Beis HaMikdash Mir Yeshiva A TALE OF CONTRASTING FASTS Jerusalem 2023/5784 Kobe 1941 – The struggles continued, and having crossed the date line they took a strict Halachic approach, fasting for two days of Yom Kippur instead of just the one. Kobe 1941 – The students made their way via the Trans-Siberian railway eventually arriving in Kobe and reestablishing the Yeshiva again. Keidan, Lituania 1940 – With the help of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese consul in Lithuania, the Yeshiva students acquired precious transit visas. Poltava, Ukraine 1940 – After a mere 26 years of peace, the Yeshiva is forced to flee again and seek a new house for their studies. Mir, Belarus 1914 – After 99 years of Torah study in Mir, its famous eponymous Yeshiva has to move to Poltava, Ukraine to avoid the fighting of WWI Jerusalem 824 BCE – The celebrations continue for two weeks, including Yom Kippur, when they feasted rather than fasted. Jerusalem 824 BCE – King Solomon gathered all the Nation together so they could praise Hashem in His new sanctuary Jerusalem 825 BCE – With the help of Hiram the King of Tyre, King Solomon amassed cedar and cypress wood with which to beautify the Beis Hamikdash Jerusalem 825 BCE – After seven years of constant toil, the Jewish Nation are ready to dedicate their newly built House for Hashem Jerusalem 832 BCE – After 440 years of living in the Land of Israel, King Solomon begins the building of the Beis Hamikdash in Yerushalayim With G-d’s blessing, we will all celebrate Yom Kippur together with our loved ones, our sins forgiven and the Beis Hamikdash rebuilt.
יֵ רְ דִ נ לָ כ ּT he sun is slowly setting, casting its last few rays of light through the high windows, the shadows start to grow and the flickering flames from the multitude of tall candles begin to illuminate the Shul. The Rabbi looks over to the Gabbai, nods his head, and the whole Shul rises as one as the curtain is opened and the Sifrei Torah, dressed in their pearl white covers and bedecked in the newly polished silver crowns, are reverently removed from the Ark to stand on either side of the Chazzan. The spiritual aura surrounding Kol Nidrei, was recognised by those outside of Judaism as well. The Austrian Christian poet, Nikolaus Lenau described it in 1843 as “a song draped with the veil of grief; a night song dying away in the innermost recesses of penitent, contrite, repentant human hearts”. Leo Tolstoy said it was “one that echoes the story of the great martyrdom of a grief-stricken nation”. In spite of this the mere presence of Kol Nidrei has over the ages been the source of much anti-Semitism. It became the basis of numerous specifically anti-Jewish laws as well as the pretence for pogroms by those who needed no excuse to attack the Ghettos and Shtetles. Enter Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann ben Solomon Muhlhausen, not your usual Rabbi being versed in Latin and the Christian Bible, but living in Prague in the 14th century, as well as having to teach and lead his community he also had to protect them from apostate Jews and Christians who were intent on proving the duplicity and unworthiness of Jews thereby granting permission for pogroms. Their main argument: when do the most Jews attend the Shul service? On the eve of their holiest day, Yom Kippur. And what do they do? They absolve themselves from any promises or obligations they may have made. The Jews are untrustworthy. It should be noted that this was nothing new, and opposition to Kol Nidrei also came from Jewish quarters, with Rabbis as far back as the 8th and 9th century Geonic period making amendments to the text. At times, the issues with Kol Nidrei were the cause of high level governmental debates and Rabbi Menashe ben Israel had to defend the ethical nature of Kol Nidrei to Cromwell before he would allow the Jews back into England in 1656, and then in 1857 the authorities in Czarist Russia insisted on a special prequel to Kol Nidrei. But in the late summer of 1400, the stakes were substantially higher and KOL NIDREI 48
ultimately resulted in 80 Jews being martyred with Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann being the only survivor. Possibly more for his own co-religionists than for the blood thirsty locals who had proven that they really didn’t need an excuse to rampage, Rabbi Lipmann set out to explain the basis of Kol Nidrei and redefined our understanding of this ancient formula turned prayer. He began by making reference to the Chuppah when the groom places the ring on his bride’s finger and makes a declaration: “Behold you are betrothed to me with this ring according to the laws of Moshe and Israel”. Rabbi Lipmann noted the Talmudic statement regarding this; ‘that all who betroth do so in accordance with the law’. There is no such thing as an extrajudicial betrothal. If one decides to act on one’s own understanding it invalidates the entire marriage. The same is true with regards to all vows and oaths (of which the betrothal statement is one such vow) in Halacha: if one makes an extrajudicial vow it has no legal basis. Explained Rabbi Lipmann, that pre-baked into every vow made by a Jew is the understanding and agreement that he can only do so within the framework of Halacha. On the eve of Yom Kippur we stand to attention before the open Ark and declare that all of our behaviour is in accordance with what is written within the holy Sefer Torah; yes we have the free choice to sin, but nothing we say can rewrite the law, we cannot hide behind a vow or promise we may have made, for if they go against the Halacha then they were never valid from the start. Kol Nidrei is not a get-out-clause, it is a reminder that there is a higher authority that pre-empts everything we do. 49
50 ON YOM KIPPUR THE RABBI MISSED SHUL Over the course of Yom Kippur, we confess our sins ten times. As with everything there is a deeper Kabbalistic reason, which in this instance relates to the ten layers of our spiritual and emotional psyche. However, the origin of the multiple repetitions is from the Talmud, where we are told that one should confess at Minchah on the eve of Yom Kippur, to ensure that we begin this momentous day clear of sin. If one misses that opportunity then we should make up for it that evening at Maariv, and if we do not recite the Vidui at that point we should make sure to say it the next morning at Shacharis.Three more chances are given at Mussaph, Minchah and finally at Neilah. Yom Kippur is less of a “last chance saloon” and more of a “keep on trying until you succeed” type of establishment. We of course take all the Talmud’s “second chances” and make them all obligatory ending up with a full ten confessions. However, the pre–Yom Kippur Al Cheit at Minchah and the last gasp Vidui at Neilah, take on special significance. Personally, I find the unrushed pre–Yom Kippur Al Cheit at Minchah to be the most special. There are no props, we are not dressed in white, there is no sense of grandeur, and the Shul is not packed full; it’s just one man and his Machzor. As a Rabbi who “works” on Yom Kippur, I treasure that uncomplicated prayer before the rush begins.
51 In many Chassidic Shuls, this moment before Yom Kippur is treasured above all others, but let me share with you this story, which can show us how to use this moment even when we think it has been taken away from us. Erev Yom Kippur 1945 At Minchah on Erev Yom Kippur, in 1945, Rabbi Yekutiel Halberstam is in his room in the Fohrenwald Displaced Persons camp trying to gather his thoughts at this most auspicious of times. This was his first Yom Kippur after the war and the murder of his wife and eleven children. A knock at his door interrupts him, and 15-year-old Edith Cohen enters his room. She has survived the horrors of Auschwitz, but her parents and four siblings have perished. Edith stands in front of Rabbi Halberstam and with tears in her eyes she tells him that she has no father to give her the traditional Erev Yom Kippur blessing. As the father, whose children were all murdered, blesses the young child whose father was murdered, the heavens themselves wept. But moments later this heart wrenching scene is repeated as Edith’s friends hear what has happened and they too come to the Rabbi’s room to receive their blessing. Over the next few hours, Rabbi Halberstam stands with tears flowing down his cheeks individually blessing all the orphans in that camp. Rabbi Halberstam moved to Israel and became known as the famous Klausenberger Rebbe. His Gabbai relays that story and adds that Rabbi Halberstam was not able to recite his Erev Yom Kippur Viddui until Shacharis the next morning. In the words of the Talmud: ‘If one is prevented from confessing before Yom Kippur, he does so that evening … and if he is prevented then, he recites the Viddui at Shacharis.’ - עַ צְ מֹו שֶ ל יֹום הַ ּכִ ּפּורִ ים The essence of Yom Kippur Maimonides rules that the very day of Yom Kippur itself archives forgiveness. That doesn’t mean that we can sit at home and let the waters of G-d’s forgiveness simply wash away our sins. But rather that we must tap into the essence of the day, to seek out its enormous power and harness it, even if that means putting aside our own devotions in order to help someone else. ֹ כִּ י בַ יו ּ ם הַ זֶ ה יְ כַ פֵ ר עַ לֵ יכֶ ם לְ טַ הֵ ר אֶ תְ כֶ ם For this day will atone for you and purify you. (Vayikra 16:30) As the father, whose children were all murdered, blesses the young child whose father was murdered, the heavens themselves wept.
