Noach: Tzaddik And Tammim

In the first possuk of the parsha it says נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו.  At the beginning of the second aliyah, Hashem tells Noach, בֹּֽא־אַתָּ֥ה וְכׇל־בֵּיתְךָ֖ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֑ה כִּֽי־אֹתְךָ֥ רָאִ֛יתִי צַדִּ֥יק לְפָנַ֖י בַּדּ֥וֹר הַזֶּֽה.  Why is the title תמים omitted?  (See Rashi.)  Rav Ovadia Yosef (who's yertzheit is today, 3 Cheshvan,) explains that the word צדיק refers to refinement in the matter of interpersonal relationships as in צדק משלך ותן לו.  The word תמים means excelling in בין אדם למקום as in תמים תהיה אם ה.  These two titles refer to Noach's refusal to submit to the winds of the times during the generation of the mabul and the generation that built the tower.  The first generation was a test in צדיק, in בין אדם לחבירו.  The second generation was the test of תמים, would he remain loyal to Hashem.  That is the intro. the Torah gives us to Noach for he was complete in both areas.  When it came to tell Noach to make the ark, the reason Noach was saved was because of his steadfastness as a צדיק, because he was able to stand against the evil בין אדם לחבירו tactics of the time.  Hence, Hashem tells him the reason he is being saved is because of his צדקות.

שיר לזכרו ע"י יהודית יוסף, כלתו של מרן:

 ביום בהיר פתאום שקעה השמש, חושך ויתמות עמוק בנפש, עומד מולך רועד, כל כך לבד, שמחת חיי, משוש ליבי אבד. החדר ריק, כסא זועק מסבל, ספרים שמרכינים ראשם באבל, טוב לך עכשיו אני יודע, אבל ליבי יוצא מגעגוע.

פזמון: וכוכב קטן מאיר, מחייך באפילה התעודד ילדי, אני צועד איתך אחוז בידי, המשך בדרכי, אני עוד חי עמוק בתוך ליבך.
אני עוד חי בתוך ליבך ....
מרגיש עוד את ידך המלטפת ורוח חכמתך המרחפת האורות כבים אל מול פניך לאן אלך, קשה לי בלעדיך ודמעותיי, יורדות שוטפות כמים טועה רואה מביט אל השמים עטוף אותי כאב אל בן קטן נחם אותי ותן לי רק סימן

Noach's Sacrifice

Presumably after Noach lands on הר עררט, when he exits onto land and offers his korban, the local is הר עררט and indeed that is what the Even Ezra maintains.  However, in Chazal (the midrash, Targum Yonasan) we find an opinion that the korban was offered in the place of the mikdash.  How Noach flew from  הר עררט to Yerushalim isn't explained, however based upon this view the Mishech Chochma answers a  question.  The possuk (8:21) says וַיָּ֣רַח י״י֮ אֶת־רֵ֣יחַ הַנִּיחֹ֒חַ֒.  The difficulty is that the Mishna in Zevachim 113a says that there is no ריח ניחוח on a במה (Rashi explainsכדאמרינן בפרק בית שמאי (לעיל זבחים דף מו:) לשם ששה דברים הזבח נזבח לשם ריח לאפוקי אברים שצלאן והעלן שאין בהם משום ריח ניחוח:) , so how could the במה of Noach be for a ריח ניחוח?  The Meshech Chachma says that the offerings of Noach were considered offerings in the Mikdash since that was were they offered, not that of a במה.

At face value he seems to be saying it had the din of a korban offered in the mikdash, however, this seems to run contrary to Zevachim (108b) that learns laws of a במה from the korban of Noach?  Perhaps he means that the din of ריח ניחוח stems from the kedusha of the place.  Since Noach offered his sacrifices in the place of the mikdash, even though it had the status of a במה, it still has the din of ריח ניחוח.

It is clear from the beginning of Ch. 2 in Zevachim that a בעל מום can't offer a sacrifice on a במה, however, that Gemorah is in reference to a Jew.  What is the din  regarding a gentile who is a בעל מום, possibly since they can offer a korban that is a בעל מום, they can be a בעל מום as well? It is unclear from the Gemorah.  It does seem that the Midrash (30:6) was bothered by this very point and hence says that it was the sons of Noach that offered the korban, in the words of the midrash:  נֹחַ כְּשֶׁהָיָה יוֹצֵא מִן הַתֵּבָה הִכִּישׁוֹ אֲרִי וְשִׁבְּרוֹ, וְלֹא הָיָה כָּשֵׁר לְהַקְרִיב, וְהִקְרִיב שֵׁם בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו, קַל וָחֹמֶר (משלי יא, לא): אַף כִּי רָשָׁע וְחוֹטֵא, זֶה דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל.  This may be alluded to in the Rambam Beis Habecheira (2:2) ומסורת ביד הכל שהמקום שבנה בו דוד ושלמה המזבח בגורן ארונה הוא המקום שבנה בו אברהם המזבח ועקד עליו יצחק והוא המקום שבנה בו נח כשיצא מן התיבה והוא המזבח שהקריב עליו קין והבל ובו הקריב אדם הראשון קרבן כשנברא.  Regarding אדם, קין והבל, he says they were מקריב  the korban, but regarding Noach he says he built the מזבח, not that he offered a korban on it, because it was offered by his son.  However, the Meshech Chochma (Emor 22:19) assumes that a gentile that is a בעל מום may offer a korban.  If we assume like he writes here, that the sacrifice of Noach was considered a sacrifice in the mikdash, then its understandable why the midrash assumes a בעל מום is disqualified.  Hence, one Meshech Chochma compliments the other (Bear Miriem.)  But as mentioned previously it doesn't fit with the Gemorah to assume that it had the din of an actual sacrifice in the mikdash.

Sun, Moon And Rain

At the end of the third aliyah in the parsha, the possuk says וּבַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י בְּשִׁבְעָ֧ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ יָבְשָׁ֖ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃ .  Rashi says נעשה גריד כהילכתה בכ״ז, וירידתן בחדש השני בי״ז. אילו י״א יום שהחמה יתירה על הלבנה, שמשפט דור המבול שנה תמימה היה.  What is the significance of the fate of the generation of the Mabul lasting for a solar year?  This is a dumb question, but why is the solar year off from the lunar year by 11 days?  And why punish the people through rain of all punishments?

The sun and moon represent the spiritual and mundane aspect of a person's life.  Most people arew in a happier mood when it is sunny outside for the sun with its bright light represents warmth, comfort and peace.  It represents the spiritual side to a person.  The moon on the other hand, shines a dimmer light and it doesn't have its own light, it merely reflects the light of the sun.  This represents the darker side of an individual; the animalistic and mundane side of an individual that is concealed in darkness. It is the job of the person to take the light of his/her spiritual side and illuminate this weaker side.  In short, the sun and the moon represent the contestant struggle of the opposing forces within man.  That is why they are separated by 11 days.  In kabbalah, 11 is a number of the "evil forces" (see Sefer Yitzerah 1:4.)  When there is conflict between the "moon" of a person vs. the "sun" of a person, it can lead to danger.  It is a person's job to bring harmony to these two factions within himself and to avoid  the split of 11.

