Orot Shalhevet - Tishrei 2021 | 5782

Welcome to Orot Shalhevet

RABBI DAVID BLOCK HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Shalhevet Community, Teshuva, repentance, is not simple.

The idea that we can extirpate our past misdoings, especially without ever having “served the time,” is remarkable.

It’s a Divine chesed that we likely take for granted, and one that emphasizes both God’s belief in us and Judaism’s emphasis on growth. But even before we can ask how and why repentance works, there’s a more basic question: What does teshuva really mean? L’shuv, most accurately translates not “to repent” but “to return.” What are we returning to? Can it really mean to return to how we acted before the sin? Let’s say we were never that “good person” before? Let’s say we always struggled with a particular sin? So, to what are we returning?

I want to share just two profound approaches that may transform our own teshuva journeys. In Halakhic Man, R’ Yosef Dov Soloveitchik z”l argues that teshuva is the process of creating a “new” self (not returning to an old version) in order to return to God. Perhaps the idea is that, since all our neshamos, souls, are pieces of God (indeed, what animates humanity is God’s own breath - see Bereishis 2:7), the purpose of all of humanity is to return to that Source, to reconnect with one’s Creator. Teshuva, then, is a return to God, or one’s relationship with God. R’ Avraham Yitzchak Kook z”l suggests something quite different. Adam and Chava’s sin in the garden was that, in following the snake’s advice, they lost themselves. “The primary role of Teshuva is for the person to return to oneself, to the root of one’s soul” (Orot HaTeshuva 15:10). Teshuva, then, is a return to oneself. It’s rediscovering who we truly are.

Whether we take R’ Soloveitchik’s or R’ Kook’s approach, one thing is clear: Our relationships with God and our relationships with ourselves are unique and beautifully complex. Every relationship - and, by extension, every process of teshuva - is necessarily different, unique. Every connection to and expression of Torah - the way in which we connect to God and the world - should be quite the same.

If you’ve ever walked through our halls and sat in our classrooms, you know of the world-class caliber of our Limudei Kodesh faculty. Every teacher radiates values of Modern Orthodoxy and Torah-true Judaism, but each with her/his own unique flavor and style. And our diversity of thought and shared value placed on Torah learning doesn’t stop with our faculty, of course. Our students and alumni, talmidim and talmidot who have and continue to learn Torah at the highest levels, have their unique Torah voices, as well. These are our “Orot” – our beacons of light who illuminate the Torah’s depths and lessons.

I’m thrilled to present this Tishrei edition of Orot Shalhevet. As always, the Torah inside is profound and inspiring, and the diversity of thought of the different Orot is stunning. But remember: It is not only the Orot individually that are so remarkable; it is all the Orot together that really make up our dazzling Shalhevet (flame).

Shanah Tova, Rabbi David Block

MICAH GILL

table of contents

THE OTHER MESSAGE OF ELUL PAGE 3

DR. SHEILA KEITER

THE WHIMPERING OF THE TERU’AH: HEARING THE SHOFAR’S MESSAGE PAGE 5

RAV YITZCHAK ETSHALOM “AND GOD PASSED BEFORE HIM AND DECLARED..."

PAGE 7

RABBI DAVID STEIN

SELICHOT AND THE PROCESS OF TESHUVA: EXPLORING ACTION AND EMOTION IN JEWISH TRADITION PAGE 9

MS. CHANI INFIELD

MAKING THE MOST OF THE MONTH OF TISHREI PAGE 11

RABBI YAGIL TSAIDI SINNING WITH TRANSPARENCY PAGE 13

ABBI SENTCHUK

REFLECTIONS ON YOM KIPPUR AND CHOOSING THE HARD WAY OUT PAGE 15

RABBI ABRAHAM LIEBERMAN

‫ עיצומו של יום הכיפורים מכפר‬THE DAY OF YOM KIPPUR FORGIVES

PAGE 17

RABBI DEREK GORMIN HOSHANA RABBAH - A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH PAGE 19

TALI SCHLACHT SHEMINI ATZERET’S IDENTITY CRISIS PAGE 21

thank you TO THE FOLLOWING SUPPORTERS WHO HAVE GENEROUSLY SPONSORED THIS EDITION OF OROT

SHALHEVET. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR HELPING TO PROMOTE THE SPREAD OF MEANINGFUL TORAH LEARNING AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE ENJOY THE TORAH YOU WILL FIND WITHIN IN THEIR MERIT.

SHARON AND ALAN GOMPERTS & FAMILY MICKEY AND HAIM KAHTAN & FAMILY DRS. TAALY AND ADAM SILBERSTEIN VANESSA AND KENNETH STOFF & FAMILY NATHALIE AND RICK WIENER & FAMILY

NAOMI AND RABBI ARI SCHWARZBERG & FAMILY NAVAH PASKOWITZ, MATTHEW ASNER & FAMILY IN MEMORY OF BELOVED GRANDFATHER ED ASNER AND BELOVED GRANDMOTHER JULIETTE PASKOWITZ

Shalhevet Class of ‘16 MICAH GILL

MICAH GILL IS A GRADUATE OF SHALHEVET'S CLASS OF 2016. HE STUDIED AT YESHIVAT HAKOTEL, THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, AND CURRENTLY WORKS AS A PARALEGAL IN NEW YORK.

The Other Message

OF ELUL

The rabbinic adage “Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li” has made its way into every corner of Judaism. Dati or chiloni, Ashkenazi or Sephardi, failing to recognize this acronym for Elul is tantamount to not recognizing, say, the Shema. During Elul, God is near. I can still hear my elementary school teachers reciting the mashal of the king who greets his constituents once a year in the fields – Hamelech Basadeh (“Don’t miss your opportunity! Hakadosh Baruchu is coming to greet us now!”). But jokes aside, Elul awakens something within us – or within me, at least. Perhaps it’s the nusach of the selichot, or maybe it’s the shofar blowing every morning in shul, but there is something unmistakably holy about this time that inspires us to connect with our Beloved – Ani Ledodi.

There is another acronym for Elul, however, which receives less fanfare: ‫—איש לרעהו ומתנות לאביונים‬for every person to his/her friend, and gifts for the poor (see Mateh Efraim, O.C. 581). Appropriated from Purim (Esther 9:22) and its mitzvot, this acronym stresses our connection to other Jews and not necessarily to God. Bereft of God’s name, Megilat Esther highlights the exilic community’s sacrifice and success and fails to mention divine intervention or overtly impart “religious” lessons. As I once learned from Rabbi Schwarzberg, Esther’s chiastic structure uncovers Mordechai’s charge to Esther—if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and success will come to the Jews from elsewhere!—as its crescendo. No mention of God or holiness or mitzvot or teshuva, but rather a dose of stern realism. Purim, we see, sends a different message than Elul does. Why, then, did Chazal create this second acronym?

The answer is that Elul isn’t about our relationship with God; it’s about our relationships with each other. This explains why, during Yom Kippur Mincha, our Torah reading discusses the elicit sexual relations, a prima facie odd choice just minutes before Ne’ilah. It also explains the Tzitz Eliezer’s ruling (12:48) that if one davens alone during Elul, he omits shofar altogether, ‫—שהתעוררות מקול שופר מקבלים רק כששומעים קול השופר בציבור‬for the awakening from the shofar comes only in a congregation (bitzibur). Evidently, Elul is about more than a connection ‫ ;בין אדם למקום‬we must also focus on our relationships ‫בין אדם לחבירו‬.

But why distract us during this time? Why not take Elul to focus exclusively on our connection to God? After all, isn’t that what the Yamim Noraim are about?

