Rosh Hashanah Reflections| RABBI ELI GEWIRTZ

H IGH HOLIDAY EDITION | T ISHREI 5769 | SEPTEMBER 2008
Rosh Hashanah Reflections |
I
’m often asked how a 21st century
Jew is expected to relate to Rosh
Hashanah as a Day of Judgment.
Buying the apples and honey and arranging to attend High Holiday services
is relatively easy. But the concept of
a Day of Judgment, especially for the
uninitiated, is hard to grasp.
Recent world events, the collapse of
some of the biggest financial institutions,
a mammoth hurricane that wreaked
many billions of dollars in damages, a
mini-war in Georgia (which may turn
out to be not-so-mini), and ominous
threats of a multi-regional (did someone say world?) war, may shed some
light on the theme of judgment.
Are these recent events the result of
Divine judgment? If so, judgment for
what? I’ll leave questions like those to
people greater than myself to answer.
But judgment isn’t about red men with
pitchforks running amok. It’s about
Divine decisions which could drastically
and unexpectedly change a positive or
negative status quo. Communal and individual judgment for the coming year
takes place on Rosh Hashanah.
The Haftorah that we read on the first
day of Rosh Hashanah reinforces the
idea that everything is dependent
on the will of Hashem. The Haftorah
describes the painful story of the childless Chana; how her husband’s other
wife Penina tormented her over her
inability to conceive, and how her
prayers were finally answered on Rosh
Hashanah when she was told by the
prophet Eli that she would be blessed
with her first child.
The commentaries offer many insights
into the connection between Rosh
Hashanah and Chana’s story. On the
most basic level it provides a message
about hope and about the power of
prayer. Though her situation seemed
hopeless, Chana knew that the gates
of genuine, heartfelt prayer are never
closed, and that prayer can transform
the seemingly unalterable. This is
certainly an important message for a day
in which we are immersed in prayer.
But the Haftorah doesn’t end with
Chana’s good tidings. After fulfilling
her promise to dedicate her son to the
Temple service, Chana offers a sobering
message about life:
The bow of the mighty is broken,
while those who were stumbling
are given strength… The prosperous are hired out for meager
pay while the hungry cease to be
R A B B I E L I GE W I RT Z
hungry… Hashem brings
death and gives life… He raises
the needy from the dust… for
not through strength does
man prevail.
(Samuel 2:4-2:9)
Chana makes clear that everything is in
the hands of Hashem and that, as the
disclaimer goes: past performance is
no guarantee of future results. Chana’s
co-wife Penina learned this lesson the
hard way. As Chana gave birth to five
children, Penina lost five of her own.
The proximity of recent world-altering
events to Rosh Hashanah reminds us
to reflect on the feebleness of the status quo. Everything can change without
a moments notice. Just ask Penina or
anyone at the 158 year-old pillar of Wall
Street that just went belly-up. The only
constants in this world are the open
gates to heartfelt prayer.
As we reflect on the precariousness of
the world during the upcoming Days of
Awe, we would do well to realize that
all of life, health, prosperity, and even
national security are being judged and
as we learn from Chana, our prayers do
make a difference.
May we all be inscribed for life.
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ROSH HASHANAH |
RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS
1. DO WORRY, BE HAPPY
A remembrance of the sounding [of the shofar]
“One should launder his clothing and take a haircut on
Erev Rosh Hashanah” SHULCHAN ARUCH 581:4
Our sages teach us that Rosh Hashanah is much more than just
a day of sounding a Shofar or reciting specific verses. Instead,
it is primarily a Day of Judgment, upon which the entire world
is judged to determine whether they will be sentenced to life or
death. Why then, did the Torah conceal this primary aspect of the
day, and refer to it only by its secondary aspect, the blowing of
the Shofar?
Launder…and…haircut – To demonstrate that we are confident in the Almighty that we will emerge with a favorable judgment. TUR SHULCHAN ARUCH 581
Nevertheless, one should not attire himself in overly elegant
apparel as on other holidays, for the awesomeness of the
judgment should be upon him. Instead, one should wear clean
and neat white clothing. TAZ (RABBI DAVID HALEVI)
However, in a locale where the custom is not to wear white clothing
on Rosh Hashanah, one should merely wear respectable, but inelegant clothing. MAGEN AVRAHAM 597(RABBI AVRAHAM ABELE
BEN CHAIM HALEVI GOMBINER, C. 1637-183)
As serious a day as Rosh Hashanah is, and as frightened as we are over
our likely shortfall of sufficient merits, we are still confident in the Almighty’s
ability to help us emerge from judgment intact, reasoning that His love for us
is so strong that He will advocate on our behalf. Thus, we adopt a somewhat
contradictory attitude. On the one hand, we inwardly maintain an air of grim
solemnity since we’re nervous and fearful that we will be found lacking before
the Almighty. On the other hand, we conduct ourselves outwardly in a festive
manner, demonstrating our confidence that the Almighty will find a way to
ensure that our sins will be forgiven.
2. CAN YOU HEAR THE SOUND?
“Speak to the Children of Israel saying; in the seventh month, on
the first of the month, it shall be for you a day of rest. A remembrance of the sounding [of the Shofar,] a holy assembly.”
VAYIKRA (LEVITICUS 23:24)
A remembrance of the sounding [of the shofar]
This remembrance is achieved by reciting ten Biblical verses which
relate to Divine Remembrances [i.e. they mention G-d’s remembering human beings for good throughout history,] and Biblical verses
which relate to the Shofar, to remember for your sake the binding of
Isaac in whose stead a ram was brought as an offering.
RASHI (RABBI SHLOMO YITZCHAKI; 1040-1105)
Rabbeinu Bachya explains that the more spiritually endowed the concept, the
more concealed it is from mankind, and the greater the effort needed to reveal
it. Examples of this are Tefillin and Tzitzit, which are barely hinted to in the Torah,
although their laws are numerous. Their elevated spiritual significance demands
that they not be clearly articulated. Instead, they are merely alluded to, requiring
us to elevate ourselves in order to comprehend their essence. Similarly, Rosh
Hashanah, which heralds the onset of the Ten Days of Repentance (which culminates in Yom Kippur) is of such an exalted spiritual nature, that it cannot be
revealed to the masses and must only be alluded to in cryptic fashion, and accessible only to those who sanctify themselves and aspire to it wholeheartedly.
3.
L’CHAIM: TO LIFE
“Remember us for life, O’ King who desires [that we be granted] life,
and inscribe us in the Book of Life, for Your sake, O’ God of Life.”
ROSH HASHANAH LITURGY
What kind of life are we referring to in this prayer?
