Laws of Erev Yom Kippur (Siman 131)
00:03 - Intro (Announcement)
You're listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of Torch in Houston, Texas. This is the Everyday Judaism Podcast.
00:12 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
All right, welcome back everybody. Good morning, welcome to the Everyday Judaism Podcast. Today we are doing a bonus episode from Simmon 131, kof Lamed Aleph, and these are the laws of Erev Yom Kippur. There are 17 seifim, 17 little sections to this, and we're going to go through all of them in as concise a way as possible. So the Kitzer introduces here the day before Yom Kippur is characterized as a mixture of penitential preparation for the awesome final judgment. Day of Yom Kippur is characterized as a mixture of penitential preparation for the awesome final judgment day of Yom Kippur and confident joy in Hashem's mercy and forgiveness. The hopeful aspect of the day is reflected primarily by the scriptural commandment to feast on Erev Yom Kippur as we do on a festival. Also included in this simon are several customs and traditions that are central to presenting an image of atonement and purity as we prepare to stand before Hashem on the Day of Atonement. So we know the Day of Yom Kippur is a Day of Atonement. It has been so for 3,300 years. Where Moses attained atonement for the Jewish people after the sin of the golden calf, where God says you asked for forgiveness and therefore I forgive. So Seif, number one, an ancient procedure of kaparos kaparos means atonement, is cited by the early Gaonim. The Torah. The Orachayim brings it down and is detailed in this. If the chicken used for Kapparos is referred to as a Kappara, as an atonement, what are we talking about? Noag en lasos, kapparos be'erav yom kippur. It is customary to perform the Kapparos service. What is the Kapparos? Basically, what you do is you take a chicken and you say a certain prayer Ze halifasi, ze tmurasi, ze kaparasi. This is in place of me. This is an atonement for me, this is an offering. Instead of me being slaughtered, let this animal be slaughtered. Be'a sh'mor saborka. When is it done? During the final third of the night, so it's really early in the morning. She'oz harachem im. During the final third of the night, so it's really early in the morning, because at that time the mercy is at its highest point. Hashem's compassion is most dominant.
02:33
The Kitzu details the Kappar's procedure. What's the process? We take a rooster that has not been neutered for a male and we take a hen for a female. And for a pregnant woman, we take a rooster and a hen. So, since we don't know if the baby is a male or a female, the fetus, so the unborn child. Therefore, we take a rooster for the unborn child, if he's a male and if it's a female, it would suffice to just have the hen for the mother and the baby and the daughter, ve'afilu sha'ar b'nei adam, in fact, not only a pregnant woman, but even other people. Yachol l'nshnayim likach kapora achas may take one kapora for two people of the same gender. So what you can do is you can take a bunch of men.
03:36
What we do in our family is we don't do chickens anymore. We used to do kaporas with chicken, but we don't do that anymore. I'll explain why in a minute. But we take money instead, which is the value of a meal per person, and what we do is we say this money should go to charity instead of us being an offering. This money is an offering instead, and it's going to hopefully help feed poor people. And it's going to hopefully help feed poor people. U'bochem bilvanim.
04:06
We pick, we choose, we select white chickens. Alshem shenemar im yuh hato eichem kishonim kishenig yalbinu. Because the verse states though your errors will be like scarlet, they will become white like snow. Right, so now we pick something which is white, like our chicken, as white as possible, so that we should have the atonement with this chicken. However, one should not specifically search, while purchasing the kaparos, achad levanim, for white chickens. You'll have pay a premium for them Ki zeo be'inyu dar ke'amori because this resembles the superstitious practices of the idolaters Ela ki she yizdam en lo lovan. But if you chance upon a white one shekana oso ben achirim and he bought it with other chickens, yiv ch chickens then pick the white one if you can. But you don't have to go crazy and say, oh, only a white one, only a white one, it's fine, we don't need to be so superstitious about this.
05:15
You take the kapar, you take the chicken in your right hand, or someone takes someone who does it for you. Women typically don't enjoy this part of holding a chicken in their hand, but so you can ask a gentleman to does it for you. Women typically don't enjoy this part of holding a chicken in their hand, but so you can ask a gentleman to do it for you. And what they will do is as follows Ve'omerim, hapsukim, and you say the verses of with the children of man, bnei adam, ve'misavivah, saviv, rosho, ve'omer, ze'chalifosi, ze'chaporosi, zetmorosi. You say the, you revolve it around the head of the person and you say this is my exchange, this is my atonement, this is my, this is my kaparo, this is my forgiveness. And if he does it for someone else, he should say forgiveness. And if he does it for someone else he should say this is your exchange. But a person should first revolve the kapur around themselves and then for others. It's like in the airplane. They say please put on your own mask before you help others, because, right, you need to have atonement first before you help others with their atonement.
06:27
V'tov sh'teh ha'shchito gam kein ba'shmaras ha'boket. It is proper that the chicken be slaughtered during the final third of the night as well. Teh kef la'achra sifuf, immediately after revolving it around the head of the person, ve'al yachshav ha'odom sh'zeo kaparos ha'm, the head of the person. A person should not think that performing Kapparos is an actual ceremony of accomplishing atonement. He should rather think that anything that's really going to happen to this chicken really should have happened to me. This imagery should cause a person to lament his sins and, as a result of their lamentation of this sin, their sorrow for the sin that they've performed, any sin. Hakadosh Baruch Hu Barach Ma'av Yikab HaTshuvos. So, as a result, the Almighty should have compassion and accept our repentance.
