From: alustig@erenj.com (Arnold Lustiger)
Subject: Teshuva Drasha


The Significance of the Various Appellations for Yom Kippur
According to Rabbi J. B. Soloveitchik

 The Hayei Adam, in the Tefilah Zaka meditation (the introductory Yom 
Kippur prayer read prior to Kol Nidrei), refers to the day of Yom Kippur 
as "Yom Ehad Bashana...Yom Adir Bashana" (a singular day in the year...a 
'powerful' day in the year). Yom Kippur is a day whose "power" lies in the 
lasting impression it etches in the heart of  the Jew. 

Through an analysis of the various names given to Yom Kippur, one can 
begin to appreciate the true uniqueness of the day. In the initial portion of 
the Musaf Amida repetition Rabbi Elazar Hakallir makes use of three 
appellations in referring to the day of Yom Kippur :

"May we be considered as one who stood at the entry gate [of the Temple 
courtyard]
So that our prayer can repulse the corrupt serpent [i.e. the evil 
inclination]
And let us sanctify You on this 'Shabbat Shabbaton' (Sabbath of 
Sabbaths), O Holy One

"Today when You open Your books [of life and death]
Be gracious to the nation that glorifies Your Name
And let us sanctify You on this 'Yom Hakippurim' (Day of Atonement), O 
Holy One

Restrain the adversary in chains
And herald the hope of captives
And let us sanctify You on this 'Tzom He'asor' (Fast of the Tenth) , O Holy 
One"

In this piyut, the day of Yom Kippur is referred alternately as "Shabbat 
Shabbaton", "Yom Hakippurim" and "Tzom He'asor" . The following is a 
summary of the Rav's 1977 Kinus T'shuva Drasha, a lecture whose theme 
centered on the significance of each of these three appellations (1).

YOM HAKIPPURIM

"Yom Hakippurim" versus "Yom Kaparah"

The plural form "kippurim" has an entirely different meaning than the 
singular form "kapara". The term "Yom Kapara" would contain two 
misleading implications.

First, kapara implies animal sacrifice as in "heivi kaparato" (e.g. Hullin 
60A).  If the holiday were to be known as Yom Kapara, one could reach 
the conclusion that it is a day dedicated to animal sacrifice. However, in 
reality there were far fewer sacrifices offered in the Temple on Yom Kippur 
than there were, for example, on each of the the first two days of Succot. 
As a result, the term "Yom Kapara" would in fact be an imprecise 
description of the day (2). 

In addition, if we were to highlight the importance of animal sacrifice 
through use of this name, the day itself would have diminished significance 
after the destruction of the Temple. Yet, the Rambam clearly states: 

"... Now that there is no Temple and no altar atonement there is 
only repentance, and repentance atones for all sins...(Rambam, 
Hilkhot Teshuva, 1:3) 

The day of Yom Kippur itself embodies the opportunity for complete 
atonement exactly as it did prior to the destruction of  the Temple. When 
the repentance is proper, one attains the very same kapara as the Jew who 
stood in the azara and responded "baruch shem kevod malchuto le'olam 
va'ed" upon hearing the ineffable Name recited by the Kohen Gadol (3). 

The second implication of the name "Yom Kapara" would be a day in 
which atonement is granted to us. However, such an emphasis would be 
inconsistent with the names of the other holidays. The other holidays in the 
Jewish calendar invariably serve to highlight the obligations incumbent on 
the Jew. For example, Passover is referred to not as "Hag Yetziat 
Mitzrayim", but rather, as "Hag Hamatzot", the emphasis being on the 
mitzvah most closely associated with the holiday. Similarly, the holiday of 
Shavuot is bound to the mitzvah of sefirat ha'omer (4). Sukkot is the 
holiday in which we are obligated to dwell in booths. Yom Hazikaron 
(Rosh Hashanah) refers to "Zikhron Terua", a day on which we must blow 
shofar. 