Does G-d merely desire for us to live another day in order to
consume exotic and tasty foods, and further indulge in earthly
delights? A life devoted to maximizing hedonistic pleasures is
not a life, but a mere existence. Instead, we request that G-d
grant us the opportunity and wherewithal to devote ourselves
fully to His service, the essence of life itself. BAALEI MUSSAR
(MASTERS OF ETHICAL TEACHINGS)
In his sermon offered on the first night of Selichot, Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin
zt”l, explained that although much of the liturgy on Rosh Hashanah is dedicated to requesting additional life, one would be foolish to devote his precious
prayers on this sacred day to asking only for additional life on earth. Instead,
his intent should be to solicit the most sublime life imaginable; Eternal Life in
the World to Come. This life-form far surpasses anything available to us on
this earth, and it would be a pity to expend the most powerful weapon in our
arsenal, the prayers of the High Holidays, on anything less.
Rabbi Meisels can be reached at [email protected]
Apples, Honey and You |
R AB B I LEI BY B U R N HAM
Dear Rabbi,
It seems like every year I get the same feeling. It’s a few days before
Rosh Hashanah and suddenly I’m caught up in a frenzy of emotions.
I want as much as possible to be ready for this awesome festival, yet I
find myself struggling to remember what it is all about.
I remember speeches I heard and essays I read that talked about it.
I know it is the birthday of the creation of man. It is the time when
we re-evaluate our relationship with G-d, and coronate him as our
King. It is the Day of Judgment which will determine our coming
year, and a day in which we can recreate ourselves. But the more I
remember, the more confused I get. Now that I know all this, what
should I do differently this year on Rosh Hashanah? How does all
this relate to our prayer service in the synagogue, which takes up
most of our day?
Thanks Rabbi, and Shana Tova,
Mark R.
Dear Mark,
Three years ago, while studying in Yeshiva,
one of my Rabbis explained one of the Rosh
Hashanah practices to me, and based on his
response, I think we can begin to understand
what the holiday is all about. There is a question that bothers many people about the
practice we have on the first night of Rosh
Hashanah. We take an apple, dip it in honey,
and say a prayer asking G-d that we should
have a sweet new year. The symbolism here
seems almost childish, sweet apple + sweet
honey = Sweet New Year!? There are also a
number of other foods each with its prayer
that all have “cute” word plays that connect
the food with the prayer. (Some people even
take lettuce, a raisin, and a celery stalk, hold
them together, and then say a prayer asking
G-d to “let us have a raise in salary.”!) What is
it supposed to mean to us? How does it tie in
to an otherwise solemn Day of Judgment?
The answer mentioned in the writings of
Rabbi Isaac Hutner (of blessed memory),
the late Rosh Yeshiva (Dean) of Yeshivas
Chaim Berlin in NYC is as follows. Rosh Hashanah translated literally means “The Head
of the Year.” We know in Judaism there is
a concept that every word has great depth.
When we say Rosh Hashanah is the “head”
of the year, it must be more than just the first
day of the New Year. The head is the body
part that controls the rest of the body. In it
lies our brain, the processing chip for all our
human functions. A neuro-surgeon when
performing brain surgery is extremely careful to not slip even a millimeter, because that
millimeter-although so tiny in space-since it
is located in the brain can have drastic effects on the rest of the body.
Rosh Hashanah has the same power. It is
the “head” of the Year. It is the processing
chip through which the programs for the
coming year run. The smallest, most minute
changes that we make in the head of the
year can have the most profound affect on
our entire year! This is the deeper message
of the special foods we eat. During the rest
of the year, such small actions would have
little or no effect, yet on Rosh Hashanah they
have the power to help give us a better year.
(An analogy to explain this is wet concrete.
While concrete is still wet you can take a little
branch and carve into it whatever you want
but the minute it is dry, you can’t even scrape
the surface with the same branch.) The lesson we learn from these foods teaches us
how powerful the day is.
From here we can start to put together the
task of the day. The “goal” is to try to make
changes in how we view our world. It is a
day to remember that on this day man was
put on earth for a purpose, and that purpose must drive us in our daily living. We
must realize that G-d was the One who put
us here, and that we must reaffirm our allegiance to him, by accepting him upon us
as our King. We must cry out like the broken
cry of the Shofar with a genuine desire to
see the coming year be a more elevated
one than the past.
We have no mitzvot to do on this day, like
on other festivals. No Sukkah to dwell in, no
matzah to eat, no lulav to shake: because
the change has to be in our “Rosh,” in our
head. If we can change our perspectives on
this day to ones that are more motivated,
more cognizant of all that G-d gives us
continuously, more mindful to the fact that
everything we do needs to be accounted
for, then the rest of the year will flow forth
successfully. It is the day to make meaningful marks in the wet cement of the coming
year.
