Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • YU Center for the Jewish Future THE BENJAMIN AND ROSE BERGER TORAH TO-GO® Established by Rabbi Hyman z"l and Ann Arbesfeld • September 2020 • Tishrei 5781 In Tribute to Rabbi Hy Arbesfeld z"l Dedicated in loving memory of Dr. Harlan Daman by Carole, Gila and Avi Daman We thank the following synagogues which have pledged to be 5781 Pillars of the Torah To-Go® project Beth Jacob Congregation Green Road Synagogue Young Israel of Beverly Hills, CA Beachwood, OH New Hyde Park New Hyde Park, NY Boca Raton Synagogue The Jewish Center Boca Raton, FL New York, NY Young Israel of New Rochelle Cong. Ahavas Achim Riverdale Jewish Center New Rochelle, NY Highland Park, NJ Riverdale, NY Young Israel of Cong. Ahavath Torah United Orthodox Scarsdale Englewood, NJ Synagogues Scarsdale, NY Houston, TX Cong. Beth Sholom Young Israel of Lawrence, NY Young Israel of West Hartford Century City Cong. Beth Sholom West Hartford, CT Los Angeles, CA Providence, RI Young Israel of Young Israel of Cong. Bnai Yeshurun West Hempstead Hollywood-Ft Lauderdale Teaneck, NJ West Hempstead, NY Hollywood, FL Cong. Shaarei Tefillah Young Israel of Young Israel of Newton Centre, MA Woodmere Lawrence-Cedarhurst Woodmere, NY Darchei Noam Glenbrook Cedarhurst, NY Northbrook, IL Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President, 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 © 2020 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 Rabbi Russ Shulkes at [email protected] 2 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashanah 5781 Table of Contents Rosh Hashanah 5781 A Tribute to Rabbi Hy Arbesfeld z"l Dedicated in loving memory of Dr. Harlan Daman by Carole, Gila and Avi Daman 4 Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman: Reflections on the Past, Preparing for the Future Introduction 5 Rabbi Julius Berman: A Tribute to Rabbi Hy Arbesfeld z"l 6 Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz: From the Rabbi’s Desk – A Question of Forgiveness 8 Six Perspectives on the Yamim Noraim: Mrs. Penina Bernstein, Rabbi Rosh Hashana Tanchum Cohen, Rabbi Josh Flug, Chaya Sima Koenigsberg, PhD, Mrs. Sivan Insights Rahav Meir and Rabbi Etan Schnall 13 Rabbi Michael Rosensweig: Teshuva and Rebirth 16 Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman: The Thirteen Attributes and the Mitzvah of Chesed 21 Rabbi Meir Goldwicht: Selichot: Learning To Say Sorry The Thirteen 25 Rabbi Menachem Penner: The Thirteen Middot and the Symbolism of the Attributes Tallit of Mercy 36 Rabbi Hershel Schachter: Kedushas Yisroel 33 Mrs. Shoshana Schechter: The Truth Behind Emet Do you need someone to say Kaddish on behalf of a loved one? Please contact us at [email protected] 3 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashanah 5781 Introduction Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman President, Yeshiva University REFLECTIONS ON THE PAST, PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE remember last Rosh Hashanah the shemi`ah (hearing) have halakhic We are all uncertain. There have been thinking about and planning content. This hybrid approach not only real losses and there is enormous for the year ahead, with all of its resolves particular textual tensions in anxiety. We need to first turn to Ipossibilities and opportunities. Who our halakhic sources, it also directs us Hashem with all of our bakashot. then could have possibly imagined to a new sense of the message of the Not simply asking Him to remove us what the year would actually have in shofar. from trouble but bringing Him into store for us? And who now could have The sound of the shofar, according our trouble. Bringing Him into our any clear sense of what lies in front of to our tradition, is the sound of tears. lives, to walk with us and carry us us in the coming year? This Yamim The representative image for these when there is no immediate end of Noraim season is like no other, because tears is the crying of a mother waiting our current challenges. And we need we live in a time like no other. How do and hoping for her son to return from to turn to each other for comfort we prepare for the upcoming chagim? and support. To bolster one another war (Rosh Hashanah 33b). Having How do we prepare for the year ahead? lived in Israel during a time of war, and unite together. Now is the time The start of every new year begins I know how these tears sound. They to think of the other. To both cry to with the blowing