Falsehood in Selichos & Tefilla

Okay, good morning everyone. Shalom aleichem. Today's sheer and breakfast is sponsored by our dear friend Rabbi Yaakov Baim, Dr. Yaakov Baim. Shkoyach. In honor of the yardzeit of the Ben Ish Chai Yud Gimel Elul Rabbi Yosef Chaim ben Eliyahu >> Rabbi Eliyahu. B'gan Eden tim l'chosech shiv'i ameilus yesharim from mishpachas Baim and for all of Klal Yisrael for a shnas chayim v'shalom shnas chayim v'shalem lanu ul'chol Yisrael. Amen. Shkoyach. We're going to continue on the subject of Slichos. What are Slichos? Why is it called Slichos? Slichos, we're asking for forgiveness. We didn't even start doing teshuvah yet, we're already asking for forgiveness. It's like the guy, you know, the biggest network of yeshivas in Europe before the Holocaust was Novardok. It's one of the biggest tragedies in Jewish history. Today you have the Chofetz Chaim yeshivas all over the country. The biggest network of yeshivas was Novardok. It was It was an empire of cross the continent. They They uh believed in harbatzas Torah and their focus in mussar was on shiflus where they would go into the beis medrash and they would learn mussar. They would say, "I'm a dead fish. I'm a dead fish." They would do things to overcome any arrogance they would have. They would go into, let's say, a nail store or and ask for fish or they would go to a fish store and ask for nails so that the owner would be mevayish them and they would they would lower themselves. Anyway, there was a guy who walked into Novardok and on his first day, he's looking around the beis medrash, everybody's saying they're a dead fish. So, he also he starts going, "I'm a dead fish. I'm a dead fish." And the mashgiach said, "You're only here one day and you're a dead fish? You you just be a dead fish on the first day. Takes time to be a dead fish." Anyway, I'm going to come back to that. Um What exactly are slichos? What are slichos? We're ready it's not even it's not we didn't even start doing teshuvah yet. It's not even Rosh Hashanah. What is the purpose of slichos? The Meiri writes the Meiri wrote a safer on teshuvah called Chibur HaTeshuvah. The Meiri says the purpose of slichos is to purify our mind and our heart before the Yamim Noraim. It purifies us. The recitation of of slichos is a purification process. But historically, where does slichos come from? There's something called yotzros. What are yotzros? Now anything that's appeared in small we anything that's in small letters we call it yotzros. But yotzros originally were piyutim that were inserted in the bracha yotzer or uborei choshech. Hence the name yotzros. Likewise, slichos originally on taanisim they added piyutim to the bracha slach lanu avinu ki chatonu. So, those added filois were slichos and now our slichos that we don't do it during shivanei aseres chodesh shvat continues to be called slichos. Okay. What is the optimal time for slichos? The optimal time for slichos is sof halaila kodem alos hashachar. The end of the night before alos. In most places they are not makpid to do this, says the Mateh Ephraim. The Orach Chaim already points out in siman taf kuf pei alef, you know the mnemonic? Hilchos slichos are in taf kuf pei alef. Taf, it's a tough time. And kuf pei alef, you need coffee. Anyway, ice coffee, hot coffee, whatever kind of coffee you want, okay? So, the optimal time to do slichos is the end of the night. In most places, they're not makpid on this. However, on the first day of slichos, you get up earlier than usual. Now, we're going to discuss why why earlier, meaning before alos. Alos, why? Cuz you want to say b'motzei menucha. Kidamnu Now, b'motzei menucha, you could still get away if you're not doing it before alos. Technically speaking, Sunday morning is b'motzei menucha. It is. As the day of Shabbos is going out, it's not mamash the moment of the exit of Shabbos, but it's not false to say b'motzei menucha. But, there are some things that we say that are a little bit maybe questionable if you're not saying it before alos hashachar. For example, b'za'aka som b'oid laya, when I cry out while it's still night. Here, they get you know, it's it's 8:00 a.m. It's not night anymore. Or, v'rotzei asirei am b'amdan b'leila is it's not the night. So, this introduces us to the following topic, okay? It's called the topic of divrei shkarim in tefila, lying in prayer. How do you let a lie when you pray? You certainly can't lie to somebody else. All the more so, how could you lie standing before Hakadosh Baruch Hu? It would seem to be something that one should try to avoid. The Gemara in Chagiga says in the sugia of arba she'nichnasu l'pardes that they said that when you get upstairs