The Thirteen Meir Goldwicht Attributes of Mercy Rosh , RIETS

לעילוי נשמת הרב חיים ארבספלד תורתך—תורת חיים ואהבת חסד. הנהגותך—הצנע לכת. אישיותך—אצילות, ענוה, יראת ד' ושמחת חיים.

SELICHOT: LEARNING TO SAY SORRY

he , Orach before dawn to recite on the the start time, it was instituted that Chaim 581:1, states: Sunday before . If Rosh Selichot always start at the beginning Hashanah is on Monday or Tuesday, we of the week. Second, a requires נוהגים לקום באשמורת לומר T begin on Sunday one week earlier. four days of bikur (inspection). סליחות ותחנונים, מראש חודש אלול ואילך Ashkenazi practice is to begin Regarding the korbanot of עד יום הכיפורים. הגה: ומנהג בני אשכנז אינו recitation of Selichot at least four days all the holidays, the states כן, אלא מראש חודש ואילך מתחילין לתקוע “ ” — you shall offer before Rosh Hashanah. TheMishnah v’hikravtem olah אחר התפילה שחרית ... ועומדים באשמורת a — but with regard to Berurah (6) provides two reasons לומר סליחות ביום ראשון שלפני ראש השנה. ,for this. First, there are people who the korban mussaf of Rosh Hashanah ואם חל ראש השנה שני )או( שלישי, אז fast for ten days before . it states “va’asitem olah” — you shall מתחילין מיום ראשון שבוע שלפניו. make a burnt offering — meaning The custom is to awake before dawn to We may not fast on the two days of that we shall prepare ourselves as if recite Selichot from Rosh Hashanah, or erev Yom we were the korban. Therefore, we inspect until Yom Kippur. Glosses of Rama: This Kippur. Therefore, we add four days all our four days prior to Rosh is not the Ashkenazi custom. Rather, from before Rosh Hashanah to allow those Hashanah and repent for them. Rosh Chodesh, we begin blowing to recite Selichot together after morning … and we awake with their fast. In order to standardize

21 Rabbi Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashanah 5781 would have used this one word, he הַ יֹום וַיִתְחַבֵא הָאָדָ ם וְאִ שְ תֹו מִפְ נֵי ה' אֱֹלקִ ים Kidamnucha Techilah: We First would have remained. Everything is בְתֹוְך עֵץ הַ גָן. וַיִקְרָא ה' אֱֹלקִים אֶל הָאָדָ ם Approach You Ahead of Time contingent on this one word because וַיֹאמֶרלֹו אַ יֶכָה. וַיֹאמֶר תאֶ קֹלְָך שָמַעְתִי בַגָ ן selicha means, I accept upon myself וָאִירָ א כִי עֵ ירֹם אָ נֹכִי וָאֵחָבֵא. וַיֹאמֶר מִי הִ גִ יד Thepizmon , the central for the responsibility for my actions and לְָך כִי עֵ ירֹם אָתָה הֲמִן הָעֵץ אֲשֶ ר צִ ּוִיתִ יָך לְבִלְתִ י first night of Selichot for Ashkenazim .therefore I regret what I did אֲכׇל מִ מֶ נּו אָ כָלְתָ . וַיֹאמֶר הָאָדָם הָאִשָה אֲשֶ ר :on Motzei Shabbat, begins נָתַתָ ה עִמָדִ י הִ וא נָתְ נָה לִי מִן הָעֵץ וָ אֹכֵ ל. Parashat opens with a בְ מֹוצָאֵי מְנּוחָה,קִדַמְנּוָך תְחִ לָה. הַט אָ זְנְָך They heard the sound of the Lord description of a covenant between מִמָרֹום, יֹושֵב תְהִ לָה. לִשְ מֹעַ אֶל־הָרִ נָה וְאֶ ל־ :moving about in the garden at the breezy Hashem and the Jewish people הַתְ פִלָה: אֶ ת־יְמִ ין עֹז עֹורְרָ ה, לַ עֲ שֹות חָ יִל. time of day; and the man and his wife hid קבְצֶדֶ נֶעֱקַ ד,וְנִשְחַט תְמּורֹו אָ יִל. גְנֹון נָא גִזְעֹו, אַתֶ ם נִצָבִ ים הַ יֹום כֻלְכֶם לִפְ נֵי ה' אֱֹלקֵ יכֶ ם from the Lord God among the trees of the בְ זַעֲקָם בְעֹוד לָיִל. רָ אשֵ יכֶם שִבְטֵ יכֶ ם זִקְ נֵיכֶם וְ שֹטְרֵ יכֶ ם כֹל אִ יש After the departure of the , as garden. The Lord God called out to the יִשְרָ אֵ ל. טַפְכֶםנְשֵ יכֶםוְגֵרְ ָך ראֲשֶ בְקֶרֶב מַחֲ נֶיָך we first approach You, incline Your ear man and said to him, “Where are you?” מֵ חֹטֵב עֵצֶיָך עַ ד שֹאֵב מֵימֶ יָך. לְעׇבְרְ ָך בִבְרִ ית