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Aval Anahnu Va'avotenu Hatanu: Atoning for the Sins of Prior Generations?

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Aval Anahnu Va'avotenu Hatanu: Atoning for the Sins of Prior Generations? JTS webinar for rabbis Rabbi Jan Uhrbach Yom Kippur 5780 [email protected] Aval Anahnu Va'avotenu Hatanu: Atoning for the Sins of Prior Generations? Rabbi Jan Uhrbach, Director, Block / Kolker Center for Spiritual Arts, JTS From the Mahzor: introduction to Ashamnu on Yom Kippur אֱ -�הֵֽ ינוּ וֵ א-�הֵ י אֲ בוֹתֵֽ ינוּ [וְאִ מּוֹתֵ ינוּ], ,Our God and God of our ancestors תָּ בֹא לְפָ נֶי� תְּ פִ לָּתֵ נוּ, וְ אַל תִּתְ עַ לַּם מִתְּחִ נָּתֵ נוּ, .hear our prayer; do not ignore our plea שֶׁאֵ ין אֲ נַֽחְ נוּ עַ זֵּי פָנִים וּקְ שֵׁ י עֹרֶ ף לוֹמַ ר לְפָ נֶי�, ,Our God and God of our ancestors יי אֱ -�הֵ ינוּ וֵא-�הֵ י אֲ בוֹתֵ ינוּ [וְאִ מּוֹתֵ ינוּ] we are neither so insolent nor so obstinate as to claim in Your presence צַ דִּ יקִ י ם אֲ נַ חְ נ וּ וְ � א חָ טָ א נ וּ , that we are righteous, without sin; אֲבָ ל אֲ נַחְ נוּ וַאֲבוֹתֵ ינוּ [וְאִ מּוֹתֵ ינוּ] חָטָ אנוּ: for we, like our ancestors who came before us, have sinned. 1. BT Yoma 87b מאי אמר אמר רב אתה יודע רזי עולם What does one say? Rav said: "You know the ושמואל אמר ממעמקי הלב ולוי אמר mysteries of the universe...” Shmuel said: “From the ובתורתך כתוב לאמר ר' יוחנן אמר רבון depths of the heart...” Levi said: “And in your Torah העולמים it is written, saying...” Rabbi Yohanan said: “Master of the Universe...” ר' יהודה אמר כי עונותינו רבו מלמנות Rabbi Yehudah said: “For our iniquities are too וחטאתינו עצמו מספר רב המנונא אמר many to count and our sins are too great to אלהי עד שלא נוצרתי איני כדאי עכשיו number.” Rav Hamnuna said: "My God, before I שנוצרתי כאילו לא נוצרתי עפר אני בחיי was formed I was unworthy. Now that I have been ק"ו במיתתי הרי אני לפניך ככלי מלא formed, it is as if I had not been formed. I am dust while alive, how much more so when I am dead. See, בושה וכלימה יהי רצון מלפניך שלא I am before You like a vessel filled with shame and אחטא ומה שחטאתי מרוק ברחמיך אבל ,disgrace. May it be Your will that I may sin no more לא ע"י יסורין ,and as for the sins I have committed before You והיינו וידויא דרבא כולה שתא ודרב erase them in Your compassion, but not by המנונא זוטא ביומא דכפורי suffering.” This is the confession that Rava used all year, and Rav Hamnuna Zuta on Yom Kippur. אמר מר זוטרא לא אמרן אלא דלא אמר Mar Zutra said: We said these only if one did not אבל אנחנו חטאנו אבל אמר אבל אנחנו say “But we have sinned.” However, if one said חטאנו תו לא צריך .But we have sinned” one needs nothing further" דאמר בר המדודי הוה קאימנא קמיה As Bar Hamdudei said: I was standing before דשמואל והוה יתיב וכי מטא שליחא Shmuel and he was sitting; and