Daf Ditty Yoma 88: Ne’ilah

“NEILAH,” by Flora Rosefsky’s ritual series1

Rav said: The Ne’ilah prayer exempts one from the evening prayer. Since one recited an
added prayer after the afternoon prayer, when darkness fell, it serves as the evening prayer.

1
On view virtually at MaCOM, www.reflectionsbyflora.com.

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The Gemara comments that Rav conforms to his line of reasoning above, as he said: It is an
added prayer, and since he has prayed it, he needs no further prayer in the evening.

The Gemara is surprised at this: And did Rav actually say this? Didn’t Rav say: The halakha
is in accordance with the statement of the one who says that the evening prayer is optional?
If it is optional, why would Rav use the term exempt? One is exempt even if he does not pray
the closing prayer. The Gemara answers: He said this in accordance with the statement of
the one who says that the evening prayer is mandatory. Even according to the opinion that
maintains that the evening prayer is mandatory, if one recites Ne’ilah, he has fulfilled his
obligation to recite the evening prayer.

§ Apropos the halakhot of immersion for one who has had a seminal emission on Yom Kippur,
the Gemara relates: A tanna taught a baraita before Rav Naḥman: With regard to one who
sees an emission of semen on Yom Kippur, his sins are forgiven. The Gemara asks: But
wasn’t it taught in a baraita: His sins are arranged before him? The Gemara answers: What
is the meaning of arranged? They are arranged to be forgiven.

The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: One who sees an emission of semen on Yom Kippur
should worry the whole year that perhaps he was given a sign that he and his fast were
rejected. But if he survives the year, he can be assured that his good deeds protected him
and ensured for him a share in the World-to-Come. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Know
that it is so, as the whole world is hungry due to refraining from conjugal relations, and he is
satiated since he emitted semen and his lust was subdued. Since the issue was involuntary and
not intentional, it is a sign that he has merited divine compassion. When Rav Dimi came from
Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia he said: Seeing semen on Yom Kippur is a sign that one will live
a long life, grow, and raise others. An allusion to that is the verse:

-‫ִאם‬--‫ ֶהֱחִלי‬,‫י ַויהָוה ָחֵפץ ַדְּכּאוֹ‬ 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to crush him by disease; to see if
‫ ִי ְרֶאה ֶזַרע‬,‫ָתִּשׂים ָאָשׁם ַנְפשׁוֹ‬ his soul would offer itself in restitution, that he might see his

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 ‫ ְבָּידוֹ‬,‫ ָיִמים; ְוֵחֶפץ ְיהָוה‬j‫ַיֲא ִרי‬ seed, prolong his days, and that the purpose of the LORD might
.‫ִיְצָלח‬ prosper by his hand:
Isa 53:10

“That he might see his seed and prolong his days”

Summary

We are not allowed to bathe on Yom Kippur. However, we are allowed to immerse in a regular
fashion if that is required in order to pray: in the times of the Talmud, that included women
who were menstruating, new mothers, zavim/zavot and men who had seminal emissions,
among others. Much of this immersion was done in the evening, and so the immersions on
Yom Kippur would wait until after ne'ila and the evening service. In the modern Jewish world
there is no set time for immersion. However, we are told that the rabbis searched for the proper
time for required immersions on Shabbat.2

An interesting thought about immersion: we learn that those who had the name of God written
on their skin were obliged to take extra effort to cover that writing so that it did not smear or
smudge. Why were people writing God's name on their skin? We know that tattoos of God's
name are not permitted (Mishna Makkot Perek III Ch.6) as they were permanent. But writing
God's name on one's body - in what context might this have occurred?

The current halacha regarding a seminal emission on Yom Kippur is shared in Steinsaltz's
notes: if the emission is wet, it is to be wiped off. If it is dry or dirty, only that part of the body
should be washed. Even if his usual custom is to immerse after an emission and before prayer,
he is not to immerse on Yom Kippur.

Boy, do these rabbis ever enjoy talking about semen. They end Masechet Yoma with a number
of different personalities chiming in about what it means when one witnesses a seminal
emission just before Yom Kippur. It is a sign of good things to come? Of a bad year? Is it
foretelling a lack of lust or 'hunger' on Yom Kippur and thus an easier fast and a better
judgement? If he dies over the year, perhaps God offered him the seminal emission to ease his
fast on this, his final year.

I also wonder about the decreasing importance of male ritual impurity over the
generations. Certainly males continue to have seminal emissions, both voluntary and

2
https://dafyomibeginner.blogspot.com/search?q=yoma+88

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involuntary. Why would the requirement for immersion not apply to them? Women continue
to immerse following our monthly ritual impurity.

The very end of our Masechet is an interpretation of Isaiah 53:10 as said by Rav Dimi: "Seeing
semen on Yom Kippur is a sign that one will live a long life, grow, and raise others." By
rights, seeing menstrual blood should offer women the same promise. Both involve witnessing
evidence of the stuff of potential life. Why must women's ritual impurity continue to carry the
burden of 'dirtiness' when men can 'wipe it off' and move on?

Yoma has offered us much to think about regarding Yom Kippur, from the antiquated and the
mundane to the ephemeral. A beautiful and illuminating text to learn.

WHEN IS NE'ILAH RECITED ON YOM KIPPUR?

Rav maintains that Ne'ilah is recited at night, and it replaces the Tefilah of Ma'ariv. The Gemara
shows that the Tana of a Beraisa disagrees with Rav and says that Ne'ilah is
recited before nightfall and does not replace Ma'ariv. The Gemara defends Rav's opinion and
says that the time at which Ne'ilah is recited is the subject of a Machlokes Tana'im, and Rav
follows the Tana who rules that Ne'ilah is recited at night.

Which Tana rules that Ne'ilah is recited at night? The Gemara cites a Beraisa in which the
Rabanan and Rebbi Yosi disagree about the Tevilah of one who became a Ba'al Keri on Yom
Kippur. The Rabanan maintain that he may immerse himself in a Mikvah only until Minchah,
but after Minchah has passed he may not immerse. Rebbi Yosi argues that he may immerse at
any time during the day. The Gemara understands the argument to be based on whether Ne'ilah
may be said at night (after Yom Kippur) or whether it must be said during the day. The Rabanan
maintain that Ne'ilah is recited at night (like Rav). Therefore, once a person has recited
Minchah there is no need for him to immerse on Yom Kippur in order to pray. Rebbi Yosi says
that Ne'ilah must be recited during the day, and therefore even if one has recited Minchah he
may still immerse during the day in order to recite Ne'ilah.

The Gemara later cites a different Beraisa which discusses the case of a person who wants to
immerse in a Mikvah but he has the name of Hash-m written on his skin. In that case, the
Rabanan and Rebbi Yosi argue with regard to a different issue -- whether Tevilah at the
prescribed time is a Mitzvah or not ("Tevilah b'Zemanah Mitzvah"). According to Rebbi Yosi,
Tevilah b'Zemanah is a Mitzvah, while according to the Rabanan it is not.