ה' from on High, You Who are enthroned He replied, “I heard the sound of You אֱֹלקֶ יָך ּובְאָ לָתֹו אֲשֶרה' אֱֹלקֶ יָך כֹרֵ ת עִמְ ָך הַ יֹום. upon praises, [and] hear our cry and our in the garden, and I was afraid because You stand this day, all of you, before the prayer! Raise Your mighty right hand to I was naked, so I hid.” Then He asked, Lord your God — your tribal heads, act valiantly [against our accusers] for the “Who told you that you were naked? your elders and your officials, all the men sake of [Isaac] the righteous one, who was Did you eat of the tree from which I had of , your children, your wives, even bound [on the ], and in whose stead forbidden you to eat?” The man said, the stranger within your camp, from a ram was slain — shield his descendants “The woman You put at my side — she woodchopper to water drawer — to enter as they cry to You while it is yet night. gave me of the tree, and I ate.” into the covenant of the LORD your God, Translation adapted from the Bereishit 3:8-12 which the LORD your God is concluding Metsudah Selichos Hashem asks Adam, “Where are with you this day, with its sanctions. The question is: Since we are reciting you?” and the man should have given Devarim 9:9-11 this prayer close to Rosh Hashanah, his precise location within Gan Eden, When telling us that the Jewish people not on Rosh Chodesh Elul like the but instead he answers, “I heard the were standing before Hashem, why Sephardim, how then can we say, sound of You in the garden, and I was did the Torah use the word “nitzavim” “After the departure of the Sabbath, afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” and not the more common word we first approach You ahead of time”? He never answers the question he for standing — “omdim”? TheOhr We aren’t early. We are late. We are was asked. Hashem then asks, “Did Hachaim explains that the word waiting until four days before Rosh you eat of the tree from which I had “nitzavim” implies an acceptance of Hashanah to recite Selichot. forbidden you to eat?” This is a yes or no question. Did you eat from responsibility. We find in Megillat the tree or not? Here, too, he doesn’t Rut that Boaz talks to the “nitzav al Adam Harishon’s Punishment answer the question but blames his hakotzrim” — the person supervising the farmers. Nitzav means responsible. Let us answer this question with the wife. Hashem never asked him about As such, each of us has a personal following approach: On the very same her role and yet he uses her to give responsibility for our own actions and day that Adam Harishon was created, an evasive answer. Adam ruins his for the actions of others that we can he was also judged. Our tell relationship with his wife by blaming influence. Shabbat( 54b) tell us us that he sinned on the same day her, and he ruins his relationship with that one who can influence others and he was created, and through this Hashem because he wouldn’t answer doesn’t do so is responsible for their , he forfeited eternal life in Gan the questions he was asked. sins. Therefore, when we say selicha“ ,” Eden. However, the reason for his we are accepting responsibility for punishment was not because he ate Accepting Responsibility what happened. from the Tree of Knowledge. Let us examine the pesukim: Adam lost his ability to remain in Gan Eden because he didn’t know how to וַיִשְמְעּו אֶת קֹול ה' אֱֹלקִים מִתְהַ לְֵך בַגָן לְרּוחַ say one word: selicha — sorry. If he