Therefore, to be consistent with the other holidays, the designation for this 
day must reflect the fact that through this day kapara is to be attained by 
man, and not automatically granted by G-d. As an example of this active 
usage of the term, the Gemara states "shulhano shel adam mehaper" 
(Brachot 55A), "the table of a person effects atonement" in that the 
conduct of eating the meal is a means of attaining kapara. The term 
"kippur" therefore suggests a specific action the Jew must perform to attain 
atonement. 

This dichotomy between "kapara" and "kippurim" is suggested in the Yom 
Kippur amida.

"Vatitein lanu Hashem Elokeinu be'ahava et Yom Hakippurim hazeh 
lisliha limhila ulehapara"

"And You gave us, Hashem our G-d, with love this Yom Hakippurim for 
pardon , forgiveness and atonement,	

Thus "kippurim" must differ from the word "ulehapara"; otherwise the 
latter would be superfluous in this context (i.e "And You gave us...this Day 
of Atonement for pardon, forgiveness and atonement") . "Yom 
Hakippurim" signifies a day in which the Jew must work to attain 
atonement, while the three terms , "sliha","mehila" and "kapara" refer to 
Hashem's response to that effort.

In light of the Rambam quoted above, the specific effort which man must 
exert to attain atonement is repentance (5). The term "kippurim" therefore 
refers specifically to repentance, teshuva.

The plural form "kippurim" is used to signify that there are many types of 
teshuva, and that Hashem accepts them all if offered sincerely. As 
examples, there is teshuva tataa and teshuva ilaa 6), teshuva me'ahava 
and teshuva me'yira (7), teshuva bizman yalduto and a teshuva bimei 
ziknuto (8), among others.

At vidui, some sing a victory march (9), while others sway intently. The 
Yom Kippur of the Vilna Gaon was fundamentally different from the Yom 
Kippur of the Baal Shem Tov, the Baal Hatanya or the Maggid of 
Mezeritch.

The various "kippurim" may involve elements of joy or pain, ecstasy or 
fear, enthusiasm or terror. All of them are valid modes of repentance.

At the conclusion of Slihot, we recount the different supplications and 
confessions of various individuals in the prophets and writings: "Mashiach 
tzidkeha amar lefaneha....Ezra hasofer amar lefaneha... Daniyel ish 
hamudot shiva lefaneha..." Each had a different vidui, a different approach 
to repentance. "Vatitein lanu Hashem Elokeinu beahava et yom 
hakippurim hazeh": Hashem accepts all the various modes of repentance.

The Necessity for Global Teshuva

The means to attain kapara for specific transgressions are many. Sacrifices, 
lashes and the death penalty all can effect atonement. In order for the 
atonement to be effective, the individual must show remorse, but only for 
that specific transgression. 

In contrast, the Teshuva on Yom Kippur must be global. Yom Kippur is a 
day in which purification or tahara is achieved, a state which can be 
reached only if all sins are purged.

"Ki bayom hazeh yehaper aleihem letaher etkhem *mikol* hatoteikhem 
lifnei Hashem tit'haru" (Vayikra 16:30)

"For through this this day He will atone for you, to purify you from *all* 
your sins before Hashem you will be cleansed". 

Complete purification from all sin is the condition for atonement on Yom 
Kippur. In this sense, the atonement of Yom Kippur is an all or nothing 
circumstance. For this reason, Rabbi Akiva used the analogy of immersion 
in a mikveh to describe the purification of Yom Kippur: "Just as a mikveh 
purifies the impure, so (i.e. only in this way) the Holy One Blessed Be He 
purifies Israel" (Yoma 85b). If the whole body is not immersed in the 
mikveh, purification does not take place.

The language of the Rambam in his description of the necessity for teshuva 
on Yom Kippur implies the same concept. In his description of the 
atonement process in the offering of a sacrifice, the Rambam states that 
one "must repent and confess". Yet, in describing atonement on Yom 
Kippur, the Rambam says "Yom Kippur atones for returnees (lashavim)". 
In contrast to the sacrifice atonement description, one must be a "returnee" 
to attain atonement on Yom Kippur, suggesting the necessity for an 
encompassing teshuva for all misdeeds and transgressions.