of the shofar. There are filled with worry, uncertainty, and listen to those who are around is a dispute among the rishonim as to concern, and anxiety. They are us. To strengthen the bonds that will which aspect of shofar is the essential guttural and inexpressible. They are help us navigate these uncharted waters. To surround ourselves with mitzvah. Rambam (Hil. Shofar 1:1), prayerful and hopeful, tinged with for example, writes that the mitzvah is dread of what could be. our family and friends, rabbis and to hear the shofar, and thus its requisite teachers, neighbors and the broader In this sense, the shofar is a tefillah blessing is “ ” (to community, and to walk through this lishmo`a kol shofar to Hashem, which includes our hear the sound of the shofar). Others, difficult time together. deepest and most personal bakashot like Rabbeinu Tam, write that the The shofar has been sounded in every (requests). But there is a second layer blessing is “ ” (on the year for thousands of years, through al teki`at shofar of the mitzvah that is revealed in Rabbi blowing of the shofar), since the actual the most triumphant and challenging Soloveitchik’s explanation. For if act of blowing is the culmination of times throughout Jewish history. It is both the teki`ah and the shemi`ah are the mitzvah (see Rosh, both the sounding of the shofar and Rosh Hashanah significant, then the mitzvah creates an 4:10). Noting the proofs that support the listening to the shofar that has image of a conversation between the each claim and the internal halakhic given us the strength and ability to toke`a and the shome`a. Of one Jew contradictions within Rambam’s not only survive but to thrive. Ashrei crying out to another. And the essential codifications, Rabbi Soloveitchik ha-am yodei teruah — fortunate is the question that this mitzvah raises is — cited his grandfather, Reb Chaim, nation that understands that message Are we listening? Do we listen when who formulated a hybrid approach. of the shofar, for it is our strength and others around us are in pain? Do we According to Rabbi Soloveitchik, secret to our success. respond to our family, friends, and we only fulfill the essential mitzvah neighbors who are in need? Wishing you a ketivah ve-chatimah of listening by hearing the sound tovah. of a shofar that is produced under When considering the year ahead, Warmly, particular halakhic conditions (See this is the message that, now, more Reshimot Shiurim, Sukkah 2a). In this than in any other year, should shape Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman sense, both the teki`ah (blowing) and our consciousness. We are all in pain. 4 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashanah 5781 Remembering Rabbi Julius Berman Rabbi Hy Arbesfeld z"l Chairman Emeritus, RIETS A TRIBUTE TO RABBI HY ARBESFELD Z"L o me and to everyone who years ago, he convinced me to seek the education programs, where shiurim knew him, Hy Arbesfeld chairmanship of RIETS. He constantly are given by Yeshiva’s Roshei Yeshiva lived for and personified gave so much of his time and his sage and other scholars, attract hundreds of TYU, and particularly RIETS. While advice to help the entire RIETS Board students to Yeshiva’s uptown campus, everyone knows how Hy, after in serving Yeshiva. while thousands more download receiving a scholarship to attend For Hy, everything, and I mean these shiurim. Yeshiva University High School for everything, was about what’s best Hy was also very intent on making Boys, dedicated his life to paying back for Yeshiva — what’s best for the sure that Yeshiva was available to that scholarship and then some — I institution, its Roshei Yeshiva and anyone who had a desire to attend, think for every scholarship dollar he faculty, its students — and how it regardless of financial circumstances. received he paid thousands of dollars could get even better in as many ways For that reason, he established back to Yeshiva — it was not just the possible. He was always focused on scholarship programs for students money he so generously donated over the importance of preparing students to attend Yeshiva College and Stern the years, but all his years of service to assume leadership roles in the College for Women as well as Yeshiva’s on the RIETS Board where he worked Jewish community and of spreading high schools. tirelessly on behalf of Yeshiva. Torah far and wide. He accomplished Putting aside for a moment Hy’s I owe a personal debt of gratitude to this in many ways.