22 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashanah 5781 Selach Lanu 34:6). Rabbi Yochanan said: Were shall be an area for you outside the camp, it not explicitly written in the verse, it where you may relieve yourself. With Reciting Selichot in Elul means saying would be impossible to say this. The verse your gear you shall have a stake, and sorry, even though it’s not easy to teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be when you have squatted you shall dig a do. In our Yamim Noraim liturgy we He, wrapped Himself in a prayer shawl hole with it and cover up your excrement. recite, “selach lanu, mechal lanu, kaper like a prayer leader and showed Since the Lord your God moves about in lanu” — forgive us, pardon us, grant the structure of the order of the prayer. your camp to protect you and to deliver us atonement. What is the difference He said to him: Whenever the Jewish your enemies to you, let your camp be between selicha and mechila? Selicha people sin, let them act before Me in holy; let Him not find anything unseemly means I am sorry for what I did. accordance with this order and I will among you and turn away from you. Mechila as a noun means a tunnel. As forgive them. The verse continues: “The TheBa’al Haturim comments: a verb it means to dig. If we say we are Lord, the Lord,” I am He before a person ויתד תהיה לך על אזנך. בגימ׳ מדותי תהיה על sorry, Hashem helps us dig a tunnel to sins, and I am He after a person sins and אזנך. כלומר י״ג מדות יהיו כלי זיין שלך. get to a place of atonement. performs repentance, “God, merciful and “With your gear you shall have a stake” In our Yom Kippur , we refer gracious” (Exodus 34:6). Yehuda is the same numerical value as “My to Hashem as Melech mochel v’soleach said: A covenant was made with the attributes shall be with your gear.” la’avonoteinu — the King who pardons Thirteen Attributes that they will not Meaning that the Thirteen Attributes and forgives our sins. Why is the order return empty-handed, as it is stated in should be your weapon. reversed? Why does mechila come this regard: “Behold, I make a covenant.” before selicha? Because from Hashem’s Translation adapted from The Our weapon during the Yamim Noraim perspective, mechila can come first. William Davidson digital edition of is the Thirteen Attributes. Based on If He sees that we are interested in the Koren Noé this, we can understand the closing selicha, He opens a path for us to reach Rabbeinu Chananel adds: selicha for Ashkenazim at Neilah: selicha and then atonement. תָמַ ֽ ְכ יִ ת יְתֵדֹותַ י ִב ְשֹלש ֶע ְרֵהש תֵ בֹות. ְּוב ַ שעֲרֵ י ה' ה' אני הוא קודם שיחטא האדם שכתוב דְמָ עֹות ִ כי לֹא ִנ ְ שלָבֹות. לָכֵ ן שָפַ ְֽכ ִ תי שִֽיחַ ְ פנֵי בֹוחֵ ן בו בספר החיים ואני ה' לאחר שיחטא האדם ִלבֹות. בָטּֽוחַ אֲ נִי בְאֵ ֽ ֶ הלּובִ זְכּות ְ ש ֽלֹ ֶתש אָ בֹות. וישוב בתשובה שמקבלו כאלו לא חטא. The Thirteen Midot Harachamim The Lord, The Lord, I am [the Lord] I plant my stakes with the Thirteen before a person sins and it is still written Attributes [of God], and rely on the It is very difficult to ask for in the Book of Life and I am the Lord gates of [penitent] tears, which are never forgiveness. Our hubris prevents us after a person sins and repents. [Hashem] joined; therefore, I have poured out my from lowering ourselves to the level of accepts him as if he never sinned. prayers before Him, Who searches hearts. begging for forgiveness. How do we I trust in these, and in the merit of the The Thirteen Attributes teach us that get to a point where we can properly three Patriarchs. say that we are sorry? The answer is through