There is however an inherent difficulty in this requirement for global 
teshuva. A prerequisite for atonement on individual sins is "hakarat hahet", 
recognition of the transgression that was committed. As mentioned earlier, 
however, "tahara" suggests total cleansing, a requirement that presumably 
includes sins that are unknown to us as well. However, the three 
requirements of the Rambam for vidui (confession), namely sin recognition, 
remorse and resolution not to sin further, are precluded when there is no 
clear knowledge of these transgressions. How then can tahara take place?

Yet, because of the global teshuva prerequisite for Yom Kippur atonement, 
Hashem in His mercy grants forgiveness for sins unknown to us as well. 
Otherwise, the principle of tahara would be negated and Yom Kippur 
could not effect atonement. The latter part of vidui explicitly includes 
confession of sins:

"...that are revealed to us and those that are not revealed to us. Those 
that are revealed to us we have already declared before You and 
confessed them to You: those that are not revealed to us are revealed 
and known to You..."

In light of G-d's willingness to include unrevealed sins in Yom Kippur 
atonement, a seemingly redundant phrase in the Yom Kippur service can be 
understood:

"Vatitein lanu Hashem Elokeinu beahava et Yom Hakippurim hazeh 
limehila, velisliha ulehapara, velimhol bo et kol avonoteinu..."

"And You gave us, Hashem our G-d, with love this Yom Hakippurim for 
pardon, forgiveness and atonement, and to pardon all our inquities on 
it...."

What is the purpose of the latter phrase "velimhol bo et kol avoneiteinu" if 
we have already mentioned that on Yom Hakippurm "mehila, seliha and 
kapara" take place? The answer is that "mehila, seliha and kapara" are 
attained through an individual's teshuva for sins that are known to him. The 
latter phrase "velimhol bo et kol avoneiteinu" includes sins unknown to us, 
those for which teshuva cannot be done.

-d as Intimate: the Concept of Mehila

Of the three terms used to describe the function of Yom Kippur, "mehila", 
"sliha" and "kapara", the latter two involve the erasure of the metaphysical 
aspects of sin. Only Hashem has the ability to grant "sliha" and "kapara". 
In contrast, "mehila" can be granted by man as well.

For example, if one is owed a debt or incurs a loss due to robbery, it is 
within his power to forego collection. Through this magnanimous action 
one grants mehila to another person, and the financial debt is cancelled. 

The concept of mehila goes beyond forgiveness of monetary claims. If for 
example one insults his fellow man, the person who suffers the indignity 
can likewise grant mehila. Through this gesture, the scorned individual 
indicates that the indignity is no longer painful to him, and that the original 
act is in effect forgotten.

In the initial portion of the of the "kedushat hayom" blessing in the Yom 
Kippur amida we request:

"Elokeinu ve'elokei avotainu, mehal la'avonoteinu beyom hakippurim 
hazeh"  
 
"Our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers, pardon our iniquity on this day 
of atonement"  

In contrast, just prior to the communal vidui during the amida repetition, 
the phrase is slightly modified:

"Elokeinu ve'elokei avoteinu, *slakh* umehal la'avonoteinu beyom 
hakippurim hazeh"

This difference can be understood in light of the dual relationship of 
Hashem to the Jewish people.

One way in which we relate to Hashem is as absolute ruler: melekh al kol 
ha'aretz. In this relationship, man is a small creature in comparison to the 
Master of the Universe. It is in this role that G-d grants sliha and kapara. 
When a person commits a transgression, the act has a clear metaphysical 
implication; the transgression defiles the individual, rendering him "tameh", 
impure. To remove this consequence, a person must attain "sliha" from G-
d as a supreme, omnipotent being.