when the prayer דצבורא ואמר אבל אנחנו חטאנו קם leader reached the words: “But we have sinned” he stood. He said: Learn from here that this is the ikar מיקם אמר שמע מינה עיקר וידוי האי הוא .of the confession JTS webinar for rabbis Rabbi Jan Uhrbach Yom Kippur 5780 [email protected] 1a. Psalm 106:6 חָ טָ ֥ א נ וּ עִ ם-אֲ בוֹתֵ ֗ינוּ הֶעֱוִ ֥ינוּ הִרְשָֽׁ עְ נוּ: We, like our ancestors, have sinned; we have gone astray, done evil. 1b. Commentaries from Mahzor Lev Shalem • Every human being is imperfect. Even previous generations—whom we may idealize— contained sinners. As the Rabbis taught: no one has walked the earth and not sinned. • Some medieval commentators note that there is a measure of solace in remembering that our ancestors were imperfect but they were forgiven. Others object to the mention that our ancestors sinned, and so in some editions that phrase is omitted. • Nehemiah reports that in rededicating themselves, the people gathered in the Temple courtyard and ‘confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors’ (Nehemiah 9:2). Medieval authors argued that knowledge that previous generations sinned, just as we do, empowers us to ask for forgiveness—for is not our own failing part of the very nature of the human condition? 2. Exodus 34:6-7 (see also Exod. 20:5; Num. 14:18; Deut. 5:9) וַ יַּֽ עֲ בֹ ֨ר ה‘ ׀ עַ ל-פָּ נָ יו֘ וַ יִּקְ רָ א֒ ה‘ ׀ ה‘ ,Adonai passed by before him, and called, Adonai, Adonai אֵ ֥ל רַ ח֖וּם וְחַ נּ֑וּן אֶ ֥רֶ � אַ פַּ ֖ יִ ם וְ רַ ב- חֶ ֥ סֶ ד God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in וֶֽאֱמֶֽ ת: נֹצֵ ֥ר חֶ ֨סֶ ד֙ לָֽאֲ לָפִ ֔ים נֹשֵׂ ֥א עָ וֹ֛ן lovingkindness and truth, extending lovingkindness for וָפֶ ֖שַׁ ע וְחַטָּאָ ֑ה וְ נַקֵּ ה֙ �֣א יְנַקֶּ ֔ה פֹּקֵ ֣ד ׀ ,thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin עֲוֹ֣ן אָב֗וֹת עַ ל- בָּ נִ י ם ֙ וְ עַ ל-בְּ נֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים exonerating and not exonerating; visiting the sin of parents upon children, and upon children’s children, to the third and עַ ל- שִׁ ֵלּ שִׁ ֖ י ם וְ עַ ל- רִ ֵ בּ ֽעִ י ם : fourth generation. 2a. Ezekiel 18:1-4, 18-22 (see also Jeremiah 31:28-29) א וַ יְ הִ ֥י דְ בַ ר-יְיָ֖ אֵ לַ֥י לֵאמֹֽ ר: ב מַ ה-לָּ כֶ ֗ם .And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 .1 אַתֶּ ֤ם מֹֽשְׁ לִ ים֙ אֶ ת- הַ מָּ שָׁ ֣ ל הַ זֶּ֔ ה עַ ל- אַ דְ מַ ֥ ת What do you mean by repeating this proverb יִשְׂרָ אֵ ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר אָבוֹת֙ יֹ֣אכְ לוּ בֹ֔סֶ ר וְשִׁ נֵּ֥י concerning the land of Israel, saying: The parents have הַבָּנִ֖ים תִּקְ הֶֽ ינָה: ג חַ י-אָ ֕נִי נְאֻ ֖ם אֲ דֹנָ֣י יֱיִ֑ eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge? 3. As I live, says the Lord God, you shall not have (קרי אֱל-ֹהִ ֑ים) אִ ם-יִֽהְ יֶ֨ה לָכֶ֜ם ע֗וֹד מְ שֹׁ֛ל .occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. 