On Rosh Hashanah we read the story of Akeidat Yitzchak, the highlight of Avraham Avinu’s life. Avraham’s legacy is twofold; on the one hand he is the archetype of a ba’al midot, the man who couldn’t pass up an opportunity to invite guests into his home, irrespective of their health status, and on the other hand he is the Av Hamon Goyim, the iconoclastic founder of monotheism. The logical question, then, is how Avraham excelled at both these things; wouldn’t it make more sense for Avraham to leave behind a more succinct legacy like our other patriarchs?

Lech Lecha comes directly on the heels of primeval history, the stories—and the failures—of Gan Eden, Kayin and Hevel, Dor Hamabul, and Migdal Bavel. The pivot from primeval history to Lech Lecha changes the Torah’s arc from universal to particular; with Lech Lecha comes the notion of an Or Lagoyim (light to the nations). And how does God decide the person to birth this Or Lagoyim? A very simple criterion: chesed. God recognized that a person who constantly looks outward and searches for opportunities to help others would be the person to successfully search for God. This is the 3

lesson we learn from Avraham; this is the lesson of Elul. Avraham wasn’t born a monotheist; he was born a ba’al chesed.

And through his gmilut chasadim—his unrelenting practice to care for others—did he ultimately find God. As we sit in shul over the coming month, perhaps Avraham’s model can provide us with a new strategy to renew and revamp our Divine connection. If shuckling, closing our eyes, and picturing a King on a throne doesn’t seem to be working, let us open our eyes and look around—think about family and friends, strangers and colleagues; think about anyone but ourselves. And through dedicating our time, energy, and tfilot to others, just as Avraham did, perhaps we will find God—just as Avraham did.

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Limudei Kodesh Faculty DR. SHEILA KEITER

DR. SHEILA KEITER IS A MEMBER OF THE LIMUDEI KODESH FACULTY AT SHALHEVET. SHE HAS A B.A. IN HISTORY FROM UCLA, A JD FROM HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, AND RECEIVED HER PHD IN JEWISH STUDIES FROM UCLA, WHERE SHE TAUGHT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEAR EASTERN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES.

The Whimpering of the Teru’ah:

HEARING THE SHOFAR’S MESSAGE

For many, the sounding of the shofar forms the highlight of the Rosh Hashanah services. Year after year, we stand with rapt attention as the ba’al tokea methodically belts out the prescribed notes. The blasts do not vary from one year to the next, yet we find them mesmerizing. They speak to us in a very visceral way, capturing our imagination in ways liturgy often cannot. But what thoughts and emotions are these sounds meant to invoke?

The Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah sets out the order of shofar blasts. They should consist of three different blasts in succession, essentially tekiah, teru’ah, and tekiah1. The Mishnah then proceeds to define these blasts and their durations: (‫ט‬,‫ )משנה ראש השנה ד‬.‫ שעור תרועה כשלש יבבות‬.‫שעור תקיעה כשלש תרועות‬ “The measure of a tekiah is like three teru’ot. The measure of a teru’ah is like three yivavot (disconnected notes)” (m. Rosh Hashanah 4:9).

The Talmud in Rosh Hashanah examines the word used by the Mishnah for the staccato sound of the teru’ah: ‫יבבה‬, yivavah. On its own terms, the word connotes whimpering, to speak with a trembling voice. One can easily recognize the tonal connection between the sound of the teru’ah and this trembling, broken vocalization. The Talmud, however, famously associates the broken sound of the teru’ah with the wailing of Sisera’s mother (b. Rosh Hashanah 33b). Sisera was the captain of the Canaanite army that attacked Israel during the period of judges when Devorah served as prophet and judge. After Devorah and Barak defeat the Canaanite army, Sisera flees, seeking refuge in Yael’s tent. Apparently, this was a poor choice of shelter since Yael decided to stake her tent directly through Sisera’s head (Judg. 4).

Devorah commemorates Israel’s victory with a triumphal song. After recounting Sisera’s demise, she imagines Sisera’s mother waiting expectantly for her son’s return home: .‫בעד החלון נשקפה ותיבב אם סיסרא בעד האשנב מדוע בשש רכבו לבוא מדוע אחרו פעמי מרכבותיו‬ (‫כח‬,‫)שופטים ה‬ “By the window, the mother of Sisera looked out and whimpered by the window: Why does his chariot delay in coming? Why have the wheels of his chariot delayed?” (Judg. 5:28).

Sisera’s mother’s anxiety is palpable. Her servants comfort her, and she comforts herself with the thought that Sisera must be delayed by the division of the spoils of war. But, of course, we know the truth. And we can’t help but surmise that Sisera’s mother suspects it as well. Many a sermon has likened the sound of the shofar to the wails of a bereft mother crying out in anguish. We are meant to connect to the emotional despair, crying to our heavenly Father for forgiveness on Rosh Hashanah.

I am all for maximizing the emotional impact of the High Holidays, and I find the shofar blasts as moving as anyone else.

However, Sisera’s mother seems an obscure choice to model this kind of yearning and despair. There are other instances 1 The current practice that incorporates the shevarim blast in addition to the teru’ah stems from a debate on the nature of the teru’ah, whether it should consist of three broken blasts or three sets of three broken blasts, i.e., three blasts or nine blasts. Thus, we do both to satisfy both interpretations. Essentially, the shevarim is another form of the teru’ah (b. Rosh Hashanah 33b-34a).

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of crying in Tanakh to which we might turn. Esav’s crying at the loss of his blessing comes to mind. And Sisera, the mother of Israel’s enemy, seems an unlikely role model for the kind of emotional reaction we ought to have to the sound of the shofar. Perhaps the weeping of David and Yonatan when they are forced to part might serve as a more acceptable precedent. Some respond that the tears of a mother for her child are different. Even then, we might better cite Rachel crying for her children (Jer. 31:14), which, conveniently enough, appears in the haftarah for the second day of Rosh Hashanah!

The historical answer to this question lies primarily with the linguistic link between the yivavah of the Mishnah’s teru’ah and the yivavah of Sisera’s mother. Her whimpering is described in the language of yivavah (‫ותיבב‬- and she whimpered), the same root the Mishnah utilizes to describe the sound of the teru’ah (b. Rosh Hashanah 33b). Thus, Sisera’s mother is less a model of the emotional state we should embody when hearing the shofar, and more a linguistic prooftext to explain the meaning of the Mishnah’s use of the term yivavot, disconnected notes. Inspiring, no?

Fear not, I will not leave you on such a dry, clinical note. The Talmud closes its discussion of Sisera’s mother with a short debate regarding whether she groaned or whether she cried (b. Rosh Hashanah 33b). This dispute over the nature of Sisera’s mother’s whimpering indicates that more is at stake than mere etymology. Indeed, there is something unique and illuminating about the whimpering of Sisera’s mother. Sisera’s mother whimpers as she peers out the window waiting for her son’s return. At this point in the story, she has no idea what is taking him so long. Without cell phones, internet, or cable TV, news of Sisera’s death has not yet reached her. Thus, her whimpering is not the wailing of an inconsolable mother who has lost her beloved son. She has nothing to mourn yet. Rather, her whimpering is anticipatory. It gives voice to her anxieties. The debate of whether she groaned or cried seeks to measure the degree of her anxiety: Was it a generalized worry expressed in groaning, or did it embody a deep-seated dread made manifest in full-fledged weeping?

