RABBI EFREM GOLDBERG, PAGE 7 Where is Your Mesirus Nefesh? RABBI JOSEPH SCHREIBER, PAGE 9 “...Call upon Him while He is near” RAV NACHUM SAUER, PAGE 12 The Kapparah of Yom Kippur ELI FEIGELSTOCK ‘25, PAGE 14 Yonah and Teshuva MRS. HADASSAH SHEMTOV, PAGE 19 The Peasants’ Journey MS. ROBIN TASSLER, PAGE 22 The Time Between Yom Kippur and Sukkos NOAM GOLDBERG ‘23, PAGE 24 Z’man Simchaseinu RABBI TZVI YOUNGER, PAGE 26 The Twin Factors of המחנ and הבושת RABBI ARYEH KAPLAN, PAGE 28 Is it Chol or Moed? RABBI JOSH MASLOW, PAGE 31 An Everlasting Love RABBI PINCHOS HECHT, PAGE 34 “Why the Need for תונורכז רדס?” YAELLE SHAYE ‘22, PAGE 42 Stay Connected: םיִתוֹבֲעַבּ גַח וּרְסִא Table of Contents
of the school year has demonstrated how special our educators and YULA community is! Being part of a Yeshiva community that makes no excuses and goes lifnim mishurat hadin to ensure we maximize Torah study and inspiration is having a transformative impact on our talmidim and talmidot.
Wishing the entire YULA family and community a Ke’tiva V’chatima Tova and Chag Sameach!
I am excited to share with you the Yomim Noraim and Sukkot Edition of Divrei Hitorirut – Words of Inspiration . This publication showcases the inspiring and spiritually uplifting environment that defines YULA, including meaningful and engaging Divrei Torah from our YULA rebbeim, students, andThealumni.start
On Rosh Hashanah, we will read about Akeidat Yitzchak . When it came to the Akeidah , the Torah tells us that Avraham waited three days. When it came to Lech Lecha M’artzecha – he got up and left immediately. Suddenly, he delays G-d’s clear-cut commandment? Is Avraham perhaps starting to reconsider this whole movement? Is he giving up? What is going on? Rav Yehuda Amital explains that Avraham had to teach future generations a profound and important message, which often gets lost in the 21st century. The fact that he performed [the akeida ] three days after he had received the commandment, proves the value of thought, proper consideration, and careful examination is an important part of our Avodat Hashem . In other words, our yiddishkeit is a lifetime commitment and journey that requires continuous growth and development, with the realization it is a gradual and thoughtful process. As the Gemarah tells us, “Tofasta Merubah Lo Tofasta, Tofasta Mu’at Tofasta - If you have seized a too much, you have not seized. If you have seized a little, you have seized.”
Rabbi Arye Sufrin, Head of School
Dear YULA Family,
The same is true with Teshuva , let us all remember that successful teshuva requires thought, introspection, and reflection. Dont try to accomplish everything at once, rather take it one step at a time, and you will see that over time you will be more successful in getting closer to Hashem.
Dear YULA Family,
Where is Your Mesirus Nefesh?
This past summer, Yocheved and I were in a remarkable supermarket. The supermarket was larger than our local Publix. It had all the same sections as any other supermarket - meat, poultry, fish, fresh produce, prepared foods, groceries, frozen items and much more. What made this supermarket incredible is that it is entirely under kosher supervision. There was a complete aisle of kosher vitamins. There was even a keilim mikvah in the supermarket so that if you buy any vessels that need immersion you could do it on the spot. As I stood in the enormous store with an endless variety of kosher food, Jewish newspapers, kosher vitamins and even a board game called “Monseyopoly,” I thought to myself we are living in a time in which it is more comfortable than ever to be an observant Jew. Every aspect of Jewish living has been rendered easier, more comfortable and requiring less sacrifice. We have pop-up Sukkahs and prepackaged hadassim and aravos. We purchase complete Chanukah sets already pre assembled and ready to use. Endless potato recipes for Pesach have been replaced by kosher l’pesach bagels, cereal and pancakes. We buy 10 pieces of bread labeled for bedikas chametz. Artscroll has revolutionized learning, making what were once closed texts accessible to the masses for study. We have diverse kosher restaurants, an app to help us find minyanim within proximity to our exact location. We have Shabbos clocks and Shabbos lamps and Shabbos alarm clocks. In some ways, fidelity to Halacha requires less sacrifice, less compromise and less effort than ever. And it is not just halachic conveniences, it is simply easier to function in the world today than it ever was. Remember Disney’s “Carousel of Progress”? It had a display showing inconceivable technology like programmable refrigerators and ovens, voice command, video conferencing, and inconceivable video games. I remember seeing it as a child and thinking how creative this showcase was and how unlikely it would or could ever come true. Well, somewhat sadly Disney has not updated that carousel, and when I saw it with my family a couple of years ago, my children wanted to know why things that exist in their past are being described and celebrated as the future. We now FaceTime with
7 תוררועתה ירבד
“And it happened that God tested Avraham and said to him, “Avraham,” and he replied, “Here I am.” Momentarily, we will use a horn of the ayil, a ram, for a shofar. The Shulchan Aruch writes (586:1), “It is best when the shofar of Rosh Hashanah is from an ayil… although all shofros are kosher.” The Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 16) wonders, “Why do we blow shofar specifically with a ram’s horn?” It answers, “Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, ‘Blow for Me with a ram’s shofar so I will remember akeidas Yitzchak and I will consider it as though you were bound on the akeida before Me.” This morning, when we want to persevere and triumph in judgment, when we want to be worthy of being written and ultimately sealed for a year of prosperity and blessing, we think about and invoke the story of the akeidah. It is what we literally read for Kerias HaTorah on one of the days, and it is the reason we use the shofar of a ram on both days. I would like to suggest to you that the akeida and Rosh Hashanah go together because it is the power of “hineini,” of being tested and answering the call, that should be on our minds as we sit here in shul this morning. As we think about coronating God as our King, we are to considerHave we answered the call like Avraham? Have we been prepared to make sacrifices in our lives and lifestyles? Have we passed the tests that we have confronted and persevered in the face of the adversity, temptation, and seduction that has come our way? Some are tested with maintaining faith during a health crisis or a financial collapse or infertility or a failing marriage. Some are tested with being loyal to the
8תוררועתה ירבד
people around the world, program our smart houses and will soon rely on our self-driving cars. The increasingly comfortable world, Jewishly and technologically, is making us progressively uncomfortable with discomfort. We expect everything to be easy, compatible, pleasant, and convenient. To be honest, I am worried about our generation, a truly privileged generation’s capacity for mesirus nefesh. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with all of the wonderful progress. We should enjoy and celebrate the abundance of options and the ease of being an observant Jew and a blessed member of the 21st century. However, what happens when we encounter that which is inconvenient, uncomfortable or incompatible? Do we have the interest let alone the strength to persevere, to overcome, to endure?
Avigayil Kaplan ‘24
9 תוררועתה ירבד
Moshe Feinstein zt”l famously said that we must not tell our children “t’iz shver tsu zeyn a yid,” it is difficult to be a Jew, but instead, we must tell them “it’s geshmak to be a yid,” it is amazing to be a Jew. He was right and remains right. We need to show our children the beauty of our tradition, how it enriches and enhances
Torah’s view of the world when it conflicts with Western culture and values and others are tested observing Jewish laws that are inconvenient or even incomprehensible to them. Some are tested with coming to shul while others are tested with paying attention while there. Some are tested when submitting their income taxes and others are tested when surfing the web. When it is our turn and our time, when v’ha’Elokim nisa es…, when God tests us, do we care enough and are we strong enough to say “hineini,” I am here, I am prepared to sacrifice, to struggle, to compromise, to forfeit and to submit? Or do we believe that life should be comfortable, easy and convenient, so when we encounter conflict we disappear, we check out, and we drop whatever necessary to get our comfort level back Ravup?
