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Rebbi Akiva and the Soul of Yom Kippur

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Rabbi Daniel Glatstein Official avatar
Rabbi Daniel Glatstein Official

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Correct. >> Okay. And welcome everybody. Today we're going to speak about the yamakadeship. There's a teaching of Rabbi Aka that is considered so seinal to yum kipper that every single year theamifer began his yum kipper drasha expounding upon this particular teaching and he would give this drussa uh during kidre theam's kidra drasha annually was about the teaching of rabaka ashim This was so important to the to the every single year he would begin his expounding upon this Mishna of the continued this practice as reported in the safer shim. So teaches interesting. It's the Mishna at the end of Rabi invokesima invokes the Pizarikvah. So the question is there's no qu there's no doubt that this is a great teaching and this is an important teaching. Why was the one to offer this teaching to Israel? Why not? Why not tarine? Why not? Why? Number two, why does refer to asim? There are many names for Hashem. There are many appellations for Hashem. Why in the context of Yumipra do we refer to specifically as on the holiest day of the year? We begin the day with the time tested liturgy of Kidra. Kidra is probably the most well-known in our entire sed and what's interesting is does not begin with it begins with the oic. What exactly does this have to do with yum kipper? Why does yum kipper begin with the zuic actually we're going to re we're going to learn something very important now about rabaka and we're going to learn the gumar that speaks about the petira of rabiaka the garra says that one time in the end of raha from the days. One time the government issued a an arrest warrant. They made a decree that Kal cannot learn Tyra and Papus Ben Yehuda founder of Yakiva who was gathering large large crowds Barabim and they were he was in Tyra. So the papus Benjuda asked aka you're not worried they're gonna arrest you. So gave the famous mashall to a fox that was walking by the riverside and he saw fish. They were going from place to place and they were the fish were running away. So they asked um the fox asked what are you running away from? The the fish says we're running away from the nets that people are trying to capture us and trap us. So the fox said I have a great idea. Why don't you come on the dry land and I'll stroll with you and we'll be friends and everything will be uh happily ever after. So the fish says, "You're the smart one. You're the pakay. You're considered a clever sly creation. If in the place of our life we're afraid for death, we're we're going to die all the more." So if in water which is the source of our life we're afraid of being killed certainly if we leave the water. So too said if while we're engrossed in by which it says we're in danger if we're going to be from so they put in jail and they put Yehuda in jail. Papus said to Rabihuda Ashka that you were captured for. Woe to papus that he was captured for when they took a out to be murdered. They would comb his flesh with iron combs. They said to Rabbi Aka, Rabbi Aka was being hemim his said to him even now you're declaring God's unity. He said my whole life I was mire on this p I therefore hoped now that I have the opportunity I'm not going to fulfill it. The garra says he was okay this is a very well-known gam and shabas the bet of rabaka and uh we tend to understand this gamarra the rabbi if we was killed at the time of keshma we have this picture in our mind he was killed bishas kesishma shakas however However, if you look in the alkut shamani, the alkut shamani gives us a different story, the alkut shimani has a different tale of what happened to Rebaka. If you look in the alkut, the alkut says that when Rabbi Aka was imprisoned and Rabbi Aka passed away, it says Alio Hanovi was the one who revealed we are exactly when passed away. Take a look in this. The outlet says was guarded by Rabishui and Rabbi Shuhagarci left him on Aravy Kipper. Which is very interesting. Ali Yahoo came to report that Raba had passed away on Yum Kipper. So this seems to indicate that Raba did not pass away the morning of Yum Kipper. Now here's another piece of information because from the garra the garra says that rabbi ka passed away at the time of keshma but we don't know exactly we don't know exactly which krisheshma the garra says krishma like I mentioned the simple implication is he must have passed away during the time of krishma shell shakas But the Yachimi says that Rabika was imprisoned on Arabam Kipper and Elio came to report that Rabaka passed away. It seems to have been in the nighttime. Rabi Aka then says Rebel mayor brought in the safer shava passed away the night of Yamiper's mayor says was alashmipper like the med says that Elani made it known that Rebaka had passed away. So if you put says if you put together the medish that passed away on because there the gra says. So clearly he passed away in the night time and the garra says he passed away at the time of so he passed away in the night and he passed away at the time of kisheshma. Then Rabi must have passed away during the time of leakur. You heard this amazing revelation. The medish says Rabika passed away the night of Yamipper. The garra says he passed away at the time of Kesha. So Rabika must have passed away at the time of Kesha shall arise of the night of Yamakipur. Wow, that's amazing. Well, mayor says that the reason why we have a min to say at the beginning of is the safer aru written by Rabit of Vina. Rabbit Mina Rabbit Vina wrote uh the safer arzar. Why did he name it Arzaru? He says because he was shown in a dream when he wanted to uh to try to determinely when is what is the correct way to write the name Akiva in a get and he was shown in a dream. And based on this great revelation he named the actually it's interesting if