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10 | Harav Shmuel Tzvi Berkovits ztz”l
H arav Shm ue l Tz v i B erk o v i t s z t z ” l
Seizing the Moments of Ne’ila 1 Gemara, the koach of one tefilah from one yid, when said me’iomek haleiv. Rav
he author of the sefer Taklin Chadi’tin, Rav Yisrael Mishklav, was the
leader of a group of 40 families of Talmidei HaGra who set out to move
T to Eretz Yisrael. Their travels were interrupted when the ship they were
on was caught in a mighty storm. The captain of the ship approached Rav
Yisrael and told him, “It’s just a matter of time before the ship cracks from
the pressure of the waves. I suggest you prepare your students for the worst.”
Rav Yisroel gathered everyone together and told them that it was time to do
teshuva. “Normally, we are not misvadeh aloud because we don’t want others
to know our chataim. However, in our case, when none of us will survive, let us
rise--one by one--to be misvadeh.” A young bachur got up and tearfully said, “I
come from a very poor home. My parents told me that I need to leave yeshivah
to help support the family. I very much wanted to remain in yeshivah and asked
them if my contribution to the family can be that I will no longer eat supper
at home. My mother asked, “What are you going to eat?” I told her that the
yeshivah serves doubles by lunch and I can save my second portion for supper.
Through many tears the bachur continued. “Yeshivah never served doubles. I lied
to my parents and went to sleep starving so that I can sit and learn. I am being
misvadeh on the cheit of sheker.” At that moment, Rav Yisroel cried out and said,
“Ribono Shel Olam, look at your precious children. Mi k’amcha Yisroel! These are
their aveiros… In selichos, we say to look at our troubles, not at our chata’im. Now
Ribono Shel Olam, look at our chata’im.” At that moment, the storm subsided.
One Yom HaKippurim before ne’ila, the Satmar Rebbe zy”a cried out, “All the
shearim are open, now we need to open the gates of our hearts.”
We are standing at the end of a battle with one arrow left.” Yesh kona olamo
bsha’ah achas”. We have just a few minutes left to Yom Hakadosh. Your life, the
life of your family members, and the life of every Yid is dependent on these
1 Excerpts from a drasha delivered before Ne’ila, on Yom Kippur 5776 in K”K Beis Shmuel
Tzvi (Khal Yereim) by Rav Shmuel Tzvi Berkovicz Zt”l.
Agudah Achasgudah Achas
A Agudah Achas
Harav Shmuel Tzvi Berkovits ztz”l | 11
next few moments. The Gemara in Yuma says, when the Kohen Gadol would
daven for rain, he would daven that the tefillos of travelers who don’t want
rain shouldn’t reach Hkb”h. Rav Simcha Zisel Mi’Kelm points out from this
Elyashiv ztz”l once said, “Today, every erlicha yid is a shaliach tzibur.” Daven for
refuos, yeshuos, shidduchim, parnassah, bnai chayei umezonei, hatzlacha with our chinuch
habanim vhabanos… but, we must not forget our neshamos. We must be mamlich
Hashem Yisborach on ourselves. We must daven; “yisgadal vyiskadash shmei raba.”
“V’yeidah kol pa’ul ki atah pi’alto.” Daven that there should be no anti-semitism,
“hareim keren yisroel amecha.” Daven that your neshama become white and remain
white.
Chasmeinu bsefer chaim tovim
B’sefer geulah v’yeshua
B’sefer parnassah v’chalkalah
B’sefer zechuyos
B’sefer selicha u’mechila
Asey imanu tzedaka v’chesed v’hoshienu
The Rambam writes in Hilchos Teshuva that Yom Kippur is not mechaper for
the aveirah of chillul Hashem r’l. My tei’rah yedid, Rav Moshe Mordche Grunfeld
shlit”a, shared with me a beautiful Meshech Chachma. Rav Meir Simcha says,
when Hkb”h judges Klal Yisrael, He is surrounded by malachim. The malachim on
the right of Hashem Yisborach are melamed zchus and the malachim on the left
of Hashem Yisborach are melamed chova. But, when it comes to chillul Hashem,
no malach would dare to offer a tzad zchus. However, by ne’ilah, says Rav Meir
Simcha, it’s just you and Hashem Yisborach. When it is Hashem Yisborach
alone, He can be mochel. Like the sefer Zera Kodesh and the siddur Ha’Arizal
write, “ne’ilah” is mi’lashon “na’al ka.” Hashem Yisborach locks the door and has
yichud with Am Yisroel only.
The Mahram Mi’pano writes, just like a blind person is choshuv kmeis, when we
close our eyes from seeing re’iyos asuros, Hkb”h is mochel us like misah on chillul
Hashem.