and you see blue marble, don't cry out my am I am. You're going to be upstairs in the in the orchard and you're going to see blue marble and it's going to be swirly blue marble and you're going to think it's waves and it's water and you're going to naturally instinctively say, "Oh, that's the water is coming. The water is coming." No. Heaven forbid when you're up there to be heaven forbid to say falsehood in the presence of Hashem. The possuk says the negative enough. Khasal say there are four groups of people who will not be punished. Sheena. Cut. Late son in and cut chakra name. God doesn't tolerate falsehood. So, falsehood seems to be something you should avoid. So, for example, the day before Rosh Chodesh some have a custom to say to feel like it's known as Yom Kippur Katan. And in Yom Kippur Katan there's something called a video hagada. And in that video hagada it says In this video it talks about many different emotions of how trepidation how how much trepidation and shaking and fear and awe and reverence. Says um some of them in our back. You know how to say it? You can't say it. You're not shaking. You're not You don't have any trepidation. There's absolutely If we stuck the trepidation ometer into your heart, it would register at zero. It wouldn't even be 0.000001. It would be negative trepidation. So, you can't say these words. Therefore, what do you mean but it's in the siddur? Says Shema Yisrael Zamin, before you say the vidui, you should say "Kach haya Rabbeinu Nissim omer." This is what Rabbeinu Nissim would say. >> So, you can say it, but you have to preface it with >> But, you say, "Well, that's not really saying it. You can't say it as if I'm saying this. I'm repeating over what a great man once said. Otherwise, it's a problem of doiver shkorim." >> We know when you say Shema, you're also supposed to say with >> You're supposed to, but you're not saying When you say Shema, there's no recitation. Ani omer zeh be'eima, beyirah, beretzon uvezayah. You You should, but here the problem is the nusach is saying, "I'm saying it with all of these holy feelings." And you're not really saying it with these holy feelings. Now, they asked Rav Zalman, "What about the fact that in this vidui, it mentions many, many chata'im that the person probably never violated?" I I have this uh I have a vidui, the vidui of the Chida. The vidui of the Chida goes by the aleph-bet, and it lists every possible aveira that you could violate by the order of the aleph-bet. I mean, how you going to say many of them Most of them people do violate, so it's really not a problem. But, uh the question is, are you allowed to are you allowed to say them? >> What about the al cheit? >> Also the Okay, good. >> But, al cheit it says "she'chatati." So, some of Just like you don't have to learn every halacha from mitzvot, it's also we're asking >> Yeah, yeah. Okay, let's let's hone in on the question. Al cheit, you're going to say um you know, sh- I committed avodah zarah, I murdered, min ha'chupah. Whatever Whatever we do wrong, we hope uh most of those things we're not really doing. So, how's it appropriate to say the al cheit? There's So, there are various approaches to that. Regarding that question, before we get to Rav Zalman, some say it could refer to something aveirot one may have done in a different gilgul. Or, because there's like Rav Assi said, there's collective responsibility. So, Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh La Zeh. So, if some if a Yid committed any of these sins, we're all liable. Or even if we didn't murder outright, maybe we embarrassed someone publicly, and that's like the that's what Dr. Yaakov was thinking, yeah? >> There's different gradations of of sin in different in different manifestations, according to one's level. >> So, right. So, if let's say somebody embarrassed someone publicly, that's akin to Retzicha. Or if somebody maybe looked at something Amadus, that's akin to something more severe. Reb Zalman says, the saying of Eider for something that maybe you didn't violate is not a problem, because it's a Nusach Klali. That it's just a general uh it's a general composition listing of Avaros that people generally violate. And actually, the Avaros that you know you did violate, you should specifically focus on. But regarding this, that when Rabbeinu Nissim Gaon was Masakin that people should actually have this fear or trepidation when they say this uh recitation, and it's said Belashon Yachid, it would be a problem just to say it. Therefore, Reb Zalman said you could say Kach Haya Rabbeinu Nissim Omer. Otherwise, you're violating the Pasuk in Tehillim Perek Aleph, Doiresh Garim Lo Yakin Lo Yakin La