The second way we relate to Hashem is as an intimate, childhood friend 
(10), and there are a number of sources in Chazal which highlight this 
aspect of our connection (11). Mehila  addresses the sociological alienation 
betwen man and G-d as a result of sin. 

"Mehal la'avonoteinu beyom hakippurim hazeh": our initial, hesitant 
approach to Hashem on Yom Kippur is as an estranged friend who wants 
to reestablish his prior, intimate relationship. As an example, if one's son 
was found to be guilty of robbery, aside from the intrinsic action and its 
consequences, the father in a very real sense would feel betrayed by his 
son's deed. We don't yet ask for "sliha": our concern at this point is simply 
that Hashem pardons us for failing Him. Only later, as an introduction to 
vidui and slihot, are we concerned about removing the metaphysical 
blemish of transgression as well, and hence we add the word slakh to our 
prayer.

This reestablishment of the bond between G-d and man should parallel 
what happens as we ask mehila from our fellow man in preparation for 
Yom Kippur (12). The piyut describes Yom Kippur as "yom simat ahava 
vere'ut, yom azivat kin'ah vetaharut, yom *shetimhol* kol avonoteinu" "a 
day of love and friendship, a day of abandoning jealousy and competition, a 
day that You will grant "mehila" for all our iniquities...."(13). The 
placement of the final phrase suggests that the mehila that we ask of our 
fellow man is related to the mehila we ask of G-d (14). 

SHABBAT SHABBATON

Parallel Creations: The Testimony of Shabbat and Yom Kippur

What is the relationship of Shabbat to Yom Kippur? One obvious aspect 
both days have in common is the prohibition of "melakha". The Gemara in 
Hullin 5a states that he who desecrates Shabbat publicly is considered as 
one who denies the entire Torah.  A halakhic implication of such public 
desecration is the prohibition of the transgressor to act as a witness in 
Jewish law (pasul le'edut). The Bet Halevi leans towards the opinion that 
the same consequence applies to one who publicly desecrates Yom Kippur, 
implying that in its public violation heresy is involved as well.

The question arises, why must the violation be public for such 
condemnation and for this consequence to apply? In fact, the Torah 
generally seems to suggest that the hypocrisy underlying a sin committed in 
secret renders the action more reprehensible than the same act committed 
publicly (consider, for example, that the penalty for thievery is greater than 
the penalty for robbery (15)) . Why is public Sabbath violation (and, 
according to the Bet Halevi, Yom Kippur violation as well) considered 
analogous to heresy, while private Sabbath violation does not carry the 
same stigma?

To answer this question, one must understand the three fundamental 
aspects in the observance of Shabbat:

1) The negative commandments regarding cessation from work
2) The positive commandments affirming the holiness of the day.
3) Testimony concerning the six day creation and the seventh day of Divine 
rest. 
 
It is through this third aspect that the heresy inherent in public Sabbath 
violation becomes evident. One who violates Shabbat publicly denies the 
creation and the Creator (see Rashi in Hullin 5a d'h alma). This act of false 
witness comes about when one openly violates Shabbat: violating Shabbat 
in private does not involve heresy, since by definition testimony is a public 
declaration.

It would appear however that violation of Yom Kippur does not involve 
this same connotation of false testimony: why then would the Bet Halevi 
similarly equate public violation of Yom Kippur with heresy?

Shabbat testifies to the creation of the physical world, a world of causality 
and time progression which is both inexorable and irreversible. The 
physical world is governed by quantitative rules; a stone falls according to 
a precise mathematical equation. This is the world in which "yom valaila lo 
yishbotu" - "day and night shall not cease" (Genesis 8:22) where the 
physical reality of time progression, of day and night, the sun setting and 
rising in a prescribed manner, is invariant. In this world, the act of teshuva 
is an irrational gesture since it is impossible to undo the cause and effect of 
past events. Such a world is described in the first chapter of Genesis, a 
world in which the name of G-d as  Elokim, signifying "midat hadin": the 
divine attribute of strict justice, is used. It is G-d in the role of Elokim 
(vayehal Elokim bayom hashvi'i) who rested on the seventh day. 