52 There are but two scenarios on Yom Kippur; in both of them the Shliach Tzibbur is bravely leading the services from the Bimah, the one difference is whether the community is deep in conversation or struggling to stay awake! There is though one tool in the Chazzan’s arsenal: as soon as he begins the familiar tune of “Hashem Hashem” everyone automatically jumps to their feet and joins in with the familiar refrain. As we will see on the following page, the “13 Attributes of Mercy” have a special place in our Machzor as they were taught to Moshe directly by Hashem. Because of which, the tradition states that we can only recite them with a Minyan. However, if one is stuck due to circumstances beyond their control, like last year, the Shulchan Aruch rules that they may be recited using the traditional cantillation notes as in a Sefer Torah. In the year 1313 BCE, Moshe ascended Mount Sinai with a difficult task: to advocate on behalf of the Jewish people and attain atonement for them after the sin of the Golden Calf. Forty days later, on the 10th of Tishrei, for evermore to be known as Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement, he returned, triumphant. During that time, the A-lmighty personally taught Moshe a special prayer; the 13 Attributes of Mercy. This prayer, said the A-lmighty, is a direct route to repentance. It begins with the double expression: Hashem Hashem. I am the merciful L-rd before you have sinned, even though I know that you will err, and I am still the merciful L-rd after man has sinned.
א-ל ה' ה' ארך אפים וחנון רחום נצר חסד לאלפים ואמת ורב חסד וחטאה ופשע נשא עון ונקה Maimonides says that when the Almighty, wrapped up in a tallis, personally taught Moses the prayer, that that was the closest any human being has ever been with Hashem. e Lord e Lord G-d Slow to Anger, Extending Loving Kindness to a thousand generations. Forgiving Iniquity, And Absolving. Rebellion, and Sin. Abounding in Loving Kindness, and Truth. of Compassion. Gracious, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Hashem is kind to us before we have sinned, even though He knows our intentions. He is also kind aer we sinned, and allows us time to repent. is Name denotes the power of Hashem, whereby He saves us from harm and danger. Even if we don’t do Teshuvah, Hashem will still protect us. Hashem listens to our pleas even when we are undeserving. He delays our punishment, to give us extra time for Teshuvah He gives us more kindness than we deserve, and tips the scales in our favour. He accepts our sincere thoughts of Teshuvah even before He has tested us. He stores our reward for future generations, so that we benet from the good deeds of our ancestors. He forgives us for sins done on purpose, ose done to anger Hashem And those committed out of carelessness. If we do Teshuvah, Hashem cleanses us completely. We start from a fresh, clean slate. 53
54 LIKE CLAY IN THE POTTeR'S HANDS כִּ י הִ נֵ ה כַּ חֹמֶ ר בְּ יַ ד הַ יוֹצֵ ר Whether it was the vivid imagery, or the emotional tune used in my childhood Shul, I have always loved the Piyut הֵ נִ ה יִּ כ s’potter the in clay Like - “כַּ חֹמֶ ר בְּ יַ ד הַ יוצֵ ר hands”. But it was only when I read the explanation by the late Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, ל“ז ,that I truly understood it. I highly recommend reading the four pages in his introduction to the Yom Kippur Machzor (pps. lxvi-lxix) but allow me to share my own insight with you here. The poet uses seven disparate items to describe our relationship with the Creator: clay, stone, axe-head, anchor, glass, cloth and silver. Let us view each of these as a stage in the education and formation of our life. The poet begins with clay, which is formed when cold and fully pliable, but once fired it is set fast in its shape. This reflects the awesome responsibility each parent has with the behaviour and the moral compass they teach their child in their young and formative years. But then the poet moves to stone, which brings to minds the words of Michelangelo; “the statue was always there all I did was remove the extra stone and freed what was inside.” Our children are their own personality and entity, and we have to recognise their inner worth. The axe-head receives its strength by being heated repeatedly, we cannot fulfil our responsibility with one blast of Jewish heat at a Bar Mitzvah, but most constantly subject our children to the warmth and vibrancy of Judaism repeatedly. The middle of the seven items is the anchor which fundamentally holds the ship in place. A child can be the mainstay of the family, but do they do that by holding it fast against a treacherous current or are they holding it back from sailing. An anchor used
55 correctly steadies the whole ship, but thrown overboard in the wrong place can derail the whole journey. We need to learn when to hold on and when to let go. In the second half the poet moves to glass, which like the clay is made from fine particles which are transformed into a pliable material and formed. The difference here is that the medium used is fire and heat, and mistakes can be rectified by re-firing. The scar marks will be there, but with determination it can be done. We need to recognise that there comes a stage in our lives when we must confront our mistakes and be prepared to re-fire the project and produce a better version of ourselves. The penultimate item is the cloth, made with the crisscross of the weft and the warp. It can take time and maturity to understand that strength comes from not all travelling in the same direction. From being able to learn from those who cross our lives and not just from those in our own echo chamber. The Parochet, the curtain that marked the entrance to the Holy of Holies was the prime example of such a cloth, it had different designs on each side without either of them disturbing the identity of the other. They worked in true harmony. Our anonymous poet ends his list with silver. But the silver is not being made or formed into a new item; he describes it as being purified or adulterated. There comes a time when we realise that we can no longer change who we are, there are no more re-dos, but we can always refine our character. We look at what we have become, the product of our education and the forming by our parents and teachers, but then we have to accept that now it is our own responsibility to purify who we are. is” clay Like – “כִּ י הִ נֵ ה כַּ חֹמֶ ר of imagery The traditionally understood as the Prophet’s way of excusing our behaviour. We claim that Hashem made us the way we are and He is essentially responsible for the way we turn out. But if alongside that, we can see them as seven stages of education and maturing that are in our own and our parents’ hands, then we can stand in Shul on Yom Kippur with a greater sense of self determination. The future is not absolute. In ּ הַ כּ ֹל צָ פו ׁ י, וְ הָ רְ ש ּות ,Mishna the of words the הָ תונְ נ” – ּ Everything is foreseen, but permission is granted”. The Almighty has formed us, He has shaped us like clay in the hands of the potter, but we are still ultimately in charge of our own actions and destiny.