If the Rabanan maintain that it is not necessary to perform Tevilah in its proper time, perhaps
that is why they say that one may not immerse in a Mikvah during the day on Yom Kippur but
must wait until the night (and not because they maintain that Ne'ilah may be recited at night).
Perhaps both Rebbi Yosi and the Rabanan agree that Ne'ilah must be recited during the day,
and they argue only about a situation in which the person who needs to immerse has already
recited Ne'ilah (the Gemara suggests this possibility later).

The Rabanan do not allow him to immerse in a Mikvah because he already said Ne'ilah and
Tevilah b'Zemanah is not a Mitzvah, while Rebbi Yosi allows him to immerse because Tevilah
b'Zemanah is a Mitzvah. Accordingly, there is no Tana who agrees with Rav's ruling that
Ne'ilah is recited at night. On what grounds, then, does Rav argue with the Beraisa that says

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that one may recite Ne'ilah only during the day and that it does not exempt him from Ma'ariv?
(TOSFOS YESHANIM DH Michlal)

(a) A simple suggestion would be that the Gemara's conclusion (that the Rabanan maintain
Tevilah b'Zemanah Mitzvah) relies on the principle of "Rav Tana Hu u'Palig" -- Rav is a
considered a Tana and is entitled to disagree with a Mishnah or Beraisa.

The TOSFOS YOM HA'KIPURIM, however, suggests that it is not necessary to invoke this
principle in this case. The MAHARI BEN LEV (Teshuvos 1:13 and 48) infers from the words
of TOSFOS in Kidushin (60b, DH Aval) that any Amora may disagree with a Tana -- under
one condition. If it is at all possible to interpret the words of another Tana as disagreeing with
the first Tana, the Amora may assert that he maintains the issue to be a Machlokes Tana'im.
He may rule contrary to the first Tana who clearly contradicts his ruling, even though he cannot
conclusively prove that the two Tana'im indeed argue. Accordingly, Rav may assert that he
interprets the argument between the Tana Kama and Rebbi Yosi to be whether Ne'ilah may be
recited at the night or only during the day (and they discuss a situation in which the person who
saw Keri did not yet recite Ne'ilah), and he rules like the Tana Kama who says that it is recited
at night.

(b) The TOSFOS YESHANIM and TOSFOS HA'ROSH suggest that Rav may have
understood that "Rebbi Yosi" cited in the first Beraisa is not Rebbi Yosi ben Chalafta (the Tana
usually referred to as Rebbi Yosi, who maintains that Tevilah b'Zemanah is a Mitzvah), but
rather Rebbi Yosi b'Rebbi Yehudah -- who maintains that Tevilah b'Zemanah is not a Mitzvah
in another Beraisa cited by the Gemara here. Although the first Beraisa does not clarify which
Rebbi Yosi it quotes (which normally is an indication that it is quoting Rebbi Yosi ben
Chalafta), nevertheless Rav assumes that it must be referring to Rebbi Yosi b'Rebbi Yehudah,
since its wording is so similar to the wording in the second Beraisa which quotes Rebbi Yosi
ben Yehudah. Rav did not accept the possibility that the two "Rebbi Yosi"s in the two Beraisos
were two different Tana'im.

(c) The TOSFOS HA'ROSH cites the MAHARAM MI'ROTENBURG who suggests that
Rav maintained that it is illogical to suggest that the dispute between Rebbi Yosi and the
Rabanan involves a person who already recited Ne'ilah. If that would have been the subject of
their dispute, the Rabanan would not have said that one may immerse in a Mikvah "until
Minchah." They would have said "until Minchah or Ne'ilah, whichever is said later." It must
be that they are referring to a person who did not yet recite Ne'ilah, and they do not allow him
to immerse on Yom Kippur because Ne'ilah may be said at night. Accordingly, the wording of
the Rabanan, "until Minchah," is appropriate: Ne'ilah is not recited during the day and Tevilah
is never permitted on Yom Kippur after Minchah.3

3
It is true that the Gemara suggests at one point that the Beraisa discusses one who already recited Ne'ilah. However, Rav
does not accept this possibility as viable unless there is absolutely no other way to understand the Beraisa.

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Steinzaltz (OBM) writes:4

In the context of defining what comprises the special Ne’ilah prayer on Yom Kippur,
the Gemara on our daf brings a baraita that discusses people who go to the mikvah to
immerse themselves on Yom Kippur. (Remember that washing is one of the five inuyim –
activities forbidden on Yom Kippur if they are done for pleasure – that are enumerated at the
beginning of this perek, or chapter – see 73b.) According to the baraita, anyone who is
obligated to immerse in the mikvah can do so on Yom Kippur, based on the principle that tevila
bizmanah mitzvah – there is an obligation to purify oneself in the mikvah at the time when one
is able to do so.

One of the people listed as being obligated to immerse is a ba’al keri – someone who has
experienced a seminal emission. The obligation to immerse in the mikvah in this case is based
on the assumption that a person cannot participate in prayer or Torah study if he does not purify
himself, making such purification essential for participation in the Yom Kippur synagogue
service.

This assumption stems from one of takkanot Ezra – one of the rules that Ezra ha-
Sofer established during the early part of the Second Temple period – whose intent was to limit
the amount of time that a committed Jew would spent engaged in sexual relations (even with
his own wife). Already during the time of the later tanna’im and early Amoraim (after the
destruction of the Second Temple) this takana was no longer kept for a variety of reasons. Still
there are many who continue to keep this tradition even today. The Me’iri claims that, in his
time, there were individuals who continued practicing tevilat (=the immersion of) Ezra and
would even go the mikvah on Yom Kippur itself, if necessary.

The Baraisa teaches that if a person has the name of Hashem written on his skin, he should not
bathe, nor should he rub oil upon his skin. Rashi explains that the reason for these restrictions
is that we are concerned that the person will inadvertently erase the name of Hashem that is on
his body. It is prohibited to erase the name of Hashem from any surface, due to the verse
(Devarim 12:4): “Do not do this [obliterate the name] of Hashem, your God.” Tosafos
Yeshanim points out that the Gemara (Shabbos 120b) defines mere immersing of oneself in
water or placing oil on one’s skin as not being included under the parameters of the act of
erasing. Consequently, there should be no violation unless the person actively rubs and remove
the name of Hashem.

If, however, the name fades and becomes erased by itself when the person enters the water,
this is simply ‫—גרמא‬a indirect cause of the act–, and this is not prohibited. Rather, explains the
Tosafos Yeshanim, the issue in a person bathing is not in subjecting the name of Hashem to
the water, but that we do not want to have the holy name of Hashem exposed at the moment
the person is standing unclothed while he bathes.

