SUKKOS: THE TIME OF OUR JOY

All the festivals in the Jewish calendar are joyous occasions. However, only one is actually described as ‘the time of our joy’ - Sukkos. Why is Sukkos associated with happiness more than any other time of year? To answer this question we must first understand why we celebrate Sukkos at all. In fact this is not as straightforward as it seems, because Sukkos is unlike Pesach and Shavuot in one significant way. On both of these two festivals major events occurred; on Pesach the Jews left Egypt and on Shavuot the Torah was given, whereas there was no single event that happened at the time of year that we celebrate Sukkos. Rather Sukkos is a remembrance of how the Jews lived in huts throughout the forty years that they were in the desert which is why we build sukkos and dwell in them for the duration of the festival. This begs the question - why is this cause for such major festivity?! Moreover, the focus of a festival is normally on Hashem’s greatness such as His power and His kindness - this is not immediately apparent in the fact that the Jewish people dwelled in huts in the desert.

To solve these problems we must first try to imagine what living in a desert must be like. The desert is an extremely inhospitable place - it is unbearably hot in the daytime and freezing in the night. There are often very strong winds which cause devastating sandstorms, and there are dangerous animals such as snakes and scorpions. With this in mind it is hard to understand how simple wooden huts could offer the Jews even the scantest protection from this hostile environment. Indeed this is the key to a genuine understanding of what Sukkot commemorates. The huts did indeed offer almost no protection of the Jews in the desert - so why were they not swiftly obliterated by the perils of the desert? The answer is that Hashem protected them - their physical shelter was a mere façade, ultimately it was very clear to them that their survival in the desert was beyond the laws of nature. We too build huts for the week of Sukkos - The halacho requires that they must be made in a temporary manner with a weak roof which does not fully shelter from the sun and rain. This is to remind us of the fact that all the security that we enjoy throughout the year in our strong homes with sturdy roofs is also really a façade. It is only Hashem that can offer true protection.

It is this awareness that we are constantly being looked after that is the cause of the joy of Sukkos. But why is this joy considered more significant to that of the other holidays to the extent that only Sukkos is called ‘the time of our joy’? It seems that there are two basic types of joy. There is the joy of a one-off event and there is the joy of a more constant kind Pesach and Shavuot represent major events that were cause of great happiness. However, the impact of such events, no matter how momentous, inevitably wears out. Whereas Sukkos represents a happiness of an ongoing kind - there was no particular event that symbolised Sukkos, rather it is a remembrance of how Hashem provided the Jews with long-lasting, consistent protection - this teaches us that He is also constantly doing the same for us. The happiness that comes from Hashem’s constant overseeing is not dependent upon any external events, rather it simply requires an internal recognition that whatever happens is under Hashem’s benevolent supervision.

A key to attaining such an awareness is realizing that whatever a person has is exactly what he needs. This is expressed in the Avos: “Who is rich? He who is happy with his portion.” Each person is allotted a ‘portion’ in life - this entails exactly what is best for him in his situation in life. And this portion is perfectly measured to enable him to achieve his fullest potential. With this recognition one is saved from the feeling that life would be so much better if he had more money, a bigger house, or a nicer car. The very fact that we do not have more, shows that Hashem has deemed that it is better for us that way. We often think that if only we were millionaires then everything in life would be rosy.

Sukkos teaches us that Hashem is constantly overseeing us and providing us with exactly what we need to live a successful life. If we can internalize this idea then we can be begin to understand how wonderful true happiness is.
　
　
　
　
　
　
SUKKOS: THE TIME OF OUR JOY By Yehonasan Gefen
All the festivals in the Jewish calendar are joyous occasions. However, only one is actually described as ‘the time of our joy’ - Sukkos. Why is Sukkos associated with happiness more than any other time of year? To answer this question we must first understand why we celebrate Sukkos at all. In fact this is not as straightforward as it seems, because Sukkos is unlike Pesach and Shavuot in one significant way. On both of these two festivals major events occurred; on Pesach the Jews left Egypt and on Shavuot the Torah was given, whereas there was no single event that happened at the time of year that we celebrate Sukkos. Rather Sukkos is a remembrance of how the Jews lived in huts throughout the forty years that they were in the desert which is why we build sukkos and dwell in them for the duration of the festival. This begs the question - why is this cause for such major festivity?! Moreover, the focus of a festival is normally on Hashem’s greatness such as His power and His kindness - this is not immediately apparent in the fact that the Jewish people dwelled in huts in the desert.
To solve these problems we must first try to imagine what living in a desert must be like. The desert is an extremely inhospitable place - it is unbearably hot in the daytime and freezing in the night. There are often very strong winds which cause devastating sandstorms, and there are dangerous animals such as snakes and scorpions. With this in mind it is hard to understand how simple wooden huts could offer the Jews even the scantest protection from this hostile environment. Indeed this is the key to a genuine understanding of what Sukkot commemorates. The huts did indeed offer almost no protection of the Jews in the desert - so why were they not swiftly obliterated by the perils of the desert? The answer is that Hashem protected them - their physical shelter was a mere façade, ultimately it was very clear to them that their survival in the desert was beyond the laws of nature. We too build huts for the week of Sukkos - The halacho requires that they must be made in a temporary manner with a weak roof which does not fully shelter from the sun and rain. This is to remind us of the fact that all the security that we enjoy throughout the year in our strong homes with sturdy roofs is also really a façade. It is only Hashem that can offer true protection.
It is this awareness that we are constantly being looked after that is the cause of the joy of Sukkos. But why is this joy considered more significant to that of the other holidays to the extent that only Sukkos is called ‘the time of our joy’? It seems that there are two basic types of joy. There is the joy of a one-off event and there is the joy of a more constant kind Pesach and Shavuot represent major events that were cause of great happiness. However, the impact of such events, no matter how momentous, inevitably wears out. Whereas Sukkos represents a happiness of an ongoing kind - there was no particular event that symbolised Sukkos, rather it is a remembrance of how Hashem provided the Jews with long-lasting, consistent protection - this teaches us that He is also constantly doing the same for us. The happiness that comes from Hashem’s constant overseeing is not dependent upon any external events, rather it simply requires an internal recognition that whatever happens is under Hashem’s benevolent supervision.
A key to attaining such an awareness is realizing that whatever a person has is exactly what he needs. This is expressed in the Avos: “Who is rich? He who is happy with his portion.” Each person is allotted a ‘portion’ in life - this entails exactly what is best for him in his situation in life. And this portion is perfectly measured to enable him to achieve his fullest potential. With this recognition one is saved from the feeling that life would be so much better if he had more money, a bigger house, or a nicer car. The very fact that we do not have more, shows that Hashem has deemed that it is better for us that way. We often think that if only we were millionaires then everything in life would be rosy.
Sukkos teaches us that Hashem is constantly overseeing us and providing us with exactly what we need to live a successful life. If we can internalize this idea then we can be begin to understand how wonderful true happiness is.
　
　
　
　
　
　

