reflection of the Lev that represents the Torah and Emes that is the hallmark of Yaakov

 

·        These also correspond to the three worlds that Rabbi Chaim Veloshin talks about in Nefesh Hachaim – Asiya, Yetzira, and Briyah.

·        The lowest and most physical of these worlds is Asiya, that corresponds to our Nefesh and the world of action.  That’s Yitzchak.

·        The next world upward is Yetzira that corresponds to Ruach and speaking, the social world that Avraham’s Chesed focuses on.

·        The top of these worlds is Briyah.  It is the most ethereal, closest to the Kisay Hakoved of Hashem – the world of Torah and Truth of Yaakov.

 

·        Armed with these concepts, let’s return to our cryptic Gemorah in Shabbos 89a, where Yitzchak – but not Avraham or Yaakov – is able to defend the Jewish People.

·        Why would Avraham – with his focus on interpersonal relationships not be able to defend the Jewish people?

·        Yuma 9b says that the 2nd Bais Hamikdosh was destroyed because of Sinas Chinum.

·        Gitten in passages that we often read on Tisha B’Av, describes what happened with Bar Kamtza, who was invited by mistake to a party, and then embarrassed in public.

·        On Gitten 57a, the Gemorah says, “Look at the power of Boosha, embarrassment.  Because Bar Kamtza was embarrassed in public, Hashem helped him, and burned the Bais Hamikdosh to the ground.

 

·        The Golus that began almost 2000 years ago was caused by Sinas Chinum and embarrassing people in public.

·        In other words, because the Jews didn’t excel in the area of treating each other well enough.

·        Since that Golus hasn’t ended yet, perhaps we still need improvement in how we treat each other.

·        Avraham’s whole being is focused on Chesed, on inviting strangers into his tent to wash the dust from their feet, and then trying to elevate their spirits by explaining how they can better their lives through inspiration.

·        If we are guilty of Sinas Chinus, perhaps that is why Avraham can’t defend the Jewish people.

 

·        Now let’s explore why Yaakov may not have defended the Jewish People.

·        Yuma 86a describes the four levels of Averas.

·        The first level is failing to do an Asay, such as not eating Matzah on Pesach.  It says that a person asks Hashem for forgiveness, and forgiveness is granted right away.

·        The next level is doing a Lav, such as eating a cheese burger.  The Gemorah has that with Tshuva, a person is forgiven the on the next Yom Kippur.

·        The third level is caused by deeper Averas, and these can be forgiven with Yissurim – suffering – until the Avera is cleansed and forgiven on Yom Kippur.

 

·        It then describes the worst level of Averah, which is Chillul Hashem.

·        The Gemorah in Yuma there says that no amount of Tshuva or Suffering can clean away this Averah or bring about forgiveness – only Misah – death – can bring about forgiveness.

·        Then it gives an example of this greatest of Averas.

·        It gives an example of a Talmud Chachum that goes into a butcher store and orders some meat.

·        After being handed the order of meat, the Talmud Chachum says, “I’ll tell you what, I’m going to pay you for the meat at a later date.”

·        The Gemorah says that if his action can be interpreted by others as meaning that he really doesn’t intend to pay, that would be a Chillul Hashem, and that only Misah is Mechaper for this– that no amount of Tshuva in this world can bring forgiveness.

 

·        This Avera represents a failing in Emes.

·        It implies that others are looking at Frum Jews, and Frum Jews are looking at their Talmidei Chachamum, and everyone expects them to act on a superlatively high standard of Emes.

·        And if – Chas Ve Shalom – a frum Jew or a Talmud Chachum doesn’t live up this very high standard of Emes – it leads to a Chilul Hashem.

·        Let’s ask ourselves, are we focused on living up to that extremely high level of Emes in all that we do?

 

·        The fact that Yaakov – the epitome of Emes – doesn’t defend the Jewish people seems to imply that we still need improvement in this area.

·        But Baruch Hashem, we seem to excel in the area that Yitzchak represents – Avodah, davening, Tefillin, Mezzuzot – Frumkeit.

·        I’m not making light of this aspect of Judaism.

·        After all, this is the area that saves the Jewish people according to the Gemorah in Shabbos 89b.

·        Our Avodah and Gevurah in maintaining our very high standards of this Avodah has helped us survive through the Millennia of constant persecution.

 

·        There’s a story told that Shmueli, who is in 8th grade, is called into the Menahel’s office, who tells Shmueli, ‘You are doing well in most subjects, but you are failing terribly in Math.  In order for me to let you graduate in June, you must pass Math.’

·        So Shmueli stays late after school for many months, studying away.

·        On the day of the finals, however, Shmueli again fails math.

·        The Menahel calls him into the office and says, “Shmueli, I saw you studying after school every day.  Can you explain why you still got such a low mark in Math.”

·        Shmueli says, “I have a confession to make.  I was studying every subject except Math.”

 

·        The Gemorah is implying that we – the Jewish People – excel in Avodah and the Gevurah that Yitzchak represents.

·        We have been willing to die Al Kiddush Hashem, and three times we day we daven with the exact words of the Shemoneh Esrey that the Sages wrote thousands of years ago.

 

·        It’s almost the time for the Aseres Hamei Tshuva – the 10 days of Repentance.

·        We are being called on to look inside ourselves, to find areas in which to improve.

·        The Gemorah is implying that we the Jewish people excel in the area of Avodah that  Yizchak represents.

·        Yitzchak is able to defend us by saying, “They said Naaseh – we will do – even before Nishmah, before understand the meaning of what they are doing.

·        Fore example that’s the tefilla, mezuzah, teffilin, and Avodah of Yitzchak.

·        That saves us.

 

·        But if we need to focus on the areas that are prolonging our long Golus, let’s focus on the attributes of Chesed that Avraham excelled in, and the midah of Emes that Yaakov represents.

·        Let’s really care about each other on a deep level.

·        We should listen to each other as intently as we listen to the Shofar on Rosh Hashana.

·        We should listen and care as we listen.

·        We shouldn’t pass each other in the street as if they are invisible.

·        We should care about each other with the intensity of Avraham inviting strangers into his tent.

 

·        And when it comes to Emes, we should remember that others are always watching.

·        That any deviation from very high levels of Emes causes a Chillul Hashem that only Misah is Mechaper for.

·        There’s absolutely no room for Krumkeit in our Frumkeit.

·        We must be as straight as an arrow in all our dealings with others.

 

·        When we are able to reach these heights of Chesed and Emes, then Avraham and Yaakov will ALSO be able defend us.

·        And then perhaps are Tshuva will be able to end this long Golus.