Noda B’Yehuda (Teshuvos 2, O.C. 17) defends the opinion of Rashi. The Gemara in Shabbos
only considers the ‫ גרמא‬of the name being erased to not be a problem if the person is involved
in the act of a mitzvah immersion (‫ מצוה של טבילה‬.(However, if the person who has the name of

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https://www.ou.org/life/torah/masechet_yoma_8688/

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Hashem written on his skin chooses to splash water upon himself in an elective act of bathing
or smearing oil (‫ רשות של רחיצה‬,(even if the act of erasing happens indirectly, this would still
be prohibited. ‫ יצחק שיח‬suggests that the distinction is not only whether entering the water is
for a mitzvah, which is allowed, or whether it is for personal choice, which is prohibited.

Rather, the difference is whether the purpose of entering the water is simply for immersion,
where the name of Hashem is not rubbed at all, or whether it is for bathing, where the person
specifically intends to cleanse his body. This is prohibited because the person invariably
intends to rub any foreign matter off his skin. This understanding can be seen in the words of
Rambam (Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 6:6) as well.

Our Daf records a dispute between R’ Yosi and Rabanan whether it is permitted for a person
with Hashem’s name written on their skin to bathe. The reason Rabanan prohibit bathing,
according to Rashi (1), is out of concern that the water will erase Hashem’s name thus
transgressing the prohibition against erasing Hashem’s name. The opinion of many other
Rishonim (2) is that the rationale to prohibit bathing is the restriction against standing
unclothed in front of Hashem’s name. Radvaz (3) explains the reason why the majority opinion
is not concerned about erasing Hashem’s name is because one is not actively erasing Hashem’s
name, rather it is the indirect result of immersing and for the sake of a mitzvah it is permitted.
Later authorities note a number of important qualifications to this lenient ruling.

The Doveiv Meisharim (4) writes that the reason indirect erasure of Hashem’s name is
permitted is only because it is not certain that an erasure will take place. In other words, indirect
erasure is permitted if it is possible that no erasure will occur. However, if it is certain that
Hashem’s name will be erased it would be prohibited even if the erasure is indirect. A second
qualification, mentioned by Chazon Ish (5), is that indirect erasure is permitted only when
necessary to perform a mitzvah, e.g. immersing, as mentioned in our Gemara. If, however, it
is not done for the sake of a mitzvah it is certainly prohibited.

Rabbeinu Yehudah Hachassid (6) prohibits even indirect erasure of Hashem’s name even if it
is for the sake of a mitzvah. Rav Shimshon Duran (7) explains that the reason it is permitted
for the person with Hashem’s name on his skin to bathe is because it will eventually become
erased anyway. If, however, if it would be permanent, even indirect erasure is prohibited.

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Rav Tzadok HaKohen, zt”l, explains that Yom Kippur represents spiritual life. We therefore
find on our daf that one who has an emission on Yom Kippur itself should rightfully worry the
whole year long. It seems like a sign that his lack of purity will forfeit his right to live out the
year, “‫ו ח‬. However, the Vilna Gaon, zt”l, emphasizes that worrying which is a result of one’s
fear of heaven is not like mundane anxiety that is harmful. While everyone knows that a person
who worries all the time destroys his own life, Shlomo HaMelech said: “The fear of Hashem
adds to one’s life.” (Mishlei 10:27) One who shows true concern over his spiritual state for the
sake of heaven is actually full of vitality.

Rav Kastel, zt”l, an accomplished Torah scholar and a prominent Rav, was once approached
by a Jew with a bitter complaint. “What will be with me? Every year I go to shul on Yom
Kippur. I fast and pray the whole day long. But it doesn’t help. Everything stays the same. I
haven’t changed a bit.” “Don’t worry,” answered the Rav. “You are just like a person who
needs to dig a pit in loose earth. He digs and removes a mound of soil, but since the dirt is
loose, it slides right back into the hole. So he starts again, but the dirt falls back in again. He
has no choice but to dig out the hole a third time, maybe even more times than that, but
eventually the dirt is all cleared out of the hole, and it stays where he wants it. “You may think
he’s wasting his time and effort, but it isn’t so.

The very first time he breaks ground is the hardest, but each time he digs, it gets easier and
easier. Each Yom Kippur, we clear out the impurities that cling to the body. Even though they
come right back, every Yom Kippur brings us a little closer to being fully cleansed. Even
though we may not see the improvement happening, each time we repent of a character defect
it becomes easier to handle. Eventually, it stops bothering us altogether!”

Mark Kerzner writes:5

Rav was explaining Torah verses in the class of his teacher, Rabbi Yehudah the Prince. Every
time a new student came in, he was forced to start from the beginning, out of respect for him.
Finally, when Rabbi Chanina came in, Rav did not restart, and Rabbi Chanina was offended.

5
http://talmudilluminated.com/yoma/yoma88.html

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For thirteen years Rav came to ask forgiveness on the eve of Yom Kippur, but Rabbi Chanina
was not appeased.

How did Rav do it, seeing that one should not ask for forgiveness more than three times? - Rav
went beyond the letter of the law. And how could Rabbi Chanina not forgive? We know that if
one overlooks an insult and does not insist on his rights, then the Heavenly court overlooks his
mistakes and the fact that he himself is unworthy? - Rabbi Chanina had a special reason: in a
dream he saw Rav hanging from a palm tree, and he knew that this meant that Rav was destined
to become the head of the academy. This meant that he, Rabbi Chanina, who was the head of
the academy in Israel, would have to die to vacate the post. Therefore, he pushed Rav to go to
Babylonia, where Rav finally established his great academy which then existed for eight
hundred years.

If one has a seminal emission on Yom Kippur, his sins are forgiven. But we learned in another
place, "his sins are arranged in front of him!?" - Arranged to be forgiven.

Rachel Scheinerman writes:6

I have to admit, when I sat down to compose something about this final page of Tractate Yoma,
my first impulse was to write something snarky — because this is the (ahem) climax of the
entire tractate:

A Tanna taught Rav Nahman: One who sees a seminal emission on Yom Kippur, his sins
are forgiven.

In the course of Yoma, we’ve spent countless hours poring over the details of a
complicated, high-stakes Temple ritual with the very life and death of the entire community as
well as its individual members at stake. We’ve pondered what effort it takes to get this
ritual right, whether it’s assigning the high priest an emergency back-up wife or building a
miles-long aqueduct to bring live waters across the desert to build a mikveh on top of a gate,
and we’ve delved into the meaning of such ponderous topics as self-affliction and personal
atonement.

So it’s difficult to keep a straight face when we come to the end of three months of study only
to learn that a man who accidentally ejaculates in his sleep on the most solemn day of the year
should take it as a sign that his sins have been forgiven. Rabbi Yishmael and his school, at
least, have what seems a more intuitive take:

The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: One who sees an emission of semen on Yom Kippur
should worry the whole year. But if he survives the year, he can be assured that he has a
share in the World to Come.

One might think that after a long day of fasting, praying and watching goats meet unfortunate
fates, a seminal emission — even an accidental one — is not a sign that you’re doing it right.
But the rabbis disagree. Rather pointedly, Rabbi Yishmael’s school is rejoined by Rav Dimi,

6
Myjewishlearning.com

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who shares the final and conclusive teaching that not only does an accidental emission on Yom
Kippur signal likely divine forgiveness, it also assures long life and progeny.