Wishing you a sweet, and successful New Year,
Rabbi Leiby Burnham
Rabbi Burnham can be reached at
[email protected]
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Tzvi Wolf
Zelda Wrotzlovsky
Joseph Zahavi
Robin Zakariaei
BUFFALO
Chana Burnett
CEDARHURST
Nicole Brachman
CORONA
Ahuva Murik
E AST NORWICH
Sherry Lanin
FALLSBERG
Rachel Berzansky
Chana Zisel Epstein
FAR ROCK AWAY
Tovah Ackerman
Tobie Braun
Sarah Bronstein
Zev Carrey
Rena Chill
Yosef Colish
Eileen Fine
Michael Jacobsen
Gita Kohn
Leah Kurland
Baruch Lovett
Faigie Singer
Dov Teichman
Esther Teitelbaum
Chana Stone
Yocheved Weber
FLUSHING
Roberta Ackerman
Robert Ayzin
Sura Censor
Golda Fried
Elazar Grossman
Abraham Katz
Odelia Madmoni
Shmuel Moskovits
Carol Rappaport
Ariella Rosenthal
Daniel Steinberg
Chevi Weiss
FOREST HILLS
Anita Solomon
Ida Langsam
GLEN COVE
Will Gotkin
GRE AT NECK
Sharon Fishman
Lauren Karmely
Daniel Piroozian
Noach Potter
Pegah Rahmani
GREENWOOD L AKE
Heather Heron
HARTSDALE
Ellen Bittner
Samantha Hyman
KEW GARDENS HILLS
Peryl Grossman
Nancy Hilsnerath
Ruchie Travis
Tova Wel
L AWRENCE
Faigie Horowitz
Effie Mayerfeld
Aryeh Smith
LEVIT TOWN
Mandi Gellis
Fran Moshkovski
LONG BE ACH
Nancy Soffer
Michael Wagner
MASSAPEQUA
Linda James
MERRICK
Jamie Shapiro
MIDDLE VILL AGE
Mark Epelbaum
MONSEY
Baruch Abramoff
Paysach Ackerman
Bassy Altman
Shlomo Cooper
Moshe Deutsch
Malka Drucker
avid Erblich
Sasha Ettlinger
Daniel Feig
Goldie Feig
Akiva Feinsod
Tzirel Fine
Heshy Friedman
Yonah Ginsburg
Mark Goldberg
Moshe Goldberg
Moshe Grossman
Nosson Hirsch
Rafael Kalikstein
Barry Kupfer
Rivka Mashitz
Malka Miller
Dovid Muehlgay
Chaya Nulman
Chaya Nulman
Liba Paige
Elimelech Piasek
Tzirel Fine
Mark Goldberg
Rivka Mashitz
Michel Sanders
Zevi Simonovits
Binyomin Teplitz
Sara Weiner
Hershel Weizberg
NANUET
Teri Goldstein
NEW PALTZ
Lilly Vargyas
NEW SQUARE
Surie Gruber
NEW YORK
Beatriz Abraham
Zev Alexander
Lara DeLon
Josh Dredze
Brett Firfer
Judy Schlesinger-Frankg
Nirit French
Sarah Gogel
Allison Goldberg
Eric Goodman
Gail Goodman
Ross Goralnick
Mark Greenfield
Tova Kalkstein
Adam Kezsbom
Bonnie Kozek
Ellen Kaplan
Tatiana Light
Brad Malat
Dikla Raguan
Batya Reichman
Matthew Schaikewitz
Yisrael Strauss
Miranda Gomez Talisman
Leslie Weinstein
NISK AYUNA
Ephy Carmel
N. WOODMERE
Valentina Bangiyeva
OSSINING
Susan Eisenstein
PL AT TSBURGH
Andrew Goldstein
POUGHKEEPSIE
Harold Warren
QUEENS
Yossi Zeevy
REGO PARK
Judith Sachs
RICHMOND HIL
Mark Bondi
RIVERDALE
Georganne Garfinkel
ROCHESTER
Miri Pardo
ROCKVILLE CENTER
Vera West
SOUTH FALLSBURGH
Esther Fishman
SPRING VALLEY
Ruvain Chait
Ben Zion Goldberg
Chava Leah Herbst
Chana Perl Neiman
Tzvi Teitelbaum
Chaim Weisman
ST. JAMES
Beth Forhman
STATEN ISL AND
Steven Golikov
Heidi Schwartz
Rochel Lichtschein
Ahuva Tarnoff
Mordechai Vigdorchik
Raphael Wakefield
SUFFERN
Penina Weber
SYOSSET
Ruth Kravit
Abe Stecker
UPPER JAY
Robert Segall
WASHINGTON PORT
Jessica Rodriguez
WATERTOWN
Ariella Khandadash
WEST HEMPSTE AD
Hillel Samlan
Avraham Solomo
WHITE PL AINS
Jonah Bernstein
Steven Cove
WOODMERE
Shlomo Haft
Moshe Jacobowitz
Lester Kirshenbaum
Annette Labovitz
Gail Sturm
Ruchie Travis
Samantha Tuchfeld
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS
Sara Schwedelson
OH
COLUMBUS
Rachel Cassell
CLEVEL AND HTS
Yosef Koval
Shloimy Modes
Zahava Richman
ON
THORNHIL
Asher Breatross
Chani Rosengarten
TORONTO
Eli Adler
Shea Czermak
Leo Davids
Ben Feintuch
Yitzchak Goldstein
Fievi Heller
Moshe Klugman
David Markovic
Aryeh Pamensky
Chumee Steinmetz
Devorah Vale
Dovid Zauderer
PA
SCR ANTON
Mayer Porter
Chana Penina Weg
MERION
Stacey Goldman
IS
R AMAT BET SHEMESH
Rivka Bickel
JERUSALEM,
Sanhedria
Tova Perl
Old City
Renee Chernin
Neve Yaakov
Shoshana Horwitz
Michel Levitansky
Miri Spiro
Ilana Hamer
Chaya Meyer
Yehudis Lieder......NY
Erica Elkin..............NYY
Yehoshua Jacobson
Yiska Greenberg
Ms. Spitzer
Yosef Waintman
Zale Newman
Goldstein
Yosef Heimfeld
Nechama Nussbaum
Moishe Zionce
Rena Rotenberg
Rabbi Pliner
Janet Stern
Debbie Lebovic
Ari Messinger
Chaya Glezerman
Yonina Juni
Zena Katz
Esther Weinstock
Dr. Ivan Mezei
Elisheva Vale
Noam Jakubovic
Jules Grunwald
Aron Porges
Yaeli Kotzen
Mazal Tov to all the new partners who made a difference this year in the life of another Jew! ‫מזל טוב‬
YOM KIPPUR |
RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS
1. TOLL-FREE NUMBER
“O’ G-d, You taught us to recite the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, so
remember for us today the covenant of these thirteen, as You made
known to the humble one [Moses] in ancient times…”
YOM KIPPUR LITURGY
You taught us to recite “Rabbi Yochanan said,‘Were it not
for a verse that says as much, it would be forbidden to say this.
This teaches that Almighty appeared to Moses [i.e. in a prophetic
vision – Ritva] in the guise of a prayer-leader wrapped in a Talit and
taught him the Thirteen Attributes. He said,‘Whenever Israel sins,
they should recite this in its proper format and I will forgive them.’”
TRACTATE ROSH HASHANAH 17B
It would forbidden to say this
It would be forbidden to
say that the Almighty provided a visual demonstration of
how to recite the Thirteen Attributes.
MAHARSHA (RABBI SHMUEL ELIEZER EIDELS (1555-1631)
So remember for us today “Rabbi Yehudah taught,‘There
was a covenant forged regarding the Thirteen Attributes that they
are never returned unrequited.’”
TRACTATE ROSH HASHANAH 17B
Why, indeed, was it necessary for the Almighty to provide a visual
demonstration of how to recite the Thirteen Attributes? Why couldn’t a
simple oral lesson suffice to convey this point? Ben Yehoyada explains
that this promise of the efficacy of the Thirteen Attributes is counterintuitive, entirely out of the ordinary, and utterly dependent upon G-d’s
inimitable attribute of Kindness. As such, it is constantly subject to
repeal, should Satan mount an effective counter-attack. Only by bringing it into the world of “actuality” through an “actual” prophetic vision,
could it be guaranteed against future condemnation. By demonstrating
it to Moses, the Almighty immunized us against the diatribes of the
Heavenly Prosecutor.