07:36
V'noag in Lizroch, it is customary B'nei Me'ayim Be'akavid Re'akloyish Shalakaporus. It is proper to throw the intestines, liver and kidneys of the kaporos onto the rooftops or of the yard so that the birds can eat those parts, because it's a special time to have appropriate compassion on other creatures of Hashem on that day, so that the heavens should have mercy upon us as well to have appropriate compassion on other creatures of Hashem on that day. K'dei sheirachmo aleinu min Hashemayim, so that the heavens should have mercy upon us as well. Ve'od mipnei she'achlu gazel. Additionally, the digestive organs are discarded, since the chicken generally eats stolen food. Chicken goes and takes whatever food it finds and even if it's not his K'dei, she'yit ena'od ha food it finds, and even if it's not his K'dei she yit ena oda malibo. And this is so that a person should take to heart to distance himself from theft. Lahar chikisatzu ha-menagezo Im ein taragol mitzvim. If there are no chickens available, yochol likach avuz o she'ar ba'al echaim. He can take a duck or any other kosher animal. That is not worthy. That is not fit for offering at the time of the Temple. Some even say that you can use a fish, but not a turtle, dove or a pigeon. They may not be used Because they are fit for sacrifices in the Temple may not be used because they are fit for sacrifices in the temple. And the reason you don't put something that could be used in the temple is because it shouldn't appear as if we're consecrating them for sacrifice outside of the temple.
09:23
It is proper, and many have the custom, to give the chicken that is slaughtered to the poor people. You feed the poor with it. It is better to exchange them for money and it is better to give that money to the poor people, to give the money to the poor people. So, to give the money to the poor people. Okay, so that's the first halacha here, the halacha of kapparis. Okay, it is proper to give kapparis. Now I want to explain to you why I don't do it. The reason I don't do it is because in Houston, in New York, we used to do it because we knew the chickens were being slaughtered immediately. They were being.
10:03
As we'll see in the coming halachas that we're going to learn together in the Kitzer, in our Everyday Judaism series, we will find that every animal that is slaughtered according to halacha needs to be it needs to be rinsed, soaked, it needs to be salted and it needs to be rinsed. Okay, so it needs to be soakeded, soaked, it needs to be salted and it needs to be rinsed. Okay, so it needs to be soaked, salted and rinsed. It has to be soaked in warm water, it needs to be salted so that all the blood gets extracted and then it needs to be washed off. It needs to be rinsed.
10:40
This is part of the process of preparing a chicken to be rinsed. This is part of the process of preparing a chicken. Now in New York, where there's a lot of people and there's a large volume, and you have the shochet, the slaughterer, who does it right there. So the food would be ready for a poor family to have a chicken for their meal on Erev, Yom Kippur, preparing for the fast, and a poor family would benefit from it right away. Here in Texas we didn't have that ability to do that, so the animals would be slaughtered and then it would be given to some non-Jewish family, which is fine, but you want it to be used for someone to prepare for Yom Kippur. But you want it to be used for someone to prepare for Yom Kippur and I felt that that would be less appropriate for me to do it with the animals. That do it with money and then that money can be given to a poor family. I highly recommend giving the money for Kapparas to Tomchei Shabbos.
11:43
Tomchei Shabbos is an organization that helps poor people with food for Shabbos and it's a very, very incredible organization. It's run out of Congregation Beth Rambam. Rabbi Danny Masry oversees the entire organization and I highly recommend that. If anyone has and I would say that it's about $20 per person is the amount of the atonement that we're all right. So you take that $20, you open up the art scroll they have exact description of how it should be done and you take that money, put it around your head this should be my atonement, this should be my replacement. This should be right and then that $20, you give it to Tom Ket Shabbos and that way, you know that it's going to a poor family and they're going to be helped out, and I think it's a very, very beautiful thing for us here in our Torch class to be part of and, in any city, for any of our listeners or viewers.
12:38
Online, find your Tomchei Shabbos or you can join the Tomchei Shabbos of Houston. You can search it online. Tomchei Shabbos of Houston. You can search it online. Tomchei Shabbat of Houston. You search it on Google, I'm sure there is a link and that can help people who are in need. And that's a great, great mitzvah to do right before Yom Kippur. Okay, halacha number two Ein Omer Mizmur L'soda. On Erev Yom Kippur.
13:03
We do not recite Mizmul Yisoda, a psalm of thanksgiving, during the Pesuchet HaZimmer section of the Shachar's prayers, and not Tachnon, nor Lam Natsach for the conductor, which is Psalm 20 or Psalm 100. Additionally, we do not recite the prayer of Avinu Malkeinu, our father, our king, except when Yom Kippur coincides with shabbas az omrim erav yom kippur, b'shachos Avinu Malkeinu, because we're not going to say Avinu Malkeinu on Yom Kippur, on Shabbos, so instead we'll say an extra Avinu Malkeinu on Friday before Now, why don't we say the Psalm 100? The Psalm is not recited on a day that the todah was not offered in the temple, because the todah offering was not offered on that day, on Erev Yom Kippur. So therefore we do not recite that Psalm, psalm 100. Additionally, the tachnun, which is the supplications or the, it's an intense supplication and is not recited because it contains reference to a day of distress, both of which are inappropriate for the somewhat festive nature of the day.
14:23
Erev Yom Kippur is considered a very festive day. It's a day where the Torah tells us eat on the 9th and it'll be as if you fasted on the 9th and the 10th. Yom Kippur is the 10th day of Tishrei, so if we eat on the 9th, it's as if we fasted two days. There are sages who, as soon as they woke up in the morning on the day before Yom Kippur, on the eve of Yom Kippur, they would put a candy in their mouth. That way, they're eating as much as possible the entire day. So they have the candy and they have the candy throughout the entire day. That way, they fulfill the mitzvah of eating the entire day prior to Yom Kippur, so that they go into Yom Kippur with as many mitzvahs as possible.
15:07
Every moment that you're eating is a mitzvah, which is sort of a special thing. You're about to fast, yeah, but Hashem doesn't want you to suffer. Hashem wants you to be holy. What does it mean to be holy? To be separated from physical? But you need to nourish your body. If you're going to be not able to walk or talk or think because you're so hungry, you're not going to be able to repent. You're not going to be able to receive the atonement that you really want on Yom Kippur. So, yes, we separate from food, yes, we separate from all of the other worldly pleasures on Yom Kippur, but it is extremely important for us to eat the day before Halacha.