This is on brand for the rabbis. Accidental emissions are a fact of life, and human beings are
not robots. Refusing to shame people for having human bodies that do human things, even at
inopportune times, is their way.

The more revealing question is how we got onto this subject in the first place. On the bottom
of yesterday’s page, the rabbis began a discussion of the final prayer of Yom Kippur, Neilat
Shearim, “the locking of the gates.” Today, we know this as simply Neilah, the fifth and final
service of Yom Kippur, recited as the sun sinks to the horizon. Neilah affords us one last
opportunity to secure God’s forgiveness before the gates of repentance swing shut and our fates
are decided for the coming year.

Neilah, as we experience it today, is a much more fleshed-out service than what the rabbis are
talking about, including a final recitation of the Viddui confession, a final Avinu Malkeinu, a
final Shema, followed by a triplicate declaration of baruch hu u’varuch shemo — the response
line of the Shema that is said aloud only on Yom Kippur. Then a declaration of God’s
dominion, Adonai hu ha’Elohim, is repeated seven times. And finally, one long blast of
the shofar.

In contrast, for the rabbis, Neilat Shearim is neither a full service nor something unique to Yom
Kippur. For instance, it is also recited at the end of spontaneous fasts that are called in the event
that the community is experiencing a drought. (We’ll explore these kinds of as-needed fasts,
which were common in the ancient world, in Tractate Ta’anit.)

After some debate, the rabbis decide that Neilat Shearim is an additional Amidah said toward
the close of Yom Kippur. But if that’s the case, does saying Neilat Shearim exempt one from
saying the regular evening Amidah (Maariv) that follows the holiday? Or does it mean we can
at least abbreviate that evening Amidah?

Those seminal emissions come in to help us answer this question. Here’s how it works: Though
bathing is prohibited on Yom Kippur, if one has a seminal emission he may immerse — indeed
should immerse — because according to a decree of Ezra, purification is necessary to pray.
(This is not actually so strange. As you may recall, the high priest immerses multiple times
over the course of the holiday.)

On the other hand, if you’ve already done all your praying and only then realize you’ve
experienced an emission, perhaps you should wait until sundown to complete this purification
ritual. Because though purification through immersion is permitted, bathing is still prohibited.

What emerges from this discussion is that sometimes a person might immerse after the Mincha
(afternoon) Amidah in order to recite Neilat Shearim, providing proof that Neilat Shearim is
recited during daylight hours (because otherwise you would wait until nightfall to immerse).
And this, in turn, shows that Neilat Shearim does not exempt one from reciting the evening
prayers — nor even to abbreviate them. Indeed, to this day, after the shofar is blown to mark
the end of Yom Kippur, congregations around the world turn immediately to praying a full, 18-
blessing evening Amidah, including an extra line for Havdalah, which separates the sacred day
from the mundane day.

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On the one hand, the tractate ends with this discussion for entirely practical reasons. The rabbis
are simply illuminating detailed halakhic points about the final ritual of Yom Kippur. But if
you find the whole idea that accidental emission on the Day of Atonement proves one has a
share in the World to Come somewhere between befuddling and lurid, then consider this: The
rabbis are grappling with the real problem of human sin, which is universal and brings
unimaginable suffering into this world. Yom Kippur asks all of us to look that reality straight
in the face, own up to our own part, and make real, true progress.

To end on a discussion of life, death, prayer and sex seems appropriate — pointing up the
tremendous magnitude and all-encompassing nature of the conversation. At the same time, by
not only forgiving the accidental emission but converting it into a sign of merit, the rabbis
remind us not to go too far in our eagerness to root out evil. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar,
and not a sin.

Ne’ilah Service: Closing of the Gates

The concluding service of Yom Kippur.

RONALD L. EISENBERG WRITES: 7

Ne’ilah, (Closing of the gates) is the final service of Yom Kippur. Some have suggested that
the name refers to the historical fact that this extra service was recited at the end of the Day of
Atonement, when the Temple gates were closing. However, the special piyyutim written for
this service favor the idea that Ne’ilah reflects the more spiritual concept of the closing of the
gates of Heaven, which have been kept open to receive our final prayers and supplications.

This poetic image has imbued the Ne’ilah service with a sense of urgency. In contrast to the
leisurely pace of the other Yom Kippur services, the mood suddenly changes.

Although Judaism teaches that the gates of prayer are always open to the truly repentant, as
individuals and as a congregation we feel that this is our final chance to pour out our hearts
before the divine throne of mercy. Even those who have left the synagogue because of
weakness induced by the fast usually return to participate in the Ne’ilah service.

A Sprint to the Finish

Paradoxically, as the initial hunger from fasting wears off, many worshipers feel a
revitalization of their spiritual strength. Beginning with the repetition of the Amidah,
the ark remains open throughout the Ne’ilah service. All who are physically capable remain
standing, an act that requires additional effort and adds to the feeling of urgency and spiritual
transformation.

The separate members of the congregation appear as one penitent, joined in their firm
conviction that the divine judge will pardon their sins at this final hour of the day. In the
Amidah, the phrase used since Rosh Hashanah, “inscribe us in the Book of Life,” now becomes
“seal us in the Book of Life,” as the final seal is placed on the divine decree. Ashamnu and

7
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/neilah-service/

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Avinu Malkeinu are again repeated, but the pressure of time forces the omission of the long Al
Het.

As the climax of the Day of Atonement rapidly approaches, the prayer leader and congregation
join in the recitation of three biblical sentences whereby they rededicate themselves to the
essential theological doctrines of Judaism.

Final Affirmations

The first is a single recitation of the Shema, the quintessential affirmation of faith. This is
followed by a threefold repetition of “Praised is His name, whose glorious kingdom for ever
and ever,” the line that is usually recited as a silent response to the Shema. This recalls the
threefold declaration: “The Lord is king (present), the Lord was king (past), and the Lord will
be king (future).”

Finally, the verse Adonai hu ha-Elohim (the Lord is God) is repeated seven times. This
unequivocal denial of all idolatry and affirmation of the One and Only God was the response
of the Israelites to Elijah’s triumphant victory over the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel ( 1
Kings 18:39 ).

This declaration is followed by a long blast of the shofar (tekiah gedolah), an echo of the
ancient practice of sounding the shofar to proclaim the beginning of the 50th (jubilee) year of
freedom throughout the land ( Lev. 25:9 ). Just as all lands returned to their original owners
and slaves were freed from their masters with the onset of the jubilee year, so we celebrate our
personal liberation from the overwhelming burden of our transgressions.

The piercing blast of the ram’s horn also symbolizes the certainty that we have been granted
divine forgiveness and been inscribed for a good year. This confidence in the future is
expressed as all join in saying le-shanah ha-ba’ah be-Yerushalayim (next year in Jerusalem),
the city that has symbolized hope and freedom for Jews throughout the ages.

