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34 | Harav Eliezer Krohn
pronouncement is not ours to make. Once Hashem has given us such a gift as
teshuva, which would otherwise be a practical impossibility, it is not for us to
despair of realizing his command and distance ourselves from the gift of its
possibility.
The Gemara tells us (Nedarim 39b) that teshuva is one of seven things created
before the world itself was. Were it not so, explains the Ran, the world
wouldn›t be able to exist, for in a world of bare judgment, without teshuva, who
could survive Hashem›s wrath? Elsewhere (Menachos 29b), the Gemara relates
that Hashem created the world with the letter heh, the letter that represents
teshuva. Indeed, if not for Hashem’s help, we wouldn›t even be able to do teshuva
(Kiddushin 30b). A gift so great and so helpful we could never rightly consider
as too far off. This striking truth helps us now address the first question above:
The verses characterize teshuva through such grand contrasts because teshuva as
a possibility is so very out of the ordinary, so very a-typical, so beyond nature.
It is indeed very far from us, yet practically, thanks to Hashem’s gift to us at
creation itself, teshuva remains always right in front of us, in our mouth and in
our heart to perform.
And -- believe it or not -- it is easy! Hashem takes something naturally very
difficult for us and makes it attainable. Those who appreciate baseball will
readily notice that the home-run hitters usually lead the league in strikeouts
because they swing for the fences all the time and, more often than not, will
swing and miss. Yet sometimes it›s better just to try to get on base, to play
small ball. Teshuva is the same way; it might be more useful in the long run to
take small kabbalos upon ourselves, growing bit by bit, taking baby steps. Yes,
it›s more exciting to hit grand slams, but going for such excitement might
compromise our consistency and cost us long-lasting growth. In a similar way,
to a certain degree teshuva is indeed easy. Hashem makes it possible for us,
through consistent attention to attainable progress, to achieve, long term,
extraordinary growth.
May Hashem help us all obtain great heights in teshuva and avodas Hashem, and
be zokhe to a Kesiva v›Chasima Tova.
A
Agudah Achasgudah Achas
Harav Yechezkel Khayyat | 35
Harav Ye che z k e l K h a y ya t
Chacham, Sephardic Congregation of Passaic Clifton
Mizmor Le’sodah
hroughout the months of לולא and ירשת, there are many changes to הליפת,
from תוחילס to וניבא ונכלמ, to ללה and תופקה. One seemingly minor change
T is cited by the מר”א in (תוכלה תוכרב וא”ח נ”א:ט). The מר”א says that on the
morning before םוי רופכ we omit רומזמ הדותל in יקוספ הרמזד. Understanding the
rationale and debate behind this custom can give us much insight into the
place of this רומזמ.
This custom is based on the association of הדותל רומזמ with the הדותsacrifice.
The הדות ןברק was accompanied by 40 loaves of bread and הצמ, and all of these
plus its meat had to be eaten by midnight that night. Since no one would be
able to eat after sunset of רופכ םוי, bringing a הדות ןברק on רופכ םוי ברע would
likely lead to some of it being burned unnecessarily. To avoid this, it wasn’t
brought on רופכ םוי ברע . The custom is therefore to omit this רומזמ, which can
be understood as a verbal replacement of the ןברק, based on the principle of
)ג:ד”י עשוה( וניתפש םירפ המלשנו – and we will replace the bulls [of sacrifices] with our lips
[verbal recitation]. In the same vein, the א”מר says that it is omitted onחספ ברע
and חספ דעומה לוח. Since some of the loaves were ץמח , it couldn’t be brought
on חספ. In addition, since ץמח can be eaten only on the morning ofחספ ברע
, it wasn’t brought then, to avoid unnecessarily burning the likely uneaten
leftovers.
The רוט (וא”ח פר”א) says that the custom in זנכשא is to omit this רומזמ on תבש.
Since the הדות is a voluntary offering, it may not be brought on תבש, and
therefore its רומזמ is omitted. The רוט, however, states וניא םעט לש רקיע – it is
not a valid reason. The תיב ףסוי explains that the רוט disagrees with the premise
that the רומזמ is a verbal replacement for the הדות ןברק , and therefore it may be
said even when the הדות isn’t brought.
The practice of םידרפס follows the position of the רוט and ףסוי תיב , uncoupling this
רומזמ from the הדות ןברק, leading to a number of practical halachic differences.
The )א”נ:א”נ( םייחה ףכ records that the custom of םידרפס follow the custom of
Agudah Achas