Purim 5782 – A Theory Connecting Purim to Yom ha’Kipurim Which is NOT Based on Specious Linguistics – Part 2 (An Answer)

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Purim 5782 – A Theory Connecting Purim to Yom ha’Kipurim Which is NOT Based on Specious Linguistics – Part 2 (An Answer)

The haftarah of Yom ha’Kippurim opens with the pasuk cited by the Rambam in Hilchos Megilah 2:17. The navi then goes on to answer the question asked of Hashem by the Jews at that time: “Why did we fast and You did not see? Why did we afflict our souls and You did not know?” (ibid. 58:3). The navi answers:

Can such be the fast I choose: a day when man merely afflicts himself? Can it be merely bowing one’s head like a bulrush and spreading sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast and a day of favor to Hashem? Surely, this is the fast I choose: to break open the shackles of wickedness, to undo the bonds of injustice, and to let the oppressed go free, and annul all perversion. Surely you should break your bread for the hungry, and bring the moaning poor [to your] home; when you see a naked person, clothe him; and do not hide yourself from your kin. Then your light will burst out like the dawn and your healing will speedily sprout; your righteous deed will precede you and the glory of Hashem will gather you in. Then you will call and Hashem will respond; you will cry out and He will say, “Here I am!” If you remove from your midst perversion, finger-pointing, and evil speech, and offer your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then your light will shine in the darkness, and your deepest gloom will be like the noon. (ibid. 58:3-10)

The message is clear: no matter how devoutly we fast and cry out in prayer, Hashem will not respond until we repair our relationships with our fellow human beings. One can only enter the realm of bein adam l’Makom (between man and God) through the gate of bein adam l’chaveiro (between man and his fellow man).

This theme is certainly appropriate to Yom ha’Kippurim: a day on which we appeal to Hashem to accept our prayers, our fasting, and our teshuvah. But what does this have to do with Purim? According to the Rambam: everything! In his introduction to the Mishneh Torah, at the end of the list of mitzvos, Rambam explains the central theme of Purim and identifies its basis in the Torah itself:

… the Prophets, along with Beis Din, instituted and commanded us in the reading of the Megilah in its proper time in order to recall the praises of Ha’Kadosh Baruch Hu and the salvations He did for us, that He was near to our salvation, in order to bless Him and to praise Him, and in order to make known to the coming generations that that which was stated in the Torah is true, as it is stated, "For which is a great nation that has a God Who is close to it, as is Hashem, our God, whenever we call to Him?" (Devarim 4:7).

Purim memorializes the most dramatic instance in history of Hashem’s promise to be “a God Who is close to [us] … whenever we call to Him.” The Megilah clearly states that the Jews fasted at the behest of Esther in response to the threat of Haman. We can infer that this fasting was accompanied by prayer and teshuvah as well. But the narrative in the Megilah alone might lead us to make a grave error, namely, to assume that fasting and prayer are enough to warrant a response from Hashem. But they are not enough, as Yeshayahu and all the other neviim have reminded us throughout the ages.

This, I submit, is the thematic connection between Purim and Yom ha’Kippurim. Both days share the theme of calling out to Hashem in hopes that He will answer us. Both, therefore, are in need of the reminder that Hashem only responds to those who “walk in His ways” (Devarim 11:22), “to bring life to the spirit of the lowly and to bring life to the heart of the oppressed” (Yeshaya 57:15). Perhaps this is why the mitzvos of mishloach manos and matanos la’evyonim were instituted: to remind us, on a day commemorating Hashem’s response to our outcry, that we will only merit such a response if we promote love and peace between our fellow Jews and enact righteousness and justice on behalf of the oppressed.
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Be sure to check out my YouTube channel and my podcasts: "The Mishlei Podcast", "The Stoic Jew" Podcast, "Rambam Bekius" Podcast, "Machshavah Lab" Podcast, "The Tefilah Podcast"  For the full guide to all of my Torah content, click here. 

My Experience Fasting for 48 Hours on the 9th and 10th of Av

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fast began at 8:30pm on Saturday (7/17) and ended at 9:00pm on Monday (7/19)

My Experience Fasting for 48 Hours on the 9th and 10th of Av

I’ve been doing intermittent fasting all year, for health and for energy. I generally fast between 17-19 hours each weekday. “Fasting” in this context means not consuming any calories. I still drink water, coffee, and tea. I had never fasted longer than the standard 25 hour taanis (fast) on Yom ha’Kippurim and Tishah b’Av, but after learning about the health benefits of fasting for 48 hours, I decided to give it a try this year. My plan was to break my Tishah b’Av fast on water and tea, then continue fasting until at least the next morning, if not longer.

In my mind, this extension of my fast had nothing to do with halacha. I figured that since I was drinking fluids, then this wouldn’t count as a halachic taanis. That is, until I saw this Tur (Orach Chayim 558):

It was taught in a Baraisa: "On the 7th of Av the gentiles entered the Sanctuary. They ate and drank and wreaked havoc on the 8th and the 9th until late in the day. Towards the evening they lit a fire in it, and it burned until sunset of the 10th." R' Yochanan said: "If I were there, I would have established [the commemoration] on the 10th, when the majority of the Sanctuary burned." It says in the Yerushalmi that R’ Avin fasted on the 9th and the 10th, [whereas] R' Levi fasted on the 9th and the night of the 10th because he didn't have the energy to fast for the entire night and day of the 10th. Nowadays, our energy has waned, and even Yom ha'Kippurim, which would be proper to observe out of safek (doubt) for two days, we are unable to do. Nevertheless, it is a proper minhag to not eat meat on the night of the 10th and the day of the 10th, but only what restores the soul, which is partial inui (affliction).

It is clear from the Yerushalmi that fasting on the 10th of Av is an ideal to strive for, since that’s when the majority of the Sanctuary was burned. The Ramban (Moed Katan 28b) explains that these Amoraim extended their fasts as a minhag chasidus (a custom of piety), and that “the more one mourns over Yerushalayim, the more meritorious it is for him.” Even a partial fast would count for something, as we see from R’ Levi’s fast on the night of the 10th.

Less clear, however, is the scope of the “proper minhag” mentioned by the Tur at the end. According to the Taz’s explanation of the Tur, the minhag is to refrain specifically from meat – a food associated with simchah (rejoicing) – but there is no kiyum (halachic fulfillment) whatsoever of abstaining from other types of food. According to the Bach, the Tur’s minhag is to refrain from eating even non-meat food, except for “that which restores the soul,” since this abstention constitutes “partial inui.” Thus, according to the Bach, my extended fast would constitute a kiyum in “fasting on the 10th of Av,” despite my consumption of liquids. If abstaining from non-restorative food is a kiyum because it produces inui, then kal va’chomer abstaining from all food!

But then I asked myself whether my fast really did fulfill the minhag. After all, I was doing this for health reasons, not as an expression of mourning, which – according to the Ramban – is what makes this fasting meritorious. In an effort to “legitimize my fasting,” I spent all morning and afternoon learning through the relevant sources to understand the purpose of what I was doing. I made it my mission to find an idea worthy of writing up as an article. The result? I learned a lot, but I didn’t find anything that I deemed profound enough for even a one-page article.

I was about to give up on the search and the article when I realized that this health-motivated 48-hour fasting experiment fit right into my goal of prolonging reflection on the ideas of Tishah b’Av beyond the demands of halacha. Indeed, my observance of this minhag caused me to spend an extra day learning about Tishah b’Av! What began as a non-halachic health experiment became a she’lo lishmah observance of a real minhag (at least, according to the Bach). This might not have yielded transformative insight this year, but it will certainly pave the way for such insight in the future. This is yet another example of “a person should always learn Torah even she’lo lishmah, because from she’lo lishmah one will come to lishmah” (Midrash Eichah Hakdamah 2). And that is a win in my book.

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If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. 

If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. 