T he English word repentance comes from the Latin paenitentia, from which the word penitentiary (prison) derives. But Teshuva does not imply incarceration; its literal translation actually means to ‘return’. And to return implies a journey of self-discovery, rather than a punishment imposed by an outside authority. This is why the first three Brochas in the weekday Amidah form a progressive block: first, we ask for knowledge in in repentance for ask we then, אַ ּתָ ה חֹונֵ ן for ask we do then only and, הֲ ׁשִ יבֵ נּו אָ בִ ינּו .סְ לַ ח לָ נּו of blessing the in forgiveness Knowledge comes before Teshuvah, for one cannot go on that journey of discovery and return to Hashem without knowing what mistakes have been made. And Teshuvah is not forgiveness either; that comes afterwards. We can only be forgiven once we have made the journey of Teshuvah. During that Brocha of Forgiveness we say ‘Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned. Pardon us, our King, for we have transgressed.’ At the words sinned and transgressed, the custom is to beat on the left side of the chest with the right fist. In sports and the animal kingdom, the beating of a chest is used to project strength and bravado, while in poetry and writing, it is used as a metaphor to portray displeasure, anger or sorrow. In Judaism, however, beating the chest is the physical manifestation of the verbal act of confession. Every deed we perform creates an angel. Mitzvos create an angel with positive energy, whose task is to draw that energy down to us and to act as a defender against the prosecuting angels who may harbour the negative energy we created through sinning. And each of those deeds is a composite of two parts. The first is the act of fulfilling the Mitzvah and second is the intention or energy behind it. For example, the physical act of putting on Tefillin couples with the spiritual intention to fulfil the Mitzvah of loving Hashem in our heart (the hand Tefillin) and revering Hashem with our intellect (the head Tefillin). Similarly, every sin comprises two parts: the physical sin itself and the desire to transgress or even to just follow one’s base desires. Thus, Teshuvah must also compromise those two aspects as well. The first is the verbal and intellectual, while the What is the definition of Teshuva? 56
second is the physical. Thoughts of Teshuvah, however sincere and even when accompanied by a verbalisation, cannot fully repair the damage caused by a sin. We need to have the physical act that goes with it. This is in addition to any restitution, if for example, the sin caused a financial loss to someone. In the Beis Hamikdash, this involved a full prostration, which we recreate at various points during the Davening on Yom Kippur. In fact the focus of the Kohen Gadol’s Avodah in the Beis Hamikdash was on action; he recited very few prayers and only one within the actual Kodesh Hakadashim - the Holy of Holies. Simply put, teshuvah is not an exercise in changing ‘hearts and minds’, but more of a ‘body and soul’ journey. As part of Selichos, either on a Fast day, in Elul or on Yom Kippur, we recite a 24 word list of sins and beat our chest at each one. The list follows the order of the Aleph Beis, beginning with the first letter, Aleph and the word וּנְ מַ שָ ׁא’ - we have sinned’ and ending with the final letter, Tav and the .‘astray others led have weּ - ‘תִ עְ ּתָ עְ נּו word Since Hashem created the world using the spiritual life source of the Hebrew letters, and every sin detracts from that world, we confess by using the full Aleph Beis in the hope of rectifying the cracks we caused in the Divine Light that energises our world. The list of sins is purposely quite vague, with confessions of acting ‘perversely’ or ‘wickedly’, and of ‘turning away’ or ‘committing iniquity’. The specifics of the sins are not generally mentioned; that is left for us to apply on to the coverall template. Plus specific sins will form the bulk of the Al Cheit section of Viddui recited afterwards. However, every word is said in the plural; we have sinned, we have acted treacherously, etc. One reason given for this is the requirement for communal responsibility. Even though I may not have personally committed that particular sin, as a member of a community, I jointly carry the responsibility of my fellow members. Another reason is based on Psalm 51, which King David composed after being confronted by Nathan the Prophet, where are sins my – ‘וְ חַ טָ אתִ י נֶ גְ דִ י תָ מִ יד said he always in front of me’. The idea though, is not to be depressed and feel the constant pressure of past sins, but rather to remind us when we see someone else sinning, that we too are not perfect. We are not here to judge or to be overly confident. Thus the general list of sins in וּנְ מַ שָ ׁא ,said as a preface to the specific and longer list of Al Cheit are said in the plural: for not only are we responsible for the rest of the community, we are also guilty of having sinned ourselves. It is this acknowledgement and humility within the וּנְ מַ שָ ׁא that allows us to say Al Cheit with sincerity. In the words of Socrates: “The perfect human being is all human beings put together, it is a collective, it is all of us together that makes perfection.” 57
58 CARVE TWO TABLETS OF STONE LIKE THE FIRST ONES ּפְ סָ ל לְ ָך ׁשְ נֵ י לֻ חֹת אַ בָ נִ ים ּכָ רִ אׁשֹנִ ים Find the motif, look for the theme. That was the advice given to me by the late Chief Rabbi Sacks. But what happens when the theme presents a contradiction: when the repetition of words used, the motif, describe conflicting events? Such as in the story of Yom Kippur, which came about due to the creating and receiving of the second set of Tablets. It was the sign that Hashem forgave our sin with the Golden Calf. In commanding Moshe to carve new Tablets out of the rock, on which Hashem would engrave the Ten Commandments, – פְּ סָ ל לְ ָך שׁ ְ נֵ י לֻ חֹת אַ בָ נִ ים כָּ רִ אשֹׁנִ ים said He “carve for yourself two tablets of stones like the first ones”. The problem is that the same word, the one that indicated the motif, is used elsewhere with very ֹלא תַ עַ שֶׂ ה לְ ָך פֶ סֶ ל .connotations different a yourself for carve not Do – ‘וְ כָ ל תּ ְ מוּנָ ה graven image’ – the second of the 10 Commandments. The word לֶ סֶ פ – carve, is used both as the negative of making an idol and then as a positive to carve the Tablets of Stone! The stones that were only needed because the Nation had worshipped an idol. Surely the Torah could have found a different verb to describe Moshe’s carving of the second set of Commandments. The question was triggered by the advice of Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, the answer came from Galitzia via a Chassidish Shteible in North Manchester. Whilst the word לֶ סֶ פ – carve, is the problem, it is the word’s positioning that provides the solution. When being used to describe the cardinal sin of idol worship, the word ךְ ָל – you, precedes it. In comparison, when it is being used to instruct Moshe to carve the holy Tablets of Stone, the word ךְ ָל – you, follows it. Explain the Chassidic Masters; there is nothing inherently wrong with לֶ סֶ פ – carving, but it depends if we place ourselves before the instruction or after it. If the focus is self-centred, then the carving will create the abomination; a Golden Calf. The challenge is to focus on for carve – ‘פְּ סָ ל לְ ָך to commandment the yourself’, where the emphasis is of carving. In that scenario we are able to carve out the stone upon which the Almighty will then engrave His commandments. A change of focus creates a paradigm shift and moves 180° from the nadir of impurity to the heights of spirituality.
59 OF POETRY AND MUSIC YOM KIPPUR IN OUR HEARTS As T. S. Eliot said, “the test of genuine poetry, is that it can communicate before it is understood”. It’s almost as if he was referring specifically to our Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Machzorim. Replete with poetry written in a Biblical Hebrew following an Arabic meter for the Aramaic speaking Jew, the Paytan of old was a master of his craft. However, for the modern English speaking Jew, I fear that we will never truly understand the depth of emotions contained within. In modern times, we have been blessed with many beautiful translations, most recently those of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, ל“ז ,but I sometimes feel that the flowery thoughts of the poet lose their petals in translation. With music as a bridge, in recent years, Chazzanim have used popular tunes to help convey the message of the Piyyutim. As Pythagoras said, “Music is the language of the heart, the only language that enters the soul without having to pass through the filter of the brain first.” And borrowing from his doctrine of ‘musica universalis’, it is obvious that there is a symphony that occurs within our soul and brain when music and verse marry together. For me it was when I realised that the tune for ‘Yerushalayim Shel Zahav’ married perfectly with the third Piyut for Yom Kippur Shacharis: ּ אִ חַ דְ ת ֹ ָ יו ׁ ם זֶ ה בַּ ש ּ ָ נָ ה, ת ּ ְ רו ּ פָ ה ו ׂ צָ רִ י ש ּ ַ מְ תֹו ׁ לַ שֹוׁשַ נָ ה This one day of the year You set aside as unique, to serve as a restorative, a balm for the lily [Jerusalem]. The Piyut is part lament over the loss of the Temple, part praise for the day of Yom Kippur itself and part exultation over our rich history that promises a secure future. We mourn the fact that no longer can the Kohen Gadol enter the Holy of Holies and pray for us, but we rejoice in the fact that we are nevertheless blessed to still have the opportunity to atone for our own sins. And as the Paytan concludes, there is prologue to our story and further chapters still to be written. “The wedding canopy of Your beloved, please remember / and remember not the shame of our youthful past. Your precious child Israel, always remember / for the sake of Moshe, the one who beseeched You to remember Your servants.”