2. NO FREE SHIPPING
“And the Word of Hashem came to Jonah, son of Amittai, saying…”
HAFTORAH, YOM KIPPUR MINCHAH
Why is the Book of Jonah read on Yom Kippur?
1. The repentance of Ninveh’s wicked population serves a reminder
for us to repent our own sins. – SHELAH HAKADOSH (RABBI
YESHAYA HURWITZ, 1565-1630)
2. The message of Jonah’s prophecy applies to each and every one
of us, for it is a journey that we all must take. We are born with a
subconscious realization of the fact that we have a mission. We
seek escape, because our mission is often one that we are afraid
to attempt. Yet, if we embrace G-d’s compassion, we will find the
strength to embark upon it and complete it successfully. – VILNA
GAON (RABBI ELIJAH BEN SHLOMO ZALMAN, 1720–1797)
3. When Jonah wondered why G-d had destroyed the Kikayon tree,
God replied, “You took pity on a Kikayon for which you did not labor
... Shall I not take pity on Nineveh, that great city in which there are
more than 120,000 people who do not know their right hand from
their left, and many beasts as well?” With these words, G-d impressed
upon Jonah the idea that the flaws of the residents of Nineveh did
not render them unworthy of life. Each person has a purpose in life
and so long as he is willing to pursue it, he will be given multiple
chances to attain his goal. – Sefer Likkutim
4. The story of Jonah teaches that the harshest Heavenly decree
can be reversed with sincere repentance. – LEVUSH MORDECHAI
(RABBI MORDECHAI JAFFE, C. 1535-1612)
If Jonah was holy and righteous enough to be chosen to deliver G-d’s warning to
Nineveh, what could possibly have possessed him to believe that he could escape
his responsibility by fleeing to Tarshish? There is no question that Jonah knew that
G-d would find a way to deliver the message, but his overwhelming love for the
Jewish people convinced him to flee, in the hopes that G-d would find some other
channel through which to deliver the message. Instead, through a series of miraculous events, G-d turned Jonah back and insisted that He carry out his mission. His
intentions may have been noble, but noble intentions are no match for G-d’s will,
which we are bidden to execute even if our intellect perceives things differently.
3. FIVE TO STRIVE
“It is a positive commandment on Yom HaKippurim to refrain from
partaking in food and drink… we have also learned… that it is forbidden to wash oneself on this day, anoint oneself, wear [leather] shoes, or
engage in conjugal relations…” RAMBAM HILCHOT TESHUVAH 5:1,2
These five afflictions correspond to the Five Books of the Torah, and
remind us to accept them wholeheartedly without the natural barrier
imposed by pleasure seeking. – TITEIN TORAH
The five afflictions correspond to the five senses through which a person is attracted to temptation, and which distract him from spiritual
pursuits. – LIKKUTEI TORAH
It is imperative to remember that the point of these five afflictions is not to make
ourselves uncomfortable merely for the sake of experiencing discomfort. Instead, the
goal is to enable us to rise above our daily habits which calcify us, and prevent us
from seriously pursuing spiritual growth. Therefore, when experiencing the discomfort
of Yom Kippur, a person must take the opportunity to seriously consider what changes
he or she needs to make in order to become a better person, and strategize on how
to implement these changes in a positive and uplifting manner.
Rabbi Meisels can be reached at [email protected]
HEIGHT MAKES MIGHT |
RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS
Dear Rabbi,
I am studying the laws of the Four Species and last night my partner taught me the
proper blessing to recite when shaking them. I was struck by the fact that in the
benediction we refer to the “taking of the Lulav” and omit all mention of the other
three species. Why was the Lulav selected as the representative of the four? Why
not the Etrog, or one of the other species?
Thank you,
Isidore
Isidore,
Your question is so on target that the sages
of the Talmud actually addressed it, and I’ll
be glad to share their answer with you. The
discussion takes place in Tractate Sukkah 37b,
and reads as follows:
“Rabbah says: The Lulav must be held in the right hand,
and the Etrog in the left hand. Why? Because with the Lulav, three mitzvot [Lulav, Hadas, Aravah] are performed,
and with the Etrog only one.
Said R. Yirmiah to R’ Zrika: Why do we pronounce the
benediction over the Lulav only? Because it is higher than
the other species. But why not raise the Etrog [higher,] and
pronounce the benediction over it? He answered: Because
by nature it grows higher than the other species [i.e. the
date palm is a taller tree than that of the other species]”
The commentators explain that the Talmud
suggested only the Etrog as a possible alternative because in the verse in the Torah which
informs us of the obligation to take the Four
Species [“On the first day, you must take for
yourself a fruit of the citron tree, an unopened
palm frond, myrtle branches, and willows that
grow near the brook…” Leviticus 23:40,] the
Etrog is mentioned first and then followed by
the Lulav. Thus, it was thought that of the four,
the most appropriate representative would be
the Etrog, if not for the fact that the Lulav tree
grows taller than the Etrog tree and is therefore
a more ideal choice.
Although the Talmud offers little scriptural
support for its contention that the Lulav best
represents the other three species, Igra D’Pirka
offers a beautiful allusion to this idea from a
verse in Shir HaShirim [Song of Songs 7:9,]
“Amarti Aaleh B’tamar Ochazah B’sansinav…” –
“I said: ‘I will climb up into the palm-tree, I will
take hold of the branches thereof…” The word
“Aaleh” is spelled Aleph, Ayin, Lamed, Hey, the
first letters of the words, Etrog, Aravah, Lulav, and
Hadas [the Four Species.] Thus, the word Aaleh
in the verse is representative of all Four Species
and the verse can be read. “Imrosi – my words
regarding, Aaleh – the Four Species, B’Tamar –
will be expressed through the date palm [i.e.
Lulav.]
Interestingly, Rambam [Yad HaChazakah Hilchot Lulav, 7:6] offers a different rationale than
that found in the Talmud for the choice of Lulav
over the others. He explains that it is because
two of the other species are bound to the
Lulav and even the Etrog, which is not bound
to it, is still held adjacent to it. Therefore, by
lifting the Lulav, one fulfills the other mitzvot
as well and this renders the Lulav as an ideal
choice through which to recite the blessing on
all four. [Aruch L’Ner [Tractate Sukkah 37b] who
is troubled by Rambam’s decision to offer a
rationale other than the Talmud’s, explains that
Rambam felt that the reason offered earlier by
the Talmud for holding the Lulav specifically in
the right hand, is sufficient to explain why we
mention Lulav in the blessing over the others
as well. The point that the Talmud made about
the Lulav’s height, was only necessary if we
don’t hold that it is crucial to hold the Lulav in
the right hand. Since we rule like Rabbah that
the Lulav must be taken in the right hand, this
reason suffices to explain why we mention the
Lulav in the blessing as well.]