The Midrash Rabba Berashis (20:7) says אֵין תְּשׁוּקָתָן שֶׁל גְּשָׁמִים אֶלָּא עַל הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים סה, י): פָּקַדְתָּ הָאָרֶץ וַתְּשֹׁקְקֶהָ, וְאֵין תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶלָּא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שיר השירים ז, יא): וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ.  Rain is the connection between heaven and earth, between the גשמי  and the רוחני.  The generation of the flood had completely lost the balance between their two sides and could no longer continue existing in their current state of chaos.  Hence, the appropriate punishment was rain for it is rain that represents that coexistence of the  גשמי  and the רוחני that the דור המבול couldn't sustain.  That is why the waters lasted for a complete solar year for they failed to take advantage of their "sun" aspect, rather they were "lunar" oriented, hence they became loony.  "The term "lunatic" derives from the Latin word lunaticus, which originally referred mainly to epilepsy and madness, as diseases thought to be caused by the moon." ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunatic.)

Seder

Rav Yerucham Levovitz in the introduction to his sefer on Chumash, Daas Torah, elaborates on the importance of seder.  This is a very basic principle of the mussar school of Kelm in which Rav Yerucham studied.  The language of Rav Yeruchim is so extreme as to say that one who lacks proper seder isn’t even a human being!  For anyone who has a sense of Kelm inside of them it would behoove them to read it in its entirety.  I will just pull out of couple of highlights from this piece.  

  

When the Alter of Kelm came to visit his son, who was learning in yeshiva, the first thing he did wasn’t to ask his son how he was doing or ask him about his learning, he made a beeline for his son’s bedroom to make sure everything was in its proper place and folded properly.  I keep in my desk drawer a newspaper clipping from the FJJ a couple of years ago (I don’t remember the author.)  They are discussing the importance of seder and cite a story from Rav Chaim Shmuel Lopian.  Once the Alter of Kelm came into the room of a talmid and saw one of the boy’s slippers was not in line.  He immediately went into the Beis Midrash and delivered a shmuess stressing how everything Hashem made in the world has a seder.  As he continued he became further agitated and burst out how could it be that one slipper is not in line with the other.  [It sees if the Alter of Kelm would set foot into any current yeshiva dorm he would throw everyone out of yeshiva.]  The Alter suggested that the reason people don’t feel the effects of the Yomim Noraim is because they don’t have the proper seder of simcha on Sukkos and that destroys the feelings felt on the High Holy days.   

The fate of the dor hamabul was sealed because of chamas.  Why was this worse than the arious that they violated?  The Alter of Kelm explains that a lack of clamping down on stealing is a corruption of the whole seder of society.  The moral decline was a result of this blatant violation of seder.  The Kli Yakar (6:17) explains how rain is a punishment middah k’neged middah.  The Gemorah Babba Basra (16a) says that each raindrop has its own path so that it doesn’t interfere with another drop.  Robbery is the opposite of that, its when one violates boundaries.  The boundaries set up in the world are the seder in which Hashem made the world.  Since the dor hamabul didn’t adhere to proper seder, the seder of the world was changed against them (see Rosh Hashana 12a.)   

איתן שבנפש

לעילוי נשמת הסבתא שלי, שולמית בת דוב יהודה/ שרה שאשע, שיום אזכרה הראשונה שלה היא היום, כח תשרי. אנחנו הגענו עכשיו לסוף חודש תשרי, וי"ל קצת הרהורי דברים בענין מהות החודש.  ספר התניא בפ"א מתחלת "תניא [בספ"ג דנדה] משביעים אותו תהי צדיק ואל תהי רשע ואפי' כל העולם כולו אומרים לך צדיק אתה היה בעיניך כרשע."  וצ"ע שהגירסא לפנינו אינו תניא, אלא דרש ר' שמלאי? יש מציינין שמצינו מקורות שבאמת שמועה זו היא ברייתא אבל אפי' יכול למצוא איזה גירסא ככה, מ"מ למה בחר בו אדמו"ר הזקן ולא בגירסא שיש לפנינו?  הצמח צדק (הובא בשיחות אדמו"ר הריי"צ תש"ג עמ' 95) מסביר שתניא הוא אותיות "איתן", שיש בתניא הכח לעורר האיתן שבנפש ויפעול בו התחזקות בעבודת ה'.  וכונתו עפ"י משכ' אדמו"ר הזקן (בפרשת ראה) שיש איתן שבנשמה.  היינו הרצון החזק שיש בפנימיות נש"י לעשות רצון הבורא נקרא איתן הנפש. ובמילים אחרות זה נקרא חכ' שבנפש. (עיין משכ' בזה פה.) וזהו הסוד של "משכיל לאיתן", שאיתן מקושר אם השכל שבנפש.  ויש להוסיף משכ' באיגרת הקודש שלו שהנפש יותאית מד' אותיות של שם הויה וי', ה' הוא חכ' ובינה וזהו האיתן שבנפש. והוסיף אדמו"ר שנחל איתן היינו הו' שבנפש (שו' היינו המשכה כמו שהנחל ממשכת והולכת,) שהמוחין משפשטים להמדות.  (ע"ע תניא קונ' אחרון ד"ה וצדקה כנחל איתן.)  וביאר הצמח צדק שע"י לימוד התניא נעשה התעוררות באיתן שבנפש וכדי לרמז לזה בחר אדמו"ר הזקן במלת תניא. (נקודת הדברים לקשר מילת תניא אם מילת איתן כבר נמצא בתיקו"ז תיקון כא.)

וי"ל לפ"ז זהו הטעם שעורפין עגלה ערופה בנחל איתן. שחלל במובן רוחני הוא זה שנפסקה דביקותו בהקב"ה - מקור חיותו.  ואין הכונה שפסק לגמרי הקשר שלו אם הקב"ה אלא שעושה המצות בלי שום חיות אלא רק כמת שחסר כל רגש.  מה שמת הוא הזרם בין חכמת הנפש והמדות.  ולכן התיקון לזה הוא לערוף העגלה בנחל איתן להמשיך המוח להמדות.  

הפסוק במלכים א (ח:ב) אומרת וַיִּקָּ֨הֲל֜וּ אֶל־הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה֙ כׇּל־אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּיֶ֥רַח הָאֵתָנִ֖ים בֶּחָ֑ג ה֖וּא הַחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי. למה נקרא תשרי ירח האיתנים? מסביר הגמ' בר"ה (יא.) שאיתן הוא מלשון תקיף ולכן תשרי נקרא איתן משום שהוא תקיף במצות או שנולדו בו איתני עולם (האבות.)  תשרי הוא זמן שהחכמה שהנפש שנתכסה בלכלוך כל ימות השנה יש לו זמן של התעוררות וצחצוח הנפש.  אבל סוף החודש הוא הנחל איתן – הזמן להמשיך כח התעוררות זאת לתוך עבודתנו כשאנחנו חוזרין לימות השנה והמים רבים שיש בו.  

Book-Ended With Chesed

The Gemorah in Sotah (14a) says דרש ר' שמלאי תורה תחלתה גמילות חסדים וסופה גמילות חסדים תחילתה גמילות חסדים דכתיב ויעש ה' אלהים לאדם ולאשתו כתנות עור וילבישם וסופה גמילות חסדים דכתיב ויקבר אותו בגיא.  The Maharal in Nesiv Hatorah Ch.1 says that the Torah in the seder of the world so it would seem quite apparent from here if the Torah is book-ended about גמילות חסדים that its integral to Torah.  Why is this so?