15:47
Number three mitzvah leharbis b'usuda it is a special mitzvah to partake in a large meal. Le'achol v'lishlis to eat and to drink on Erev Yom Kippur. V'chol ha'ochel v'shoseh b'Erev Yom Kippur. Anyone who drinks and eats on Erev Yom Kippur L'shei Mitzvah for the sake of the mitzvah, nech Shavlo Ki'ilu Hisano Gam Hayom is considered as if he fasted on this day as well. U'mitzvah Le'echol Dogim B'Su'ud HaRishon. And it is a special mitzvah to eat fish in the first meal of the day. So what do we do? We have a first meal, then we eat a second meal. There's a reason why we do this. We'll talk about this in a minute. Avera shebenadom hachavero.
16:30
Sins between man and his fellow, ein yom hakipur mechaper. It's very important to know If you harmed another person, you insulted someone, you said something nasty to someone, you hit someone, you harmed someone in any way a human being? Ein yom hakipur me. You harmed someone in any way a human being.
16:46
The atonement of Yom Kippur does not suffice. The atonement of Yom Kippur only suffices for sins between man and God, only until you appease your fellow man. As it states, between you and Hashem, before Hashem. Sins before Hashem, specifically not sins before men, meaning for your sins that are before Hashem, only those are an offense against Hashem, only those that are of offense, only, again, those that are an offense of Hashem. Only Yom Kippur provides atonement, but the matters that are between man and his fellow, yom Kippur does not provide atonement until you appease your fellow. He's your fellow. L'chein tzorech kol odim l'daktik sheim yeish biyodo maman shel acherem shelok edin yahzer lo b'yifayis oso.
18:04
If you are, therefore, a person has to scrutinize every penny that you have. If you have an unlawful possession of someone else's money, that means you stole someone's money, you harmed someone, you dented their car and you didn't tell them right, and now they had $100 of damage. Whatever it may be, you have to pay them back and you have to appease them. Okay, and this is very, very important. And if you have money that you are unsure of whether or not, what the right thing to do with it is, whether it is lawfully yours or not inform your fellow that he intends to stand with him immediately after you In the court of Torah law. Because, look, if you have a dispute, or even if you think you're 100% right, at least let the Jewish law decide. Even if you think you're 100% right, at least let the Jewish law decide. Even if you think you're right, there's nothing wrong with going and hearing what Hashem has to say about it in His Torah. Okay, v'ikabal olav ve'emes, and he should truly accept on himself l'kaim ka'asher yetzim ipi be'abezdin to comply with the ruling that is issued by the court. Additionally, if someone sinned against his friend only verbally, you have to appease him. You said something nasty about your friend. You got to go and appease them. You're obligated to go in person to appease him. But if it's very difficult for you oh shuhu meivin ki yoser korov or if he perceives that it's more likely she is payis aladeim tzoyi that if you have an intermediary, they will forgive you quicker, sooner than if you go to their house. If you go to their house, they're going to slam the door shut on you. You go to their house. If you go to their house, they're going to slam the door shut on you. You filthy person, why do you come into my house to ask forgiveness? No, but if you know that someone else they'll respect the rabbi, the community, the rabbi, the friend, the neighbor, someone who they're close with and they appease them, then you know that they will yasal you. Then you should find the intermediary and indeed go about seeking forgiveness with that intermediary, and the person from whom forgiveness is sought should forgive with a sincere heart and don't be cruel by withholding forgiveness.
20:40
Withholding forgiveness is not consistent with proper Jewish behavior. Ella mimidas Esav. That's Esav, the brother of Jacob. That's his way of acting. He doesn't forgive, he doesn't forget. We forgive, we're very forgiving people.
20:56
Sheolav nema v'avraso shamro netzach. It says in Amos that he kept his fury forever. Likewise was stated about the Gibbonim Because they did not forgive and they did not appease. The Gibbonites were not of the children of Israel, as it says in Samuel 2. They were not part of the Jewish people because they didn't know how to forgive, they didn't know how to get past it. They had to be appeased. E'avol darkon shelzeri Yisroel.
21:28
But the proper way of Jewish people, hu liyos koshe, lichos v'nach litzos, is to slow to anger and quick to be pacified. V'kishah achot when a sinner asks forgiveness from him, he should forgive with a sincere heart and with a willing spirit, even if the sinner greatly aggrieved you, you should not be vengeful and you should not bear a grudge. What's the difference? Not to take revenge, that we know. I'm not going to hit you back, but what does it mean not to hold a grudge? Oh, you didn't lend me your hammer. I'm not going to be like you. I'm going to lend you the hammer. That's bearing a grudge. You're holding on a grudge that you're not allowed to do.
22:13
The Torah says Don't take revenge and don't bear a grudge. Don't be little, be big, be bigger and, on the contrary, even more. If someone sinned against you and they don't approach you on their own accord to request forgiveness, it is proper for the person who was mistreated that he should make himself available to the one who sinned against him so that he will request forgiveness from him. I'll tell you the most incredible story In one minute. Let's just finish this.
22:55
Halacha number four. So that he will request forgiveness from him. So that he will request forgiveness from him, someone who does not remove hateful feelings on Yom Kippur. Their prayer won't be heard. Heaven forbid If a man who relinquishes even his justified grievances, the heavenly tribunal relinquishes even his justified grievances. Ma'avirin lo al kol p'shov, the heavenly tribunal relinquishes all punishment for his sins, measure for measure. If you go above and beyond, the heaven goes above and beyond. But it's not just just let go and the heavens will say you know what? We're not going to exact punishment on you either. We're going to let it go just the way you did. You were forgiving beyond the call of duty. We're going to forgive you beyond the call of duty. You were kind, you were generous beyond the call. We're going to do the same with you. So the way we want to be judged is the way we need to judge others.
