וידוי מעשרות (Part 2)

The declaration concerning the giving of tithe to the poor and needy

Following on from my Devar Torah concerning the above, I mentioned there that by giving Tzedokah to the poor and needy this will be a great zechus to enable the מידת הדין to be replaced by the מידת הרחמים. This is very good for all the year round, but when we come to Yom Tov and Shabbos, we cannot physically give money which is muktzah.

On Rosh Hashonah, we are told by the Midrash, ויקרא כ''ט
בשעה שישראל נוטלין את שופריהן ותוקעין לפני הקב''ה הוא עומד מכסא הדין ויושב בכסא רחמים

Namely, that by blowing shofar, this causes Hashem to get up from the seat of judgement and sit on the seat of mercy. This, of course, is a similar concept to that mentioned above concerning the giving of Tzedokah.

Why should the blowing of the shofar cause this?

We know that the shofar is a remembrance to the אילו של יצחק, the ram. This was the ram that was spotted by Avrohom Avinu after he had been ordered not to kill Yitzchok.

The zechus of both Avrohom and Yitzchok who each individually negated themselves to follow the command of Hashem at the Akeidah demonstrated their complete acceptance of Malchus Shemayim, Hashem being the King of the whole world. Avrohom prepared bring up Yitzchok as an offering and Yitzchok agreed to this without complaint. It is, of course, the essence of Rosh Hashonah where we accept Hashem as the King. This is analogous to the comments made in respect of giving money to the poor and needy and using the expression השקיפה, namely that with all our flaws, we nevertheless, kept to the commands of Hashem and gave sustenance to the poor and needy. In the same way, on Rosh Hashonah by blowing the shofar, we awaken the zechus of Avrohom and Yitzchok who also overcame their personal feelings and did exactly what Hashem told them to do. This enables the מידת הרחמים to replace the מידת הדין.

However, when Rosh Hashonah falls on Shabbos, as this year, we do not blow shofar on the first day of Yom Tov.

May I suggest that there is less need to blow the shofar on Shabbos. The fact that we keep Shabbos and do not transgress any of the 39 מלאכות is sufficient. This demonstrates that we accept that Hashem is the King of the world. He created the world in six days and ordered us to rest on the seventh day, Shabbos. By doing so, we are once again, מעורר, we awake, the מידת הרחמים in place of the מידת הדין. This is sufficient for Hashem to judge us favourably.

The Gemora tells us that in the Bais Hamikdosh, the Temple, the shofar was blown on Shabbos. In the Temple (which had different rules) many מלאכות were carried out each Shabbos and, therefore, the reason I mentioned above, not to blow the shofar on Shabbos, does not apply there.

Turning, finally, to Yom Kippur, which is the final day in the cycle of מלכות, kingship and atonement for the Bnei Yisroel, we add another dimension. Yom Kippur is a one off. Not only may we not carry out any of the 39 מלאכות, but in addition, we fast. We are completely negating ourselves to Hashem because by not eating and drinking we are showing that we are willing to sacrifice ourselves, so to speak, all for the sake of the King of the universe.

May we all have a כתיבה וחתימה טובה.