Yom Kippur
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Avon, Chet and Pesha Inc.
The Gemarah Yuma 26 explains that ‘Pesha’ refers to sinning in revolt, ‘avon’ refers to knowingly sinning and ‘chet’ to an accidental sin.
If one only sinned inadvertently, can he say ‘avisi, pashati’? Minchas Chinuch says that No, he cannot. However the Rambam (Maase HaKorbanos 3) says that someone who brings an Olah, Asham or Chatas confesses his sins: He says ‘Chatasi Avisi Pashati’ These sacrifices are brought for accidental sins, how can one say ‘avisi, pashati’?
The answer is that the three terms really do mean the same thing: ‘I have sinned!’ (Proof: Yaakov told Lavan ‘Mah Pish’i u’mah chatasi’. The Targum translates both terms – pesha and chet – as the same) Yet since each word has a particular shade of meaning, one closer to accidental sin, the other to deliberate sin, we set them up in an order based on that.
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Does Hashem Have A Favorite Day?
Yom Kippur is Hashem’s favorite day, because He forgives our sins. It’s like a king’s servants who cleaned the palace but threw the garbage over the wall. Yet the king was happy, because his palace is free of garbage, even though it’s all outside his gate. So even though Hashem has to deal with our sins, He is thrilled that we are free of sin! [Tanna D’bei Eliyahu]
Yom Kippur is like a wayward son reuniting with his parents; on one hand the entire process is incredibly happy, on the other hand, the process implies resolving for what he has done. Altogether, however, it is a good and healthy affair!
Yom Kippur is also His Wedding Aniverssary: the day He wed Israel. He gave the Second Luchos on this day, so Yom Kippur is really the Day of Closeness with Hashem.
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Two Goats For Each Of Us
The Yom Kippur ceremony has two goats, identical in size, color and look. They are even bought together. Yet one one offered to Hashem and the other to Azazel – the most extreme dichotomy possible.
Perhaps the symbolism here is that the identical thing can be to opposite ends. We take identical goats, to realize that the difference lies not in the goat, but in its destiny.
Many people believe that they are predisposed to sinning. This makes repentance difficult. The two goats shows how the very same thing go to Hashem or to Satan. We can be anything we desire. The choice is ours, not predestined. We take responsibility for our lives.
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Waiting For Dawn
We pray for the day when Hashem will reveal Himself and rule this world, – v’chein tein pachdecha. We should consider that we are praying for guidance: We live in a crazy world, characterized by interested parties. A particular issue is promoted not because it is the most important, or even important at all: rather it usually is because there is someone stands to gain as a result.
Darkness covers the world. We pray that His Kingdom come. May we receive true instruction for life; what to focus on, what to do and how to act.
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Repenting without leaving the sin is like going to the Mikva without leaving go of the Sheretz. – Gemarah
The Rambam famously explains that doing tshuva without leaving the sin is worthless. T’shuva is essentially leaving sin. So even if one has remorse and says viddui, it can have no possible meaning so long as the sin persists.
This can be pretty disheartening to us. We spoke about some other Rishomin who explain that Gemarrah a bit differently:
Rashi explains that this refers specifically to theft; if one repents but does not give back the stolen item he still has, that is not tshuvah. The reason is because the sin is still extant and tangible, sitting in his living room. There can be no tshuva under those circumstances.
The Ramban in Dvarim explains that repentance consisting of remorse alone is effective, and usually will stop any punishment of the sin. Although not complete repentance, it is pretty far along. (An exception is Avodah Zarah – that is so severe a sin that only repentance coupled with changing one’s ways really helps)
Rabbenu Yonah in Shaarei Tshuvah explains that there are two types of sin; a habitual sinner and someone who occasionally sins. An occasional sinner is not held fast in the Yetzer Hara’s grip. For him repentance is essentially regret and vidui. Strengthening his willpower so that he will never stumble again is good, but not essential to his tshuva. However someone who is immersed in a sinful habit needs to first and foremost free himself of that path, because so long as he remains in his ways he sins continually. Specifically to this sort of sinner it says; one who sins and does not leave the sin is like immersing in a Mikvah without letting go of the sheretz.
The Mabit writes in Beis Elokim that tshuvah is not like tzitzis where having two or three strings is useless; in tshuvah each part stands alone, so remorse is valid without leaving the sin and accepting – affecting a change of ways.
These opinions represent major difference in defining the essence of tshuva: is it leaving sin, or is it remorse and repentance.
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The Fullest Measure Of Repentance
The Gemarah and Rambam both give the measure of true and full t’shuvah; ‘What is a baal t’shuvah? The same woman, the same physical ability and drive, and the same place, yet he does not sin again’
This indicates that even had he been so G-d-fearing that he even moved to another country to preclude the sin from ever happening again, it may still be incomplete t’shuvah. Full t’shuvah is only when presented with exactly the same opportunity for sin, he would now withstand temptation.
Why this is necessary? He has complete remorse and took precaution that it not happen again. True, his moral backbone is not proof against all temptation. That existed even before he sinned – why must he better his moral constitution after sinning more than beforehand?
Erasing sin consists of changing oneself to the point where Hashem can frankly say ‘This individual is not the one who sinned. His body is the same, but the person inside, his moral makeup, is so altered that this can be considered a new individual.’ This is the basis for pardon and purification. If this is a new person, he can be absolved of what his ‘other’ has committed.
For this to work, a minor change will not do the trick. Only if the individual standing here today would not have done that same sin, even given the opportunity, can we say that he is not the sinner.
That is why the change must be that even had he the opportunity, he would not sin again.
This is our goal; full t’shuvah. Remorse and repentance is t’shuvah too, but a lesser level than full, complete t’shuvah. May we be zocheh to reach full t’shuvah on even one of our sins!
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Defining Tshuva
What is t’shuvah? When we say vidduy do we specify what we have done wrong?
We pasken that we do not need to specify the sin (although the Rambam rules that we do). The Meiri explains that we do not specify it verbally, but we have the specific sin in mind. Other Rishonim indicate that we do not even have it in mind. If we are not thinking anything other than “We have generally sinned”, what then is the name and nature of t’shuvah?
It can be nothing other than a general RETURN TO HASHEM, in the broadest sense of the term. It is not a return from anything specific wrongdoing. It is making up with Him!
This is a radical definition, to my mind. Is the consensus? Is the name and nature of t’shuvah connected to the subject of whether we specify our sins in speech or at least thought or not at all?
©2013
kollel parshah | Tiferet Ramot 83-21, Jerusalem, Israel, 97290
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