10תוררועתה ירבד
our lives and brings deep meaning and great joy. But you know what – with that said, let’s admit for a moment that it isn’t always geshmak to be a yid. It is sometimes shver. When you have to wake up early for selichos and you are exhausted, when you lose a business opportunity because of Shabbos, when you are stuck somewhere with nothing kosher to eat, when the Torah law doesn’t fit neatly with the mores of the time, it is shver, it is difficult. And yet, at those times, in those moments, are our “hineini” opportunities. That is our chance like Avraham to say, I don’t only show up for a Judaism which I perceive as pleasant and pleasurable, but even when it is hard and challenging and makes me work – “hineini!” – I am here, I am in, I am ready. Willingness to compromise, sacrifice and submit is a critical part of religious experience.
We like to show how compatible Judaism and Torah are with science, with our liberal values, with the world we live in. But religion is not about compatibility with what is convenient for us to believe and with how we prefer to behave. At its core it is about a willingness for submission. Today is about being mamlich Hashem, coronating God as our King and with it, kabalas ol malchus shamayim, accepting and surrendering to the will and dominion of our King, even when it takes sacrifice and submission. Today we coronate God with our words but when we leave this room and go to our homes, our workplaces, our gyms, and our recreational activities, we truly coronate God by standing the tests we face. In a famous footnote in Halakhic Man, Rabbi Soloveitchik wrote: This popular ideology contends that the religious experience is tranquil and neatly ordered, tender and delicate; it is an enchanted stream for embittered souls and still waters for troubled spirits… This ideology is intrinsically false and deceptive. That religious consciousness in man’s experience which is most profound and most elevated, which penetrates to the very depths and ascends to the very heights, is not that simple and comfortable. On the contrary, it is exceptionally complex, rigorous and torturous.
If we use the ram to invoke Akeidas Yitzchak why do we specifically use the horn? If our goal is to remind Hashem of Akeidas Yitzchak,
11 תוררועתה ירבד
couldn’t we have used any part of the ram that was ultimately brought instead of Yitzchak? Why specifically the horn? Perhaps we can answer with an insight from R’ Meir Shapiro in his Imrei Da’as. The passuk says he set out on the first day and arrived on the third. What happened in between? The Midrash (Tanchuma, Vayeira #22) says that when Avraham set out to bring his son as a sacrifice, along the way the Satan, the dissuading voice tried numerous times to discourage Avraham from going through with his mission. Avraham persevered each time and ignored the voice seeking to dissuade him. When he finally raised his hand to strike his son Yitzchak, an angel instructed him to stop. Wonders Rav Meir Shapiro, how did Avraham know that the voice of the angel was authentic and legitimate? How did he know it wasn’t the Satan one last time? He answers that the text tells us that Avraham notices the ram ne’echaz basvach, struggling in the thicket. Only upon noticing the ram struggling was Avraham convinced to in fact put down the knife. Explains Rav Shapiro, falsehood and temptation come easy. Truth and meaning are connected to struggle and effort. Avraham noticed the struggle of the ram after hearing the angel’s voice. When he saw struggle, he knew he was in the presence of truth. Perhaps we specifically use the horn of the ram because it was the horn that was entangled and caught. The ram struggled to escape but its horns were caught in the bush and it couldn’t get out. The shofar represents challenges and struggles. It was chosen today because Hashem cherishes our struggles. He values our efforts and cares deeply about each and every moment of perseverance.
The Gemara (Pesachim 113a) tells us there are three types of Jews that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is machriz alleihem kol hayom and therefore, hizharu bo. Three people that Hashem announces their great value all day and therefore we should be careful with them. The Maharsha explains – be careful with them means they look unimpressive, even vulnerable, but be careful because they are at the merkaz, the center of His heart. Hashem publicly lauds them, they are at the center of His heart, they must be extraordinary. Who are
the three? 1. A single person who lives in a city and isn’t choteh, he doesn’t sin. 2. A poor person who returns a lost object. Imagine a person who has a hard time making a living who finds a lost object and nevertheless chooses not to keep it despite desperately needing it. 3. A rich person who takes care of his tzedaka in a private way. He gives a lot but without fanfare. I understand why the rich person is precious to Hashem. He is entitled to give publicly and take credit. What he did is tremendous. But the poor person is not allowed to keep the lost item and the single person is forbidden from sinning. They didn’t do anything special, they simply did what they are supposed to. Why does God love them and cherish them? The Ba’alei Mussar explain that God is machriz, meaning at the merkaz, at the center of His attention, is when a person is able to hold back and achieve even a small victory. What we do matters to the Almighty. It doesn’t only make a difference to Him if we cure cancer or donate a million dollars or finish Shas. What matters to Him the most is when we were tempted to transgress something, to give in and yet we hold back, we overcome, and we do what is right. When we find the will to still believe even when we have every excuse not to, it matters to God. When we go hungry because we weren’t entirely sure of the
Dalya Teller ‘24
12תוררועתה ירבד
13 תוררועתה ירבד
Throughout Tanach, when devash, honey is mentioned it generally refers to devash temarim, date honey. Yet, when the Shulchan Aruch quotes the practice we observe of dipping apples in the honey on Rosh Hashanah, it means devash devorim, bee honey. Why? We dip the apple in the honey to ask for a shana tova u’mesuka, a good and sweet year. Date honey is not a good sweet. It is easy to retrieve. The sweetness flows from the date. Bee honey is the opposite. It takes a lot of preparation, determination and even pain to retrieve. Rav Reisman explains that genuine sweetness results from effort, exertion and struggle. True sweetness comes with mesirus nefesh, with work, and maybe even a few stings along the way. There is a family living on an island in the Caribbean that wants to convert to Judaism. They have been mentored by their local rabbi and have studied diligently with a rabbi in Israel. I went to visit them a few weeks ago to meet them in person and see the small local Jewish community. Just before Rosh Hashanah I got the following email from him: We have made a
hechsher, it makes a difference to God. When we hold back from looking at something we shouldn’t look at or saying something we shouldn’t say, even when nobody else knows, He notices and He cares deeply. When we hold back from talking during davening or find the strength to answer Amen with all of our being, we have sent God a love note and He cherishes it. Picture it – Hakadosh Baruch Hu is announcing in Heaven all day long, He is screaming loudly and celebrating our small victories. He yells – my beloved angels, check out Yaakov, he made it to shul even though he is exhausted. Look at Sarah – despite the crazy heat and humidity she makes the effort to dress modestly. Notice Jon – he was about to look at that website and he clicked the mouse to go elsewhere instead. Pay attention to Carol – she had a juicy piece of gossip she wanted to share so badly but she held back because she didn’t want to hurt another person. Seemingly small accomplishments but the results of sometimes superhuman effort, restraint, and self-control. Our toil, struggle and efforts matter. They mean everything to Hashem and at the end of the day, they bring us our greatest satisfaction and fulfillment.
Rabbi Efrem Goldberg is the Rabbi of Boca Raton Synagogue in Boca Raton, Florida.
