נַחְפְּשָׂ֤ה דְרָכֵ֙ינוּ֙ וְֽנַחְקֹ֔רָה וְנָשׁ֖וּבָה עַד־יְהוָֽה׃
לאָמיר נאָכזוכן און פֿאָרשן אונדזערע װעגן, און לאָמיר זיך אומקערן צו גאָט.
Akeidat Yitzchak
The third group of people, namely believing Jews, who while steadfast in their belief, would still welcome specific statements in the Torah concerning afterlife, need to appreciate the following. Afterlife is much more than a promise held out in return for specific religious observances. Man's superiority over other creatures on this earth could hardly be demonstrated by anything other than the survival of his soul. Solomon grapples with the problem in the book of Kohelet, and concludes that this is the only thing which makes man stand out over the animals. "Who perceives that the spirit of man is the one that ascends on high, while the spirit of the beast descends down into the earth?" (Kohelet 3, 21) David and many others do not tire of expressing their longing for the blissful state of afterlife. Abigail refers to it, the Talmud is full of references to it. When one reads the promise of reward in our Parshah, one finds at the end, after the mundane rewards have been listed, "I will place My Residence amongst you." For the believers this is enough. For the scoffers nothing would be enough, since they only believe what their own eyes have seen, anyways.
Kol Dodi Dofek
3. The connection between adversity and repentance was expressed in the mitzvah of sounding a warning with trumpets when adversity is about to befall the community. Maimonides (Hilkhot Ta’anit 1:1-4), states: “A positive Scriptural commandment prescribes prayer and the sounding of an alarm with trumpets whenever trouble befalls the community. For when Scripture says, ‘Against the adversity that oppresses you, then you shall sound the alarm with trumpets’ (Numbers 10:9), the meaning is: Cry out in prayer and sound an alarm against whatsoever is oppressing you, be it famine, pestilence, locusts or the like. [And the Scribes teach us that we must fast until we are pitied from heaven on every misfortune that shall befall us.]” Translation from I. Twersky, A. Maimonides Reader (New York: Behrman House, 1972), pp. 113–114.
There are two unique mitzvot: (a) A positive mitzvah of confession and repentance for every sin that man commits. This mitzvah is explained in the biblical portion of Naso. “When a man or a woman shall [commit any sin that men commit], they shall confess the sins that they have done” (Numbers 5:6). Maimonides, in the Sefer HaMaddah, dedicated ten chapters to this mitzvah, entitled Laws of Repentance. (b) There is a specific mitzvah of repentance in an hour of misfortune, as recorded in the above-noted passage concerning the trumpets: “And when you go to war [in your land against the adversary that oppresses you, then you shall sound the alarm] ... and you shall be saved from your enemies” (Numbers 10:9). In practice, the biblical obligation to be aroused to repentance is accomplished by the sounding of the trumpets, to which the Rabbis added the vehicle of fasting.
Essentially, the obligation to repent is tied to the suffering of the community, as noted by the Mishnah: [that repentance is called for] “For every misfortune that shall befall the community” (TB Ta’anit 19a and Maimonides, loc. cit.). Indeed, the obligation of the individual who finds himself in extremis to return to God is also derived from this Torah portion. The fact that the halakhah recognized the individual’s fast as valuable, proves that the individual is obligated to repent in a time of trouble. According to Maimonides, there can be no fast devoid of repentance. In [Hilkhot T’shuva 1:9], Maimonides writes that “Just as the community fasts on the occasion of its adversity, so does the individual fast on the occurrence of his misfortune.” Similarly, the baraita cited in TB Ta’anit 22b states: “The Rabbis taught: In the case of a city that was surrounded by hostile gentiles, or by an overflowing river, or a ship being tossed by a stormy sea, or an individual pursued by non-Jews or by thieves or by a hurricane, etc. [in all these instances one may sound a voice alarm on Shabbat].” Maimonides ruled accordingly in Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Ta’anit 1:6 (it being understood that there is no sounding of the trumpet on a weekday for an individual who is being pursued). The trumpets are sounded only for communal adversity and not for individual misfortune. There are specific halakhot in tractate Ta’anit and in Maimonides’ Hilkhot Ta’anit, chap.5, that delineate the character of communal adversity. The baraita only sought to teach that an individual who finds himself in extremism may cry out (according to Maimonides even on the Shabbat). It is therefore established that the obligation of crying out is equally applicable to the individual and the community, and of what benefit is crying, if it does not issue forth from a soul that regrets its sins?