Neged Einai. Especially when you're standing in Tefillah. Now, Reb Zalman was specifically uh worried about this. So, what about Tefillos that say, "Hashem, Yihyu Retzon Lifanecha, Shome'a Kol Bechi Eis." And the guy's not crying. Hashem, may be Your will, You hear tears. He asked Korach Mayam, Bereishis >> Yeah, when we say that He wrote some of Shomaya or The guy's saying it straight-faced, no emotion, and he says, "Look at the tear of my eye." What tear? We're looking. We have you on camera. There's no tear. So, says Zalman you you're allowed to say it. Even if you're not crying you should have in mind the tears of the tzibbur or the tears of Klal Yisrael. And then Zalman says, "Okay, we're going to come back. Could you say Shacharit Kamti if you're davening at a 10:30 a.m. slichos?" "I woke up early Reb Yisrael." The guy's, you know There's Mincha going on on the other room on the side. You know, while the guy's saying, "Reb Yisrael, I woke up very early." You're allowed to say that, but we're going to come back to that for in a moment. Reb Zalman likewise said not to make fake movements by davening. Okay, he's going. And while he's going like that he's thinking about, you know Trump's press conference. Or the guy he's going You know, and he's thinking about what time the game is. Says Reb Zalman do not make gestures, false empty gestures by davening. Actually, and the story goes like this. There's a minyan of Reb Zarach Braverman. And they would daven Maariv Motzei Shabbos by the Kotel. And they had a very very tzibbur. And a lot of the Nikkei Hadassah of Jerusalem would govern there and it began 30 minutes after Tzeis Hakochavim. And it went on for 1 hour with tremendous historeus and nefesh and the chazzan was Reb Zarach Braverman. And then they would sing Achinu and they would they would make a misheberach. And Reb Zalman joined this minyan when he was a young man. And then he stopped and they asked him, "Why do you stop?" And he said as follows. Reb Zarach Braverman he would daven by pouring out his soul with a beautiful melody. He had a specific movement he would do. Uvahem negeh yomam valaila. He had like a specific gesture he would make when he would say the words Uvahem negeh yomam valaila. And it for him it was genuine and it was an expression of real feeling. One time Reb Zarach couldn't make it. And they appointed a different guy. So this guy, you know, his debut in the you know, special tzaddikim minyan. And he's up to Uvahem negeh yomam valaila. And sure enough he was able to do just that exact gesture. And Reb Zalman is looking there like, "Come on, give me a break. This is Reb Zarach's gesture, you know? For him that was him. Now you're going to have a guy copying him?" So Reb Zalman said, "I decided this is not the right place for me." Because once the manner of davening became like legislated, "Okay, now it's Uvahem negeh yomam valaila time. Everybody together make a righteous gesture." So the whole thing is is hypocritical. It's mezuyyaf. It has no honesty to it. I have no interest in it. One time Reb Zalman said to one of the members of his household when they were young who was moving as the custom of young Yeshiva bachrum as they become devoted to Torah and avodah so sometimes their outward movements become very impassionate. You know, in some Yeshivas on Rosh Hashanah, you ever done in Yeshiva on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? Some Yeshiva banging you the the stenders are going to crack. They're karate chops, you know, judo, you know, like taekwondo, I don't know all the different things. The tables are going to crack, the ceilings are they're screaming, hollering, shouting, bashing, smashing. It's what it's it's intense. So, Reb Zalman said like this to his son, "Had I not known about you that you're 100% genuine and all of these motions and movements are 1,000% real, I would have stopped you." I think there's something very very deep about that. Probably what he was saying is cut it out, but he didn't want to say cut it out, but that was that was his that was his way of saying, you know, come on, shake shake it, you know. Anyway, so this is all part of um trying to be careful not to be disingenuous when you daven. So, now the question though is um in some shuls, they daven the first night after chatzos halayla. And in some shuls, they daven in the morning. Now, if you daven after chatzos halayla, at least it's you're honestly saying um the lashon that I said bizchut chatzos halayla ooh or uh you're saying or let's say arvees arvees um um daven balaylaise. But what do you do if you daven slichos in the morning? Whether it's the first day or day and you get up to a