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The Most Private Moment Rabbi Jonathan Ziring “And No Man Shall Be in the Tent of Permitted to Be in the Vicinity

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The Most Private Moment Rabbi Jonathan Ziring “And No Man Shall Be in the Tent of Permitted to Be in the Vicinity בס“ד Parshat Vayelech / Shuvah 6 Tishrei, 5777/October 8, 2016 Vol. 8 Num. 7 This issue of Toronto Torah is sponsored by Esther and Craig Guttmann in honour of the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Gilad Gomolin The Most Private Moment Rabbi Jonathan Ziring “And no man shall be in the Tent of permitted to be in the vicinity. To this, Thus, this midrash argues that in fact Meeting when [the High Priest] enters Rabbi Abahu responded that this “man” no human being may enter the Kodesh to achieve atonement in the Holy until was no angel; He was G-d. HaKodashim; even the Kohen Gadol he leaves; and he will atone for himself must himself transform into an angel. and his household and for the whole While the metaphorical meaning of this Taken together with the Yerushalmi congregation of Israel.” (Vayikra 16:17) anthropomorphic Yerushalmi may be above (as both are statements of Rabbi When the Kohen Gadol enters the Holy less than fully clear, the central idea Abahu), the conclusion is that all angels of Holies to offer the ketoret (incense), emerges powerfully. On Yom are barred from the Holy of Holies, the Torah declares that “kol adam” – HaKippurim, the Kohen Gadol, the except for the newly minted angel, the no man – shall be allowed in. The representative of the Jewish people, Kohen Gadol himself. simplest understanding of this verse is enters the intimate space of G-d to that no human being, besides the beseech G-d for atonement. The Yet another theme of Yom HaKippurim Kohen Gadol, may be there. From this relationship he has, and the Jewish is reflected here: that on this day we perspective, this is an escalation of the people has with G-d is so intense that manage to transcend our humanity. general law of Yom HaKippurim that even the angels on high cannot be While we may not actually become only the Kohen Gadol may perform the present; their connection to G-d pales in angels and pray before the Ark, we too, service in the Beit HaMikdash. When comparison to that of the Jewish as Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer 46, explains he reaches the most intense moment, people. strive to be angelic – avoiding eating when he comes face to face with the and drinking, spending much of the day Divine, so to speak, no one may even And yet, this passage is not the most standing, and ensuring there is peace be in the vicinity. Yom HaKippurim is radical reading of this verse found in among us as there is among the angels the holiest day, and only the holiest the writings of our sages. A midrash in heaven (see Or Zarua Hilchot Yom person is worthy of serving. (Vayikra Rabbah, Acharei Mot 21) takes HaKippurim 277). Yom HaKippurim is the verse even more literally. It does not the day when the Jewish people enter The Talmud Yerushalmi (Yoma 1:5, only mean that no one besides for the the heavens, united to confront their 5:2) takes things further. “[This refers] Kohen Gadol can be there, whether he Creator, confident that G-d, in His even to those [angels] about whom it is be man or angel. The verse says “no infinite kindness and love, will forgive written (Yechezkel 1:10) ‘Their faces man” shall be there. Literally, that them. had a human face.’” Shimon HaTzadik, would exclude the Kohen Gadol himself! on his final Yom HaKippurim leaves “And Rabbi Abahu said: Is the Kohen G’mar Chatimah Tovah! the Holy of Holies and tells those Gadol not a man? Rather, it is as Rabbi surrounding him that he will die that Pinchas said: When the Divine spirit [email protected] year. He explains that each year an rested on him, his face would become elderly man wrapped in white would fiery torches. About him the verse says, escort him in and out – and this year ‘For the lips of a priest guard that man escorted him in, but did not knowledge’. (Malachi 2:6)” The end of leave with him. He took this as a sign that verse reads, “And men seek rulings of his impending death. The students from his mouth; For he is a malach of of Rabbi Abahu, upon hearing this the Lord of Hosts.” While malach can story, assumed that this man was an mean ‘messenger’, this midrash takes it angel, and wondered how he could to mean ‘angel’. enter the Holy of Holies, if no one was OUR BEIT MIDRASH ROSH BEIT MIDRASH ABBI ORDECHAI ORCZYNER R M T SGAN ROSH BEIT MIDRASH RABBI JONATHAN ZIRING AVREICHIM DAM RIEDMANN ARON EREZ A F , Y P WOMEN’S BEIT MIDRASH RS RA IRING RS LLIEZRA EREZ M . O Z , M . E P CHAVERIM EZER DIENA, NADAV GASNER, RYAN JENAH, SHIMMY JESIN, ELISHA KELMAN, BJ KOROBKIN, AVI MENZELEFSKY, ZACK MINCER, MOSHE OSTRIKER, RONI Find our upcoming shiurim on-line at PEREZ, YOEL RIABOY, MORDECHAI ROTH, EZRA SCHWARTZ, DAVID SUTTNER, DAVID www.torontotorah.com TOBIS, DAVID ZARKHINE CHAVEROT YAKIRA BEGUN, NOA BORDAN, MAYTAL CUPERFAIN, LEORA KARON, RIVKA We are grateful to SAVAGE, KAYLA SHIELDS, ARIELA SNOWBELL, SARAH WAPNER Continental Press 905-660-0311 Book Review: Shaarei Teshuvah (Gates of Repentance) Rabbi Baruch Weintraub Shaarei Teshuvah Why was the book written? 