60 Yizkor – Remembering their Light T he Bimah is less than four foot across, but somehow the candles placed on either end, often burn at alarmingly different rates. The simple explanation that there was a draft was debunked when at the next service it was the candle on the opposite side that melted at twice the pace of the other. There was no rhyme nor reason to why the candles would burn at their respective rates. Sitting there in my seat at the front of Shul, or standing on the Bimah leading the Davenning, I would look at these candles and wonder, as to how they reflected the candle that is each person. We all burn at different rates and as I prepare to recite Yizkor for the fourth Yom Kippur I still cannot comprehend that my late father’s candle burnt so quickly and that his flame was extinguished so early. Hashem of candle The - נֵ ר ה׳ נִ ׁשְ מַ ת אָ דָ ם is the soul of man. When lighting the Yartzheit candle, I would often reflect on that statement from King Solomon’s Book of Proverbs, and see the eternality of my late father’s soul flickering with the light of Hashem here on this earth. Flames have always been used as a metaphor for the soul and watching the flame as it strove to reach ever higher whilst needing to remain anchored to the wick below, gave a sense of comfort. The knowledge that as long as I provided the fuel, as long as I was prepared to be the wick for my father’s soul, his flame would never truly complete its journey heavenward. I once had the privilege to talk at an event together with Reb Yehudah Avner, during which he told the story of his meeting with the Lubavitcher Rebbe during his tenure as Ambassador under Prime Minister Menachem Begin. They were discussing a person’s ability to achieve their own individual true potential. The Rebbe said: “Reb Yehudah, imagine I told you that this
61 candle is not in fact a candle, but merely a lump of wax with a piece of string inside. When does the wax and wick become a candle? When one brings a flame to the wick. That is when the wax and wick fulfil the purpose for which they were created.” At the end of the meeting, Ambassador Avner asked the Rebbe, “did you light my candle?” The Rebbe answered, “No. I have given you the match. Only you can light your own candle.” During our lifetime, it is true, only we can light our own candle, but when a parent or a loved one passes away, it falls to their children or those closest to them to light their candle for them. It is what we do over the course of the year of mourning, and then again at every Yartzheit and each time we recite Yizkor. That became my responsibility when my father’s candle went out, to relight it and allow the flame to burn brightly once again. With that knowledge of my responsibility, I researched the Biblical commentaries on King Solomon’s verse and came across the insight of the Baal Haturim (Rabbi Yaackov ben Asher 1270-1340) who describes it as a quid pro quo: we are holding Hashem’s candle and He holds ours. I found that a very comforting thought, the idea that we are in partnership with Hashem is fundamental to Judaism, but this was saying something more. Yes, Hashem holds our candle, but Rabbi Yaackov was saying that we also merit to hold His. I do not claim to know what that really means… how do we hold Hashem’s candle? But I think we come closest to it when we say Kaddish, recite Yizkor, or give Tzedakah in memory of a loved one, and light a candle, illuminating the world once more with the Soul that Hashem first gave them all those years ago. The Whispered Prayer No one is as remote as You, L‑rd our G‑d, yet no one is closer to us, Fatherly Ruler. You are beyond the confines of all Creation, yet forever present in each moment. Our deepest thought cannot grasp Your infinity, nor understand the shadow of Your Glory’s reflection. But the whispered prayer that rises from the depths of despair, the unvoiced cry of mute needs, the soft sigh that drains the broken heart of its sorrow and the silent supplication of a thin still voice are like great Shofar blasts, tearing through the fabric of Your sphere’s peace and touching Your endlessness, wherever You are. Suddenly, in this moment, You, whom the utmost heavens cannot contain, deign to dwell in each single, searching heart. May the memories of our loved ones and their flames continue to burn brightly.
Each change of clothing required an immersion in the Mikvah as well as a washing of his hands and feet at the Kiyor – the copper Laver, although as a sign of respect for the Kohen Gadol, he would use a special golden vessel. Each immersion is called a Tevillah. The Avodah, literally translated as “the service” is one of the longest sections within the Chazzan’s Mussaph repetition and describes the special service performed by the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest in the Temple on Yom Kippur. Before engaging in the special Yom Kippur procedures, the Kohen Gadol had to spend a week in spiritual preparation and purity. During the service the Kohen Gadol had to change his attire numerous times, from the full blown 8-piece multi-coloured set to the 4-piece pure white clothes. This is epitomized by a Talmudic dictate, “the prosecutor cannot become the defender”. The High Priest could not enter into the Kodesh Hakodoshim - The Holy of Holies dressed in gold and ask the Almighty to forgive the perpetrators of the Golden Calf. 62 The Eight Priestly Garments of the High Priest: 1. A tunic, called the k’tones 2. Linen breeches, called michnasei ba’ad 3. A turban, called the mitznefes; (The Kohen Gadol’s turban was slightly different, and was called a migba’as) 4. And a belt, called the avnet In addition to these four items worn by every Kohen, the Kohen Gadol wore another four: 5. A gold forehead-plate, called the tzitz 6. A robe, called the me’il 7. A breastplate, called the choshen 8. An ephod, which covers the lower part of the body from behind, like a reverse apron.
63 1st Tevillah: Change to “8 Garments” (Bigdei Zahav – Gold-coloured Robes) • Begin with the Morning Daily Sacrifice, (the Karbon Tamid, together with its meal offering and libation) • Followed by the usual Daily Ketores – Incense, as well as preparing the Menorah. At this point all the Kohanim would bless the assembled people – Birchat Kohanim, whilst standing on the Duchan – the Platform. Then the Levites would sing the Shir Shel Yom – the specific Psalm for that day of the week. • The final service performed in this set of clothing, was the sacrifice of 8 of the Mussaph Korbanot – the additional sacrifices for Yom Kippur. • The Kohen would wash his hands and feet again and go for his 2nd immersion. 2nd Tevillah: Change to “4 Garments” (Bigdei Lavan – White Linen) • His first act was to confess – to say Viddui, this first time it was for the Kohen Gadol himself. At each confession he would pronounce the great and glorious Name of Hashem, at which point all the Kohanim and everyone in the Temple would bow down, fall on their knees and say: Boruch Shem. • Next was the lottery to select goats, one was sacrificed in the Temple to Hashem, and the other was sent to the cliff top (L’Azazel). • He would then say Viddui again, this second time was on behalf of all the Kohanim. • Next he would burn the ladle of Ketores on a pan of coals inside the Kodesh Hakadoshim and offer up a short prayer. (See Artscroll p. 570 & Koren Sacks p. 898) • The blood from the various sacrifices would then be sprinkled (1 up and 7 down) four times: twice in the Kodesh Hakadoshim and twice on the Paroches – the dividing curtain. • He would then say Viddui for the third time, this time confessing on behalf of the entire Jewish People, and would then send the goat to Azazel. • The final act in this set of clothes was to read from the Sefer Torah. 3rd Tevillah: Back to the “8 Garments” (Bigdei Zahav – Gold Robes) • Dressed in his full set of “8 Garments” he would sacrifice the communal ram as well as his own personal ram. • He then offered the innards of the bull and goats on the Copper Altar. 4th Tevillah: A new set “4 Garments” (Bigdei Lavan – White Linen) • He now went back in to the Kodesh Hakodoshim and removed the ladle and pan used in the Ketores. 5th Tevillah: His final change into the “8 Garments” (Bigdei Zahav – Gold Robes) • Dressed for the final time in the full set of “8 Garments” he would conclude with the regular Afternoon Tamid sacrifice, with its flour and oil Libations. • He would complete the service with the Daily Ketores and Menorah lighting. Once the Kohen had completed the Yom Kippur Avodah, he would change back into his personal clothes and would then be escorted home by a vast multitude of people. The joy on seeing him emerge from the Kodesh Hakodoshim after a successful Yom Kippur was palpable and real. The entire city of Jerusalem would be bedecked in lights and the festivities would continue on into the night. May we merit to complete our own Yom Kippur tonight with the same joy, secure in the knowledge that our prayers have been accepted.