RABBI EFREM GOLDBERG
14תוררועתה ירבד
lot of changes in our lives just to be a part of HaShem’s people. These changes have not been easy but have been worthy, and even more when we complete the process. You saw our commitment, as you expressed that you were impressed. Our desire to finish the process is not just for the sake of getting to be called Jews. Being a Jew is very hard, takes courage and dedication. We are willing to continue to make sacrifices and take this path all the way. For this we need your help. When we welcome someone to the Jewish people they stand in the mikvah about to undergo an enormous transformation and we ask them a series of questions. One of them, the Gemara tells us, is do you know that it is really difficult to be a Jew? Are you aware that keeping Jewish law is complicated, keeping kosher and Jewish schools are expensive, antiSemites want to kill us? Are you prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to be a Jew? Only when a candidate says yes, do we welcome them to our people. The ram’s Shofar asks us those same questions this morning. Do we answer the call of the akeida like Avraham Avinu? In the coming year, are we willing to remember that avodas Hashem is called “avodah” for a reason, because it takes work and effort. Robert Browning, the 19th century English poet, put it well when he said, “When the fight begins within himself, a man’s worth something.” Let’s make our lives worth something. When inevitably called upon to struggle spiritually or theologically or in our lifestyle, let’s determine right here and right now, on this great day of judgment and awe that we will answer hineini, here we are.
“בוֹרָק וֹתוֹיְהִבּ ,וּהֻאָרְק ;וֹאְצָמִּהְבּ ,׳ה וּשְׁרִדּ
15 תוררועתה ירבד
“...Call upon Him while He is near” - Seek Hashem while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6)
The Gemara in Rosh Hashanah explains that this passuk is referring to the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. These days are indeed very special days, imbued with added holiness and spirituality, days when Hashem Himself is nearby, dwelling among us! In fact, Rav Moshe Shternbuch shlit”ah explains that this is precisely why there is no requirement to be Oleh L’regel, to make a pilgrimage to Yerushalayim on either Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, even though they too are called Mikraei Kodesh, holy convocations, like the other three pilgrimage festivals. We can understand and sense that the purpose of these pilgrimages is to come closer and to draw nearer to Hashem, but Rav Shternbuch explains, that the fact that Hashem is so near to us during the Ten Days of Repentance, makes any such pilgrimage unnecessary!
The story is told of a certain Chassid who left his Rebbe in Kotzk to seek out a livelihood and find his fortune in Paris. Upon his arrival in Paris, he immediately changed out of his Chassidic garb and dressed in the more cosmopolitan attire found in Paris. Each year, however,
Hashem’s closeness during this time even manifests itself in halacha. The Shulchan Aruch (Siman 603) paskens that during Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, even if one is not careful during the course of the year to eat only bread baked by a Jew, during these ten days one must be careful to do so. This required extra care and caution is not specifically related to teshuvah, repentance. The Chayei Adam explains that given the fact that during this time Hashem is nearby and “behaving with chassidus, piety” we too want to emulate this chassidus, piety, by being extra careful and cautious. Just as we would naturally dress differently, speak differently and behave differently in the presence of a king, our conduct and behaviors must be different at this auspicious time, as we find ourselves in the proximity and presence of the King of Kings!
16תוררועתה ירבד
We too find ourselves in the presence of Hashem during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah. We should be “wearing our very best clothes”, trying our very best to behave and conduct ourselves with piety. And even if during the course of the year we are used to “wearing other attire” we must always remember and be cognizant of the fact of what is primary and what is secondary.
Rabbi Joseph Schreiber is YULA High School Boys Division Principal and 9th Grade Rebbe in the Baum Family AGT. He also teaches Nach at YULA High School Girls Division.
RABBI JOSEPH SCHREIBER
the Chassid returned to Kotzk to drink from the wisdom of his Rebbe. Upon his arrival, he would meticulously change back into his Chassidic garb and then approach and present himself to his Rebbe. After a number of years, the Chassid said to himself “the Rebbe is aware that I do not wear my Chassidic garb during the course of the year, why then is it necessary any longer to change? I will forego changing this year and wear my “regular” clothing instead.” When the Rebbe of Kotzk saw the chassid in his “regular” clothing he said, ”surely I knew that when you were in Paris you dressed differently than you did here in Kotzk. However, I did not know which clothes were primary and which were secondary? Was the Paris attire primary and your Chassidic garb was worn only here because you were embarrassed, or was your Chassidic garb primary and the Paris attire was just a necessity due to your livelihood? Now, I have my answer! Much to my great disappointment and consternation, your Paris attire is primary!”
17 תוררועתה ירבד
The Maharal Mi’Prague explains that the blood of goats closely resembles the blood of man, thereby corresponding to the people of Klal Yisroel. When a Jew sins , the aveirah is external and does not become internalized as part of the essence of his Neshamah. A Jew sins because of outside influences such as the influence of the society he lives in or the Satan arousing him to sin. The sins are not intrinsically part of his nature or personality , but from external sources. Chazal refer to these causes of sin as דובעשו הסיעבש רואש תויכלמ .Therefore the Kohain Gadol can remove the sins from the Jewish people and place them on the Sa’ir L’Azazel ,for them to be cleansed of their aveiros.
The Passuk says- םתונוע אשנו –And the goat will carry their sins. The Medrash darshens- םת תונוע- the sins of the pure one, meaning Yaacov Avinu who is described as - קלח שיא יכנאו- a person who has smooth skin without hair ,in contrast to Esav who was a very hairy person. Yaacov was an םת שיא - a pure wholesome person. The Medrash describes the difference between Yaacov and Esav with a moshol. There were two men standing at the entrance to a threshing floor. One was bald and the other had a lot of hair. A wind came by and blew the chaff onto their heads. When the chaff landed on the hairy man it became so entangled in his hair that he could not remove it. However when the chaff landed on the bald man’s head all he had to do was to wipe it away with his hand, which he did very easily. So too interprets the Maharal, when the nations of the world, represented
The Kapparah of Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is called so because it is the day on which Klal Yisroel receives kapparah, atonement, from Hashem for their sins. Parshas Achrei Mos describes the Seder Ha”Avodah on Yom Kippur, in which the Kohain Gadol brought two goats in the Bais Hamikdash. One was the Sa’ir LaShem which was brought as a Korban. The other was the Sa’ir L’Azazel on which the Kohain Gadol confessed the sins of Klal Yisroel. It was sent outside Yerushalayim and thrown down a steep cliff. This korban brought a Kapparah for the sins of the Jewish people. How did that Kapparah work and why were goats used?
by Esav, sin, the aveiros become so entangled and entrenched in their soul that they cannot be cleansed of them. However ,when Yisroel sins the aveiros remain ץוחבמ- on the outside, on the surface and therefore can be removed relatively easily by placing them on the Sa’ir L’azazel and Klal Yisroel receives a Kapparah on Yom Kippur. Of course, teshuvah is necessary, but the essence of a Jew remains pure even when he commits aveiros. That is the meaning of יפ לע ףא לארשי אוה לארשי אטחש. This is the explanation of how the Sa’ir L’Azazel brings Kapparah for the sins of Klal Yisroel. Furthermore, the Maharal explains how the essence of the day of Yom Kippur is a component of the Kapparah. The Mishnah at the end of Yuma states: םירהטמ םתא ימ ינפל לארשי םכירשא אביקע יבר רמא םתרהטו םירוהט םימ םכילע יתקרזו רמאנש םימשבש םכיבא ,םכתא רהטמ ימו םשה לארשי הוקמ רמואו,. The Mishnah states that Hashem purifies and forgives Klal Yisroel for their aveiros in the same way that a mikveh purifies someone who is אמט, ritually impure. The Maharal explains that on Yom Kippur we have a true תוקבד with Hashem. We cleave to Hashem and immerse ourselves in the kedushah and purity of the הניכש. As the passuk says concerning Yom Kippur -ינפל םכיתאטח לכמ ורהטת םשה- on Yom Kippur we stand before Hashem and have the closest relationship with Him, more than any other day of the year. Just as a mikveh removes the tumah when one immerses himself without any barriers, so too Hashem is the Mikveh for Klal Yisroel to purify us from the tumah of aveiros. Says the Maharal that just as one has to remove any הציצח in the mikveh so his whole body comes in contact with the pure waters of the mikveh, so too we have to remove the barriers of our physical bodies on Yom Kippur so we can come in contact with the purifying holiness of Hashem. That’s why, says the Maharal, the Torah commands us to fast and the other םייונע on Yom Kippur - not to cause us to suffer, but rather to minimize our physicality so we can cleave to Hashem and receive atonement from the םשה לארשי הוקמ. Therefore Yom Kippur is not just a day of Kapparah, but also a day of Taharah. We can truly appreciate Rabbi Akiva’s statement of לארשי םכירשא, how fortunate are we that Hashem gave us this special day to cleanse us of our sins thru the חלתשמה ריעש in the time of the Beis Hamikdash and
18תוררועתה ירבד
RAV NACHUM SAUER
Rabbi Nachum Sauer has been a Rebbe in YULA High School Boys Division since 1979. He is currently the 12th grade Baum Family Advanced Gemara Track Rebbe. He also serves as a Dayan on the Beis Din of the Rabbinical Council of California.
the םוי לש , the essence of the day of Yom Kippur,when Hashem Himself purifies us from our sins.