In the intro. to the Nefesh HaChayim, the son of Rav Chayim Volozener says his father said that a person was created in order to help out someone else.  If that is the purpose of why a person exists then it is understood that principle is the beginning and end of the Torah.  That is the great curse of the snake, ועפר תאכל.  What is the curse, he has food everywhere?  He doesn't have to rely upon anyone else.  It is the need for mankind to help each other that is the biggest blessing.  Based upon this idea we can also understand that this is the mussar lesson to be gleaned from the fact that originally man and woman were created in one body with two faces (Rashi 2:21.)  Why was mankind created that way if it didn't last?  The lesson is that two people are two halves of one coin; one can only be successful to their fullest potential if one individual is helping another.

Why do Chazal need to go to the fact that Hashem made clothes for man to find chesed at the beginning of the Torah, there was chesed beforehand for in fact the very creation of the world is a chesed from Hashem?  We say in Shemone Esrai גומל חסדים טובים.  Obviously חסד is טוב, what does it mean?  Rav Elyah Lopian explains with the principle of נהמא דכיסופא.  One can do חסד in a manner that the recipient feels that they aren't deserving of what is being bestowed upon them therefore they will feel bad.  However, greater than that is to do חסד for someone else and they feel that they are receiving what they deserve.  That is גומל חסדים, its given as a גמול, reward for what the person did and therefore טובים, it is a great form of חסד.  Based upon this, says Rav Avrohom Gorvitz, that is why Chazal point to the chesed Hashem did in making clothes for Adam.  Beforehand there was עולם חסד יבנה, there was חסד but it wasn't גמילות חסדים.  It is only in the making of the clothes that the chesed was done as a reward.  What did Adam do to deserve this chesed?  He explains based upon a Briskor Rav.

The Briskor Rav asks why did Adam hide from Hashem (after eating from the aitz haddas,) obviously one can't hide from Hashem?  He explains that Adam was right for hiding for now after the sin when he recognized his ערוה, then it had to covered in order to stand before Hashem just as we find regarding prayer (Berachos 24.)  Rav Gorvitz says as a "reward" for keeping this halacha, Hashem made clothes for Adam.

The Great Light

I’m sure everyone feels that after all the Yomim Tovim of Tishrai it’s a letdown to have to go back to the everyday grind of live.  Being the first parsha after the Yomim Tovim possibly Parshas Berashis can give us a clue as to how to make this transition. 

Rashi (1:4) quotes Chazal that Hashem created a great light and then hid it for the tzaddikim in the future.  If the light was going to be hidden why create it in the first place?  The Ba’al Haturim says the numerical value of את האור is the same as בתורה.  Seemingly he is alluding to the idea that this great light is hidden in the Torah (this idea is shared both in the name of the Baal Shem Tov (see Degel Machena Epraim) and in the name of the Gra.  I once heard from Rav Asher Weiss that in that case we can be sure its Torah miSinai.)  The Gemorah Niddah 31a says that a malach teaches a person the entire Torah when he is in the womb of his other and when he’s born he forgets it.  What’s the point of teaching a person the entire Torah if he’s going to forget it?  Because the Torah is so great, it’s the chochmas Hashem, that without being taught it before being born a person wouldn’t be able to comprehend it at all.  It’s the same idea in regard to the light of creation.  Without this light being exposed to the world at the time of creation there wouldn’t be any way for the world to become purified the world enough to absorb such light (based on Toras Haparsha with additional piece about Torah and a little different explanation.)  Rosh Hashana is the great light at the beginning of the year.  Chassidus points out its not called תחילת שנה, the beginning of the year, rather Rosh Hashana, the head of the year.  Just as all limbs and organs are connected to the head so too Rosh Hashana is connected to the rest of the year.  It is on Rosh Hashana that the din takes place for the totality of events of the individual’s year; everything is connected to Rosh Hoshana.  It is the great light of Rosh Hashana that gives us the power to survive through the year. 

The Rebbe (Likutay Sichos volume 10) takes a different approach as to the purpose of the creation of the great spiritual light.  He says that when one builds something s/he always starts with the goal in mind.  If one wants to build a building they first envision it in its totality and only after that start getting down to the details.  Similarly, when Hashem created the world (the midrash says He built it like one builds a building,) He first set up the goal and then let go of it to fill in the details.  We learn from here that one must start his day, week or year with the end goal in sight; it is his/her mission to bring light to the world.  Similarly, Rosh Hashana serves as the model for the year.  It is the great light which both gives us the power to retain our acceptance of the malchus of Hashem throughout the year and gives us the frame of mind as to what we are supposed to be accomplishing throughout the year as well.

Burnt With The Finger

The midrash comments on the words (1:26) naaseh adam that Hashem consulted with the angels before creating man.  The midrash says we learn from here a great lesson in humility for even Hashem asked others before man (cited in Rashi.)  The Gemorah in Sanhedrin (38b) recalls a similar episode to that of the midrash.  It records that the malachim said that its not worth it to create man for he will sin.  Hashem stuck his finger out and burnt them.  Finally, there came a long a pair of malachim that agreed to the creation of man and they were kept alive.  In the light of the Gemorah the midrash is very difficult.  If I ask someone for advice but not only ignore what he says but even punish them for their words of wisdom it doesn’t seem to be very humble, so how does this show the humility of Hashem?  Why does Hashem burn them with his finger, obviously this is metaphoric, what does it teach us to say he burnt them with His finger?  The Alter Rebbe (footnote to Tikkun Chatzos in Sidduur with maamorim) explains that when Chazal say the malachim were burnt up it doesn’t mean that Hashem killed them rather that because of their awesome fear of Hashem they cease to exist.  The kabbalists teach that the ten fingers of the hand correspond to the ten sefiros.  Therefore, the Gemorah says they were burnt by the small finger of Hashem alluding to the last sefira of malchus which refers to Hashem being a ruler which demands tremendous respect.  Hashem didn’t kill the malachim, He didn’t ignore what they said, but they ceased to exist because of the response of Hashem.  

How is Hashem's burning the angels a response to their question?   Rav Pinchas Freedman (Shviley Pinchus) explains based upon the famous idea of the Gra and Chassidus (its already found in Rishonim) that malchus refers to a willful acceptance of the king as opposed to a moshal who is a dictator.  The response of Hashem to the malachim was that true man will sin but that’s what I want, I want the yetzer hatrah, the struggles of the mortal man.  I want man to recognize that despite all his setbacks I exist and accept my kingship.  (See Likutay Sichos volume 10 sicha 1 on Vayera footnote 28 for a different approach as to what the answer is.)    

Startling Keter Rosh

Very funny passage tacked on here in the back of the Keter Rosh, that Rav Chayim Volozener brings from the Gra.

In the fancy editions they have a whole commentary of the first part but completely ignore the part of the Baal Shem Tov. Don't know what to make of it.

From Rosh Hashana To Simchas Torah

למה כל העבודה של חג עצרת הוא רק מצות שמחה והיית אך שמח ואין בו שום מצות אחרות? יש לבאר תהליך הימים טובים של תשרי עפ"י סדר הספירות ולפ"ז יהיה יובן הסבר הדברים. ידוע שבר"ה יסוד היום הוא לקבל המלכות של הקב"ה. וענין מלכות הבורא נגדש בכל י' ימי תשובה שאנחנו אומרים בתפילה המלך הקדוש והמלך המשפט. ועבודה הזאת מכויין אם כתר כמו שאומרים בתפילה ויתנו לך כתר מלוכה. ובנפש האדם זה מכוון כנגד התענוג והרצון והיינו שהאדם מרגיש הרצון לקבל מלכות הבורא. וזהו רצון למעלה מטעם אלא שהאדם מרגיש קירבה גדולה להבורא בזמן הזאת וממילא הוא רוצה לידבק בהקב"ה.