SUKKOS: THE TIME OF OUR JOY

All the festivals in the Jewish calendar are joyous occasions. However, only one is actually described as ‘the time of our joy’ - Sukkos. Why is Sukkos associated with happiness more than any other time of year? To answer this question we must first understand why we celebrate Sukkos at all. In fact this is not as straightforward as it seems, because Sukkos is unlike Pesach and Shavuot in one significant way. On both of these two festivals major events occurred; on Pesach the Jews left Egypt and on Shavuot the Torah was given, whereas there was no single event that happened at the time of year that we celebrate Sukkos. Rather Sukkos is a remembrance of how the Jews lived in huts throughout the forty years that they were in the desert which is why we build sukkos and dwell in them for the duration of the festival. This begs the question - why is this cause for such major festivity?! Moreover, the focus of a festival is normally on Hashem’s greatness such as His power and His kindness - this is not immediately apparent in the fact that the Jewish people dwelled in huts in the desert.

To solve these problems we must first try to imagine what living in a desert must be like. The desert is an extremely inhospitable place - it is unbearably hot in the daytime and freezing in the night. There are often very strong winds which cause devastating sandstorms, and there are dangerous animals such as snakes and scorpions. With this in mind it is hard to understand how simple wooden huts could offer the Jews even the scantest protection from this hostile environment. Indeed this is the key to a genuine understanding of what Sukkot commemorates. The huts did indeed offer almost no protection of the Jews in the desert - so why were they not swiftly obliterated by the perils of the desert? The answer is that Hashem protected them - their physical shelter was a mere façade, ultimately it was very clear to them that their survival in the desert was beyond the laws of nature. We too build huts for the week of Sukkos - The halacho requires that they must be made in a temporary manner with a weak roof which does not fully shelter from the sun and rain. This is to remind us of the fact that all the security that we enjoy throughout the year in our strong homes with sturdy roofs is also really a façade. It is only Hashem that can offer true protection.

It is this awareness that we are constantly being looked after that is the cause of the joy of Sukkos. But why is this joy considered more significant to that of the other holidays to the extent that only Sukkos is called ‘the time of our joy’? It seems that there are two basic types of joy. There is the joy of a one-off event and there is the joy of a more constant kind Pesach and Shavuot represent major events that were cause of great happiness. However, the impact of such events, no matter how momentous, inevitably wears out. Whereas Sukkos represents a happiness of an ongoing kind - there was no particular event that symbolised Sukkos, rather it is a remembrance of how Hashem provided the Jews with long-lasting, consistent protection - this teaches us that He is also constantly doing the same for us. The happiness that comes from Hashem’s constant overseeing is not dependent upon any external events, rather it simply requires an internal recognition that whatever happens is under Hashem’s benevolent supervision.

A key to attaining such an awareness is realizing that whatever a person has is exactly what he needs. This is expressed in the Avos: “Who is rich? He who is happy with his portion.” Each person is allotted a ‘portion’ in life - this entails exactly what is best for him in his situation in life. And this portion is perfectly measured to enable him to achieve his fullest potential. With this recognition one is saved from the feeling that life would be so much better if he had more money, a bigger house, or a nicer car. The very fact that we do not have more, shows that Hashem has deemed that it is better for us that way. We often think that if only we were millionaires then everything in life would be rosy.

Sukkos teaches us that Hashem is constantly overseeing us and providing us with exactly what we need to live a successful life. If we can internalize this idea then we can be begin to understand how wonderful true happiness is.
　
　
　
　
　
　
SUKKOS: THE TIME OF OUR JOY By Yehonasan Gefen
All the festivals in the Jewish calendar are joyous occasions. However, only one is actually described as ‘the time of our joy’ - Sukkos. Why is Sukkos associated with happiness more than any other time of year? To answer this question we must first understand why we celebrate Sukkos at all. In fact this is not as straightforward as it seems, because Sukkos is unlike Pesach and Shavuot in one significant way. On both of these two festivals major events occurred; on Pesach the Jews left Egypt and on Shavuot the Torah was given, whereas there was no single event that happened at the time of year that we celebrate Sukkos. Rather Sukkos is a remembrance of how the Jews lived in huts throughout the forty years that they were in the desert which is why we build sukkos and dwell in them for the duration of the festival. This begs the question - why is this cause for such major festivity?! Moreover, the focus of a festival is normally on Hashem’s greatness such as His power and His kindness - this is not immediately apparent in the fact that the Jewish people dwelled in huts in the desert.
To solve these problems we must first try to imagine what living in a desert must be like. The desert is an extremely inhospitable place - it is unbearably hot in the daytime and freezing in the night. There are often very strong winds which cause devastating sandstorms, and there are dangerous animals such as snakes and scorpions. With this in mind it is hard to understand how simple wooden huts could offer the Jews even the scantest protection from this hostile environment. Indeed this is the key to a genuine understanding of what Sukkot commemorates. The huts did indeed offer almost no protection of the Jews in the desert - so why were they not swiftly obliterated by the perils of the desert? The answer is that Hashem protected them - their physical shelter was a mere façade, ultimately it was very clear to them that their survival in the desert was beyond the laws of nature. We too build huts for the week of Sukkos - The halacho requires that they must be made in a temporary manner with a weak roof which does not fully shelter from the sun and rain. This is to remind us of the fact that all the security that we enjoy throughout the year in our strong homes with sturdy roofs is also really a façade. It is only Hashem that can offer true protection.
It is this awareness that we are constantly being looked after that is the cause of the joy of Sukkos. But why is this joy considered more significant to that of the other holidays to the extent that only Sukkos is called ‘the time of our joy’? It seems that there are two basic types of joy. There is the joy of a one-off event and there is the joy of a more constant kind Pesach and Shavuot represent major events that were cause of great happiness. However, the impact of such events, no matter how momentous, inevitably wears out. Whereas Sukkos represents a happiness of an ongoing kind - there was no particular event that symbolised Sukkos, rather it is a remembrance of how Hashem provided the Jews with long-lasting, consistent protection - this teaches us that He is also constantly doing the same for us. The happiness that comes from Hashem’s constant overseeing is not dependent upon any external events, rather it simply requires an internal recognition that whatever happens is under Hashem’s benevolent supervision.
A key to attaining such an awareness is realizing that whatever a person has is exactly what he needs. This is expressed in the Avos: “Who is rich? He who is happy with his portion.” Each person is allotted a ‘portion’ in life - this entails exactly what is best for him in his situation in life. And this portion is perfectly measured to enable him to achieve his fullest potential. With this recognition one is saved from the feeling that life would be so much better if he had more money, a bigger house, or a nicer car. The very fact that we do not have more, shows that Hashem has deemed that it is better for us that way. We often think that if only we were millionaires then everything in life would be rosy.
Sukkos teaches us that Hashem is constantly overseeing us and providing us with exactly what we need to live a successful life. If we can internalize this idea then we can be begin to understand how wonderful true happiness is.
　
　
　
　
　
　

