The Gra Ke Sesa (33:7) says אבל במ' יום האחרונים לא עשה אלא התנפל עליהם וע"כ ניתקן אלו המ' יום לתחנונים וביה"כ נתרצה השי"ת להם. Just as during the days of Elul through Yom Kippur Moshe davened for forgiveness for Klal Yisrael , so too for all generations this time is designated as a time when prayer is more readily accepted. What is the nature of this special time of prayer and why by dint of Moshe davening does it become a time designated for prayer?
The Tanchuma at the beginning of the parsha says that tefillah was enacted in place of one bringing bikkurim to the Mikdash. What does prayer have to do with bikkurim? The Midrash in the beginning of Nitzavim opens with halachot of prayer. What does that have to do with אתם ניצבים, the bris with Hashem?
The Rambam Teshuva (2:6) says אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַתְּשׁוּבָה וְהַצְּעָקָה יָפָה לָעוֹלָם. בַּעֲשָׂרָה הַיָּמִים שֶׁבֵּין רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים הִיא יָפָה בְּיוֹתֵר וּמִתְקַבֶּלֶת הִיא מִיָּד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נה ו) דִּרְשׁוּ ה' בְּהִמָּצְאוֹ. The Kesef Mishne cites the source of the Rambam is from Rosh Hashana (18a) where the Gemarah says דִּרְשׁוּ ה' בְּהִמָּצְאוֹ when is המצאו? During the 10 days of repentance. The Gemarah is talking about tefillah but the Rambam extends this special time to the process teshuva as well. How does he know to apply it to teshuva as well?
What we see from the Rambam that there is a link between tefillah and teshuva. What is the common denominator between the two? The Rambam Tefillah (4:16) says one should view himself as standing before Hashem when praying, "וְיִרְאֶה עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה." He writes a similar definition regarding teshuva in Teshuva (7:6) "גְּדוֹלָה תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁמְּקָרֶבֶת אֶת הָאָדָם לַשְּׁכִינָה,"by doing teshuva one becomes closer to Hashem. This explains why bikkurim is connected to prayer as well for when one brings bikkurim they make their declaration 'לפני ה, standing before Hashem (based upon Noam Siach of Rav Shneur Kotler.) Why are these three mitzvot considered before Hashem?
It is well known that one of the yesodot of the mitzvah of bikkurim is hakarat hatov for all that Hashem has given a person. To properly recognize the good Hashem has done one does not suffice with a quick thank you for the new harvest but traces it back to the beginning, ארמי אובד אבי. It is known from Rav Hutner that the words מודה, admitting and הודאה, thanks are connected for when one thanks someone else they are admitting they need them. When one has hakarat hatov to Hashem it is admitting that one's success all stems from Hashem. That is what it means to be standing before Hashem. It is when one recognizes that everything in their life is owed to Hashem.
The pessukim in לדוד ה אורי say בְּ֝זֹ֗את אֲנִ֣י בוֹטֵֽחַ אַחַ֤ת׀ שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵֽאֵת־י״י֮ אוֹתָ֢הּ אֲבַ֫קֵּ֥שׁ שִׁבְתִּ֣י בְּבֵית־י֭״י כׇּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיַּ֑י. What does the bitachon have to do with the asking Hashem to sit בבית ה? The Sfas Emes Acharei (5654) says that when one has full bitachon and recognizes everything is from Hashem, one no longer will ask personal requests, instead their entire request will be to be further connected to Hashem. "אם האדם זוכה לאמונה ובטחון כראוי אז לבו בטוח כי כל הנהגה שלו מהקב"ה. והכל הוא כפי הטוב ונצרך לו ע"צ היותר טוב מכל הטובות שבעולם. כמו שביאר בס' חובת הלבבות באר היטב. ואז אחת שאלתי ופונה לבו מכל דבר." When one recognizes that that everything is just another manifestation of a form their connection to Hashem, then the only request is to be able to further connect to Hashem. The Midrash Acharei Mos (21:1) connects the words of בזאת יבא אהרו אל הקודש to the words we say in לדוד ה אורי of בזאת אני בוטח. In light of his explanation, the Sfas Emes continues that the Midrash is telling us that Aharon is limited to a specific time to come to the kodesh but when one davens in the above manner, וַאֲנִ֤י תְפִלָּֽתִי־לְךָ֨׀ י״י֡ עֵ֤ת רָצ֗וֹן, a person creates a עת רצון through their tefillot and is welcome at all times, כל ימי חיי.
When one davens to Hashem with this meaning, they are throwing their dependence on Hashem. Such a tefillah is עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה. In the same vein is the process of teshuva where one carves away the sins that have separated one from acknowledging their dependence on Hashem and one realigns themselves before Him.
That is why the time of Elul is a time of prayer. To facilitate proper teshuva one must reestablish the link with Hashem. By praying, תפילה מלשון התופל כלי חרס, one is able to realign to be עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה and that will lead to being 'שב אל ה.
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