Yom Kippur Realizing the Ultimate Levels of Sanctity

 

As noted in the Dvar Torah for Rosh haShana, Rebbe Natan, the spiritual heir of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, presents a detailed exposition of his thesis that the special days of the month of Tishrei: Rosh haShana, the Ten Days of Penitence, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, are all focused on "revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, to allow us to merit coming to the Land."

The primary service of Rosh haShana is God's coronation over His nation and over the entire universe, and throughout the Ten Days of Penitence, God's monarchy is developed and solidified, with the essential expression of His monarchy being within His Land, the Land of Israel.

Rebbe Natan perceives a parallel between the Ten Days of Penitence and the ten levels of sanctity within the Land of Israel, as the Mishna [Keilim 1:6-9] teaches:

There are ten sanctities; Israel is holier than all other lands; 1) (within Israel) walled cities are holier than unwalled cities; 2) within the walls of Jerusalem is holier than other walled cities; 3) the Temple Mount is holier than the rest of Jerusalem; 4) the Ḥeil within the Temple Mount is holier; 5) The Courtyard of Women is holier than the Ḥeil;  6) The Courtyard of Israel is holier; 7) The Courtyard of Kohanim is holier;  8) between the ulam and altar is holier; 9) the Heichal is holier; 10) the Holy of Holies is holier.

The pinnacle of sanctity within our world is the Holy of Holies of the Temple, entry to which is permitted only to the High Priest as part of the Yom Kippur service; in parallel, the peak of sanctity of time is Yom Kippur.

            Rebbe Natan writes:

On Rosh haShana we begin building and revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, and during the Ten Days of Penitence we merit the ten levels of the Land's sanctity, until on the tenth day, Yom Kippur, we merit the epitome of sanctity, which is the aspect of the Holy of Holies. Therefore, it is specifically on this day that the High Priest enters the Holy of Holies, since on this day we achieve this sublime sanctity.

            The Ten Days of Penitence are devoted not only to repentance, but also to completing the coronation of God over His nation and the entire world, a matter which is inextricably connected to revealing the sanctity of the Land of Israel. This process reaches its apex on Yom Kippur, when there is complete congruence between the ten levels of the Land's sanctity and the Ten Days of Penitence. Thus, it is specifically on Yom Kippur that the convergence of sanctity of place and of time facilitates the High Priest's entry into the Holy of Holies; and in realizing the highest levels of sanctity, it conveys an aspect of the completion of God's coronation.

 

Shemini Atzeret the Peak of Joy

 

As we noted in the Divrei Torah for Rosh haShana and Yom Kippur, Rebbe Natan, the spiritual heir of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, systematically presents his thesis that the special days of the month of Tishrei are all focused on "revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, to allow us to merit coming to the Land."

Shemini Atzeret (and Simḥat Torah), which completes the special days of Tishrei, also is the pinnacle of "the time of our joy." The connection to revealing the sanctity of the Land lies in the fact that "we must ascend to Eretz Yisrael in joy, as we pray 'Bring us up to our Land in joy' [musaf prayer], and as Scripture [Isaiah 35:10] states 'and they shall come to Zion with song, with eternal joy upon their heads'."

Rebbe Natan writes that Shemini Atzeret/Simḥat Torah "constitutes the essential completion of acceptance of God's monarchy, which hints at the Land of Israel, may we be privileged to enter her speedily in our days. Shemini Atzeret) is truly great, since the essence of joy is in capturing the Land of Israel, as the verses [Deuteronomy 12:1,11] state 'When you come into the Land … You will rejoice with all the goodness …'"

That is, Shemini Atzeret is the peak of joy of the festivals of Tishrei, and the essential joy for Jews is coming to the Land of Israel. Thus, on Shemini Atzeret we complete the process of revealing the sanctity of the Land, which is the underlying theme of the festivals of Tishrei.