Be sure to check out my YouTube channel and my podcasts: "The Mishlei Podcast", "The Stoic Jew" Podcast, "Rambam Bekius" Podcast, "Machshavah Lab" Podcast, "The Tefilah Podcast"  For the full guide to all of my Torah content, click here. 

Pinchas / 17th of Tammuz: The Korban Tamid and its Cessation

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Artwork: Through the Breach, by Randy Vargas

Pinchas / 17th of Tammuz: The Korban Tamid and its Cessation 

Introduction 

Yesterday was the 17th of Tammuz. This Shabbos we read Parashas Pinchas. There is one topic which is common to both: the korban tamid (continual daily offering). The Rambam [1] writes: 

On the 17th of Tammuz five things happened: (1) the tablets were broken, (2) the korban tamid ceased from the First Temple, (3) [the walled city of] Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) was breached in the destruction of the Second [Temple], (4) the wicked Apostomos burned a Torah scroll, and (5) he set up an idol in the Sanctuary. 

Of these five, the one which tends to resonate the least is the cessation of the korban tamid. The breaking of the tablets was a dramatic event, signaling the violation of our covenant with Hashem through the worship of the Golden Calf - one of our worst national transgressions of all time. The breach of Yerushalayim is easy to relate to as as tragedy, since it was the step which directly led to the destruction of the Beis ha’Mikdsah (Holy Temple). The evil deeds of Apostomos may not register on the same scale of national catastrophe as the preceding two events, but the act of burning a sefer Torah and setting up an idol in Mikdash evoke visceral reactions. Compared to these four tragic events, the cessation of the korban tamid seems relatively tame. What, exactly, was so bad about this event? 

The appearance of the korban tamid in Parashas Pinchas is rather jolting. Hashem shows Moshe the Land of Israel and informs him of his own impending death. Moshe pleads with Hashem to choose a successor to lead the people. Hashem instructs him to appoint Yehoshua. The passing of the mantle of leadership takes place in a dramatic public assembly featuring a pageantry rich in the symbolism of transition. And then, without warning, Hashem tells Moshe to command the Children of Israel in the mitzvah of the korban tamid. It is quite the non sequitur. 

The aim of this article is to address both issues: to understand what it is about the cessation of the korban tamid which warrants a national mourning on par with the other four tragedies, and to explain the Torah’s abrupt transition from the narrative of Yehoshua’s succession to the laws of the korban tamid. Lastly, we will take a first step in defining a theme which unites all five of the occurrences we commemorate on the 17th of Tammuz and suggest on that basis a possible avenue for national teshuvah we can engage in this year.

The Maimonidean Function of the Korban Tamid 

The Rambam [2] famously (or infamously) held that the purpose of all korbanos (sacrifices) is to counteract the yetzer ha’ra (evil inclination) for avodah zarah (idolatry). His theory is quite polarizing, to say the least. Some meforshim (commentators) vehemently oppose his view, such as the Ramban [3], who denounces the Rambam’s explanation as “foolish words" which "make the altar of Hashem disgusting.” Others embrace the Rambam’s view in a manner which “is even more Maimonidean than Maimonides,” [4] such as Ibn Kaspi [5], who boldly asserts that “Moshe Rabbeinu was forced and compelled against his will to write [the detailed laws of korbanos in Sefer Vayikra] … but the customs of the non-Jews at that time brought them to this.” 

While the Rambam’s view of korbanos as a whole is a subject of controversy, there is a distinctly Maimonidean dimension to the korban tamid which is undeniable. The Torah’s exposition of the laws of the korban tamid begins as follows: “Command the Children of Israel and say to them: My offering, My food for My fires, My satisfying aroma, you shall safeguard it to offer to Me in its appointed time” (Bamidbar 28:2). From here the Sages derive a universal halacha in korbanos known as muktzeh (lit. “set aside”). If an animal is used in a ceremony of avodah zarah, that animal becomes prohibited to be offered as a korban to Hashem. The Gemara (Temurah 29a) spells out how this halacha is derived from the pasuk: 

“You shall safeguard it to offer to Me in its appointed time” [implies] “to Me” but not to another master. And who is this other [master] to whom one might offer? This is avodah zarah.” 

This Gemara explicitly ties the korban tamid to the rejection of avodah zarah. Some argue that the derivation of the universal law of muktzeh from the korban tamid supports the Rambam’s contention that all korbanos are designed to counteract avodah zarah. This point is debatable, but everyone would agree that the tamid itself embodies this theme – even the Ramban. 

The thematic connection to the rejection of avodah zarah is reinforced by a cryptic Sifri (142): 

“Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: Command the Children of Israel … My offering, My food …” Why was this said? Because it said: “[May Hashem … appoint a man over the assembly] who shall go out before them and come in before them” (Bamidbar 27:16-17). To what may this be compared? To a king whose wife, before she passed away, charged him regarding her children, saying: “Please take care of my children,” to which the king replied, “Before you charge me regarding my children, charge my children regarding me, so that they do not rebel against me, and so that they do not treat me disgracefully.” So too, Hashem told [Moshe]: “Before you charge Me regarding My children, charge them regarding Me, so that they not treat me disgracefully by exchanging My Glory for foreign gods.” Thus it is said: “For I shall bring them to the Land [… and they shall turn to the foreign gods of the land and serve them etc.”] (Devarim 31:20). Before you charge Me regarding My children, charge them regarding Me. Thus, it is stated: “Command the Children of Israel [in the mitzvah of the korban tamid].” 

What is clear from this Sifri is that the Sages characterized the korban tamid as a safeguard against the pitfall of avodah zarah that would threaten the nation upon entry into the Land of Israel under the leadership of Yehoshua. What is quite unclear is: How? How is the korban tamid a safeguard against avodah zarah? And what does this have to do with Yehoshua?

The answer to this question, and our question about the non sequitur in Parashas Pinchas, is given by the Torah Temimah [6], citing the explanation of the Sifri given by the Malbim [7]: 

The purpose [8] of the tamid is to counteract sun-worship. The idolaters would bow down and worship [the sun] twice each day, upon its rising and its setting. Its morning service would [take place] facing the east, and its afternoon service would [take place facing] the west. [Therefore,] Ha’Kadosh Baruch Hu commanded us to offer before Him two daily sacrifices: the slaughtering of the morning [tamid] at the northwest corner [of the altar] and the [slaughtering of] the afternoon [tamid] at the northeast corner, in direct opposition to sun-worship. 

The Sages said that if Moshe had entered the Land [of Israel,] he would have nullified the yetzer for avodah zarah, and the service of the tamid would have been unnecessary. Since he requested, “May Hashem appoint a man over the assembly,” and Yehoshua was appointed to wage wars, and he lacked the power to nullify the yetzer for avodah zarah, therefore Ha’Kadosh Baruch Hu instructed Moshe to charge His children to not exchange His Glory for foreign gods and to not worship the sun, as the gentile nations did. And it is for this purpose that the section of the tamid was commanded, namely, as a polemic against avodah zarah. 

According to Sifri, as interpreted by the Torah Temimah and the Malbim, identity of the korban tamid is so essentially tied to the repudiation of avodah zarah that its very structure is designed to be the antithesis of sun-worship, which was popular among the Canaanite nations. When the sun rises in the east, and the sun-worshippers bow eastward, we turn our backs on the sun and offer the morning tamid to Hashem, facing west. When the sun begins to set in the west and the sun-worshippers turn with it, we demonstrate our rejection of their cult and their god by offering the afternoon tamid in the east. 

The placement of this topic in Parashas Pinchas is explained based on the notion that avodah zarah would have been totally eradicated under Moshe Rabbeinu’s leadership, thereby rendering the korban tamid unnecessary. But since Moshe would not enter the Land, and Yehoshua would not be capable of eliminating the drive towards avodah zarah on his own, he would need to wage a continual war against avodah zarah – a war whose constancy was represented by the korban tamid, which also functioned as a weapon in the battle. 