Nellie Javaherian
‘24
19 תוררועתה ירבד
ומוציע
The answer to my two questions are intertwined. What did Yonah do that was so horrible as to merit being swallowed by a whale? He defied Hashem’s commands to him. Instead of doing his duty as Hashem’s prophet, he tried to run away from his problems and boarded a ship to sail far away from them. However, his problems still caught up to him. A storm struck, and Yonah knew it was from Hashem. His problems followed him, even though he tried to run away from them. So too, it is the same with us. All too often, instead of facing our issues and trying to deal with them, we simply deny they exist, and try to “run away” from them. However, this running away never succeeds. Eventually, the reality of our issues and problems will come to confront us once again. This is the plight that Yonah experienced. Therefore, we must try to do teshuva and improve ourselves and rid ourselves of our problems as early as we can. Indeed, this is why the concept of teshuva is the primary focus at this time of the year. If it were highlighted all year, one could say, “I’ll do teshuva later; I’ll face my shortcomings later.” Now that it is confined to a specific time of the year, one is forced to confront their defects and repent and improve themselves. This is what Yonah comes to teach us. We can never run away from our problems; we must instead
Yonah and Teshuva
20תוררועתה ירבד
What Haftorah do we read on Yom Kippur? The answer is obvious: sefer Yonah, a sefer in Nevi’im that relates how Yonah tried to flee from his duties to Hashem and got swallowed by a whale because of this. Why do we read it? The answer may seem obvious too. Because Yonah did teshuva! But teshuva has already been so reinforced in the Jewish culture of Yom Kippur and the Yamim Noraim. Why then, does it need to be repeated in Yonah? Because the lesson that is to be extracted from this reading is far deeper than a cursory glance at the text may reveal. Indeed, Yonah is teaching us something entirely different. Before I dive deeper into Yonah, I would like to pose yet another question. Why is the time to do teshuva confined to the month of Elul and the Yamim Noraim? Shouldn’t we always be speaking of it the rest of the year in the same prominent way we do on Yom Kippur?
ELI FEIGELSTOCK ‘25
eradicate them and try as hard as we can to perfect ourselves and do teshuva in order to become the best possible version of ourselves.
Eli Feigelstock ‘25 is a writer for The Panther Post and is looking forward to completing the last chapters of Tanach after learning a perek a day for more than three years.
21 תוררועתה ירבד
Zevi Leanse ‘24
22תוררועתה ירבד
KING IN THE FIELD
“Y’know, I think that might be the king.”
One of the farmers ran home to find a picture. Indeed, this new farmer looked exactly like the king, except that the man in the picture had a penetrating glare and a fierce expression, while this new farmer’s eyes twinkled with a playful charm. One brave peasant ventured over to ask him directly.
An electric excitement spread instantly through the crowd. The king came to visit them without his entourage, his honor guard or his royal attire! The notion was unfathomable. The king sat down, and they gathered around to schmooze with him. He asked them about their farming and their crops, and soon the scene seemed so casual, so ordinary, that they forgot their initial excitement. Some of the farmers began to wander away, anxious to get back to their work. Some went home and only returned to spend time with the king on the weekends, when they had spare time.
“No, I’m telling you, that’s the king. I’ve seen his picture.”
Others were completely enamored by the king, eager to relish every moment in his presence. They threw down their plows and spent
“Well, yes, I am the king,” he answered, smiling broadly.
The group of peasants burst out laughing. “The king? Are you kidding? The king lives far away in a gigantic palace. He probably doesn’t even know we exist!”
The Peasants’ Journey
The peasants were gathered in the market one day, sharing their crops and catching up on gossip, when they noticed an unfamiliar farmer roaming around. He looked like the rest of them, but his overalls were unusually clean and he carried himself with a distinct dignity. They began to whisper among themselves about the stranger, until one man suggested something wild.
their days drinking in his every word. They noticed that the king was wise, intuitive, and surprisingly easy to speak to. He took interest in their personal lives and was understanding of their daily struggles. As the weeks went by, it seemed as though he forgot that he was a king Aaltogether.fullmonth
23 תוררועתה ירבד
PEASANTS IN THE PALACE
When they first entered the palace, the peasants were bewildered and clumsy. They ran awkwardly through the halls, stumbling over each other. They grabbed food with their hands as soon as it appeared on the table. When they conversed, they used crude language, slurring their words and interrupting each other midsentence. They broke objects, and paintings fell off the walls. They slammed doors and often lost their way around.
The elite ministers excitedly greeted the king at the entrance to the city and escorted him toward the palace, while the farmers followed sheepishly behind. They finally arrived at the formidable gates of the palace, and the king turned to face the crowd: “Everyone stand back. Only these folks may enter my palace.”
passed by before the king’s visit came to an end. The king sadly informed the farmers that it was time for him to return to his palace, but that anyone who wished was welcome to join him. Then the king donned his royal robes, his entourage returned, and a royal procession advanced toward the palace.
At the same time, the farmers were stunned by the aura that filled their new surroundings. Something about it commanded a certain reverence. Slowly, the peasants adapted to their new environment, and began to master the palatial etiquette. They began to walk slowly and with dignity. They learned to speak courteously and listen politely to others. They learned to wait patiently for their food to be served, and not to look too excited about it when it arrived. They learned to use forks and knives, and napkins too. They engaged in conversation with the king’s ministers and the royal family. Gradually, their environment transformed them into refined, sophisticated and noble people. They were exhilarated by the experience.
24תוררועתה ירבד
looked at each other in shock. The notion of returning to their ordinary lives on the farm was appalling. Ten days of living in the palace had shifted them into a sublime state of mind. They had been trained to walk, eat and sleep like royalty. It was painful to imagine putting on their stained overalls and picking up their plows again.
The king continued, “You are the most important to me because you feed this entire country. I brought you here to show you how much you matter to me and how much I depend on you. But now it is time for you to go home and do the job that everyone is counting on you for.”