YOM KIPPUR - BEING HONEST WITH OURSELVES

One of the most well-known aspects of Yom Kippur is the moving service 'Kol Nidrei', with which we begin the Holy day. The commentaries point out that, in truth, 'Kol Nidrei' is not a prayer at all, rather it is an annulment of vows. This annulment could have been enacted at any point in time. What is the reason that we annul our vows davke at the beginning of Yom Kippur?
It seems that Chazal are alluding to us a very significant lesson. Yom Kippur is the day when one is supposed to undergo an intense process of self-analysis. He admits his mistakes, and undertakes to rectify them in the future. In order to do this effectively, a person must strive to be brutally honest with himself, and avoid the standard self-deceit that often cause people to stray from what they know to be the truth. In Kol Nidrei, a person stresses his concern with avoiding dishonesty through careless vows. In doing so, he implicitly acknowledges the importance of honesty and the detrimental nature of self-deceit. Accordingly, it is very appropriate to begin the day of teshuva by reminding oneself of the importance of being honest with Hashem and with oneself.
There are numerous sources in Chazal that demonstrate that being dishonest with oneself is the cause of aveiros and terrible life decisions. A striking example of this phenomena is that of Lot. He made a decision to leave Avraham Avinu to live in the evil city of Sodom. Why did he decide to go there? The Torah states that it was based on financial factors - he saw that the land of Sodom was a fitting place for his crops. However, Rashi brings Chazal who say that the real reason why he went was because Sodom was an immoral place, and he wanted to satisfy his desire for znus (immorality) there. The question arises that if Chazal say that his real reason was znus, then why did the Torah say that he came for financial reasons?! The answer is that, on the surface, Lot went for the sake of his livelihood, however, the deeper, and decisive reason was znus. The Torah gives us the external reason, therefore it is revealed in the Torah. Chazal reveal the hidden reason, which is accordingly hidden in Torah shebaal peh (the oral Torah). My Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Berkovits shlita points out that even Lot himself believed that he was going to Sodom for the money. He even tricked himself as to the ultimate cause in this disastrous move. This is a prime example of how the yetser hara can deceive a person as to his motivations, thereby causing him to sin.
Another example of this is that of Shaul HaMelech. Shmuel Hanavi informs Shaul that Hashem wants him to wipe out the whole nation of Amalek. After defeating them in battle, Shaul inexplicably leaves the Amaleki King Agag and some animals alive. This seems to be an obvious deviation from the word of Hashem, and yet when Shaul meets Shmuel he proudly tells him that he has fulfilled the word of Hashem. He did not even realize that he had clearly transgressed the word of Hashem and committed a terrible sin. He tricked himself into believing that he had in fact done what Hashem asked of him.
These incidents demonstrate the power of the yetser hara to cause us to lie to ourselves. Indeed, it seems that all the major sins recorded in the Torah came about as a result of people deceiving themselves as to the true reason for their motivations. This is the case with regard the very first sin, that of Adam HaRishon. The sefarim write that he reasoned that he would attain a higher level of free will by eating from the fruit. However, deep down, his motivation was to gain some independence from Hashem.
Self-deceit can cause us to think that we don't need to do teshuva in certain areas. There was a man who lived in the time of the Rambam. He told the Rambam that he was certain that he never committed these sins, and therefore saying the vidui constituted a lie. The Rambam answered him that there are many levels of transgression of each sin and that on a certain level he in fact committed all the sins in the vidui. Moreover, the Rambam told him that his very claim that he had not transgressed anything in the vidui was a sin in and of itself. It seems ironic that this man had worried that he was lying by saying the vidui, whereas, in truth he was deceiving himself by believing that he did not need to say it!
It is quite conceivable that a person live his life oblivious of his shortcomings. He may blame all his problems on other people or circumstances, anything but his own flaws. The experience of Yom Kippur forces him to face the truth. May we all merit to genuinely return to Hashem.
　
　
　

OUR APPROACH TO LEARNING TORAH - HAAZINU

“When I call out the Name of Hashem, ascribe greatness to our G-d.”
Chazal learn out from this passuk the obligation of Birchas HaTorah. The Gemara in Nedarim makes a startling point about the severity of being lax in this mitzvo: It tells us that after the destruction of the first Beis HaMikdosh and the galus that followed, the Chachamim and Neviim did not know what was the cause of such a terrible punishment, until Hashem himself told them that it was because “they left My Torah.” Rav explains that this does not mean that they were not learning Torah, rather that they did not make Birchas HaTorah before they would start learning. The commentaries find a number of difficulties with this Gemara. How can the Gemara attribute such severe punishments to the relatively minor sin of not saying Birchas HaTorah? Moreover, this Gemara seems to contradict the Gemara in Yoma, which states that the first Beis HaMikdosh was destroyed because of murder, idol worship, and immorality.

The Maharal answers these problems in his explanation of this Gemara. He writes that it is impossible to understand the Gemara literally that they were not saying Birchas HaTorah, rather the Gemara means that they did not say the bracha with the proper intentions. He explains that when a person says Birchas HaTorah, he should focus on his great love and gratitude towards Hashem for giving him the tremendous gift of the Torah. The chachamim of the generation did say the bracha and moreover, did not merely say it out of rote, however they did not focus sufficiently on their love of Hashem when saying the bracha. He continues to explain how this subtle failing was the root cause of the terrible sins that led to the destruction of the Beis HaMikdosh. If a person focuses sufficiently on Hashem in the process of his learning then he merits to have tremendous siyata dishmaya that makes it much easier for him to avoid sin and even if he does falter, it enables him to do teshuva without great difficulty. Rav Hutner zt”l writes that this is what Chazal mean when they say that ‘the light of Torah returns a person to good’. However, if he does not connect to Hashem through his learning then he loses that special siyata dishmaya and if he falters he is far more likely to become trapped in a downward spiral of sin.