ואחר זה אנחנו ממשיכין להמוחין בחג הסוכות. כידוע מספרים שסוכות הוא ענין דעת כמו שכתוב בפסוק למען ידעו דורותיכם. וכן בהושענות אומרים למען דעת כל עמי הארץ. ובמשנת האריז"ל סוד הנענועים הוא ענין המשכת הדעת ולכן גיל קטן שמתחייב בחינוך הוא מי שיש בו דעת לנענע. ובעבודת האדם זמן סוכות הוא הזמן שהקבלת מלכות מעביר מעל הדעת לתוך הדעת. ז"א להתבונן ולחשוב על קבלתו בימים נוראים ושיהיה מובן בשכל למה ומה זאת דורשת הימנו.

וסיום התהליך הוא בשמיני עצרת ושמחת תורה שאז ממשיכין הדעת בתוך המדות. לפי האריז"ל עצרת הוא מלשון קליטה שהוא הזמן לקלוט כל הארת והאורות של הימים לפני כן. ובעבודה זה נתקיים בהתחתונים היינו המדות וההגרשים יהיו מתאים אם המוחין שלו.    

והנה מצינו ריקודים הן בסוכות והן בשמחת תורה אבל יש חילוק ביניהם. בסוכות מפורש בגמ' ורמב"ם שרק הראשי ישיבות, החסידים וכו' רקדו בשמחה עצומה ושאר העם עמדו וראו אבל בשמחת תורה כולנו רוקדים אם התורה.  מה החילוק ביניהם ואם בסוכות לא מרשים לכל העם להשתתף בהשמחה מה פתאום שבשמחת תורה הכל מזומנים? אבל הן הן הדברים שבסוכות רק מי שיש בו דעה כדי להבין כל ענין השמחה שבא אחרי העבודה של הימים נוראים יכול להשתתף בהשמחה. ולא הכל זוכה שיש בהם דעת להבין יסוד הדברים.  אבל שמיני עצרת הוא שמחה שבא מההרגשה של המדות ואפי' מי שלא מבין כל הענין אבל מ"מ יכול להרגיש השמחה.  ולכן לא ניתנו מצות יתירות בשמיני מלבד שמחה משום שזהו כל עבודת היום להרגיש השמחה שיש בעבודת הבורא. ולכן נהגו כל ישראל לערוך הקפות בשמחת תורה שהעבודה הוא בהרגל שאפי' הכי תחתנוים של האדם יהיו מושפעים מעבודת היום.

More Than Just Seeing

Rashi V’zos Haberacha (34:4) says לאמר לזרעך אתננה הראיתיך בעיניך – הראיתיך כדי שתלך ותאמר לאברהם ליצחק וליעקב: שבועה שנשבע הקב״ה לכם קיימה. וזהו לאמר, לכך הראיתיה לך. אבל גזירה היא מלפני שמה לא תעבור, שאילולי כן הייתי מקיימיך עד שתראה אותם נטועים וקבועים, ותלך ותגיד.  What does Rashi mean, how is Moshe’s seeing of the land a fulfillment of the oath to give Eretz Yisroel to Klal Yisroel? Furthermore, the land is already considered acquired by the walking of Avrohom (Babba Bathra 100a,) so why is the oath not considered already fulfilled then?  Seemingly, because the oath means to actually conquer it and live in it.  If that’s the case, how does Moshe’s seeing accomplish this?  Rashi in Vaeschanan (3:26) says וראה בעיניך – בקשתה ממני: ואראה את הארץ הטובה (דברים ג׳:כ״ה), אני מראה לך את כולה, שנאמר: ויראהו י״י את כל הארץ (דברים ל״ד:א׳).  Why would Moshe have a separate request just to be able to see the land, what is the point of that?

The Gemorah in Babba Bathra (56a) says the only lands obligated in terumos and maaserot are the lands that were see by Moshe Rabbenu.  Why is this the means of determining the obligation in tithes, it should be determined by what lands are conquered (see Tosfos)? The Mikdash David Terumot siman 7 explains that there are two stages in making land part of Eretz Yisroel vis-à-vis the obligations of the land.  The first stage is to bring the kedusha of the land and then the second stage is the conquest.  The sight of the holy eyes of Moshe is what brought kedusha to the land and hence once conquered it would be obligated in tithes.  Other lands, it would not suffice to merely conquer them, they would also have to be made kadosh. 

Based upon this, we can understand our parsha. Yes, Eretz Yisroel in a monetary aspect is already considered מוחזק from Avrohom, but there was no kedusha to Eretz Yisoel yet.  It is only through the seeing of Moshe that the land becomes kodesh and that is already considered a fulfillment of the oath to give us Eretz Yisroel.   

The Sifri Pinchas (136:1) says ויאמר ה' אליו זאת הארץ. ר' עקיבא אומר: מגיד הכתוב, שהראהו המקום למשה את כל חדרי ארץ ישראל, כשלחן ערוך, שנא' ויראהו ה' את הארץ.  The Nitziv explains that that as opposed to Avrohom, Moshe saw the entire land.  Why did Moshe need to see the whole land?  Because he needed to bring kedusha to the land (Kuntres Meorah Or in the back of Rav Dovid Solevetchik’s sefer on Moadim, Meoray Hamoadim.)

The Duality Of V'zos Haberacha

The Gemorah at the end of Megillah (31a) lists what the krias hatorah of every holiday is.  Regarding Shemini Atzeret and Simchas Torah it says יו"ט האחרון קורין כל הבכור מצות וחוקים ובכור ומפטירין (מלכים א ט, א) ויהי ככלות שלמה למחר קורין וזאת הברכה ומפטירין (מלכים א ח, כב) ויעמד שלמה.)  Tosfos asks that we follow the Gemorah, for instead of reading  ויעמד שלמה, we read as the haftorah of the beginning of Yehoshua on Simchas .  Why don't we follow the Gemorah?

In order to understand this we have to understand why is it that we read V'zos Haberacha on Simchas Torah? One may think because its the last parsha and we want to end the Yom Tov by ceebrating Simchas Torah, but that can't be be the case for even where they would finish the Torah in only a three year cycle, the reading is still V'zos Haberacha.  The Ran explains that indeed V'zos Haberacha is considered to be a reflection of the idea of the holiday just like all the readings on the other days.  He says since this is the end of the holiday season, we want to end with the beracha of Moshe Rabbenu before we depart. Hence, the haftorah (of ויעמד שלמה) is also about the blessings Shlomo Hamelech gave as the people were departing.  Rav Zolti (Mishnas Yaavetz siman 72) suggests that when we read V'zos Haberacha, there are two elements to it.  One is element is because its the reading of the day, as the Ran said.  However, there is also the element of reading the last parsha, of finishing the torah cycle of the year since we finish the torah every year.  Based upon this idea, he answers the question of Tosfos.  The Gemorah gives the haftorah that patterns those that just reading the parsha as the obligation of the day.  however, our reading of the haftorah is to reflect the idea of the Torah portion itself just like every parsha of the year, for we are reading it to finish the parshiot. Hence, we read the haftorah of the beginning of Yehoshua, right after Moshe's death (see also the Meshech Chachma at the end of the sefer says the same idea.)

