Walk Through the Parsha by Rabbi David Walk

Pure
Yom Kippur 5768
September 20, 2007
It has become an important custom in Lithuanian Yeshivot to study Maimonides Laws of Repentance during the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. According to Reb Chayim Soloveitchik (1853-1918), Maimonides (1135-1204) included ten chapters in this section of his most important work for the very purpose of learning one a day, sort of like vitamins. It has been noted by many generations of scholars that there is a major change of focus in the development of these ten chapters. In the first chapter Maimonides is very clear that when you do something wrong you repent and confess the dastardly deed. However, by the time you get to chapter seven (the glorious chapter seven, must reading for anyone serious about repentance), Maimonides is discussing repenting for faulty character traits, "Do not think that repentance is only for sins which involve an action, sins such as adultery, theft and robbery, but just as one has to repent if one committed such sins, so also does one have to seek out one's bad characteristics and abandon [those such as] anger, hatred, jealousy, scoffing, financial greed, megalomania and similar characteristics - one has to return in repentance from all of these." Clearly there are two kinds of repentance.

But what exactly are these two categories? Reb Aharon Lichtenstein of Yeshivat Har Etziyon explains that the first facet of repentance is "within a context of sin, attempting to repair the evil itself, to rebuild the spiritual personality which has been impaired by the evil, and to arrive at a process of reconciliation and renewed harmony with God." The alternative form of repentance according to Rabbi Lichtenstein is not motivated by a specific sin, but is characterized by one's being "dissociated. One is not engaged in agonized, interlocking combat with God, nor does he wrestle with his conscience; rather, he is oblivious and insensitive to the presence of God." This repentance is not a return from sin, but is a restoration back to God. It's not about repairing the broken components; it's about fixing ourselves.

This approach is very important, and explains the necessity of always being aware of ourselves and our actions. However, this year I reread an idea in the Pachad Yitzchak of Reb Yitzchak Hutner which refocused some of these ideas for me. So, if anything appeals to you in the following paragraphs, please, assume the authorship of the great Rabbi Hutner (1906-1980). Rav Hutner also pushes the dual repentance agenda, but in a quite different way. He begins as well with Maimonides Laws of Repentance. In the second chapter Maimonides states: Even though repentance and crying out to God is wonderful at all times, during the ten days of repentance they are even more amazing and are immediately responded to. This is according to the verse, "Seek out God when God is available (Isaiah 55:6)." Yom Kippur is the time of repentance for all, therefore all are obligated to repent and confess on Yom Kippur. So, Rav Hutner concludes that the two types of repentance are the run of the mill garden variety and the super duper Ten Days of Repentance Brand, available at a synagogue near you, now.

But what is different about the repentance of this season? Is it just more effective and muscle bound or is it of a different nature? Choose different nature. To prove his point Rav Hutner quotes Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona (1200-1264, ya gotta love that name) in his great work the Gates of Repentance. In which he states, "It is a positive commandment in the Torah to arouse one's spirit to repent on Yom Kippur, as it says, 'For on this day He shall effect atonement for you to purify you. Before the Lord, you shall be purified from all your sins (Leviticus 16:30).'" Most authorities tend to explain that the phrase 'you shall be purified from all your sin' is a promise from God for the acceptance of our repentance efforts, but Rabbeinu Yona declares that this is an obligation incumbent upon us to perform. Yom Kippur has a special kind of repentance called cleansing. A simple rinse isn't sufficient; a deep cleaning is required.

At this point Rav Hutner introduces an idea from the Maharal M'Prague (Rabbi Judah Loew, 1529-1609). The Maharal explains that the thirteen attributes of God (Exodus 34:6-7), which is a major component of the Yom Kippur prayers, can only be understood by comprehending the final word in the series, cleanses. That term describes the process of forgiveness in these traits. The list begins by repeating God's name. According to most authorities this signifies that God relates to us after the forgiveness procedure just as we were perceived before we ever sinned. This remarkable outcome is achieved through the agency of cleansing. God's ability to forgive is stronger than dirt. Now we can go back to the point developed by Rabbeinu Yona. Rabbeinu Yona instructed us that our obligation on Yom Kippur is to make ourselves pure before our God. That's our job. We must remove all the dirty little activities which stripped us of our innocence and purity. The Maharal then explains that God's reaction to our purification project is to cleanse us. Now I can apply all these lessons to the great act of repentance performed by King David after the incident with Bat Sheva. In Psalm 51, King David says to God, "Wash me thoroughly of my iniquity, and purify me of my sin, for I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me (verses 4-5)." King David is explaining that the repentance process has two steps. First we must purge the sin, and then God cleans us of the blemish.

Of course we must all work on both our behavior and our character as Rav Lichtenstein explains. However, at this season of Yom Kippur I'd like to emphasize the position of Rav Hutner. We have to believe that we can remove our impurities, and we must have faith in God's reciprocal laundry service. That's what makes Yom Kippur so special. May God grant us a successful washing day.