The Joyful Progression from Yom ha’Kippurim through Sukkos

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The Joyful Progression from Yom ha'Kippurim Through Sukkos

According to the Abudirham, the sounding of the shofar after Ne’ilah is followed by the recitation of the pasuk: “Go and eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with gladness, for God has already approved of your deeds” (Koheles 9:7). He explains that the source of this minhag is a midrash (Koheles Rabbah 9:7) which says: “When the Jews leave shul at the conclusion of Yom ha’Kippurim, a heavenly voice goes forth and proclaims: ‘Go and eat your bread with joy, for your prayers have been accepted before Me as a pleasing aroma.’”

The Aruch ha’Shulchan (OC 624:7) states that all four days between Yom ha’Kippurim and Sukkos are characterized by the selfsame joy of Motzai Yom ha’Kippurim. They are considered “days of simchah,” which is why we don’t say tachanun or tzidkasecha tzedek. The midrash (Tanchuma 23:18) relates this joy to the Yom Tov of Sukkos itself:

To what may the matter be compared? To two people who entered into judgment before the king, and no one but the king knew what [transpired] between them. The king judged them, but the other people [outside] didn’t know who won. The king said, “Whoever emerges with a palm branch in his hand – it will be known that he won.” So too, Israel and the nations of the world enter into judgment on Yom ha’Kippurim, and nobody knows who won. Ha’Kadosh Baruch Hu said: “Take your lulavim in your hand, and they will know that you were meritorious in judgment.”

On the surface, these sources seem to be at odds with the atmosphere of dread and uncertainty on Yom ha’Kippurim itself. Throughout the Yom ha’Kippurim davening we repeatedly acknowledge that our lives hang in the balance. We continually remind ourselves that one more mitzvah or one more aveirah has the power to seal our judgment for life or for death. We continually underscore the notion that our salvation is not guaranteed, and that teshuvah, tefilah, and tzedakah are our only means of removing the evil of the decree. How can we reconcile the mood of apprehensive contingency on the Yom ha’Din with the assurances of our success at its conclusion?

I believe that an answer can be found in the Rambam’s explanation (Moreh ha’Nevuchim 3:36) of the reason for viduyim, korbanos for sins, and taaniyos. After classifying teshuvah as one of the “doctrines which are indispensable for the well-ordered society of Torah adherents,” the Rambam writes:

If man were convinced that he could never straighten his crooked ways, he would forever continue in his errors, and maybe even increase his disobedience if he believed there was no alternative. But with the belief in teshuvah, he will come back to the good and will return to an even more perfected state – even more perfected than he was before he sinned. For this reason, [we are commanded] in many actions which strengthen our belief in this very beneficial principle [of teshuvah]: for example, the viduyim, and the korbanos for sins … and the taaniyos.

The chief purpose of Yom ha’Kippurim is to reinforce our belief in the efficacy of teshuvah. If we didn’t believe in the power of teshuvah to change ourselves and our fate, we would persist in our harmful ways. But in order for the institution of Yom ha’Kippurim to function in this manner, we must allow ourselves to feel that our teshuvah was accepted. If Yom ha’Kippurim ended and we still felt totally in the dark as to whether our teshuvah, tefilah, and tzedakah paid off, we simply wouldn’t put in the effort in the first place. Imagine a struggling student who is encouraged to improve her grades so that she can graduate from college, but is never informed whether she actually graduated, and is never allowed to celebrate success. How could we expect her to put in the hard work without any hopeful promise of joyfully crossing the finish line?

Thus, the urgency and uncertainty we feel on Yom ha’Kippurim and the relief and joy we feel at its conclusion serve a common goal: to strengthen our belief in the efficacy of teshuvah. With this in mind, "go and eat your bread with joy" this Chag ha'Sukkos, knowing that you are priming yourself for greater teshuvah in the future.

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Enjoy Yourself This Rosh ha'Shanah (an Aruch ha'Shulchan PSA)

Originally posted in September 2013. Click here for a printer-friendly version of this blog post.