Eretz Yisroel And Mikdash: Sukkot And Shemini Atzeret

The Abarbanel at the end of his commentary on Parshas Reah suggests that the seven days of Sukkot correspond to the seven species that Eretz Yisroel is praised for.  The Rokeach (209) explains the sukkos mammash isn’t referring to the huts in the desert, rather it’s refering to the huts that the soldiers lived in when conquering Eretz Yisroel.  It’s clear from these sources that there is an integral connection between the holiday of Sukkot and Eretz Yisroel.  What’s the connection?  Furthermore, how does Shmini Atzeret fit into the commemoration of Eretz Yisroel as well?  Rashi (Sukkah 45a) explains the words of ani v’ho hoshea nah are comprised of verses said by krias yam suf.  Why is the avodah of hoshanos derived from krias yam suf?

Rav Shlomo Fisher (Bais Yishai, first derush on Sukkot) explains based upon the Sforno (Emor 23:43) who explains the point of Sukkos is to give thanks for Eretz Yisroel.  Therefore, we are commanded to sit in a sukkah to remember that in the midbar we didn’t have a permanent residence and to recognize how great it is to be have a land and permanent dwelling in Eretz Yisroel.  Krias Yam Suf was the beginning of the journey to Eretz Yisroel (see Tehillim psalms 105-6 where krias yam suf is connected to the coming into Eretz Yisroel.  Chazal also say the sea split into 12 parts, one per tribe corresponding to the separate inheritance each tribe would receive.)  [Take note that the first place of travel from Egypt was to Sukkos.]  The possuk in Nechemyah (8:17) says that the people celebrated Sukkos as they had not done since the days of Yehoshua.  What does the possuk mean, didn’t they keep Sukkos throughout the entire first Beis Hamikdash era?  The Gemorah Aruchin (32b) explains that the Anshei Kneses Hagedolah had the zechus of Eretz Yisroel to pray to kill the yetzer harah for idolatry.  Therefore, they prayed, were successful, and it protected the generation like a sukkah.  The possuk contrasts this with Yehoshua in order to admonish him for not praying.  Why is this event connected to Sukkos if they prayed on the 24^th of Tishrai (see chapter 9)?  Explains Rav Fisher, the zechus of Eretz Yisroel helps one who appreciate Eretz Yisroel.  Since the people fulfilled Sukkos properly and were thankful for being able to return to Eretz Yisroel, therefore they had the zechus of Eretz Yisroel in order to knock out the yetzer harah for avodah zarah.

Obviously, according to the Sforno the point of the Abarbanel and the Rokeach is quite clear.  The whole point of Sukkos is to give thanks for Eretz Yisroel.     

I would like to suggest a different, (what I find to be) a more relatable approach.  The Sifsei Chayim elaborates on the idea that the holiday of Sukkot is to bring kedusha even to the most mundane actions we do.  Every act a person does becomes a mitzvah when done in the Sukkah.  This is akin to living in Eretz Yisroel where one’s living in the land itself is an act of holiness. Both mitzvot establish the theme that the basic acts of daily life can become a holy pursuit.  Our personal act of leaving Egypt is accomplished on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the time for Teshuva.  Sukkot is the time to take the levels we have obtained through our Teshuva and bring that kedusha to our regular everyday activities.  It’s our Eretz Yisroel, where we live in the mundane world but can infuse it with kedusha.  The holiday of Sukkot comes a time when the farmer would be very happy because of the harvest of his produce.  Specifically, at this time the Torah designates a it to be a time of Yom Tov to teache how the simcha for the harvesting of the crops can be channeled to become a simcha of mitzvah.   

We read on the second day of Sukkot the haftorah describing the dedication of the Beis Hamikdash and the ensuing celebration which culminated with the holiday of Sukkot.  The navi says that Shlomo gave a blessing to the people on the eighth day which was Shmini Atzeret.  I would suggest that just as Sukkot commemorates the conquest of Eretz Yisroel, Shmini Atzeret as the culmination is connected to the Beis Hamikdash.  It is the Beis Hamikdash which serves as the reminder of one’s mission of bringing kedusha throughout Eretz Yisroel.  The Mishna and Gemorah in the final chapter of Tractate Sukkah describe the Simchas Beis Hashoavah that took place in the Beis Hamikdash.  There were many large bowls of fire lit so that the whole city was illuminated.  This represented the light of the Beis Hamikdash spreading outside to the world.

The custom is to have Simchas Torah coincide with Shmini Atzeret. What is the connection between the two events?  The Mishna at the end of Taanis says “the wedding day” is Matan Torah and “the day He was happy” is the day of the building of the Beis Hamikdash.  There seems from the Mishna to be a connection between the Mikdash and Torah.  True understanding of Torah can only exist when one can feel the kedushas hatorah.  What brings out this kedusha is the Beis Hamikdash (see Tosfos in Babba Bathra 22a.)  Therefore, the eighth day which represents the Beis Hamikdash, goes together with Simchas Torah.

Two Approaches To Koheles

Rav Eizak Sher, Rosh Yeshiva of Chevron (Leket Sichos Mussar) brings two distinct approaches from two of the great mussar giants, Rav Itzeleh Peterberger and the Alter of Slabadka as to why on Sukkos, a holiday of great joy, the sad and depressing book of Koheles is read.  Rav Itzeleh said that we are strengthening our commitments from Yom Kippur that indeed this world is empty and meaningless and it’s ruchnious that counts.  The Alter said there is an element of great joy in the Megillah for we learn that from hevel havalim one can make holiness.  (Each one’s answer followed their approach to mussar as Rav Itzeleh was from the old school of the mussar movement which put more of a focus on the negative of man but the Alter was from the new school that focused on the greatness of man.)

Rav Dovid Solevetchik says along the lines of the first approach but he also throws in a picture of the simchas beis hashoevah in Volozhin. 

The Simcha Of Basar

!אין שמחה אלא בבשר, הקב"ה רוצה ויש לו שמחה מהעבודה של בשר ודם

The Nature Of Lulav

The Gemorah at the beginning of לולב הגזול is clear that the דין of לכם required by lulav is only on the first day, not on the second day and beyond.  What is the difference between the first and the other days?  Tosfos understands the difference is that on the first day there is a biblical obligation to take the lulav, learnt from ולקחתם לכם ביום הראשון and on there is where the drash of לכם, משלכם applies.  However, the ensuing days are only a rabbinic obligation זכר למקדש where the lulav was taken all seven days and the Rabbis only imposed the mitzvah of taking the lulav. But not all the dinim that go along with it.  According to this understanding, in the Mikdash, where the obligation is biblical, then the din of לכם would apply even beyond the first day. 

The Rambam (Lulav 8:9) is clear that even in the Mikdash the din of לכם is only limited to the first day.  Why does the Rambam disagree with Tosfos? Rav Solevetchik explains that the Rambam holds that the mitzvah of the lulav in Mikdash is distinct from that outside the Mikdash.  The din outside is to take a lulav for one day and its learnt from ולקחתם לכם ביום הראשון and has the limitation of לכם.  However, the mitzvah of lulav in Mikdash isn’t to do the act of picking up a lulav, the lulav is just a means of expressing simcha.  The mitzvah isn’t ולקחתם, its ושמחתם לפני ה', to be in a state of joy, the lulav is a means to the end and hence it’s not limited by laws of ולקחתם for as one as one is holding a lulav that is good enough to facilitate simcha.  Tosfos on the other hand, hold that the mitzvah in Mikdash is merely to extend the obligation of ולקחתם for seven days, hence it is limited by the din of לכם as well.