There is, however, a second component to creation with a different set of 
cosmic rules. A Gemara in Nedarim states that teshuva was one of seven 
ideas created prior to the world. The concept of teshuva, whereby one can 
erase and even elevate previous sinful actions, suggests that there is a 
world where one can transcend physical reality and causality through the 
exercise of free will (16). This alternate world is introduced in the second 
chapter of Genesis, where the name of "YKVK" is first mentioned. In 
contrast to Elokim, the Tetragrammaton invokes G-d as One who 
possesses "midat harahamim", the attribute of  hesed, mercy. After the 
first day of creation, in commenting on the statement "vayehi erev vayehi 
boker yom ehad", the Medrash states: "yom ehad" was Yom Kippur. The 
message of this Medrash is that without Yom Kippur and its theme of 
teshuva as a motif, the world itself would not have been created (17). 

Thus, through observing Shabbat, one testifies to Hashem's creation of the 
world of din (18), and by observing the day of Yom Kippur one testifies to 
Hashem's creation of the world of hesed. By publicly violating Yom Kippur 
one denies this second component of creation, and therefore on a halachic 
level he would be pasul le'edut just as one who denies the first component 
of creation through public violation of the Shabbat. Shabbat and Yom 
Kippur therefore complement each other, hence the use of "Shabbat 
Shabbaton" as an appellation for Yom Kippur.

TZOM HE'ASOR

Between Kol Nidrei and Shehekheyanu

At sunset on the evening of Yom Kippur, after the Kol Nidrei prayer, the 
blessing Shehekheyanu is recited. The blessing is timed to be completed 
just after sundown to coincide with the start of the holiday. During festivals 
this blessing is appended to the Kiddush; because there is no Kiddush on 
Yom Kippur, it is inserted at this point in the service.

However, between Kol Nidrei and Shehekheyanu, the following biblical 
phrases are added:

"Venislakh lekhol adat b'nei Yisrael velager hagar betocham ki lekhol 
ha'am bishgaga" 

"Slakh na la'avon ha'am hazeh ka'asher nasata mimitzraim ve'ad henah 
vesham ne'emar: vayomer Hashem salakhti kidvarekha"

"May it be forgiven for the entire congregation of the Family of Israel and 
for the  stranger who dwells among them, for the sin befell the entire nation 
through carelessness" (Numbers 15:26).

"Please forgive the iniquity of this people acoording to the greatness of of 
Your Kindness, and as you have forgiven this people since Egypt and to this 
point. (Numbers 14:19).  And there it was said 'and Hashem said 'I have 
forgiven according to your words' "(Numbers 14:20).

Why are these verses recited precisely at this moment in the Yom Kippur 
service? Furthermore, do these verses relate to Kol Nidrei or the 
Shehekheyanu blessing? 

A. Venislakh as the Conclusion of  Kol Nidrei

Kol Nidrei is intimately associated to the concept of hatarat nedarim: the 
halakhically prescribed nullification of vows. When the Jew wishes to 
nullify a vow he had previously made, he may do so through hatarat 
nedarim. The central act behind this nullification is the expression of 
remorse for having made the vow. In the presence of either a bet din or an 
appropriate individual he states that at the time of his utterance, had he 
then understood what he knows now, he would not have made the vow at 
all. Through the recognition that the original act was in effect a mistake, 
the vow is nullified retroactively. The Torah therefore provides the 
authority to change the intention from willful to accidental on the basis of 
his present understanding, rather than on the basis of his state of mind at 
the time the vow itself was expressed.

Yom Kippur carries with it precisely the same message. Through the 
experience of repentance, we acknowledge that our sins were acts of 
impulsiveness which do not reflect our present value system. As a result of 
this realization, our sins are considered as if committed unintentionally, 
even though they stemmed from a world view whose flaws we only now 
recognize.