These two explanations address your question
purely from a halachic standpoint. The commentaries offer various homiletic explanations for this
as well. I’ll share with you two.
The Midrash [VaYikra 30:14] tells us that each of
the Four Species represents one part of the human body. The Etrog looks like and corresponds
to the human heart, the Aravot, long and thin,
to the mouth. The Hadassim with their oblong
shape, evoke comparisons to the eyes, and the
Lulav to the spine with its vertebrae. Influential
as the first three limbs may be, they do not compare to the spine which controls the entire lower
portion of the human body and through which
all mitzvah activity is performed. This fact alone
renders it optimal for representing the other
three in the benediction.
Meiri offers another explanation based on a wellknown Midrash that explains that trees generate
primarily two things: fruit and fragrance. Fruit
represents Torah scholarship, and fragrance represents mitzvot. Each of the Four Species offers
a different combination of these two and therefore symbolizes a different kind of Jew. The Etrog,
which has a fragrant odor and is an edible fruit, is
compared to a Torah scholar who also performs
many mitzvot. The Lulav gives off zero fragrance,
but produces dates, and is compared to a Torah scholar with great Torah knowledge but few
mitzvot. The Hadas gives off a beautiful fragrance
but produces inedible fruit, and the Aravah offers
neither fragrance nor fruit and symbolizes the
Jew who possesses neither Torah, nor mitzvot.
Understood thusly, the Etrog represents the ideal
Jew.
Since the Etrog represents the ideal Jew, it stands
apart from the others, which explains why it is not
bound together with the others, only held adjacent. It can stand before the Almighty on its own
merits entirely. The other three species are each
individually flawed and thus, they must present
their case as a unit, and hope that one compensates for the other who is lacking. The reality is
that more so than the Etrog which symbolizes
perfection, these three represent the common
Jew who is an imperfect specimen and therefore
one of them was chosen to represent the greater
body of Jewry through the taking of the Four Species. Of the three, the Lulav, which symbolizes
Torah with a minimum of mitzvot, is the most
prominent. This is why the Lulav is chosen to represent the others in the benediction. It represents
an imperfect Jew, but one who strives to be the
best he possibly can be.
Wishing you and your entire family a truly
joyous holiday,
Rabbi Elazar Meisels
DOVI D BASL AW
(Vayikra 23:41)
‫וחגתם אתו חג לה‘ שבעת ימים בשנה‬
“You shall celebrate it as a festival for Hashem. A seven day
period in the year.”
O
ne of the many qualities
inherent in the commandments pertaining to the
holiday of Sukkot is the opportunity
it provides for the observer to create
channels of Kedushah (holiness) that
one can draw from and touch every
aspect of our life. In his exquisite collection of essays on the holidays of
the year entitled Netivot Shalom, Rabbi
Shalom Noach Brezofsky (otherwise
known as the Slonimer Rebbe) sites
the unique wording of a verse in the
Torah describing the YomTov of Sukkot.
The verse reads (Vayikra 23:41)
‫וחגתם אתו חג לה‘ שבעת ימים בשנה‬
“You shall celebrate it as a festival for
Hashem. A seven day period in the
year.” R abbi Brezovsky notes that
the Torah does not include the words
“in the year” with regard to any other
holiday and offers an important insight
as to why this is so.
Every year, the spiritual cleansing process
that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
provide, enables the Jew to begin the
year with a clean slate. With that accomplished, the days of Sukkot that soon
follow and the commandments that are
fulfilled throughout its duration allows
each individual the opportunity to build
a solid, unblemished spiritual foundation
of Divine service for the New Year.
Rabbi Brezovsky notes that a Jew can
serve his Creator through one of three
dimensions: space, time and body. A
person can serve HaShem by designating a space for the purpose of serving
Him or by setting aside time spending
it in an elevated manner or by using his
body to fulfill a mitzvah. On Sukkot, the
holiday which occurs at the beginning
of the calendar year, a Jew is called
upon to employ all three dimensions in
the service of HaShem. He is instructed to take a designated period of time
and spend it intimately with HaShem.
He is also instructed to designate a
space within which he should build
a sukkah the holiness of which is so
powerful that the neshamot (souls)
of the founding leaders of the Jewish
people come as guests and visit. He is
also instructed to bring together (and
shake) the “four Species”, where each
species is symbolic of a vital organ
of the human body used in Divine
service (the lulav corresponds to the
spine, the etrog to the heart, the myrtle
to the eyes, and the willow to the
lips). Bringing each of these together
demonstrates our willingness to serve
Hashem with our entire body.
As we conclude Sukkot which, like no
other holiday, involves our service to
Hashem with time, space, and body,
we are not only setting the stage for
the upcoming year, but infusing our
time, space, and body in the service
of Hashem every day “in the year”.
However, from the fact that the
Rabbis nevertheless made this decree,
we see that they understood that there
is more to mitzvos than just looking
after oneself to do them properly.
As much as we think Hashem will be
happy if we do what we are supposed
to, we forget that He doesn’t look at us
as individuals but as part of the collective Jewish nation. If some of His
children do His will with the greatest
precision while a much larger group
may not, due to lack of knowledge, the
overall picture from His perspective is
grim.
The Sages appreciated that as much as
Hashem would enjoy the taking of the
four species by those who know how
to do so, the pain caused by those
who may accidentally transgress is so
great that it outweighs the pleasure He
would receive. Upon understanding
this, the questioner will be left with a
new appreciation of
the sense of responsibility which we
are required to feel toward our Jewish
brethren. Hopefully, this new recognition will inspire him to a newfound
commitment to reach out, educate, and
draw near those uneducated and less
fortunate Jews in a manner which taking the four species could never have
accomplished!
Dovid Baslaw can be reached at
[email protected]
Partnership in Wedding Planning
L
ike thousands of college students who visited Israel on a
Birthright trip, Jeff signed up for a Partner in Torah before
returning to America. And like many of those who had
come before him, Jeff reclaimed his Jewish birthright in the fullest sense of the word as a fully-informed member of the Jewish
community. Certainly, no one anticipated how the ripples would
spread from Jeff’s interest, and how things would all fall into
place around him.
Jeff got more and more involved in Judaism and in due time he
was set to leave for Israel to study at Machon Shlomo, in Jerusalem. In the months preceding his trip, he spent many a Shabbat
with members of the observant community nearby in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. He started talking with his mother
about all the things he was studying and tried to encourage her
to get on board to incorporate more Jewish practice in their home.
They’d been a team, Jeff and Marilyn, since
the divorce back when Jeff was a toddler.
