Yom Kippur & Parshat Ha’azinu 2019

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Yom Kippur & Parshat Ha’azinu By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron                                                                   בס”ד

לשכנו תדרשו Inviting the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

Ask Your Father and He Shall Tell You

This parsha Haazinu teaches us to listen, to contemplate, to take to heart. Also Yom Kippur, the day Moshe Rabeinu returned with the second tablets, teaches us to listen to the great thunder and blast of the shofar that was not present in the giving of these second tablets, strikingly different than the giving of the first tablets. Rather, on this day our hearts are directed towards the great internal thunder and internal blasts of our souls being liberated on this very day in the miracle of repentance. Indeed, it is on this day that that the shofar was and will be sounded on the Jubilee year, thereby liberating Jewish servants (“avadim ivrim”). This power of liberty on Yom Kippur is directly related to the Land of Israel for only when the majority of Jews live in this Land and are divided within It in their tribal territories does the Jubilee year and its laws of “liberty” take effect. The Holy Land is the Land of Liberty enabling us to take full responsibility over ourselves, for only here are we really like princes around the “table,” i.e the Land, of our “Father”, the King of kings. The prince does not blame external phenomena for “issues” in his kingdom but rather with his grand wisdom and width of understanding probes the reality for genuine solutions. Indeed, when we tap into the atmosphere of this Holy Land we are inspired by the Light of the Holy Presence within It which grants us with this wisdom and understanding.

This wisdom and understanding come from the fore-mentioned listening and contemplation. This parsha teaches us to contemplate the annals of history, to “ask our father so that he shall tell us.” “Asking our fathers” also hints to a primary key in our liberation and redemption. When we ask of, and quest for, our Fathers, the holy Patriarchs, then we realize our great origins and heritage, to realize our great potential as princes before our Father and King. This quest, inspired in the wind of Hebron, the City of the Fathers and the Cradle of Israel’s Kingship, calls our souls to return to the great proclamation: “Our Father, Our King – We have no other King other than You!”

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Real Stories from the Holy Land 

A few hundred years ago there was a Jewish goldsmith that lived in Hebron named Yehuda. Before every Yom Kippur Yehuda would take a white chicken for kaparot on himself. One time, the white chicken designated for his kaparot suddenly disappeared in proximity of the Tomb of Jesse. Soon after, when the Muslims gathered in Maarat Hamachpela, suddenly they heard the call of a chicken deep inside the Cave. Startled by the this they said it must be the Patriarchs of the Jews have awakened from their slumber… The whole city was talking about this incident, when suddenly from the Cave emerged a white chicken between the Muslim worshippers. One of the Arabs recognized that it was the chicken of Yehuda the goldsmith, and returned it to Yehuda, who was so glad that his kaparot had returned to him… From that day on all spoke about a hidden tunnel from the Tomb of Jesse to Maarat Hamachpela.

Sefer Hebron p. 310

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