Based on this explanation we can resolve the contradiction between the Gemaras in Nedarim and Yoma. The Beis HaMikdosh was destroyed because of the terrible sins enumerated in Yoma .However the failure to say Birchas HaTorah with the proper attitude was the root cause that enabled the deterioration of the Jewish people to the point where they were sinning so greatly. Because they did not connect to Hashem properly they lost siyata dishmaya and consequently fell prey to the powerful temptations of the yetser hara. The Maharal offers a fascinating and somewhat surprising explanation of the reasons why a person may fail to show the proper love of Hashem in his Birchas HaTorah. He argues that it is impossible to love two entities at the same time, and consequently focusing on love of one thing will reduce the focus of the love for something else. Based on this, he writes that there are two possible ‘loves’ that one can express when saying Birchas HaTorah, love of Hashem or love of the Torah, and that it is not possible to feel love for both at the same time! When a person says this bracha he is more likely to express his love for the Torah more than his love for Hashem! He warns that, “one must be very careful that he make the blessing on the Torah with all his heart and soul.”

This explanation of the Maharal may seem to contradict the approach of Rav Chaim Volovzhin zt”l in Nefesh HaChaim. He emphasized that when one learns Torah they should not be thinking lofty thoughts about Hashem, rather they should delve as deeply as possible into the Torah that they are learning. He argued that this approach is the optimal way through which a person can become close to G-d. The Maharal’s distinction between love of Hashem and love of Torah seems to clash with the Nefesh HaChaim’s emphasis on Torah as opposed to thoughts of Hashem. However, on deeper analysis it seems that there is no disagreement; the Maharal did not say that a person should focus on his love of G-d during his learning. Rather before he begins to learn and says Birchas HaTorah, then he should be careful not to lose focus of G-d. The Nefesh HaChaim himself makes a very similar point with regard to one’s attitude before learning. He writes, “whenever one prepared himself to learn, it is proper for him to spend, at least, a small amount of time, contemplating a pure fear of G-d with a pure heart.” He even argues that at times one should take a small break during his learning in order to rekindle his yiras Hashem.

Thus, it seems that there is agreement amongst these two Gedolim that before a person learns, he must be very careful not to lose sight of whose Torah he is learning. Whist with regard to the actual time of learning, there is no reason to say that the Maharal will not agree with the Nefesh HaChaim’s approach that one should not be thinking lofty thoughts about Hashem. Perhaps, this lesson, that one should not lose focus of Hashem as he begins to learn, is also alluded to in the course of the Chagim that we are presently in. Soon after spending the month of Elul, Rosh HaShana, and Yom Kippur, on intense self-growth, aimed largely at reconnecting to Hashem, we complete the cycle of the Torah and celebrate the beauty and wonder of Torah on Simchas HaTorah. The preparation leading up to Simchas HaTorah can help us adapt the correct focus in our learning - to increase our love and fear of Hashem.
　

YOM KIPPUR - FULFILLING OUR POTENTIAL

As we approach Yom Kippur we recognise that there is a great necessity to contemplate our shemiras hamitzvos - where we have erred and where we need to do teshuva. However there is another vital aspect of Avodas Hashem that we are less aware of, that we also need to analyse: In the tefillas for the Yamim Noraim we state that man is judged, ‘maaseh ish u’pekudaso’. ‘Maaseh ish’ refers to one’s shemiras hamitzvos but what does ‘pekudaso’ mean? Rav Shraga Feivel Mendlovitz zt”l explains that ‘pekudaso’ refers to man’s tafkid, his purpose in this world. Every individual is placed in this world with a specific job to accomplish and he is judged according to whether he devoted enough effort into reaching this goal. Even if a person has kept all the mitzvos, he may still be taken to task if he did not fulfil his potential. It seems that this Avoda is even more difficult than that of shemiras hamitzvos as is seen by the following examples.

When Avraham Avinu was about to slaughter his son at the Akeida, the Malach called to him, “Avraham,Avraham” Why did the Malach say his name twice? Rav Yissochor Frand Shlita brings a Yalkut which explains that there are two images of each person - his worldly image and his heavenly image; his worldly image is what he makes of himself in this world, and his heavenly image represents what he could become if he fulfil his potential. Avraham, after he passed the last of his ten tests, finally reached his complete potential and consequently his two images became identical. The Malach mentioned the two ‘Avrahams’ together, the Avraham of olam hazeh and the ideal Avraham of olam haba, indicating that the two of them were now the same. It is astounding to contemplate that had Avraham Avinu not passed this test he would not have reached his full potential. His achievements up to that point were unparalleled in human history; he came to a recognition of Hashem amidst a society of idol-worshippers, he made known the name of Hashem to the world, he excelled in chesed, and he passed nine, extremely difficult tests. And yet, had he not passed this final test he would never have reached shleimus! This can give us an inkling of how much is expected of a person.

One may still nevertheless feel that his own potential is very limited and that he is actually living up to that limited level. It may be instructive to discuss the lives and achievements of people who prove that we can achieve far more than we imagine. When the Netziv completed his commentary on the Sheiltos, ‘Emek Sheila’ he made a seuda, partly because that is the custom when one completes a sefer but he had another, more personal reason. He related that when he was a boy he was not particularly serious about his Torah studies. His parents made every effort to help him change his attitude but to no avail. One day he overheard his parents discussing his lack of success in Torah learning - they decided that he had no prospect of becoming a Talmid Chacham and therefore he should learn to become a cobbler. They hoped that at least he would be a yirei shamayim who would go about his work with honesty and dedication. When he heard this, it shocked him greatly and he decided to take his Torah studies seriously - this event had such an impact on him that it led to a complete change in his attitude and he became a Gadol, he was Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin and wrote a number of classic sefarim. Imagine if he had never had this change of attitude and he would have become a simple cobbler who observed Torah and Mitzvos with genuine yiras shamayim. He would have gone up to shamayim confident that he had led a Torah true lifestyle, keeping the mitzvos, and being kovaya ittim l‘Torah. Instead they would have shown him the Emek Sheila, he would look at it and have no understanding of its content. They would ask him, where’s your Emek Sheila, where are all the sefarim that you could have written? He would have lived his life with no idea of what he could have become. It was only through a dramatic change in his attitude that he was able to reach his true potential - to be a Gadol b’Yisroel.

