Sholom Brodt's commentary on the customary observance of Yom Kippur
Erev Yom Kippur 5763 Shalom uvracha m'Yerushalayim !Please accept my and my family's personal blessings to each and every one of you and your dear ones. Though we are communicating via e-mail I am praying that my words emanate from my heart to yours. May we only have many opportunities to rejoice with each other. Amen
A FEW CUSTOMS Erev Yom Kippur is celebrated in a holiday like manner. There are many customs that are particular to this day. Among these are:
-We increase in the giving of Tzedakkah to the poor.
-The Rebbe or the 'gabbai' of the shul, or members of the family hand out pieces of honey cake to everyone, wishing a Shannah Tovah Umesukah-A Good and Sweet Year.
-IT IS A MITZVAH TO EAT AND DRINK ON THIS DAY.
-IT IS CUSTOMARY TO EAT A MEAL [FLEISHIGE] IN THE MORNING IN ADDITION TO THE 'SEUDAH HAMAFSEKET' WHICH IS EATEN IN THE AFTERNOON.
-For the "Seudah Hamafseket" we clean the house, prepare the table and get dressed as we do for Shabbos and Yom Tov.
-It is of utmost importance to appease anyone that we may have offended during the year, (if this has not been done yet. I would like to take this opportunity to ask 'mechilah' to please be forgiven if I have offended anyone of you.)
-Should someone owe you an apology, try to forgive them even though they may not have yet asked you for 'mechilah'.
-It is the way of the Children of Israel to be slow to anger and easy to be appeased.
These are just a few of many more customs. The question is: Why do we celebrate this day? After all are we not on the threshold of such an awesome day?
Among the various answers and explanations we learn: Yom Kippur is the great Day of Atonement. We are celebrating that Hashem will forgive us. This is the day that we completed our tshuvah over the sin of making the golden calf. This was the most difficult day of our tshuvah, for it corresponds to the day that we had actually made the idol; thus we find ourselves in a similar space to the one we had been in at the time that we had committed the transgression. When we know that our tshuvah is real and complete? According to the Rambam it is when we find ourselves going through the same test under similar circumstances, and we do not repeat our mistakes.
Because of our tshuvah on this day, we merited to receive the second set of the "luchot", the Tablets of the Covenant, and Hashem forgave us for the sin of the golden calf. The Rabbis teach us that when we do tshuvah, the merit of our ancestors in the Wilderness of Sinai is aroused on our behalf, and we merit to return to state of our being that we were in before we transgressed. Therefore, on Yom Kippur we are like angels before G-d, and this is further a sign that we are destined to be holy.
We must be joyous on these two holy days, for what greater joy can there be than when our intimacy with Hashem is restored. In order to accomplish this we must fully believe that Hashem is indeed forgiving us. In order to merit complete 'taharah', purification, we must truly unite with all of Israel, binding ourselves into one single bundle.
On Yom Kippur when Avraham Avinu was circumcised, he and all his descendants entered into the eternal Covenant with Hashem. The receiving of the "luchot" is similar to Avraham's circumcision; for just as circumcision is the sign of the Covenant, so too are the Two Tablets, the "Shnei Luchot Ha-brit", the sign of the seal upon the hearts of Israel. Receiving the "luchot" is the sign that we are destined to live in holiness and to bring Hashem's light into this world, such that "the world will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem, as the waters that are covering the seas." (The above was based on the teachings of the Sfat Emet)
Ribono Shel Olam, Master of the Universe, please have compassion on us, we are being tested in so many ways these days. We are facing so many tests all at once and we are confused. We barely recognize the many challenges we are facing, for they are all coming at us so quickly. By the time we realize whether we did right or wrong, we are already in the midst of the next challenge. Therefore, Ribono Shel Olam please bless us with 'yishuv ha-daat', a peaceful and settled mind, so that we don't lose our bearings; so that we don't forget what is really important and what is not so important; so that we make good and healthy decisions. Don't let us forget how important it is to love each other, how important it is that we be extremely careful not to listen to or to speak 'lashon harah'; how important it is to be rid of our anger, jealousy and lust; how important it is that we be honest with ourselves, with our children, husbands and wives, friends and with You. Ribbono Shel Olam bless us that we say with utmost sincerity: "I hereby fully accept upon myself the positive mitzvah of V'AHAVTAH L'REY-ACHA KAMOCHA!"
Ribono Shel Olam, so many many homes have been broken this year, there are so many orphans, widows and widowers, so many broken and hurting hearts that only You in Your great compassion can comfort and heal. All of us are asking that You comfort and heal them. Ribono Shel Olam we are all waiting for Moshiach, for the Geulah Shleimah, for the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash. Please let it be very, very soon. Let us all rejoice fully together this Sukkot, in the Sukkat Shaleym together with David Hamelech, together with all the tzadikkim. May our souls be connected with all the souls of the holy tzadikkim, may we all daaven together with them and may You be King over everyone, uniting us all so that we will never again hurt one another, so that we will only love and help one another, so that your glory will radiate, throughout Your entire Creation. Amen
The following teaching from Reb Shlomo zt"l is to remind each of us that even if 'chas v'shalom' you may have given up, your father, our father Avraham Avinu is not giving up on you! Don't give up!
"ABRAHAM'S SHIELD"
Reprinted with permission of the Holy Beggars' Gazette Vol 2 No 3
Not for commercial redistribution without consent from the Estate of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach
House of Love and Prayer, San Francisco CA, 5734 Rabbeinu speaking:
In the Shmoneh Esreh prayers, the eighteen benediction, we say G-d is Mogen Avraham. What is a shield? A shield is to prevent an enemy from getting close. What is it that Avraham is shielding? The Gemora says that Abraham walks around at the gates of Hell and he doesn't let anybody in. What does it mean? It means that Avraham is shielding one deep little corner of our souls, so that Hell cannot touch it. It means you can corrupt yourself so much, but when it comes to certain deepest depths of your soul where Avraham is standing as a shield you can't get through -- Hell cannot touch there.
There is koach, gvurah and adir, all different kinds of strength. The difference between ordinary strength and majestic strength is very simple Even I had muscles strong enough to knock off the whole world, if a little shmendrikle is sitting next to me his muscles wont get any stronger. If I am the greatest scholar in the world and the poorest little ignorant man is sitting next to me, he can sit next to me for ten thousand years and he won't become any more educated, There is another kind of strength, 'adir' - which, if I have it, I can give to the whole world being in the world. You know what Avraham Avinu did to the world? He was here. There are some holy holy people in the world who don't have to do anything, we just know they are here. May you be blessed with the holiness of Avraham Avinu: Give strength to the whole world just by your being.
Abraham Avinu is called 'Adam Hagadol', the great person, because he was giving without reservation. If my giving to you depends on something, on whether or not you are worthy, it means I am a slave to certain things.
with blessings of a 'gmar chatimah tovah, bsefer hachayim, b'yachad im kol hatzadikkim v'hatzadkaniot'... tzom kal, and b'ezrat Hashem we will all dance together in Yerushalayim very very soon, Amen keyn yehi Ratzon b'ahavah ubivracha sholom
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