The Tragedy of the Cessation of the Tamid 

In light of this explanation, we are now in a position to understand the tragedy of the cessation of the korban tamid. It is well-known that one of the primary national sins which resulted in the destruction of the first Beis ha’Mikdash was avodah zarah. The first crack in the edifice of the United Kingdom of Israel arose from the introduction of avodah zarah into the Land, chiefly through the idolatrous marriages and alliances of Shlomo ha’Melech. The destruction and exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel came about from the avodah zarah introduced by the king Yeravam ben Navat via his Golden Calves. The decree of destruction and exile of the Southern Kingdom of Yehudah was sealed by the evil king Menashe, who spread avodah zarah so far and wide that he nearly drove Judaism to utter extinction. All of the prophets who prophesied about the destruction of the Beis ha’Mikdash, from Yeshayahu to Yirmiyahu, routinely rebuked the Jewish people for their attachment to avodah zarah. 

When viewed merely as a “ritual sacrifice,” the korban tamid is the most mundane of them all. But when viewed through the lens of the foregoing analysis, the korban tamid is emblematic of the daily national battle against the yetzer ha’ra for avoadah zarah. The specific form of avodah zarah it is designed to counteract underscores the enormity of this battle. Every morning the sun rises and sets, illuminating the earth and sustaining its life, and humanity faces the question: Will you regard the sun as an independent source of power worthy of veneration and worship, or will you recognize it as an expression of the laws of nature authored by the One Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, and submit yourself to His will by serving Him, as does the sun itself? 

Thus, the cessation of the korban tamid on the 17th of Tammuz represents the collapse of the final bulwark against avodah zarah – the dam that held back the powerful forces of avodah zarah that had been erected by Moshe at the very inception of the Israelite conquest, and had continued to lend their stalwart defenses as the nation sunk further and further into idolatry. But finally, on the 17th of Tammuz, the last vestiges of Moshe’s ward [9] gave way. The korban tamid’s metaphysical fortification was breached just like the walls of Yerushalayim, and the long battle was lost, leaving countless casualties in its wake. 

The Beginnings of a Unified Theory of the 17th of Tammuz 

I haven’t fully worked it out yet, but I do believe that this opens up a path to understanding the unity of the five events we commemorate on the 17th of Tammuz. I would like to propose that the theme of the 17th of Tammuz in the infiltration of avodah zarah into our avodas Hashem (service of God). Let us see how this theme is reflected in each of the five events. 

Why did Moshe break the tablets? Because he saw that the nation he had led out of Egypt was still attached to their avodah zarah ways. For this reason, they were not worthy of receiving the Torah, since their involvement in avodah zarah was tantamount to a rejection of the entire Torah. [10] Despite their witnessing of Hashem’s defeat of the idolatrous Egyptian empire, their redemption through miraculous signs and wonders, and their experiencing of the Divine Revelation at Har Sinai, the insidious lure of avodah zarah still managed to retain its hold, and the original covenant they made with Hashem was rendered null and void. 

The relationship of avodah zarah to the cessation of the korban tamid has been sufficiently explained: the korban tamid was designed to function as an inoculation against avodah zarah, and its cessation represented the culmination of avodah zarah’s conquest of the nation. 

The breach of the walls of Yerushalayim has also been explained: Yerushalayim and Bayis Rishon (the First Temple) were destroyed for the sin of avodah zarah. (And if you’ll object, saying: “Doesn’t the 17th of Tammuz commemorate the breach of the walls of Yerushalayim in Bayis Sheini?” then feel free to read this extensive footnote.[11]) 

Lastly, the two wicked deeds of Apostomos epitomize the infiltration of avodah zarah into our avodas Hashem: (a) he burned the Torah, a system whose essence is to uproot avodah zarah, and (b) Apostomos, who was an idolater himself, literally infiltrated the Beis ha’Mikdash, which is the makom avodas Hashem (place of Divine service) par excellence, and set up an actual idol of avodah zarah there. It is impossible to conceive of something that represents the theme of “infiltration of avodah zarah into our avodas Hashem” greater than that! 

What is the significance of this as the unified theme of the 17th of Tammuz? The answer lies in the purpose of all national fast days, as the Rambam writes: 

There are days on which all of Israel fasts because of the catastrophes that occurred on them, in order to awaken the hearts [of the people] and to open the paths of teshuvah (repentance). This will be a remembrance of our corrupt actions and the corrupt actions of our fathers that were like our actions today, which ultimately reached the point that [these corrupt actions] caused these catastrophes for them and for us. Through the remembrance of these things we will return to do good, as it stated, “they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers” (Vayikra 26:40). 

All of our fast days revolve around the destruction of the first and second Mikdash, and a recognition that we are still in exile awaiting the ultimate redemption and the building of the third and final Mikdash. Why are we still in exile? Why don’t we have our makom avodas Hashem? Because the yetzer ha’ra for avodah zarah is alive and well. It has infiltrated our ranks and has permeated our avodas Hashem just as it did with our ancestors. The threat of the yetzer avodah zarah looms so large, and is such an obstacle to the rehabilitation necessary to be worthy of the final redemption, that the Sages instituted a day of national teshuvah devoted specifically to this theme. The first step in on the road to our national recovery is to recognize the problem which led to our downfall in the first place, and until we do that, then we shall remain in exile. 

One last question: How is the yetzer ha'ra for avodah zarah still alive and well? Is the korban tamid even relevant anymore? Do people still worship the sun? Do people bow down to it and ascribe supernatural power to it? That is the question which must be answered by each of us when we engage in national teshuvah. There is much to say, but the best kind of teshuvah starts with individual introspection. 

I will end by mentioning one possibility. We are currently in the midst of a unprecedented pandemic. As of the writing of this article there have been 12.3 million confirmed cases and over 557,000 deaths worldwide. We have seen the structures of our society crumbled around us, and scores of individuals, communities, and nations have been pushed to the brink. Many of us have faced a greater degree of insecurity than at any other time in our lives, and the future has never been more uncertain.

We may not worship the sun as an entity of independent power - but how many people have we seen over the course of this pandemic relate to other elements of nature in a similar manner? Have we progressed beyond the primitive mentality of helplessly flailing in a storm of terrifying forces and truly acknowledged that nature and all of its elements operate in accordance with the will and wisdom of the Creator? Have we followed the implications of this realization by recognizing that this same Creator gave us His Torah, and commanded us to keep it? Have we truly accepted the fact the universe He created and the Torah He has given us are good, and that we can partake of this good by aligning ourselves with His will? 

These are the questions we must ask in order to engage in national teshuvah. As long as the worship of the sun, the stars, and the heavenly forces is still practiced among the Jewish people - whether in its original primitive form, or in its sublimated modern form - then the catastrophe of the 17th of Tammuz will continue to ripple through time. May Hashem speedily fulfill what Zechariah prophesied: 

"Thus said Hashem, Master of Legions: The fast of the fourth [month, of Tammuz], the fast of the seventh [month, of Tishrei], and the fast of the tenth [month, of Teves] will be to the House of Yehudah for joy and for gladness and for happy festivals. [Only] love truth and peace!" (Zechariah 8:19)

Footnotes

[1] Rabbeinu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides) Mishneh Torah: Sefer Zmanim, Hilchos Taaniyos 5:2 

[2] Rabbeinu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides) Moreh ha’Nevuchim 3:32 

[3] Rabbeinu Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban / Nachmanides) Commentary on Sefer Vayikra 1:9 

[4] Credit for this phrase goes to my high school principal, who used it in reference to the Ralbag. 

[5] Rabbeinu Yosef ibn Kaspi, Commentary on Vayikra 1:1. The Ibn Kaspi goes even further than that, and refrains from writing commentary on all the sections of Vayikra which deal with korbanos! And yes, I realize that I’ve just committed a “Rishonic hit-and-run,” and I intend to follow this up with its own post at some point in the future. 