One may respond to this story by arguing that not everyone can become such a great Talmid chacham, however, Jewish history shows that one need not necessarily be a Gadol to achieve great things for Klal Yisroel. Reb Dovid Dryan zt”l was a pious shochet known for his shemiras haloshon, but there was one thing that makes him stand out - he was directly responsible for the founding and running of the Gateshead Yeshiva and played a significant role in the formation of the Gateshead Kollel and Seminary. Because of his dedication Gateshead is known as the greatest Torah centre in Europe through which thousands of boys and girls have received a high-level Torah education. Moreover, the Gateshead kollel has been the source of many of England’s leading talmidei chachamim. How did Reb Dovid Dryan achieve this? When he came to live in Gateshead he found that there was no Yeshiva there - he said to himself, ‘how can I live in a place with no yeshiva!?’ This may be a question that many of us would ask ourselves in a similar situation. But the difference is that Reb Dovid did not just ask the question - he took action; he devoted much time and effort to achieve a seemingly impossible task in the face of considerable opposition. Rav Shneur Kotler zt’l, when he told over this story, taught a similar message to that which the Netsiv had said many years earlier. Imagine if Reb Dovid Dryan had not achieved what he did - he would have gone up to shamayim expecting much reward for his yiras shamayim in shechita and dikduk in shemiras haloshon. Instead he would have been shown the Gateshead Yeshiva that was never formed, and the products of the Gateshead kollel who would never reach the heights that they could have had there been such a kollel. He would have been asked; ‘where is the yeshiva, where is the kollel?’ If a normal man could achieve such greatness through sheer dedication, then how can we know that we do not have the potential to attain similar accomplishments?

There are other allusions to this concept in the Yom Kippur davenning. At Mincha we read Maftir Yonah - what is the significance of the story of Yonah for Yom Kippur? Of course it teaches us about teshuva but the Mishna Berurah brings another connection. Yonah shows us that “one cannot escape from Hashem.” He elaborates in the Shaar Hatzion; sometimes a person gives up in life, feeling that he cannot achieve what he is meant to, “however, this is a mistake, for eventually, everything that Hashem wants this soul to fix, he must fix, and return many times to Olam Hazeh [in order to do so]… if that is the case, why should he go through the pain of death and ‘Chibut hakever’ and other difficulties and return yet again?” We learn a vital lesson from Yonah. He tried to escape G-d’s plan but could not: We too are all assigned a task to fulfil, but we have a tendency to try to avoid it; Why? It may be because it seems too difficult, or because we don’t feel we can achieve it or we do not want to take the responsibility. But whatever the reason is, we learn from Yonah that we must not escape our tachlis.

After Mincha we enter into the Neila prayers - the climax of Yom Kippur, the day of teshuva. But strangely, we do not say the vidui in the Neila Shemoneh Esrei; where do we express our feelings of teshuva in Neila? The Chiddushei HaRim zt”l answers that our teshuva is found in the words, “so that we can withdraw our hands from stealing.” Why do we davke mention the sin of stealing ahead of all others in Neila? He explains that this does not just refer to regular stealing, but to the fact that Hashem gives us so many gifts, money, food, housing, talents, opportunities, all in order to help us fulfil our role in life. But what do we do? We misuse those gifts for different goals - that is considered stealing, using gifts that are given for a certain purpose and using them for something else. As we approach the final moments of Yom Kippur we have, hopefully, already cleansed ourselves of our aveiros, but now, at the climax of the holiest day of the year, we also repent for failing to use our G-d given talents for the right reasons, and we express our intentions that, this year, we will do our utmost to use them to fulfil our potential. But we must really mean it: Everyone, at some point in their life is given an opportunity to do something significant for Klal Yisroel. Often, we refuse the opportunity, finding many excuses to avoid it. What is frightening about this is that a person may go through life having missed his golden chance to fulfil his potential and he will never realise it - he won’t necessarily feel that his life was missing anything. However, when he goes up to shamayim he may be faced with the same question that Avraham Avinu, the Netsiv and Reb Dovid Dryan could answer - where is the heavenly you, where is your true potential?

This idea is indeed something that should be a cause of concern for people - a person should often ask himself, ‘am I fulfilling my potential? Am I achieving what Hashem wants me to? How could I do more?’ However, this should also be an exciting idea - each of us has the ability to achieve true greatness, each one in his own specific way. How much can one person achieve? On a visit to Aish Hatorah, Rav Shach zt”l was astounded to see so many baalei teshuva - people who came from nothing but whom, through the efforts of a few dedicated and idealistic people, had returned to Torah. This was at a time when the baal teshuva movement had barely begun and it was not believed possible that it could ever take off. In his astonishment at what beheld his eyes he stood up and spoke: He quoted the passuk that we read in the haftara of Shabbos Shuva: “Return, Israel, to Hashem, your G-d, because you have stumbled in your iniquity.” He asked, that the passuk implies that the fact that we have sinned so badly is a reason why we should be able to return to Hashem - why is this so? He answered by bringing the concept that however much evil can do, good can achieve at least as much. Therefore, if a person can turn away from Hashem so much, then surely he can return to Him to an even greater extent. Similarly, if history has shown us that one man can destroy six million lives, then surely one man can save six million lives! With siata dishmaya, we cannot imagine what we can achieve, but it is surely beyond our wildest imaginations - but if we only try to make the effort and take the opportunities that come our way or even better, create our own opportunities, the we can begin to transform our imagination into reality.

We should all be zocheh to fulfill our true potential.

ROSH HASHANA - THE DAY OF OPPORTUNITY

As we approach Rosh Hashana, it is important to understand why Rosh Hashana is such an important time. Furthermore, on a more practical level, it is essential that we are aware of our avoda during this time period. It is a great shame to experience Rosh Hashana without becoming a changed person.

Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler zt"l provides us with some vital insights into Rosh Hashana. He begins by explaining that there are two different ways in which a person can change his spiritual standing. He describes them as bechira klalis and bechira pratis. Bechira pratis describes minor life changes, whereas bechira klalis refers to major shifts in one's level. Bechira pratis is the more common of the two. People generally change in small stages, gradually improving or deteriorating. However, there are times in a person's life when he faces a major decision and the results of that decision will have dramatic effects on the rest of his life. For example, a person beginning his studies of Yiddishkeit may face a decision as to whether he should continue his studies or look for a job without having strong foundations in his Judaism. This is a single decision, however, it will have great ramifications for his future spiritual standing. In a similar vein, there are certain time periods which are mesugal for bechira klalis - Rosh Hashana is one of these times.

Rav Dessler brings the Gemara that states that the g'zar din for a person's year is made on Rosh Hashana and that it is almost impossible for an individual to undo the judgment he received on Rosh Hashana. He asks why this is the case - if a person improves his actions later in the year, why is it so difficult for him to alter what was decreed on Rosh Hashana? He explains that there is a special power on Rosh Hashana. He writes: "The whole matter of the judgment of Rosh Hashana is that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created a unique time period in which a person is aroused to a form of teshuva more powerful than on the rest of the year. And since the arousing power of Rosh Hashana is so great, so too the change that a person can make in himself is very great." Accordingly, if a person reaches a high level on Rosh Hashana then he effects a deep and permanent change in himself. Even if he declines later in the year, his basic standing does not change. His change of level later in the year only represents a superficial deterioration, rather than a fundamental shift on his level. In this way, Rosh Hashana is a time of tremendous opportunity to make long-lasting changes.

