Israel and The Sin of Expulsion

This Vort for the Chaggim starts out about nine days ago at Rabbi Barak Saffer’s home on Shabbos Parshat Ki Tavo. Rabbi Saffer, by the way, is Maggid Shiur at Yeshiva Mivaserret, just outside Yerushalayim. Along with Rav Saffer’s family and this author were a few of his Talmidim from the Yeshiva. After dinner was concluded, Rav Saffer held a Tish with the the Talmidim and myself.

During the Tish, Rav Saffer cited a gemara as follows:

Yishmael ben Elisha Kohen HaGadol was in the Kadosh Kedoshim (Holy of Holies) on Yom Kippur. And Hashem, Kovei’yokhel (as He was), spoke to him asking for a Brakha. A Brakha? How does Hashem, our Creator, the Ruler of the World who sustains everything, animate and inanimate mili-second by mili’second — How does Hashem need a Brakha from man? And there is even another gemara which comes down hard and disparagingly about one who would utter a statement “All good men will bless You!” Hashem “needs” our Brakhot? But there is another understanding regarding Hashem’s request of Yishmael ben Elisha Kohen HaGadol as the latter served Hashem in the Kadosh Kedoshim on Yom Kippur. That understanding is: Hashem wants, needs to hear the Tefillot of the Kohen HaGadol, on behalf of His Treasured Nation — Klal Yisrael, in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. And He wants and needs to hear the fervent tefillot and Teshuva of Kol Klal Yisrael. But anyone who reads this author realizes that there’s much more to this story. read more

Parsha Vayeilech comes to speak at length about the Mitzvah of Hakhel — the communal gathering which took place every seven years; that is at the beginning of the year following the end of the Sh’mittah year and where Sefer Devarim is read through to the end of Shema, the second paragraph and through to Perek 28, posuk 69 which is in Parshat Ki Tavo.

The Hakhel is a Mitzvah dating back to Moshe Rabbeinu’s mussar talk on the last day of his life when he convened the entire nation; men, women and children — from the wealthiest to the most itinerant woodchopper, to the Ger; read more

Our Parsha Nitzavim opens with Moshe Rabbeinu addressing the B’nai Yisrael on the final day of his life:

“Atem Nitzavim HaYom… You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem, your G’d…. for you to pass into the convenant of Hashem, …that Hashem… seals with you today in order to establish you as a people to Him and that He be a G’d to you as He spoke to you and as He swore to your forefathers, to Avraham, to Yitzchak and to Yaakov.” (Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash, Sefer Devarim Perek 29, posukim 9-13) read more

That these Parshiyot HaShevua are seen online via this blog, sent out to email lists of subscribers and ocassionally posted on Israel National News, it’s inevitable that this author would receive inquiries both about a vort itself, as well as about other related topics. It is in this spirit, that this author wishes to discuss, as best he can, Hashem’s Hashem’s Attribute of Kindness within the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy (Rachmanot) and how it relates to our sins, the lack of a Beit Hamikdash (Temple) for nearly two milineum and what replaces it, as well as what appears as Hashem’s Attribute of Kindness, even from within the enunciation of the curses should we “not hearken to the voice of Hashem…, to observe and perform all of his commandments…” (Sefer Devarim, Perek 28, posuk 15) read more