When To Say ברוך שם

The Gemarah Yoma (37a) says that when the people hear the Kohan gadol uttering the שם המפורש the people say ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו and the Gemarah says the source תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: ״כִּי שֵׁם ה׳ אֶקְרָא הָבוּ גוֹדֶל לֵאלֹהֵינוּ״, אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאֲנִי מַזְכִּיר שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַתֶּם הָבוּ גּוֹדֶל.  The Gemarah Taanis (16a) says וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין עוֹנִין ״אָמֵן״ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ — שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״קוּמוּ בָּרְכוּ אֶת ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם מִן הָעוֹלָם עַד הָעוֹלָם וִיבָרְכוּ שֵׁם כְּבֹדֶךָ וּמְרוֹמַם עַל כׇּל בְּרָכָה וּתְהִלָּה.  Why do we need two pessukim to tell us that amen is not uttered in the Mikdash?  

Rav Soloveitchik explains these two Gemarot are two different discussions.  The Gemarah in Yoma is talking about the response of the nation to hearing the שם המפורש.  The Gemarah tells us for that that, כִּי שֵׁם ה׳, when the name of Hashem is pronounced, it obligates a response of ברוך שם.  The Gemarah in Taanis is another discussion about the response of kohanim to a beracha in the Mikdash.  That is not a din in hearing the name of Hashem annunciated, but a din in the קיום of the shem Hashem being uttered.  The נ"מ is even after Shimon Hatzaddik passed away and the שם מפורש was no longer used, still the kohanim would respond with ברוך שם because there is a קיום of the announcement of שם מפורש and that timeframe obligates a ברוך שם.  With this idea Rav Soloveitchik explains that is the מחייב for saying ברוך שם in Shema.  The Gra (on Orach Chayim siman 5) says that in Shema when one says the name of Hashem one has to have kavana not only for אדנות like every beracha for also for the explanation of הוי"ה.  In other words, in Shema there is a kium of mentioning the name of Hashem and hence we say ברוך שם.  

On Y.K. the blood is sprinkled אחת למעלה ושבעה למטה.  The אחת is drawn down into the 7 middot of a person.  To bring the holiness of Y.K. into a person.  The Alter Rebbe explains in great depth in the שער היחוד והאמונה how שמע ישראל is יחודא עילאה and ברוך שם  is  יחודא תתאה.  On Y.K. we given a lot of attention to ברוך שם because we want to take the kedusha of the day and be able to put it into a כלי to use throughout the year.

Getting Close

The last Mishna in Yoma says אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, אַשְׁרֵיכֶם יִשְׂרָאֵל, לִפְנֵי מִי אַתֶּם מִטַּהֲרִין, וּמִי מְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם. The line seems to be a contradiction in of its self, on the one hand it says  מִי אַתֶּם מִטַּהֲרִין, you have have to purify yourself but on the other hand it says וּמִי מְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם, that Hashem will do the tahara for a person?  The Rambam rules that the day of Yom Kippur is מכפר, how does the day itself cause atonement?  Why does the Torah call Yom Kippur a day of עינוי?   

We say ברוך שם loud on Y.K. because we are like angles.  How are we like angles?  What the Mikdash is in space, Yom Kippur is in time.  The Mikdash is the place where one can come the closest to Hashem and Yom Kippur is the day when one can come closest to Hashem.  In the Mikdash, ברוך שם was already uttered at the end of a beracha or when hearing the שם מפורש because when one feels they are  in the presence of Hashem, then one acknowledges that by saying ברוך שם.  Normally, we don't feel that Presence and can't utter it aloud.  However, on Y.K. we are able to experience the same closeness to Hashem as one sanding in the Mikdash, it is a feeling of being 'לפני ה and therefore we say ברוך שם aloud.  That is what it means we are like angles.  Just as angles recognize the Presence of Hashem ,we are able to come to that recognition on Y.K .as well. 

