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12 | Harav Shmuel Tzvi Berkovits ztz”l Harav Baruch Bodenheim | 13

Mori v’rabi Hagaon Hagodal Rav Chaim Stein ztz”l wrote in his tzava’ah that Harav Baruch B o denhe im
anyone who is m’kabel on himself the “chovas hasha’ah,” to never let a day go
by without an hour of learning, or at least a half hour, is promised by chazal, Associate Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva Ner Boruch-PTI
“kol hamikabel alav ol torah ma’avirin mimenu ol malchus v’ol derech eretz.” Rav Chaim
writes, “I will try bli neder to be meilitz tov for anyone who is mekabel and mekayem
this kabbalah.” I urge everyone to be mekabel the chovas hasha’ah or at least chatzi Reciting Selichos Can Grant us Early Forgiveness
sha’ah and you will get yourself an excellent saneigor.
find it fascinating that the US President can fully override the judicial
The Trumas Hadeshen writes, “Chavivin Yisroel d’Hakadosh Baruch Hu manhig beis system by forgiving a person convicted and found guilty of a crime.
din shel maalah achar sidreihem.” We have a tremendous power. Yom Kippur isn’t I Indeed, the Constitution of the United States gives the President plenary
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over until we finish ne’ilah. Don’t let it go to waste. power “to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in
We should be zoche to do a teshuvah sheleima and in this zchus we should be Cases of Impeachment.”
zoche to the geulah sheleimah, refuah sheleima b’brius haguf v’hanefesh, bnei All Presidents have used this pardon power to grant clemency. President
chayei u’mzonei r’vichay, and be sealed lechaim tovim ulshalom. Trump granted 237 acts of clemency during his four years in the White House.
Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, granted 1,927 clemencies, the highest
total of any president going back to Harry Truman. 2

Typically, Presidents have used this pardon power in their last days in office.
This concept can help us understand the selichos we will start reciting on Motzei
Shabbos.

I always found it quite puzzling that we start saying selichos, asking Hashem
for forgiveness, prior to the Aseres yemei teshuva” – the Ten Days of Repentance
between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, which are designated for remedying
wrongdoings. Wouldn›t it be more appropriate to observe these solemn days
of repentance prior to Rosh Hashanah, so we enter the day of judgement having
worked on our attributes, then daven selichos to gain forgiveness?

Rabbi Shimshon Pincus explains that Hashem’s love and desire for our good
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is so incredible that He allows us to start asking for forgiveness even before we

1 Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution
2 Pew Research Center
3 Sichos yomim noraim

Agudah Achasgudah Achas Agudah Achas
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