This particular whimpering, one that anticipates potential calamity, is unique in Tanakh and offers special insight into the message of the shofar. The broken call of the teru’ah embodies not the despondent wailing of a bereft mother yearning for her lost child. Rather, it is the groaning or crying of a mother who fears the worst. On Rosh Hashanah, we have nothing to mourn yet. Judgment may be written in the divine books, but we are not privy to the inscription. Rather, the shofar expresses our anxiety for the future. We do not yet know what the coming year holds in store for us. However, we do know ourselves. When we are honest with ourselves, we know whether we have lived up to our potential in the previous year or not. As such, we all should enter Rosh Hashanah with some anxiety.

It is no coincidence that the Torah refers to Rosh Hashanah as “Yom Teru’ah,” the day of the sounding of the teru’ah blast (Num. 29:1). The Torah does not refer to it as Yom Shofar or Yom Tekiah, but as Yom Teru’ah. The focus on this particular blast tells us that the essence of blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is to evoke the emotions borne by the teru’ah.

God’s judgment is no small matter. The teru’ah reminds us that much is at stake, and if we are being honest with ourselves, we ought to whimper in anticipation. Rosh Hashanah gives us the opportunity to confront our shortcomings. The dread of unknown judgment impels us to do better and atone for our misdeeds before Yom Kippur. Like Sisera’s mother, we have every reason to whimper. The shofar sets the tone, giving voice to our anxieties, whimpering for us. Whether that whimper sounds to us like a groan or a wail depends on how we need to hear it. Listen carefully. How will it sound to you?

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Rosh Beit Midrash

RAV YITZCHAK ETSHALOM

RAV YITZCHAK ESTHALOM IS THE ROSH BEIT MIDRASH AT SHALHEVET HIGH SCHOOL. RAV ETSHALOM CONTINUES TO DIRECT THE TANACH MASTERS PROGRAM AT YULA BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL, GIVES SHIURIM THROUGHOUT THE CITY, IS A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO YESHIVAT HAR ETZION'S VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH, AND IS A PUBLISHED AUTHOR ON TANAKH METHODOLOGY AND RABBINIC LITERATURE. HE ATTENDED YESHIVAT KEREM B'YAVNE, RABBI ISAAC ELHANAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, AND YESHIVAT HAR ETZION BEFORE RECEIVING SEMICHA FROM THE CHIEF RABBINATE OF YERUSHALAYIM.

“And God passed before him AND DECLARED..."

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GOD AS THE MODEL "SHALIACH TZIBBUR"

The Torah, in its description of God's forgiveness in the aftermath of the sin of the golden calf, tells us of God's declaration of the "thirteen attributes of compassion": "So Mosheh carved two tablets of stone, like the first, and early in the morning he went up on Mount Sinai, as Hashem had commanded him, taking the two stone tablets with him. Hashem came down in a cloud, He stood with him there, and proclaimed the name Hashem. Hashem passed before him and declared: Hashem, Hashem a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin..." (Shemot 34:4-7) Commenting on the peculiar phrase: "God passed before him and declared," the Talmud (Rosh haShanah 17b) presents a most cryptic image in the name of R. Yohanan: " 'And God passed before him and proclaimed...'

R. Yohanan said: If it were not written this way, it would be impossible to suggest - this teaches us that God wrapped Himself like a Shaliach Tzibbur and showed Mosheh the order of Tefillah. He said to him: 'Whenever Yisra'el sin before me, ya'asu kaseder hazeh (they should perform this order) and I will forgive them.' " Besides the difficulties inherent in this anthropomorphic Midrash - which must surely be understood metaphorically there is a theological problem in the underlying assumption of the statement. Following the conventional reading of this Aggadah, the declaration of the thirteen attributes (or some other form of Tefillah - it isn't clear from the text) is an automatic ticket to Divine forgiveness. Imagine - the Jewish people can be guilty of any number of heinous crimes, but in order to gain God's atonement and cleansing, all they need do is recite a formula! Needless to say, this conclusion raises our philosophic eyebrows, to say the least. Do we really imagine a "formula" which automagically effects atonement?

Before suggesting a resolution, let's take a look at a seemingly unrelated observation about Jewish ethics.

II

IMITATIO DEI: THE BASIS OF JEWISH ETHICAL BEHAVIOR

As we have discussed in some earlier shiurim,1 the basis for Jewish ethics is the imitation of the Divine, known by the Latin term: "imitatio dei." This notion is best expressed by the Gemara in Shabbat (133b), which offers an explanation for the enigmatic word "v'Anvehu" that appears near the beginning of the Song at the Sea (Shemot 15:2): 1 See shiurim on Parashat Kedoshim and Parashat B'har at http://www.torah.org/advanced/mikra/va.html 7

" 'This is my God and I will Anvehu- Abba Sha'ul says: “Anvehu” [means] be like Him (Rashi explains - *Anvehu* is *Ani* (I) & *Hu* (He) - I will make myself to be like Him by adhering to His ways); just as He is gracious and compassionate, you should also be gracious and compassionate."

In other words, the ultimate model of character traits is God – by imitating these "traits," we approximate the Divine (as much as is possible) and ignite the spark of God within us.

III

*YA'ASU KASEDER HAZEH*

Imagine, for a moment, the following scene (which, we hope, is only the product of imagination and not the bitter fruit of experience): A person stands in the synagogue, beating his breast and pleading for God's forgiveness on Yom Kippur. While he is engrossed in his prayers, his neighbor's young child crawls onto the person’s seat; such that when he finishes this heartfelt supplication, his seat is occupied. Now, imagine that his reaction is - "get that kid out of my seat!"; imagine the Divine eyebrows raised in question, if you will - "how do you ask Me for forgiveness and patience? How patient and forgiving are you?" The shame of such a picture is palpable.

How easily do we forgive our friends, neighbors and loved ones? Isn't it "chutzpadik" to come before the Almighty and ask for His compassion - without stirring and activating our own?

With the message of this picture in mind, we can return to the text and, with the help of a careful reading, we can, gain some insight: "...He said to him: 'Whenever Yisra'el sin before me, *ya'asu kaseder hazeh* (they should perform this order) and I will forgive them.' " Note that God is not purported to have told Mosheh that B’nei Yisra'el should SAY these words (in which case, it would have read *yom'ru kaseder hazeh*); He told Mosheh that they should *ya'asu* - (FULFILL) these words. In other words, God declared the attributes of compassion and then told Mosheh: Teach the Jewish people that if they want My forgiveness, let them become more forgiving people. To wit, in addition to a recitation, we must turn these words into a transformation. Our greatest appeal to Divine compassion is a demonstration of our own compassion towards each other; the most powerful tool we have in our legal arsenal as we enter the Divine Court - is our own ability (and will) to approximate Divine Compassion.

May we all merit complete participation in a complete Teshuvah, personal and national; may we merit Divine grace as we learn to act more graciously with each other and may we all be inscribed in the Sefer HaHayyim.

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Director of Judaic Studies RABBI DAVID STEIN

RABBI DAVID STEIN IS THE DIRECTOR OF JUDAIC STUDIES AT SHALHEVET AND IS THE CO-FOUNDER OF THE LAHAV CURRICULUM PROJECT. DAVID ATTENDED YESHIVA COLLEGE AND RIETS FOR HIS UNDERGRADUATE AND SEMIKHA STUDIES, AND ALSO RECEIVED HIS MASTER’S DEGREE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. HE IS CURRENTLY STUDYING AT AMERICAN JEWISH UNIVERSITY’S GRADUATE CENTER FOR JEWISH EDUCATION AS A WEXNER FELLOW/DAVIDSON SCHOLAR, AND AND HELPED WRITE THE FIRST EVER STANDARDS AND BENCHMARKS FOR GEMARA EDUCATION AS A MEMBER OF THE LEGACY HERITAGE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE WRITERS GROUP.