The Shem Mishmuel gives us a further insight into the power of Rosh Hashana. He writes that the events of the first Rosh Hashana have an eternal effect on that day through all of history. On the first Rosh Hashana, man was given a whole new level of existence through the soul that he was given. The soul is the driving force behind man's desire to constantly grow in stature and closeness to Hashem. Accordingly, on this day, there is an extra power for man to make a conscious decision to make huge leaps forward in his spiritual standing.

With this understanding, he explains the gemara that tells us that Yosef HaTzaddik was released from the Egyptian prison on Rosh Hashana. The name of a person represents his essence. In that vein, Yosef's essence, based on his name, is to have a constant desire to grow in spirituality. Rachel Imanu gave him this name to represent her desire for more children, asking that Hashem should give her more children. This reaction seems somewhat difficult to understand - it appears analogous to when a parent gives a child a gift, the child asks for another one instead of thanking the parent! However, in truth, it seems that Rachel’s desire for more children was not merely a desire for more in the realm of gashmius (physicality), rather it was a result of her great sheifa (aspiration) to strive in ruchnius (spirituality). For Rachel, having children meant playing a key role in the building of Klal Yisroel. Her request to have more children was a reflection of her own desire to merit to play a greater role in building Klal Yisroel. Thus it was not comparable to a child asking for another gift, rather it was more akin to one who has just completed a piece of learning asking Hashem to help him complete another one. That is not a sign of ingratitude, rather it is an expression of the person’s desire to grow more in ruchnius. In this way, the name Yosef represented the desire to constantly increase one's spirituality. The Shem Mishmuel writes that the essence of Yosef is identical to that of Rosh Hashana, in that both epitomize a burning ratson (will) to constantly strive in ruchnius. Therefore it was fitting that the pivotal event in enabling Yosef to achieve greatness, Yosef's release from prison, occurred on the day that is mesugal for greatness, Rosh Hashana.

These sources teach us the immense opportunity that is present on Rosh Hashana. The level that we attain on Rosh Hashana will have a tremendous effect on how the year to come will pan out. Accordingly, it is essential that a person strive to attain a high level on the days of Rosh Hashana. This concept is discussed in halacha. The Mishna Berurah writes that one should be particularly careful not to express any anger on these years. He explains that expressing positive character traits are a simun for a good year. Of course, it is not sufficient to merely act like a tzaddik on Rosh Hashana and return to one's old self the next day. Rather, a person must strive to make a permanent change in his outlook and attitudes on Rosh Hashana. Doing this will provide the foundation for a genuine improvement in one's Mitzvo observance. In this vein, the sefarim write that one is not merely judged on the number of mitzvos and aveiros that he has committed. His life aspirations and attitudes also come under scrutiny.

This perhaps helps understand why there is so much emphasis on tefilla on Rosh Hashana. For much of the day we sit in shul repeating the concept that Hashem is our King. Doing this is intended to help us internalize the recognition that closeness to Hashem is the only true source of meaning. The yetser hara can make a person have a somewhat negative attitude to the long prayers of Rosh Hashana. It can make him think more about going home, having lunch and sleeping, than making Hashem King. It is essential to recognize this nisayon and try to internalize the purpose and opportunity of the day.

We have seen that Rosh Hashana is a time of unparalleled opportunity. The Shem MiShmuel points out that from the time that Yosef's release from prison on Rosh Hashana infused an extra power into that day of freeing oneself from his own personal prison - that is, whatever prevents him from being free to achieve his potential. May we all merit to achieve a great and long-lasting aliya on Rosh Hashana.
　

THE GUIDING LIGHT - NEW BOOK

Hi,
I hope you are well.
With great gratitude to Hashem, I am happy to announce the imminent publication of my first book:
THE GUIDING LIGHT – a collection of my Divrei Torah on the weekly parsha.
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The front and back covers are attached.
Now you can have my sheets in a neat, organized book, and not worry about putting the sheets in geniza!
The price of the book is; $16, 60 NIS, or 10 pounds.
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I can mail it to USA or UK or anywhere else. (I am located in Israel).
Feel free to pass on this message by email or any other means, to anyone who may be interested in buying this book.
Regards
Yehonasan

Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen
Executive Learning Coordinator

The Jerusalem Kollel
POB 36002
Jerusalem
Israel
Gefen123@smile.net.il

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR OURSELVES - NITZAVIM

“This mitzvo that I command you today - it is not hidden from you and it is not distant. It is not in heaven, [for you] to say, ‘who can ascend to the heaven for us and take it for us, so that we can listen to it and perform it?’” What is the mitzvo that the Torah refers to in this passuk? The Ramban writes that it is the mitzvo of teshuva; the Torah is telling us that teshuva is not something that is out of our grasp, rather it is easily attainable if only we make the effort. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l asks, if the mitzvo of teshuva is so easy to fulfil, then why are there so few people who do teshuva properly, everyone knows that they make mistakes so why do they not admit their error and repent?!

The following Medrash about the story of Kayin and Hevel can help us answer this question: After Kayin killed Hevel, Hashem did not punish him instantly, rather He said “where is Hevel your brother?” Kayin famously answered, “am I my brother’s keeper?” (ibid. 4:9) The Medrash gives more details of Kayin‘s reply: “You are the protector of all life, and You are asking me?!.. I killed him but You gave me the evil inclination, You are supposed to protect everyone and You let me kill him, You are the one that killed him… had You accepted my offering like his, I would not have been jealous of him.” Why didn’t Kayin do teshuva for his heinous act? Because he refused to accept culpability for his role in the murder - he even blamed it on Hashem! We can now answer our initial question as to why so few people do teshuva properly. We are generally aware that we commit aveiros but there is one factor that prevents us from repenting properly, the ability to accept that the ultimate responsibility for our actions lies with us and us alone. There are many factors to which we can easily attribute our flaws; whether it be our upbringing, our natural inclinations, or our society, we find it extremely hard to accept ultimate responsibility for our failings. The prerequisite for teshuva is a recognition that ’I could have done better, I could have overcome my yetser hara and not sinned.’ Without the ability to make this difficult admission we can not begin to repent properly but with it teshuva is easily attainable.

