TORAH TO-GO® Established by Rabbi Hyman and Ann Arbesfeld October 2016 • Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur 5777

Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future THE BENJAMIN AND ROSE BERGER TORAH TO-GO® Established by Rabbi Hyman and Ann Arbesfeld October 2016 • Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur 5777 Dedicated in loving memory of Dr. Harlan Daman by Carole, Gila and Avi Daman Featuring Divrei Torah from Rabbi Reuven Brand Rebbetzin Marjorie Glatt, JD Rabbi Meir Goldwicht A Project of Yeshiva Universty’s Rabbi Josh Goller Center for the Jewish Future Mrs. CB Neugroschl Rabbi Gideon Shloush A Special Symposium on Leadership and Elections Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner Rabbi Steven Weil 1 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur 5777 We thank the following synagogues who have pledged to be Pillars of the Torah To-Go® project Beth David Synagogue Green Road Synagogue Young Israel of West Hartford, CT Beachwood, OH Century City Los Angeles, CA Beth Jacob Congregation The Jewish Center Beverly Hills, CA New York, NY Young Israel of Bnai Israel – Ohev Zedek Young Israel Beth El of New Hyde Park New Hyde Park, NY Philadelphia, PA Borough Park Koenig Family Foundation Young Israel of Congregation Brooklyn, NY Ahavas Achim Toco Hills Atlanta, GA Highland Park, NJ Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst Young Israel of Congregation Cedarhurst, NY Shaarei Tefillah West Hartford West Hartford, CT Newton Centre, MA an outstanding woman who ,ע"ה ,Sponsored in memory of Anna Glatt survived the destruction of her entire family (Hy”d) in the Shoah, yet rebuilt with G-d’s help a new life and generations in America - and to - YUConnects which continues to build new Jewish families for Klal Yisrael. Rabbi Dr. Aaron and Margie Glatt Richard M. Joel, President and Bravmann Family University Professor, Yeshiva University Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander, Vice President for University and Community Life, Yeshiva University Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, David Mitzner Dean, Center for the Jewish Future Rabbi Menachem Penner, Max and Marion Grill Dean, Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Rabbi Robert Shur, Series Editor Rabbi Joshua Flug, General Editor Rabbi Michael Dubitsky, Content Editor Andrea Kahn, Copy Editor Copyright © 2016 All rights reserved by Yeshiva University Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future 500 West 185th Street, Suite 419, New York, NY 10033 • [email protected] • 212.960.0074 This publication contains words of Torah. Please treat it with appropriate respect. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Paul Glasser at 212.960.5852 or [email protected]. 2 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur 5777 Table of Contents Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur 2016/5777 Dedicated in loving memory of Dr. Harlan Daman by Carole, Gila and Avi Daman Teshuva and Self-Esteem Rabbi Reuven Brand . .. ....................................................................... Page 5 Apple Dipped in Honey: What’s the Real Appeal? Rebbetzin Marjorie Glatt, JD . .......................................................... Page 8 Kol Nidrei: The Great Unifier Rabbi Meir Goldwicht . ............................................................ Page 12 Eating Before Tekias Shofar: Revisiting the Custom of Yeshivos Rabbi Joshua Goller ....................................................................................... Page 16 The Shofar’s Experiential Call Mrs. CB Neugroschl . ...................................................................................... Page 19 Yom Kippur Lessons from Three Great Zionist Leaders Rabbi Gideon Shloush ................................................................................... Page 23 Special Symposium: From Tanach to American Democracy: Leadership in Transition The Challenge of Leadership in a Privileged Generation Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander .............................................................................. Page 30 What Can we Learn from the Laws of Lashon Hara about Negative Campaigning? Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman ................................................................................ Page 35 Voting: A Religious Act? Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner .............................................................................. Page 41 What Qualities Define a Leader? A Tale of Two Executives Rabbi Steven Weil ................................................................................... Page 45 3 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur 5777 Introduction or most, the final hours of Tisha B’Av are marked by counting Rabbi Yaakov Glasser down the minutes of a long Fsummer day until the fast is complete David Mitzner Dean, YU Center for the Jewish Future and we can indulge in food and drink Rabbi, Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton once again. For me, growing up, this was not the case. My father has served as a chazzan for the Yamim Noraim The chazzan is our guide through found, not exclusively in appreciating for decades, and the final hour of the journey of coronating G-d, and its halachic efficacy relating to vows, the Jewish people’s national day of framing our emotional plea for but in our ability to elevate the most mourning was marked by removing another year of health and prosperity. obscure aspects of Jewish observance the Yom Kippur machzor from the Perhaps one of the most recognizable to the loftiest levels of inspiration shelf, and chanting the entire service and ubiquitous nuschaos is the through the power of shira — the of Neilah. These moments served haunting tones of the Kol Nidrei awesome experience of music. as “test conditions” for the physical prayer. The melody immediately Indeed, a necessary and core aspect demands of leading the congregation takes us deep within ourselves, as of the avodah (service) in the Beis in the final moments of Yom Kippur. we reach for that one final day to Hamikdash was the shira of the From Shabbos Nachamu and on, make an appeal for our lives before Leviim. As Kohanim were engaged I would fall asleep on Friday night the Almighty. Yet if one considers in the technicalities of sacrifice, listening to the nuschaos and the text of this most profound the experience became even more nigunim of the prayers of the Yamim cantorial piece, the words that transcendent through the power of Noraim as my father, similar to other emerge are significantly incongruent music which reaches the depths of the chazzanim around the world, worked with the tone of their delivery. Kol soul. to master the melodies and nuance Nidrei is a highly technical halachic Yom Kippur begins with a simple that inspires the community to the proclamation relating to oaths, vows, message: We are not in control of the lofty moments of the High Holiday and commitments made throughout lyrics of our life, but we do have the prayers. the year. While many reasons have power to shape the music that infuses In a generation of “Carlebach been offered for its inclusion in every experience with meaning, minyanim” and the increasing these most solemn moments of purpose, and passion. initiating Yom Kippur, there remains a “shteibelization” of weekly davening, Wishing you a year of blessing and dissonance between Kol Nidrei’s focus the Yamim Noraim tefilos remain inspiration, anchored in the rich musical traditions and the atmosphere that the chazzan of previous generations, and we find creates in infusing the prayer with its ourselves transported to another distinguished nusach. world as the majestic notes of Kaddish Perhaps we could consider another Rabbi Yaakov Glasser initiate our prayers on Selichos night. approach. The power of Kol Nidrei is 4 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur 5777 Teshuva and Self-Esteem any communities have a custom to sing aloud the communal recitation of Rabbi Reuven Brand MVidui (the verbal acknowledgement Rosh Kollel, YU Torah Mitzion Kollel of Chicago of our mistakes) in an upbeat melody that seems almost joyous. This experience — for many Ashkenazim during the recitation of Ashamnu and considered dust during my lifetime and somber day of teshuva? for Sephardim during the recitation certainly after I have passed. In Your The answer to these questions is that, of Chatanu Lefanecha — seems Presence, I am like a utensil full of shame contrary to what it seems, the process glaringly dissonant. How can we sing and embarrassment. May it be Your will, of teshuva actually gives us several happily while we admit our guilt for Hashem, my God, that I will never sin reasons to celebrate. misdeeds?1 again, and the sins that I have committed before You, wipe away with Your great The first reason is that, as the This incongruity hints at a deeper mercy, but not through suffering and Rambam’s passage explains, our Vidui question regarding the overall terrible diseases.” This is the confessional takes place “Before the Almighty.” experience of teshuva — the process of Rav Hamnuna Zuti on Yom Kippur. We stand before Hashem during the of returning to our spiritual selves. The Berachot 17a process of teshuva. This, in and of Rambam notes that Vidui is central to itself — the experience of being in this journey: Any serious contemplation of this Hashem’s presence — is reason alone statement, which we repeat annually for joy and celebration. ,as part of our Yom Kippur liturgy כשיעשה תשובה וישוב מחטאו

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