Selichot and the process of Teshuva:

EXPLORING ACTION AND EMOTION IN JEWISH TRADITION

“Repentance,” wrote Rav Soloveitchik in Halakhic Man, is the process through which one “creates himself.” Yet we don’t generally think of teshuva in such grandiose terms - if at all. Sure, there’s much to look forward to during this time of year: the sweet honey dripping off the apples, the piercing call of the Shofar blast, or even the beloved melodies of the mussaf service. But somehow “create yourself ” or “happy repentance” don’t figure too prominently in our customary Rosh Hashana greetings.

The truth is that the challenge we face with the experience of teshuva makes a lot of sense. Repentance - reflecting upon an action in the distant past, resolving to avoid it in the future, and then repeating the process for the untold deficiencies we see in ourselves - isn’t easy. Furthermore, the liturgical formula we use for the process of teshuva doesn’t make it any easier. Selichot - the centerpiece of our Elul and Aseret Yemei Teshuva prayer experience - are long, unfamiliar, and written in a difficult language. Yet there may be an even more fundamental challenge at play here: even if we understand the language, at times it feels like we may sit or mumble through the service without feeling - or knowing what to feel when we recite the text of selichot. In a word, the act of reciting the prayers is at times disconnected from the emotion or experience of teshuva.

1 Soloveitchik provides two useful categories to describe this disconnect in his work Al HaTeshuva, “On Repentance.”

Rav On one level, there is the physical act or performance of a mitzvah, which he refers to as the maaseh ha-mitzvah. On the other hand, there is an experiential or emotional component to every mitzvah as well, which he labels the kiyyum, or fulfillment, of the mitzvah. In many cases, such as the shaking of a lulav or the sitting in a sukkah, the maaseh and kiyyum are identical and contemporaneous - the act itself is the fulfillment of the mitzvah. In other cases, however, the action is meant to lead to or enable a separate feeling or emotion. Giving tzedakah, for example, is not just a mechanical or rote activity. At its core, the commandment to give charity is rooted in an emotional experience - care, compassion, and empathy for a fellow human being. Similarly, the mechanical act of praying - moving your lips to produce a particular sound or word - is not, according to Rav Soloveitchik, an end in of itself. Instead, tefillah is an activity that is designed to 2 lead to a particular experience - in this case, an encounter or relationship with Hashem. Without the action, there can be no experience; without the experience, the mitzvah itself has not been fulfilled.

This formula, argues Rav Soloveitchik, finds expression in the selichot liturgy as well. The act - recitation of selichot, and, more specifically, the viduy, or confession - is meant to facilitate a specific experience: self-creation or actualization. Rav Soloveitchik detects this relationship in the Rambam’s description of repentance in his opening introduction to hilkhot teshuva: .‫ והוא שישוב החוטא מחטאו לפני ה' ויתודה‬,‫מצות עשה אחת‬ [The laws of repentance encompass] one positive mitzvah - and that is to do teshuva and to confess.

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Here Rav Soloveitchik identifies the exact formula we discussed above: a mitzvah, experience, or process called teshuva, which is accompanied or facilitated by a specific action - the formula of confession found at the core of the selichot service.

Our selichot liturgy, then, captures a foundational value in Jewish tradition: our religious and personal goals can only be accomplished through concrete action. To be sure, Judaism has been criticized throughout history for this very notion, with Christian disputants arguing that we have reduced religion to dry laws and rote performances that miss the point of religious experience. Paul’s “by faith alone” aphorism neatly captures the critique. And, of course, the argument is not without merit. How often - as both individuals and as a community - do we lose the proverbial forest for the trees, going through the religious motions of our traditions while failing to experience the depth of religious encounter or spiritual transcendence that we must always aim for? Yet Judaism has unabashedly and systematically responded with an axiom of human experience: both action and emotion are essential to our lives. Faith, personal growth, and inspiration do not develop in a vacuum, and instead must be continuously nurtured by the ritual structure of our daily lives in order to crystalize our emotions and maintain our spiritual momentum.

In the final analysis, then, Rav Soloveitchik’s notion of repentance as “self-creation” is not merely an attempt to atone for the sins of the past. Instead, it is the continuous journey of self-discovery and improvement, of learning from past mistakes and harnessing them towards a better future. Like all journeys, however, teshuva can only begin with small, sometimes uncertain steps. Whether we understand the words today or not, the lifelong process of self-transcendence and transformation does not happen by itself, and is certainly not instantaneous. Instead, it can only be achieved through the determined and sustained performance of our liturgical routines and daily rituals - by showing up to our Judaism each day and trying to connect as best we can - beginning every year with the selichot service.

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Director of Student Activities MS. CHANI INFIELD

MS. CHANI INFIELD IS THE DIRECTOR OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES AND A MEMBER OF THE LIMUDEI KODESH FACULTY AT SHALHEVET. MS. INFIELD WAS FORMERLY THE DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING AT YACHAD IN NEW YORK AND IN MOSHAVA WILD ROSE. SHE STUDIED BOTH IN BAR ILAN AND AT TOURO COLLEGE IN NEW YORK.

Making the Most

OF THE MONTH OF TISHREI

We are about to enter a month-long marathon of Jewish holidays and turn the page over to a new chapter that begins the upcoming Jewish Year, 5782. Given the fact that Tishrei is packed with chagim and sometimes feels like a bit of a roller-coaster, it is not surprising that each person may experience their own individual set of emotional responses to this time period.

For some people, Tishrei brings about incredible opportunities for religious growth, self-reflection and forgiveness, but for others, it can also bring about feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. This latter reaction can unfortunately transform it from an incredibly meaningful time into a dreaded month that one tries to just get out of the way.

In order to take advantage of the potential positives that Tishrei has to offer, we must first realize that the purpose of this month is to force us to take a step back and reflect on our actions. This will really give us the opportunity to fix ourselves and change. Throughout this month, we are enjoined to dedicate the time necessary to reconnect with Hashem and set goals for the year. If we can establish specific and realistic goals for ourselves, this will assist in our following through with our plans, successfully implementing the changes that we desire, and making the coming year much more meaningful.

One possible strategy that can be harnessed to achieve this goal is to change our perspective on the month of Tishrei.

Instead of looking at it as one “block” of Jewish holidays, let us try focusing on each holiday individually and work on a different aspect of ourselves during the different periods.

Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller outlines an incredible way to break down the month and assigns each holiday a specific part of the body to be improved to create a better self. According to her outline, Rosh Hashanah is the “head” of the body, Yom Kippur is the “heart” of the body, and Sukkot is focused on our sensitivity. The period culminates with Simchat Torah, where we put it all together and celebrate our connection to Hashem and His Torah.

By using this structure, we can effectively utilize each of the Tishrei holidays as spiritual preparation for the coming year.

Rosh Hashanah is the time for us to use our minds to really work on our Tefilot and think about what goals we want to set. Yom Kippur is where we focus on forgiveness and is a time to really dig deeper into ourselves, being genuine and honest as to what we need to change and who we have wronged. This time is used to bring us closer to those around us and mend broken relationships.

By the time Sukkot and Simchat Torah roll around, we should be focusing our energy on creating healthy and positive relationships with our fellow Jews and creating a time of togetherness and celebration. It is only fitting that the final holiday is Simchat Torah, where we are finally ready to celebrate our status as Hashem’s special people and our connection to His Torah!

If we successfully use Rebbetzin Heller’s model, by the end of the chagim, we will have finally worked on ourselves from top to bottom as well as on our relationships with others to be the best Jews we can be. Instead of being afraid or distant during this special month of Tishrei, let’s use this time to connect to Hashem and others in a beautiful and individual way that will impact positively upon the entire year.