This inability to admit our guilt lies at the core of the first and most decisive sin in human history which plagues us to this very day - that of Adam HaRishon. We traditionally attribute Adam’s sin to his disobeying Hashem’s instructions not to eat from the fruit, and it was this that caused Adam and Chava to be expelled from Gan Eden with all the accompanying negative consequences. Rav Motty Berger shlita points out that on closer analysis it is clear that they were not punished immediately after the sin. Rather, Hashem engaged Adam in conversation, giving him the opportunity to admit his mistake. However, Adam did not accept this reprieve, instead he said, “the woman whom You gave to be with me - she gave me of the tree and I ate.” Adam avoided responsibility for his sin, shifting it onto Chava and even Hashem himself for giving her to him initially. Then Hashem turned to Chava, also giving her a chance to repent - she too declined the offer, saying, “the serpent deceived me and I ate.” Only then did Hashem punish them for the sin. it is clear that had they taken responsibility for their actions when Hashem confronted them, then surely the punishment would have been far lighter. Who knows how different the course of history could have been!

We see from the stories of Adam and Kayin that the ability to admit one’s mistakes is perhaps even more important than not sinning! Indeed we all err at some point, it is whether we can stand up and admit the truth for our actions that is the true judge of our spiritual level. It was only several hundred years after the sad beginning of history that a man arose who would shoulder the responsibility for his actions and metaken the mistake of Adam HaRishon. The Tosefta says “why did Yehuda merit the Kingship? Because he admitted [to his actions] in the incident of Tamar.” Tamar was about to be burned at the stake for her alleged act of adultery, when she gave Yehuda the chance to admit to his part in the events. He could easily have remained quiet, thereby sentencing three souls to death - Tamar and the twins inside her. However, in a defining moment in history, he bravely accepted accountability, saying, “she is right, it is from me.” It is no co-incidence that this was the key moment in producing the seed of Moshiach. We know that Moshiach is the person who will bring mankind back to its pristine state of before the sin, rectifying the mistake of Adam and Chava. The way in which to repair the damage done by a sin is by correcting the negative midda displayed in that sin. As we have seen, the main flaw present in Adam’s sin was an inability to accept responsibility for mistakes, therefore Yehuda’s success in taking responsibility for his actions was an ideal rectification.

The intrinsic connection between Moshiach and taking responsibility continued strongly amongst Yehuda’s most distinguished descendant, David Hamelech. The Gemara tells us that Shaul sinned once and subsequently lost his kingdom, whereas David sinned twice and remained king. Why was Shaul treated so much more harshly than David? Shmuel confronted Shaul after he had not destroyed all of Amalek as he was commanded. But instead of admitting his mistake, Shaul justified his actions, denying he even sinned. Then he blamed it on the people for pressuring him to leave over some of Amalek’s animals to be offerings. After a lengthy back and forth, Shaul finally did repent but it was too late and Shmuel informed him that he had lost his right to the kingship. In contrast, after David’s sin in the incident of Batsheva, The prophet Natan sternly rebuked him for his actions, and David immediately replied, “I have sinned to Hashem.” David showed his willingness to take responsibility for his mistakes by immediately admitting his guilt unlike Shaul. Therefore he was forgiven and given another chance to continue as King. Moreover, the kabbalistic sources write that David Hamelech is a gilgul of Adam HaRishon and that his purpose was to metaken Adam’s sin. It seems very apparent that one of the main ways in which David HaMelech was metaken the chet was by taking responsibility for his error so quickly.

We live in a society today that shuns the concept of responsibility - many educated people claim that no-one can be held liable for his behaviour. They argue that essentially we do not have any free will, the person that we become is predestined based on our background, upbringing, genetics and society. Consequently, criminals can be excused of their crimes on the basis that they really had no choice in the matter, and people can tolerate the failings in their relationships and middos as being unavoidable. The Torah outlook strongly rejects this view. If a person is brave enough to admit that he can do better then Hashem will surely help him do so.

We see this from the Gemara about a man called Elazar ben Durdaya. He was a man who was steeped in immorality, however, he suddenly came to a realisation of the error of his ways. The Gemara then proceeds to tell us how he tried to gain forgiveness for his sins. He sat between a mountain and a hill and asked them to request rachamim for him but they refused. He then asked the heavens and earth to request rachamim for him but they also refused. He finally turned to the sun and the moon but they also refused to help him.

Rav Yissochor Frand Shlita brings a drash explanation of this Gemara. The different things whom he asked to pray for him represent different influences on his life; he was trying to shift responsibility for his behaviour onto them. The mountain and hill represent his parents. He argued that his upbringing was responsible for his dire situation, but they refused to acknowledge their guilt. He then turned to the heavens and earth, who represent his environment and tried to blame that for his actions, but they also would not accept responsibility for his sins. He finally turned to the sun and the moon who represent his mazal, his natural inclinations, and claimed that it was impossible to avoid sinning because of his teva. But again, they would not accept culpability for his behaviour. Then the Gemara states that he said “this thing is only dependent on myself.” He finally acknowledged that there was only one source responsible for his aveiros - himself. He could not blame his parents, society or teva, he realised that he had the power to change his ways and he did so. He then did teshuva sheleima and his soul returned to heaven and a Bas Kol came out, proclaiming that Rebbi Elazar ben Durdaya has a place in Olam Haba. The commentaries note that the Bas Kol called him ‘Rebbi’ because he is our Rebbi in teshuva - he teaches us that the only way to do proper teshuva is to admit that the ultimate responsibility for our behaviour lies only with ourselves. If we can do this, then we can hope to do teshuva sheleima.
　

RESPONSIBILITY FOR OTHERS, PART 2

In the previous article about responsibility, we began discussion of the concept of Arvus - that all Jews are responsible for one another. Rav Aharon Kotler discusses this idea at length. He brings the Tomer Devorah in the name of early sources that all the souls of Israel are intrinsically bound together as one spiritual entity. We normally understand our obligation to rebuke our fellow Jew as a mitzvo like any other - if we fulfil the mitzvo we receive reward, and if we do not, we are punished. Rav Aharon writes that the factor of Arvus works on a much deeper level - if we help another Jew in his mitzvo observance, then our own merits increase, very much in the same way as if we in fact did the mitzvo ourselves. And if we do not prevent him from sinning when we could have, then we are damaged as if we sinned ourselves. (Mishnas Rebbe Aharon, Chelek 1, Ch.10, p.243-4). In a similar vein, Rav Chaim Vital writes on the mitzvo to love your fellow Jew, “you must realize that all Israel form a single body… every single Jew is like an individual limb. This is the (reason for the) responsibility that every Jew bears for every other Jew that sins.” (Likutey Torah, Taamey haMitzvos Vayikra 19:18).

