Yom Kippur
“Kol makom sheata motzeh gedulato shel HaKadosh Baruch Hu—sham ata motzeh anvatanuto … ” In Masechet Megillah (31a), Rabbi Yochanan teaches us: “Wherever you find the greatness of the Holy One—there you will find His humility, a fact proven from pesukim found in the Torah, in the Neviim and the Ketuvim as well. In the Torah, we are taught (Devarim 10: 17-18): ‘For your God is mighty and awesome … yet supports the orphan and widow …’ and in the Ketuvim, we learn (Tehillim 68: 5): “Sing to Hashem, rejoice in His presence … (for He is) the Father of the orphan, the champion of the widow … ””
The proof verse that the Talmud quotes from the Neviim is taken from the very outset of our haftarah on this Yom Kippur morning: “Ko amar ram veNissa … Marom veKaddish eshkon, veet daka ushefal ruach … —Thus says the Exalted One … High and Holy I abide—yet I am with the crushed and the humbled … ” Rabbi Yochanan is sharing with us a most revealing fact: Although Hashem is greater, holier and far above His creations, He—nonetheless—sees their troubles and cares for them.
As interesting and revealing this quote might be, we might rightfully wonder what the connection is between this holy day and its prophetic reading. However, a simple reading through this selection will clearly explain the connection of the Navi’s message and the haftarah’s opening verse. The prophet Yeshayahu cries out against those who regard fasting as simply an act of abstinence and rails against those who believe that by refraining from food and drink they have repented from their sins. He cries out, “‘Hachazeh yihiyah tzom evchareihu?—Is such the kind of fast I desire?’ asks God.” He goes on to exhort the people to learn the true purpose of a fast—not to be the ultimate goal in and of itself but to serve as a means toward an end—an end that includes caring for the less-fortunate, breaking the shackles of evil and the bonds of injustice. Certainly, there can be no better message for penitents than to urge them to change their sinful ways—by using the day of fasting as a time of introspection and a commitment to improve.
But our rabbis saw more in this vision than this one message, as important as it is. The point they make in the aforementioned statement—found in Masechet Megillah—is that this prophecy should also lead us to realize that God, the Almighty and the Most High, cares for mortal man and desires his repentance. God who—as Kabbalists understand—“reduced” His presence (“tzimtzum”) in order to make room for His creations, is also the Creator who cares for them and desires that they too, make room in their world for others. How beautifully the Maharal points out that these opening pesukim emphasize that humility and greatness are not to be regarded as contradictory values. Rather, he writes, Hashem’s greatness is revealed through His humility and is an essential “ingredient” of what defines Him as great!
For we who look to return and to improve, humility is an essential ingredient. Self-effacement helps us admit that we are not always right nor all-knowing. Only one who can recognize his imperfections can hope to perfect himself; only those who face their failures will succeed in avoiding them. Indeed, it is the very first step toward sincere repentance. The ability to realize our shortcomings, the humility required to change our ways, does not lessen us. Indeed, true greatness can be achieved only through humility!
Ask God … He knows!
Rabbi Neil Winkler is the rabbi emeritus of the Young Israel of Fort Lee, and now lives in Israel.