T his was the moment everyone had been waiting for, the Israelite men and women were all assembled into the eastern half of the Beis Hamikdash, the lucky few crowded within the short strip behind the Duchan, with the majority filling the so called Women’s Courtyard trying to peer through the impressively tall copper gates of Nicanor. In the western half containing the main building of the Beis Hamikdash, an honour guard of Kohanim stood to attention along the ramp leading up to the Great Altar in the Courtyard as the Kohen Gadol, bedecked entirely in white, reverently made his way up carrying a rose gold fire-pan to collect coals from the everlasting fire. With the coals in his right hand, he is handed a double measure of Ketores incense, reground extra fine just before Yom Kippur, which he carefully places into a golden spoon held in his left hand. The Kohanim check the Ulam - ante chamber of the Beis Hamikdash, and the Heichal with its Menorah, Table of Showbread and the Inner Golden Altar to ensure that no one was inside the actual building of the Beis Hamikdash, as the Kohen Gadol slowly and reverently made his way to the Kodesh HaKadashim - the inner sanctum and Holy of Holies. This place he was allowed into on only this one day of the year, and only for this unique service of offering the Ketores. ּבְ זֹאת יָ בֹא אַ הֲ רֹן אֶ ל הַ ּקֹדֶ ׁש With ‘this’ shall Aaron enter the Kodesh As the Kohen Gadol made his way through the empty Beis Hamikdash, he could feel the eyes of the assembled crowd behind him and the hopes of the entire Nation of Israel accompanying him as he slowly approached the double curtain, the Paroches. He stopped for a moment and recalled the verse that gave him permission to enter into the Holy of Holies and plead directly with Hashem, King of kings, and Master of all to forgive His people and grant them a year of life. He recalled the word אתֹזְ ב - ּwith ‘this’ and thought of the other times the Torah used that word, to describe the Mitzvahs of Shabbos and Bris Milah, our two covenants with Hashem, its description of Yerushalayim - ‘this’ is the city, and the is’ This -‘וְ זֹאת הַ ּתֹורָ ה אֲ ׁשֶ ר ׂשָ ם מֹׁשֶ ה itself Torah the Torah which Moshe placed in front of the Bnei Yisrael. The Kohen Gadol knew he was not just carrying the Ketores, he was carrying all of our Mitzvos, our merits and our struggles over the past year, when we did our best to be the best we could be. Physically he was alone, with not even the angels ּבזֹאת... ְ – With This 64
allowed into the Kodesh Hakadashim, but in truth we were all standing side by side with him, every Kohen, Levi and Yisrael, every man, woman and child within the Nation of Israel was crowded within that small room; for we live and die as one united Nation. Our hopes were indeed resting on the humility and righteousness of this one man, but his entrance into this Holiest of places was on our shoulders. Standing in front of the Even Hashesiyah - the Foundation Stone (in the first Beis Hamikdash, he would have been in front of the Ark itself ), the Kohen Gadol placed the fire-pan down and slowly poured the Ketores onto the burning coals and stood there as the smoke rose directly up and then slowly filled the entirety of the room. And it was this burning that showed the difference between this day and every other one. There were three fires within the service of the Beis Hamikdash: the fire on the Altar which had to fight against the blood and fats of the sacrifices, the fire of the Menorah, which was fuelled by the oil but still left behind the burnt wick, and then this fire of the Ketores which was entirely consumed. During the year our physical body fights against the spiritual fire of our souls, but that is our condition and our journey in this world. From time to time, such as on Shabbos and Chagim, our physicality fuels our souls, but it still leaves the mark and soot of a burnt wick. But come Yom Kippur, and our physicality is totally consumed and the smoke of our spirituality fills the Holy of Holies where we are all present. אתֹזְ ב - ּit is ‘with this’ that we live our whole year. It is ‘this’ total dedication on this one day that fortifies and strengthens us as we battle during the rest of the year. We cannot and must not run from our challenge throughout the year, but we gather our inspiration and fuel from the spirituality of Yom Kippur that enables us to keep the fire of our spirituality burning in spite of the challenges we will face. Courtesy: The Temple Institute 65
66 1. 12 step entrance to Beis Hamikdash compound 2. Women’s Courtyard 3. Two of the four corners were storage rooms for wood and oil, and two were used by a Nazir and a Metzora 4. 15 steps entrance to the inner courtyard and used by the Levite’s Choir 5. The Duchan platform for the Priestly Blessing 6. Seat of the 71 Sanhedrin 7. Mikva Number 1 8. Mikva numbers 2 to 5 (the room next to it was where the Ketores/Incense was made)
67 9. Laver 10. Copper Altar 11. Shechita area 12. 4 room complex including the making of the Showbread 13. 12 step entrance to the Beis Hamikdash itself – every increase in spirituality was accompanied by a phyiscal elevation 14. The Kodesh - The Holy containing the Golden Altar, Table of Showbread and the Menorah 15. The Paroches 16. The Kodesh HaKadashim - Holy of Holies Diagram of the Second Temple
A Yom Kippur Diary by Tzivia Lewis Dear Diary, tonight is Yom Kippur and there is still so much to do. For the past week my uncle Pinchas has been secluded in a room in the Beis Hamikdash practising and reviewing the special Avodah he will be doing tomorrow. It meant that I got to spend some extra time with my cousins, but they are all on their best behaviour as they too prepare for this special day. Oh, did I not mention; uncle Pinchas is the Kohen Gadaol! He is my father’s older brother, and this year for the first time ever, my father is his deputy. It is all very exciting. Anyway, today all the animals were paraded in front of uncle Pinchas. My brother Shlomo was there and told me there were 13 animals in total! Two bulls, two rams and nine sheep. I was really confused because I’m sure I learnt that goats are used as well but my father told me that as they represent the sins, they are kept back until they have to be used. Anyway I need to go now, as I have been put in charge of my little sister Leah who is begging for a story. I hope to write again after Yom Kippur, but as it is my first year fasting, I may wait until the morning afterwards. Diary, I couldn’t wait until tomorrow! Yom Kippur has just ended and we were all paraded home through the streets of Yerushalayim with my father, the Kohen Gadol at the front. Yes my father was actually the Kohen Gadol, but I am getting ahead of myself. It began with Maariv last night, and although there was nothing special in the Beis Hamikdash, it still felt that everyone in Yerushalayim just had to be there. We Davenned in the Shul on the Temple Mount and it was very squishy. To keep him awake, the Kohen Gadol together with his deputy - my father, give Droshos all night long, I stayed for a bit listening to their lovely deep voices, but I went home before midnight as I wanted to be fully awake for the big day tomorrow. I don’t remember falling asleep, but at some point I must have because the next thing I remember was Leah pulling my blankets off my bed. I quickly got dressed and started the short walk from the Upper City to the Beis Hamikdash. When we arrived the morning sky had only the faintest tinge of light, but everyone must have had the same thought, as the courtyard was already teeming with people, everyone excited but anxious for the momentous day ahead. I held tightly onto Leah’s hand as she can really get into mischief if you’re not watching her, but she must have felt the holiness of the day as she stood quietly watching everything with her cute little face squished in between the slats on the gallery above the women’s courtyard. *Fun fact: the women actually used to be downstairs in the women’s courtyard, with 68