I Wait All Year for This Moment - The Ne’ilah Service

Rabbi Fred Greene writes:8
There is a dramatic moment in our liturgy that I wait for all year long. It is the final service in
the late afternoon on Yom Kippur called Ne’ilah. Ne’ilah means “locking.” The idea is that the
Gates of Repentance are closing, and these are the last few moments available to us to do the
important work of teshuvah – turning/returning/repentance. The intensity is so strong that it
actually makes me feel like my very life depends on it.

Ne’ilah marks the conclusion of the Aseret Y’mei Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance that
began on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and will conclude with this service on Yom Kippur. The
only time we include it in our liturgy is on Yom Kippur. I look forward to it because, for me,
it is a liberating and cleansing moment. After owning how I have failed and how I have missed
important things in the year that past, I can begin again. I have a chance to do better.

8
https://www.harhashem.org/in-other-news....html?post_id=333167

12
I know that there are many people who have never seen this service. After a day of fasting,
spending the morning and perhaps a fair amount of the day in the synagogue, and of course,
the very Jewish aspect of coming together to eat with friends and family, many people miss
this truly awesome experience.

So please, accept this as my personal invitation for you to try something new. To be open to
what our tradition has to offer us. I believe that, as the Gates are closing, you will find a beauty
to be with your community at such a peak moment of our holy days.

I can tell you that this last section of prayers, after leading services all day and frankly feeling
a little exhausted…it strengthens me. It isn’t just the anticipation of ending. It is the drive to
finish what I have started. It is the nuances in the prayers that express our gratitude for being
written in the Book of Life and hoping that the book will be sealed.

I find a peace by knowing that I have done the hard work that these Ten Days require – asking
for forgiveness, trying to do better, acknowledging my shortcomings, and strengthening my
commitment to our tradition, to my family, to my people, to my world, and yes, to The Holy
One of Blessing.

But it is the very end that is so compelling. We ask God to “open the gates of righteousness”
so that we can go through. We take a breath, stand up in front of the open ark, profess how we
are aware of our weaknesses but promise to be open to God’s guidance. We express our deep
gratitude for all the beauty in our world, even if we too often focus on the negative or the
difficult.

And then…

We say Sh’ma Yisrael one time.

We say Baruch Shem Kavod… three times.
We say Adonai Hu HaElohim, “The Eternal One is God,” seven times.

And immediately, standing in front of our ark, often with a sense of awe, relief, joy, and
gratitude, we hear the final tekiah g’dolah – the last great blast of the shofar, telling us that we
have finished and that we can start again.

Yom Kippur’s ‘Final Call’

The message of the concluding Ne’ilah service ‘shines the spotlight on what matters most,’
whether during COVID or any year.

FLORA ROSEFSKY writes:9

The vision of gates soon locking during Ne’ilah, the final moments of Yom Kippur, is “one of
the most exhilarating services of the High Holiday experience,” according to Rabbi Laurence
Rosenthal of Congregation Ahavath Achim.

9
https://atlantajewishtimes.timesofisrael.com/yom-kippurs-final-call/

13
He said that image “creates not only an urgency to get our final prayers in, but also a feeling
of euphoria that the end is near and we, as a community, were able to find redemption and
return.”

Towards the end of the high holidays, beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom
Kippur, the figurative “Book of Life” inscribes and seals our fate for the year ahead.

Rabbi Jesse Charyn said the Ne’ilah closing service is “often understood as the ‘final call’
of Yom Kippur – thought to be the ultimate judgment.” According to Charyn, Neilah’s
“imposing liturgy puts life in perspective and shines the spotlight on what matters most.” The
message especially rings true this year in the midst of the global pandemic, Charyn explained.
When the shofar is sounded at the conclusion of the Ne’ilah service, it is no longer a wake-up
call. The shofar’s sounds during Ne’ilah are “meant to reverberate throughout the year as a
reminder that returning to God is always possible,” Charyn said.

Rabbi Yossi New of Chabad’s Congregation Beth Tefillah compares the high holidays 10-day
period to scenes from a courtroom in which the presiding judge is God. “We are the
defendants. Two teams of angels serve as the prosecutors and defense.” At Ne’ilah, he
said, the shofar recalls a trumpet’s triumphant sound, as if it were a proclamation of a victory.
“There is an expression of confidence that we will be signed and be sealed for the year
ahead.” When asked to explain the significance of the metaphor of gates closing after the
Ne’ilah service, New said the gates are more accessible now during the high holidays “with
easy and direct access to God. The rest of the year Heaven is like a heavily guarded building
with strong security. Access and entry is possible but more difficult.” He added, “this is a
propitious time for Teshuvah – to return to our true selves – the good self!”

Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal describes the closing gates of Ne’ilah as creating urgency and a
feeling of euphoria.

Rosenthal shared his thoughts about how to envision both gates being closed and how the
“book” is sealed at the end of Yom Kippur during the Ne’ilah service. “I think they mean two
different things. The gates are the gates of repentance and prayer which God holds open
during this special time.” The Books of Life and Death are opened, and God inscribes our fate
for the coming year, he said. Tradition tells us that the gates of prayer and repentance remain
open for another 10 days until Hoshannah Rabbah.

“It makes me think that ‘the book’ is also cracked open a bit and maybe our fate isn’t inscribed
as permanently as we might think.”

Many synagogues have a longstanding tradition of inviting anyone who brings a shofar to
Ne’ilah to blow it at the service conclusion as the final tekiah gedolah blast. With COVID this
year, where most synagogues will limit attendance, this kind of a group shofar blowing will
not be observed. Still, the service only held on the final evening of Yom Kippur is expected to
end with traditional prayers and the shofar blast.

“There is a collective power to our prayers,” New said. While they may not be physically
present in the synagogue because of the pandemic, “a person is still obligated to pray as an
individual and can pray at home if needed,” he said.

14
Rosenthal summed up the impact of the pandemic year on the service. “Although it (Ne’ilah)
is going to be very different, it will be very meaningful – definitely one for the record books.”

Tefillat Ne’ilah on Yom Kippur

Mrs. Rina Zinkin writes:10

We are taught that just as Yom Kippur is the climax of Aseret Yimei Teshuvah, Ne’ilah
is the climax of Yom Kippur. Ne’ilah is the last opportunity for sincere Teshuva, the last
desperate appeal for Hashem’s mercy. It is the time when tears and fervent Tefillot can
accomplish what we’ve failed to do since the days of Elul.

The Shemoneh Esrei of Ne’ilah is similar to the other Shemoneh Esrei’s of Yom Kippur
until one reaches Viduy. Just as we are about to say all of the “Al cheits,” there are none to say.
In its place, we add two new paragraphs (Atah Notein and Atah Hivdalta) that mention vidui in
a mere general context, as well as detailing only one specific sin of theft – "l'maan nechdal
mei'oshek yadeinu", "to withdraw our hands from all that we have taken wrongfully."