The two stages alluded two by the Mishna in Yoma are two stages a person must go through to obtain teshuva.  The first is לִפְנֵי מִי אַתֶּם מִטַּהֲרִין, where a person works upon his self to become a better person.  After that, וּמִי מְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם, Hashem provides tahara for the person.   

The Maharal says that the tahara of Hashem is compared to a mikvah for just as a mikvah is only metahar one when one is totally submerged, so too on Yom Kippur one is totally connected to Hashem.  The explains since on Y.K. we become elevated beyond our general physical limitations and are able to come close to Hashem.  That is the two step process of tahara the Mishna is alluding too.  The first step is the inuy of Y..K. which lets a person elevate above their normal physical boundaries and the next step is the tahara which is produces by dint of merely being close to Hashem.  Just as the Mikdash itself, the closeness a person felt brought about tehuva as in the story with יוסף משיתא, so too the closeness to Hashem on Y.K. itself makes one a better person.  That is how the tahara of Y.K. works; how the day itself can bring כפרה, for it is the day itself that brings this sense of closeness with Hashem. 

Standing Before Hashem

This post is based upon a shmuuz by R' Elefant. 

The Gemarah Rosh Hashana (26a) says  שופר כיון דלזכרון הוא כבפנים דמי.  What does זכרון have anything to do with making it כלפנים?  The Gemarah (16a) says אמר הקב"ה אמרו לפני בר"ה מלכיות זכרונות ושופרות. מלכיות – כדי שתמליכוני עליכם, זכרונות – כדי שיבא לפני זכרונכם לטובה.  How does saying pesskim of זכרונות cause us to be remembered for good?      

The possuk in Bechukosay (26:42) says וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקוֹב וְאַף אֶת בְּרִיתִי יִצְחָק וְאַף אֶת בְּרִיתִי אַבְרָהָם אֶזְכֹּר וְהָאָרֶץ אֶזְכֹּר Rashi says ולמה לא נאמרה זכירה ביצחק אלא אפרו של יצחק נראה לפני צבור ומונח על המזבח.  What does this mean that Yitzchak doesn't need to be remembered because his ashes are there?  Rav Tzaddok explains that Yitzchak had the middah of yirah which means he always saw himself as standing before Hashem.  Therefore, middah kineged middah, Hashem always is viewing Yitzchak.  When one recognizes that they are standing before Hashem, Hashem remembers the individual as well.  Hence, if one recites the pessukim of zichronot, one is cognizant of being before Hashem, then the individual is remembered.  That is what the Gemarah means that by blowing the shofar and accepting the fact that one is before Hashem, therefore one is as close to Hashem as can be just like the kohan gadol in the kodesh hakadashim. 

Why is Rosh Hashana the day for this focus?  Since it is the day of the creation of man, one can go back to the original point of creation where man recognized that he is always standing before Hashem.  

Why does Rosh Hashana come before Yom Kippur when it would seem more logical to come into the new year cleansed form sin?   

The Gemarah Sanhedrin (43b) says אריב"ל כל הזובח את יצרו ומתודה עליו מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו כיבדו להקב"ה.  Why is saying viduy considered a kavod for Hashem?  We see in the intro. to vidduy תָּבֹא לְפָנֶיךָ תְּפִלָּתֵנוּ. וְאַל־תִּתְעַלַּם מַלְכֵּנוּ מִתְּחִנָּתֵנוּ.  Where is the תפלה and תחינה in vidduy?  

 The yesod of viduy is to say על חטא שחטאנו לפניך, to acknowledge that one is before Hashem and one's sins was due to a lack of that recognition.  Hence, when one does vidduy, and says I am before You, Hahem, that is an increase of the kavod Hashem in the world.  One has "brought" Hashem into a place of one's soul where Hi Presence was not felt yet.  That is why vidduy is called an act of prayer for prayer means to stand before Hashem (Rav Chayim Tefillah.)  So too, when one does vidduy one places themselves before Hashem.  That is the yesod of teshuva; to place Hashem before one's self.  וְהַחֲזִירֵנוּ בִתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה לְפָנֶיךָ, to come before Hashem.  That is the prayer of the shofar a well.  It is man placing himself before Hashem.  This is a process that starts with the avodah of Rosh Hashana, of accepting Hashem's dominion over one's self and is completed with the vidduy on Yom Kippur.  The starting point has to be Rosh Hashana to inspire one's vidduy to be a true vidduy.