We may add to Rebbe Natan's insightful comments that as Simḥat Torah, Shemini Atzeret has an additional connection to the sanctity of the Land. Thus writes Rabbi Meir Simḥa of Dvinsk:

From the day our holy Torah Was given, prophecy has unceasingly mandated settling the Land, and there is no Torah portion in which the Land is not mentioned, (emphasis mine) and even concerning mitzvot which are personal obligations (and not dependent upon the Land), the verses declare "When He brings you to the Land" – "When you come to the Land" – fulfill this mitzva that you will enter the Land [Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 37b].  Even concerning mitzvot which the intellect mandates and which apply in all places and at all times, such as respecting one's parents, the Torah states " … in order that your days be lengthened on the Land that the Lord, your God, is giving you."

Approximately a century and a half prior to the days of Rabbi Meir Simḥa, Rabbi Ya'akov Emdin wrote "Eretz Yisrael is the peg upon which all of Torah hangs."  [Introduction to Siddur Bet Ya'akov, p. 22]

            It is as clear as the sun that Torah and the Land of Israel are interconnected and complete each other, and therefore Simḥat Torah is certainly also the time of the joy of Eretz Yisrael.

 

Rosh haShana and the Sanctity of the Land

 

Rebbe Natan, the spiritual heir of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, presents a detailed exposition of his thesis that the special days of the month of Tishrei: Rosh haShana, the Ten Days of Penitence, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, are all focused on "revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, to allow us to merit coming to the Land."

The sanctity of Eretz Yisrael is manifest specifically at Rosh haShana "since the essence of the Land's sanctity springs from the beginning of the year, as Scripture states 'It is a Land the Lord your God cares for. He is always watching over it from the beginning to the end of the year' [Deuteronomy 11:12], meaning that (starting) from Rosh haShana throughout the year, the eyes of God's providence are upon the Land, and the essence of her sanctity derives from the eyes of God."

Beyond this, Rosh haShana is the time of coronating God over His nation and over the entire universe, and "(God's) monarchy is connected to the Land of Israel, which is the prime venue for its revelation." As our Sages taught: "One who resides in the Land of Israel is considered as having a God." [Babylonian Talmud, Ketubot 110b]

Following the conclusion of the amida of the night of Rosh haShana, the cantor and congregation recite chapter twenty-four of Psalms: "The land is God's and the fullness thereof" verse by verse. Rashi comments "The land is God's – the Land of Israel." Based on this, Rebbe Natan writes that the reason the Rosh haShana prayers commence with this Psalm is that "the essential revelation of God's monarchy is within the Land of Israel, therefore, on Rosh haShana, when we are engaged in revealing His monarchy, the central point is to reveal the sanctity of the Land, which is the prime venue for revealing His monarchy." Revealing God's monarchy and revealing the sanctity of the Land of Israel are interrelated.

Rebbe Natan's conclusion is that "On Rosh haShana our prayers must be focused on being privileged to speedily ascend to the Land of Israel, which is the essential venue for revealing God's monarchy.

The three sets of shofar blasts of Rosh haShana, monarchy (malchuyot), memories (zichronot) and shofarot, are also related to revealing the sanctity of Israel.

Concerning malchuyot, as noted, the basic service of Rosh haShana is proclaiming God's monarchy over Israel and the entire world, and Rebbe Natan's above exposition clarifies the connection between God's monarchy and revealing the sanctity of Israel.

The connection between zichronot and the Land of Israel is derived not merely from the Divine declaration "And I shall remember the Land" [Leviticus 26:42], but rests upon a much deeper and fundamental basis. Rebbe Natan avers that memory is intimately related to names. God Himself expressed this parallel when He said to Moses: "This is My name forever, and this is how I should be remembered in every generation." [Exodus 3:15] A name conveys the essence of the object or person which carries that name. For example, if one speaks of an ox, his interlocutor does not require an explanation that the reference is to a bovine which chews its cud, etc. The same is true in speaking of God, "as it were, His name constitutes His memory." Since humans are limited by our inability to perceive the essential qualities of God, we can relate to God only through His name. Thus, the basic remembrance of God's name is in the Land of Israel, whose sanctity emanates from the Temple, which is the primary place where His name is mentioned, since the Tetragrammaton (the explicit name) may be pronounced only within the Temple. For this reason, we find that Abraham called God's name only after entering the Land. [Genesis 12:8] "It is within the Land that we can best connect to God's name."