Racheli Hannan ‘24
Somewhat reluctantly, the peasants left the palace doors, and as they did, the intensity of ten days exploded like air released from a pressurized canister. The ambiance of the palace had been so thrilling, there had been no space to process their experience. The energy they had compressed inside their hearts as they tried to maintain their hyper-focused behavior now erupted into uncontainable joy. The adrenalin was powerful and their spirits were soaring. Exhilarated, they took off to a nearby park and began to dance. Desperate for a means of expressing their elation, the peasants resorted to what they knew best. Gone were the sophistication, the cultured manners
Just when they are getting acclimated, the king called the peasants together for a meeting. He stood before the group of starry-eyed peasants and announced, “Thank you all for joining me in my palace for the last ten days. But you must remember that you all have a job to do. It is time for you to go home and harvest your Thewheat.”peasants
DANCING IN THE PARK
G d created many spiritual worlds filled with angels, who have a sophisticated understanding of spirituality. Beneath these spiritual worlds is the physical world, where we human beings exist. We have almost no awareness of G dliness at all, but we sustain all of the
Seven days of partying left the peasants depleted of wine, food and energy. They lay on the ground, exhausted from the dramatic whirlwind they had been through. They were too tired to celebrate and too tired to move, so they began to think. As they lay on the grass, exhausted and sweaty, a novel idea entered their collective consciousness: The king showed us his immense appreciation of us by engaging with us, visiting us and bringing us into his palace. But there is something even more powerful that the king was trying to convey. The king didn’t go through this ritual just to display his love, but to show us the importance of our responsibility. We don’t farm all year around so the king will give us special treatment. We do it because the king has trusted us with a duty to feed this country. And that is the greatest gift of all.
25 תוררועתה ירבד
As this realization sank in, a metamorphosis took place in the people. They shifted from relishing their personal experience to feeling empowered. With renewed enthusiasm they leapt up to dance again. They celebrated once more, but this time they didn’t celebrate the king’s appreciation of them, but their newfound responsibility.
THE JOURNEY HOME
THE TURNING POINT
After one more day of dancing, they finally journeyed back home. They returned to their farms with a renewed sense of duty. It didn’t matter anymore that they were poor and unsophisticated, and that the rest of the country looked down on them. It didn’t even matter that the king himself recognized them. All that mattered now was the service they would provide for their country.
and the rigid performance. They danced, they sang, they drank and they danced some more. They rejoiced in the fact that their existence was noticed, and they celebrated the attention and love they had experienced.
During the High Holidays, we spent our days fasting and praying, experiencing G-d’s love on His terms. Four days later, on Sukkot, we eat and rejoice and celebrate G-d’s love on our terms. After seven days of celebrating, Shemini Atzeret arrives, and we stop to absorb the experiences of the entire month. It is at that point that we realize that our greatest joy is not simply that G-d loves us, but that He chose us for a mission by giving us the Torah. This realization is followed by Simchat Torah, when we dance for one last day, celebrating the mission G-d empowered us with by giving us the Torah.
Finally, following Simchat Torah, we take leave of the whirlwind of holidays and return to our ordinary lives, empowered by our newfound purpose.
MRS. HADASSAH SHEMTOV
Mrs. Hadassah ShemTov teaches Limudei Kodesh at YULA High School Girls Division. She is also the cofounder of the Batsheva Learning Center and lives in La Brea with her husband and two children.
The High Holidays, on the other hand, evoke a natural reaction in every Jew, irrespective of his efforts. The aura that surrounds the ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur is so overpowering that Jews automatically react with a sense of awe. Then, after Yom Kippur is over, the intensity wears off and it is as if this otherworldly experience never happened at all. But we don’t stop there.
Originally published on chabad.org. Based on an analogy from Likutei Torah and other Chassidic sources.
26תוררועתה ירבד
spiritual worlds with our mitzvahs. Once a year, during the month of Elul, G-d makes Himself completely available to us, but in a way that is so subtle, we might miss Him altogether if we don’t make the effort to discover Him.
The Time Between Yom Kippur and Sukkos
The pasuk in Sefer Vayikra, reads:
תֹ֖בָע־ץֵע ףַנֲעַו םיִרָמְתּ ת ֹפַּכּ רָדָה ץֵע יִרְפּ ןוֹ שׁאִרָה םוֹיַּבּ םֶכָל םֶתְּחַקְלוּ םיִמָי תַעְבִשׁ םֶ֖כיקֹלֱא ׳ה יֵנְפִל םֶתְּחַמְשׂוּ לַחָנ־יֵבְרַעְו
רומא תשרפ
The Midrash Rabba asks why if Sukkos is on the 15th of the month does it say “BaYom HaRishon”? We know we are meant to take the daled minim on the first of the holiday, when else would we expect the commandment would be to take them? The answer is that Sukkos is known as the first day in which Hashem calculates our sins. Since we do not have time to sin in the days between Yom Kippur’s end and Sukkos’s start, the 15th of Tishrei is the first day of “cheshbon avonos”.
Why would we refer to Sukkos as being “rishon l’chesbon aveiros”? Did we not just experience Yom Kippur a couple of days prior when we recited all of our vidui’s, and hopefully, were forgiven? While there are multiple answers to this question, I’d like to quote two of them. The Tur suggests that it is not that people are incapable of sinning during these days, it is that due to our religious and spiritual high post Yom Kippur, we are less likely to give in to the temptation of sin. Many of us become meticulous about our actions after having just read through a very long list of sins multiple times over the course of Yom Kippur. Since it usually takes some time for us to get back to our normal “sinful” ways, Hashem only begins calculating our sins, for the upcoming year, on the first day of Sukkos. R’ Yeruchum Olshin gives another answer to this question. He explains that Yom Kippur is a day
In between Yom Kippur and Sukkos, we are in a bit of a time crunch. As soon as the fast ends, we go full speed ahead with preparations for Sukkos. How are we supposed to come back into the mundane world of cooking and building after just experiencing such a holy day? Chazal recognized the hectic nature of these few days and said that since we are so busy with preparations, we actually do not have time to sin.
27 תוררועתה ירבד
The Slonimer Rebbe adds to these ideas when addressing the holiness of the Shabbos that is sandwiched in between Yom Kippur and Sukkos. He explains that every Shabbos carries with it some holiness of the week before as well as some of the holiness of the upcoming. Therefore, the Shabbos of Parshas Ha’azinu not only carries with it the upcoming Zman Simchateinu of Sukkos, it also carries with it the nora-awesome experience we had on Yom Kippur. It’s an extra holy and pure Shabbos that we only get to experience once a year! Additionally, the holiday of Sukkos is a culmination of what we tried to achieve on Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol enters into the Kodesh Hakodashim and gets so close to Hashem in order to atone for all the sins Bnei Yisrael committed throughout the year. Once we are officially purified, Hashem meets us halfway and comes down to our world to dwell amongst us in the Sukkah. Rav Eisemann writes that “On Yom Kippur, the Shechinah was with us. At the conclusion of that holiday, the Shechinah departs, so we build a Sukkah and invite it back. The Sukkah protects what we accomplished on Yom Kippur. How so? By placing the imprint of sanctity on everything we do in ordinary life. We eat in the Sukkah, drink in the Sukkah, sleep in the Sukkah, relax in the Sukkah, etc. Everything is sanctified. Therefore, Sukkos, R’ Eisemann writes, tells us how a “Yom Kippur Jew” looks (The Themes of the High Holiday Machzor p.162)”. The Parsha we read on this special Shabbos begins with- “Give [me your] ear, heavens, and I will speak; and may the earth hear the words of my mouth.” R’ Yiztchak Chaver writes that Man’s relationship with Hashem has two parts to it: mitzvos and Torah study. Torah study is paralleled to the
of slicha and kapparah and the days following Yom Kippur have that same koach infused within them. In order to achieve full slicha and kapparah, we must try to do our best and maintain a certain set of standards in the days following Yom Kippur as well, and not just think that Yom Kippur relinquished us from said responsibility. These few days are a test to see if we are living up the standards we have set for ourselves during the Yamim Noraim. The full fledged forgiveness only kicks in after we have proven to ourselves and HaShem what we believe can be our potential after a day full of fasting and prayer.