1. Twenty basic acts required from the English: Gates of Repentance An interesting tradition connects the penitent (such as regret, confession, Rabbeinu Yonah Gerondi writing of Shaarei Teshuvah with one and prayer). English ed. Feldheim (1999) of the most unfortunate events in 2. Six motivations which bring a Jewish history. In 1232, some thirty person to repent (such as old age, Who is the author of the book? years after Rambam’s death, a great Torah learning, or suffering) Rabbeinu Yonah was born in Gerona, controversy about his books and 3. A list of mitzvot and their relative Catalonia (Spain). He quickly became thought erupted. Rabbeinu Yonah who importance, so one will know for one of the greatest scholars of was a leading figure, used his what he must repent. Sephardic medieval Jewry, comparable connections in France to encourage 4. The different requirements for only to his cousin Ramban. Rabbeinu the Tosafists to ban Rambam’s atonement for each sin (Teshuvah, Yonah’s father and Ramban’s mother philosophical Moreh Nevuchim and Yom Kippur, suffering and death) were siblings. Sefer HaMadda. In the end, the controversy led to the burning of As can be readily seen, Rabbeinu In his youth, Rabbeinu Yonah left Spain Rambam’s book by the Inquisition; the Yonah combined the fear of G-d he to learn in the yeshiva of Évreux, in latter led, ten years later, to the learned from Chasidei Ashkenaz, with Northern France. This Yeshiva was burning of the Talmud in Paris, the rigorous sorting and categorizing unique in its combination of deep destroying nearly all copies of the associated with the Sephardic method analytic learning, following the Talmud in France. Rabbeinu Yonah of learning. methodology of the French Tosafists, saw the burning of the Talmud as and in its emphasis on fear of G-d and punishment for what had been done to The book, written in accessible purity of thought, following the pietism the Rambam, and – according to Hebrew, became a classic Mussar of Chasidei Ashkenaz. Rabbeinu Yonah tradition – wrote Shaarei Teshuvah as book. As summarized by Professor was deeply affected by his years there, part of his own repentance for his Yisrael Ta-Shema, the book’s strength and his later works show traces of the share in the dispute. Some scholars lies in its direct and sincere appeal to impact his teachers had on both his reject this tradition, as they see the reader’s common sense. Relying on learning and thought. The integration of Shaarei Teshuvah as a broader work, the foundations of simple faith and his Sephardic background with what he focusing on more than just daily experience, Rabbeinu Yonah learned from his Ashkenazic Rabbis repentance. assumes that all inspire to correct began a process – fully developed by the their paths, and his evident faith in us Ramban, Rosh, and others – which, to a What are the book’s main features? may wake the reader to repent. large extent created the world of Torah Shaarei Teshuvah is composed of four as we know it today. parts, or ‘gates’: [email protected] Israel’s Rabbis: Rabbi Chaim David HaLevi Yaron Perez Rabbi Chaim David HaLevi Rabbi HaLevi’s Torah was anchored in the thought of Rabbi Born: 5684 (1924) Jerusalem Avraham Yitzchak Kook, and he had a close friendship with Died: 5758 (1998) Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah Kook. In his writings, Rabbi HaLevi Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Rishon l’Tzion 1950-1973 addresses issues of the ultimate Redemption and the Land Chief Rabbi, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 1973-1998 of Israel. As part of his halachic and mystical outlook on the return to Israel as part of the Redemption, Rabbi Levi Life sought to renew the practice of blowing shofar in Jerusalem Rabbi Chaim David haLevi grew up in Jerusalem, where he on Fridays, and he was one of the halachic authorities who learned in Yeshivat Porat Yosef. He was ordained as both permitted entry to sections of the Temple Mount nowadays, Rabbi and Judge by Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Ezra Atiyeh, as well after proper preparations. Rabbi HaLevi was also one of the as Nasi haYeshiva Rabbi Ben-Zion Uziel. He decided to first authorities to establish, in a halachic work, the sanctity broaden his studies by attending the “Mizrachi” Seminar, of Yom ha’Atzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim.
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