Hamaayan / The Torah Spring: Yom Kippur

Hamaayan / The Torah Spring
Edited by Shlomo Katz

Yom Kippur

Volume 24, No. 48
10 Tishrei 5771
September 18, 2010

Sponsored by
Bert and Beverly Anker
on the 21st yahrzeit of Bert's father
Moe Anker (Moshe ben Yakov, HaKohen a"h)

Rochelle Dimont and family
on the yahrzeit of husband and father
Rabbi Albert Dimont a"h

Today's Learning:
Tanach: None
Mishnah: Demai 5:5-6
Halachah: O.C. 544:1-545:1
Daf Yomi (Bavli): Avodah Zarah 35
Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): None



The Midrash Tanchuma (on Parashat Acharei Mot, from which today's
Torah reading is taken) teaches: How did the kohen gadol pray on Yom
Kippur? "May it be Your will, Hashem, our Elokim and the Elokim of our
Fathers, that this year will be--even if it was decreed to be a dry year--
a year of rain and dew, a year of low prices, a year of plenty, a year of
favor, a year of blessing, a year of commerce (in some versions: a year of
honest commerce), a year in which the people of Your nation Yisrael will
not need each other, a year in which they will not lord over each other."
The Rabbis of the South said that the kohen gadol would pray for the
people of the Sharon region, that their houses should not become their
graves [due to floods].

The midrash continues, citing the verse (Iyov 39:29), "From there he
spies food, his eyes look out to the distance." Says the midrash: From
there [i.e., Yom Kippur], the kohen gadol could see the food supply for
the whole year. "His eyes look out to the distance"--from the beginning
of the year he could see what would be at its end. If the smoke of the
altar rose toward the south, he knew that there would be plenty in the
south; if it rose toward the east, he knew that there would be plenty in
the east; etc. If the smoke of the altar rose straight up, he knew that
the entire world would have plenty. [What do we read in the next verse in
Iyov (39:30)?] "Where there are corpses, there he is found." Says the
midrash: There the Shechinah is found. [This illustrates the greatness of
Aharon, for the Shechinah does not rest on one who is sad. Aharon,
however, lovingly accepted Hashem's decree regarding the death of his
sons; therefore, Hashem spoke to Aharon in the verse immediately following
our Torah reading. (Beur Ha'amarim)]

********

"Rabbi [Yehuda the Prince] says, `Yom Kippur atones for all sins,
whether one repented or not'." (Tractate Yoma 85b)

How can this be? A person sinned all year, and just because Yom
Kippur comes, he is forgiven! R' Itamar Schwartz shlita (Yerushalayim)
explains:

The Gemara cited above continues by quoting a famous statement by
Rabbi Akiva: "You are fortunate, Yisrael! Before whom do you purify
yourselves, and Who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven, as it is written
(Yechezkel 36:25), `I will throw pure water on you and you will be
purified.' Furthermore it says (Yirmiyah 17:13), `Hashem is the mikveh
[literally `hope,' but also a purifying bath] of Yisrael.' Just as a
mikveh purifies the impure, so Hashem purifies Yisrael."

How does Hashem purify the impure? "Tum'ah" means being distanced
from Hashem. On Yom Kippur, Hashem draws close every Jew except one who
has intentionally distanced himself. Thus, Hashem is said to purify us.

In truth, every Jew (again, to the exclusion of one who has
intentionally distanced himself) feels a tug on his heartstrings on Yom
Kippur that is pulling him closer to Hashem to some degree. This is what
Rabbi Yehuda the Prince meant when he said that Yom Kippur atones even
without teshuvah. The day alone causes all Jews to come closer to Hashem.

Why then is teshuvah necessary at all? R' Schwartz explains: The
slight tug that one feels on Yom Kippur is not an end in itself. Rather,
it is meant to be a beginning. In order to build on that feeling and
continue to come closer to Hashem, one must have repented. (Bilvavi
Mishkan Evneh)

********

R' Avraham Zvi Margolis shlita (rabbi of Karmiel, Israel) writes in
the name of R' Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchak Danziger z"l (1853-1910; the
Alexanderer Rebbe; known as the "Yismach Yisrael):

Man's recognition of his sin must include recognition of the pain that
he caused G-d, so-to-speak [because G-d's purpose in creating the world is
frustrated by our sins]. Even if one's repentance is motivated by more
than fear of punishment, for example, by a recognition that one has
damaged his own soul as a result of his sins, that teshuvah is incomplete
if it does not take into account the pain that was caused to the
Shechinah.