[6] Rav Baruch ha'Levi Epstein, Torah Temimah: Sefer Bamidbar 28:2, footnote 2 

[7] Rav Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel (Malbim), Commentary on Sefer Bamidbar 28:2; the Torah Temimah’s citation of the Malbim is near verbatim, but I’ve decided to use his instead of the Malbim’s because the language is slightly more concise. 

[8] lit. “the tamid came to counteract sun-worship.” I didn’t like this literal translation because it sounds too much like, “Don’t ride a horse on Shabbos because you might come to break off a branch!” 

[9] Get it? “Ward” means “protection” but it also refers to a minor under the care of an adult – a subtle nod to the analogy in the Sifri about charging a parent to protect their children. I felt compelled to point that out. 

[10] See my (unfinished) analysis of Rashi’s interpretation of the breaking of the tablets: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2016/07/17th-of-tammuz-breaking-of-tablets.html

[11] It is true that the 17th of Tammuz commemorates the breach of Yerushalayim during Bayis Sheini, not Bayis Rishon. In fact, we know when the when the walls of Bayis Rishon were breached because it’s stated openly in the pesukim: “On the 9th of the month [of Tammuz] the famine was strong in the city and there was no bread for the people of the land. The city was breached, and all the men of war [fled] during the night” (II Melachim 25:4; see also Yirmiyahu 52:6-7). 

Why, then, do we fast on the 17th of Tammuz instead of the 9th? Why not commemorate the breach of the walls in Bayis Rishon? The answer, according to some, is that we used to observe this fast day on the 9th of Tammuz, and it was subsequently changed to the 17th after the destruction of Bayis Sheini. The Lechem Mishneh (on Hilchos Taaniyos 5:2) explains: 

Even though the fast in the pasuk, “the fast of the fourth [month],” refers to the 9th [of Tammuz], since the city was breached on the 9th, nevertheless, we now observe it on the 17th because the destruction of Bayis Sheini was worse, and the walls of the city [then] were breached on the 17th. And if you’ll [object] saying that we observe the 10th of Teves because the King of Bavel besieged Yerushalayim during the destruction of Bayis Rishon, but we should have changed it to the day that the city was besieged during Bayis Sheini, since it was worse – the answer is that our case is different, since everything happened on one month and it’s not a big deal to change [the observance of the fast] from the 9th to the 17th, but in there [in the case of the two sieges] the times are spread apart. 

Thus, it turns out that the fast day we observe on the 17th of Tammuz is essentially about the breach of the walls of Yerushalayim per se – not about the breach of the walls during Bayis Sheini specifically, the exclusion of Bayis Rishon. Hence, my comment in the body of the article that the theme of the day is the infiltration of avodah zarah into our avodas Hashem, which is reflected in the destruction of Bayis Rishon on account of avodah zarah. 

[12] Rabbeinu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides) Mishneh Torah: Sefer Zmanim, Hilchos Taaniyos 5:1 

Haftaras Parashas Devarim: Permanent Stains

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Haftaras Parashas Devarim: Permanent Stains

The haftarah for Shabbos Chazon (i.e. the Shabbos before Tishah b'Av) is the first chapter of Sefer Yeshayahu. The navi (prophet) begins with a scathing censure of the citizens of Yerushalayim and Yehudah. He labels them as "rebels," decries their refusal to know God, calls them "a sinful nation, a people weighed down by iniquity, evil offspring, destructive children" who have "forsaken Hashem and turned their back [to Him]" (Yeshayahu 1:4). He tells them that their sacrifices, their holidays, and their prayers are worthless and are abhorrent to Him because "[their] hands are filled with blood" (ibid. 1:15). He refers to his fellow Jews as "chiefs of Sedom ... people of Amorah" (ibid. 1:10), urging them:

Wash yourselves, purify yourselves, remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes; cease doing evil. Learn to do good, seek justice, vindicate the victim, render justice to the orphan, take up the grievance of the widow. (ibid. 1:16-17)

But then, in the midst of this harsh rebuke, he delivers a message of hope:

"Come, now, let us discuss together," says Hashem, "If your sins are like scarlet they will become as white as snow; if they have become red as crimson, they will become [white] as wool. If you are willing and obey, you will eat the goodness of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword" - for the mouth of Hashem has spoken. (ibid. 1:18-20)

The Abravanel [1] explains the import of this message:

The correct [explanation] to me is that because the navi rebuked the people of Yehudah and Yerushalayim so much, and called them “chiefs of Sedom, people of Amorah,” “wicked offspring, corrupt children,” he was worried that perhaps they would give up hope from [doing] teshuvah. Therefore, he spoke to their hearts, [saying:] “Come, let us discuss.” It is as if he had said, “My brothers and friends! Let us come, now, and accept rebuke by returning to Hashem” – for this (i.e. doing teshuvah) is the true acceptance of rebuke … And he informed them that even though their sins are like scarlet – that is, red from the blood of the victims of murder and oppression – then if they accepted rebuke, [their garments] would immediately be whitened like snow and like wool, and there wouldn’t remain any mark at all, for the color white signifies purity.

This message is consistent with our understanding of Judaism's stance on teshuvah. Hashem is always willing to accept our teshuvah and forgive our sins. He is "the Gracious One, abundant to forgive," as we say three times a day. This theme permeates the liturgy on Yom ha'Kippurim, especially in Neilah. The Rambam [2] writes at the end of his list of the 24 things which prevent teshuvah:

All of these things: even though they hold back teshuvah, they do not prevent teshuvah. Rather, if a person did teshuvah from them, then he is baal teshuvah, and he has a portion in Olam ha’Ba (the World to Come).

So what is the problem here? The problem doesn't stem from the way Yeshayahu talks about teshuvah. The problem is the way Yirmiyahu talks about teshuvah. He says, in Hashem's name:

For I have always broken your yoke and torn off your straps, and you have said, "I will not transgress!" Yet upon every lofty hill and under every leafy tree you wander like a harlot. I had planted you from a choice vine, entirely of faithful seed; how, then, have you turned yourself into an inferior, alien vine before Me? Even if you were to cleanse yourself with nitre (i.e. stain-remover) and use much soap, your iniquity has become a stain before Me - the word of my Lord, Hashem-Elokim. (Yirmiyahu 2:20-22)

The same analogy is used by these two neviim (prophets), but the message is the opposite: according to Yeshayahu, our iniquity is like a stain that can be removed; according to Yirmiyahu, it is like a stain that can't be removed. 

Now, one might try to resolve this by saying that these two neviim were speaking at different times in Jewish history, separated by nearly 200 years: Yeshayahu was the first navi to prophesy about the destruction of Yerushalayim, and Yirmiyahu was the last. Similarly, one can answer that these two neviim were speaking to two different groups of Jews; the Jews in Yirmiyahu's time were undoubtedly more corrupt than the Jews addressed by Yeshayahu.

The reason why this answer fails is that Yirmiyahu, himself, delivers Yeshayahu's same message later on in his sefer, saying: "Cleanse your heart from evil, O Yerushalayim, so that you may be saved; how long will you lodge your iniquitous thoughts within yourself?" (ibid. 4:14). Apparently, their hearts can be cleansed from iniquity, even according to Yirmiyahu!

Chazal (Rosh ha'Shanah 18a) note this internal contradiction and offer a cryptic resolution:

It is written: "cleanse your heart from evil" and it is written: "even if you were to cleanse yourself with nitre and use much soap, your iniquity is a stain before Me"! ... There is no contradiction: here [in the latter case] we are dealing with a [Divine] verdict accompanied by a [Divine] oath, whereas there [in the former case] we are dealing with a [Divine] verdict that is not accompanied by a [Divine] oath.

According to Chazal, we can cleanse ourselves from iniquity even after the Divine verdict has been sealed, but only if this verdict was not accompanied by a Divine oath. If a Divine verdict is sealed with a Divine oath, then the iniquity cannot be cleansed. As an example of the latter, they cite the case of the House of Eli: "Therefore, I have sworn concerning the House of Eli that the iniquity of the House of Eli would never be atoned for by sacrifice or minchah-offering" (I Shmuel 3:14). 

