‘Parsha Growth Spurts’
Rabbi Dani Staum
Yom Kippur
“With this shall Aharon come into the Sanctuary: with a young bull (‘par ben bakar’) for a sin-offering…” (Vayikra 16:3)
The Medrash notes that the young bull symbolizes Avrohom Avinu. On the third day after his milah, at the height of his pain and under the intense midday sun, the Torah says “And to the cattle (‘habakar’) Avrohom ran” to feed it to his three guests.
Rav Mordechai Rogov zt’l (Ateres Mordechai) explained that when Hashem appeared to him, Avrohom was unquestionably on a great spiritual level, removed from the physical world and its indulgences. Yet, as soon as he saw the three strangers in the distance, he ran to invite them to his home where he busily prepared the greatest delicacies for them. Even when on such an extreme level of spiritual heights Avrohom devoted himself to the physical comforts of others because of his extreme love for others.
Rav Eliyahu HaKohain Dushnitzer zt’l was the Mashgiach of the Lomza Yeshiva in Petach Tikva. One year on Erev Yom Kippur a bachur noticed the elderly Mashgiach going through the stalls in the yeshiva bathroom not long before Kol Nidrei was to begin.
When the bachur asked if the Mashgiach was looking for something, he explained that he was making sure there was adequate supply of tissues in the bathroom for the long day.
On Yom Kippur the Kohain Gadol had to have that level of love and devotion. When he entered the Kodesh Kodashim one can imagine his lofty thoughts about the avodah he was performing and his responsibility to the entire nation. Yet, at the same time, he was responsible to daven that there be adequate rain and a year of abundant produce. On Yom Kippur, at the height of his spiritual greatness, the Kohain Gadol had to remember the physical needs of the nation with extreme love and devotion for them.
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“Blessed are You Hashem, the King who forgives and pardons our sins, and the sins of His people”
How can we say this beracha with conviction? Can we be sure that Hashem will definitely forgive us?
The Dubner Maggid related a mashal about a young boy who couldn’t convince his father to give him a cookie. The witty youth climbed onto the counter next to the cookie jar and loudly recited the beracha, borei minei mezonos. The father did not want his son to have recited a beracha in vain, so he quickly gave a cookie to his jubilant son.
So too, we may not be deserving of forgiveness, but we know Hashem loves us like a father, and we are confident that He will not want us to have recited the blessing in vain.
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“Blessed is the Name of His glorious Kingdom for all eternity.”
The minhag is that on Yom Kippur we recite the second stanza of Shema (‘Baruch Shem’) loudly and in unison. One reason is that Baruch Shem is a prayer recited by the angels and only on Yom Kippur when we are comparable to angels who do not eat or drink and spend the day in prayer do we recite those words out loud.
It seems strange however, that during ma’ariv after Kol Nidrei we recite those words out loud, while at ma’ariv on Motzei Yom Kippur we recite them quietly. Logically, the opposite would make more sense. At ma’ariv on Yom Kippur we are still quite satiated from the meal we ate just prior to the onset of the fast, while on Motzei Yom Kippur we are still fasting and have just completed a day solely dedicated to tefillah and teshiva.
Rav Shalom Schwadron zt’l quoted his father-in-law, Rav Chaim Leib Auerbach zt’l, who explained that what really matters is not necessarily where we are but where we are headed, i.e. where is our mindset and focus. While it may be true that we may not be hungry on Yom Kippur eve, but at that point the holy day has just commenced and our sole focus is on our avodah of the next twenty-five hours. At ma’ariv the following evening however, despite the great spiritual heights we have attained, our thoughts are on breaking our fast and on the things we have to take care of afterwards.
A person can be defined by his mindset and immediate goals. If we are always seeking spiritual growth and bettering ourselves, we can maintain a semblance of the holiness of Yom Kippur all year.
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Sources: Rav Shalom Schwadron – Heard in his name