“יִפ־יֵרְמִא ץֶרָ֖אָה עַמְשִׁתְו הָר ֵבַּדֲאַו םִיַ֖מָשַּׁה וּניִזֲאַה
28תוררועתה ירבד
Ms. Robin Tassler moved over this past summer from the east coast where she taught at Yeshivat Frisch and earned her graduate degree at Azrieli. She is now a 9th grade mechanechet who is directing the YULA L’Eila program and teaching limudei kodesh classes at the Girls Division.
Nellie Javaherian
MS. ROBIN TASSLER
‘24
29 תוררועתה ירבד
heavens and mitzvos are paralleled to the earth because they involve physical and earthly actions. Since our relationship with Hashem has both components, Moshe Rabbeinu chose these two “witnesses'' to act as the bris between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael. In the midbar, Bnei Yisrael lived a completely spiritual existence where everything was provided for them. They were closer to the spiritual, more abstract, aspect of the Torah than they were to the earthly miztvos. So too, on Sukkos we take leave of our everyday earthly lives and enter into the Sukkah which is encapsulated by the Shechinah and spirituality. While doing mitzvos in the sukkah, we are closer to the ideal type of spiritual and Torah existence Bnei Yisrael experienced in the midbar. As we prepare during these interim days and keep this special shabbos, may we all be zoche to be granted full kaparah and to live a truly spiritual existence over the chag of Sukkos.
Z’man Simchaseinu
30תוררועתה ירבד
יאיצוהב
The pasuk in Parshas Emor says that we sit in Sukkos for seven days םתוא לארשי ינב תא תוכסב
יתבשוה
םירצמ ץראמ
יכ םכיתורוד ועדי ןעמל״ ״םכיקלא ׳ה ינא
In the Beis Hamikdash during Sukkos, we bring seventy bulls as korbanos in order to atone for the seventy nations of the world. Following the tremendous spiritual growth during the Yamim Noraim, it is as if we have reached a plateau, and we can now turn our attention to the other nations of the world. Introspection and contemplation which lead to forgiveness and atonement set the stage for genuine fulfillment and happiness. The Vilna Gaon continues by stating that on the 11th of Tishrei, one day after Moshe’s Yom Kippur return from Har Sinai, Bnei Yisrael were given the mitzvah to build the Mishkan. After two days of bringing donations and one day of counting and weighing all the materials collected, construction of
According to Rabbi Eliezer, the Sukkah represents the Ananei Hakavod with which Hashem protected us throughout the Midbar. The famous question asked on this is why do we commemorate the Ananei Hakavod in Tishrei, rather than Nissan, the month in which we actually left Mitzrayim? Additionally, the celebration of Sukkos seems incongruous with the other two holidays in the month of Tishrei. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are some of the most serious days of the entire year, focusing on Teshuva and forgiveness. Then suddenly, just a few days after the final blow of the Shofar on Yom Kippur, we enter into Zman Simchaseinu, a holiday dedicated to joy. The Vilna Gaon explains that our Sukkos do not commemorate the original Ananei Hakavod which were first provided by Hashem in Nissan. Those were forfeited by Bnei Yisrael following the Chait Haegel on the 17th of Tammuz. From then until Yom Kippur, Bnei Yisrael lacked the protection of the Ananei Hakavod. We celebrate Zman Simchaseinu immediately after the powerful experience of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because true satisfaction and joy can only be attained when a person is free of sin and following the ways of Hashem and His Torah.
Noam Goldberg ‘23 is a senior at YULA High School Boys Division. He is a member of the baseball, Model UN, and Mock Trial teams. He is also involved in Likutei Ohr and Panther Post.
NOAM GOLDBERG ‘23
Eliana Mahboubi ‘23
31 תוררועתה ירבד
the Mishkan began on the 15th of Tishrei. In response to their great enthusiasm and generosity regarding the building of the Mishkan, Bnei Yisrael merited the return of the Ananei Hakavod on the 15th of Tishrei. After the monumental mistake of the Chait Haegel, Bnei Yisrael not only engaged in an intense Teshuva process, but they also showed incredible eagerness to be involved in the mitzvah of building the Mishkan. Only then did they deserve the restoration of the Ananei Hakavod. Similarly, we transition from our own Teshuva process over the Yamim Noraim to engaging in the many mitzvos associated with Sukkos. Only after returning to Hashem and displaying our dedication to His mitzvos, can we sit in our Sukkos to remember the second Ananei Hakavod and truly celebrate Zman Simchaseinu.
שדקמה תיב, it became a day of mourning. What could have been a beautiful symphony of the glorious society reflecting the majesty already shown by their Creator, was fractured and eventually broke down completely. And following suit, this day of celebration became a day of suffering and mourning.
The pattern of םיבוט םימי generally progresses through the year from spring to autumn on a trajectory of happiness and growth. There is however an exception in the middle of the summer. באב העשת, while a time of tragedy, is still referred to as a דעומ with implications in הכלה of being a בוט םוי. After the fall and loss there is a necessary transition from באב ׳ט back to the regular system of םידעומ. This transition is defined by twin themes: of המחנ, expressed in the seven תורוטפה that follow באב ׳ט, and of הבושת, obviously manifest in the month of לולא. There is a unique potency that emerges from the harmony of these twin factors to bring us back to with the joyous םיבוט םימי of ירשת.
The third stage is complicated. There is a chosen land for the chosen people, to most properly build our lives and nation, and our historic settling there deserves its own בוט םוי. But starting with the evil message of the spies and finding ultimate expression in the destruction of the
The Twin Factors of המחנ and הבושת
32תוררועתה ירבד
The second stage of our national journey and personal imperative comes seven weeks later as Hashem shares with us the Torah, our guide to a majestic life and a glorious society.
This system of םיבוט םימי, which span half of our calendar, are not merely communal recollections of historical events, but an opportunity for each individual to make their journey along the road to greatness first taken by our ancestors on a national level. The journey begins with the holiday of חספ in the blooming world of spring time, and taking us through several stages ultimately culminates in the harvest time of autumn with תוכוס. The first stage of our national journey is in the events of חספ. The creator revealed to us by clear demonstration his awesome majesty over the rules of nature and the great kingdoms of man.
But the assessment is not on the failure itself, it’s on the after of the failure. What is the current position; what are the strengths and weaknesses and what are the vulnerabilities. We have a powerful need to transition from the fall and its momentum in order to gain stability. Without emerging into a secure defined stability we are still in the fall, and it would be meaningless to begin an assessment, the precursor to recovery. And we have a potent force with which to do that. The twin factors of המחנ and הבושת. Reading the seven תורוטפה of המחנ following באב ׳ט gives us a renewed vision of capturing the glory and beauty that is our destiny. And הבושת, manifesting through לולא (famously alluding to י׳ל ידוד׳ו ידוד׳ל ינ׳א), our being actively wanted by our Creator is our imperative, the ultimate call to action.
Rabbi Tzvi Younger is a Rebbe for the Eleanor Goldin z”l 9th and 10th Grade Beit Midrash Program.
Additionally, He has been a member of Kollel Merkaz Hatorah for the past fifteen years. Born and bred in Los Angeles, Rabbi Younger now lives here with his wife and six children.
33 תוררועתה ירבד
Of course after the failure, an assessment must be made - and it will be - on rosh Hashanah.
It says “Live your destiny - A glorious life for the individual, the family and the community, reflecting the majesty of our Creator in the harmonious symphony of our national life”. And with that we are ready for the assessment of Rosh Hashanah.
RABBI TZVI YOUNGER
Ultimately, a rich relationship with Chol HaMoed offers the perfect training ground for how daily life, an ongoing fusion of Kodesh and Chol, should be. Just like on Chol HaMoed the Kedusha of the holiday extends into the mundane, we are charged to remain anchored to a spiritual lens while engaging the daily grind. Maintaining the focus
34תוררועתה ירבד
There are nine days of Chol Hamoed in Chutz La’eretz and eleven days in Eretz Yisroel each year, making Chol HaMoed’s footprint on the Jewish calendar more significant than any individual holiday! We are all familiar with the scene of families crunching their Matzah at a theme park or joyfully spotting a Sukkah on wheels parked near the beach - reflecting a unique fusion as holiday icons penetrate the space of everyday life.