23:52
I'll tell you a quick story. My father had the great privilege of studying with one of the leading rabbis in Muncie, new York, rabbi Mordechai Schwab, of blessed memory. Rabbi Mordechai Schwab was such a saintly man I remember and I've said this numerous times. When I talk about Rabbi Schwab, I also say that my mother loved Rabbi Schwab so much that when she saw Rabbi Schwab like my mother would come sometimes to school to drop off lunch or whatever it was I'd see my mother and her face would be beaming. I'm like what? What happened? She's like I saw Rabbi Schwab today. I say like just that she drove by him. She saw the saintly holy, pious Jew of Muncie, like where we grew up. It was just such an amazing thing. He's such a special, delicate, sensitive person really an amazing. Either way, my father had the great privilege of learning with him and they had a steady time that they would learn. Let's say it was three o'clock on Sunday afternoon and my father would go and they'd meet in a certain shul in a certain synagogue and they would sit there and they would learn together and it was very, very special. My father really cherished that time.
24:58
One week, for whatever reason, my father totally forgot about it, totally forgot about his study partner with Rav Schwab and my father like didn't know what to do with himself, did not know. Like it's so embarrassing, like what do you do? Like you're talking about like the holiest man in the city, like I can't believe I did. A few minutes later my father gets a phone call from Rabbi Schwab. My father's terrified and Rabbi Schwab, as my father picks up the phone, he says I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry that I forgot to, I forgot about our learning today. I'm so sorry that I didn't make it there. I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to learn with you. You think Rabbi Schwab missed it. I guarantee you he didn't. I guarantee you he didn't. But he didn't want my father to be embarrassed. So he made believe that he forgot, just so that my father wouldn't be embarrassed. And of course my father apologizes no, I'm so sorry I forgot. He says oh, that's great, I'm so happy now that you weren't waiting for me. The rabbi was waiting, I guarantee you right.
26:12
But this is the sensitivity of the righteous. A special Rachmanus, a special. You imagine the pain that my father would have been going through, like, oh my gosh, like the agonizing embarrassment that he had forgotten to learn with the rabbi. He forgot his appointment. That's so special. How many people you know? Today you get a threat from the doctor's office. You know that if you don't show up for your appointment you're going to be charged $180 or whatever it is. It's a threat. Imagine if it was just the opposite. You missed your appointment. The doctor calls you up and says I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry that I wasn't there when you came for the appointment. They're like no, actually I was late. I didn't call myself, I was late. I was like imagine what a holy person does. This is really really special.
26:58
Halacha, number six, mitzvah al kol adam. It is a mitzvah for every person. Lit vol es atzmo me'erev yom kippur To immerse himself in a mikvah on Erev Yom Kippur. Letar mitum es keri To purify himself from spiritual impurity, for a seminal discharge or any type of spiritual impurity. V'od mishum tshuva. Additionally, one should immerse himself as a component of the process of repentance, v'ukamor ger shenizgayot tzorach tvilah. And just as one who converts and thus begins a life anew, requires immersion. When they go in, they go in as a non-Jew, they come out Jewish. V'ulachayim gam ne'orim u'psulos, since immersion is also a part of the repentance process. Therefore, even boys and girls under the age of requirement for immersion, yesh lem litvah, it is proper for them to go and immerse in the mikvah.
27:56
Mikvah is a ritual bath which has a quantity of water, of pure water that comes from the heavens, rain water, not water that comes through a faucet or comes through any type of vessel. It's pure water, unadulterated, unfiltered, clean, sparkling clean water. And then it's obviously, once it's in and it's a kosher mikvah, then that water can be cleaned and filtered after it's already made into a kosher mikvah. V'yei sh'lo l'tvol, and one should immerse themselves in it V'yei sh'lo dak'tik, sh'lo y'yei sh'ol of shum chatzitzo. One should be careful that they should not have any interposition between the body and the mikveh water, meaning there shouldn't be a bracelet, a ring, earrings, contact lenses, teeth, how do you call it? Those retainers? No bracelets, no, nothing, all of that off, no nail polish. There shouldn't be any barrier between the person, the flesh and the water. Nothing, the ikr zman atfil.
29:08
When is the proper time for that immersion? Hu l'achachatzos, after midday on Erev, yom Kippur. Isha sheshimsham itasah, a woman who had married relations, yachola liflo t'shikvazer, b'toch gimel yamim l'achakayn, a woman who had marital relations, can discharge for up to three days and therefore could be like a man who had a seminal emission, and therefore the remedy for that is that she should wash herself well with warm water, and this will hopefully prevent future discharge. However, if she had marital relations, if a woman had a, if shortly, if a woman had marital relations shortly after her immersion for her nida status or close to her time of menstruation, since it is then that she is usually able to conceive it is forbidden for her to destroy the semen that can result in pregnancy. Therefore, she should not wash in warm water. Then she should potentially use cooler water in a mikvah that she goes into.
30:47
I don't know that it is today a custom for women to go to the mikvah before Yom Kippur. It's generally men that do that. Women have a biblical command to go to the mikvah in their regular times. Men are never obligated biblically to go to the mikveh in their regular times. Men are never obligated biblically to go to the mikveh. This is a proper custom for a man to do so. Mishu hu avel rachman al sawn, a mourner during the seven days of mourning who is forbidden to wash and forbidden to shower, may wash and immerse himself only very, very close to evening nightfall of Yom Kippur, even before Mincha. However, all other laws of mourning, but all the other aspects of mourning kegon yeshiva alga b'karka u'bulom en alem noeg ad halayla but all the other aspects of mourning are like not wearing shoes and sitting on the ground apply till nightfall. So this concludes halacha number six.