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class of

THE JEAN AND JERRY FRIEDMAN SHALHEVET HIGH SCHOOL

ĀþĀĄ

SEPTEMBER

IMPORTANT SHALHEVET DATES

All month long – Yomim Tovim September 1, 2021 – Kickoff Event

JANUARY January 5 & 6, 2022 - Applicant Interviews

OCTOBER

January 6, 2022 – Boys BBQ and Hang January 12 & 13, 2022 - Applicant Interviews

October 8th & 15th: Student Visiting Days

January 13, 2022 – Girls BBQ and Hang

October 6, 2021 – Coffee Night

January 14, 2022 - Early Commitment Deadline

October 9, 2021 – Melava Malka October 13, 2021 – Coffee Night October 18, 2021 – Coffee Night October 29, 2021 – Visiting Day October 29, 2021 – Kabbalat Shabbat

FEBRUARY

February 9, 2022 - Club and Co-Curricular Whip Around February 25, 2022 - Notification Letters Mailed

NOVEMBER

MARCH

November 12th & 19th - Student Visiting Days November 3rd – 7th 2021 – Glouberman Tournament November 14, 2021 - Open House November 21, 2021 - ISEE

TBD – Boys Night Seder TBD – Girls Night Seder March 11, 2022 – Deadline to Enroll

November 23rd - Student Visiting Days November 30th - Last day of Early Bird Applications

DECEMBER December 3, 2021 - Student Visiting Day December 8, 2021 – Spotlight Event December 10, 2021 - Student Visiting Day December 11, 2021 - Middle School Basketball Tournament December 21, 2021 - Application Deadline December 31, 2021 - Tuition Assistance Application Deadline

APRIL April 10, 2022 Placement Testing

MAY May 1, 2022 Welcome Event

Find our application at www.shalhevet.org Contact Cheryl Wolf c.wolf@shalhevet.org - 323-930-9333 ext. 1420

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Mashgiach Ruchani

RABBI YAGIL TSAIDI

RABBI TSAIDI IS THE MASHGIACH RUCHANI, DIRECTOR OF ISRAEL GUIDANCE, AND A MEMBER OF THE LIMUDEI KODESH FACULTY AT SHALHEVET. RABBI TSAIDI ALSO RUNS THE SHOAH EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT PREPARES SHALHEVET SENIORS FOR THEIR POLAND ISRAEL EXPERIENCE. AFTER GRADUATING YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, HE AND HIS WIFE LIVED IN ISRAEL WHERE HE WAS A MAGGID SHIUR AT YESHIVAT MEVASERET ZION.

Sinning

WITH TRANSPARENCY Every Rosh Chodesh Elul, there is one piece of Torah I find myself circling back to. The theme of authenticity has been permeating in the Shalhevet walls for a few years now, so what better way to elaborate on it than through a devar Torah on the subject related to Yom Kippur?

Every tenth of Tishrei, for twenty-five hours, every affiliated Jew is on the same page. While we all have our favorite holiday, Yom Kippur takes on a universal magnitude of its own. It asks us to reach deep inside ourselves and bring out our greatest self. Although reflecting and pushing ourselves to greater spiritual heights is quintessential to the months of Elul and Tishrei, I always find myself looking for some direction. What is the truest and most authentic way to initiate this process?

My father, the real Rabbi Tsaidi, is an avid fan of finding inspiration from the Siddur/Machzor itself. When dealing with this question, he brought to light the following line from Kol Nidrei. ‫מחזור לאשכנזים ליום הכפורים‬ :‫על דעת המקום ועל דעת הקהל בישיבה של מעלה ובישיבה של מטה אנו מתירין להתפלל עם העברינים‬ With the consent of the Almighty, and consent of this congregation, in a convocation of the heavenly court, and a convocation of the lower court (the court of man), we hereby grant permission to pray with transgressors.

What an interesting way to start the Yom Kippur Tefilah. Rav Tzvi Yehudah Kook, zt”l, asks the following question on this Tefilah. If Yom Kippur is truly about perfecting and authenticating ourselves, then why would we surround ourselves with sinners? At least on the holiest day of the year, one would think that one should perhaps push oneself to daven specifically among inspiring Jews, and at the very least not daven among sinners. Rav Tzvi Yehudah’s father, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook, zt”l, strengthens the question by citing the following Gemara from Masechet Kritut. :‫כריתות ו‬ ‫דא"ר שמעון חסידא כל תענית צבור שאין בו מפושעי ישראל אינו תענית שהרי חלבנה ריחה רע ומנאה הכתוב‬... .‫עם סמני הקטרת‬ …That Rabbi Shimon Chasida says: Any fast that does not include the participation of some of the sinners of the Jewish people is not a fast, as the smell of galbanum is foul and yet the verse lists it with the ingredients of the incense.

The Gemara in Masechet Kritut goes even further than permitting one to daven with sinners only on Yom Kippur.

According to Rabbi Shimon Chasida, any Ta’anit (fast) that does not include the participation of sinners does not even count as a proper fast. He supports this statement by referencing the Chelbanah, which was one of the worst smelling odors in the world, yet it was required in the ingredients for the incense that was used in the Kodesh Kodashim. We are 13

left right where we started. Why in the Kodesh Kodashim, the holiest space in Jewish history, would we allow something that smells atrocious? This seems terribly disrespectful for a space of such a holy magnitude. More importantly, we turn back to our original question: Why on the holiest day of the year would we strongly advise davening among sinners?

My father explains that Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook zt”l interprets the line mentioned above from Kol Nidrei in a more homiletical fashion.1 In his opinion, this Tefilah has a deeper meaning that relates not only to other sinners, but to each of us as well. Rav Kook writes in his Orot HaTeshuvah that when we prepare for the Yamim Noraim, we try to bring forth the best version of ourselves.

But Rav Kook claims that if you’re only doing that, you have missed out on an essential part of Elul, Rosh Hashanah, and most importantly, Yom Kippur. Hashem does not want the best version of you, he wants the realest version of you! He doesn't want you to leave your sins at home, he wants you to bring those very sins with you to Tefilah. When the Tefilah says, “‫ להתפלל עם העברינים‬- to daven with sinners,” it means the sins within you! You should not hide these sins from Hashem; rather, they should be at the forefront of your conversation with the Almighty. G-d wants zero holding back from us. If it’s happiness, anger, excitement, confusion, or any other emotion or feeling that one can think of, Hashem wants to hear it… all of it!

As the great Elie Wiesel once said, “...telling G-d how angry we are is a way of telling him that we love him.” The goal is not to hide like Adam, Chavah, or Yonah from Hashem. The goal is saying to G-d, “Hineini, here I am as I am.”

Rav Kook elaborates that Chelbanah, with its atrocious smell, was used in the Kodesh Kodashim as a sign to show us that G-d has great, but realistic, expectations of us. He knows that we all have certain attributes that if magnified, can make us feel or look like sinners. The Chelbanah on its own had a potent, putrid smell, but was used along with the other great smelling spices for the incense. Once it was mixed with the other spices, not only could one not smell the Chelbanah, but the incense together smelled incredible, and the Chelbanah contributed to that smell. So too, when we join our sins together with the mitzvot we have fulfilled and our positive attributes, we thereby present our true selves to Hashem in a manner that is just as beautiful as the ketoret.

Our bracha should be that we strive for true righteousness and greatness, but never at the expense of hiding our authenticity. Aderaba, on the contrary, our righteousness and greatness should originate from our true authenticity. G-d is in the field waiting to greet us, let's join Him as we are and make this a truly special Tishrei.