It is very striking that during the final and waning moments of Yom Kippur, at the
climax of an entire day focused on teshuva, we do not recite a complete vidui in
the Ne'ilah Shemoneh Esrei.

How are we to understand this shift in focus generally and, more specifically, why do
we single out the sin of theft to beg forgiveness for in the closing moments of Yom Kippur? It
would seem that theft is a sin that might be less commonly violated than many others that we
mention throughout the day.

Some explain the sin of "theft" here to be representative of all sins bein adam
l'chaveiro. And thus, it serves as a final reminder that Yom Kippur cannot atone for those sins
which we have committed against our fellow man, until we have personally appeased them.
(see Sefer Hatoda'ah, Eliyahu Ki Tov)

However, the Chiddushei HaRim offers another explanation, al pi drash, that carries
with it a very profound and eternal lesson. According to the Chiddushei Harim, the "theft"
refers to that which we steal from Hashem when we do not use the powers He gave us for the
purposes He intended. We confess at the end of Ne'ilah our misappropriation of our God given
talents. "All that was taken wrongfully" is that which we took from Hashem and did not
consecrate to His purposes. And it is this vidui, on "stealing" away our potential, which really
sums up the consequence and effect of all cheit. And therefore, at the final moments of Yom
Kippur we shift our focus away from individual sins, and call attention to the consequence of
those sins. Cheit has caused us to remain "small". Cheit has limited our potential to reach
higher levels in our observance of Torah and mitzvos. And cheit has inhibited our relationship
with Hashem.

10
https://www.midreshetmoriah.org/torah/view.asp?id=757

15
 At this intense, powerful time of Tefillat Ne’ilah, let us be involved in sincere teshuva
for this sin of “gezel.” Let us recognize that Hashem has blessed us with special and unique
kochot and abilities and let us realize that we have a unique tafkid to fulfill in this world. May
we be zocheh to strive to fulfill our true potential in our avodas Hashem and commit to trying
to achieve greatness.

With Great Power

Jason Strauss writes:11

One of the recurring themes of the Yomim Noraim, of the Days of Awe, is that of God’s
dominion over the world. Yesterday’s daf (Yoma 87b) records the opinion of Rabbi Yochanan
that ‫וידוי‬, penitence, begins with the words “‫ ;”רבון העולמים‬i.e. repentance begins with
acknowledging God as the Master of the Universe (the actual One, not the Mattel action
figure). There are many ways in which God’s authority is manifest but one aspect of God’s
position of power is that He is the only One who can justly pardon or punish those who sin. He
is also the only One who has the ability to intervene and protect the weak from any danger. In
other words, in begging God to look past our sins to our potential for good, we recognize that
God’s great power comes with tremendous moral responsibility.

Moral responsibility in some ways comes naturally to the Jewish People. We have been subject
to the whims of powerful kings and governments hostile to Jewish life for millennia, during
which we’ve experienced persecution, exile, and genocide. As a result, we have today become
vigilant about defending ourselves, our fellow Jews, and our
state from prejudice, discrimination, and annihilation.

Additionally, the Jewish People have come to appreciate the importance of fighting for justice
and the health and safety of all people (a la ‫)כי גרים הייתם בארץ מצרים‬. We march for civil rights
with Martin Luther King Jr., race across the world to aid nations suffering from natural
disasters, and ease the pain of kids living with cancer by teaching them martial arts. And we’ve
also begun, thank God, to create numerous organizations to protect Jews from their fellows
Jews.

Still, there seems to be something missing, which I feel is well illustrated by an article
by Nechama Leibowitz z”l, found in her book, New Studies in Shemot Part I (pp. 39-48). She
notes that the Torah describes Moses as having a unique awareness of the suffering of others:
“‫( ”וירא בסבלותם‬Exodus 2:11). The Torah demonstrates his sensitivity with three stories told in
quick succession: (1) Moses defends a fellow Hebrew from an Egyptian (ibid. 2:11-12); (2)
Moses protects a Hebrew from another Hebrew (ibid. 2:13-14); and (3) Moses “saves” non-
Hebrew women from aggressive non-Hebrew shepherds (ibid. 2:17). Leibowitz points out that
by ordering the three stories in this way, it becomes clear that Moses’s motivations are not
based on self-interest or Jewish nationalism but rather on moral principle. To Moses, it is
worth fighting for justice for any person, even at personal risk.

11
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/with-great-power/

16
As I taught this passage to a student of mine, I realized that the Torah does not mention any
fourth story, one in which Moses protects a non-Hebrew from Hebrew abuse. The reason for
this is not a mystery: Moses lived in a time when Israel was subject to the power of others.
Jews could fight for justice amongst themselves and against powers greater than themselves,
but it was unlikely that one would find a case of Jewish abuse of power against non-Jews in
Egypt. However, Leibowitz cites a midrash that does seems to acknowledge the ethical
complexity of Jewish power. The context of the midrash is Moses’s pleading with God to let
him enter the Land, despite his sin at Mei Meriva. Moses claims that his own piety is
unparalleled in Jewish history, and he thus deserves a chance to enter with the rest of the
People. God responds as follows:

‫א”ל הקב”ה כלום אמרתי לך שתהרוג את המצרי? א”ל ואתה הרגת כל בכורי מצרים ואני אמות בשביל מצרי‬
‫אחד? א”ל הקב”ה ואתה דומה אלי ממית ומחיה? כלום אתה יכול להחיות כמוני‬

p. 363 ,‫אוצר המדרשים )אייזנשטיין( – משה‬

The Holy One, blessed is He, said to [Moses]: “Did I tell you to kill the Egyptian?” [Moses]
responded, “But You killed all of the firstborns of Egypt! Should I die for killing just one
Egyptian?” Said the Holy One, blessed is He, “Are you in any way similar to Me, the One
Who both causes death and restores life? You cannot restore life, as I can.”

Ozar Ha-midrashim, Part 2, p. 363

God accuses Moses of unjustly killing the Egyptian, albeit one who was attacking a fellow
Hebrew. Unlike Himself, God explains that Moses should not have the power to take life as he
is incapable to bring life back. Most people would ask: “Moses had an obligation to kill the
Egyptian – he was hitting a Jew! What should he have done differently?” I agree; Moses was
never punished for killing the Egyptian, as he should not have been. However, God nonetheless
brings up Moses’ killing of the Egyptian in this context to force him to realize that even when
justified, killing anyone is inherently evil, though sometimes necessary. Moreover, Hashem
teaches Moshe that unlike the ‫רבונו של עולם‬, the Master of the Universe, Who can reverse His
decisions, when humans abuse power, the effects may be irreversible.