Jeff was Marilyn’s only child, and she was
committed to making him happy. So if Jeff
was interested in doing more, Marilyn was
open to talking about it – but she had no
clue how to go about it.
|
DENA YELLIN
started with a basic introduction-to-Judaism type of book. But it
quickly became obvious that, as a mother of a newly observant
son, Marilyn had specific things she needed help with, fast.
“During the first session, I saw that the book just didn’t seem to
be working for Marilyn. I decided to backtrack a bit, make it more
personal, and told Marilyn why I decided to join Partners in Torah.
I told her about someone I knew who’d joined and made a really
nice relationship with their partner, and how inspired I was by this
lovely partnership. Then I asked Marilyn why she’d joined, and
she described her son’s transformation and wanted guidance on
how to run a traditional Shabbat.
They studied the meaning of Shabbat and the purpose behind
many of the do’s and don’ts. Marilyn eventually joined a local
class to learn more about the laws of
Kasrhut, and Yehudis served as her
personal tutor for questions about all
that she was learning. Today, two years
later, Marilyn is pretty sure that she
never would have been able to stick
with it if not for Yehudis’s patience
and her exceptionally warm, outgoing
personality.
...a moving testimony
to the family-like bond
they’d developed and
Marilyn’s tremendous
growth, products of
their telephone partnership.
Growing up in Jacksonville, North Carolina,
Marilyn’s father traveled a lot. But she knew
he had been raised in a religious home,
and when he was around, she’d see his
tefillin. She also knew that walking to shul
on Shabbat was something that meant a lot to him. As an adult,
she had tried to get Jeff access to Jewish education by enrolling
him in the Solomon Schecter School, and by bringing him to a
local synagogue where many people drove to Shabbat services.
That was as much observance as Marilyn could manage.
At some point, Jeff handed Marilyn the phone number of Partners in Torah and suggested that she call up and get a partner
herself. “I figured I knew so little that I probably couldn’t even be
helped,” remembers Marilyn, “so I didn’t think it would last more
than a month. I remember telling them that I would really need a
very open partner, who wouldn’t be fazed by questions coming
from so far out. I was basically going along with the idea just for
Jeff’s sake, but I didn’t think anything would come of it.”
Yehudis, Marilyn’s Torah partner, recalls getting started. “Partners
in Torah told me that Marilyn wanted basic Jewish information,
that she was a real beginner whose son had become observant. After speaking with Marilyn, they recommended that we get
“As we went along, Yehudis just did not
allow it to be overwhelming – which
was a pretty big accomplishment,
considering how little I knew and how
sure I was that this whole thing wouldn’t
amount to much. We became friends,
and I could see that she really cared.”
Before they knew it, September came, and Jeff’s departure to
Israel was upon them. Yehudis knew it was going to be a tough
send off for Marilyn and her heart went out to this very devoted
mother. “Come to me for Rosh Hashana,” Yehudis said, “You’ve
got to join me. You’ll hear the shofar in shul, you’ll be with my
family, and we’ll finally get to meet!”
So Marilyn came. She flew in and Yehudis stood at the airport with
a sign bearing Marilyn’s name. “It was just like in a novel,” says
Yehudis. ”I had no idea what she looked like. I had sent her a
picture but it didn’t arrive before her trip, and I didn’t have one of
her. So neither of us knew exactly who we were looking for!”
“Spending Rosh Hashana with Yehudis’s family was amazing,”
Marilyn remembers. “I had never experienced the beauty of
Shabbat. And there seemed to be people coming in and out of
her house, all day long, every day that I was there. I’d never seen
anything like it! I was afraid of doing the wrong thing, but with the
Continued: Partnership in Wedding Planning
warm reception I got from the entire family, the ice was melted.
Yehudis showed me how to make challah and I did it right along
with her.”
With time, Marilyn became a frequent traveler, going further
afield to spend part of Pesach in Israel with Jeff, and the
rest of the holiday with Yehudis, then back with Yehudis and
company again for yet another Rosh Hashana. Jeff came to
Yehudis’s house too during the summer when he was back
in America.
“During our discussions over the phone, Yehudis always let
me know when Rosh Chodesh was coming and help me
get ready for whatever holiday was coming up,” Marilyn says
with emotion. “She gave me so much day-to-day help and
became a true friend.”
Every now and then, both Yehudis and Marilyn would get
calls from Hava, a Partners in Torah staffer who was keeping tabs on the partnership. Hava would call to check in
and see how the learning was going, and offered to make
connections for Marilyn with resources in her area. Sometimes
Marilyn had kashrut questions, and when Yehudis couldn’t reach
her Rabbi, Hava would put Marilyn in touch with a qualified Rabbi
who could help her out.
Well into Jeff’s second year at Machon Shlomo, he got engaged.
Yehudis went into high gear and made it her business to prepare
Marilyn for all the new things she was facing, from the six-week
engagement to the Orthodox wedding in Israel. Technical details,
esoteric points of philosophy surrounding a Jewish wedding, travel
plans and the understandable angst of a mother whose son was
about to embark on yet another stage of life so far away… All this
buzzed through the telephone wires as the date approached. During this time, Yehudis realized that she couldn’t let Marilyn face this
challenge alone. “I wanted the experience not only to be okay for
Marilyn, but also to be meaningful – the wedding of her only child,
after all! – and I knew I’d just have to be there at her side.”
At first, it was going to be a surprise. But when the frequency of
their conversations changed from once a week to every day and
even several times a day, Yehudis felt like she was going to bust
with her secret. Finally she gave up the charade and told Marilyn
she was going to be there. Soon, they were coordinating travel
plans to meet at a central airport and fly into Israel together.
The wedding was unforgettable. Marilyn took everything in with
awe and excitement, finding the many facets of the traditional wedding both curious and heart-warming. She felt fortunate to have
Yehudis at her side throughout the experience. “Yehudis was great.
She sent me books; she sent me a pamphlet she had used for her
own wedding – it
was so helpful. And the wedding….I’d never seen
so much happiness. It was so different from what I’d seen at
every wedding I ever attended, including my own – those were
more stress than anything else. Here, everyone seemed to be
genuinely as happy for Jeff and his bride as the couple was themselves!”
Marilyn’s family wasn’t able to attend the wedding because they
couldn’t get passports made quickly enough. Yehudis was all the
family Marilyn and Jeff had there with them. Side by side, Marilyn
and Yehudis sat next to the bride at the reception. They watched
the men dancing with the groom and Marilyn knew this experience was above and beyond anything she’d ever seen.
During the wedding meal¸ a gentle tap on the shoulder brought
Marilyn face to face with yet another stranger who’d come to
share in her son’s simchah. Hava, the Partners in Torah staffer,
who actually lives in Jerusalem, had come to introduce herself
and wish Marilyn Mazel Tov.