Sadly, man in his present state is generally unable to appreciate the
harm that his sin has caused. Therefore, part of a penitent's prayer
should be that G-d enlighten him and remove the veils that separate him
from G-d. Only when one appreciates what his relationship with G-d could
be can he appreciate what he loses when he sins. (Dvar Ha'teshuvah p.168)

********

Why did our Sages instruct us to refrain from wearing shoes on Yom
Kippur? R' Eliezer Kalir z"l (Central Europe; died 1801; not to be
confused with the medieval liturgist with a similar name) writes: To
remind us that just as one who walks barefoot feels every pebble on the
road, so we should feel every sin, no matter how small. (Chavot Yair: Ohr
Chozer)

********

Our Sages teach that one cannot achieve atonement unless he appeases
those against whom he has sinned. Some say that one cannot achieve
atonement even for his sins against G-d unless he has properly atoned for
his sins against man, and received forgiveness. (Kaf Hachaim 606:3)


Why? Because atoning for only some sins is like immersing only part
of one's body in a mikveh. Obviously, one does not attain purity by doing
so. (Mussar Hamishnah)


R' Avraham Halevi Horowitz z"l (16th century; father of the Shelah
Hakadosh) observes:

The obligation to ask forgiveness from those we have offended does not
mean doing what is commonly done, i.e., that shortly before Kol Nidrei,
one approaches his friends and asks their forgiveness. Inevitably, the
friend responds, "You did not do anything for which I have to forgive
you." Then, these two friends forgive each other, something that was not
necessary at all, since they were always dear to each other and would
never wish each other harm.

In contrast, R' Horowitz continues, enemies tend not to ask
forgiveness from each other. Rather, each one says, "If he were
interested in peace, he would come to me." A wise man, however, would
recognize that the true sign of strength is humility, and he would take
the initiative to appease his enemy, even if his enemy is in the wrong.
(Emek Berachah)


R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach z"l (1910-1995; Yerushalayim) writes:
Requesting general forgiveness for all sins that one has committed against
another is effective only for minor offenses. [If one committed a more
serious offense, he must specify it when he requests forgiveness.]
(Quoted in Halichot Shlomo: Moadim p.44)


If one who has sinned against you does not come to you to seek
forgiveness, you should make yourself available to him so that he might
ask forgiveness. (Mateh Ephraim)


Because Yom Kippur does not atone until one appeases his neighbor, one
should be certain to recite the following prayer (part of Tefilah Zakkah)
which is printed in many machzorim:

"I extend complete forgiveness to everyone who has sinned against me,
whether physically or monetarily, or who has gossiped about me or even
slandered me; so, too, anyone who has injured me, whether physically or
financially, and for any human sins between man and his neighbor -- except
for money that I wish to claim and that I can recover in accordance with
halachah, and except for someone who sins against me and says, `I will sin
against him and he will forgive me' -- except for these, I grant complete
forgiveness, and may no person be punished on my account.

"And just as I forgive everyone, so may You grant me favor in every
person's eyes so that he will grant me complete forgiveness."

********

Yom Kippur and Shabbat

R' Moshe Yechiel Halevi Epstein z"l (1890-1971; the Ozhorover Rebbe in
New York and Bnei Brak) writes: There are many similarities between Yom
Ha'kippurim and Shabbat. Both are days of atonement. [The connection
between Yom Kippur and atonement is well-known.] Regarding Shabbat, the
Gemara (Shabbat 119b) teaches: If one prays on Friday night and recites
"Vy'chulu," the two angels who accompany a person place their hands on his
head, and say (Yeshayah 6:7), "Your iniquity has gone away and your sin
shall be atoned for." The Gemara (Shabbat 118b) also states: If one
observes Shabbat according to its law, even if he is an idolator like the
generation of Enosh, he is forgiven.

In the zemirot for motzai Shabbat we say, "He Who separates between
holy and secular, may He forgive our sins." At first glance, it is
difficult to see what connection this request has to Shabbat. [For this
reason, some suggest that this zemer was intended to be sung on motzai Yom
Kippur.] The Ozhorover Rebbe explains, however, that because Shabbat is a
day of atonement, yet it is forbidden to mar the joy of the day by
mentioning sin, therefore we make this request on motzai Shabbat.

Nevertheless, the Ozhorover Rebbe continues, there is a difference
between Shabbat and Yom Ha'kippurim. The latter is a day on which we
attain atonement through active teshuvah / repentance. On this day, we
are required to deprive ourselves of food, drink and certain other
pleasures. And, in the time of the Bet Hamikdash, the kohen gadol brought
many special sacrifices. In contrast, the atonement that we obtain on
Shabbat is incidental to the holiness of the day. We do not need to do
anything special to obtain it other than to observe Shabbat properly.
(Esh Dat Vol. VIII p.521)


**************

Shabbat Shalom

"Hamaayan is prepared by laymen and published weekly for the
edification and enjoyment of the reader who is lacking the time or
ability to study the weekly parashah on his own. Hamaayan's goal is
to acquaint the reader with a broad spectrum of traditional Torah
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aspects of Jewish history and thought.

The editors hope these brief 'snippets' will engender further study
and discussion of Torah topics ("lehagdil Torah u'leha'adirah"), and
your letters are appreciated. Unfortunately, they lack the time to
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