Is it Chol or Moed?
Regarding Chol HaMoed, the Rabbis declare (Avot 3:11) “Anyone who disgraces the Moed forfeits his portion in the World to Come.” Rashi explains that this comment specifically refers to one who profanes Chol HaMoed. He elaborates that this can occur either by not dignifying the days with special food and drink or by engaging in prohibited work.
What is the essence of Chol HaMoed, making its observance so significant? How should one perceive the intermediate days in relation to the broader holiday?
Chol HaMoed contains a beautiful message that has the power to enrich the entire year. Rav Chaim Soloveitchik, as quoted by the Rav in Shiurim Lezecher Abba Mari, teaches that “Chol HaMoed is endowed with the same kedushat hayom of Yom Tov - the only difference is that we are permitted to engage in melacha.” The Kedusha of the Shalosh Regalim continues to permeate our lives even as we travel with our lulav or take our families to visit Legoland and the zoo. The Yerushalmi (Moed Katan) explains that the only reason any melacha is prohibited on these days at all, is to help people hold on to the focus of Yom Tov and not simply slip back into a mindset of Chol.
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan teaches Limudei Kodesh at YULA High School Girls Division. In addition, he is the Executive Director of the OU’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (OU-JLIC) on the West Coast where he hosts daily minyanim on campus, and gives weekly shiurim to graduate students. Most significantly, Rabbi Kaplan is a proud parent to three YULA students!
on spirituality, family, and available pleasures can be definitionalcontinuously transforming days of Chol into opportunities for growth and celebration.
RABBI ARYEH KAPLAN
35 תוררועתה ירבד
Ariel Mergi
‘24
Chazal hint to the essence of the day in a Midrash about the chag’s name. The Torah calls the holiday “Atzeret,” literally translated as a day of stopping. From what do we stop on this chag? Chazal explain that Hashem turns to Klal Yisrael after the long Yom Tov season and says “stop”: “Kashe alay preidatcham,” it is difficult for Me to see you go. “Ikvu od yom echad,” stay with Me one more day. “B’vakasha mikem asu li seduah ketana,” I request of you to make for Me a small meal.
Rashi al-HaTorah (Bamidbar 29:35) quotes the Midrash as a request for Klal Yisrael to stay one more day after the holiday of Sukkot, echoing the simple read of the Midrash that appears in the Gemara Masechet Sukkah daf 55b. But the Sefer Hachinuch (mitzvah 323) offers a slightly different read. It is not a request to stay one more day after Sukkot, but a rather a request to stay after all the chagim: “nikra ken (atzeret) l’fi shehu sof kol hamoadim,” it is called this (atzeret) because it is the end of all the holidays.
Two questions can be asked on this Midrash. First, how does one more day of Yom Tov ease our departure? The more time one spends with a loved one, the more difficult it is to see them go. An extra day should make it even more difficult for Hashem to part with us, not easier. Second, why does Hashem only want to have a “seudah ketana”, a small meal with us? When a special guest comes to town, the proper way to usher him out would be with a banquet, a large ceremony. It seems strange that as we are about to leave Hashem’s presence, the parting meal is something less than spectacular.
An Everlasting Love
Shmini Atzeret is a challenging yom tov to understand. After seven days of sitting in the sukkah and taking our lulav and etrog, we mark the end of our month-long holiday season with a chag in which we do nothing at all. There are no mitzvot unique to Shmini Atzeret, no actions to take, no brachot to say. Why does the Torah command such a strange yom tov?
36תוררועתה ירבד
Throughout these six months of chagim and their mitzvos, we have developed an intimate relationship with Hashem. As the yom tov season closes, Hashem is saddened and wonders- “can My children maintain a close connection with Me when they are devoid of all these unique mitzvot? When they no longer have matzah, shofar, sukkah, and lulav, will they remain my faithful nation, or is our relationship completely dependent on these mitzvot?
[The central idea in this article is from Rav Shimshon Pincus in Sichot Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus ZT”L page 171-173]
37 תוררועתה ירבד
We end the yom tov season then with a chag of no mitzvot. A day whose function is for us to be connected with Hashem without the intermediaries of mitzvot. The King asks his children for a seudah ketana, a “small meal.” He does not want the pomp and circumstance of a foreign dignitary; He wants an intimate environment with Klal Yisrael alone.
When we view Shmini Atzeret as the culmination of all the chagim, we can take a panoramic view of the entire calendar. On Pesach, the first holiday of the year, we appropriately celebrate our foundations. We become a nation and establish our emunah (faith) in Hashem, eating Matzah, “the bread of Emunah”. Shavuot, linked to Pesach through the omer, is the marriage between us and Hashem. We bind ourselves as a nation to Him through the greatest gift of all- the Torah HaKedosha. At the end of the holiday season, after the purification process of the Yomim Noraim we celebrate Sukkot, a time where we deepen our relationship with Hashem. With the arba minim in hand and the loving embrace of Hashem as we dwell in the Sukkah, the bond between us is strengthened.
How does an extra day of chag help us depart from the yom tov season? Through Shmini Atzeret we demonstrate that as we leave the world of kodesh (sanctity) and enter the world of the mundane, we are not leaving Hashem. Rather, we are taking Him with us. Our relationship with Hashem is not dependent on anything, it is an everlasting one that elevates and enriches our lives on a daily basis.
‘21
38תוררועתה ירבד
Rabbi Josh Maslow is a 10th grade Rebbe and Guidance Counselor at YULA High School Boys Division and teaches Limudei Kodesh at the Girls Division. Rabbi Maslow also serves as the Programming Director of the LINK Kollel.
Simi Broner
RABBI JOSH MASLOW
39 תוררועתה ירבד
“Why the Need for תונורכז רדס?”
The Rabbi continued his story. He shared how, amongst the boys of
On a trip of survivors and their families to Poland, a Rabbi led his group into one of the still-standing barracks that housed Jewish boys during the war. The boys in the barracks were worked to death by the cursed Nazis, only to be replaced by what seemed to be endless others. Each morning a few starved frozen bodies were carried out of the barracks and cast into the snow.
Let me share a beautiful, yet painful story and memory that helped one man build a family out of the ashes of the Shoah.
The word רוכז appears too many times to count in the selichot and tefilot of the Yamim Noraim. We turn to HaShem and ask that HaShem remember us. םייחל ונרכז - תובא תירב רוכז, etc. For us, history is memory. It is not an academic story of some past people on events that have little bearing on today. Our present is a reflection of our past, without which we would have no future. Forget your past, and you doom your future. It is only by looking back that we have a future. Only by knowing where we came from are we able to know where we must go; our future is conditioned by our past. When we abandon our תונורכז - our collective and personal memories of our past - we lose purpose and meaning in our lives. We are lost. תונורכז is everything!
The group of visitors and the Rabbi leading them entered the barracks that housed the boys taken by the Nazis from their Yeshiva- Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin. The Rabbi noticed an older couple at the back of the group ignoring his presentation - it looked as if they were arguing about something. The wife said, “Yes, yes you must.” The husband said, “No, I cannot.”
We are surrounded by so many people who are so lost. They lost, forgot, repressed their past memories only to wander into darkness during the brightest part of the day; lost to them is any purpose or meaning in their lives.