It was tremendously meaningful for both Marilyn and Yehudis
to share this momentous event. It was a moving testimony to
the family-like bond they’d developed and Marilyn’s tremendous
growth, products of their telephone partnership. The two women
continue to share the joy of their learning.. As they’ve discovered, living in different states doesn’t mean living separate lives
or lifestyles; there is a gap to be bridged, and it can all start with
a phone call.
THANKS FOR THE LIGHT! |
RABBI REUVEN DRUCKER
Dear Rabbi:
I heard from my partner about the great celebrations that
are held on Simchat Torah in synagogues throughout the
world, and am looking forward to attending one this year. My
question for you is: historically, what took place on Simchat
Torah that made it such a great day for celebration?
Happy New Year,
Ed P
Dear Ed:
I have some shocking news for you!
Although most celebrations that take place
on the Jewish calendar are associated with
historical events—Passover (the exodus from
Egypt), Shavuot (the giving of the Torah),
Sukkot (the protection of the Jewish people
when they traveled through the Wilderness),
Chanukah (the salvation from the hands of
the Assyrian-Greeks) and Purim (the salvation from the hands of the Persians)—the joy
we experience on the day of Simchat Torah
does not have any historical underpinnings.
Certainly some explanation is in order.
Before the explanation, however, let me
engage you in a parable. Imagine you were
in Houston at night after Hurricane Ike hit.
The city is without electricity and you need
to get to the bus station in order to evacuate. The storm’s high winds and voluminous
rain left devastation in its wake and debris
all over the streets. Imagine that a friend of
yours gave you a flashlight before you set
out to the bus station. While others fumbled
their way down the sidewalks, bumping into
downed poles and stumbling on bricks and
wood planks, you were able to circumvent
trouble during your slow and deliberate
walk. Upon arriving at the station, you saw
others who suffered from bruises and lacerations from their excursion through town,
and you felt an even greater appreciation
for your friend’s thoughtfulness. As your bus
pulled out of the station, imagine that your
friend showed up to say goodbye. Undoubtedly, your heart would pound with love and
joy for the incredible gift of illumination that
he gave you—a gift that truly spared you so
much grief and provided you with so much
pleasantness.
The joy of Simchat Torah, although not
rooted in a past event in Jewish history, is
really the joy of the traveler through life who
uses the illumination of the Torah to guide
him or her around the pitfalls and “landmines” of life. By studying the wisdom of the
Torah and implementing its tenets, we are
able to transcend the trendy wisdom of one
decade, which oftentimes seems primitive
and unenlightened in the next. In America
circa 1960, there were many places where
Afro-Americans were required to travel in
the back of a bus. Some 40 years later, an
Afro-American has been awarded the right
to run for President. What were they thinking back then, one might ask? How come
some of G-d’s creations were so discriminated against because of the color of their
skin, which was not of their choosing?
Only with the absolute Truth of our Torah
are we able to rise above the current notions of the host culture within which we
live. Its source is rooted in G-d’s perspective of His creation and He has shared this
illumination with us, so we do not stumble
and fall on our path through life. In our daily
prayers, we say, “[G-d] has separated us
from those who go astray and has given
us a Torah of Truth.” The alternative—a life
based on what human beings believe to be
correct—often leads to making choices that
conform with the current mores of society,
but do not stand up to the test of time. Each
year on Simchat Torah, a Jew is overcome
with G-d’s gift of illumination.
However, the question remains: why do we
reserve our expression of joy specifically on
this day of the year, as opposed to any other
day of the year? Simchat Torah is celebrated
on the holiday of Shemini Atzeret, which is
the last day of the Sukkot holiday. Thousands of years ago, when the Holy Temple
in Jerusalem was in operation, the Jews
would offer 70 sacrifices on behalf of all
mankind, (which according to our Tradition
is divided into 70 nations). Essentially, after
achieving Divine forgiveness for their own
transgressions during the Rosh Hashanah/
Yom Kippur period immediately preceding
Sukkot, the Jewish nation involved itself in
gaining pardon for all the nations of the
world with these sacrifices. The last day of
the holiday (Shemini Atzeret), is a “farewell
day” between G-d and His people Israel.
“Your departure [at the end of this festival
period] is difficult for Me to bear. Stay one
more day [and let us celebrate intimately,
without busying yourself with efforts on
behalf of others],” our Sages characterize
this final day of the holiday season. This is
the farewell at the bus station, so to speak,
and this moment of intimacy allows us to
experience a private moment of appreciation
and joy—both the joy for the illumination we
have garnered to date and the anticipation
of the illumination we hope to gain in the
future.
Ed, I hope you enjoy your Simchat Torah this
year and for many years to come.
Your friend,
Rabbi Reuven Druckeer
For Discussion Around the Yom Tov Table |
Hashanah is the day
t) Ason Rosh
which we are judged for
our actions, why do we not confess or
repent for our sins in an effort to avoid
being judged for them? (Leket Reshimos
of Rabbi Nosson Wachtfogel)
is the holiday referred to
c) Why
as Rosh Hashanah (literally,
head of the year) instead of a seemingly more appropriate name such as
Yom HaDin, the day of judgment, or
the name by which it is referred in the
Torah, Yom Teruah (the day of blowing
the shofar) (Numbers 29:1)?
Hashanah is legally cond) Rosh
sidered a festive day, on which
a person dresses in his finest and eats
enjoyable meals. The verse commands
us (Nechemia 8:10) to rejoice on this
Holy day and not be sad. How can we be
expected to be happy at a time when we
know that we are on trial and our very
lives are at stake? (Darash Moshe by
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein)
the knife which Abraham was willing
to use to sacrifice his beloved son to
Hashem?
a person is forced to spend
v) IfSukkot
either in a community which has a sukkah but doesn’t have
the four species or in a place which has
the 4 species but no sukkah, which one
should he choose? Why?
nally planned to create man and woman
as separate beings, but ultimately chose
to make them as one (Genesis 5:2),
only to then split the person into two
and then command him (Genesis 2:24)
to cling to his wife and to become one
flesh. What is the significance of this
apparent change of plans and recurring
retractions? (Aderes Eliyahu 2:18 by
the Vilna Gaon)
reciting the Grace after
Rashi writes (Genesis 3:1) that
u) When
Meals during Sukkot, we pray, h) the serpent was inspired to
“May the Merciful One (Hashem)
return to us the falling Sukkah of King
David (i.e. the Holy Temple).” Why do
we associate the Temple with David
and not with his son Solomon, who
actually built it?
the blessing recited just before
z)InShema
during the evening
prayers on Shabbat and festivals, we
ask Hashem to spread His sukkah of
peace (‫ )סוכת שלום‬over us. What is
the connection between a sukkah and
peace?
of the reasons given for
Why are we accustomed
s) One
the blowing of the shofar on
j)
to finish the annual cycle of
Rosh Hashanah is to remember the
merit of the binding of Isaac, and it
is for this reason that we are accustomed to use the horn of a ram, just
as Abraham offered (Genesis 22:13) a
ram on the altar he had built for Isaac.