Yell Out

We say in the berachot of shofrot, כִּי אַתָּה שׁוֹמֵֽעַ קוֹל שׁוֹפָר וּמַאֲזִין תְּרוּעָה וְאֵין דּֽוֹמֶה לָּךְ.  What is the special praise that Hashem listens to the shofar?  As discussed previously,  The Briskor Rav explains that the shofar is a form of prayer.  What is so unique and special about the shofar prayer?   

We say in the parsha of reading bikkurim, וַנִּצְעַ֕ק אֶל־ה' אֱלֹקֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע ה' אֶת־קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיַּ֧רְא אֶת־עׇנְיֵ֛נוּ וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ וְאֶֽת־לַחֲצֵֽנוּ.  What is a צעקה?  The Netziv says, את קולנו. כבר ביארנו לעיל א׳ מ״ה וה׳ כ״ה משמעות קולנו. בלי דברי תפלה זכה. רק צעקה מעומק הלב. זהו פשטא דקרא.  The prayer of Klal Yisrael was a mere cry, without any clear structure.  The Chafetz Chayim comments on this verse that if one yells at a time of hardship, Hashem will answer immediately.  Why is such a prayer readily accepted?    

The Mabit questions that there are pessukim which describes how people's prayers were answered when they cried out loud but on the other hand the Gemarah Berachot (24b) says  הַמַּשְׁמִיעַ קוֹלוֹ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ — הֲרֵי זֶה מִקְּטַנֵּי אֲמָנָה?  The answer maybe that when one is praying in a normal format then one should pray silently.  However, when one is in a situation of pain, then one's natural reaction is to yell.  It such a situation, yelling is the expected form of prayer.  Such a prayer, where one just cries out undiluted by words, is a cry from the depth of one's heart and such a prayer is readily accepted.   

The Shulchan Aruch (101:3) says י"א שבר"ה וי"ה מותר להשמיע קולו בתפלתו אפי' בציבור.  Why is there this custom?  See the M.B.  In light of this difference, we can say that on the High Holy Days one is considered to be in a situation of danger (see Beit Yosef 602, Or Yisrael siman 7) and hence one screams because of the difficult situation.  

That is the prayer of the shofar.  It is a cry which comes from the soul of the individual.  The beracha of shofrot reflects that Hashem perceives the feelings of the person expressed via the shofar and listens to the deep cry of the soul (based upon Yareach L'moadim maamer 37-38 and source sheets of Rabbi Yehuda Gutman.)  

The possuk in Tehillim (107:6) וַיִּצְעֲק֣וּ אֶל⁠־י֭״י בַּצַּ֣ר לָהֶ֑ם מִ֝מְּצ֥וּקוֹתֵיהֶ֗ם יַצִּילֵֽם.  The Alter Rebbe (Likutay Torah Nitzavim 45b) relates the word ויצעקו to the word ויצעק found in Shoftim (12:1) ויצעק איש אפרים which means to gather for in a צעקה one summons and gathers together all of one's feelings to pour them out to Hashem.  That it the prayer of the shofar.  It is the depths of the soul which are brought out through the cry of the shofar.