31:51
I want to share with you an amazing story that I just read about Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. So Rabbi Moshe Feinstein had a brother-in-law. His name was Rabbi Small. Rabbi Small lived in Chicago and he, before he became a rabbi in Chicago, was a student in yeshiva in Radin by the Chavetz Chaim and the Chavetz Chaim would send him to run errands for him. And the Chavetz Chaim once told him, go to this wealthy man and tell him I want him to sponsor the mikvah in that city, in a different city. So he goes over to the wealthy man and he tells him the Chafetz Chaim sent me to speak to you to have you sponsor the mikvah in that city. See, he said I'll sponsor it on one condition If I am promised by the Chafetz Chaim that it will serve as complete and total repentance and atonement for all sins regarding purity. You know these ritual of spiritual impurity. All right, something like a seminal omission that was inappropriate, something like that. If Chavetz Chaim promises me, then I will donate the money. So this guy says, okay, I'll go check it out. Goes to the Chavetz Chaim. Chavetz Chaim tells him 100%, I guarantee that he has complete atonement.
33:14
So this Rabbi Small came to his brother-in-law, moshe Feinstein, many years later in New York City when they lived on Henry Street, and he asked Reb Moshe like how can the Chavetz Chaim guarantee this? This is an obvious thing. What do you mean? He's building a mikvah which is for purification, for spiritual impurity. So it will be an atonement for spiritual impurity, 100%, 100%. If he sponsors this, it's a simple thing that it's what we say an act for a measure, for measure, because he's bringing about spiritual purity through the mikvah, it will serve as spiritual purity for his possible previous sins. But then Reb Reuven Feinstein, the son of Reb Moshe Feinstein, explained. He says the fact that he is so concerned about the atonement for this sin means that he already did two parts of the three-part process of teshuva, which is regret and acceptance for the future. He says now the only part he needs to do is actual Teshuva. By giving the money, he's performing the actual Teshuva of repentance. And I thought it was a magnificent story to understand. This is true atonement.
34:37
When we do Teshuva, any Teshuva, there has to be an act of teshuva as well. So, yes, let's say someone ate something they shouldn't have eaten, something that God says in his Torah Leviticus 9, don't eat it. Leviticus 10, don't eat it. So now, what? What do I do? I ate it. So, number one you have to have regret. Number two, you have to accept for the future. But now you have to do an act of teshuva so we can pray in teshuva or we can now demonstrate how we are never going to do that again in an action. Okay, and that's the act of teshuva that this man was performing by sponsoring the mikvah for that community. Okay, halacha number seven.
35:28
It is customary that each man of the house should prepare the candles for his house. This is, by the way, true regarding every Shabbos. The husband should prepare the candles for his wife to light for Shabbos, especially Yom Kippur as well. Since Moshe descended on Yom Kippur from Mount Sinai with a second set of tablets and the Torah is called a lamp, he should light another candle. Also, he should light another candle for those who are deceased, for a father or mother who, potentially, are deceased already, if applicable, obviously, so that it be an atonement for them as well.
36:18
V'nogim sh'madlikan achas beveso that one light one candle in his house sh'yadlik ad shas havdolah. That should burn the full 25 hours till taking out Yom Kippur, till Yom Kippur is out with havdolah, v'yav with Havdolah the Yavdolah, and use that same candle for Havdolah after Yom Kippur. Ve'achas madlikan be'seknesses. Additionally, one candle is also lit by each person in the synagogue ve'lo yasu ne'er es'elu. These candles should not be made, mishava shel batei ovdei kochavim, from wax, from candles of houses of idolatry, u'me'yos, houses of idolatry.
36:57
Now, since some people become upset that they see that their candle that they sponsored in the synagogue extinguished in the middle of Yom Kippur, they see it as a bad omen, even though there is really nothing for them to be concerned about. But people are superstitious about it. My candle extinguished the middle of Yom Kippur. Therefore they should give it to the Gabai, to the shamash of the shul, the caretaker of the shul, and he mixes up all the candles. That way nobody knows which candle is theirs, which one is someone else's, and that way nobody becomes all superstitious and it doesn't ruin their whole Yom Kippur that their candle got extinguished.
37:45
Sometimes a candle gets extinguished but people get all worried about it. This is the second time that the Kitzer brings this down. He says, regarding the candle that people bring on a regular day-to-day basis, if they have a yahrzeit or the like, that they bring a candle to synagogue. He says a person should not light it themselves, they should bring it to the caretaker of the shul. Now, in most shuls today they don't have candles like this.
38:09
If you go to Hasidic shuls, they do Go to Hasidic shuls, they do Go to Hasidic shuls. They will have candles in the front of the shul. They'll have a whole area for candles where they do light candles for the memory of those who have passed away already, but even then give it to the caretaker. The caretaker will mix it up with other candles. That way you don't know which one is yours and you don't get all sad either on that day or on Yom Kippur that your candle was extinguished and people get very worried about it, very superstitious about it. V'yeish lisa ha-ner, la-beis ha-knesses.
38:46
It's proper to carry the candle to the synagogue kishahol lech le-tfilas mincha when he comes for the mincha prayer on Erev Yom Kippur, to put it in its proper place and then to be lit afterwards at the time of Bein Hashmoshos, which is a time right before right, by candle lighting. Why? Because if you're bringing the candle right when people come right before Kol Nidre, everyone's in a rush and everyone's in a Bring it a little earlier. Bring it when you come from Minchab. Because the way we said this, the day is structured the day before Yom Kippur, the day of Erev Yom Kippur. So you have the morning prayer, you have the meal, you have, you have the afternoon prayer, another meal right before the fast, and then you come to synagogue for Kol, nidre and Marif. So there's different parts here of the day and that way the earlier part of the day you don't have to. Also, by the way, you go to the mikvah after Chatzos, which is before Mincha. Mikvah before Mincha Okay, great Halacha number eight Keshahochon l'beis ha'kneses l'tfilas mincha. When the congregation goes to the synagogue for the mincha prayer, no, again, l'ilbosh b'gdi Shabbos, it is proper to already be wearing the Shabbos garments. L'tfilas mincha. Omim la'achar shmonesre es avidui.