The Abravanel doesn't accept Chazal's answer:

If we were to say like the words of Chazal – that “your iniquity is a stain before Me” because it was a Divine verdict accompanied by an oath, which cannot be overturned, and the teshuvah cannot be accepted – then a huge difficulty is posed to us by the repeated sending of the neviim and their rebukes, and all their words would be in vain and for no purpose, for if the decree were true, the diligence of the neviim would be false. Moreover, [according to Chazal’s answer], this severely weakens the doctrine about the virtue of teshuvah that we have received [through the Oral Tradition, namely,] that nothing stands in the way [of teshuvah].

In other words, if teshuvah cannot atone for a sin when the Divine verdict was accompanied by an oath - as in the case of Yirmiyahu 2:22, according to Chazal's reading - then the sending of the neviim urging the people to do teshuvah was pointless! Furthermore, this answer flies in the face of everything we know about the unstoppable power of teshuvah!

Instead, the Abravanel offers two answers: first the Radak's, and then his own. The Radak [3] resolves the contradiction based not on the acceptance of teshuvah, but on the process of kaparah (atonement) for different levels of sin:

Based on the divisions of kaparah (atonement) expounded by Rebbi Yishmael (Yoma 86a), the view of the Radak is proper and acceptable. [He answers] that if the Jews of that generation did teshuvah, they would be saved from the enemy and would not have gone into exile, but they [still] would have received [some degree of] punishment for their iniquities – whether by plague, or by famine, or by other catastrophes while they were still on their land. This is because there are iniquities for which teshuvah alone is not sufficient to provide kaparah; [in some cases the teshuvah must be accompanied] with yisurin (afflictions) that cleanse [the remnants of the iniquities] or with death. Regarding the possibility of saving the people from exile by means of teshuvah, [Yirmiyahu] said: “cleanse your heart from evil so that you may be saved.” Regarding the other punishments which cleanse iniquities it was stated here: “even if you cleanse … [your iniquity is a stain before Me.”

The Radak's answer is that teshuvah is always accepted - completely and fully - but this doesn't mean that the teshuvah will remove all of the punishments or consequences. In some cases, the sinners may need to endure suffering or even death in order to provide full kaparah. Accordingly, it would seem that in Yeshayahu's time, Bnei Yisrael could have done teshuvah and attained complete kaparah, whereas in Yirmiyahu's time, their teshuvah would have successfully "cleansed their hearts from evil," but there would remain a stain which could only be removed through additional suffering.

The Abravanel answers through a subtle reading of the metaphor which dissolves the contradiction:

But according to my own opinion, this question doesn’t apply to our pasuk, for here it did not state: “if you cleanse your heart from evil" - which alludes to true teshuvah - as he said in the other pasuk: “cleanse your heart from evil.” He didn’t say that in this pasuk because the navi didn’t intend to say here that even if they did teshuvah it wouldn’t benefit them. 

Rather, his intent was to say that the people of his generation were wicked in secret, but outwardly portrayed themselves as pious. Regarding this he said to them that even though they do outward acts of piety, Ha’Kadosh Baruch Hu knows their secret wicked actions. This is the meaning of: “even if you cleanse yourself with nitre and use lots of soap” – which are things used to whiten clothing. Behold! Despite all of the outward actions that you do with deception and fraud, “your iniquity is a stain before Me” – in other words, your hidden iniquity is a stain and a blemish before Me.

There is a difference between cleansing your clothing (i.e. doing external acts of piety) and cleansing your heart (i.e. doing real teshuvah, thereby changing yourself). The navi here doesn't say "you can't cleanse your heart" but rather "even if you cleanse your clothing, the sin of your heart is a stain before Me." 

Personally, I prefer the Abravanel's interpretation over the Radak's. Time and again we see the Navi rebuking Klal Yisrael for engaging in external forms of teshuvah while retaining their inner corruption. A great example of this can be found in another one of Yeshayahu's prophecies, which we read as the haftarah on the morning of Yom ha'Kippurim:

Cry out vociferously, do not restrain yourself; raise your voice like a shofar - proclaim to My people their willful sins, to the House of Jacob their transgressions. They pretend to seek Me every day and to desire to know My ways, like a nation that acts righteously and has not forsaken the justice of its God; they inquire of Me about the laws of justice, as if they desire the nearness of God, [asking,] "Why did we fast and You did not see? Why did we afflict ourselves, and You did not know?"

Behold! On your fast day you seek out personal gain and you extort all your debts. Because you fast for grievance and strife, to streak [each other] with a wicked fist; you do not fast as befits this day, to make your voice heard above. Can such be a fast I choose, a day when man merely afflicts himself? Can it be merely bowing one's head like a bulrush and spreading sackcloth and ashes?

Surely this is the fast I choose: to break open the shackles of wickedness, to undo the bonds of justice, and to let the oppressed go free, and to annul all perversion. Surely you should break your bread for the hungry, and bring the moaning poor [to your] home; when you see a naked person, clothe him; and do not hide yourself from your kin. 

This provides us with valuable practical insight: having a religious self-image can be an obstacle to teshuvah. The Jews in Yeshayahu's time - and, according to the Abravanel, in Yirmiyahu's time as well - viewed themselves as pious and religious. They brought their korbanos, they observed the moadim (holidays), they made their aliyos l'regel (festival pilgrimages), they davened, and they learned. This is precisely why Hashem's rebuke in our haftarah was calculated to shatter their pious self-image, which which was reinforced with outward actions of piety and the scrupulous observance. Yeshayahu's central message in our haftarah may be summed up as: "Who do you think you are?" He goes on to dismantle every characteristic that the Jews of his time used to prop up their righteous façade:

"You think you are loyal? You are rebels! You think you're special because you're the descendants of the Avos? You are like the citizens of Sedom and Amorah! You think you're righteous because you are scrupulous in the avodah ba'Mikdash (Temple service)? Your avodah is worthless to me. I am sick of your korbanos, your moadim, your aliyah l'regel, and I refuse to listen to your tefilos - all so long as you continue to harbor inward corruption and injustice towards your fellow man. Yerushalayim was once a city of righteousness and faithfulness. Now it is a city of murderers and liars." 

This "assault on self-image" is a harsh tool, but an effective one. My chavrusa gave an apt analogy: if you point out policy problems among the respective parties of conservative Republicans or liberal Democrats, this will be very easy for them to shrug off these critiques - but if you accuse the Republicans of being hell-bent socialists intent on destroying America or if you accuse Democrats of being villainous fascists who oppress minorities, that'll get their attention. And if you are skillful enough in making your case, you might succeed in getting them to question the veracity of their own self-image and identity. 

This is what many of the neviim sought to do in their rebukes of Klal Yisrael. If they merely pointed out specific aveiros (transgressions) and avonos (iniquities), it would be very easy for the Jews to shrug and say: "Sure, I agree that this is a problem, but there's always room for improvement." No real teshuvah would take place; any teshuvah they did would be confined to their outward actions - their clothing, rather than their heart. Instead, the neviim framed their rebukes in terms of identity: "Is that who you think you are? You are exactly the opposite." Once their self-image is shattered, the real teshuvah process can begin.

This is a core objective of the annual ymei taanis (fast days). Rather than wait for a national catastrophe to befall our people and compel us to engage in a national soul-searching, we use the national tzaros (catastrophes) of the past to prompt this type of introspection in the present, at regular intervals. Who are we, as a nation? Who are we supposed to be, and how have we become what we have become? 

This is also why we read haftaros such as this one today. Nevuah has ceased from our nation, as a result of our iniquities, but the contents of nevuah are more relevant than ever. The question is whether we will listen to the words of the navi and ask ourselves: “Who are we, as a nation? Who are we supposed to be, and how have we become what we have become?” 