This reality has come to the fore in Jewish history many times. The classic case of this is that of Achan. When Yehoshua conquered Jericho, he dedicated all the spoil to G-d. Achan, however, violated this dedication and took a few things from the spoil for himself. Even though only a single person had sinned, the Navi says, “the children of Israel committed a sin with regard to the devoted spoil. For Achan … took the devoted thing, and G-ds anger was kindled against Israel.” (Yehoshua 7:1) As a result of this misdeed, G-d’s protection was removed from Israel and they suffered their first defeat in the battle of Ai. The Medrash gives an analogy to help understand how a whole nation could suffer because of one person. “Rav Shimon bar Yochai gave an example. A number of people were sitting in a ship. One of them took a drill and began making holes in the hull. The others asked him, “what do you think you are doing?” The driller replied, “what business is it of yours? I am only drilling under my own seat.” They answered, “when water fills the ship, it will sink with all of us!” (Vayikra Rabbah 4:6).

Another notable instance of Arvus is found in sefer Ezra. A small number of people had married gentiles, and nothing had been done to prevent them from this grave sin. When Ezra heard about his, he gathered everyone to the Temple to repent and pray for forgiveness. While there, Shechania ben Yechiel (who had not sinned) cried out saying, “we have sinned against our G-d and have taken in alien women.” (Ezra 10:2) The Malbim asks, why did he say “we” have sinned, when he and most of the people had not, indeed only a very small number of people were guilty? He answers that the intermarriage was considered a national sin, because it was committed in public and the leaders did not protest, therefore, “the sin was considered as if it came from the general populace, because of the reason of Arvus.” (Ibid.) Even though less than one percent of the people had actually intermarried, all of them were included in accepting guilt, to the extent that it was as if they had intermarried themselves.

This example from Ezra is an ominous message for our generation when more than fifty percent of all Jews are intermarrying. It teaches us that the rampant assimilation is not merely a problem that other Jews face. Rather it is our own problem, and we are responsible to do whatever we can to stem it. May we all merit to see the day when all Jews cling to the ways of their ancestors.
　

WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US - ROSH HASHANA

We all know that the main Avoda of Rosh Hashana is to mamlich Hashem - to accept Him as King over us. But what does this mean? On one level it means to recognize that He is all-powerful and has total control over the world. But there is another very important aspect to being Mamlich Hashem. The Gra and Malbim note that with reference to non-Jews Hashem is called a Moshel, whereas with regard to Jews He is called a Melech. A Moshel is a dictator who has complete power but is not loved by his subjects because they perceive that he is not the source of good for them. The goyim see Hashem as a ruler who may be powerful but they would prefer that He not interfere with their lives.

In contrast, a Melech is a ruler who we accept with love over us because we recognize that He is the source of all goodness - the Jewish people are supposed to have this attitude to Hashem’s kingship. In order to properly mamlich Hashem we must recognize that He and He alone is the ONLY source of meaning and happiness. The antithesis of this is the negative mitzvo of not following after other gods. This is not limited to not worshipping idols, it also requires that we acknowledge that there is no other source of our well-being other than Hashem. If a person believes that there is any other factor in his life that is independently significant to his happiness then he transgresses the mitzvo of not following other gods. There are numerous possible ‘alternative’ sources to attributing our well-being, including money, physical pleasure, material attainment, honor, or even ourselves. A person can say he believes in G-d but if he acts as though any of these factors provide him with any happiness to the exclusion of Hashem, then he cannot properly make Hashem King.

The extent to which we recognize that doing ratson Hashem is the only key to success has a great effect on our shemiras hamitzvos, both avoidance of negative (lavim), and performance of positive mitzvos. With regards to lavim, my Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Berkovits Shlita suggests that the shoresh of many aveiros is a belief that there are other ways of succeeding in life apart from keeping the Torah. For example, a person may be faced with the opportunity to gain financially by doing something which is halachically highly questionable; The outcome of his decision whether to do the issur or not may well be based on his emuna - if he really believes that Hashem is the only key to goodness then he will refrain from doing something that Hashem tells him not to do. But, if, deep down, he feels that there is another way, apart from shemiras hamitzvos, in which a person can succeed, such as cheating in financial areas, then he will likely succumb to the temptation. Another example is when a person is put in a situation where he could speak lashon hara, if he has a clear realization that doing so, will, ultimately cause him only pain, then he will not do so. But if, b’shaas maaseh he feels that telling over this piece of gossip will give him pleasure, then he will do so. Of course, a person may not be consciously making such cheshbonos, but deep down they are probably the root of the rationalizations that a person makes when he sins. The more a person can mamlich Hashem, that is, to recognize that He is the ONLY source of happiness, then he will be more successful in his avoidance of doing aveiros because he will recognize that doing them would ultimately not provide him with any real happiness.

The same concept applies for performance of positive mitzvos: it is discussed by Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l. He asks; the Gemara states that there is no reward for mitzvos in Olam Hazeh - this means that a spiritual act such as a mitzvo cannot be sufficiently rewarded by anything in Olam Hazeh. Yet, Chazal also teach us that reshaim receive the reward for their mitzvos in Olam Hazeh - how can they be satisfactorily rewarded by this-worldly pleasures? He answers that the reward a person receives for a mitzvo is no more than the value he himself attributes to that mitzvo. Therefore, a rasha, who sees physical pleasures as the source of his fulfillment will be rewarded with just that for his mitzvos. When the Gemara says that there is no reward in this world, it means that a mitzvo done by a person who has an appreciation of the spiritual pleasures cannot be rewarded with the transitory pleasures of this world.

Based on this, we can gain a greater understanding of the importance on Rosh Hashana of recognizing that Hashem is the only source of true happiness: We are judged on this day according to how many mitzvos we have fulfilled against the number of aveiros that we have committed. However, the Rambam in Hilchos Teshuva writes that each mitzvo has a different potency based on a number of factors, one of the most important being the intentions behind the mitzvo. If a person’s aspirations are largely for this-worldly pleasures then this will surely effect his shemiras hamitzvos; There will be occasions where he will refrain from performing a mitzvo in order to satisfy his desires. Rav Shmuelevitz gives the example of a ben Torah stopping learning in order to earn some money. He is demonstrating that the mitzvo of Talmud Torah is worth less than the amount of money he could gain. Thus, even when he does perform the mitzvo, it is tainted by his underlying attitude that it is worth less than other forms of pleasure such as gaining money. The alarming consequence of this is that the reward he will receive for his mitzvos will only be equal to the value that he himself ascribed to the mitzvo. Thus, it is also apparent in our performance of positive mitzvos, that the extent to which we acknowledge that only Hashem is the source of goodness and that doing His ratson is the only way to succeed in life, bears a great effect on how we emerge from the din of Rosh Hashana.

We spend much of Rosh Hashana in tefilla - those tefillas repeatedly emphasize how Hashem is our King. When we say these words again and again on the day, let us remember what they mean: that Hashem is a loving King who is the source of all good, if we can internalise that then we can emerge from Rosh Hashana triumphant.
Kesiva v’chasima tova.