For most of Jewish history, in the Land of Israel as well as in the Diaspora, we have rarely
found ourselves in the position to make or break the daily experience of non-Jews. Today, the
situation is different. There are segments of our community that have political and economic
power unimaginable just decades ago. The State of Israel is the greatest military, technological,
and economic power in the Middle East. She has justly used that power to become a center for
technological and medical advancement, for aiding hundreds of Syrians brave enough to seek
help across the border, and for protecting her citizens against rocket fire and terror tunnels.
At the same time, Israel also has millions of non-Jewish citizens, as well as millions of
Palestinians under its political and military influence. We need to recognize the enormity of
this power and how easy it is to abuse. We can’t afford to have MKs advocate for expulsions
and conquests, to mistreat African refugees, or to overlook discrimination against Arab Israeli
citizens, which has not yet been fully addressed.

17
We need to admit that just as we expect Palestinians to take responsibility for violence and
extremism within their communities and for the Muslim world to condemn and isolate ISIS,
we too must be even more vigilant about fighting violence and extremism within our
community and amongst our leaders. And we need to seek to end the need for violence, even
in self-defense, by not giving up on peace.

As a people, we have begun to address the moral challenges of Jewish power. Institutions like
the Israel Democracy Institute and the Shalom Hartman Institute are fighting to maintain and
balance the Jewish and democratic values of the state. Organizations like Maaglei Tzedek in
Israel and Uri L’Tzedek in the US have begun to address how Jewish businesses treat their
workers, including, or maybe even especially, their non-Jewish employees. It is essential to
increase and support these efforts. If the Jewish People is meant to be a model nation and Israel
a model state, then we must hold ourselves to the highest possible moral standard. We must set
an example for what a just society can be.

If we can do this, if we can inspire the world in this way, maybe this Sukkot, or during some
Sukkot in the future, we’ll get to experience the prophecy of Zechariah:

,‫ ְוָלֹחג‬,‫ ְיהָוה ְצָבאוֹת‬Œ‫ ְלִהְשַׁתֲּחוֹת ְלֶמֶל‬,‫ ְירוָּשָׁל ִם; ְוָﬠלוּ ִמֵדּי ָשָׁנה ְבָשָׁנה‬-‫ ַﬠל‬,‫ ַהָבִּאים‬,‫ַהגּוֹ ִים‬-‫ַהנּוָֹתר ִמָכּל‬-‫ ָכּל‬,‫ְוָהָיה‬
‫ַחג ַהֻסּכּוֹת‬-‫ֶאת‬

‫טז‬:‫זכריה יד‬

And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left of all the nations that came against
Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to
celebrate the Holiday of Sukkot.

Zechariah 14:16

NE'ILAH (Heb. ‫) ְנִﬠיָלה‬, a worship service deriving from the ritual of the Second Temple, but
subsequently recited only on the Day of Atonement as its concluding rite (see Ta'an. 4:1; Ta'an.
26b and TJ, Ta'an. 4:167c; TJ, Ber. 4:1, 7b–c; Yoma 87b and TJ, Yoma 8:8, 45c). It was
originally recited on all public fast days, in addition to the Day of Atonement. It also concluded
the daily *Ma'amadot, where laymen from provincial communities prayed with their priestly
delegates in Jerusalem. The full name of the service is Ne'ilat She'arim ("Closing of the
Gates"), referring to the daily closing of the Temple gates. On the Day of Atonement this literal
closing (ne'ilat sha'arei heikhal) was associated with the symbolic closing of the heavenly
gates, which remained open to prayer until sunset (ne'ilat sha'arei shamayim). Throughout the
year, according to the Talmud, Ne'ilah was recited one hour before sunset, when the Temple
Gates were closed; on the Day of Atonement, because of its length, Ne'ilah did not begin until
close to sunset. Once Ne'ilah was limited to the Day of Atonement, it began before twilight
and ended at nightfall.

By the third century Ne'ilah consisted of an *Amidah of seven benedictions, parallel to the
other statutory services of the day. It likewise featured confession of sins. Attah yode'a razei
olam ("Thou knowest the secrets of the world"), however, and *Al Ḥet were replaced by two
prayers unique to the confession in the Ne'ilah service: Attah noten yad le-foshe'im ("Thou

18
stretchest forth Thy hand [in forgiveness] to sinners") and Attah hivdalta enosh ("Thou has
distinguished man [from the beast]"). These recapitulate the biblical-talmudic doctrine that
God eagerly forgives the truly penitent. In accordance with the rabbinic idea that the divine
judgment, inscribed on *Rosh Ha-Shanah, is not sealed until the Day of Atonement ends, the
word to "inscribe" (‫כתב‬, ktv) (in the Book of Life) is amended to "seal" (‫חתם‬, ḥtm). To set it off
from the preceding Minḥah service, Ne'ilah is prefaced by Ashrei (Ps. 145) and U-Va le-
Ẓiyyon Go'el, which ordinarily introduce Minḥah.

Ne'ilah was eventually embellished with sacred poetry, especially Seliḥot. Impressive
melodies heightened the emotional impact of Ne'ilah. The central motif is exhortation to make
a final effort to seek forgiveness before the heavenly gates close at sunset. Yet the overall tone
is one of confidence, especially in the final litany. The service proper concludes with *Avinu
Malkenu and *Kaddish. The entire ritual culminates in responsive proclamations of *Shema,
followed by Barukh shem kevod malkhuto, and "The Lord, He is God" (I Kings 18:39). A
single shofar blast announces the end of the "Sabbath of Sabbaths."

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

M. Arzt, Justice and Mercy (1963), 271–86;

L. Ginzberg, Perushim ve-Ḥiddushim ba-Yerushalmi, 3 (1941), 67–108;

Morgenstern, in: HUCA, 6 (1929), 12–37; E. Munk, World of Prayer, 2 (1963), 262–7.

Satan’s Last Gasp

Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld writes:12

Yom Kippur is a time of teshuva (repentance) for all, both the individual and the public. It
is the end of [the period of] pardon and forgiveness for Israel. Therefore, everyone is
obligated to do teshuva and confess on Yom Kippur.
The obligation to confess on Yom Kippur is to begin on the eve of the day, before one eats
[the final meal before Yom Kippur], lest he choke during his meal before he confesses. Even
though [a person] confessed before eating, he must again confess on Yom Kippur night
[during the] evening services (‘arvis’), and again during the morning services (‘shacharis’),
[as well as] during the ‘mussaf’, ‘mincha’ and ‘neilah’ services.
Where (i.e., at what point in each prayer service) does [a person] confess? An individual
after concluding his [shemoneh esrei] prayer and the cantor in the middle of his prayers in
the fourth blessing.

Rambam turns to the climax of this special period, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This
is the day most auspicious for repentance of the entire year. On this day the Satan is muzzled
and not permitted to accuse (Yoma 20b).There is nothing separating us and God. It is a time
we are able to return to Him like no other. And He in turn is there waiting.

12
https://torah.org/learning/mlife-lorch2-7/

19
Accordingly, as the Rambam points out, confession is one of the central aspects of the Yom
Kippur service. We confess our sins several times throughout the day, as well as once before
it even begins.

It might at first seem strange that confession is a part of the synagogue services, chanted in
public often in unison with the other congregants. Isn’t confession a very private experience,
in which a person examines his own personal faults and owns up to them? Instead we are given
a “confession form,” in which we “recite” to God what is wrong with us!