Instead of invoking the memory of the
ram offered instead of Isaac, wouldn’t
it be more meritorious to remember
OZER ALPORT
reading the Torah on Simchat Torah
instead of on Rosh Hashanah, which
would seem to be more appropriate as
it represents the beginning of the new
year? (Bikurei Yaakov 669:1 by Rabbi
Yaakov Ettlinger)
he Talmud (Berachot 61a)
y) explains
that Hashem origiT
trick Adam and Eve after he saw her
in the Garden of Eden and desired her.
If his goal was to have Eve for himself, why did he pressure her to take
from the forbidden fruit, which would
bring about her death and defeat his
purpose? (Taima D’Kra by Rabbi
Chaim Kanievsky)
serpent succeeded in
th)The
getting Eve to eat from
the fruit of the tree of knowledge by
convincing her that doing so wouldn’t
cause her death (Genesis 3:4-6).
However, immediately after eating the
fruit, she gave some to Adam to eat
with her. Rashi explains that she did
so out of a fear that after her death,
Adam would remain alive and would
find another mate. How is it possible
that she ate the fruit out of a conviction
that doing so wouldn’t be fatal, only
to immediately fear the aftermath of
her impending death? (Taima D’Kra by
Rabbi Chaim Kanievsk y)
Hey, I Never Knew That!
Amazing Insights About the High Holidays
Q
There is a three-year cycle which governs the tithes that a person
is obligated to take from his crops. In the year following the conclusion of a three-year cycle, one has until the day before Passover to deliver
all of his tithes to their respective destinations. On the last day of Passover,
he recites a passage (26:13-15) in which he declares that he has properly
observed the laws governing the separation and distribution of the tithes.
The Mishnah (Sotah 32a) refers to this section as the “confession” of the
tithes. In what way is it considered a confession when it makes no reference
to sin, but rather represents a declaration that one has acted.
A
Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev offers an innovative explanation of one of the lines
from the Mussaf (additional) prayers for Rosh Hashanah. He begins by noting an
interesting difference between the proper attitude toward mitzvot and sins. With regard to
a person’s sins, it is preferable to remember them constantly, so as to fully repent for them
and to be careful not to repeat them. Regarding mitzvot, however, it is advisable not to
remember and dwell on one’s successes, as this may cause a person to become haughty
or complacent, but rather to leave them in the past and always focus on future growth and
accomplishments.
At the end of the Remembrances section of the Rosh Hashanah Mussaf prayers, we
say, “You (Hashem) remember all that which is forgotten.” In other words, Hashem
remembers whatever we forget and “forgets” whatever we remember. If a person acts
properly, remembering his sins and forgetting his mitzvot, then Hashem will overlook his
misdeeds and focus on recalling his accomplishments. If, however, the person forgets
his sins and arrogantly dwells on his mitzvot, then Hashem will meticulously remember
each sin while overlooking all of his good deeds!
Based on this explanation, the Satmar Rebbe Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum suggests that in
reciting the declaration concerning the distribution of tithes, the person recounts in
detail how he acted properly and adhered to all of the relevant laws. In doing so, he is
remembering and dwelling upon the mitzvot which he performed over the previous
three years, something which Hashem in general prefers that we not do. In this sense, the
proclamation that he has behaved properly over the previous three years is none other than a
confession! Although we traditionally assume that a confession is associated with a declaration
of one’s sins, in this case we now understand that a proud statement about the righteousness
of one’s actions can also be considered a form of confession.
Q
The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah (34a) quotes various opinions
regarding the sound the Torah intended when it instructed us
(23:24) to blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. In order to avoid doubt
|
OZ E R A L P O RT
and to perform the mitzvah according to all opinions, we are accustomed
to blow three different sounds: tekiah, shevarim, and teruah. Although
we sound the shofar according to each possible interpretation, there
is nevertheless a specific order in which we arrange the sounds. When
blowing them all together, we first blow the simple tekiah, then the three
shevarim sounds, then the broken teruahs, and finally another unbroken
tekiah. Why were the sounds arranged in this particular order?
A
The Shelah HaKadosh, Rabbi Yeshaya Horowitz, writes that this order was specifically
chosen in order to symbolize for us the concept of repentance. King Solomon writes
in Ecclesiastes (7:29), “Hashem made man straight, but people sought out numerous complex
calculations.” We begin by sounding an unbroken tekiah to symbolize the simple, straightforward manner in which Hashem initially created us. Unfortunately, as the verse prophesies, we
inevitably complicate situations unnecessarily, as represented by the broken sounds of the
shevarim. As if that weren’t sufficient, we fail to recognize the error of our ways until we have
reached rock bottom, as suggested by the short crying sounds of the teruah. Sometimes it is
only after a person has fallen into the depths of despair that he is able to recognize how far he
has fallen from his original heights, and it is this realization which jolts and inspires him to full and
proper repentance, allowing him to return to the straight tekiah just as he was created!
Q
According to one opinion in the Talmud (Sukkah 11b), we are commanded to sit in sukkot in order to commemorate the miracle of the
Clouds of Glory which surrounded the Jews during their travels through the
wilderness. As this miracle began immediately upon the Exodus from Egypt,
a number of commentators question why the holiday commemorating the
miracle takes place in Tishrei and not in Nissan, when the miracle began?
A
The Vilna Gaon answers that we are not commemorating the Clouds of Glory which
initially protected the Jews in Nissan, as those clouds were taken away at the time of
the sin of the Golden Calf. Rather, we are commemorating the clouds which returned on the
15th day of Tishrei after Hashem forgave the Jewish people, and which remained to surround
and protect them for the duration of their sojourn in the wilderness. He explains that the Jews
were forgiven on the 10th of Tishrei (Yom Kippur), and on the 11th Moses commanded them
regarding the building of the Tabernacle. They brought their contributions for the Tabernacle for
two days (Exodus 36:3), the 12th and the 13th, and on the 14th Moses realized that the donations were sufficient and announced that no more should be brought (36:6). On the following
day, the 15th of Tishrei, the work began on the building of the Tabernacle and on that day, the
Clouds of Glory returned to the Jewish camp, which we celebrate and remember on Sukkot.
Ozer Alport can be reached at [email protected]