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The Short Vort- -“ To Cry or Not to Cry” (9/7/10)
The Short Vort
Good Morning!
Today is Tuesday the 28th of Elul 5770 and September 7, 2010
To Cry or Not to Cry
· “Whoever does not find himself moved to tears during ‘these days’; this indicates that his soul is neither complete nor proper”.
(AriZal; Sha’ar HaKavanos 4:1)
· “One should not cry on Rosh Hashanah as the verse says: “and do not be sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength”.
(Ma’she Rav 207)
We can certainly relate to the first source quoted above which indicates the necessity and the praiseworthiness of being moved to cry on Rosh Hashanah; after all is it not Yom HaDin (the Day of Judgment)?
However, less known is the explicit verse in Sefer Nechemia in which Ezra exhorts the people with regard to Rosh Hashanah:
"Go, eat fat foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Lord, and do not be sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nechemia 8:10)
Indeed, as the Vilna Gaon points out (Ma’aseh Rav 207), crying has no place on Rosh Hashanah.
Therefore we do not:
1. Fast on Rosh Hashanah;
2. We do not say Vidui (confession);
3. We do say Selichos.
4. In fact with the exception of U’Nesaneh Tokef, which was a later addition to the davening, we never mention Teshuva (repentance) on Rosh Hashanah;
How then do we reconcile the statement from the Ari’Zal and the opinion of the Vilna Gaon?
If one looks carefully in the words of the Ari’Zal, one notices that he does not say one should cry, rather, he says, one should ‘be moved to tears’.
Perhaps this is the true challenge of Rosh Hashanah.
On one hand one has to be moved in their insidesto tears; however, their outward countenance must remain joyful and happy as indeed befits the coronation of the king!
Indeed, this is the true Avodah (challenge) of Rosh Hashanah; to feel on the ‘inside’ that you are in dire straights, while on the ‘outside’ you exhibit joy and celebration at the King’s coronation!
How does one show a chipper face to the entire outside world while simultaneously being shattered on the inside?
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach Zt”l knew how.
It was a sad day in Yerushalayim when the wife of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach passed away.
They were married for 50 plus years and they were blessed with a blissful and joyous marriage.
As Rav Shlomo Zalman was heading out of Sha’arei Zedek Hospital following his wife’s passing, a young man saw the sage and proceeded to approach him and ask him a kashrus question which had occurred during lunch at the fellow’s home.
Rav Shlomo Zalman listened as patiently and as attentively as he always did then he answered the man’s question, bid him farewell, and went to inform the rest of his family- including his wife’s elderly mother who lived with them- of the passing of the Rebbetzen.
The next day in the midst of his observing Shiva, the young man who had met Rav Shlomo Zalman the day before, came into the house and began begging and pleading with the Rav for forgiveness.
“I had no idea that the Rav was just emerging from the hospital immediately after the Rebbetzen has passed away. I would have never disturbed the Rav with my mundane manners at such a time. Please forgive me; I had no idea….”
Rav Shlomo Zalman looked at the man and responded quietly, “there is nothing to ask mechilla (forgiveness) for. You had no idea that my wife had just passed away. And although inside I was destroyed and I was a broken and shattered vessel, for the outside world- it is my obligation to receive everyone B’Sever Ponim Yafos (a cheerful countenance).
Why should my problems impact negatively on your day?”
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach Zt”l understood how a person can be ‘brought to tears’ on the inside while maintaining a happy face and countenance to the outside world.
May we be privileged to emulate Rav Shlomo Zalman on Rosh Hashanah.