Dear Friends:
This year’s Yom Kippur vort is being sponsored by Yossie and Elisheva Schulman of Ramat Beit Shemesh dedicated for the safety of the Chayalim, as well as for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael.
To the Schulman family, many thanks for your sponsorship and for your continued kindnesses.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring a Parshat HaShavua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShavua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
Subscribe to the Israel and the Sin of Expulsion blog, to ask questions or to sponsor a Parsha Vort at: olehchadash@yahoo.com
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We open this Yom Kippur vort with posukim from Sefer Devarim in Parshat Vayeilech:
“Hashem appeared in Ohel, in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood by the entrance to the Ohel. Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Behold, you will lie with your forefathers, but this people will rise up and stray after the gods of the foreigners of the Land, in whose midst it is coming, and it will forsake Me and annul My Covenant that I have sealed with it. My anger will flare against it on that day and I will forsake them; and I will conceal My face from them and they will become prey, and many evils and distresses will encounter it. It will say on that day, ‘Is it not because my G’d is not in my midst that these evils have come upon me?’ But I will surely have concealed My face on that day because of all the evil that it did, for it had turned to gods of others.'” [Sefer Devarim, Perek 31, posukim 15 – 18 rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash]
Rabbi Zev Leff provides this commentary on Sefer Devarim, Perek 31, posukim 17 – 18 in his Sefer, “Outlooks and Insights on the Weekly Torah portion (pages 232 – 234) :
“‘Is it not because my G’d is not in my midst that these evils have come upon me?’ But I will surely have concealed My face on that day because of all the evil that it did, for it had turned to gods of others.'”
Ramban says that this admission of guilt and regret is still not a full confession and therefore Hashem continues to hide His face. But the hiding is different: no longer is it a hiding of Hashem’s mercy, allowing evil to befall them, but rather a hiding of the ultimate redemption. That change in Hashem’s relationship contains a hint to their ultimate redemption when their repentance is complete.
To better understand this Ramban, there must first be an understanding of the function of verbal confession in the teshuvah process. Sefer Hachinuch [Mitzvah 363] offers two explanations of the benefit of verbal confession. First, verbalizing one’s repentance creates the feeling of conversing with a second party, which, in turn, sensitizes a person to the reality of Hashem’s presence. The greater a person’s awareness that his sin was done in Hashem’s presence, with His full knowledge, the greater the person’s shame and regret.
Secondly, verbal expression intensifies the process and leaves a more lasting effect.
In addition to regret over the past, teshuvah also requires a commitment not to repeat the sin again. That commitment must be so decisive, resolute and firm that Hashem Himself can testify that at the moment of confession, the person does not contemplate ever committing that sin again. Just as a vow to do or not to do something in the future requires verbal expression, so, too, does the commitment not to repeat past sins.
Sefer Yereim specifies another dimension to verbal confession… There must be a clear recognition of the seriousness of the damage caused by the sin, both in terms of the damage to one’s soul and one’s relationship to Hashem, and in terms of the effect on the world by closing the conduits of blessing. For this, one must entreat Hashem to forgive, heal and repair the damage. Just as prayer and supplication must be verbalized to establish a feeling of communication, so, too, must one’s entreaty for atonement.
Teshuvah, then, is the return of the Jew to his essence and the breakdown of the barriers which separate him from Hashem. Hashem does not leave the Jew when he sins, rather the Jew loses contact with Hashem, Who still resides within the essence of his soul.
In one of the most compelling and pertinent vorts this author has seen relating to Yom Kippur, sefer “Shem Mishmuel,” The Sochaczever Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel Bornstein, z”l renders to English Sefer Devarim, Perek 29, posukim 9 – 10, the opening posukim of Parshat Nitzavim, and provides commentary in his vort for Yom Kippur 5673 (pages 440 – 441) :
In [one of] Moshe’s final address[s] to Yisrael, he describes ten categories of people:
“You are all standing here today, before the Lord, Your G’d — Your heads, your tribes, your elders. and your officers, every Jewish man. Your children, your women, the outsider who is in your camp, your woodcutter to your water-drawer.” (Sefer Devarim, Perek 29, posukim 9 – 10)
These divisions of people represent the whole gamut of the nation, from young to old, the powerful and the ordinary — in short, everyone of every type.
Let us now examine the incense used in the Beit HaMikdash. It was used as part of the daily offering, but on Yom Kippur it played a primary role. The Kohen Gadol took… ground incense [for reference: see Shacharit morning davening in korbonot section, Talmud Kereisos 6a, Yerushalmi Yoma 4:5] into the Kedosh Kadoshim [on Yom Kippur] and waited there until the cloud of spices filled the room. This incense contained eleven spices, ten of which were pleasant smelling, but one which had a foul odor. We may suggest that the ten sweet-smelling spices corresponded to the ten groups within the Jews as noted above.