A Shofar Day

The Rambam Teshuva (3:4) אע"פ שתקיעת שופר בראש השנה גזירת הכתוב רמז יש בו כלומר עורו ישינים משנתכם ונרדמים הקיצו מתרדמתכם וחפשו במעשיכם וחזרו בתשובה וזכרו בוראכם.  Rav Chayim Kamil cites Rav Yechezkel Abramsky that the source of the Rambam is the possuk יום תרועה יהיה לכם.  The Torah doesn't say תריעו ביום זה which would mean to blow the shofar on the day but rather יום תרועה יהיה לכם, meaning the entire day should carry the feeling of the תרועה.  From here we see there is a message to the shofar which must be felt throughout the entirety of the day.  The Rambam says that message is the message of awakening from one's slumber. The Netziv says a similar idea on the possuk of זכרון תרועה (Emor 23:24) עוד יש להבין הא דכתיב כאן זכרון תרועה ובאמת המצוה להריע בפועל כמו שכתוב בפ׳ מוספין יום תרועה. וא״כ מהו זכרון. עוד יש להבין מה זה פי׳ הכתוב תרועה והלא אין תרועה בלי תקיעה. אלא כ״ז רמז על ענין קדושת היום ומוראו. והנה בפ׳ בהעלתך כתיב וביום שמחתכם וגו׳ ותקעתם וגו׳ וכי תבאו מלחמה וגו׳ והרעתם וגו׳ והקבלה ידועה שאין תקיעה בלי תרועה ואין תרועה בלי תקיעה לפניה ולאחריה. אלא המקרא מרמז עיקר תכלית המצוה. דביום שמחה התכלית הוא התקיעה שהוא לשמחה. והתרועה בא לצרוף ובא להזכיר ולהתעורר לשמור עצמו שלא יהא אחרית שמחה תוגה כדאי׳ שלהי קידושין סקבא דשתא ריגלא. משא״כ ביום רעה של המלחמה וכדומה עיקרו התרועה והתקיעה באה עמו לצירוף שלא יתייאש מן התקוה והגאולה. ומעתה דכתיב בר״ה יום תרועה למדנו דראוי להתעורר בו התעוררות תרועה שהוא יום הדין ולא תרועה בלבד אלא זכרון תרועה שיהא נזכר שהוא יום תרועה.  The blowing of the shofar is not just a mitzvah to be done on Rosh Hashana but defines the day of Rosh Hashana as a day of truah, a day of self awakening. 

The Gemarah Rosh Hahashana  (28a-b) says  שְׁלַחוּ לֵיהּ לַאֲבוּהּ דִּשְׁמוּאֵל: כְּפָאוֹ וְאָכַל מַצָּה — יָצָא. כְּפָאוֹ מַאן? אִילֵימָא כְּפָאוֹ שֵׁד, וְהָתַנְיָא: עִתִּים חָלִים עִתִּים שׁוֹטֶה, כְּשֶׁהוּא חָלִים — הֲרֵי הוּא כְּפִקֵּחַ לְכׇל דְּבָרָיו, כְּשֶׁהוּא שׁוֹטֶה — הֲרֵי הוּא כְּשׁוֹטֶה לְכׇל דְּבָרָיו! אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: שֶׁכְּפָאוּהוּ פָּרְסִיִּים. אָמַר רָבָא, זֹאת אוֹמֶרֶת: הַתּוֹקֵעַ לָשִׁיר — יָצָא. פְּשִׁיטָא, הַיְינוּ הָךְ! מַהוּ דְּתֵימָא: הָתָם, אֱכוֹל מַצָּה אָמַר רַחֲמָנָא — וְהָא אֲכַל, אֲבָל הָכָא, ״זִכְרוֹן תְּרוּעָה״ כְּתִיב, וְהַאי מִתְעַסֵּק בְּעָלְמָא הוּא — קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.  Rashi explains the difference between matzah and shofar is that eating matzah is an action one gets pleasure from and we find that even a מתעסק is obligated for that, so I could have argued that one is yotzei when eating matzah under duress but blowing shofar without kavanah may not work, קמ"ל that mitzvot don't need kavanah.  