[1] Don Yitzchak Abravanel, Commentary on Sefer Yeshayahu 1:18; this goes for all Abravanel references in this post

[2] Rabbeinu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides), Mishneh Torah: Sefer ha'Mada, Hilchos Teshuvah 4:6

[3] Rabbeinu David Kimchi (Radak), Commentary on Sefer Yeshayahu; I've chosen to quote the Abravanel's summary of the Radak's view, since it's a little bit clearer

National Teshuvah Gemurah

The first half of this blog post was originally published in September 2012 as the first of a two-part post. The second half is new, and picked up where the comments on the first post left off. The first half has been edited as well. 

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National Teshuvah Gemurah

The Question

The first year I learned Hilchos Teshuvah, my chavrusa (learning partner) and I got into a heated debate about the Rambam's definition of teshuvah gemurah (complete repentance*). The Rambam writes: 

2:1 - What is teshuvah gemurah (complete teshuvah)? This is when a person encountered the thing with which he sinned and it is possible for him to do it [again], but he separated himself and didn’t do it because of the teshuvah – not because of fear or weakness of ability. For example, if a person had illicit relations with a woman, and at a later time he became secluded with her, and he still loved her and had the physical capacity [to transgress again], and he was in the same city in which he [initially] sinned, but he separated himself and didn’t sin – then he is a baal teshuvah gemurah (one who has done complete teshuvah). This is what Shlomo ha’Melech says: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth” (Koheles 12:1). 

But if he only did teshuvah in his old age, at a time when it was impossible for him to do what he did – even though it is not a superb teshuvah, it is beneficial for him, and he is a baal teshuvah. Even if he transgressed for his entire life and he did teshuvah on the day of his death, and he died in his teshuvah – all of his sins are forgiven, as it is stated: “before the sun darkens” (ibid. 12:2) – this is the day of death; this implies that if he remembered his Creator and did teshuvah before he died, then he is forgiven.

Our debate did not center on some abstruse point, but on a basic question of how to read the halacha. As far as we could tell, there are two viable interpretations:

Reading #1: One way to read the halacha is to take it at face value: in order to do teshuvah gemurah, one must actually undergo the experience of finding oneself in the same scenario - with the same woman, the same desire, and even the same location - in which he initially transgressed, and he must refrain from sinning because of his teshuvah.

According to this interpretation, there is something lacking in one's teshuvah process until that teshuvah is put to the ultimate test. Only by undergoing the trial of facing the temptation to transgress, and prevailing with the power of teshuvah alone, can one's teshuvah be considered "complete." This final is the makeh b'patish of meleches ha'teshuvah (the "final blow" of the craft of teshuvah), without which, one's teshuvah is incomplete.

Reading #2: The other way to read the halacha is to posit that the Rambam is merely presenting a paradigmatic case of teshuvah gemurah - one in which all of the factors are the same, in order to achieve something like a control in scientific experiments to rule out any confounding variables. Such an idealized scenario would act as the perfect barometer to measure the "purity" (for lack of a better term) of one's teshuvah. However, it would NOT be necessary to actually undergo the exact same experience with all of the same particulars. "Teshuvah gemurah" is merely a term which refers to the highest level of teshuvah, and the Rambam is just giving us a "keitzad" case - an exemplification of teshuvah gemurah; a litmus test; a giluy milsa b'alma. He is not telling us what we need to do in order to achieve teshuvah gemurah.

According to this interpretation, one's teshuvah is not necessarily incomplete after going through the entire teshuvah process. Rather, it is possible to achieve teshuvah gemurah by following all of the steps, but one cannot know whether one's teshuvah process was complete until one is faced with the same scenario. At that point, the nature of one's teshuvah will be revealed: if he refrains by the power of his teshuvah alone, then his teshuvah was evidently complete; if he transgresses again, or if he refrains because of some other factor, then his teshuvah - though effective - was incomplete.

Practical Ramifications: The practical ramifications of this distinction are huge. According to the first reading, teshuvah gemurah would be a rarity of rarities. How often does one find oneself in a scenario which in which ALL of the factors are the same as they were at the time of the original transgression? In the majority of cases, the exact same scenario cannot be replicated, which would make teshuvah gemurah impossible. Not only that, but a few halachos later (ibid. 2:4) the Rambam writes that a person who does teshuvah should "distance himself exceedingly from the matter in which he transgressed." It would seem, then, that any attempt to do teshuvah gemurah - according to this first reading - is ill-advised by Hilchos Teshuvah itself! Does the Rambam really expect a person to violate Hilchos Teshuvah and put himself at risk in an attempt to do teshuvah gemurah?

But according to the second reading, it is possible to achieve teshuvah gemurah without needing to be in any specific scenario. Teshuvah gemurah might only be manifest if one finds oneself in exactly the same circumstances, but it is nevertheless possible to achieve in any time, place, or situation.

Arguments can be made for both readings, and I won't recount them here. Suffice it to say, my chavrusa and I debated this point for over a decade. Over time, we switched sides a number of times. Each year we raised the issue afresh, and gained new insights into teshuvah in the process.

Possible Proof for Reading #2

Several years ago, however, I found what I believe to be a clear proof that the second reading is correct (i.e. that teshuvah gemurah doesn't require the baal teshuvah to actually face the same scenario again). This proof can be found deep in the under-explored regions of Hilchos Taaniyos (Laws of Fasts) Chapter 4. The Rambam is describing the procedure for how the community should engage in taaniyos (fasts) during severe droughts:

4:1 – During each day of the final seven fasts for rain, we pray according to the following order: we take out the ark into the street of the city, and all the people gather around and don sackcloth. They place ashes on the ark and on the Torah scroll in order to stimulate crying and to humble [the people’s] hearts. One of the people takes ashes and puts them on the head of the Nassi and on the head of the Av Beis Din, on the place where the tefillin rest, so that they will be ashamed and do teshuvah. Each and every person takes ashes and puts them on his own head. 

4:2 – Afterwards, one of the wise elders stands before them while they are sitting. If a wise elder isn’t available, then a wise man stands before them; and if there is neither an elder nor a wise man, then a man of stature should stand before them. He addresses them with words of rebuke: “My brothers, it is not sackcloth nor fasting that has an effect, but rather teshuvah and maasim tovim (good deeds). For we find by the men of Ninveh that it was not said of them, 'and God saw their sackcloth and their fasting' but rather 'and God saw their actions' (Yonah 3:10). Similarly, in the words of the prophetic tradition it is said, 'Tear your hearts, not your garments' (Yoel 2:13). And he should continue on these themes according to his ability until their hearts are humbled and they return in teshuvah gemurah.

Boom. Right there. The Rambam could have used a number of other phrases. He could have said, "until their hearts are humbled and they return in tehsuvah" and stopped there, or "until they return to Hashem in teshuvah" or "until they return in teshuvah shleimah" - but no. He specifically used the phrase teshuvah gemurah. Knowing the Rambam, he meant what he wrote, and he wrote what he meant. If he decided to use the phrase "teshuvah gemurah," then we have every reason to assume that he was referring to the same teshuvah gemurah from Hilchos Teshuvah 2:1.

I was thrilled to find this halacha. To my mind, it utterly negated the first reading of Hilchos Teshuvah 2:1. If teshuvah gemurah required a person to be in the exact same scenario as the initial transgression, then it would be impossible to get an entire community of people to do teshuvah gemurah en masse, in a matter of hours, all while sitting in front of the wise elder and listening to his rebuke.

I believed that this gave us sufficient grounds to say that the case described by the Rambam in Hilchos Teshuvah 2:1 is merely an idealized teshuvah gemurah scenario, and is not actually required in order to do teshuvah gemurah. Teshuvah gemurah is achieved by following all of the steps of regular teshuvah, but in a more perfect manner.