4 הַ מָּ שָׁ ֥ ל הַ זֶּ ֖ה בְּ יִשְׂרָ אֵֽ ל: ד הֵ ֤ן כׇּל- הַ נְּ פָ שׁ וֹ ת ֙ Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the parent, so לִ ֣י הֵ ֔נָּה כְּ נֶ֧פֶ שׁ הָאָ ֛ב וּכְ נֶ֥פֶ שׁ הַבֵּ ֖ן לִ י- הֵ ֑ נָּ ה also the soul of the child is mine; the soul that sins, it הַ נֶּ֥פֶ שׁ הַֽ חֹטֵ ֖את הִ ֥יא תָמֽ וּת: .shall die יח אָבִ ֞יו כִּ י-עָ ֣שַׁ ק עֹ֗שֶׁ ק גָּזַל֙ גֵּ֣זֶל אָ ֔ח ,As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed .18 וַֽאֲשֶׁ ֥ר �א-ט֛וֹב עָשָׂ ֖ה בְּ ת֣וֹ� עַמָּ ֑יו וְהִ נֵּה- robbed his brother, and did that which is not good מֵ ֖ ת בַּֽ עֲוֹנֽ וֹ: יט וַֽ אֲ מַ רְ תֶּ ֕ ם מַ דֻּ ֛ עַ �ֽ א- ָ נ שָׂ ֥ א .among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity הַבֵּ ֖ן בַּֽ עֲוֹ֣ן הָאָ ֑ב וְהַבֵּ ֞ן מִשְׁ פָּ ֧ט וּצְדָקָ ֣ה And you say, Why? Does not the son bear the .19 עָשָׂ ֗ה אֵ ֣ת כׇּל-חֻ קּוֹתַ ֥י שָׁמַ ֛ר וַיַּֽעֲשֶׂ ֥ה אֹתָ ֖ם iniquity of the father? When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, חָ יֹ֥ה יִֽחְ יֶֽ ה: כ הַ נֶּ֥פֶ שׁ הַֽ חֹטֵ ֖את הִ ֣יא תָ מ֑וּת and has done them, he shall surely live. 20. The soul that בֵּ ֞ן �ֽ א- ִ י שָּׂ ֣ א ׀ בַּֽ עֲוֹ֣ן הָאָ ֗ב וְ אָב֙ �֤א יִשָּׂ א֙ sins, shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the בַּֽ עֲוֹ֣ן הַבֵּ ֔ן צִדְקַ ֤ת הַצַּדִּ יק֙ עָ לָ֣יו תִּֽ הְ יֶ֔ה father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the וְ רִ שְׁ עַ ֥ ת רָשָׁ ֖ע [הָֽרָשָׁ ֖ע] עָ לָ֥יו תִּֽ הְ יֶֽ ה: ס son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon JTS webinar for rabbis Rabbi Jan Uhrbach Yom Kippur 5780 [email protected] כא וְהָֽרָשָׁ ֗ע כִּ ֤י יָשׁוּב֙ מִ כׇּל- חַ ֹ טּ א תָ ו ֙ אֲ שֶׁ ֣ ר him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon עָ שָׂ ֔ ה וְ שָׁ מַ ר ֙ אֶ ת-כׇּל-חֻ קּוֹתַ ֔י וְעָשָׂ ֥ה him. 21. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he מִשְׁ פָּ ֖ט וּצְדָקָ ֑ה חָ יֹ֥ה יִֽחְ יֶ֖ה �֥א יָמֽ וּת: has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that כב כׇּל-פְּשָׁ עָ יו֙ אֲשֶׁ ֣ר עָשָׂ ֔ה �֥א יִזָּֽכְ ר֖וּ ל֑וֹ which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his transgressions that he has בְּ צִ דְ קָ ת֥ וֹ אֲ שֶׁ ר-עָשָׂ ֖ה יִֽחְ יֶֽ ה: .22 committed shall be remembered against him; in his righteousness that he has done he shall live. 2b. BT Makkot 24a אמר ר' יוסי בר חנינא ארבע גזירות Rabbi Yosei bar Hanina said: Moshe Rabbenu decreed גזר משה רבינו על ישראל באו four decrees upon the Jewish people, and four prophets ארבעה נביאים וביטלום ... משה אמר came and annulled them. ... Moses said: “Who visits the פוקד עון אבות על בנים בא יחזקאל .transgression of the parents upon the children” (Exod 34:7). Ezekiel came and annulled it: “The person who sins וביטלה הנפש החוטאת היא תמות shall die” (Ezek.
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