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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Yom Kippur
- Yom Kippur Prayers
That classic Country & Western song seems to perfectly sum up the contrasting moods of Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur. We gravitate between feeling very confident of ourselves – indeed, we are said to approximate angels, dressed in pure white - & yet we are fearful of our future, pleading with G-d to please forgive us & let us go on living.
We are, as the Tefila so aptly says, both "favored children ("banim"), as well as lowly servants ("avadim").
Rav Yehoshua Goodman zt"l, the sainted rav of my shul in Chicago, was one of the leaders of Chabad in the city; it was he who first instilled in me the desire to do kiruv. He took me under his wing & trained me. ("If you want to lead ‘em, you have to feed ‘em!" was one of the lessons he taught us).
In my mind’s eye, I can still see him in shul on Yom Kippur, as he stood majestically wrapped in his Talit, intensely reciting the prayer, "L’kel Orech Din." It is a Tefila which places us, as it were, in the docket, in court, being tried by the Heavenly Tribunal. When he reached the line that says "To He who legally acquires His servants," ("L’koneh avadav ba-din") he would break down crying, vigorously nodding his head up & down in agreement.
I approached him when shul was over and I asked him why this line was so special, so crucial, & he explained it to me:
"We mortals think we are so powerful, so independent, so much in control of our fate. But the truth is, try as we might, we really have little or no control at all over the vicissitudes of life. Danger is everywhere, & problems lurk around every corner. At some point – if we are humble & wise – we learn that our only real safety lies in coming under Hashem’s saving power and protection."
"And so, we acknowledge to G-d that we truly, literally ARE His servants. For you see, we know that the Torah commands the master to protect his servants, to see to their needs, to feed, shelter & safeguard them from harm. And since even Hashem is bound to abide by His own Torah, we declare that he is the Master & we are the servant. In that way, we can actually ‘force’ Him to take care of us! That is the power of this prayer, & that is why I focus so passionately on it."
I am a great believer in the partnership between Man & G-d. I hold that we must not be passive spectators; Hashem wants us to actively work in tandem with Him to move this world along towards complete Geula. And so - in the midst of this epic struggle with Corona - we must of course do everything in our power to stay safe, and to search for a vaccine. But we should never let our confidence go to our heads; we must remember that we are the junior partner in this team, while G-d is the Corporation! There is no greater goal, no better security, than being "acquired" by Hashem. When that happens – just like in the world of business - everyone gains. So let us pray that all of us achieve a quick and successful "exit" to a place of health, reunion with our families and the ability to impact the world at large.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
