Reply To: Aseres Y'mei Teshuva Thread

Okay, I found something about Yom Kippur. This Dvar Torah is really beautiful… It’s from Rabbi Shmuel Gluck’s biweekly email.

A Yom Kippur Thought

Yom Kippur is a day of judgment, but it also brings with it tremendous opportunities for everyone.

1) A Gemoro in Shabbos describes the difference between the Torah studied by adults and that of children. Omar Reis Lokesh B’sheim R. Yehuda N’si’ya, Ein Ho’olom Miskaeim Ela Bishvil Hevel Tinokes Shel Bais Rabon. Omar R. Popo, Didi V’didoch mahu? Omar Abay’a, Eino Dome Hevel She’yesh Bo Chet L’Hevel She’ein Bo Chet

Reish Lokish says in R. Yehuda’s name that the world survives on the merit of the Torah that children learn. R. Popo asked: What about the Torah that we (adults) learn? Abay’a answered that you can’t compare the Torah of children, who have no sins (as they’re under the age of 13) to that of adults, despite being great Rabbi’s, since they’ve sinned.

Despite Abay’a and R. Popo’s being great Tzadikim, their Torah was compromised by being Torah from people who’ve sinned. Children, despite being “just” children, are pure. Prior to Bar/Bas Mitzvoh, their sins don’t taint their Neshomos (souls) which stay pure. (We should all remember the effect that sins have on our souls when we say the Al Cheit of B’tumas S’fosoim, with unclean lips.)

2) The Gemoro says that the Soton intervenes in people’s lives every day of the year, except on Yom Kippur.

3) The Torah tells us that people’s Aveiros (sins) are forgiven on Yom Kippur

These three statements create a powerful combination. For one day, all people have no Yetzer Horo and no sins. It’s as wonderful as a blind person given one day to see. Where should he go? What should he go see? What should people do with this day, Yom Kippur?

Before people answer this question, they must remember that despite the significant emphasis on Tefilla, there’s more to Yom Kippur than Tefilla. Yom Kippur is about people’s general conduct and attitude. Even if it’s only for one day, on Yom Kippur, people should strive for perfection.

The reality is that most people won’t be perfect, and possibly won’t even get close to it. Sadly, many won’t even look at perfection as their goal. Why shouldn’t people who’ve no sins on record, and who don’t have a Yetzer Horo, be able to achieve perfection? If they can’t, why can’t they?

The answer is that although they may not have any sin, people are scarred from their previous sins. R. Dessler writes that there are really two Yetzer Horo’s, the Yetzer Horo Bifnim (internal) & Yetzer Horo Bachutz.(external). Despite people’s good intentions, they’ve “trained” themselves not to focus on Tefilla, not to be be patient, and not to be understanding of others.

This means that the way people act on Yom Kippur is who they really are. This realization deserves every person’s attention. Many people consider themselves well-meaning and trying. Certainly well-meaning and trying is important, but in the end it’s who they are that will affect Hashem’s judgment, and this depends on how they act on Yom Kippur. This should be a very sobering thought, and should be used as a motivator for change. People should remember that although years of abusing their Neshomos can cause much damage, they can also be healed.

Shlomo Hamelech says in Mishlei, Tachas Sholosh, Rogzo Ho’oretz, because of three (terrible) things, the world trembles. One of them is Tachas Eved Ki Yimloch, when a slave rules. Leadership requires more than brute force. It also requires character, and a desire to serve people.

The Malbim explains that this is an analogy, and that the slave is the body, which was intended to serve the Neshomo, the king. The body doesn’t know anything about ruling, as its interests are only for its own personal needs. Like the slave who becomes king, the slave doesn’t have the foresight to know what to do with its country and strips it of its natural resources. This turns a once beautiful country into a wasteland. Our bodies have been ruling our Neshomos, have held them captive, and now they’re scarred.

On Yom Kippur people should try to change their previous patterns, and allow their decisions to be made by their Neshomos, like a ruler with foresight. Although this may become a long term project, Yom Kippur may serve as the launching of a commitment, with the ‘work” to be done in the coming weeks and months.

Many people believe that they can’t do Teshuva anymore, because their behavior has been so bad. They don’t believe that they can repair their scarred Neshomos. This attitude always fascinates me. Before people do something wrong, they’re convinced it’s not so bad. Once they’ve completed their action, they conclude that it was so bad, that it can’t be repaired. The reason for this is that just as the belief that “it’s not so bad” came from the Yetzer Horo, so does the conclusion that “it can’t be repaired”. In reality, sincere Teshuva can reverse almost anything people have done.

As I mentioned last week in Parshas Ha’azinu, the Sifri says He’emin Bo’olom U’boro. Hashem had faith in the (people of) the world, and created the world. This means that he’s given people enough resources to serve Him and when they don’t serve Him properly, He’s given them enough resources to repair their mistakes.

If on Yom Kippur we can act like people without a Yetzer Horo, we can try the next day to do the same. If we succeed this Yom Kippur and act as people with no Yetzer Horos we can, hopefully, do it all year, even when we have a Yetzer Horo.

An Erev Yom Kippur E-mail

I could use your words of inspiration before the fast. What mindset. What should I be thinking over Yom Kippur?

I responded to her that:

Keep the message simple and say something like this.

Please Hashem, I am a work in progress and I am trying my best. Please be kind to me and to all of klal Yisroel, particularly those in Eretz Yisroel, Yerosholaim and our leaders.

Please give me clarity to help me grow and remove all the obstacles that make my journey complex. Hashem, I need tools to improve and ask you to place them in my path. Some of them are keeping my life simple, having clarity and being able to continue surrounding myself with healthy people and environments.