Refutation of Aforementioned Proof

I wrote all of this up as a blog post in September 2012. One of my good friends, Yaakov, then refuted my proof based on the context of Hilchos Taaniyos. Here are the opening halachos:

1:1 - It is a positive mitzvah of the Torah to cry out and to sound the trumpets on every tzarah (catastrophe) that befalls the community, as it is stated, “[When you go to wage war in your Land] against an enemy who oppresses you, you shall sound short blasts of the trumpets, [and you shall be remembered before Hashem, your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies]" (Bamidbar 10:9), meaning to say: anything that afflicts you - such as drought, epidemic, locusts, and the like - cry out on them and sound [the trumpets]. 

1:2 - This principle is one of the darchei teshuvah (ways of repentance), that at a time of the onset of an affliction, and [people] cry out and sound the trumpets, everyone will know that it was because of their evil conduct that this bad occurrence befell them, as it is written, “Your iniquities have turned away these things [to you], and your sins have withheld good from you” (Yirmiyahu 5:25), and this will cause them to remove the affliction from upon them. 

1:3 - But if they do not cry out and do not sound the trumpets, but instead say, “This is a natural event which befell us, and this affliction is a chance occurrence” - behold, this is a derech achzarius (way of cruelty), and will cause them to cling to their evil conduct, and [this] affliction and others will increase. This is what is written in the Torah, “[And if, with this, you do not listen to Me,] and you walk with me with chance, then I will walk with you in the fury of chance, [and I will also chastise you, seven times for your sins]” (Vayikra 26:26-28), meaning to say, when I bring an affliction upon you to cause you to do teshuvah, if you say that it is chance, then I will increase upon you the fury of that “chance.”

Yaakov commented:

I don't think that this is a sound proof, since the context of the halacha is taanis ([communal] fast), hence the situation of cheit (sin) is still extant, since the tzarah is still extant. It is therefore teshuvah gemurah, even in the first sense (i.e. according to the first reading), in real time. 

To take an example from current events, it would be like exploring what error is leading us to have an economic recession (or having our enemies attack our embassies etc.) and correcting the error which is leading to the problem. It would be like doing teshuva while the woman is still in the room with you.

Yaakov was correct. Since the cheit in this context is a communal defect rather than a personal transgression, and since the communal cheit must still be extant - as indicated by the fact that the tzarah is still present - then teshuvah gemurah is still within reach according to both readings, not just the second one. Back to the drawing board.

Application to National Taaniyos

I haven't made any more progress on the question of teshuvah gemurah. However, in thinking about this issue this morning, I came to a realization that might help enhance our experience of national annual fast days.

Let's review the basic concept of these fasts. The Rambam begins Hilchos Taaniyos Chapter 5 with the following introduction:

There are days on which all of Israel fasts because of the catastrophes that occurred on them, in order to awaken the hearts [of the people] and to open the paths of teshuvah (repentance). This will be a remembrance of our corrupt actions and the corrupt actions of our fathers that were like our actions today, which ultimately reached the point that [these corrupt actions] caused these catastrophes for them and for us. Through the remembrance of these things we will return to do good, as it stated, “they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers” (Vayikra 26:40).

According to the Rambam, these national taaniyos are designated for doing teshuvah on communal chataim (sins) which were done by our predecessors and by ourselves. In other words, teshuvah gemurah is within reach because the chataim are still extant today.

This epiphany is of greater psychological than intellectual significance. I don't know about you, but I find that when I think about these tzaros (e.g. the siege of Yerushalayim on the 10th of Teves, the breaching of the city walls on the 17th of Tammuz, the destruction of the first and second Beis ha'Mikdash on Tishah b'Av, etc.), I relate to them as historical events, caused by sins in the past. Yeah, I've read the Rambam enough times to know that these sins still persist today, but I still think of these taaniyos as memorial days.

But this morning when I made the connection between teshuvah gemurah for personal cheit and teshuvah gemurah for communal cheit, and I realized that the annual public fast days are teshuvah gemurah opportunities for national cheit, my perspective of these days shifted. These public taaniyos weren't meant to be treated as commemorative days to reflect on events of the past, but as designated times to examine the problems of the past in order to diagnose and remedy the problems of the present.

Yaakov's analogy to a modern-day economic recession really clinched it for me. How many Jews relate to the tzaros commemorated by national taaniyos in the same way they relate to the state of the economy? How many of us examine the political infighting leading up to the destruction of the Second Beis ha'Mikdash with the same sense of passion, frustration, and urgency as we look at the political issues of today? How many of us read Chazal's analyses of the sins of our forefathers and view them as insightful op-ed pieces written about the problems that plague the Jewish world today?

To put it the way Yaakov did: How many people genuinely feel that the woman with whom our forefathers sinned is right here in the room with us, and the taanis is our litmus test to see how we will react to her advances?

Again, I don't think I'm making any new points here. And perhaps those who read this post will say, "So what?" But maybe this little review of Hilchos Teshuvah and Hilchos Taaniyos will trigger an "Aha!" moment for you like it did for me, and if that is the case, then we are one step closer to teshuvah gemurah.

* For the record, it pains me to translate "teshuvah" as "repentance." As a former professor of mine, Dr. Moshe Sokolow, pointed out:

In English, “repentance” derives from the same Latin root (poena) which produces the words “penalty” and “penitentiary,” and it complements the ostensible derivation of “sin” from the Anglo-Saxon “evil, or wickedness.” No such pejorative connotation, however, exists either in the Hebrew חטא [to miss (a goal), or to err] or תשובה [literally, return]. The compensation for a missed goal is a “do-over,” or “second chance.”

Unfortunately, translating "teshuvah" literally as "return" both looks and sounds awkward in writing, and I know of no better alternative. 

Parashas Behaalosecha: Trumpets, Shofar, and Rosh ha'Shanah

This post stands on its own, but can also be viewed as a sequel to Parashas Behaalosecha: The Non-Symbolic Trumpets.

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Parashas Behaalosecha: The Trumpets and the Shofar

This week's parashah introduces the mitzvah of the chatzotzros (trumpets). These chatzotzros served a number of functions: some of which were limited to Bnei Yisrael's sojourn in the Wilderness, and others which are part of Taryag (the 613 mitzvos) and are in effect for all generations. In this blog post we will focus on the role of the chatzotzros during an eis tzarah (time of trouble).

The pesukim state: 

Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: "Make for yourself two silver trumpets - make them hammered out ... The sons of Aharon, the Kohanim, shall sound the trumpets, and it shall be for you an eternal decree for your generations. When you go to wage war in your Land against an enemy who oppresses you, you shall sound short blasts of the trumpets, and you shall be remembered before Hashem, your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. On a day of your gladness, and on your festivals, and on your new moons, you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over your feast peace-offerings; and they shall be a remembrance for you before your God; I am Hashem, your God. (Bamidbar 10:1-10)

The Rambam [1] codifies this use of the chatzotros at the beginning of Hilchos Taaniyos (the Laws of Fasts) as a component part of the mitzvah of zaakah b'eis tzarah (crying out to Hashem during a time of trouble). He writes:

1:1 - It is a positive mitzvah of the Torah to cry out and to sound the trumpets on every tzarah that befalls the community, as it is stated, “[When you go to wage war in your Land] against an enemy who oppresses you, you shall sound short blasts of the trumpets, [and you shall be remembered before Hashem, your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies]" (Bamidbar 10:9), meaning to say: anything that afflicts you - such as drought, epidemic, locusts, and the like - cry out on them and sound [the trumpets]. 

1:2 - This principle is one of the darchei teshuvah (ways of repentance), that at a time of the onset of an affliction, and [people] cry out and sound the trumpets, everyone will know that it was because of their evil conduct that this bad occurrence befell them, as it is written, “Your iniquities have turned away these things [to you], and your sins have withheld good from you” (Yirmiyahu 5:25), and this will cause them to remove the affliction from upon them. 