The set of shofarot blown on Rosh haShana also relates to the Land of Israel, "since the shofar is connected to the ingathering of the exiles, as the verse states 'On that day a great shofar will be blown, and those lost in the land of Assyria will come, as well as those dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they will worship the Lord at Jerusalem on the holy mountain…'"  [Isaiah 27:13], and it is obvious that the exiles will be gathered into the Land. Indeed, the blessing which concludes the blasts of shofarot includes the request: "Our God and the God of our fathers; sound the great shofar for our freedom, raise the banner to gather our exiles. Bring our scattered ones near from among the nations and gather our dispersions from the ends of the earth." Thus, shofarot are primarily about gathering the exiles into the Land, and the sanctity of the Land is most evident when the exiles are gathered into her.

Rebbe Natan concludes that "malchuyot, zichronot and shofarot each convey an aspect of Eretz Yisrael and therefore relate to the Rosh haShana service of "revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, to allow us to merit coming to the Land."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reciprocity: The Temple and Israel's Unity

 

This they shall give, everyone who goes through the counting: half a shekel according to the holy shekel. Twenty gerahs equal one shekel; half of (such) a shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.                                                                       Exodus 30:13

You shall take the silver of the atonements from the children of Israel and use it for the work of the Tent of Meeting; it shall be a remembrance for the children of Israel before the Lord, to atone for your souls.                                                          Ibid. v.16

The half-shekels collected annually were used for the operation of the Tabernacle/Temple, as Maimonides codifies:

What are terumat halishca (the half-shekels) used for? From (these funds) they would purchase the daily perpetual offerings (tamid), the additional offerings (musaph) offered on Shabbat and the holidays), all other communal sacrifices, and the wine libations. Similarly, (these funds were used to purchase) the salt that was placed on all the sacrifices, and the wood for the altar, if no wood was provided and it was necessary that it be purchased. (They were used to pay also for) the incense and the wages of those who prepared it, the showbread and the wages of those who prepared it, the omer, the two loaves, a red heifer, the goat sent to Azazel and the scarlet thread tied between its horns.       Laws of Shekalim, 4:1

By definition, communal sacrifices must be brought from the collective Israel in its entirety; they were therefore purchased from the half-shekels of the Israelites “so the hand of all will be equal.” [Jerusalem Talmud, Shekalim 1:1] Purchasing the communal sacrifices with the funds of the half-shekel guaranteed that those sacrifices indeed came from each individual within the collective Israel.

The half-shekel which was given equally by every (adult male) Israelite, without regard to his actual wealth, expresses the unity of Israel, and on some level it is Israel’s unity which empowers the Kohanim to perform the Temple service.

Rebbe Natan, the spiritual successor of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, comments that it is within the Tabernacle/Temple that “all Israel gathers as one individual.” Two and a half centuries prior to Rebbe Natan’s days, Maharal of Prague wrote “All Israel was united through the Temple, which had a single (High) Priest, and a single altar. There were no divisions or separations within Israel.” [Netzaḥ Yisrael, chapter 4]

Thus, there was a reciprocal interaction: on one hand, the unity of Israel empowers the Temple service, while on the other the Temple unites the Nation of Israel.

 

 

 

 

Seeing the Shechina Eye to Eye

 

And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the Land that I will show you."                 Genesis 12:1

            Netivot Shalom (Ḥassidic Master Rebbe Shalom Noaḥ of Slonim [1911 – 2000]) points out that the classical commentators note the fact that there is no verse which informs us that Abram reached the land designated for him, and quotes Sforno's explanation that God's words "I will show you" refer to showing Abram "a Divine vision." Thus, the indication that Abram had reached the Land was the fact that the Shechina was revealed to him there. Based upon Sforno's comment Netivot Shalom suggests that intention of the words "I will show you" is "There I will appear to you." The Master notes that prior to Abram's arrival in the land of Canaan, we hear God speaking to Abram, but not appearing to him. It is only upon Abram's arrival in the Land that God, as it were, appeared visually to Abram.