teshuva, Hashem accepts us the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. as if we never sinned. The Thirteen Attributes are our stake. Just like a stake holds down a tent The Gemara,Rosh Hashanah 17b, states: The Torah gives us the following so that it doesn’t blow in the wind, instruction when we go to war: ,our stakes, the Thirteen Attributes ויעבור ה' על פניו ויקרא א"ר יוחנן אלמלא keep us grounded. This is why we כִי תֵצֵא מַחֲ נֶה לעַ אֹיְבֶיָך וְנִשְמַרְתָ מִ כֹל דָבָ ר מקרא כתוב אי אפשר לאומרו מלמד recite the Thirteen Attributes seven רָ ע... וְיָדתִהְ יֶהלְָך מִ חּוץ לַמַחֲ נֶה וְיָצָאתָ שָמָ ה שנתעטף הקב"ה כשליח צבור והראה לו times during Neilah. These Thirteen חּוץ. וְיָתֵד תִהְ יֶהלְָך עַל אֲ זֵנֶָך וְהָ יָה בְשִבְתְ ָך למשה סדר תפלה אמר לו כל זמן שישראל Attributes don’t provide forgiveness חּוץ וְחָפַרְתָהבָּה וְשַבְתָ וְכִסִיתָאֶת צֵאָתֶ ָך. כִ י חוטאין יעשו לפני כסדר הזה ואני מוחל להם from Hashem nor are they a request ה' אֱֹלקֶיָךמִתְהַ לְֵך בְקֶרֶבמַחֲ נֶָך לְהַצִילְָך וְלָתֵ ת ה' ה' אני הוא קודם שיחטא האדם ואני הוא from Hashem. Rather, through אֹיְבֶיָךלְפָ נֶיָך וְהָ יָהמַחֲ נֶיָך קָ דֹוש וְ לֹא יִרְ אֶה בְ ָך לאחר שיחטא האדם ויעשה תשובה אל רחום these, we understand the Creator of עֶרְ וַת דָבָר וְשָב מֵאַחֲרֶ יָך. וחנון אמר רב יהודה ברית כרותה לי"ג מדות When you go out as a troop against the World. He has so many reasons שאינן חוזרות ריקם. The verse states: “And the Lord passed your enemies, be on your guard against not to forgive us. We have asked for by before him, and proclaimed” (Exodus anything untoward … Further, there forgiveness so many times, and even

23 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashanah 5781 after accepting not to sin, we continue at the various treasures and ask: “Whose toward G-d. It had a ripple effect on to sin. The Creator has given and treasure is this?” G-d would answer that the entire creation. The fact that the continues to give so many chances. it was in store for those who perform land doesn’t produce as easily and However, in His abundant mercy, the commandments. Of a different kind the rain doesn’t come as easily is all He has compassion on us after our of treasure G-d would say that it was a result of his failure to apologize. sins as before our sins. The Thirteen in store for those who raise orphans. Therefore, mankind must apologize for Attributes bring us to understand that There were a number of these treasures. desecrating what was created on the we don’t deserve anything. Everything Eventually, G-d showed him another first day, on the second day and so on. we receive from Hashem is a gift. This treasure greater than any of the previous This is what we mean when we say, idea is found in the on the first pizmon ones. When Moses inquired who this “After the departure of the Sabbath, we night of Selichot: treasure was for, G-d answered, “people first approach You ahead of time.” We ,who had various merits to their credit are not reciting Selichot early. Rather יֹוצֵר האַתָ לְכָ ל־יְצִ יר נֹוצָר. כֹונַנְתָ מֵאָז תֶרֶ ף would receive their reward (part of the we are acknowledging that part of our לְחַ לְצָםמִמֵ צָר. לְחֹונְנָם חִ נָם מֵ אֹוצָר הַמְ נֻצָר. treasures Moses had been shown first), request for forgiveness is not just from מָרֹום, אִ ם־עָצְמּו פִשְ עֵיקְהָ לֶָך. נָא סַ גְבֵם מֵ אֹוצָ ר those who did not have such merits would Hashem, Who created us on the sixth ַהמּוכָן בִ זְבּולֶָך. עָדֶ יָך לָ חֹן חִ נָם, בָאִים אֵ לֶ יָך. You are the Creator of all that is formed, receive part