The Rambam Shofar (2:4) rules that הַמִּתְעַסֵּק בִּתְקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר לְהִתְלַמֵּד לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ even though he rules if one eats matzah under duress he has fulfilled his obligation (Matzah 6:3.)  How do these two rulings not contradict each other?  The Kesef Mishne evokes the sevarah that Rashi said.  Only when it comes to matzah where one gets physical benefit is kavana not required but for shofar kavana is needed to fulfill the mitzvah.  The Netziv says that the girsa we have in the Gemarah indicates a different sevarah.  The Gemarah says the difference is that in regard to shofar it says זכרון תרועה, in other words the Gemarah is saying that the point of shofar is to awaken a person, as the Rambam describes, and therefore I might say that kavanah is meakav in the mitzvah.  The Rambam is ruling that only regarding the shofar because of the fact that the shofar contains a kavanah which defines the day does one need kavanah for the mitzvh even though normally he holds that one can fulfill a mitzvah without kavanah.  A shofar without kavana maybe a maaseh mitzvah but it lacks the component of arousing one from their lumber.

Lock It In

Why are the last two mitzvot in the Torah that of writing the Torah and the mitzvah of hakhal?  Why is hakhal done specifically on Sukkot in the year after shemitah?  

The Torah refers to this time a במועד שנת השמיטה because it is after a year of not working the land that one can see that it was a shemitah year (Netziv.)  That is not only true in the sense of the lack of growth of the field but in the growth of the person.  After such a year of spiritual growth, the Torah says to lock it those gains and extend them into the next shemitah cycle.  Says the Oznaim L'Torah, that is why hakhal is done on Sukkot because Sukkot is חג האסיף, the time to reap the harvest of the spiritual gains of the previous year.  What is the message of hakhal that one takes to lead into the next shemitah cycle?  The message is ליראה את ה, as the Rambam Chagigah (3:6) describes the event as a reenactment of maamad Har Sinai.  It is the yira experienced through that maamad which carries one back into everyday life to remain steadfast in serving Hashem.  

The two final mitzvot are a message to Klal Yisrael as they are about to leave the Midbar to take the gains and the years of spiritual growth that they experienced and take that "Sinai effect" and bring it with them into Eretz Yisrael.  There were two aspects to the "Sinai existence" in the Midbar.  There was the learning of Torah and that is expressed through the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah and the aspect of yiras Hashem through seeing Hashem's miracles on a daily basis.  That idea is reflected through the mitzvah of hakhal.  That is why these two mitzvot are given right before entering Eretz Yisrael.  The mitzvot are a way of tapping into the spiritual gains of the Midbar to assist in the transfer to living a worldly existence of Eretz Yisrael (see Likutay Sichos volume 34.)    

Why does it need to tell us אתם נצבים היום כולכם if we already know everyone is gathered from the end of the previous parsha, וַיִּקְרָ֥א מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶל⁠־כׇּל⁠־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל?  These are two types of gatherings for two different purposes.  At the end of Ki Savo, everyone is reminded to keep the Torah, וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֗ם אֶת⁠־דִּבְרֵי֙ הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֔את וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם.  It is a gathering about the experience of Torah and mitzvot.  In the beginning of Nitzavim, the Torah stresses טפכם נשיכם וגרך אשר בקרב מחניך just as it does by hakhal for this gathering is to form a bris with Hahem.  Everyone is present to enter the bris regardless of level.  This is the yirah aspect.  To experience the presence of Hashem even beyond the boundaries of Torah and mtizvot.  That is a message everyone, even children must experience.        