1:3 - But if they do not cry out and do not sound the trumpets, but instead say, “This is a natural event which befell us, and this affliction is a chance occurrence” - behold, this is a derech achzarius (way of cruelty), and will cause them to cling to their evil conduct, and [this] affliction and others will increase. This is what is written in the Torah, “[And if, with this, you do not listen to Me,] and you walk with me with chance, then I will walk with you in the fury of chance, [and I will also chastise you, seven times for your sins]” (Vayikra 26:26-28), meaning to say, when I bring an affliction upon you to cause you to do teshuvah, if you say that it is chance, then I will increase upon you the fury of that “chance.”

It is clear from the Rambam's presentation that the mitzvah of chatzotzros and the mitzvah of zaakah b'eis tzarah are intertwined. The question is: What is the relationship between these two mitzvos? Why does the Torah command us to sound the trumpets and cry out in prayer at a time of affliction? 

The Ralbag [2] answers this question:

Whenever a catastrophe befalls the Jewish people, the Kohanim should sound a teruah ("crying" blast) on the trumpets ... and through this action, they will be remembered before Hashem ... for this action causes their hearts to be broken and crushed, that they may return to Hashem, so that He will have mercy on them when they pray to Him, for tefilah together with this teruah will cause them to be "remembered" for the reason we mentioned, because the frightening sound will cause people's hearts to tremble, as it is stated, "If a shofar is sounded in the city, will the people not tremble?" (Amos 3:6). Through this, their tefilah and their teshuvah will be complete. [3]

Like the Sefer ha'Chinuch, the Ralbag understands that the Torah chose chatzotzros for their impact on the human psyche. The clarion call of the chatzotzros may be compared to a tornado siren - a loud sound designed to trigger the emotional response of: "DANGER! DANGER! TAKE PRECAUTION NOW!" - but instead of propelling us to take physical precaution, the alarm sound of the chatzotzros prompts us to take spiritual precaution, through tefilah and teshuvah. 

It is interesting to note that the particular blasts that were sounded on the chatzotzros during an eis tzarah - namely, a teruah ("crying" sound) bracketed by a tekiah ("simple" blast) on each side - are the same blasts that are sounded with the shofar on Rosh ha'Shanah. This is not a coincidence. In fact, in each case, when the full mitzvah is performed in the Beis ha'Mikdash (the Holy Temple), the Kohanim sound both instruments simultaneously, in a manner that highlights which of the two mitzvos is being performed.

With regards to the teruah of the chatzotzros at an eis tzarah (time of trouble) the Rambam [4] writes:

During these days of fasting [over a tzarah that befalls the community] we cry out with tefilah and supplications and we sound the chatzotros alone. But in the Mikdash we sound the chatzotzros and the shofar: the shofar [blast] is cut short, and the [blast of] the chatzotros is prolonged, since the mitzvah of the day is with the chatzotzros. 

And with regards to the teruah of the shofar on Rosh ha'Shanah the Rambam [5] writes:

In the Mikdash one shofar would sound with the two chatzotzros on the sides: the shofar [blasts] would be prolonged, and the [blast of the] chatzotzros would be cut short, since the mitzvah of the day is with the shofar. 

This raises the question: What is the relationship between the teruah of chatzotzros at an eis tzarah and the teruah of the shofar on Rosh ha'Shanah?

The Ralbag offers a straightforward answer, based on his explanation of chatzotzros:

We have seen that according to the Torah, complete teshuvah and kaparah (atonement) follows after inui ("affliction" i.e. fasting) and teruah. It is for this reason that Hashem desired that the kaparah on the 10th of the Seventh Month (i.e. Yom ha'Kippurim) should be preceded by a teruah on Rosh Chodesh [of that month] (i.e. Rosh ha'Shanah), in order to subdue the hearts [of Bnei Yisrael] from [the recognition] of their sins so that they will do complete teshuvah to Hashem. Then, at the end of this process, they will afflict their souls (i.e. fast) on the 10th day. Thus, this is another instance of the pairing of teruah with fasting.

The answer given by the Ralbag is astounding in its elegance: the teruah of the shofar on Rosh ha'Shanah is a special case of teruah b'eis tzarah.

In other words, the beginning of Tishrei is the Yom ha'Din (Day of Judgment) - the period during which all human beings are judged for their deeds. This is an eis tzarah, in that our fate hangs in the balance. At the onset this eis tzarah, we sound a teruah as a alarm, calling us to take action. Unlike the standard eis tzarah of an imminent physical threat, in which Beis Din declares Ymei Taanis (Days of Fasting) and we engage in tefilah, teshuvah, and taanis until the affliction ends, the eis tzarah of Yom ha'Din has a predefined terminus: Yom ha'Kippurim, when our verdict is sealed. Accordingly, we engage in tefilah and teshuvah throughout the Aseres Ymei Teshuvah (Ten Days of Repentance), but we postpone the taanis until Yom ha'Kippurim - the final day of teshuvah on which we beseech Hashem for kaparah.

Here is a chart to illustrate the parallels:

Parallels between eis tzarah and Tishrei according to the Ralbag.

The Ralbag [6] is so committed to this theory of the month of Tishrei that in his commentary of Rosh ha'Shanah in Parashas Emor, he doesn't even make explicit reference to the fact that Rosh ha'Shanah is a Yom Tov; he merely frames it as a day of shofar-sounding on the Rosh Chodesh preceding Yom ha'Kippurim:

"In the seventh month, on the first of the month, there shall be a rest day for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts" (Vayikra 23:24). From this it is clear that the teruah on "an enemy who oppresses you" (Bamidbar 10:9) should be followed by inui nefesh ("affliction of the soul" i.e. fasting), for this is its purpose. Since Yom ha'Kippurim is on the 10th of this month ... [the Torah] prepares people by arousing them to do teshuvah and breaking and subduing their hearts starting with Rosh Chodesh of this month (i.e. Rosh ha'Shanah). It is clear that the shofar blast instills trepidation in the heart, as it is stated, "If a shofar is sounded in the city, will the people not tremble?" (Amos 3:6). In general, loud sounds are very terrifying, and serve as an means of subduing the nefesh ha'bahamis (animalistic psyche). It is as if [through shofar] we are being awakened to subdue our hearts and analyze our deeds to correct what is crooked therein, in order that we should be ready for the kaparah on Yom ha'Kippurim. 

On a more personal note, I have found this explanation of the Ralbag to be extremely helpful my own experience of the Yomim Noraim (Days of Awe). According to the Ralbag, shofar isn't a phenomenon of Rosh ha'Shanah. Rather, it is a phenomenon of eis tzarah which has a special expression during the Aseres Ymei Teshuvah.

By framing the Aseres Ymei Teshuvah as an eis tzarah, modeled after the eis tzarah of a physical danger, the teruah of the shofar on Rosh ha'Shanah carries a more powerful meaning for me than it did when I viewed it as its own isolated institution. 

[1] Rabbeinu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides), Mishneh Torah: Sefer Zmanim, Hilchos Taaniyos 1:1-3

[2] Rabbeinu Levi ben Gershom (Ralbag / Gersonides), Commentary on Sefer Bamidbar 10:9

[3] Ralbag also addresses the question of why the Torah doesn't explicitly mention the tefilah and teshuvah which accompany the chatzotzros. He writes: 

The Torah was silent here regarding the teshuvah and tefilah because it already stated as a condition, "and you shall be remembered [before Hashem]" which means to say: "do this in a way that will cause you to be remembered" - and this is through teshuvah and tefilah, which cause the divine hashgachah (providence) to extend to them.  

[4] Rabbeinu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides), Mishneh Torah: Sefer Zmanim, Hilchos Taaniyos 1:4
[5] ibid. Mishneh Torah: Sefer Zmanim, Hilchos Shofar v'Sukkah v'Lulav 1:2
[6] Rabbeinu Levi ben Gershom (Ralbag / Gersonides), Commentary on Sefer Vayikra 23:24