40:10
After, at the end of the mincha, we add the vidui confession prayer. Before we say the last part of the prayer which is my God guard my tongue, so which is at the conclusion of the Shemona Esrei, you say you, may it find favor before you my prayers. And then you say and then you begin the vidui confession prayer. Once you conclude, you say and then you say Yul Rotzen again. If, while you are reciting the vidui confession prayer, the chazen begins the repetition of the Amidah. Since you already said Yuloratzon and your prayer is officially over, since you already said Yul L'Ratzon and your prayer is officially over, you can answer Amen and Kedusha and Modim to the repetition of the Chazan.
41:20
Okay, halacha number nine the vidu is recited at the end of the silent Amidah on the Mincha of Erev, yom Kippur, the vidu confession, as well as at the end of each of the Yom Kippur Shmon Esra prayers On Yom Kippur itself. Though, as at the end of each of the Yom Kippur Shmon Esra prayers On Yom Kippur itself, though, it is also recited as part of the Chazan's repetition of the Shmon Esra of the Amidah. During those repetitions, the entire congregation recites the vidui together with the Chazan. In this, if Kitzer sets a general, sets out the general halachos relating to vidui and Yom Kippur. So he says as follows how do we say the vidui confession prayer Standing, a person should be bent forward for the duration of the recitation of vidui, just like we do for modim.
42:16
And when a person mentions the word each time, he should strike his chest with his fist over his heart, as though one is saying to his heart you, the desires of the heart, you caused me to sin. The order of the vidur should follow the text that is printed in the Sidurim or the Machzorim, the holiday prayer book, and is recited by all identically. And is recited by all identically and one who is aware of his own sin that he has committed that is not mentioned in the vidu confession. Since he is reciting the vidui silently, it is proper to specify your own sin. And it is proper to specify your own sin and it is proper to confess the sin with a bitter heart and copious tears. And likewise, if one of the committed sins are those that are mentioned in the text of the vidu, when, upon reaching that sin in the vidu confession, a person should arouse himself with intense atoned for a sin last year and he hasn't done that same sin again this year, so does he re-mention the same one? The Kitzer says you should. Halacha says you should. The Kitzer says you should. Why? Because it is praiseworthy for a person to repeat their confession for that sin. Because my sin is constantly before me, as King David says in Psalm 51, right, my sin is constantly before me. Halacha, number 10.
44:35
After the mincha prayer on Erev, yom Kippur, we do not recite Avinu Malkenu, whether Yom Kippur will be during a weekday or whether it will be on Shabbos. The mincha right before Yom Kippur, we do not recite Avinu Malkenu, which is a special list of a few dozen requests that the Almighty have. Mercy upon us, our Father, our King. Halacha number 11. We just have six more to go, only two short pages. And we did this like champs Halacha, number 11. Achar Tfilas, mincha, noagin, lahalkos.
45:13
After the Mincha prayer, erev, Yom Kippur, it is customary to receive lashes. This the Sephardic community does. Ashkenaz doesn't really do this. Af al pi she ein, malkos ze hu, malkos mamish, even though they're not actual lashes. Mikom okom, mitoch kach yos malibo lo shuv meyaviris shebi. So we know that there is a.
45:57
The Torah tells us that one who sins should receive lashes. Now, this is only in a time where you had a beddin, a Jewish court in the temple, and there was proper warning. There's criteria for this. In our generation we don't have that. So there's a custom that people take a strap from the hide of a calf, from the skin of a calf, even though it's not the way it was in the time of the lashes were given with a strap that was one tefach, which is one hand's breadth, thick, breath, thick, wide, sorry. And the person who gives the lashes would recite, which is a verse that has 39 words, which is parallel to the 39 lashes that they would get, and the person who is receiving the lashes is facing north, his back is towards the south and while he's receiving those lashes he confesses his sins, while he's getting those lashes. Now again, these are not administered today in our communities. This is not what happens. But I have been to Rabbi Yaakovian's congregation, the Sephardic synagogue, where he does it's more of a symbolic thing to do, to awaken a person to repent, to awaken a person to confess their sins. Now, you don't force a person to do it, but I remember when I was there, rabbi Ya'kobian took off his belt and he says whip me, whip me, meaning saying I want to be awakened to correct my ways.
47:36
Halacha number 12. Le'eis ha'erev ochlen se'udah samavsekas. Towards the evening, we eat the final or dividing meal before the fast Ve'nogim litbol perusas ha'motzi b'dvash. It's customary to dip a piece of challah into honey, kemo b'reshana, just as we do on Rosh Hashanah, and we only eat foods that are easy to digest, like poultry, chicken and you don't. It's customary not to eat fish in this second meal. It's customary to eat it in the first meal but not in the second meal.
48:19
ונורגן שאין אוכלן דגן מסעוד הזו ולא יאוכל ולא ישתד דבורם המחמם. We don't eat things that heat up the body, כגון מהחורם המטובלם ובייף ס. We don't eat foods that are spiced and herbed like saffron.
48:42
To add time from the weekday to the holiness of Yom Kippur. To take in Yom Kippur a little bit early. Not to show up last minute or to show up late. To come to synagogue a little bit early. To stop eating while it is still day. Not to show up last minute or to show up late. To come to synagogue a little bit early. Dehainu shiafsik melech oba od yom. To stop eating while it is still day. K'tzas kodam min hashmashos, before the twilight. V'zurizim makdinu melech hafsik.
49:06
And it is proper to perform this mitzvah with alachrity and to stop eating earlier. Kemosha kodam. And to stop eating earlier, like an hour before nightfall, which is about. You know, in our calendar we do it typically. We stop right before about 15 minutes before candle lighting, which is 18 minutes before sunset, which is before the stars are out.