the men in the small strip of space in front, but it was just too small for them and they kept on spilling over into our courtyard. So they built this balcony and I have to tell you, we get a far better view of everything that is going on than when we were standing down below. The sun was just peeping over the horizon when the Kohen Gadol appeared in his full attire of 8 Holy Garments: the usual 4 white ones that all Kohanim, including my father and brother, wear, plus the extra four with their gold, precious stones and vibrant colours. He began with washing his hands and feet from a golden pitcher that glittered in the first rays of the morning sun. From my vantage point I looked down and saw it all, whilst the men below me were all craning their necks to try make sure they didn’t miss a single moment. The regular morning sacrifices began, led by the Kohen Gadol but assisted by all the Kohanim. They moved so swiftly through the courtyard that the vessels looked like rivers of flowing gold and silver. I managed to spot my father, although as the Deputy, he was somewhat removed from the hustle. I could see Shlomo waiting so impatiently for his turn, but he will have to wait a few more years before he is allowed to actually join in. Leah waved to them, but they were obviously too preoccupied with the Holy Service to look up, and I am not even sure they would have been able to pick us out from the whole crowd. A whisper passed through the crowd, and a silence descended on all of us, as the Kohen Gadol appeared clothed just in his pure white garments. He began with his first confession, this was for himself and his family, although I know my uncle, and I doubt he had ever actually done anything wrong. Then my father and another Kohen stood on either side of the Kohen Gadol as two identical goats were brought in front of him. He thrust his hands into a box containing two golden lots and for a moment time stood still. Then in the silence I hear my father’s voice ring out: “Kohen Gadol raise your right hand” and as had been the case whenever a righteous Kohen Gadol was in charge, the lot for Hashem was in his right hand. The crowd visibly relaxes, but there is still so much more to do. Uncle Pinchas makes his second confession, and this one is for the whole family of Kohanim, that means me; oh how small I feel, how ashamed I am of the things I have done wrong, but how lucky I am that I have this opportunity to be forgiven. I promise myself that I will do better next year. When I look up, I see the Kohanim frantically making sure that no one at all was in the actual building of the Beis Hamikdash, as the Kohen Gadol makes his way inside towards the Holy of Holies; in his right hand is the red gold fire-pan filled with hot coals, and in his left is the golden spoon filled with the Ketores incense. As he disappears from view behind the curtain, I could feel the tension in the air, I squeezed little Leah’s hand so hard, but then it is over. Relief washes over everyone there as the Kohen Gadol walks back out, his face shining and a holy aura surrounding him, his appearance like that of an angel. I look over at Savta Kimchis and see the tears streaming down her face as she 69
watches her son go back into the Holy of Holies, this time holding a golden vessel filled with the blood of the sacrificed bull; the dark red contrasting against the gleaming gold. I can see her Davenning for her son’s safety and for his Tefillos on our behalf to be answered. Before long, the goat for Azazel is sent off and there is a break in the Service. I use the time to answer as many of Leah’s questions, but we have to stop as it is time for the Torah Reading. But wait, what is happening, the Kohen Gadol making his way up to the Bimah is not uncle Pinchas; I can’t believe my eyes, my father is dressed in the full 8 garments of a Kohen Gadol. Uncle Pinchas must have become Tamei meaning that he couldn’t continue and had to let his younger brother take over. Savta Kimchi had a funny smile on her face, she wouldn’t confirm it, but I think Uncle Pinchas got impure on purpose so he could share the Mitzvah with my father. I felt like I could burst with pride as I watched my father, the Kohen Gadol, offer up the remaining sacrifices. But then he changed into a set of pure white and made his way into the Holy of Holies; if I was scared before, this time I was petrified. Last time I was squeezing Leah’s hand, this time my mother is squeezing mine as we Daven for his success. A few minutes go by and then he walks back out, carrying the gleaming spoon from the Ketores and the main Yom Kippur Avodah is done. My father, the Kohen Gadol (I can’t believe that I am actually writing those words!!), then changes back into the full 8 garments with their sparkling gold, and completes the service for the day. The crowd bursts into song and as the sun starts to set over the horizon, we all stream out of the Beis Hamikdash to line the streets. My father and uncle, dressed in their own clothes, walk out of the Beis Hamikdash to be greeted with the thanks of everyone there. The sky is ablaze with flaming torches, the air is filled with the song and music of the Kohanim, and I get to walk next to not one but two Kohanim Gedolim as we make our way home to break the fast. Courtesy: The Temple Institute 70
71 THESE I RECALL… אֵ לֶ ה אֶ זְ ּכְ רָ ה At this point in the Service, the Shul is often quite empty; those remaining are looking at their watches in anticipation of the pre-Mincha break. The long Avodah, the description of the actual Yom Kippur service in the Temple is over and the Machzor takes a drastic and surprising turn. We read a story written in prose of the brutal slaughter of the “Ten Rabbinic Martyrs”. (Although the account depicts them all being killed at the same time, in actuality it happened in two episodes a generation apart.) The Roman emperor, guising himself as a ‘righter of wrong’ over Joseph’s sale, decrees that the ten greatest Jewish leaders of the time should be brutally put to death as an atonement for that bygone episode. In desperation, Rabbi Yishmael, the High Priest, purifies himself and with reverence pronounces G-d’s ineffable name to inquire if this decree comes from G-d. The answer is reported as coming from the ‘angel clothed in white’: “Take it upon yourselves, righteous, beloved Sages, for I have heard from behind the curtain that this decree has been imposed upon you.” At this point we read a graphic description of the savage executions of the ten great martyrs. When the angels cry out in bitter grief: “Is this the Torah and such its reward?”, a Voice from heaven responds: “This is My decree; submit to it.” The angels’ painful cries echoe throughout history; throughout all the deaths and persecutions we have endured. Their cries resonate within our Yom Kippur prayers; prayers that continue to be said with tears that soak the fibres of existence, piercing the heavens, waiting for a response. Yes, we have submitted to Your decree. But we demand more. We appeal to You to end the pain, to end the bloodshed, to end all suffering. On the holiest day of the year, in the midst of transcendent prayer, immediately following the account of the pinnacle of Jewish experience—entering the Holy of Holies—we do not forget that we live in a world of pain. And we implore the Al-mighty for a response. There is no denial; no escape. Even at the height of our spiritual elevation, we remember our losses, and we beseech G-d to amend them. This is the ultimate transcendence.
72 A LESSON IN CHOICE Did Father Mapple get it right? I know it is fictional, but Moby Dick stands at the heights of American literature, and I can just imagine climbing a rope ladder into the prow of a ship protruding from the eastern wall in order to give my weekly Sermon. But as seminal as it is, I would argue that Ishmael is being given the wrong piece of advice. We don’t read the story of Jonah on Yom Kippur simply to make us aware of the futility of running from Hashem, nor is it just about the powerful process of Teshuvah that was able to save the city of Nineveh. We read it for the final three verses in the whole book, the final conversation between Jonah and Hashem. And Hashem said to Jonah, “Are you so deeply grieved over the Kikayon?” And he said, “I am greatly grieved to death.” Hashem said, “You took pity on the Kikayon for which you did not labour, nor did you make it grow; it lived one night and perished after one night. And I, shall I not take pity upon Nineveh the great city?” Jonah had had no choice to fulfil his mission, but an internal conflict bothered him. He wondered his purpose, was it just to be Prophet of Doom? Where was the sense of awe, if after he delivered G-d’s message nothing happened. The people of Nineveh had heard that message from Jonah, they had made wholesale changes to their lives and value system, it was thus fitting that Hashem forgave them and gave them another chance. Jonah however did not yet understand this. So, Hashem caused him to be in a distress from the heat of the sun and in response to his prayers, He planted a tree to give him shade. When this tree, the Kikayon, shrivels and dies the next morning, Jonah is overwhelmed with grief and it is here that Hashem teaches him his final lesson, and the one that we must learn and internalise on Yom Kippur. The Teshuvah of the people of Ninveh, the Teshuvah we are aiming for on Yom Kippur, is not just about repentance and remorse, it is about a recalibration in our values system. The late Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, ל“ז ,would often tell the story of the man stuck inside Harrods over a weekend. To pass the time, he swapped the price tags of different goods around, leaving a diamond encrusted Patek Philippe costing £2.59 and a bottle of water at £44,180.00. In the words of Rabbi Sacks, we live in a society that knows the price of everything but the value of nothing.