The difference between the general mitzvah of repentance and the obligation to repent in a time of adversity may be distilled in one detail: Repentance for sin is tied to the knowledge that one has sinned. So long as a man is not aware of his sin he has no obligation [to repent]. One cannot be obligated to obtain forgiveness without knowledge of the sin for which he repents. As the verse states, “If his sin, wherein he has sinned, be known to him [he shall bring for his offering a goat, a male without blemish] (Leviticus 4:23, emphasis added). Knowledge of a sin obligates the bringing of a sin-offering. Similarly, with regard to repentance, man is not required to repent for those [misdeeds] that are hidden, but only those that are revealed to him. However, in a time of adversity, the sufferer must examine his deeds and inquire after his sins in order to repent for them. The essence of suffering confirms the existence of sin and commands man: find your sin and return to your Creator. Examining one’s deeds is characteristic of the obligation of repentance which is tied to suffering.
We know that on fast-days courts would sit and examine the deeds of the inhabitants of the city. The Talmud (TB Megillah 30b) states: “From the morning a group … examines the deeds of individuals.” Maimonides ([Hilkhot Ta’anit] 1:17) firmly establishes the halakhah: “On each fast day undertaken by a community beset by troubles, the court and the elders should remain in session at the synagogue from the end of the morning service until midday, to examine into the conduct of the citizens and to remove obstacles to righteous living provided by transgressions. They should carefully search and inquire after those guilty of extortion and similar crimes.” (Translation from I. Twersky, Maimonides Reader, p.114). 114). [Cf.TB Eruvin 13b, “And now that [man] is created let him examine his deeds, and we said he shall take hold of his sins.”] The obligation to examine one’s deeds relates to a time of misfortune. It appears that the special obligation to repent on Yom Kippur (as explained in Maimonides, Hilkhot T’shuvah 7:7 and in the Sha’arei T’shuvah of Rabbenu Yonah Gerondi) was established as a special obligation of repentance for undisclosed deeds and a requirement to examine one’s deeds in order to reveal the dishonorable aspects of a man’s life. In this regard the obligation of repentance on Yom Kippur coincides with the obligation of repentance in a time of suffering. Concerning these opportunities, the verse states: “Let us search and examine our ways and return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40).
Established as a special obligation of repentance for undisclosed deeds and a requirement to examine one’s deeds in order to reveal the dishonorable aspects of a man’s life. In this regard the obligation of repentance on Yom Kippur coincides with the obligation of repentance in a time of suffering. Concerning these opportunities, the verse states: “Let us search and examine our ways and return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40).
There are two unique mitzvot: (a) A positive mitzvah of confession and repentance for every sin that man commits. This mitzvah is explained in the biblical portion of Naso. “When a man or a woman shall [commit any sin that men commit], they shall confess the sins that they have done” (Numbers 5:6). Maimonides, in the Sefer HaMaddah, dedicated ten chapters to this mitzvah, entitled Laws of Repentance. (b) There is a specific mitzvah of repentance in an hour of misfortune, as recorded in the above-noted passage concerning the trumpets: “And when you go to war [in your land against the adversary that oppresses you, then you shall sound the alarm] ... and you shall be saved from your enemies” (Numbers 10:9). In practice, the biblical obligation to be aroused to repentance is accomplished by the sounding of the trumpets, to which the Rabbis added the vehicle of fasting.
Essentially, the obligation to repent is tied to the suffering of the community, as noted by the Mishnah: [that repentance is called for] “For every misfortune that shall befall the community” (TB Ta’anit 19a and Maimonides, loc. cit.). Indeed, the obligation of the individual who finds himself in extremis to return to God is also derived from this Torah portion. The fact that the halakhah recognized the individual’s fast as valuable, proves that the individual is obligated to repent in a time of trouble. According to Maimonides, there can be no fast devoid of repentance. In [Hilkhot T’shuva 1:9], Maimonides writes that “Just as the community fasts on the occasion of its adversity, so does the individual fast on the occurrence of his misfortune.” Similarly, the baraita cited in TB Ta’anit 22b states: “The Rabbis taught: In the case of a city that was surrounded by hostile gentiles, or by an overflowing river, or a ship being tossed by a stormy sea, or an individual pursued by non-Jews or by thieves or by a hurricane, etc. [in all these instances one may sound a voice alarm on Shabbat].” Maimonides ruled accordingly in Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Ta’anit 1:6 (it being understood that there is no sounding of the trumpet on a weekday for an individual who is being pursued). The trumpets are sounded only for communal adversity and not for individual misfortune. There are specific halakhot in tractate Ta’anit and in Maimonides’ Hilkhot Ta’anit, chap.5, that delineate the character of communal adversity. The baraita only sought to teach that an individual who finds himself in extremism may cry out (according to Maimonides even on the Shabbat). It is therefore established that the obligation of crying out is equally applicable to the individual and the community, and of what benefit is crying, if it does not issue forth from a soul that regrets its sins?