1 My father also mentioned that the Netivot Shalom interprets this line literally and elaborates about the importance of joining with sinners on Yom Kippur, which is a separate shiur of its own.

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Shalhevet Class of ‘19 ABBI SENTCHUK

ABBI SENTCHUK IS A GRADUATE OF SHALHEVET'S CLASS OF 2019.

SHE LEARNED AT MIDRESHET HAROVA AND IS CURRENTLY A SOPHOMORE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.

Reflections on Yom Kippur

AND CHOOSING THE HARD WAY OUT Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z”l notes that our ancestors used to say, “’Zis schver zu zein a Yid,” a Yiddish phrase meaning “It is not easy to be a Jew.” My great-great grandfather z”l also screamed out this sentence when the Nazis pulled out his beard as he arrived in Auschwitz. Growing up, I have always been ultra-aware that being a Jew has never been easy, will never be easy, and is not meant to be easy. To be a Jew is challenging, it means not taking the simplest path in life. There are 613 mitzvot in the Torah and numerous rabbinic rules to follow, spanning from the way we tie our shoes in the morning to the way we go to bed at night – guidelines for how we should live every aspect of our lives. The amount of Torah, Mishna, Gemara, commentaries, and halachot we are told to learn is so vast that I believe no lifetime is long enough to fully master all of it. But to me, that is exactly the point of Judaism – to constantly be pushed in every respect, to be aware that there is always more to accomplish, and to strive for more. We are pushed to be better, to learn better, to think better, to ask better, and to do better.

This, to me, is the epitome of Yom Kippur and is always at the forefront of my mind as Elul comes around. Rabbi Sacks has a similar approach to Yom Kippur and the purpose of tefillah on this holy day. He explains that “God never asked us not to make mistakes. All he asks is that we acknowledge our mistakes, learn from them, grow through them, and make amends where we can.” Yom Kippur, like every other aspect of Judaism, is about growing, learning about ourselves, and of course - pushing ourselves.

We start Yom Kippur every year with Kol Nidre, meaning “All Vows.” This is a proclamation we make as a congregation publicly acknowledging all unfulfilled vows, oaths, and promises we made to Hashem. However, Kol Nidre is specifically about vows made bein Adam l’Makom, between Man and God. Any promises broken in our interactions with others (or other ways we have wronged them) are not included. The Mishna explains that “Yom Kippur does not forgive any transgressions made between a person and his fellow unless they have already received forgiveness directly” (Yoma 8:9).

There is a large emphasis placed during Yom Kippur and the process of repentance on the importance of making a specific effort to reflect on each mistake we might have made throughout the year. While we may start Yom Kippur with Kol Nidre by asking God for forgiveness for our mistaken and unfulfilled vows, in no way does that mean that the wrongdoings we’ve done to our friends, teachers, parents, and classmates -- bein Adam l’chaveiro, are just “taken care of.”

The “road map” of Yom Kippur ensures that we don’t just take the easy route. Rather, we must recognize where we’ve made mistakes and deal with the people to whom those mistakes were made, and only afterwards will God forgive us for them.

On Yom Kippur we are pushed to be better and greater. We are pushed seriously to reflect, sincerely apologize, and genuinely grow. As Rabbi Sacks z’l explains, “Those of whom great things are asked become great – not because they are inherently better or more gifted than others, but because they feel themselves challenged, summoned, to greatness.” In Judaism, and on Yom Kippur, even more so, that is exactly what we are asked to do - become great. Especially when it isn’t easy. Wishing everyone a ketiva v’chatima tova and a Shana tova u’metukah!

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Limudei Kodesh Faculty

RABBI ABRAHAM LIEBERMAN RABBI ABRAHAM LIEBERMAN IS A MEMBER OF THE LIMUDEI KODESH FACULTY AT SHALHEVET HIGH SCHOOL. HE PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS THE HEAD OF SCHOOL AT YULA GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL. RABBI LIEBERMAN LEARNED AT YESHIVA UNIVERSITY AND RECEIVED SEMIKHA FROM EMEK HALAKHA IN BROOKLYN. HE RECEIVED HIS M.A. IN JEWISH HISTORY FROM THE BERNARD REVEL GRADUATE SCHOOL (YU), WHERE HE IS CURRENTLY WORKING TOWARDS HIS DOCTORATE.

‫עיצומו של יום הכיפורים מכפר‬

THE DAY OF YOM KIPPUR FORGIVES One of the most mystifying concepts of Yom Kippur is the idea that the day itself has some special quality to bring about forgiveness. The Talmud (Yoma 85a, Shevuot 12b) cites a dispute between the Chachamim and Rebbi (Rabbi Yehudah Ha-nasi) regarding this concept, known as ‫עיצומו של יום מכפר‬. The Chachamim maintain that it only works if the person has performed some act of repentance, teshuva, while Rebbi maintains that the Day of Yom Kippur effects forgiveness even without teshuva. The Yerushalmi (Yoma 42a) records an opinion that Yom Kippur effects forgiveness even against a person’s will. While Halachah follows the opinion of the Chachamim (Rambam, MT Teshuva 1:3) that some teshuva is necessary, how does the concept that the day causes forgiveness work? What is there about Yom Kippur that creates this element of forgiveness?

The Maharal (Rabbi Yehudah Loew of Prague, 1520-1609) explains (Gevurot Hashem, Ch. 46) this concept as stemming from the relationship between a king and his servants. Just as the king can forgive any wrongdoing of his followers, so too Hashem goes out of his way on this day of Yom Kippur to bring about forgiveness for his people. The deep connection and attachment between Hashem and Am Yisrael thus facilitate this notion of ‫עיצומו של יום הכיפורים מכפר‬.

The Ba’alei Mussar explain in light of the Yerushalmi mentioned earlier that some forgiveness results even against one’s will because of the special significance of ‫עיצומו של יום הכיפורים מכפר‬. They offer the following parable: Imagine a child who never wants to be clean and refuses to bathe or take a shower to cleanse himself. At some point, the parents will simply take the child and wash away the dirt themselves.

The first Rebbe of the Radomsk Dynasty, Rabbi Shlomo Hakohen Rabinowitz (1801-1866) writes (Tiferet Shlomo, Moadim, Yom Kippurim) of the high level of connection that exists between Hashem and the Jewish People. On Yom Kippur, Hashem wants a deep connection with His People and desires that they be capable of ascending to great heights to achieve this connection. In order to foster this deveikut (attachment), Yom Kippur is given a unique gift to accomplish the task, namely, the concept of ‫עיצומו של יום הכיפורים מכפר‬, all of our sins being forgiven due to the greatness of the day. He solidifies his point by quoting a pasuk that we mention many times over the course of the Yom Kippur tefillot (Yeshayahu 43:25): .‫ למעני וחטאתיך לא אזכר‬,‫אנכי אנכי הוא מחה פשעיך‬ “It is I, I who—for My own sake— wipe your transgressions away and remember your sins no more.”

The Tiferet Shlomo explains that when it says “for My own sake,” it refers to this connection that Hashem wants to have with Am Yisrael on this very special day. It can only be accomplished with this wonderful gift of ‫עיצומו של יום הכיפורים‬ ‫מכפר‬.

Rabbi Soloveitchik takes a very similar approach in the passage below (Yemei Zikaron, pp. 242-243): Many times in our history Hashem called to Man [such as when He called] to Avraham, Moshe, and Shmuel… It is almost as if Hashem feels alone, he wants the closeness with his creations. When a Jew 17

arrives in Shul on Yom Kippur, Hashem is already there waiting… All year long it is the responsibility of the person to rectify the wrong, but on Yom Kippur, Hashem has no patience anymore (kivyachol, as it were) and therefore He Himself will cleanse and purify, not just forgive us.

