Divrei Yom Kippur
Teshuvah Through Torah
We are accustomed to
seeing teshuvah as an isolated phenomenon. “Ploni did an aveirah; now he does
teshuvah for it” is a model that is familiar to us. We usually do not take into
consideration the effect that one particular mitzvoh can have upon other mitzvos.
For those who are searching for even more avenues to return to HaShem, here is
an opportunity.
The Torah states: “And I will certainly hide My face on that day.” (Devarim 31:18) The Midrash Rabbah (42:3) declares that there this “hiding,” or breaking of the bond between us and Avinu Sh’b’Shomayim is the worst time for Klal Yisroel.
The next verse brings the remedy. “Now, write this song for yourselves and teach it to Bnai Israel.” (31:19) Talmud Torah, compared to a song, establishes, rejuvenates, and invigorates a Jew’s bond with HaShem.
How? We know that learning Torah holds a unique position among the 613 mitzvos, as the Mishnah (Peah 1:1) expresses: “Talmud Torah k’neged kulam -– Learning Torah equals all other mitzvos.” The Chofetz Chaim explains this Mishnah to mean that every word of Torah which we learn actually earns 613 mitzvos. Imagine this concept put into play with our children in school. Multiply the number of students in the class, by the number of words in the text they are learning, by 613 mitzvos per word. If our children would understand this, they would never miss a day of learning! (and all the more so, ourselves!)
HaRav Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt”l sees a more direct interplay between Torah and the other mitzvos, based upon the juxtaposition of the two posukim mentioned above. In essence, mitzvos have an exterior and an interior. The exterior is the action itself, e.g. sitting in a succah. The interior, where we connect to Hashem (i.e. He does not hide His face, so to speak) through that mitzvoh, can only be accessed through learning. In other words, our Torah learning activates and infuses our other mitzvos –- even those unrelated to the learning’s subject matter -- with life. This change is not just a matter of degree; according to Rav Pincus, the difference between doing mitzvos without learning Torah to doing mitzvos with Torah, is the same difference as that between a robot and a living human being.
How does this concept fit into teshuva itself? The foundation of teshuva stems from growing, developing, and deepening a kesher with Hashem. The more Torah we learn, the greater is the positive effect upon our other mitzvos, and the closer is our cleaving to HaShem. May we be zoche to take advantage of this great day and further develop our closeness with our Creator, our Father, our King.
It all happened one Motzoi Yom
Kippur...
Rabbi Ezriel Tauber, shlit”a, a popular lecturer and a prolific author, has spoken about a Polish gentile who became a ger tzedek shortly after World War I, a time when Torah Jewry was at a low ebb in Europe. This ger became a talmid chacham, married, and raised a wonderful family. When the Nazis came, his Polish relatives offered to save him, if only he would give up his chosen religion. He scoffed at their offer, and was deported. Survivors stated that while in line for the gas chambers, this man was seen dancing and singing, happy that he had been given the opportunity to die for Hashem.
Early on, someone had asked this ger tzedek, “So why did you become a Jew?” He responded, “It all happened one motzoi Yom Kippur. I was walking down the street, and I saw the Jews of my town leaving shul that evening. There they were -- Shloimie, Shmulik, Chaim’l –- people I’d known and worked with for ages. Regular guys. Now, however, they had become angels! I could see that whatever they had done in that shul that day had somehow transformed them, and I wanted it too!”