The problem I have with this is that it doesn’t seem to jive with the Rambam is Sefer Hamitzvot for he only counts lulav as one mitzvah (#169,) according to Rav Solevetchik it should be two mitzvot?  Even if that doesn’t bother you, for since at the end of the day both involve an act of taking the lulav, so it counted as one mitzvah, if we look at the words of the Rambam, he seems to categorize both of the obligations as that of simcha.  He says היא שצונו ליטול לולב ולשמוח בו לפני ה' שבעת ימים. והוא אמרו יתברך ולקחתם לכם ביום הראשון וגו'.  He defines the obligation of the first day also as simcha.  Also in the count of the mitzvot in the beginning of the Laws of Lulav, the Rambam only brings the obligation of taking the lulav seven days in the Mikdash, not the obligation of the first day.  This would seem again because the obligation of one day outside Mikdash is the same yesod of simcha as in the Mikdash, just limited to day one. (See Rav Eliyahu Baruch pg. 200-201 that brings additional supports to this idea.)  So if indeed both inside and outside the Mikdash, the yesod of the mitzvah is simcha, there doesn't seem to be any reason to split between Mikdash and outside, so what is the explanation of the Rambam that splits the dinim?  (Rav Zolti in Mishnas Yaavetz siman 68:2 struggles with some of this point, but doesn't really give a good answer.)  

The Chesed Of The Sukkah

The midrash says that as reward for giving the visitors a place to rest under the עץ, the children of Avrohom merit to get the mitzvah of sukkah (Berashis Rabbah 48:10.)  What is the connection between Avrohom’s welcoming the guests and Sukkot?  The Mishna in Sukkah (28b) says that if it rains on Sukkot its as if a servant comes to serve his master water and the master dumps it on his face.  Why is this parable specifically chosen by the Mishna, true it matches that Hashem is spilling water on us, but what does sukkah have to do with serving Hashem with water?

The kabbalists teach that water, the source of all growth, represents חסד.  After the days of דין of the 10 days of repentance, comes the holiday of Sukkot to sweeten the dinim.  That is the holiday of Sukkot is when we ask for rain.  That is the idea behind the ניסוך המים as well.  The kabbalists say the normal libation of wine is representative of din (see Zohar Shemini 41a: מַאי מַשְׁמַע. דְּכַד עָיֵיל כַּהֲנָא לְבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא, דְּיֵעוּל בְּחֶסֶד דְּאִיהוּ מַיָּא, וְלָא יֵיעוּל בְּיַיִן דְּשָׁתֵי דְּאִיהוּ גְּבוּרָה. יֵיעוּל (בהאי מלה) בְּמַיָּא, וְלָא יֵיעוּל בְּחַמְרָא.)  The libation of water offered on Sukkot, is to sweeten the dinim.  

The Bnei Yissoscher (Tishra maamer 9) brings from the kabbalists that the numerical value of the word sukkah is 91 which is the same as the name of יקוק and אמני combined (26+65.)  The name יקוק is חסד and אמני is גבורה.  Sukkah is what comes to sweeten the din with chesed.  Now we understand very well how the Mishna in Sukkah's parable of comparing sitting in sukkah to giving water for sitting in the sukkah is to bring chesed into the dinim.
 
Rav Asher Weiss cites his Rebbe, the Divrei Yatziv that that's why Rashi says in Sukkah (51a) that by the simchas beis hashoevah they juggled 4 or 8 torches.  The four is to correspond to יקוק and 8 is יקוק combined with אמני.

Based upon this idea Rav Yosef Engel says an interpretation of the previous midrash.  The numerical value of יין is 70 and מים is 90, add the two together, you get עץ, 70 and 90.  The עץ of Avrohom is representative of this idea of the water coming to dilute the gevurot of the wine.

He also points out that the word גבורה is three times the numerical value of the word חסד, 72 and 216.  He explains that’s the idea of bittul issur 1 in 2 for we see חסד has the power to overcome דין that two times larger than it.  And that’s why the way of mixing wine is 1 part water to 2 parts wine, 1 part חסד  to 2 part דין.    

The Bes(h)t Sukkah

The following is from Toras Menachem Sukkos night 2, Year 5727.

Pick Up The Sins

The Torah’s example of סכך is to use פסולת גורן ויקב.  We generally encourage the idea of beautifying and enhancing mitzvot, why here would we use garbage for the mitzvah?  The great simchas beis hashoaveh according to Rashi is because of the drawing of the water for the ניסוך המים, what is so great about the ניסוך המים that it demands such celebration?

The possuk says Emor (23:40) ולקחתם לכם ביום הראשון.  Why is it called the first day if it’s the fifteenth of the month?  The midrash explains it’s ראשון לחשבון עבירות.  The simple interpretation is that during the days between Yom Kippur and Sukkos one is busy preparing the mitzvot so there is no time to sin, only when one finally can sit down it the sukkah, there is time to sin.  Why would the midrash (and possuk,) focus on the return to sin on the onset of the Yom Tov?

The first piece in the Rodamsker on Sukkos explains that the holiday of Sukkos is the time to uplift the fallen sparks of holiness.  That is why the Torah commands to make the schach out of the garbage, for it’s specifically even that which seems cast away that we are trying to elevate.  This can help us understand the great rejoicing of the water.  On Rosh Hashana we go to water to symbolically throw our sins into the water.  We dispose of them as garbage.  Once a few weeks have past and we are able to have been separated from our averos, we now can have a different perspective and appreciate even that which we can gain from the averos.    In halachik terms this would be called the difference between תשובה מיראה  and תשובה מאהבה. 

In a similar vein, Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev says that is the meaning of the midrash.  During the ימים נוראים, the scary days, it’s the time of תשובה מיראה and the averos become absolved.  It is only on Sukkot, when we are able to fulfill many mitzvot, that we can demonstrate תשובה מאהבה and the averos turn into mitzvot.  That is the cheshbon averos the midrash is referencing, it’s not a negative count of averos, on the contrary, it’s the count of the averos that are now turned into mitzvot.

Shiras Ha'azenu Vs. Shiras Hayam

The Rambam at the end of Ch. 8 of the Laws of Sefer torah goes through all the parshiot that are פתוח וסתום.  He says that Shiras Ha'azenu in written צורת שירת האזינו כל שיטה ושיטה יש באמצע ריוח אחד כצורת הפרשה הסתומה ונמצא כל שיטה חלוקה לשתים וכותבין אותה בשבעים שיטות ואלו הן התיבות שבראש כל שיטה ושיטה.  On the other hand, Shiras Hayam is written שירת הים כותבין אותה בשלשים שיטות שיטה ראשונה כדרכה ושאר השיטות אחת מניחין באמצעה ריוח אחד ואחת מניחין הריוח בשני מקומות באמצעה עד שתמצא השיטה חלוקה לשלש ונמצא ריוח כנגד הכתב וכתב כנגד הריוח.  Why is there this difference between the two songs?  The difference in writing represents the different natures of the two shirot.  What is their nature, and how is it reflected by its construction?

