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42 | Harav Mattisyahu Monheit Harav Yaakov Pascal | 43

only as a family member of Rivka. The avodah after Yom Kippur is to start Harav Ya ak o v Pa sc al
doing mitzvos, such as sukkah and arbaah minim. These mitzvos surround and
infuse us with kedushah, building up our relationship with the baal hasimchah. Rav, Khal Park Ave.
That should bring us to a point of closeness where we are written in the book
of life for our own merit. The pinnacle of these days is Simchas Torah, where we
dance in the inner circle, sharing in Hashem’s simchah as our own. Rav Chessed V’Emes

May we be zoche to dance in the ultimate simchah together, b’mheirah b’yameinu! s we approach the yemei harachamim veharatzon, I would like to focus
on one of the highlights of our tefillos: the recitation of the תודמ ג”י of
A Rachamim.

Beginning with slichos and reaching a crescendo at Ne’ilah on Yom Kippur, we
recite the ג”י middos numerous times. The reason we place so much emphasis
on the תודמ ג”י is based on a gemara in Maseches Rosh Hashanah.

The gemara tells us that there is a bris kerusah with the תודמ ג”י that they will
never be turned away empty handed. In addition, the gemara tells us that
Hashem told Moshe that when Klal Yisroel sins, “oseh l’fanai es haseder hazeh –
they should do before me this order” (referring to Hashem›s recitation of the
Middos) – and they will be forgiven.

With this in mind, it is incumbent upon all of us to have an understanding
of the meaning of the ג”י middos so that when we daven this powerful tefillah
we are not merely reciting words. Indeed, many of the Rishonim give detailed
explanations of the meaning of each one of the ג”י middos. However, there is
one middah whose true meaning has troubled me: that is the middah of emes.
Rashi and others explain this middah to mean that Hashem is trustworthy to
reward those who have earned it. While this definition seems quite simple,
what troubles me is: Why is this considered a middah of mercy? It would seem
that giving someone the reward they have earned is not rachamim, but din –
justice.

This leaves us wondering: what is the middah of rachamim that is called emes?

This question is not merely academic, or a question of what kavanah to have
during davening. The Reishis Chochmah and others explain it as follows: When
the gemara in Rosh Hashanah says that when Klal Yisroel sin, they should be “oseh
l’fanai es haseder hazeh” – that means that Bnei Yisroel should actually carry out

Agudah Achasgudah Achas Agudah Achas
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