49:37
If one finishes eating the meal while it is still with a considerable amount of daylight left and he still has in mind to eat and drink after he prays the grace after meals, he needs to precondition that and he needs to say I'm making a condition, I'm reciting the grace after meals Tzorch she'is'aneh. He needs to precondition that and he needs to say I'm making a condition. I'm reciting the grace after meals. I'm benching now, but I'm having in mind to still eat later. Ve'yomer beferish a person should say it intentionally oh l'chol ha'pochus yehar b'libah, or at least think it in his heart. She'enom mikabel olavadayin esatayin es that he's not accepting upon himself the fast. Upon conclusion of the special prayer after the meal. Halacha number 30. Haminig b'medina selu.
50:21
There is a custom in many countries she'en mis'anim be'erev yom kippur, that you do not stow. She'en matminin sorry, she'en matminin be'erev that you not stow away food on Erev Yom Kippur for the purpose of after Yom Kippur. Because what many people do on Shabbos, for example, is you can put in food, you prepare it before Shabbos, but you keep it warm for the meal that you're going to have later on Shabbos, but on Yom Kippur you're not eating. So to keep the food warm for after Yom Kippur, for the breakfast, that would be inappropriate, because you're preparing on Yom Kippur for after Yom Kippur and that's not appropriate to do on Shabbos either, not to prepare on Shabbos for after Shabbos. Which is why we don't talk about a new initiative, a new initiative, a new project, a new plan on Shabbos.
51:15
You don't plan for after Shabbos. Oh, you're selling your car. Oh, I want to buy it, right? You don't talk about that on Shabbos. You don't talk about it on Shabbos. You know, the joke goes as follows A guy comes over to his friend in Shul on Shabbos and he says outside of Shul, way not to talk about business on shabbos, but I'm selling my car.
51:36
He says not to talk about business on shabbos, let me think about it. And he comes back to him later in the afternoon. He says not to talk about business about on shabbos, but you know, I really want to buy that car. And he says not to talk about on shabbos. I already sold it right, so you got to be careful. We don't do business on Shabbos. We don't talk about things that we're going to do after Shabbos. We don't plan.
52:00
There's a known Kabbalistic idea that things you plan on Shabbos do not work out. Do not work out. I'm telling you, I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've heard people planning a business endeavor and it never came to fruition because they planned it on Shabbos. Never came to fruition. There's no blessing when things are done on Shabbos, when business is done on Shabbos, when planning is done on Shabbos, either way, regarding preparing the food and having it, saving it for after Shabbos, for after Yom Kippur. It's inappropriate. It's inappropriate. Kederuch sh'matminim Erev Shabbos, l'shabbos. Mishom dehavi kemeichin miyom kippur. L'chol V'gam mishom dehmechze be'kira av tanusa. Another reason why you don't keep things stowed and warmed from Yom Kippur to after Yom Kippur is because you look like a glutton, like all you're thinking about is break fast, break fast, break fast. No, no, no, no. It's fine, you got this, okay, no need to prepare it on Yom Kippur to after Yom Kippur, k'siv. Which is why, right, why most people break fast on cold food. But that used to not be the case. People wanted to have hot meat to break the fast on, or whatever it was. You know, hot chicken or whatever, whatever, whatever their desire was Either way.
53:16
Verse states if you proclaim the Shabbos a delight, the holy day of Hashem is honored. What is referring to the holy day? The holy day is Yom HaKippur, is the day of Yom Kippur. Explaining that this holy day of Hashem refers to Yom Kippur, how is it observed? It's observed by not eating and not drinking, as are other festivals.
53:45
We not eating is equal to eating and drinking on festivals. It's a mitzvah. On Sukkot, we're going to have, right after Yom Kippur, a few days later, we're going to have the holiday of Sukkot, and it's a mitzvah to eat wine and dine in the finest, with the finest foods, with the finest drinks. Not eating on Yom Kippur is the equivalent of eating and drinking on a holiday. It's very special, but not only that, because it's a special day, it's a special festival. It's a mitzvah to honor Yom Kippur by wearing clean clothes and lighting candles and therefore also in synagogue, we spread beautiful tablecloths over the tables and we make sure that we have a beautiful white cover for the ark Umar bin Banerjee. We have extra lights, we light them all up, we make sure that everything is lit.
54:43
Just because it's Yom Kippur and it's a fast day and we're not eating on Yom Kippur, we should still have a set table, meaning a beautiful white tablecloth. You don't have to have plates out, but a beautiful white tablecloth. You don't have to have plates out, but a beautiful white tablecloth. I think it would probably be a special custom if a person set as if. Why? Because not eating is like you're eating. So have a table set as if you're going to be eating, right, it's a special thing to make it. Oh, you know what? It's a fast day. Let's keep all the lights off, because we're going to come home from synagogue late on Yom Kippur night and we're just going to go to sleep anyway, so what? No, it's as if it's a Shabbos. Make it as if it's a holiday Lights, make it beautiful with your tablecloth covering your tables.
55:23
By the way, it's a mitzvah on Shabbos to have a tablecloth on your table. All of Shabbos, in fact. The halacha even says that when you change the tablecloth, so the tablecloth got all dirty during the meal. Now you're changing the tablecloth to not leave the table naked, to have another tablecloth cover it at all times. It shouldn't be. Why? Because our home is like is a palace. It's right. Our home is a palace for the queen, for the Shabbos queen. How can we have an empty table that's not covered? Therefore, a person should and, by the way, this is my own shtick that even when we go out of town, we go away for Shabbos, which doesn't happen very frequently we cover the table with a white tablecloth.
56:09
It's a Shabbos, right? This is the. The house is observing Shabbos too, and therefore we have. And this is the kitchen table, this is the dining room table. All of them you have, with white beautiful royal tablecloths to cover and flowers as well. So synagogue, too, should have white tablecloths.
