Today's Learning: Kelim 12:4-5 Sponsored by O.C. 606:2-4 Aaron & Rona Lerner Berachot 14 on the yahrzeit of mother Fay Lerner (Faygah Revah bat Yoel Aharon a"h) Bert Anker, Judy Gabel & Harvey Anker on the 8th yahrzeit of their father Moe Anker a"h Rochelle Dimont and family on the yahrzeit of husband & father Rabbi Albert Dimont a"h Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Yom Kippur The next issue of Hamaayan will be Parashat Bereishit. Have a gemar chatimah tovah and a chag sameach. Vol. XI, No. 52 (535) 10 Tishrei 5758, October 11, 1997 Why do we fast and afflict our bodies in other ways on Yom Kippur? Obviously, we have more time to devote to prayer and introspection since we are not eating than we would if we were to eat. Also, by refraining from pleasurable activities, we hope to achieve atonement for the sins which we have committed in connection with those activities. For example, by not eating, we atone for eating non-kosher or questionable foods and eating without blessings. By not bathing, we atone for enjoying excessive luxuries. By not wearing shoes, we atone for hurrying (running) to commit sins or running away from mitzvot. (See the Tefilah Zakkah prayer printed before Kol Nidrei in many machzorim.) Maharal explains, on a deeper level, that the body is the source of all sins. Sin is not caused by the soul, which is pure; it is caused by the body. Therefore, by weakening his body, one necessarily becomes more distant from sin. (Gur Aryeh, Bemidbar 20:1) ****************** The Book of Yonah The Book of Yonah is read as the haftarah in minchah of Yom Kippur, because it teaches several lessons relevant to the closing hours of this holy day. First, it teaches that anyone, even the wicked city of Ninveh, can repent. Second, it teaches that each of G-d's creations and creatures has a role to play in the world. (Here, for example, the sea and the great fish were instruments of G-d's will.) Accordingly, G-d should grant us life so that we may fulfill that mission. Finally, the last two verses teach that G-d loves all of His creations because he has, so-to-speak, labored to create them. (Rav Mendel Hirsch z"l) ****************** The second of the above ideas, that every creation has a role to play in the world, is alluded to in the vidui/confession of Neilah, writes Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook z"l. There we say, "Elokai! Ad shelo notzartietc.-- Until I was created, I was not worthy." This means, says Rav Kook: "I was not created earlier because it was not yet my time to be created. Had I been created in a different generation, I would not be able to fulfill the unique role which is mine." Unfortunately, we must confess (in the continuation of that prayer): "Ve'achshav shenotzarti etc. Now that I have been created, it is as if I was not created." This means: "I still have not fulfilled my mission." (Olat Reiyah) ****************** The Book of Yonah relates how the prophet attempted to flee from G-d. Since this event was recorded in Scripture, it must have been remarkable. How so? Because, observes Rav Moshe Avigdor Amiel z"l, Yonah fled from G-d only once. We flee from G-d on a regular basis. (L'nevochei Hatekufah) ****************** Man is made in the image of G-d and is born pure. How then does man sin? The answer, writes Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlap z"l, is found in Pirkei Avot, "A sin begets a sin." Each sin chips away at man's purity, thus making it possible for him to sin again. And what of a person's first sin - how was that possible? Rav Charlap explains that the first sin is possible if one fails to maintain the appropriate level of holiness. Specifically, G-d gave us positive commandments in order to fill us with holiness, and to prevent us from sinning. If we are lax in these mitzvot then we are likely to sin. Fortunately, Chazal teach that the sin of not observing the positive commandments is the easiest type of sin to atone for. Why? Because all one needs to do is regret his failure to perform the mitzvot and to begin performing them. While one will not thereby attain the holiness which he would have attained had he done the mitzvot, nevertheless, he can make a fresh start. Not so with one who has transgressed the negative commandments. By actively doing that which is forbidden, one poisons his soul. Thus, Chazal teach, more than mere repentance is required in order to cleanse oneself. Of course, if one does not attack the root cause of sin, i.e., one's failure to busy oneself with mitzvot, then his repentance will not be successful. (Mei Marom: Ori Ve'yishi No. 1) [The above idea may explain Chazal's statement that G-d does not count man's sins between Yom Kippur and Sukkot. Since man is so busy with the intensive preparations for the positive commandments of the holiday sukkah, lulav, etrog etc. man is virtually guaranteed that he will not sin.] ****************** Yom Kippur in Halachah * Although one is required to recite the amidah prayer silently throughout the entire year, on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippurit is customary to pray out loud. We are not concerned that one will confuse his fellow congregants thereby, since all hold machzorimin their hands. (Shulchan Aruch 582:9) * Why do we pray silently all year, and why may we pray aloud on the High Holidays? The gemara (Berachot 24a) teaches that one who prays aloud is likened to the prophets of the idol, Ba'al. We read in Melachim I (ch. 18) that Eliyahu Hanavi challenged the prophets of the Ba'al to pray to their idol and bring fire down from heaven upon their altar. When the Ba'al did not answer, Eliyahu teased the prophets, saying (18:27), "Call out with a loud voice, for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is conversing, or pursuing [enemies] . . .; perhaps he is asleep and will awaken." An idol such as the Ba'al, explains Rav Moshe Tirani (the "Mabit"), is close yet it is far. The idol is physically close by, but it is "far" in that it is unable to bring salvation. G-d, on the other hand, is far, yet He is close. He is far in that He is beyond our comprehension, but His salvation is close by. It is to acknowledge that closeness that we are enjoined to pray silently. Yet we do find instances when our prophets cried out to G-d (rather than praying in an undertone), notes the Mabit. For example, Moshe cried out to Hashem to remove the plague of frogs, and the prophet Shmuel cried out for salvation from the Philistines. Why? Because an every day prayer can be calm and orderly, but one cannot pray that way in an emergency. When one desperately needs a salvation, one must voice his desperation and must cry out. On the High Holidays, we are desperate for a salvation, explains Rav Yisroel Reisman shlita. This is why we may pray out loud on those days. (Pathways of the Prophets: Shmuel I, Tape #17, based on Rav Moshe Tirani, Bet Elokim, Part I, chapter 6.) * 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 only for some sins is like immersing part of one's body in a mikveh. Obviously, one does not attain purity by doing so. (Rabbi Yaakov Haber shlita quoting Mussar Hamishnah) ****************** IMPORTANT NOTICE Because Yom Kippur does not atone until one appeases his neighbor, one should be certain to recite the following prayer which is printed in some 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 by law, 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."