73 And this was the lesson that Jonah still needed to learn. The Talmud tells us: no man sins unless a spirit of folly enters him. It is only when we perceive the sin as being worth it that we act with selfish recklessness and sin. When the value of our inner morality is superseded by the outward cost of that pleasure. The prerequisite for Teshuvah is to ask, what is the value of our material possessions? What is the bottom line, when I weigh up the cost of following my impulses and desires. We know their cost, but what is their value especially when weighed against human cost and suffering? In a life that spans decades within a world of millennia and cast against a limitless aeon of the soul’s spiritual existence, what is the true worth of our physical possessions? Are they worth the cost in terms of time and energy expended in realising them? Yet, we can find ourselves spending Yom Kippur asking Hashem to revive our physical existence which was but a dream yesterday and will be a memory tomorrow. In the words of the Midrash: “Man worries over his money but not over the loss of his years; yet money doesn’t help while years don’t return.” Whilst the story of Jonah is read on Yom Kippur as a story of how a city was saved through Teshuvah, it is also there as a lesson in choices. Jonah learnt it through the miraculous appearance of a much-needed Kikayon tree and its immediate withdrawal. We learn it through the task of defining our values and understanding the true nature of what we own and strive for.
If we had to wrap up the entirety of Elul and Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur and to describe the task we are charged with over this time, it a - חֶ שְ ּׁבֹון הַ נֶ פֶ ׁש phrase the with be would self assessed spiritual accounting. But like the person who asked the librarian where the self-help section was, we sometimes need a little help to get us started. The Talmud relates a powerful narrative concerning Elazer ben Durdaya, who strayed from the path of Jewish life, and became addicted to the allurements of lust and passion. One day when he was mocked by one who apparently shared his view of life, he was overwhelmed by his lowly moral situation, and realized that his life was being wasted. He felt an intense need to return to G-d. In his earnest search for penance and in deep anguish of conscience, Elazer ben Durdaya sought external help, and he called out: “Mountains and hills, ask mercy for me.” “Ask mercy for you? We must ask mercy for ourselves.” “Heaven and earth, ask mercy for me.” “Ask mercy for you? We must ask for ourselves.” “Sun and moon, ask mercy for me.” “Ask mercy for you? We must ask mercy for ourselves.” “Stars and planets, ask mercy for me.” “Ask mercy for you? We must ask mercy for ourselves.” Elazer sat upon the ground, and after a long and serious period of probing introspection, he placed his head between his knees and expired while depends all It” - “אֵ ין הַ ּדָ בָ ר ּתָ לּוי אֶ ּלָ א ּבִ י” ,crying on me - the responsibility is totally mine!” A voice emerged from above and declared, “Elazer ben Durdaya is worthy of Eternal Life.” Counterintuitively, Elazar ben Durdaya’s help was from the refusal of everyone else to help him. He had sought an easy way out of his personal dilemma. He tried to blame his corrupt life on external forces and not himself. First he appealed to the mountains and hills - symbolizing his parents: “Declare it was not my fault. I was not disciplined; I was spoiled. You were too busy to take care of me and did not have the time or patience to supervise me properly.” But his plea was rejected. In further defense of his shortcomings, he turned to heaven and earth - symbols ALL OF IT DEPENDS ON… 74
of the society in which he lived and the people with which he associated: “I could not have been anything else; my environment molded my total identity. Why am I to blame?” But even this plea was rejected. When they refused to accept the blame, he further declared, “Sun and moon, help me.” They are the symbol of affluence, as scripture says, “With the bounty of the sun’s crops, and with the bounty of the moon’s yield”. He cited the affluence of the society in which he had lived: “All I knew was material things; I was brought up in the ‘good life.’ I wanted pleasure; I was taught no other values. Was I to blame?” And this plea, too, was rejected. Finally, his despair reaching an unbearable climax, he cried out to the stars and planets - symbol of a predestined fate of evil within him. He also blamed his problems on “the good luck alibi”: “I did not have mazal. You tell them...I could not help living the way I did...tell them it was not my fault.” Little did he realize that our sages have said, “Ein mazal l’Yisrael” - “The Jew is not controlled by mazal - the heavenly constellations - but ascends above it” (Shabbos 156a). Do not blame it on mazal - blame it on yourself! When his final plea was rejected, Elazar ben Durdaya probed deeply into his heart and soul and then he found the truth: “There is no one external factor I can shift all It” - אֵ ין הַ ּדָ בָ ר ּתָ לּוי אֶ ּלָ א ּבִ י” .to responsibility depends on me, I am totally responsible for my actions.” When this incident was reported to Rabbi Yehudah the Prince, he used this unusual act of honest introspection and teshuvah as a text for a great moral lesson to his disciples: “There are those who obtain their world (Olam Haba) with many years of work, ‘שֵ ׁיְ ו those are there and’ - ‘קֹונֶ ה עֹולָ מֹו ּבְ ׁשָ עָ ה אַ חַ ת who acquire their world in one hour’ - in one brief instance of self-realization and self-transformation.” ME 75
76 WE ARE COMPLETELY WHOLE …BECAUSE WE’RE BROKEN פּ ְ תַ ח לָ נוּ שַׁ עַ ר, בְּ עֵ ת נְ עִ ילַ ת שַׁ עַ ר Rabbi Menachem Mendel Morgenstein, known as the “Heiliger Kotzker Rebbe” used to say: “there is nothing more whole than a broken heart”. For some of us, that is what we are aiming for during Neilah, almost as if we need to feel crushed in order to utilise the last precious moments of this awesome day, to cry out to Hashem and plead with an utterly broken heart to forgive our sins and seal us in the Book of Life. However, the Ba’al Shem Tov taught,“As man acts, G-d reacts”. If we are a broken vessel, we have nothing into which we can receive His blessing. Neilah is an awe-inspiring time. We have fasted for 25 hours, most of them have been spent in the Shul. We have confessed our sins a total of ten times and have prostrated ourselves on the floor. We have invoked the merits of our ancestors and have recreated the Service of the Kohen in the Temple. We have done everything we possibly can to lead to us פְּ תַ ח לָ נוּ שַׁ עַ ר :beg we when, moment this the at, us for gates the open - “בּ ְ עֵ ת נְ עִ ילַ ת שַׁ עַ ר time of their closing”. We are now standing here, in the ‘last chance saloon’, as the Gates of Heaven close to the prayers of this holy day, and we want to make sure that we are on the right side of them when they do. So, we listen to the Chazzan, we follow along intently with the ancient words of the Machzor, we raise our voice in prayer as we sing out together: “Hashem, Hashem”. We feel the emotion in our hearts and when the first tear falls, we know, we just know that it has been a good Yom Kippur. But the Teshuvah of Yom Kippur is not about becoming better: it is about becoming different. As I once heard: “forgiveness is not a gift we bestow upon the other; rather, it is the gift we give ourselves.” The ultimate achievement at Neilah is when we cry tears of joy, for we know that we have spent the day not in tearing ourselves down but in building ourselves up. We have fashioned a new being, one that is worthy of all G-d’s bounty. As Rabbi Shimshon Hirsch was wont to say: “tears are the sweat of the soul”. If we cry at Neilah it should be because our soul has accomplished its task: to create the perfect, whole, vessel; one that is truly deserving of Life.