The number three represents that which is the head, that which is greater as in the three faculties of the brain.  However, even more than that, a person's head isn't covered, it is left open.  That is because the head is the higher aspect of mankind, that which didn't becomes contaminated by the sin of the atz haddas.  That is shiras hayam.  It is a time of a great revelation of Hashem, it is a great, revealed light.  That is the reason why the words are on top of the breaks between the words as well, for even that which is covered over is touched by that which is revealed.

The number seven represents that which is covered over by nature. טבע comes from the word טבע בים, the light of Hashem is hidden over. That is why the creation of the world goes through the seven lower sefirot to cover over the light of Hashem.  That is the shira of Ha'azenu. Besides the very words being enigmatic, the message contains times of darkness and doom.  That is why there is a column of empty space in the middle, for the revealed words are engulfed by that which is hidden.

However, ultimately it is Ha'azenu that is a greater shira than that of Beshalach.  אז ישיר משה is a hint to techias hamasim but the full message of geulah is contained in Ha'azenu. That is the the paradox; the greater darkness turns into the greatest light (based upon Mishkan Blvavi Evne.)

13 Tishray

In honor of the yom hilulah of the Rebbe Maharash, this Shabbos, 13 Tishray.

The Song Of Life

From the sefer Be'ar Miriam by a talmid of Rav Dovid Solevetchik.

High Holiday Highlights

In this post I have collected some of the things I witnessed during the High Holy days that I thought were funny, examples of missing the boat or just strange.

1. People that drove to and fro from tashlich on Rosh Hashana.

2. An individual who belongs to a group of Klal Yisroel that doesn't eat before the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashana so I heard him telling someone else that he woke up, blew shofar and then happily had a hearty breakfast of cheesecake and coffee.  I think he went l'shitaso after Yom Kippur when he couldn't even wait for havdalah to break his fast.

3. The person telling his son on Yom Kippur that unesane tokef is the most important part of the prayer service, so he should make sure to say it.

4. Those that wished to pray netz so they prayed at a synagogue that has a different liturgy than they are accustomed to, so they had to leave in a jiffy after the silent Shemonei Esrai, not even waiting around for kedusha.

5. Someone who was learning during the al chate recitation of chazaras hashatz.

6. A rabbi who always (almost every holiday, especially by the second half of Sukkot and Pesach,) who has to explain why the new fruit is only placed out on the second day of Rosh Hashana.

7. The fastest maariv of the year; motzei Yom Kippur. 

8. Myself, who was just paying attention to all the above things.

Hopefully, there will be more after Sukkot.

זבח רשעים תועבה And שעיר משתלח

This blog mentioned previously the question of the Gemorah in Shavuot (12b) that why would one need to be atoned for a ביטול עשה with the שעיר משתלח.  If he did teshuva, there is no need for the שעיר for there is immediate forgiveness, and if he didn't do teshuva, then its a זבח רשעים תועבה?  This blog discussed in the past if the שעיר לעזעזל has the status of a korban or not.  This Gemorah seems explicit that it does have the status of a korban? Indeed, the Pnei Yehoshua points out that the language of Rashi on the Gemorah, הא כתיב זבח רשעים תועבה - והיכי מכפר עליה קרבן יוה"כ: is clear that the שעיר has the status of a korban.  However, the Pnei Yehousha himself disagrees with this assertion and understands that the Gemorah is asking from a קל וחומר.  If for a inadvertent sin can't be atoned by a korban, for sure a sin committed wantonly can't be atoned for without teshuva.

We see in this Gemorah (according to Pnei Yehoshua anג those that hold the שעיר isn't a korban,) that the din of זבח רשעים תועבה isn't said as a פסול in a korban.  It's not a law that  of a rasha is disqualified.  It's a law in kapparah, one who is still in the status as one who has violated the averah isn't eligible to  the kapparah of any means. That is what we explained in the past, that זבח רשעים תועבה doesn't disqualify the korban, it disqualifies the kapparah of the korban (see Birchas Avrohom.)      

Vidduy Part Two

The Gemorah in in Yoma (36b – 37a) learns from Moshe’s prayer that the vidduy recitation must be preceded with the word anah.  ומנין שבאנא נאמר כאן כפרה ונאמר להלן בחורב כפרה מה להלן באנא אף כאן באנא ומנין שבשם נאמר כאן כפרה ונאמרה בעגלה ערופה כפרה מה להלן בשם אף כאן בשם.

Rashi says: ומנין שבאנא - יהא וידוי זה:נאמר כפרה בחורב - במעשה עגל (שמות ל״ב:ל׳) אולי אכפרה בעד חטאתכם: מה להלן באנא - אנא חטא העם הזה וגו':  Rashi's comment of  וידוי זה would seem to limit this law specifically to the vidduy recited by the Kohan Gadol but it doesn't apply to any other vidduy.  (Possibly the idea is that it's only a vidduy requesting forgiveness for the sins of many people that requires additional ריצוי ופיוס and hence one must ask forgiveness with annah.) 

However, when we look in Rambam, we see he disagrees.  In Teshuva (1:1) he includes the word אנא in the vidduy recitation of every individual.  כֵּיצַד מִתְוַדִּין. אוֹמֵר אָנָּא הַשֵּׁם חָטָאתִי עָוִיתִי פָּשַׁעְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ וְעָשִׂיתִי כָּךְ וְכָךְ וַהֲרֵי נִחַמְתִּי וּבֹשְׁתִּי בְּמַעֲשַׂי וּלְעוֹלָם אֵינִי חוֹזֵר לְדָבָר זֶה. וְזֶהוּ עִקָּרוֹ שֶׁל וִדּוּי.  It would seem that he disagrees with Rashi and holds its a requirement by every vidduy.  However, when we look at the end of Ch. 3 of מעשה קרבנות, regarding vidduy on a korban, all of a sudden the word annah disappears.  The Rambam says: כֵּיצַד מִתְוַדֶּה. אוֹמֵר חָטָאתִי עָוִיתִי פָּשַׁעְתִּי וְעָשִׂיתִי כָּךְ וְכָךְ וְחָזַרְתִּי בִּתְשׁוּבָה לְפָנֶיךָ וְזוֹ כַּפָּרָתִי.  Why is the word annah omitted in this form of vidduy?  The source for this exception wold be the Toras Kohanim פרשתא דחובה ג:ד that assumes annah is said only on the korban of Yom Kippur, not by the Kohan Gadol who brings his korban if he sinned: "וסמך..ידו על ראש הפר" – לרבות פר יום הכפורים לסמיכה. הלא דין הוא! מה אם זה – שאינו טעון שני וידוים ואינו טעון "אנא" – טעון סמיכה, פר יום הכפורים – שטעון שני וידוים וטעון "אנא" – אינו דין שיטעון סמיכה?!.  We see from here that its not not an obligation to say annah by all korbanot. But what is the understanding of this, why would the vidduy of korbanot be different?  We can understand this based upon the principle mentioned in the previous post that the vidduy of korbanot isn't the same as the vidduy of teshuva, it is merely a declaration of the purpose of the korban.  With that distinction we can understand that its only when saying vidduy as part of teshuva that there is need for additional supplication and one must add annah.  However, as a mere declaration of purpose, there is no need to say annah. 

Based upon this, it comes out that the vidduy of the Yom Kippur offerings are not because they are korbanot, but because of teshuva.  The korbanot of Yom Kippur are all offered to enhance the process of one's teshuva and their vidduy is the vidduy of teshuva.  