Enjoy Yourself on Rosh ha'Shanah (an Aruch ha'Shulchan PSA)

It seems to me that there are many Jews who relate to Rosh ha'Shanah as a day of utter solemnity and gravity to the point where they forget that it's a Yom Tov with a mitzvah of simchah (rejoicing). The following is a translation of the Aruch ha'Shulchan, Orach Chayim 597:2, which addresses that mentality:

The Beis Yosef wrote: "[On Rosh ha'Shanah] we should eat, drink, and rejoice; and we shouldn't fast, neither on Rosh ha'Shanah nor on Shabbos Shuvah. However, we shouldn't eat to the point of complete satiation, nor should we behave frivolously; the fear of Hashem should be on our faces" (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 597:1). 

The Maharshal wouldn't eat fish on Rosh ha'Shanah because he really liked them, but he wanted to diminish his physical desires in a specific way. They also don't wear chashuv clothing on Rosh ha'Shanah like they do on every other Yom Tov; instead, they wear white (Bach and Magen Avraham). 

We, on the other hand, are not accustomed to wear white on Rosh ha'Shanah, but only on Yom ha'Kippurim. Furthermore, we eat and drink [on Rosh ha'Shanah] just like on every other Yom Tov, as it is written: "He said to them [on Rosh ha'Shanah], 'Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet beverages, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, for today is sacred to our Lord. Do not be sad; the enjoyment of Hashem is your strength!'" (Nechemiah 8:10). 

Only in one regard is Rosh ha'Shanah different from other Yomim Tovim: we extend our tefilah until after midday. 

Also, there are those who are accustomed not to sleep on the first day of Rosh ha'Shanah, based on a Yerushalmi which says, "One who sleeps on Rosh ha'Shanah - his mazal will sleep." We don't know where this Yerushalmi is. The Arizal wasn't worried about this and said that after the shofar blasts and after midday, the judgments have already been settled.

The Aruch ha'Shulchan acknowledges the opinions of Rav Yosef Karo and the Maharshal, who maintain that our rejoicing on Rosh ha'Shanah ought to be tempered or diminished. He also acknowledges the Bach and Magen Avraham who advocate the custom of donning somber white garments on Rosh ha'Shanah, just like on Yom ha'Kippurim.

All of these opinions he rejects, citing only one source: a pasuk from Nechemiah. This pasuk serves as a beautiful reminder of a commonly overlooked aspect of Rosh ha'Shanah, namely, the fact that it is a happy day. It is easy to get so caught up in fear, shame, and guilt that we end up neglecting the mitzvah of simchas Yom Tov which applies to Rosh ha'Shanah, just like it does to every other Yom Tov. True, we are being judged and that is a cause for fear and seriousness, but not to the point where we lose sight of the nature of the day, and certainly not to the point where we neglect such an important mitzvah as simchas Yom Tov!

David ha'Melech wrote: "Serve Hashem with fear, and rejoice in trembling" (Tehilim 2:11). On the surface, it would seem that fear and trembling are antithetical to rejoicing - and yet, we are expected to experience both emotions in our avodas Hashem. One of the main reasons why we find this to be so difficult is because the yetzer ha'ra, by nature, is drawn to extremes. A person who is overcome by his or her yetzer ha'ra will either spend the entire day cowering in fear, or frolic the day away in carefree indulgence without any eimas ha'din (fear of judgment). How are we to fulfill the ideal expressed in David ha'Melech's words?

The answer can be found in the Zichronos berachah in the Mussaf of Rosh ha'Shanah, in which we say: "Let there appear before You the Akeidah when Avraham, our father, bound Yitzchak, his son, upon the altar and conquered his mercy to do Your will wholeheartedly." Avraham Avinu didn't conquer his mercy through repression, denial, or sheer willpower. He was a navi, and like every navi, "his inclination does not overpower him in any worldly matter; rather, he continually overpowers his emotions with his mind" (Hilchos Yesodei ha'Torah 7:1). In other words, Avraham Avinu didn't suppress his feelings by pitting one emotion against another. Rather, his chochmah enabled him to rise above his emotions to the point where they yielded and responded to the influence of his intellect. That is how he "conquered" his mercy: by through knowledge and comprehension.

This is the method by which we can achieve the equilibrium of fear and joy described by David ha'Melech. If we succeed in recognizing and understanding both aspects of the day of Rosh ha'Shanah - as a Yom Tov of joy and a Yom ha'Din of trembling - our emotions will respond accordingly, and will find the proper balance on their own.

Having said that, I wish you all a joyously awesome day of Rosh ha'Shanah! Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet beverages, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, for today is sacred to our Lord. Do not be sad; the enjoyment of Hashem is your strength!