The concluding phrase of the first verse "ki lekhol ha'am bishgaga" thus 
links Kol Nidrei with the concept of Teshuva: The sin that was committed 
is retroactively declared to have been committed in ignorance(19).

B. Venislakh as the Introduction to Shehekheyanu 

The Gemara in Eruvin 40B discusses the criterion behind recitation of the 
Sheheheyanu blessing at various occasions during the year. This criterion is 
outlined in the recitation of "vehasienu" during the festival amida:

"Vehasieinu Hashem Elokeinu et birkat moadekha le'haim ul'shalom, 
lesimcha ulesasson..."

"Bestow upon us Hashem our G-d the blessing of your festivals for life 
and for peace, for gladness and for joy..."

The "Festival Blessing" (birkat hamoadim), which in turn involves 
"simcha" or joy is the basis for the recitation of sheheyanu. Although 
"vehasienu" is not generally recited today in the amida of Rosh Hashanah 
and Yom Kippur, the Rosh towards the end of the tractate Rosh Hashanah 
(siman 14) lists a number of Gaonim and Rishonim who did in fact recite 
"vehasienu", thereby suggesting that birkat hamoadim is appropriate even 
during the Yamim Noraim (20). 

The simcha of festivals is specifically associated with the eating of meat 
and drinking of wine (Pesachim 109a), and in fact shehekheyanu is best 
recited over a cup of wine (Eruvin 40b). What then is the basis for the 
recitation of the blessing on Yom Kippur, when fasting is the order of the 
day?

The answer lies in understanding the basis for the holiday which closely 
follows Yom Kippur, the festival of Sukkot. Sukkot is in fact the holiday 
most clearly associated with the concept of "simcha", precisely due to its 
proximity to Yom Kippur. The simcha of Sukkot derives from the 
communal forgiveness of sin which Israel had experienced during Yom 
Kippur, the celebration of which actually takes place during Sukkot. 

The simcha of Yom Kippur similarly derives from the joy in recognizing 
this forgiveness. It is the communal nature of this forgiveness which is 
highlighted in the two verses recited prior to the Sheheyanu blessing:

"May it be forgiven for the *entire congregation of the Family of 
Israel* and for the  stranger who dwells among them, for the sin befell 
the *entire nation* through carelessness" (Numbers 15:26).

Please forgive the iniquity of *this people* according to the greatness of 
Your kindness, and as you have forgiven *this people* since Egypt and 
to this point. (Numbers 14:19).  And there it was said "and Hashem said 
'I have forgiven according to your words' " (Numbers 14:20).

These verses deal with the forgiveness bestowed on "Knesset Yisrael", the 
entire congregation of Israel. In contrast, another verse closely associated 
with Yom Kippur forgiveness:

"Ki bayom hazeh yekhaper aleikhem letaher etkhem mikol hatoteikhem 
lifnei Hashem tit'haru"

"For through this this day He will atone for you, to purify you from all 
your sins before Hashem you will be cleansed" (Leviticus 16:20).

deals specifically with the purification which results through the teshuva of 
one or many individuals. Depending on the nature of this repentance, an 
individual or group of individuals may or may not achieve forgiveness on 
Yom Kippur; Knesset Yisrael as an entity gains forgiveness without fail. 
The simcha which underlies the holiday of Yom Kippur is therefore 
associated with communal as opposed to individual forgiveness. As a 
result, it is specifically the verses of Venislakh and Slakh which are recited 
as an introduction to the Sheheyanu blessing.

The fast on Yom Kippur is referred to as "tzom he'asor" and not as a 
"ta'anit" . The word tzom in another context means "braid" as used in 
Mishnah Hullin 4:6 through the term "tzomet hagiddin" or braided sinews. 
A braid is a collection of individual strands unified into a single entity. On 
Yom Kippur we celebrate the forgiveness of sin bestowed on Knesset 
Yisrael as a "gavra", a religious personality transcending a collection of 
individuals (21). This joyful recognition is thus the basis for reciting the 
shehekheyanu blessing which allows us to thank Hashem "...who has kept 
us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this time."

