• NITZACHONניצחון Adas Torah Journal of Torah Ideas VOLUME 2:1 • TISHREI 5775 • LOS ANGELES Nitzachon Adas Torah Journal of Torah Ideas Volume 2:1 Tishrei 5775 Adas Torah 1135 South Beverly Drive Los Angeles, CA 90035 www.adastorah.org [email protected] (310) 228-0963 Rabbi Dovid Revah, Rav and Mara D’Asra Nitzachon Editorial Team Michael Kleinman, General Editor Yaakov Siegel, General Editor Yaakov Rich, Associate Editor Meira Mintz, Copy Editor Rob Shur, Design and Layout www.rbscreative.com VOLUME 2:1 • TISHREI 5775 ראש וראשון Rabbi Dovid Revah: The Thirteen Middos of Rachamim ..................................................................................... p. 11 Rabbi Avraham Lieberman: Guest Contributor The Torah Reading and Haftara on Yom Kippur: The Parsha of Arayos and Sefer Yonah ..................................................................................... p. 17 ROSH HASHANA Rabbi Pinchas Gelb: Areivus, Individuality, and Tzibbur ..................................................................................... p. 25 Rabbi Yaakov Cohen: The Coronation of the King through the Chesed of Avraham ..................................................................................... p. 29 Rabbi Yaakov Siegel: Go Big or Go Home ..................................................................................... p. 33 Dr. Michael Kleinman: The Thirteen Middos of Rachamim as Explained by Rav Shimson Dovid Pincus zt”l ..................................................................................... p. 39 The Essence Of Teshuva And Tefilla - אשרי העם יודעי תרועה :Adiv Pachter ..................................................................................... p. 45 Asher Revah: To Blow or to Hear:The Mitzva of Shofar ..................................................................................... p. 49 Yitzi Kempe: Is Teshuva Difficult or Is It Just Us? ..................................................................................... p. 55 Eitan Tashman: The Purpose of Bakashos in Tefilla According to Rav Soloveitchik ..................................................................................... p. 59 YOM KIPPUR Rachel Margolies: What if I Don’t Forgive You? The Halachic and Hashkafic Obligation to Seek and Grant Forgiveness ..................................................................................... p. 63 Robert Millman: A Story For Yom Tov ..................................................................................... p. 69 3 ניצחון • NITZACHON VOLUME 2:1 • TISHREI 5775 Yaakov Rich: The First Banned Book and the Yom Kippur Avoda ..................................................................................... p. 71 Leigh Greenberg: Rei’ach Nicho’ach ..................................................................................... p. 89 Bracha Rich: Yosef ’s Forgiveness and Yom Kippur ..................................................................................... p. 93 David Manheim: Yom Kippur: A Space Odyssey ..................................................................................... p. 97 SUKKOS Rabbi Yisroel Gordon: Quashing the Rebellion of the Trees ..................................................................................... p. 103 Rabbi David Mahler: Transmitting the Shira of the Torah ..................................................................................... p. 111 Eli Snyder: When the Rain Comes: The Ambiguous Nature of Rain on Sukkos ..................................................................................... p. 115 Daniel Nagel: Understanding the Place of Shemini Atzeres Among the Shalosh Regalim ..................................................................................... p. 119 סוכה שהיא גבוהה למעלה מעשרים אמה :Zach Praw ..................................................................................... p. 123 Daniel Wiesel: How Often is Simchas Torah? The Annual and Triennial Cycles ..................................................................................... p. 125 David Schwarcz: The Seven Ethereal Sukka Patrons ..................................................................................... p. 131 ניצחון • NITZACHON 4 VOLUME 2:1 • TISHREI 5775 Editors’ Preface It was a true joy to see our kehilla’s pride in the first issue ofNitzachon , and in the Torah accomplishments it represents. Mechayil el choyil, we present to you our second issue, centering on the spiritual connection and inspiration we hope to achieve during the yemei haratzon of this coming year. While the sobering events of 5774 will long be etched in our hearts and minds, so will the re-ignited and passionate achdus which has distinguished our people throughout these last few months. Klal Yisrael’s exemplary demonstration