77 SOLVING A THE TALMUDIC WAY “IF IT’S TOO HIGH, BUILD A PLATFORM… …IF IT’S TOO LOW – DIG A HOLE” PROBLEM T he Mitzvah to leave our homes and move into the temporary structure of the Succah is an exercise in faith and connection to the Almighty. For whilst the walls may be constructed using any materials, and can be as sturdy as needed, including solid brick, the roof must be made from Schach, a flimsy gathering of branches and leaves. Included in the rules about the Schach is that it may be neither higher than 20 cubits nor lower than 10 handbreadths above the ground. When the Talmud discusses a Succah that is either too high or too low, it offers an interesting solution. Instead of saying the obvious (that one should lower or raise the Schach to the correct height), it suggests instead that one should build a platform or dig a hole to achieve the regulated distance between the floor and the roof. To understand this strange attitude towards Schach, we need to understand its name, since although it means a covering, the Torah also uses it regarding the Cherubim spreading their wings over the Ark, and it is understood by the Talmud to be a metaphor for the Shechinah; G-d’s Divine Presence. The reason Schach is invalid when over 20 cubits above ground is because the eye is not naturally drawn that high: the Divine Presence within your Succah is out of sight. The solution cannot be to lower the Divine; rather, we must raise ourselves higher. The message: work to fit our life into G-d’s and not vice-versa. Conversely, Schach lower than 10 handbreadths doesn’t create a room that is suitable for human dwelling. Surely the answer is to raise the Schach, inject more spirituality into our lives and make it fit? Yet the Talmud tells us to dig lower. Sometimes we’re in a hole, and we think that the Divine cannot help us because we are too low; unworthy of salvation. This is the second message of Schach: no matter how low you get, there’s always room for G-d to be by your side. When you are on an upward trajectory it is too easy to think that one has reached high enough and now it is time for Spirituality to come down to us – think again and reach a little higher. Conversely, when you are on a downward spiral, it’s very easy to think that we have sunk so low that not even Spirituality can reach us – fear not, for Hashem will always reach down to help. 77
S hakepeare never had to contend with it and Laurel and Hardy loved breaking it, but there is no doubt that the “fourth wall” radically changed the interaction of the actors with the audience. Accredited to the philosopher, critic and dramatist, Denis Diderot in 1758, the fourth wall acted as a barrier, which may have separated the audience from the cast, but it allowed them to be more ‘in the moment’ and focus entirely on the set. On Sukkos that fourth wall represents an interesting metaphysical and theological aspect in Halacha. The word כהָּס ֻacts as a visual clue to how many walls the Sukkah needs in order to be Kosher. Initially it should have all four walls corresponding to the four sides of the letter ס .The second letter כ ,indicates that one can suffice with just three walls, and in a time of need we could even use just two-and-a-bit as per the final letter ה . The reason we can use less than the optimum four walls is because the Sukkah’s fourth wall is actually the inverse of the theater’s invisible fourth wall. As the Sukkah is specifically there to welcome in our guests, the fourth wall has to have an opening, a doorway. The Halachists declare that in essence this opening can be the entire wall; meaning that a Sukkah with three walls is actually one with four: for the ‘fourth wall’ is there and its invisibility is the epitome of the Sukkah; a place in which we welcome our guests. The permissibility to suffice with just two-and-a-bit walls follows the rule of like considered is portion aִ - מְקָצתֹו ְּכּכּולֹו the whole (it is the Halachic inverse of ‘a miss is as good as a mile’). But it is still The Fourth Wall 78
predicated on the fact that the third wall, represented even by a small amount, then allows one to have the fourth wall entirely open for our guests. Our guests on Sukkos, include the seven supernal Ushpizin, the ‘founding fathers: Avrohom, Yitzchok, Yaackov, Moshe, Aaron, Yosef and Dovid. Regarding Yitzchok, there is a fascinating dialogue related in Talmud Shabbos and his petition on behalf of the Jewish People, which serves as a perfect continuation of both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The Talmud relates that at the end of time Hashem will approach our ancestors and say “Your children have sinned before Me”. Having, by that point, spent millenia within the spiritual confines on Heaven, Avrohom and Yaackov will reply, ‘if so, let them be eradicated for the sake of Your Holy Name’. Yitzchok, however, will begin his defense of us by reminding Hashem that, by His own declaration, we are His children and not just Yitzchok’s. But then he will add a fascinating mathematical reason as to why we should be forgiven. Quoting King David, Yitzchok will argue that although a person lives for 70 years, for the first 20 we are not held responsible for our sins. This leaves just 50 years, of which half are during the night time when we are asleep, and of the remaining 25 years, we spend half of them Davenning, eating and taking care of our personal needs. There is thus a mere 12.5 years in which we can sin, which Hashem should be able to forgive. If though He will not, then Yiztchak will offer to take half as his responsibility, leaving just over 6 years of sin. And if even that is too much, then Yitchak will agree to take them all in payment for the Akeidah. Quite the guest indeed… 79
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81 A LITTLE BIT OF KABALLAH BY TZIVIA LEWIS With the arrival of Sukkos, comes a very special Mitzvah, Shaking the Lulav and Esrog, Just like it says in the Torah. But why do we wave them in each direction, Do these shakes have any connection? Each direction points at a specific place, Each a behaviour we can choose to embrace. First, we shake to the East, A symbol of Harmony and Peace. With the rising sun, Bringing light to everyone. Next, we turn South for Kindness, For the Shechinah is in the West. With Hashem at my right hand, I will surely achieve my best. The third movement is to the West, The Divine Presence is our Connection. For a three-ply rope, Is not easily broken. The fourth step is North, From where Discipline shines forth. For with a true point on our compass, We will never veer from our path. This is followed by Upwards, Symbolising our Perseverance. For when that follows from Discipline, We will always move in the right direction. The penultimate movement is Downwards, For we must always have Humility. Even after our connection, Enhances our ability. The seventh move is communication, Bringing the Lulav back to our heart, This is where a Jew wants to be, With Hashem and never apart.
82 THE QUILLS OF SPEECH & MELoDY “Speech is the quill of the heart. Whilst melody is the quill of the soul” RABBI SCHNEUR ZALMAN OF LIADI ל"זצ T here are two occasions during the month of Tishrei when I find my feet take on a life of their own. One is understandably during Hakofos on Simchas Torah, but the other is during Neilah on Yom Kippur. For most of my life I have had the honour to lead communities during the spiritual high of Tishrei; from Yeshiva in Israel, to Crimea, from Essex to Newcastle and now here with you in Bowdon. During those years, I have always found a spring in my step as we draw the solemn day of Yom Kippur to an end. As the Paroches is about to close for the last time, I feel my feet twitch and at times it is all I can do not to break out into a dance. Nowadays, in respect to the community, I limit myself to bouncing on the balls of my feet, but in Yeshiva we danced to a song called ‘Napoleon’s March’, composed by Rabbi Schneur Zalman as he fled from Napoleon. The wordless tune spoke to our souls more than all of the exquisitely crafted Tefillot we had spent the day reciting. The way to a Jew’s soul is often through the soles of their feet. Moshe described himself as being amongst ‘the 600,000 on foot’, and our three Chagim are called ‘foot festivals’, as we were commanded to walk up to Jerusalem. It is no surprise then, that we complete the spiritual month on Tishrei with the twirling of feet as we swing round the Bimah clutching the Sefer Torah close to our hearts. For many it is a “balagan” and one of the most socially awkward dates in the Jewish calendar, but for me it is an expression of ecstasy and spiritual bliss. For whilst I Daven over 1,100 Tefilos over the year, they don’t all always work. Sometimes my mind wanders; at other times I simply can’t connect to the words. But when the Ark opens for the first Hakofo, something always stirs inside me, because regardless of how much I know or or understand of Jewish literature, I can still embrace the Torah Scroll and be enveloped by it. It’s probably not by chance that we wear the same sneakers on both Yom Kippur and Simachas Torah, for on both those days we are encouraged to tap into the innermost part of our soul, the spark of the Divine. For me it has always been accessed through the soles of my feet. “Even if you can’t sing well, sing. Sing to yourself. Sing in the privacy of your home. But sing!” Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
[email protected] Produced for Bowdon Shul – South Manchester Synagogue by Dove Press Ltd – [email protected] Copyright © 2023 – South Manchester Synagogue DOVE PRESS Written and compiled by Rabbi Dovid Lewis in honour of his dear father Reb Benzion Lewis התם׳ ר׳ בן ציון ב״ר זיסל צבי ז״ל Tishrei 5784