56:36
She nikru kovod. She nemar be'urim kabdu Hashem be'panasya. Yakru Hashem Be'urim. You shall honor Hashem with light, with lamps, with panasya is translated with lamps. You shall honor Hashem when you have light, when you have special light, which is why in my house, on Shabbos this, by the way, is laws for Shabbos as well the halacha says you should have special lights on just for Shabbos. So we have certain lights that are just for Shabbos. These are special. We set them before Shabbos. Now you know it's Shabbos because these lights are on typically. They're not on during the week, they're on just for Shabbos, to demonstrate the specialty of Shabbos. Kodem bein ashmoshos. Kodem bein ashmoshos. Porosim mapos al shokhonos.
57:24
Before sunset, before Yom Tov begins, we spread tablecloths on the tables. Madlik, in Erev Shabbos, we light the candles in our homes. K'mor be'erer Shabbos. We light the candles in our homes, just like we do on Erev Shabbos. V'yei sh'lahat lik ner b'cheder she'ish to shochev esham and a person should also have light in the room where his wife is going to be sleeping. K'dei sh'lo yovo l'dei tashmish, so that they not come to engage in marital relations, which is prohibited on Yom Kippur V' and a person should also light the candles. We typically light Shabbos candles, but because it's Yom Kippur, we light with the same blessing. Now, if it's Shabbos and Yom Kippur, you'll you say the Shel Shabbos Before you say the Yom Kippur. Why? Because Shabbos is regular, ongoing, yom Kippur is once a year. You always do the regular and ongoing Before you do the specialty. Halacha number 15. Only three more left Noag in Lilbo, shesaketel.
58:32
It is customary that men wear a ketel which is almost like a shroud. It's a white cotton garment, a white robe. On Yom Kippur, shuhu beged mesim, because this is the clothes that's worn by the dead Ve'al yidei zeh leiva, adam nichna v'nishbar. By wearing this, one's heart becomes submissive and broken. וגם העוול יוכל לוב שעושה. A mourner should wear it even though he's in his week or month or year of mourning. כיוון שהוא בגן מיוחד לתפילה, since it is a garment designated for the prayer. לא ילך בו לבס הכיסא. A person should not wear it in the restroom because it's a special garment for prayer. כמה נושם לוב. Not wear it in the restroom because it's a special garment for prayer. Women also customarily wear white clothing on Yom Kippur in honor of the day, but women should not adorn themselves with jewelry in deference to the fear of the judgment of Hashem on Yom Kippur. So women also wear white garments on Yom Kippur.
59:36
Halacha, number 16. It is customary that a father and mother bless their sons and daughters before they go to synagogue, because already the holiness of the day is overflowing to that part of the Erev. Yom Kippur and the gates of mercy are open and the following prayer is recited that the children be inscribed and sealed for a good life and that their hearts be steadfast in the fear of Hashem. This is the blessing that we give to our children, and they beseech Hashem with weeping and tears that their prayers be accepted, and the children who are receiving this blessing from the parents should be inspired as well. They should go on the path of the good and to adhere to the ways of the righteous. There are those who go to their relatives and to scholars and to righteous people and they ask them since they're holy and they're righteous, can you pray for me as well on this awesome holy day and request for me as well that Hashem forgive me? It is proper to do so, to go and make this request earlier in the day Because it wouldn't be appropriate to go to them when they're already in the midst of preparation for Yom Kippur, when it's all the panic of the last few moments before Yom Kippur, when it's all the panic of the last few moments before Yom Kippur, nusach HaBrocha.
01:01:36
What is the proper way of reciting that blessing for the parents to their children? We say Yisimcha Elohim, kefraim echanesha, god should make you like a frame and menashe. And then we say Yivarech HaChashem, yishmerech HaYerah Hashem, panavelecha V'chonecha Yisah. We recite the whole three verses from Bamidbar, from Numbers, chapter 6, verse 24, 25, and 26. And every person should add to the blessing as great as they can verbalize, and this is the term, the actual Yehiratzin that we say.
01:02:16
This is the prayer. May it be the will of our Father in Heaven that he instill in your heart His love and reverence for Him. And may the fear of Hashem be before you, before your face, all your days of your life, in order that you not sin. May your desire be for the Torah and the mitzvot, may your eyes gaze towards the truth, may your mouth speak wisdom, may your heart meditate with awe of Hashem, may your hands engage in mitzvos, may your feet run to do the will of your Father in heaven, and may Hashem grant you righteous sons and daughters who engage in Torah and mitzvos all of their days. May the source of your prosperity be blessed and may Hashem arrange your livelihood for you in a permissible way, with contentment, with plentitude from beneath His generous hand. ולא ידאמה נספס בדם. And may we not need to go through the gifts of flesh and blood. פר נסע שתהי פנוי לעבוד אס השם. A livelihood that will enable you to be free to serve Hashem. ותקוס וסכוס מלח. A livelihood that will enable you to be free to serve Hashem. May you be inscribed and sealed for a good long life Among all of the righteous of Israel. That concludes halacha number 16.
01:04:07
Halacha, number 17. It's a beautiful blessing, by the way that we just mentioned, a blessing that the parents give their children. You can find it in every machzor, every holiday prayer book for your Yom Kippur. It's a magnificent blessing for one to give to their children and to receive from their parents.
01:04:26
It is customary before Kol Nidre to don the talis, and it is proper to don the talis while it's still day because you're going to recite a blessing. You can only recite the blessing for the talis when it's still daytime. But if a person delayed and put on the talis too late, when it's already nightfall, then it's too late to recite the blessing. He should wear it without reciting the blessing, my dear friends. This concludes. Then it's too late to recite the blessing. He should wear it without reciting the blessing, my dear friends. This concludes Simeon 131, chapter 131, in this bonus episode, the Erev, the laws of Erev, yom Kippur, my dear friends, may Hashem grant our wishes for forgiveness. We should receive atonement and Hashem should accept our repentance. Our true vashlema, our complete and total repentance before Hashem should be accepted and we should all merit to a very, very special, sweet, new, healthy, beautiful year. Amen.
01:05:30 - Intro (Announcement)
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