It is also noteworthy that the Rambam doesn't include the word annah in one's personal request of vidduy on Yom Kippur.  His text (Laws of Teshuva 2:8) is אֲבָל אֲנַחְנוּ חָטָאנוּ (כֻּלָּנוּ) וְהוּא עִקַּר הַוִּדּוּי.  Why is the word annah omitted?  This can be understood based upon the previous post, that the vidduy of Yom Kippur is an expression of the innermost part of the soul and on that level there is no room for great requests of appeasement, for on such levels, one is in fact distant from sin.  

Special Yom Kippur Vidduy

The Rambam in the first law of Teshuva sets forth the test of vidduy that one must say: וִדּוּי זֶה מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה. כֵּיצַד מִתְוַדִּין. אוֹמֵר אָנָּא הַשֵּׁם חָטָאתִי עָוִיתִי פָּשַׁעְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ וְעָשִׂיתִי כָּךְ וְכָךְ וַהֲרֵי נִחַמְתִּי וּבֹשְׁתִּי בְּמַעֲשַׂי וּלְעוֹלָם אֵינִי חוֹזֵר לְדָבָר זֶה. וְזֶהוּ עִקָּרוֹ שֶׁל וִדּוּי.  The vidduy includes acknowledging the sin, separating one’s self from the sin, and a resolution not to do it in the future.  The Achronim ask that the text of the vidduy of Yom Kippur is much shorter than this as the Rambam himself in Ch. 2 Law 8 says: הַוִּדּוּי שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ בּוֹ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲבָל אֲנַחְנוּ חָטָאנוּ (כֻּלָּנוּ) וְהוּא עִקַּר הַוִּדּוּי. עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁהִתְוַדָּה עֲלֵיהֶם בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים זֶה חוֹזֵר וּמִתְוַדֶּה עֲלֵיהֶן בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים אַחֵר אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֵד בִּתְשׁוּבָתוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים נא ה) "כִּי פְשָׁעַי אֲנִי אֵדָע וְחַטָּאתִי נֶגְדִּי תָמִיד":  What happened to mentioning the וַהֲרֵי נִחַמְתִּי וּבֹשְׁתִּי בְּמַעֲשַׂי וּלְעוֹלָם אֵינִי חוֹזֵר לְדָבָר זֶה, how are these key elements of the vidduy omitted on Yom Kippur?

In the past, this blog mentioned an idea of the Briskors that we find in Rambam two types of vidduy.  One is what we mentioned from the beginning of the Laws of Teshuva and is part of the teshuva process.  Another type of vidduy is that which the Rambam brings at the end of Ch. 3 of מעשה קרבנות, that one must say vidduy when bringing a korban.  This isn’t a vidduy as part of teshuva, it’s a din in describing why the korban is being offered. 

The Mishna in Yoma (35b) says the text of the vidduy recited by the Kohan Gadol on Yom Kippur is וכך היה אומר אנא השם עויתי פשעתי חטאתי לפניך.  The Ran (end of Yoma,) the Yereim (263) and Levush siman 407 all say that the vidduy we recite on Yom Kippur is pattered after the vidduy of the Kohan Gadol.  Putting 1 and 1 together, says Rav Eliyahu Baruch Finkel, that the vidduy we recite on Yom Kippur isn’t the vidduy of teshuva, it’s the vidduy said over a korban.  Just as one must say vidduy at the time of the kapparas hakorban, so too we say vidduy at the time of kapporas hayom. 

There are a couple of problems with his thesis.  The most glaring issue is (as he says himself,) it comes out a huge חידוש לדינא that the nussach of the vidduy printed in the machzor for Yom Kippur is insufficient for vidduy of teshuva and a person would have to add at least one time something along the lines of the text of the Rambam’s teshuva vidduy to completely fulfill the mitzvah of teshuva.  It is quite astonishing that such a din wouldn’t be pointed out by anyone until the end of the 20^th century.  Another issue is that it just doesn’t fit with the words of the Rambam.  Besides omitting the part of עזיבת החטא וקבלה על העתיד in the vidduy of Yom Kippur, the Rambam also omits the עויתי פשעתי part and says one must only say חטאתי (his souce is from Yoma 87b, see Kesef Mishne.)  According to Rav Eliyahu Baruch, that this vidduy is patterned after the words of the Kohan Gadol, these words should be necessary as well?  (The Lechem Mishne says the Rambam doesn’t mean to exclude those words and he means חטאנו וכו, but obviously that is very forced.)  Finally, if the vidduy of the שעיר משתלח is a din in the korban, not as a fulfillment of teshuva, why doesn’t the Rambam mention it in the Laws of מעשה קרבנות?

This would lead us to assume in the Rambam that the vidduy of Yom Kippur is different from that of the rest of the year.  Rav Eliyahu Baruch shoots this down from a Gemorah in Shevuot (12b) that questions why the ברייתא says that the שעיר משתלח atones for missing a positive mitzvah: האי עשה ה"ד אי דלא עבד תשובה (משלי כא, כז) זבח רשעים תועבה אי דעבד תשובה כל יומא נמי דתניא עבר על מצות עשה ועשה תשובה לא זז משם עד שמוחלין לו?  Asks Rav Eliyahu Baruch, why doesn’t the Gemorah say that you did teshuva, but only said the vidduy that works on Yom Kippur, so everyday there wouldn’t have been atonement?  I don’t find his question earth shattering.  The Gemorah is questioning why the person needs the atonement of the שעיר לעזעזל, not the atonement of the day itself, if he said the vidduy that suffices on Yom Kippur, he still doesn’t need the שעיר לעזעזל, for he is atoned by his teshuva and vidduy done before the goat is sent away.  However, we need to explain what is different about the vidduy of Yom Kippur.

The Gemorah (ibid) answers the question that it follows the opinion of Rebbe that Yom Kippur atones even without teshuva.  How is this to be understood, how can the day itself cause atonement?  In the past few weeks this blog mentioned the idea that there is an element of the person’s soul that can never be contaminated by sin. In Chassidus it explains the idea of Yom Kippur atoning is because the essence of the Jew, the part which can never be tainted, is revealed.  Every person (at least sub-consciously) enters into the Kodesh Kadoshim of his own soul and comes out pure.  Says the Binyan Av (volume 5 siman 39,) on Yom Kippur, God looks deeply into the core of every Jew and sees s/he doesn’t want to sin at all.  It is only because of the רוח שטות and outside circumstances that one sins.  When one views the soul from this perspective, the tables are turned.  Not only is the חטא a mere שוגג, but every sin is considered only a חטאת for it was the never the true intent of the Jew to sin.  That is why the only thing we must declare on Yom Kippur is חטאתי for it the day we are looked at from the perspective of the deepest parts of our souls.  That is what the passuk means כי לכל העם בשגגה, on Yom Kippur every sin is viewed from the sole perspective of the inner soul and then everything is a mere שוגג.  

With this idea we can understand why the Yom Kippur vidduy doesn’t require the usual עזיבת החטא וקבלה על העתיד because when the inner depths of the soul are revealed there no possibility and no connection to sin.  Those declarations are only necessary for a person to distance themselves from sin.  However, on this day, when the inner dimensions of the soul shine forth there is automatically no connection to sin and long vidduy become not only irrelevant, yea, they are inappropriate.