you look in the chubamar that when was killed his name was changed where originally If you take the it spells with a he buter says the secret of the gar the secret of the garra is that the he was transformed into an alf. That's the secret of so Rabika's name originally was aka ending with a he but at the time that he passed away and he died saying the word. So the he was transformed into an alf. The bottom line is what's amazing is mayor suggests and actually the oft the he said that the would begin expounding on the teaching of Rabi Akiva the night of Yum Kipper because Rabbi Aaka passed away the night of yum kipper. The reason why the every would the would would expound upon the teaching is because wanted to expound on the teaching of the night that passed away. Yam kipper knight is the petira of and therefore mayor suggests that the reason why begins with is because it's a hidden hespid for it's a hidden hespid for rebaka Actually uh also suggests that that's the reason why yum kipper begins with because it is a hidden hespid uh for a like mayor suggested So friends, we're learning something very amazing. Today that yum kipper is the yard side of we begin the yum kiper service with the aric as a token hespid for would begin his expounding on the teaching of rabi kaika. We see that is very connected and inextricably bound to the uh the great day of Yam Kipper. It's very interesting that yum kipper is a very joyous day. The garra says inusim. But why is it such a joyous day? Isn't it a sad day? Isn't it the day of the petira of Rabbi Aka? You know, it's interesting that if you look in the shar, there are a number of uh days that are considered fast days. These are days of the patira of various sadikim. For example, the lists in some tough uh a number of that passed away and why that why their day of patira should be a day of mourning. So for example, according to the should technically be a fast day because it's the day of the Nissan should be a fast day for the Petira of Miriam Han should be a fast day for Benon. So there's a big question and this is a question that deals with that why do we celebrate is the day of the pet of the rashi? Well, on a day that sadik and pass away, the shar says we mourn, we fast. And as we just mentioned in number six, the shar lists many many that passed away on uh various days of the year and we fast on those days as a uh as a commemoration for their demise for their murder whether it's the first day of Nissan whether it's the 10th day of Nissan whether it's the 26th day of Nissan whether it's the 10th day of Er, which is the death of a in fact the even brings that on the fifth day of treka was imprisoned. So ask why do we celebrate? Why is a joyous day? Lag should be a day of great uh mourning for the Petira of the Rajbi. Why would we celebrate the Rajbi's Petira? We fast on Zad for the Petira. Why do we celebrate the petira the raji and in the safer preadic in paras for lag as well as uh in his the safer pikim he says something uh really stunning he says something rather amazing says there's a fundamental difference between the death of the and the death of the you see the death of the is tragic. We learned from them. We emulated them. We had their spiritual protection. We were we basted in their light. We bast in their spiritual shade. And now that they're gone, they're lost. And therefore on the day of the pet of from the we mourn we fast it's a great a day of great tragedy however says the raji was a student of rabbi rabaka is the father of the tab the garra says in Sanhedrin thisa the sifra the sri All comes from Rabbi Aka. Reb was his student. Rabb Shim said, "Learn my mid because my mid are the true mice are the choicest of my rebi rebi." A sage of the oral law. When the sage of the oral law passes on, something happens. The the medish says, The words of the sages are like pegs. Look at number seven. You know when the words of the are like pegs when the sage passes away so long as a Rebi is alive the student says I'll ask him later I'll I'll question it later. I'll iron it out later. I'll come to a true understanding later. But when the Rebi passes away, the student is devastated. The student knows he can't ask any anymore. And then the student applies himself to really understand the words of the Rebi and the teaching of the Rebi is ingrained in the hearts of the student. You see when passes away so we still have their writing and we could always learn what they taught. So nothing is transmitted on the day that they passed away because what they taught is written. And therefore when they pass away it's only tragic. But when one of the sages of the oral law passes away the passing of at the time of his passing is transmitted to his student. All of the of that theory of a is transmitted to his students on the day of his passing. The Rajbi was a student of the tab. Mosh Rabenu was tab. When Moshabenu passed away, it was just tragic. When Moshe passed away, it was only tragedy. And therefore, Zion there was a fast day. But when the Raji passed away at the time of his passing, all of the Shab all of the Cababala became ingrained in the hearts of the Tamidim like pegs. And therefore it's a day of great kabalas when the raji passes away. It's a day of great kabalas. So comes and he asks the million-dollar question if is a joyous day because it's one of it's the day that all the toy rabbi aka got passed passed on. It's the day that the toy of Rabbi AKA got ingrained in his students. So then why isn't the day Rabi Aka passed away a joyous day? Why isn't that a happy day? After all, when Rabbi Aka passed away, all of his teachings should be passed on to his students. That's the question of answers that in truth it should be a day of great joy. But the reason why it's not is because for one simple reason. He says because Rabi was killed and because Rabika was killed the day of his passing was not a day of celebration. The day of his passing is not a happy day like that is the approach