            The Master continues by noting that the "internal aspect" of this explanation is that "The Land of Israel is the venue where God appears to the Jew." Indeed, Rabbi Yehuda haLevi writes in Kuzari that the Nation of Israel can achieve the "level of Divine revelation (prophecy) only within the Land." The unique status of the Promised Land in this matter results from the fact that God chose to personally supervise the Land while entrusting the care of all other lands to His ministering angels, as the verse states: "the eyes of Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year." [Deuteronomy 11:12] Thus, God's words to Abram are interpreted to mean that he go to the Land in which it is constantly possible to see the Shechina.

            Netivot Shalom concludes his enlightening comments by writing "This is the unique and special trait of the Land of Israel, wherein one is able to see eye to eye direct and personal providence."

The Point of the Exercise

 

And Abraham approached and said, "Will You even destroy the righteous with the wicked?”                                   Genesis 18:23

            Thus Abraham commenced his attempt to save the residents of Sodom and the remaining towns of the plains.

            Tiferet Shlomo notes that Abraham’s attempts to defend the residents bore no fruit whatsoever, and wonders why the incident is included in the Torah. In his words:

What comes from (the Torah) informing us of this, since it accomplished nothing, and even after Abraham’s intervention, the towns were destroyed?

            We can add that apparently Abraham was aware that he would be unable to find the requisite number of righteous people to save Sodom, as Tzror haMor notes. This fact too raises astonishment at the incident’s inclusion in the Torah.

            In truth, the incident is not intended to teach us about the Sodomites and their neighbors, but about Abraham.

            Boldly and with audacity, Abraham declares to God: ”Far be it (ḥalila) from You!” Abraham told God “You cannot do this!”

            Noah was born ten generations before Abraham. Noah heard God’s words when the Creator announced to him "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth has become full of robbery because of them, and behold I am destroying them from the earth” [Genesis 6:13] and appointed him to be the founder of the new world which will arise after the flood. When God instructed Noah to build an ark, Noah “Did according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.” [ibid.22] It seems that the possibility of arguing with God and attempting to save at least some of mankind never occurred to Noah.

            In contrast to Noah, Abraham understood that God’s very existence, as it were mandates rules that He must follow. Therefore, Abraham did not hesitate to address God with the strong words ”Far be it (ḥalila) from You!,” which Breishit Rabba understands to mean You cannot desecrate Your own name (Ḥilul haShem, the same root word as ḥalila). Abraham understood that God, Who is “A faithful God, without injustice” cannot “destroy the righteous with the wicked.” Therefore, Abraham is ready to speak stridently [Rashi on our verse] to God.

            Noah believed in God, but Abraham took belief in God a quantum leap forward, understanding that God must act in accordance with His own traits.

            Ultimately, the “exercise” of Abraham’s negotiations with God on behalf of the towns of the plains was not for the benefit of the residents of those towns, but for Abraham’s benefit and to educate us, Abraham’s spiritual descendants.

 

 

Living Anew

 

And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; )(these were] the years of the life of Sarah.                                                                                   Genesis 23:1 The reason the word “shana” (year) is written with every detail is to tell you that each detail is to be explained by itself: at the age of one hundred Sarah was as a twenty-year old, without sin – just as at age twenty-one is considered as not having sinned (since that is the age of punishment); at age twenty, she was as beautiful as at age seven.        Rashi, based upon Breishit Rabba

            Based upon Rashi’s comment, the repetition of the word “shana” conveys that there is a measure of equivalence among all the years of Sarah’s life.

            Rebbi Natan, the spiritual successor of Rebbi Naḥman of Breslov, writes:

The essential aspect of personal perfection is that one begins living (anew) at all times; even when one reaches old age, he should still consider himself a child who has just begun to live and serve God. In such a way, one continually renews his service of God.

            Sefat Emet [Parashat Ḥayye Sarah, 5653] comments that each stage of a person’s physical development conveys its own positive attributes; for example, as one ages, he becomes wiser and more deliberate in decision-making, while the advantage of youth includes a greater level of energy and enthusiasm. The way of the world is that the qualities of the various stages of development do not exist simultaneously within a given individual, but each quality is unique to a particular stage. However, “The completely righteous possess all manner of perfection throughout their lives.” The meaning of the equivalence of all the years of Sarah’s life is that at each stage of her life she was able to combine the positive qualities of all the stages.