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YOM KIPPUR 5785
A Yom Kippur Like No Other
Rabbi Andrew Shaw Chief Executive, Mizrachi UK
It is Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, Shabbat Shabbaton and the holiest day of the year.
Yet, there has never been a Yom Kippur like this one
I have never come into Yom Kippur, so inspired, so uplifted and so positive.
Let me explain.
What is the focus of Yom Kippur? We all know that it is Teshuva
We also know about all the te llot that we say, and in particular, the centrepiece of the Teshuva of Yom Kippur, the Vidui prayer. There is of course the obvious question asked about Vidui, that if we are judged as individuals on Yom Kippur, why is it Ashamnu, Bagadnu and Al Cheit Shechatanu are all in the plural, surely it should be I have sinned, not we have sinned?
Rabbi Sacks explains: This is because on Yom Kippur we stand before God not only as individuals but as members of a people and because we hold that Kol Yisrael Arevin zeh bazeh – all Israel are responsible for each other.
Hashem – look at your people, look at us, look at what we have been through the last year. The horri c loss of life, the hatred, the demonisation, the evil. Do we ee, do we cower, do we lose hope, do we backdown?
No, look at what we have done for each other, how we have come together as a nation for our nation. How we have behaved towards each other and the world. We are not victims, we are proud and we are strong. How Israel, our homeland, is taking on evil and winning. How the brave soldiers of our nation are inspiring us not just with their heroism on the battle eld but their living Judaism off it.
Hashem - look at the families, who lost everything, who were hugged by the Jewish world. Tens of thousands came to levayot of someone they had never even met because that is who we are. We are rebuilding shattered lives, coming together to support, to love and to strengthen each other.
Hashem – listen to your people. They have awoken and they know You and they feel a part of our magni cent nation like never before The following is from a young Jewish woman, not a religious Jewish woman, just expressing what so many young Jews now feel, young Jews who were distant from Judaism and the Jewish people before October 7th:
This is a message for Hamas – hey there Jewish woman here. I just wanted to let you know that October 7th, you know the day you tried to wipe us out and humiliate us and cause pain and grief and immense sorrow – which you did, you did do that But you did something else too and I want to give you credit where credit is due. You awoke the entire Jewish diaspora. For every one Jew that you murdered on October 7th you awoke 100’s more. You united the entire Jewish world, you ignited something in us that made us proud to be Jewish, more interested in our Judaism than ever, more connected to our Jewish homeland than ever. You lit the spark that was dormant in all of us, that existed in our ancestors who survived people just like you. You hoped that we would cower in fear but instead we have been louder, prouder, more de ant than ever Our grandparents had numbers etched on their wrist We, my generation, we have Am Yisrael Chai etched into our souls. No matter what you try, no matter what you say, no matter how many times you lie. No matter what you try to do to make the world turn against us, the people of Israel will live, that’s a promise.
So Hashem, we will say the vidui prayer and we will individually and collectively try and repair the areas of our life that we have erred and distanced ourselves from you – but at the same time we will also think not just of what we have done negatively this year – but also what we have done positively.
This Complementary Vidui was written by Rav Binyamin Holtzman from Yeshivat Har Etzion and was inspired by Rav Kook's teaching, in order to complement the traditional Vidui prayer. As Rav Kook said:
‘Just as there is great value to re ne one ’ s soul by the confession of sin, it is also important to confess one ’ s good deeds – enabling joy to penetrate the heart and allowing the transformation of the oneself in the ways of Hashem.’
Read this prayer and just think of Am Yisrael this year:
Ahavnu – we loved
Bachinu – we wept
Gamalnu – we extended ourselves
Dibarnu Yo - we spoke beautifully
Heamanu – we believed
V’hishtadalnu – we put in effort
Zacharnu – we remembered
Chibaknu – we hugged
Taamnu Sefer – we immersed ourselves in learning
Yatzarnu – we created
Kamahnu – we yearned
Lachmnu Avur Hatzedek – we fought for justice
Mazinu et ha’tov – we took advantage of all the good
Nisinu – we tried
Sarnu Lirot – we took time to see
Asinu et Asher Tzivitanu– we did as you commanded us
Parashnu – We separated ourselves from the bad
Tzadaknu Lifamim – we were righteous sometimes
Karanu B’Shimcha – we called in your name
Ratzinu – we desired
Samachnu – we were happy
Tamachnu – we supported
Hashem, we are your people. We know we have the power to transcend, to show the world what being a Jew truly means. Your nation is demonstrating to the entire world what it stands for – truth, goodness, life and blessing. This year has been a true Kiddush Hashem in so many ways.
Yes, this is a Yom Kippur like no other.
So, Hashem, may you bless us, all of us
For a year of victory over our enemies.
A year of the safe return of all the hostages and the soldiers.
A year of the removal of evil’s dominion
A year of joy and celebration in your land.
And a year, nally, when the whole world, including all your nation, will nally realise the purpose of creation.
That You shall be King over all the earth and the Lord shall be One and Your name One.
Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom
Watch Dvar Torah from Rabbi Benjy Rickman >
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