of this great treasure for free.” day, but we are asking forgiveness from You prepared from of old, a remedy to This is what is meant by the words: “I the entire creation. Our sin on the sixth save them from distress, by bestowing shall show favor to the ones I choose to day changed the whole order of the undeserved grace upon them from Your show favor to,” to those I decide to favor. universe and that was all our fault. Similarly, “I will have compassion to the hidden treasure. Exalted One, if the We can’t give anything to Hashem. We sins of Your congregation are great, ones I choose to show compassion.” Rabbah, Ki Tisa no. 45 can only try to restore what we ruined. strengthen them, we pray from the (adapted from a translation by R. Recognizing that He is the Giver of treasure stored in Your abode; Your Eliyahu Munk) everything removes our hubris. Then community [implores You] to grant them we can feel like a pauper who knocks Hashem will give us from this great undeserving grace as they approach You. on the door to receive charity, who treasure if we realize that we don’t Hashem saves us from distress and gives knows definitively that whatever he deserve anything. Therefore, at Neilah, us a gift when we approach Him with receives is only because it was a gift. we recite “ the sentiment that we don’t deserve l’ma’an nechdal me’oshek Only with this perspective can we yadeinu” — so that we may refrain anything, “to grant them undeserving request “milfanecha Malkeinu reikam from the theft of our hands. Are we grace as they approach You.” al teshiveinu” — Before You our King, really calling ourselves thieves? The please don’t turn us away empty. Chazal tell us the following: idea is that many times we feel that this belongs to me, “My own power The days we are engaged in teshuva וחנותי את אשר אחון באותה שעה הראה לו and the might of my own hand have are days of grace. Hashem wants us הקב"ה את כל האוצרות של מתן שכר שהן created this wealth for me.” In this to say one word — selicha. Then, it is מתוקנין לצדיקים והוא אומר האוצר הזה של מי way, we are stealing from the Almighty possible to enter Rosh Hashanah with הוא והוא אומר של עושי מצות, והאוצר הזה :because He was the one Who gave simcha as it says של מי הוא של מגדלי יתומים, וכל אוצר ואוצר, רוַיֹאמֶ לָהֶ ם לְכּו אִ כְלּו מַשְמַ נִים ּושְתּו מַמְתַקִ ים us everything. Rather, we must feel ואח"כ ראה אוצר גדול אמר האוצר הזה של מי וְשִ לְחּומָ נֹות לְאֵ יןנָכֹון לֹו כִי קָ דֹוש הַ יֹום ”that this is all from the “free treasure הוא א"ל מי שיש לו אני נותן לו משכרו ומי שאין לַאֲ דֹנֵינּו וְאַל תֵעָצֵבּו כִי חֶדְ וַת ה' הִיא מָעֻזְכֶ ם. .because we are undeserving לו אני עושה לו חנם ונותן לו מזה שנאמר וחנותי Nechemiah said to them [on Rosh את אשר אחון, וחנותי את אשר אחון למי שאני Like a Pauper Knocking on a Hashanah], “Go, eat choice foods and מבקש לחון, וכן ורחמתי את אשר ארחם. “And I shall show favor when I choose Door drink sweet drinks and send portions to to show favor, etc.” At this particular whoever has nothing prepared, for the time G-d showed Moses all the kinds of If Adam would have said “Sorry, I day is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad, reward in store for the righteous, each sinned,” he would not have lost his for your rejoicing in the LORD is the one in accordance with the deeds he had portion in Gan Eden. The sin of source of your strength.” performed while alive. Moses would look Adam Harishon wasn’t just a slight Nechemiah 8:10

24 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashanah 5781