FOOTNOTES

1) All explanatory footnotes which appear in this summary were taken 
from the lecture as well, unless specifically noted otherwise. Footnote 15 is 
a direct quote from a cited Medrash and a clarification to help explain a 
detail in the lecture.

(2) It could be argued, however, that the number of sacrifices on Yom 
Kippur specifically designated as sin offerings exceed those offered on 
other days of the year. 

(3) In contrast to Yom Kippur, the shalosh regalim do not have the same 
holiness today as they did during the Temple's existence, since today there 
are no korbanot and there is no Temple pilgrimage.

(4) In the vatitein lanu paragraph of the amida,  only after using the 
appellations "chag hamatzot" and "chag hashavuot", are the days 
described as "zman cheiruteinu" or "zman matan torateinu". The human 
imperative therefore precedes the historical description of the holidays.

(5) There is a well known opinion expressed by Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi 
maintaining that the day of Yom Kippur can effect atonement without 
repentance (Yoma  85b). However, even according to this opinion, 
Teshuva is in fact the "mitzvat hayom" of Yom Kippur. Man should not 
beg for atonement on Yom Kippur, he should claim it out of a sense of 
dignity: a dignity which results when atonement is not merely granted but 
rather earned through the act of teshuva.

(6) Tanya,Igeret Hatshuva, chapters 4 and 7.

(7) See Yoma 86b and P. Peli, On Repentance  In the Thought and 
Oral Discourses of Rabbi J. B. Soloveitchik (Oroth Publishing House, 
Jerusalem, 1980) pps 269-277  for the Rav's explanation of these terms

(8) Rambam, Hilchot Teshuva 2:1 

(9) See On Repentance, page 131, where the Rav describes vidui in 
southern Germany.

 (10) To illustrate the nature of the relationship, the Rav at this point 
evokes the image of two children playing ball together. 

(11) According to Rashi, In Hillel's famous dictum describing the entire 
message of Torah in a nutshell: "man de'alakh snei, lehaverach lo ta'avid - 
what is hateful to you, do not do to your friend",  the "friend" refers to 
Hashem (Shabbat 31A).  Similarly, in the introduction to his blessing to 
Joseph's children (Genesis 38:15), Jacob says  "Elokim haroeh oti me'odi", 
which is translated "the L-rd who has been my shepherd all my life". The 
Ramban in his commentary elucidates that the word "haroeh" is derived 
from the word "re'a", meaning friend. 

(12) In detailing the restitution one must make with his fellow man after 
having stolen something from another, the Rambam states that the stolen 
object must be returned and the thief must repent for his action. Although 
the Rambam (Hovel Umazik 5:9) indicates that there is no necessity to 
request "mehila" from the owner of the stolen object at the time, as Yom 
Kippur arrives, one must indeed ask "mehila" for all such incidents 
(Hilchot Teshuva 2:9).   

(13) See: Mesorah, volume 2, Tishrei 5740  which contains brief 
summaries of the Rav's chidushei Torah "Beinyan ein Yom Hakippurim 
mechaper ad sheyeratzeh et chaveiro"

(14) As a result of this emphasis, it is clear that any arguments or personal 
strife that surface on Yom Kippur conflict with the entire kedushat hayom 