The difference between the general mitzvah of repentance and the obligation to repent in a time of adversity may be distilled in one detail: Repentance for sin is tied to the knowledge that one has sinned. So long as a man is not aware of his sin he has no obligation [to repent]. One cannot be obligated to obtain forgiveness without knowledge of the sin for which he repents. As the verse states, “If his sin, wherein he has sinned, be known to him [he shall bring for his offering a goat, a male without blemish] (Leviticus 4:23, emphasis added). Knowledge of a sin obligates the bringing of a sin-offering. Similarly, with regard to repentance, man is not required to repent for those [misdeeds] that are hidden, but only those that are revealed to him. However, in a time of adversity, the sufferer must examine his deeds and inquire after his sins in order to repent for them. The essence of suffering confirms the existence of sin and commands man: find your sin and return to your Creator. Examining one’s deeds is characteristic of the obligation of repentance which is tied to suffering.
We know that on fast-days courts would sit and examine the deeds of the inhabitants of the city. The Talmud (TB Megillah 30b) states: “From the morning a group … examines the deeds of individuals.” Maimonides ([Hilkhot Ta’anit] 1:17) firmly establishes the halakhah: “On each fast day undertaken by a community beset by troubles, the court and the elders should remain in session at the synagogue from the end of the morning service until midday, to examine into the conduct of the citizens and to remove obstacles to righteous living provided by transgressions. They should carefully search and inquire after those guilty of extortion and similar crimes.” (Translation from I. Twersky, Maimonides Reader, p.114). 114). [Cf.TB Eruvin 13b, “And now that [man] is created let him examine his deeds, and we said he shall take hold of his sins.”] The obligation to examine one’s deeds relates to a time of misfortune. It appears that the special obligation to repent on Yom Kippur (as explained in Maimonides, Hilkhot T’shuvah 7:7 and in the Sha’arei T’shuvah of Rabbenu Yonah Gerondi) was established as a special obligation of repentance for undisclosed deeds and a requirement to examine one’s deeds in order to reveal the dishonorable aspects of a man’s life. In this regard the obligation of repentance on Yom Kippur coincides with the obligation of repentance in a time of suffering. Concerning these opportunities, the verse states: “Let us search and examine our ways and return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40).
Established as a special obligation of repentance for undisclosed deeds and a requirement to examine one’s deeds in order to reveal the dishonorable aspects of a man’s life. In this regard the obligation of repentance on Yom Kippur coincides with the obligation of repentance in a time of suffering. Concerning these opportunities, the verse states: “Let us search and examine our ways and return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40).
Eight Chapters
In making this assertion that obedience or disobedience to the Law of God does not depend upon the power or will of God, but solely upon that of man himself, the sages followed the dictum of Jeremiah, who said, "Out of the mouth of God there cometh neither the bad nor the good".16Lam. lll, 38. This verse is, however, generally translated, "Out of the mouth of God, the Most High, cometh there not evil as well as good?", which is exactly the opposite of M.'s interpretation. This verse is also quoted in H. Teshubah, V, 2, where M. states that it is wholly in the power of man to be as righteous as Moses or as wicked as Jeroboam. By the words "the bad" he meant vice, and by "the good", virtue; and, accordingly, he maintains that God does not preordain that any man should be vicious or virtuous. Since this is so, it behooves man to mourn and weep over the sins and the transgressions he has committed, as he has sinned of his own free will in accordance with what the prophet says, "Wherefore should a living man mourn? Let every man mourn because of his sins".17Lam. III, 39. He continues, then, to tell us that the remedy for this disease is in our own hands, for, as our misdeeds were the result of our own free will, we have, likewise, the power to repent of our evil deeds, and so he goes on to say, "Let us search through and investigate our ways, and let us return to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God, in the heavens". 18Ibid., III, 40—41. Of. H. Teshubah, loc. cit.