How fortunate we are that on one day of the year, we merit this special unique quality of ‫עיצומו של יום הכיפורים מכפר‬. It is for this special reason that Rabbi Alexander Ziskind of Grodno (d. 1794) in his Yesod Shoresh V’Avodah (2, Yerach Eitanim) writes that when we make the beracha of Shehechiyanu (right after Kol Nidrei) and usher in Yom Kippur, we should be at our highest sense of joy, as we now enter the day on which we merit our forgiveness. In other words, on this holy day, the great, once a year occasion when Hashem’s mercy and forgiveness operates on the highest level, we need to also take a few steps to show our appreciation for the great bonus of ‫ עיצומו של יום הכיפורים מכפר‬and be ready to acknowledge and welcome it with simcha. May we, as individuals, as a family, as a school, as a community and as a nation be all worthy of this great gift to welcome a shana tova filled with the realization of our dreams!

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Limudei Kodesh Faculty Regional Director, West Coast NCSY RABBI DEREK GORMIN

RABBI GORMIN IS PART OF THE LIMUDEI KODESH FACULTY AT SHALHEVET, WHERE HE TEACHES TALMUD, JEWISH PHILOSOPHY, CHASSIDUT, AND TEFILA (PRAYER). WHEN NOT INSIDE THE HOLY WALLS OF SHALHEVET, RABBI GORMIN IS THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF WEST COAST NCSY. RABBI DEREK GORMIN STUDIED POLITICAL SCIENCE, MUSIC AND SOCIOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE, AND RECEIVED A CERTIFICATE OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS FROM YONSEI UNIVERSITY IN SEOUL, KOREA. UPON GRADUATION, DEREK WAS BLESSED TO SPEND TIME DIVING INTO THE DEPTHS OF HIS JEWISH HERITAGE IN VARIOUS YESHIVOT IN JERUSALEM.

Hoshana Rabbah -

A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH Tishrei is arguably the most exciting month on the Jewish calendar. We quickly move from one glorious day to the next, jumping from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur to Succot and to Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, and there is hardly room for pause. There is, however, yet another exciting date on our epic list of celebrations that we must not forget. Often even the most affiliated and observant Jews among us may not be phased by this incredible day. Usual observance of this day may consist of a certain baseline recognition in order to fulfill any halachic obligations, which can become simply a few extras points on the “morning to-do list,” before quickly moving on to the preparations and activities of the other days, as their names flash in bright lights above. Of course, we are speaking of the incomparable day of Hoshana Rabbah.

While exploring this topic, I took a very informal poll, asking twenty different high school students and adults alike, each of whom identify as “very active” in an observant community, the simple of question of, “what can you tell me about Hoshana Rabbah?” The majority of answers were not answers at all. I received some blank stares, a few lines referencing “hitting bundles of leaves on the floor,” and two responses consisting of the responder referencing “Kabbalah.” When these last two responders were questioned further, they couldn’t recall any of the mystical teachings that they referenced.

The bottom line is that Hoshana Rabbah is a day that we as a community owe it to ourselves to explore further.

Starting at the Top, What is Hoshana Rabbah?

The Talmud (Rosh Hashana 16a) informs us that the holiday of Succot is when God judges us with regard to determining how much rainfall will be received. Hoshana Rabbah is the final day of Succot, making it the final day of this judgment. It is for this reason that the Mishna and Talmud (Succah 43b-45a) describe an elaborate ritual performed on Hoshana Rabbah with the “hoshanot,” the willow leaves, in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, as well as how, when and where the ceremony is done. That practice is mirrored in our custom today, where on Hoshana Rabbah, we joyously circle the Bima seven times (as opposed to the other days of Succot, where the congregation circles the Bima in shul once). Typically, our circling on Hoshana Rabbah is done with an open ark, and many Torahs are removed for the occasion.

In addition to this ceremony of circling seven times, Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried in his Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Siman 138) writes that on Hoshana Rabbah, it is customary to stay awake all night learning Torah, referred to as the “tikkun leil Hoshana Rabbah.” This special learning is called a “tikkun” or “ultimate soul fix” because on Succot we are judged with regard to water, upon which human life depends, and the power of Torah learning can help to “fix” our judgment on High. Rabbi Ganzfried continues to state that Hoshana Rabbah is the last day of Succot, and quotes the Talmud (Brachot 12) that “hakol holech achar hachatima,” “everything depends upon the conclusion.” Because Hoshana Rabbah is the conclusion of the holiday of judgment for water, it stands to reason that if we have an extremely powerful Hoshana Rabbah, we may have a fighting chance for a better judgment in the coming year (at least concerning water). Our year can really be affected by our observance and celebration of Hoshana Rabbah!

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The second dimension of significance of Hoshana Rabbah (in addition to the judgment for water) pertains to the judgment process of each individual that began on Rosh Hashana and extended through Yom Kippur. The Talmud tells us (Rosh Hashana 16b) that Rosh Hashana is the day when the Almighty writes in three “books”: Tzadikim, the righteous, are written in the book of life, the Reshaim, evil individuals, are written in the opposite book, God forbid, and the Beinonim, the middle group, which includes most people, are written in the third book. The Gemara then informs us that for the Beinonim, the “sealing” of the book takes place on Yom Kippur, giving us “regular folk” what we refer to as the “Ten Days of Repentance” between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur to make changes. This sentiment is echoed in the chilling prayer recited during the Yomim Noraim entitled Unetaneh Tokeif, where it states, “On Rosh Hashana it [the judgment] is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed.”

With that in mind, picture the process of a book being published. The book is first written, then printed, and subsequently ready for sale. Just before the books are shipped out, the publisher decides to add a “publisher’s note” in the front cover, which frames and shapes the entire book for any potential reader, and arranges to do so. This “publisher’s note” is what takes place on Hoshana Rabba as well with regard to our judgment. Although the verdict has already been issued on Yom Kippur, Hashem adds the additional note on Hoshana Rabba that can influence how the decree written in the book is implemented during the year.

Given this understanding, we can appreciate the power and potential influence that this holy day provides us to beseech the Master of the world to add that publisher’s note. We can also now understand another prevalent custom of the day.

Many have the custom on Hoshana Rabbah to wish our fellow Jews the blessing of a “pitka tava” (Aramaic) or a “gutten kvittel” (Yiddish), both meaning “a good note.” These two words send a blessing to the recipient that in addition to being inscribed in the book of life on Rosh Hashana and sealed in the book of life on Yom Kippur, they should also receive a stellar publisher’s note in the front of the book, from the ultimate publisher, God. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov adds a third perspective to our understanding of Hoshana Rabbah. Rebbe Nachman, in his magnum opus, Likutei Moharan (Torah 74), quotes the Zohar that these willows, which we are instructed to take on Hoshana Rabbah, are representative of our lips. Most notably, this symbolism stems from the fact that the willow leaves appear to be in the shape of lips. This teaches us that our ability to speak is deeply connected to the day of Hoshana Rabbah. Rebbe Nachman explains that there are many challenging aspects of speech, and divine assistance is necessary when it comes to our ability to communicate verbally. Therefore, it stands to reason that our lips, meaning our speech and our power to choose only kind, positive and encouraging words during Succot, really do matter! (While this mitzvah of guarding one’s speech may be most acutely felt on Hoshana Rabbah, of course we should respect the power of speech all year!) Hoshana Rabbah challenges us to reflect upon and deeply examine our usual modalities of speech. We should stop to ask ourselves questions such as, “Are we typically careful in the ways that we speak of others?” “Is my personal list of usual vocabulary filled with positive words, or perhaps the opposite?” “Do I use my words to build people and situations, or is the opposite true?”