of that the passing of the Raji is a day of great joy. The passing of Rabi Akiva on the other hand is not a day of great joy because Rabi Akiva did not pass away naturally. Here take a look. He says, he says, "The Raji was a student." And the Raji said, "And that was on." And that was reba was the sh of and on that day. H so asks the why didn't they why weren't they this great day on the day of's passing then so is saying that there's a fundamental difference between when one of the passes away it's tragic but when one of the passes away it's a joyous occasion It's just Rabbi Aka was murdered. So it can so we cannot celebrate on the day Rabbi Kea passed away. I would humbly suggest an alternative approach that the same way we celebrate Lagma, we celebrate the day of Rabika's passing. Doesn't the Gomorrah say why was Yum Kipper a joyous day? Yum Kipper was the happiest day of the year. Why? Because the was given on Yum Kipper. The Tyra we have today the was given on Yamipper. It's the most joyous day of the year. So I would humbly add the same way yum kipper is the most joyous day of the year because it's the day we got the it's the also the most joyous day of the year because it's the day that cla was the what all the comes from the gar and sanhedran said like we started the garra says mayor. It all is going according to Rabiaka. By the way, Ra Mosha Shapiro would say it's all on the heart of Rabbi Aaka. When Rabbi Aaka saw the water dripping on the stone and the water bore a hole in the stone and Rabbi Aaka said if water could bore a hole in stone certainly the could influence me. Now Rabbi realized that the Torah could penetrate his heart. So the Mishnayas and the TFA and the sifra and the saf it's all on the heart of rabbi. So I would say no, it's not that we're not able to celebrate the day of Rabbi's Petira. We do celebrate the day of Rabbias Petira. So it comes out amazing that the happiest day of the year which is Yum Kipper is the day the Torah entered the consciousness of the Jewish people like a peg. It started when God gave us the kipper and on the day of the of all of the penetrated our heart and therefore it's the happiest day of the year. It is the day of the true be it the be it the with the of and therefore therefore we begin with a tribute to Rabaka whose yard side is Yam Kipper. You see since Rabika passed away on Yum Kipper Yam Kipper is the day the Torah becomes ingrained in the heart of the Jewish people. Rabbi Aaka is inextricably bound with the great day of Yum Kipper. Yam Kipper is the Petira of Rabbi Aaka. You know it's interesting yam kipper then is the day of both and it's the happiest day of the year. You know that the shamani teaches us about the power of chuva. The alkut says they asked what should be the fate of a sinner. They asked what should be the punishment of a sinner. They asked and everyone said the sinner is doomed. Said then they asked and said that sinners should do chuva. From here we see chuva comes from a realm above and beyond above and beyond above and beyond to what realm is above and beyond and it's shabuva comes from doesn't give the of chuva nua doesn't give the of chuva doesn't give the of chuva chuva comes from tab. How does chuva work? Chuva works through a very important mechanism that we are and as the teaches the way chuva works is who is the one who teaches that we are It's if you look in perav teaches. So therefore reba who's the one who taught Israel that we're always rebaka is the one who teaches that chuva works is the one who revealed to us we are always the beloved children of hashem in fact if you look it says and actually if you look in the the perish And it says that was a rabbi. So learned from that we are always the beloved children of therefore now we can understand in the final references because rebika is trying to teach how chuva works. How does chuva operate? The mechanism of chuva is since chuva is reliant on being our father. We understand why Rabbi in the context of Yamipper and Shua teaches after all. We've learned over the years that Rabaka is the one who taught Rome. Rabbi Kea is the one who told to Rufus, you know, Toris Rufus said that how could Jews give saddaka if the king declares that someone should be poor and someone sneaks into their prison cell to feed this impoverished individual. They're being a malus and Raba said, "No, no, no, no. Bad analogy. A poor person is not analog is not analogous to the king decreeing someone should be poor. A poor person is analogous to a father who's the king who decrees that his son should be impoverished. Someone who supports the son of the king will be handsomely rewarded. Rebaka was the one who understood we are always the beloved children of Hashem. Therefore yakipurim is the day of yam kipper. Yumhakipurim is the day excuse me of rabbi. Rabbi Aka is inextricably bound to the day of Yumiper. It's the day of his patira. We begin the day with our Therefore is there any doubt why teaches teaches that because our beloved father he's able to atone for us And therefore it's only appropriate that yum kipper is a day of great joy. It is actually the day of the greatest joy of the year. It's inextricably bound with the Petira of Rabbi AKA and the Petira through the Petira of Rabbi AKA the Tyra Shab is ingrained in the heart of Kalis and Shuva is rooted in bina in the shab. And therefore we begin our ander would always begin his by expounding on the in fact that's the reason why taught we include the the night of it's the yam kipper is bound is inextricably bound with and rebaka's connection to chuva and rabi's teaching that we are always the beloved children of shabbashayim so instead of saying is a joyous day and well what could we do was killed so no yipper is a day of even greater celebration than it's because it's a day that literally the was ingrained in the hearts of okay wishing everyone easy fasten and we to the to experience the great teaching of Rabi. Everyone have an easy fast record. Get a