Grow Holiness

Berashis Rabbah (1:4) רַב הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַב מַתְנָה אָמַר, בִּזְכוּת שְׁלשָׁה דְּבָרִים נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם, בִּזְכוּת חַלָּה, וּבִזְכוּת מַעַשְׂרוֹת, וּבִזְכוּת בִּכּוּרִים, וּמַה טַּעַם, בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, וְאֵין רֵאשִׁית אֶלָא חַלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טו, כ): רֵאשִׁית עֲרִסֹתֵיכֶם, אֵין רֵאשִׁית אֶלָּא מַעַשְׂרוֹת, הֵיךְ דְּאַתְּ אָמַר (דברים יח, ד): רֵאשִׁית דְּגָנְךָ, וְאֵין רֵאשִׁית אֶלָּא בִּכּוּרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כג, יט): רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ וגו'.  Why is bikkurim a zechut to create the world?   The Sifrei says והיה כי תבוא אל הארץ . עשה מצוה האמורה בענין, שבשכרה תכנס לארץ.  The Achronim ask that bikkurim only applies after the land is settled so how can it be a zechut to merit Eretz Yisrael?  Furthermore, what does bikkurim have to do with getting Eretz Yisrael?  

The possuk in last week's parsha (24:5) says כי יקח איש אשה חדשה לא יצא בצבא ולא יעבר עליו לכל דבר נקי יהיה לביתו שנה אחת ושמח את אשתו אשר לקח.  The Baal HaTurim points out that the last letters of  נקי יהיה לביתו שנה spell out the name of Hashem. The baaleh remez say this is a hint to the idea that the first year of something should be designated completely for Hashem.  In other words, at the very onset of something new, when one is exited and most interested, that should be used to give it over to Hashem to show that the whole project is for Hashem.  That is the lesson of the bikkurim.  The first fruits, when the farmer is exited to see the fruits of his labor, that should be given to Hashem to indicate the entire harvest is to be used to do good things.  As the Toldot Yaakov Yosef puts it, ובדרך פרט, ראשית פרי אדמתך תביא בית ה' אלהיך, כי פרי אדמתך כולל הכל, כמ"ש (קהלת ג, כ) הכל הי' מן העפר, וכן דרשו חז"ל (עי' בר"ר ח, א) תוצא הארץ נפש חיה (בראשית א, כד) זה נפשו של אדם הראשון, יעו"ש, ומכל דבר תקח ראשית לה' אלהיך.  וכן בכל דבר בכל חושי אדם יהי' ראשית לה', הן בדיבור, תינוק המתחיל לדבר ילמדו תחלה לשון הקודש (דברים לג, ד) תורה צוה לנו (סוכה מב.). הן במעשה יום ביומו יהי' ראשית פרי האדם שילך לבית הכנסת קודם שיעסוק בעסקיו, והוא תועלת גדול לכמה דברים, שיוכל להתפלל בכוונה בלי מחשבה זרה וכיוצא בזה, מלבד מה שיצליח בעסקיו. וכן בשאר חושי האדם בראי' ובשמיעה ובהילוך ובמישוש, ישמע חכם ויוסיף לקח. גם במאכל [ו]משתה, ראשית ומובחר יתן לעני הגון, וכיוצא בכל דבר ודבר ימצא שיהי' ראשית לה', וזהו נקרא ביכורים.  

This is the intent of the Sifrei that שבשכרה תכנס לארץ.  In the merit of internalizing the message of the bikkurim that even one's mundane activities should be designated for Hashem Klal Yisrael will merit to enter Eretz Yisrael.  The advantage of E.Y. over the midbar was that the land is infused with kedusha and through keeping the mitzvot of the land Klal Yisrael tap into the kedusha of the land.  The ארץ, in one's דרך ארץ, to find kedusha in that is the message of bikkurim. 

This is what the Midrash mean the world was created for bikkurim.  The world was created שנתאוה הקדוש ברוך הוא להיות לו דירה בתחתונים.  In ones general activities that would seem to be devoid of kedusha, that is where one must bring the light of kedusha into it.  ולקחת מראשית כל פרי האדמה אשר תביא מארצך.  Says the אזנים לתורה, 

It is the work one does that one does in the field, all the sweat in the field becomes elevated when one brings bikkurim.  When one's physical labor is used for bikkurim, when one takes the fruits of one's labors and uses that for kedusha it is making a דירה בתחתונים (based upon Nesivos Shalom.)