It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word for “incense” is “ketores” a word that is etymologically linked to “kesher,” which means “connection.” The spices were pounded together to make a single compound. This illustrates that each group within Yisrael must recognize that it has value only as part of a larger entity. When this occurs, it’s possible to add the eleventh, malodorous spice, which represents the bad elements within Israel. Only when these eleven spices are pounded to indistinguishable dust, that is, completely mingled, can they be brought into the Kedosh Kadoshim on Yom Kippur. In the same way, only when everyone, good or bad, acts for a single purpose, nullifying his individuality to the benefit of the community, can the “compound” of the Am Yisrael be presented to Hashem for His scrutiny on this great and awesome day [Yom Kippur]. However, if dissonance [noun: inharmonious or harsh sound; discord] exists within the various elements of the klal, then the weaker, eleventh group cannot join. Since there is already disharmony among the people, adding the sinful element will not produce a unified Yisrael and, therefore, serves no useful function. In fact, this will cause additional strife, as the weaker group will join one side or the other of the rift, strengthening the divide.
Shem Mishuel continues (ibid, page 441) :
Let us deepen our understanding of this idea. The Gemara explains:
He [spice-maker] would return [the spices] to the mortar on the day before Yom Kippur and grind them thoroughly so that [compound] would be extremely fine. [Shem Mishuel citing Talmud, Kreisos 6a]
This symbolizes the notion that to achieve real unity in the community, a sort of “grinding” of the personality is needed. It is arrogance that leads to disunity, the feeling that one is special and in some way above everyone else. One must pound this arrogance out of one’s character to effect the realization that one’s whole existence depends on the community. This development of the personality removes its dross, allowing the pure light of the soul to shine through. Since at some deep level all the souls of the Jews have the same source, this will effect an automatic unity.
This is the message behind the finely ground incense of Yom Kippur. Let us take it to heart and work on ourselves to eliminate any traces of pride or self-interest. Then we will be able to present a truly unified Yisrael to Hashem on this Holy day.
And so, The Shem Mishmuel shows us the critical relevance of unity vs disunity and discord, to his grinding of the incense on Yom Kippur and how it relates to our current day matzav.
The Sefer “Inspiration and Insight,” Volume 2 — Discourses on the Holidays and Other Themes, by the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yehudah Zev Segal, z”l adds these comments on unity — the collective soul of Israel (page 91) :
Hashem loves Klal Yisrael as if the Jews were a close relative. Scripture states: “In all their sorrows, He is afflicted.” [Rabbi Segal citing Yeshayahu 63:9] Hashem cannot bear His people’s pain or disgrace, for Am Yisrael is His sh’eir. [Rabbi Segal defining sh’eir as both remnant and relative]
From Hashem’s love for us, we should learn how to love one another. In essence, all Jews are one. Our souls are united and in each soul there is a portion of all the others. This concept is the basis of the principle that all Jews are responsible for one another. [Rabbi Segal citing Shavuot 39a] Since each Jew’s soul possesses a portion of all the others, when a Jew sins, his wrong affects not only his own soul, but also the collective soul of Israel.
May our government and military bring about the total and complete, Final and Decisive victory over Hamas, their 7 October so-called “civilians(sic)” collaborators, Iran and the entire terror cabal, B’Yad Hashem, and become Totally self-sufficient as to manufacture of military equipment and aircraft, weaponry, munitions — heavy munitions, as well as showing independence of actions responding to any threat, regardless of so-called “super powers.”
May it be that our leadership — governing, judiciary and IDF high command echelons, as well as kol Am Yisrael be devoid of false, fraudulent ideologies and political agendas, and endeavor to achieve a faithfulness and consistency in our avodah — both V’Ahavtah L’Arecha Kamocha, as One, and in our Service of Hashem, B’Ezrat Hashem
May we see a government of Israel, military high echelons, judiciary, as well as Kol Am Yisrael secure in it’s foremost service of, and emunah in HaKadosh Borchu, B’Ezrat Hashem! And may we see the restoration of true unity within Am Yisrael. May these words come to fruition B’Ezrat Hashem.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently re-settled in Gush Katif, once the IDF, by the Yad Hashem, destructs and eradicates the wild beasts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all other terror entities, and if necessary Iran, and that our brethren be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them, that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, as well as the buildings of Yishuv Elchanan, all at total government expense. May our Chayalim return from battle unharmed — physically, mentally and spiritually and may all of the remaining hostages brutally taken by the wild beasts of Hamas be liberated and brought home to their families. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now in his sixth year at home in Eretz Yisrael and continues in a new chapter in his life. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her spirit and memory continue to lift Jonathan to at least 120 years. Baruch Hashem that another of the MIAs have been liberated and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem — as with the return in April, 2019, via Russia, of the remains of Zachariah Baumel, the recent recovery of the remains of Tzvi Feldman as well as the recoveries of the remains of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin from the Gaza War of ten years ago, and now, Yehuda Katz. There is still one MIA to be recovered, Ron Arad. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nei Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
May You, All of My Brothers and Sisters, be Inscribed and Sealed for another Year of Life… Now and always! L’Shana Tova!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Moshe is available for editing of English language documents, articles, manuscripts and more. Please be in contact with him at olehchadash@yahoo.com for your English language needs.
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