of the three glorious traits for which it is distinguished – harachmanim, v’habayshanim, v’gomlei chasadim (Yevamos 79a) – flies in the face of those who question our virtue. We often assume that these traits are innate, yet the Maharsha notes, based on the pesukim quoted in the gemara, that this is only true for kindness and g’milus chasadim - the hallmark of Avraham Avinu which he instilled and ingrained into the very being of his descendants. The other two traits, however, were actually gifts from Hashem: busha, a gift that came with a Jew’s acceptance of the yoke of Torah at Har Sinai, and rachamim, a gift that comes with a Jew’s commitment to follow Hashem’smitzvos . Thus, the more a Jew studies Torah and the more firmly a Jew commits to keepingmitzvos , the more he or she will strengthen and polish the mercy, discretion, and kindness in his or her character and soul. We hope that the first yomim nora’im issue of Nitzachon will help enrich our Talmud Torah and inspire our commitment to shmiras hamitzvos. ובכן תן כבוד ה’ לעמך, תהילה ליראיך ותקוה טובה לדורשיך. Michael Kleinman Yaakov Siegel 5 ניצחון • NITZACHON החוברת הזאת מוקדשת לזכר נשמת האם היקרה קמו בניה ויאשרוה חוה גולדשין בת יעקב ע״ה This journal is dedicated in loving memory of Eva Rich • Marilyn & Alan Rich and Family ניצחון • NITZACHON 6 In honor of our dear parents, שיחיו ,Mendy & Suri Kuppermann & ,שיחיו ,Bobby & Melanie Rechnitz and in honor of our dear children שיחיו ;Elisha, Anaelle, Yakira and Meira יהי רצון מלפני אבינו שבשמים שנהיה אנחנו וצאצאינו, וצאצאי צאצאינו, וצאצאי עמך בית ישראל, כלנו יודעי שמך ולומדי תורתך לשמה בברכת כתיבה וחתימה טובה ושנה טובה ומתוקה לכל בית ישראל • Alain & Jacqueline Kuppermann 7 ניצחון • NITZACHON In honor of the birth of our son, משה יצחק May he grow up לגדל לתורה לחופה ולמעשים טובים In memory of our grandparents משה שמואל בן נתן נטע הלוי ע"ה חנה בת פרץ ע"ה משה יצחק בן יוסף ע"ה whose love of Torah continues to inspire us everyday • Daniel and Annie Nagel ניצחון • NITZACHON 8 Yasher koach to all the people who made Nitzachon possible • Eli and Alison Snyder • Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Wohlgelernter 9 ניצחון • NITZACHON ראש וראשון • Rabbi Dovid Revah Rabbi Avraham Lieberman Guest Contributor RaBBI DOVid REVah The ThirteenMiddos of Rachamim RABBI DOVID REVAH • owards the end of Ne’ila, we say: תמכתי יתדותי בשלש עשרה תבות .... בטוח אני באלה ובזכות שלשת אבות. TI have placed my reliance on the Thirteen Attributes… I trust in these and in the merit of the three Avos. Although we have spent the entire Yom Kippur fasting, davening, and doing teshuva, we still fear that we have fallen short. In the final moments of Yom Kippur, we utilize our most powerful tool – the ThirteenMiddos HaRachamim, the Attributes of Mercy. We invoke them repeatedly, and only then do we feel assured that we will merit a good judgment. The source for this confidence is gemaraa in Rosh Hashana (17b): אמר רבי יוחנן: אלמלא מקרא כתוב אי אפשר לאומרו. מלמד שנתעטף הקדוש ברוך הוא כשליח צבור, והראה לו למשה סדר תפלה. אמר לו: כל זמן שישראל חוטאין, יעשו לפני כסדר הזה, ואני מוחל להם. Rabbi Yochanan said: Were this verse not written, it would be impossible to say it. This teaches that HaKadosh Baruch Hu wrapped Himself in a tallis like a shaliach tzibbur and demonstrated to Moshe the order of prayer. He said to him: Any time that Israel sin, let them perform before me this procedure and I shall forgive them. Thegemara continues: אמר רב יהודה: ברית כרותה לשלש עשרה מדות שאינן חוזרות ריקם, שנאמר הנה אנכי כרת ברית. Rav Yehuda said: A covenant has been made regarding the Thirteen Attributes that they are always accepted, as the pasuk says, “Behold I seal a covenant.” We mention this covenant in the introductory paragraph recited before the Thirteen Middos: א-ל הורית לנו לומר שלש עשרה וזכור לנו היום ברית שלש עשרה. God, You taught us to recite the Thirteen Middos; remember for us today the covenant of these thirteen. Rabbi Dovid Revah has served as the Rav and Mara D’Asra of Adas Torah since 2005. 11 ניצחון • NITZACHON ראש וראשון Of course, we know that there are no shortcuts in life. Forgiveness requires more than simply saying a few words! What, then, do Chazal mean when they state that reciting the Thirteen Middos guarantees that Hashem will accept our tefillos? If, despite our teshuva and davening, we failed to avert a harsh judgment, why should mentioning Hashem’s Attributes of Mercy change it? To gain a proper understanding, it is necessary to examine when and why Hashem taught us the ThirteenMiddos . It was at one of the darkest times in our history. Klal Yisrael were still at the foot of Har Sinai when they worshipped the egel hazahav, and Hashem told Moshe that He intended to destroy them. At that time of crisis, Moshe displayed unparalleled leadership