term that says we're crying out to you in the night, what do you do? Dar Hashulchan says that if you don't say Slichos before Alos Hashachar even though you could say it afterwards, you need to skip the words Biz'asom Layla. Layla, you have to skip those words. And you should skip the words Ashmuros Haboker Haboker cuz it's not by Ashmuros cuz otherwise it looks like you're lying. Rav Zalman says Rav Zalman says like this. He says you could say Shachar Kamti even if you get up after Alos Hashachar. Because when people say they get up early, it means that they get up 5 minutes early. Nowadays, if people get up 5 minutes early they're already they're thrown off for like two, they're jet lagged. You see the guy, you know, well, why are you so tired? I'm jet lagged. What happened? I got up early. What time you got up? 4:00 a.m.? No, I got up at 6:59. You know, they got up early. So So in you may it's like Nedarim, you know, Lashon Nedarim goes by Lashon Bnei Adam. So too uh Slichos, but the question is could you say the night? I mean, that's straight out a lie. It's not the night. Even though in some people's mind, you know, at 11:00 a.m. is like Neitz Hachama, you know, so 10:30 is still the No, that we I haven't seen anyone who says you're allowed to say the words Biz'asom Layla and by Ashmuros Haboker. Now you're not allowed to say Slichos before Chatzos. Kodem L'chein, you can't say Slichos. Um now, but the here's the question. What's better? It The best is to say before Netz Hachama. Is it better to say it at night after chatzois or in the morning after Netz Hachama? So the safer Ishei Yisrael brings uh from Rav Chaim Kanievsky that if you're not saying slichos before Netz Hachama, the second best option is to say it after chatzois. However, he brings from Rav Ovadia Yosef that it's better to say slichos after Netz Hachama, it's even better than saying it after chatzois. Which is interesting. >> In the morning >> In the morning, yeah. >> Sunrise >> Yes. >> Better than saying it waking up >> It's better It's >> after chatzois. >> Or staying up What's say Motzei Shabbos, right? And most kill you I'd say slichos the first night after chatzois. In the yeshivas and many yeshivas they do it in the morning. Um Here we do it even the first day in the morning. Uh the I would say the first factor would be it's best to say it when you're awake. You know, that's the first you have to be up. You know? If you're not up, it's hard to say slichos. You know, they've done studies on this that it's very difficult to say slichos if you're sleeping. So whichever one you'll be up for, um Now the question is like this. Let's say Well, we spoke about how important it is to learn during Chodesh Elul. Yeah, Yaakov had Torah on this and the importance of the Beis Medrash in in Chodesh Elul. What's more important, learning or saying slichos? Should you minimize your learning to be able to say slichos or should say no, Talmud Torah k'neged kulam? There's no question, Torah has more spiritual value than say reciting slichos, but sal Talmud Torah during the days of to be able to say the answer is yes. During the time of it's more important to say than to learn Torah. >> Towards the end of as you're approaching >> Yeah, during this man of meaning even if you have to minimize your learning, of course, the purpose of is to take away from sleep, not to take away from learning, but realistically realistically human beings do need sleep. So, if it's a choice, in other words, should you say at the cost of to some extent minimizing learning the writes in the yes. I would humbly offer the following to that. First of all, there's a at 10 minutes at 10 minutes at 10 minutes Believe the says this a lot more than at 10 minutes at 10 minutes at 10 minutes is now. Did you ever notice the size of the during the weeks of at 10 minutes This past week all of a sudden it was 122. It's a massive at All of a sudden the weeks of it's 40 it's 30 it's 52 at 10 minutes What's the time? The parish of you know is the parish of the week. And the gives us literally a bridged during the week of at 10 Maybe that's to indicate that where we were the recitation of and purifying ourselves to the end of the road is so important that even if it means to a degree minimizing Tom and Jerry that's what's required during a this man. Of course, we want to be in the middle of cuz it's our greatest loss and on the scales 1 minute of Tom of Torah you could accomplish um more than a minute of any other mitzvah. Nevertheless, if it comes at the cost of minimizing Torah, it's Kaday Amira's Haslichus is is Adif during this month. Yeah, that's what I got for you today. Have a good day. I'll talk to