May our new understanding of Hoshana Rabbah based on the ideas explained above and our rededication to the process of writing our own “book of life” provide us with a “gutten kvitel” and a joyous year to come!

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Shalhevet Class of ‘18 TALI SCHLACHT

TA L I S C H L AC H T IS A G R AD U AT E OF S H AL H E V E T ' S C L AS S OF 2018. A FT E R SHA LHE VE T , TA L I S TU D IE D F OR T W O YE ARS M IG D AL OZ IN G U S H E T Z ION AN D I S CU R R E NT LY A S TUD ENT AT BAR IL AN U N IV E RS IT Y.

Shemini Atzeret’s IDENTITY CRISIS

The holiday of Shemini Atzeret is celebrated every year at the conclusion of Sukkot, bringing an end to the “chagim season” that began on Rosh Hashanah. We often associate the day of Shemini Atzeret with Sukkot, which it immediately follows, yet it also has some tefilot and brachot that are different than those of Sukkot. In addition, Shemini Atzeret is linked with Simchat Torah, when we complete the yearly cycle of the Torah reading. In Israel, Simchat Torah is celebrated on the same day as Shemini Atzeret, but in the Diaspora, Shemini Atzeret alone is celebrated on the day that follows the seven days of Sukkot, and Simchat Torah is on the next day, serving as a ‫ יום טוב שני של גלויות‬of Shemini Atzeret, the added day that the Rabbis instituted for each festival in the Diaspora. So this day is associated with Sukkot, as well as Simchat Torah, but this still does not tell us what exactly Shemini Atzeret is all about.

What can we glean from the Torah and rabbinic sources about this day? The Torah mentions Shemini Atzeret together with Sukkot, and refers to it as the yom hashemini, the eighth day, implying that it is simply the eighth day of Sukkot. The Mishna in Sukkah also refers to Shemini Atzeret as the “‫”יום טוב אחרון של חג‬, the last day of the chag, as the last day is still considered Zman Simchateinu, a time of rejoicing, like Sukkot, and we still recite Hallel, like the rest of the days of Sukkot.

Rashi (Vayikra 23:36) famously gives a mashal, a parable, to explain the relationship between Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret based on this common theme of rejoicing. The celebration of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret is similar to a king who invites his sons to feast with him for a few days. When it comes time for them to leave, the king asks his sons to stay with him for just one more day. According to this idea, Sukkot is a more universal holiday while Shemini Atzeret is a day for the Jewish people alone. We want one more day to rejoice with Hashem as the season of chagim comes to a close.

And yet, the unique mitzvot of Sukkot do not apply anymore (at least by Torah law). We finish shaking the Lulav and Etrog on Hoshana Rabba, the last day of Sukkot, and we sit in the sukkah only based on rabbinic law, but do not recite a Bracha. This is because Shemini Atzeret was instituted in Chutz La’Aretz, the Diaspora, as reflecting the safek, or doubt, that originally existed regarding the correct day on the calendar (the reason that every festival has a second day added to it outside of Israel). Therefore, we are machmir and perform the deoraita mitzvah of sitting in the Sukkah on Shemini Atzeret as well (though without a beracha to illustrate the difference), but not the derabanan mitzvah of shaking the four minim (which was only biblical on all seven days in the Beit HaMikdash).

In addition, the Gemara (Sukkah 48a) calls Shemini Atzeret a ‫רגל בפני עצמו‬, a separate, distinct holiday in and of itself. It proceeds to list six ways in which Shemini Atzeret differs from Sukkot, four of which are related to the avodah (service) in the Beit Hamikdash, and two that are relevant nowadays: A) We recite Shehechiyanu on the first night of Shemini Atzeret, which is generally only recited at the onset of a new holiday.

B) We refer to the day as Shemini Atzeret, rather than Sukkot, in our Tefila.

We see that this day contains a certain duality: On the one hand it is related to and part of Sukkot. At the same time, Shemini Atzeret is portrayed by the Gemara and reflected in our practices as an independent chag, as it is a day devoted to celebrating the Jewish people’s unique relationship with Hashem.

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In addition to its relationship to Sukkot, as mentioned Shemini Atzeret is also linked with Simchat Torah, which serves as its Yom Tov Sheni. But it is difficult to understand why we would celebrate Simchat Torah and the completion of the cycle of Keriat HaTorah on Shemini Atzeret, rather than the day that we received the Torah, Shavuot. Wouldn’t it make more sense to celebrate its completion on the day we received it?

The common answer given is that there is a major thematic difference between the giving of the Torah and completing its study. On Simchat Torah, we celebrate the completion of the Torah, not the giving of the Torah, and the two celebrations should remain distinct. However, the Lubavitcher Rebbe1, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, offers a more creative answer to this question as well that highlights an additional theme of the day. They explain that Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret directly parallel Pesach and Shavuot. The latter of each of the two pairs are referred to as “Atzeret” (Shemini Atzeret in the Torah, and Shavuot by Chazal), and the former of each pair both begin on the fifteenth of the month (not a coincidence!). Moreover, both Shavuot and Shemini Atzeret culminate a cycle of seven: Shavuot concludes the seven weeks of the Omer, and Shemini Atzeret concludes the seven days of Sukkot. Lastly, Nissan and Tishrei are both beginnings of the year.

According to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the word “Atzeret” in these parallels can be understood as an initiation and implementation of an earlier realization, which is then put into action. Thus, the giving of the Torah at Har Sinai serves as the initiation and implementation of the process that began with Yetziat Mitzrayim – serving as Hashem’s chosen people, and Shavuot serves as the Atzeret of Pesach. Shemini Atzeret though serves as a different type of Atzeret: The second set of Luchot, which were given following the sin of the golden calf and Moshe’s breaking of the first set, were given on the tenth of Tishrei, the day of Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is generally not observed as a festival or day of rejoicing, but as a more personal, introspective day. Nevertheless, it is the day that we received the second Luchot, and we also want to celebrate!2 Therefore, we are actually rejoicing for the second Luchot, which represent Teshuva, in place of doing so on Yom Kippur. Consequently, on Shemini Atzeret we implement the rejoicing over Teshuva that began on Sukkot in a manner that enables us to make this celebration of Teshuva part of our day-to-day lives.

Perhaps we can apply this idea of Atzeret being an implementation and initiation of an earlier process in an additional manner as well. Rav Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg (19th Century Germany), author of the commentary HaKetav VeHakabala, translates “Atzeret” as “retain,” which can be applied as follows: Throughout the season of the Chagim, we experience a rollercoaster of emotions. We accept Hashem as our king on Rosh Hashanah, we recite selichot, reflecting on our sins, and ask for forgiveness on Yom Kippur. We spend hours sitting in shul, (hopefully) reflecting and thinking forward as to how to improve during the coming year. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are the final days of this season, when we must determine how all of this will affect our lives during the coming year. Thus, we can view these days as a time to take all the kavana we had on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, retain it, and channel it towards the rest of the year. As a day of an “initiation of an earlier realization,” it is a time where we focus on the year ahead and how we can actualize those Yom Kippur resolutions for the upcoming year.

1 Maamar Lehavin Inyan Simchat Torah (5742), adapted by Yanky Tauber (meaningfullife.com).

2 See Taanit 26b and commentaries there, which also indicate that Yom Kippur has the status of a day of celebration for this reason.

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