Chachmei Lublin, a young boy from a secular family got mixed in by the Nazis. He was taller, healthier, and stronger than the others. The Yeshiva boys took special interest in him. Everyday a few of them covered him in the barracks and shared Bible stories with him. He seemed interested, even fascinated. So, day by day, they taught him Torah. Some even offered him some of their meager rations. All the while, each morning the dead were carried out of the barracks.
One morning, the young boy awoke and realized that the boy he grew closest to from the Yeshiva lay dead next to him. This had a profound effect on him.
“What is wrong?” he replied- “Why do you all waste your time instructing me? Do you not see how this all ends? Why do you even care?”
The oldest of the boys responded. “When you first joined us, we realized that you had the greatest chance to survive this ordeal. We were entrusted with Jewish learning that was passed on to us to safeguard and pass on. Our memories, our תונורכז, with HaShem’s help will live on in yours. You are our best chance for a past, a present, and a future. YOU are our תונורכז.”
Josh Gerendash ‘23
When the boys later gathered around him to teach him Torah, he refused. They asked, “Why? What is wrong?”
40תוררועתה ירבד
That, my friends, is the meaning of תונורכז and the importance of knowing your past, your תונורכז, our people’s תונורכז, and our holy history.
41 תוררועתה ירבד
RABBI PINCHOS HECHT
Rabbi Pinchos Hecht is a prolific educator for over forty years. He has been Head of School in numerous states throughout the country. Currently, Rabbi Hecht teaches Limudei Kodesh and the Mechinah Program at the Girls Division.
Loud sobbing suddenly filled the barracks. The older man who seemed to be arguing with his wife pushed to the front of the crowd. With flowing tears, he shared that he was the secular boy who slept near the boys of Chachmei Lublin. “I slept right on this spot. I watched each morning as my friends were carried out. It was to me they taught their Torah. They safeguarded their תונורכז and hopes for the future to me. It is only because of them that I stayed strong, survived the war, studied Torah, married and led my family in a Torah life.”
There was once a very successful textile manufacturer that lived in New York. While traveling abroad in Asia, he discovered an incredible machine; it would cut his production cost by 50% and substantially increase his bottom line. Even though the machine cost an expensive $1 million, the man ordered it. The machine took six months to arrive, traveled by boat, and had many tariffs. The man had to hire a transport team and a separate installation team. Finally, the machine arrived and a huge party was thrown.
42תוררועתה ירבד Stay Connected: םיִתוֹבֲעַבּ גַח וּרְסִא
However, after all the hassle, all the costs, all the celebration, when it came time to present the machine, the owner pressed the button and nothing happened. Multiple officials and technology professionals examined the machine and could not find anything wrong. The man could not understand; after all his effort, all his expenses, why was the machine not working? The man tracked down a specialist who was certain he could find the problem. After checking the machine, he too resolved that all the mechanics were indeed perfect.
From this story we learn the importance of being connected. Especially during the chagim, we need to make sure we are “plugged in” – have proper kavanah and stay connected to our tefillot, to the Yom Tov. More significant than all the showy aspects of the chag, we need to remain “plugged in” so we can increase our own productivity.
Furthermore, while we must focus on making sure we stay focused and purposeful during these chagim, we must also ensure that we are carrying the brachot and holiness with us throughout the year.
ַחֵבְּזִמַּה תוֹנְרַק דַע .םיִתוֹבֲעַבּ גַח וּרְסִא .וּנָל רֶאָיַּו ה לֵק
We read Hallel the whole week of Sukkot. Everyday, we recite:
All of a sudden, the specialist has an idea. He moves around the machine and looks beyond the brand new panel, the shiny new parts, and sees that the machine was never attached to the electrical panel. If the machine, no matter how new or expensive, is not attached to anything, it is not going to work.
“Hashem, our G-d, has illuminated us. Tie up the holiday with ropes until it reaches the corners of the altar.”
Throughout the Yom Tov, it is not permitted to build a mizbeach so it is interesting that the Gemara used this terminology. What is the message they are trying to send? Isru chag is not just about what you do in the moment; it’s about what you are able to hold on to and carry with you throughout the year.
Someone who celebrates isru chag is looking to grasp onto the Yom Tov, to show that he is trying to hold on. As the Gemara says, it is as if this person has built a mizbeach himself. Why specifically that he built a mizbeach and not just gave a korban? Because when someone has built a mizbeach, he is able to give korbanot every single day. A person who builds a mizbeach is looking to extend this level of mitzvot and holiness each following day.
43 תוררועתה ירבד
Doing this mitzvah gives someone the z’chut as if he had built a mizbeach himself, and also brought a korban on it.
ויָלָע ביִרְקִהְו ַחֵבְּזִמ הָנָבּ וּלּיִאְכּ בוּתָכַּה ויָלָע הֶלֲע הָיִּתְשׁוּ הָליִכֲאַבּ גָחֶל רוּסּיִא הֶשׂוֹעָהןָבְּרׇקלׇכּ
Someone once asked Rav Mendel Kaplan how his Yom Tov was. He replied that he didn’t know yet. Everyone was very confused. Rav Kaplan told them to come back and ask him in six months. Elaborating, he explained that if one is able to hold onto the inspiration throughout the year, then it was a good, successful Yom Tov.
This pasuk introduces the concept of tying the Yom Tov together. The Gemara 45b says that:
Throughout the chagim we pray to Hashem, asking for brachot, looking to obtain the special holiness of the Yom Tov. We should
“Anyone who binds the Yom Tov, anyone who holds on to the Yom Tov by eating or drinking an extra meal on isru chag, the Torah considers it as if he built a mizbeach and brought korbanot on it.”
YAELLE SHAYE, ‘22
44תוררועתה ירבד
Eliana Mahboubi ‘23
(Based on Divrei Torah from Rabbi Shlomo Landau and Rabbi Daniel Staum)
Yaelle Shaye graduated from YULA High School Girls Division this past June as our Salutatorian. Currently, she is enrolled in UCLA majoring in Psychology and with a minor in English. During her time on campus, she was heavily involved in Model UN, multiple athletic teams, and co-founded the career club. Her leadership on campus is missed.
strive for these brachot, this excitement and simcha, to follow us all year long.
May we all be blessed to have a Yom Tov filled with kavanah and connection, and to find the strength to carry the holiness with us all throughout the year.
45 תוררועתה ירבד
Chana Horowitz ‘23
Zevi Leanse ‘24
RSVP to www.yula.org/openhouse
Boys Division
46תוררועתה ירבד PARENTS AND STUDENTS OF THE CLASS OF 2027 Save the Date for OPEN HOUSE 2022
Girls Division
November 7th & 8th at 6:30pm
November 14th & 15th at 6:30pm
...........
......
SIMCHAT TORAH Monday, October 17 Candle Lighting 7:02pm Tuesday, October 18 Havdalah 7:00pm Times Listed are for Los Angeles, California
Cover Art: Jacob Judah, ‘23
........
SUKKOT Sunday, October 9 Candle Lighting 6:08pm Monday, October 10 Candle Lighting 7:10pm Tuesday, October 11 Havdalah 7:09pm
.......
........
ROSH HASHANAH Sunday, Sept. 25 Candle Lighting 6:27pm Tuesday, Sept. 26 Candle Lighting 7:29pm Wednesday, Sept. 27 Havdalah 7:28pm
SHMINI ATZERET Sunday, October 16 Candle Lighting 5:59pm
.........
...............
..............
..........
........
The artwork in this edition was provided by Ms. Holmes’ and Ms. Utrata’s Fine Art classes.
YOM KIPPUR Tuesday, October 4 Candle Lighting 6:15pm Wednesday, October 5 Havdalah 7:26pm
...........
........
Candle Lighting for Yom Tov
SHABBAT Friday, October 14 Candle Lighting 6:02pm Saturday, October 15 Havdalah 7:04pm
...