 (15) See Baba Kamma 79b 
     
 (16) See Rabbi J. B. Soloveitchik,  Halakhic Man, Jewish Publication 
Society, Philadelphia 1983 pps 113-15 "Halakhic Man is engaged in self 
creation, in creating a new "I". He does not regret an irretrievably 
lost past but a past still in existence, one that stretches into and 
interpenetrates with the present and the future...There is a past and 
there is a future that are connected with one another and with the 
present only through the law of causality-the cause found at moment a 
links up with the effect taking place at moment b, and so on. However, 
time itself as past appears only as 'no more' and as future appears as 
'not yet'. From this perspective repentance is an empty and hollow 
concept. It is impossible to regret a past that is already dead, lost in 
the abyss of oblivion...However, there is a past which persists in its 
existence...a past [which] enters into the domain of the present and 
links up with the future...past, present and future merge and blend 
together, and this threefold time structure arises before us adorned 
with a splendid unity.. We do not have here the determinate order of 
a scientific, causal process...The future imprints its stamp on the past 
and determines its image...
" The main principle of repentance is that the future dominate the 
past and there reign over it in unbounded fashion. Sin, as a cause and 
as the beginning of a lengthy causal chain of destructive acts, can be 
transformed, underneath the guiding hand of the future, into a source 
of merit and good deeds, into love and fear of G-d. The cause is 
located in the past, but the direction of its development is determined 
by the future. ' Great is repentance, for deliberate sins are accounted 
to him as meritorious deeds [Yoma 86b]...In this outlook we find 
contained the basic principle of choice and free will...If a causal 
lawfulness molds man's spiritual personality and points the way 
wherein he must go, then self-creation can have no meaning...To be 
sure, each cause gives rise to a new causal sequence. But this sequence 
can oftentimes head in various directions...If man so desires, it will 
travel in the direction of eternity; the past will heed his word and 
attach itself to him."

(17) [The medrash itself reads as follows: " 'Vayehi erev' (and it was 
evening)- these are the actions of the wicked, 'vayehi boker' (and it was 
morning)- these are the actions of the righteous, 'yom ehad' - that the Holy 
One Blessed Be He gave them one day. Which [day]? Yom Hakippurim." 
(Bereishit Rabbah 3:8). The medrash here is not suggesting that the first 
day of creation was Yom Kippur; there is therefore consistency in the Rav's 
explanation regarding the first two chapters of Genesis]

(18)  The prayers of Rosh Hashanah similarly  invoke the theme of Hashem 
as Master of the physical world. There is an interesting contrast between 
the introductory sentence of the kedushat hayom blessing in the Amida of 
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. On Rosh Hashanah the paragraph starts: 
Elokeinu Ve'elokei Avoteinu, m'loch al kol ha'aretz kulo bikhvodekha", 
while on Yom Kippur it starts "Elokeinu ve'elokei avoteinu, mekhol 
la'avonoteinu beyom hakippurim hazeh.", yet at the end of the paragraph, 
both contain the phrase "melekh al kol ha'aretz, mekadesh Yisrael ve'yom 
[hazikaron] [hakippurim]. On Rosh Hashanah, we pray that Hashem 
reveal himself as king of the universe. This universal revelation would be 
manifest through the attribute of midat hadin. In contrast, on Yom Kippur, 
our prayer is for G-d to reveal himself, not universally but specifically to 
the Jewish community, through the midat hahesed. At the conclusion of 
the blessing, the phrase "melekh al kol ha'aretz" is not a prayer but a 
statement of fact. The phrase therefore appears in the concluding blessing 
of the Amida on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

  (19) This idea is also reflected in the Slihot service "al na tashet aleinu 
hatat asher noalnu"- "Please do not consider as a sin what we have done 
foolishly"

(20) [A discussion regarding "vehasienu" appears in Kavod Harav, a 
volume devoted to studies in Chidushei Torah and Halacha in honor of 
Rabbi Soloveitchik, edited by Rabbis Moshe Sherman and Yoseph Woolf 
(Student Organization of Yeshiva Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological 
Seminary, 1984) in Rabbi Sherman's chapter "Simchat Yom Tov and 
Simchat Rosh Hashanah".]

 (21) The topic of  collective versus individual atonement is a major theme 
in many of the Rav's teshuva drashot. See, for example, On Repentance, 
chapter 3: The Individual and the Community. 



Translated and Organized by A. Lustiger
Arnie Lustiger
alustig@erenj.com