But in truth, there is great wisdom to the fact that the Sages provided us with the text to the
confessional services. As in practically all areas of Judaism the Torah (or Rabbis) offer us an
instructive outline of our obligations to God. And that provides us with that crucial starting
point for true devotion. The Torah never just tells us “Be good” — leaving us to figure out
what exactly that means. It spells out proper service of God, leaving as little as possible to
man’s cockeyed imagination.

Likewise regarding confession, if we would have to start out from scratch on our own, we
would quite likely have no idea how to begin. We’d either burst out in incoherent babbling, or
we’d be too scared to start — to initiate a conversation with God in our own words. Thus, the
Sages provide us with the starting point.

The “viduy” (confession) we are provided with contains an alphabetical listing of sins —
actually of underlying flaws which engender virtually all types of improper behavior. By
covering the entire alphabet we are in effect stating that we have failed across the board, that
we must improve ourselves in all areas. Certainly, anyone who wants to have a truly meaningful
Yom Kippur will examine deeper and determine which flaws most relate to him and in which
way — as well as which ones he will focus on most strongly for the coming year. And this
most certainly implies reviewing the prayer book in advance to understand how each issue
applies to him personally. (There are many lengthy works in publication — in several
languages — which elaborate on the confessional service explaining the meaning and
ramifications of each fault listed.) Yet the Sages in their wisdom provide us with the
“boilerplate” text, for if not for this, we would have no meaningful way to begin.

Another important point is as we discussed last week, that praying with a quorum is always
more effective than praying in private. By joining with the congregation in confession, God is
much more likely to accept our penitence — as God would never reject an entire congregation
of penitent Jews.

The Rambam in this law makes reference to the final meal eaten before Yom Kippur, saying
that one must recite the viduy one time before this meal lest one choke to death during it. This
meal is known as the “se’udah ha’mafsekes” (lit., “dividing meal” — dividing between the
mundane and sacred). It is viewed as semi-festive according to Jewish law. There are several
reasons offered for this. Below I quote three, all offered by Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona (great
Talmudist and ethicist of 13th Century Spain) in his work Sha’arei Tehuva (“The Gates of
Repentance”, 4:8-10):

(1) By celebrating on the eve of Yom Kippur, a person demonstrates his joy over the day’s
arrival — over his opportunity to return to God and merit atonement for his sins. This
in itself serves to indicate how upset the person was over his past sins and how anxiously
he awaited the opportunity to achieve expiation.

20
(2) Just as all major holidays are celebrated with feasting — as our very feasting indicates
our great happiness in our observance, so too the holiday of Yom Kippur calls for
celebration. As we cannot eat on the day itself, we celebrate its arrival immediately
beforehand.
(3) Practically, eating a good square meal before Yom Kippur will give us the strength to
properly observe the day when it arrives.

The Rambam, based on the Talmud (Yoma 87b), states that one must confess one time before
the final meal lest he choke at the meal and never make it to Yom Kippur. This seems like a
curious reason. We of course must always bear in mind our mortality — on Yom Kippur of all
times — yet generally speaking we are not so concerned that people will suddenly drop dead
during the ordinary course of events. (See for example Mishna Gittin 3:3-4).

I believe there are a few possible answers to this. First of all, the opportunity of communing
with God on Yom Kippur is so precious that we don’t want to take any risk whatsoever that it
be missed. At least immediately prior to Yom Kippur let us merit some connection with God.

Second, as we discussed in the past (1:3) (and will God willing discuss further next week),
Yom Kippur itself is a time of closeness to God. The day itself moves us closer to Him. Thus,
as my teacher R. Yochanan Zweig explained, the day can almost be viewed as a day-long
communion with God. To begin such a day, we must achieve a level of purity beforehand so
that we can truly cleave to God. (The Talmud there begins by stating that if not for the fear of
choking, the ideal time is to confess is immediately before the day begins — after the final
meal.) Thus even before the day begins, the Sages saw need for confession.

Finally, one of the great axioms of Judaism is that for every good force in this world, there is
an equally powerful negative one. “This opposite that did God make”.13 There is a balance in
this world. Goodness (as well as evil) can never become so powerful and entrenched that there
is nothing to check its progress. Otherwise, there would be no challenge to life — and that
would defeat the entire purpose of creation. The Talmud states that the greater a person is, the
stronger his evil inclination (Sukkah 52a). To maintain the challenge of this world, the greater
a person is, the higher the stakes of life must be.

Likewise, when Yom Kippur arrives with all its potential for greatness, it cannot go unchecked.
Satan will do anything in its power to see to it that we never reach such a time. Thus, the
possibility that we choke to death literally on the verge of perfection is a very real one which
the Sages did not in any way discount. (Keep in mind also that Satan is not permitted to accuse
on Yom Kippur itself. This is his last chance to ruin it for us this year. He won’t miss it.)

One more fascinating idea before I close. The Rambam stated that we confess before the final
meal lest we choke to death beforehand. This is based upon one version of the Talmud (Yoma
87b), which states, “lest occur a ‘mishap’ / ‘calamity’ (kalkalah) during the meal.” The
Rambam understands the “calamity” to be premature death before the day arrives.

The Talmud as we have it, however, states something somewhat different: “lest a person’s
mind become ‘unsettled’ during the meal.” The commentator Rashi explains that a person may
drink too much and become inebriated during his final meal. He will then sleep off much of
Yom Kippur and the day will lose a great deal of its potential.

13
Koheles (Ecclesiastes) 7:14; see Talmud Hagigah 15a

21
My teacher R. Yochanan Zweig wondered how a person could be so careless as to take to
drinking immediately before so solemn and pivotal a day. Apart from an inveterate alcoholic,
who could possibly be so reckless as to drink himself under the table right before Yom Kippur
— regardless of how he behaved the rest of the year?

R. Zweig suggested that perhaps this is precisely the type of state a person may want to bring
himself to. On Yom Kippur a person will want to really open himself up. He needs to really
talk out his problems with God — to “level” with God once and for all. He may well feel the
openness a little wine engenders may do just the trick. (And of course, a little wine often
becomes a lot of wine…)

I wrote the original version of this class only a number of days after Purim. Now on Purim one
generally sees people quite soused who have managed to stagger their way to the synagogue
for services — say the afternoon of or evening after Purim. An interesting thing I’ve always
noticed is that such people at least appear to be the most emotional ones at the services. They
wail, they beseech God loudly and tearfully for their needs, waving their arms and bodies like
nothing you’ve ever seen. They at least seem to really be putting heartfelt emotion into their
words. And likewise, on Yom Kippur a person may feel that is just how he’d like to be.

In truth, however, Jewish law simply does not permit this. The Talmud (Eiruvin 64a) states
that a person under the influence may not pray to God, even if he’s consumed only a few ounces
of wine (a “revi’is” (lit., “quarter”) in the range of 3-5 oz. — nowhere near the legal definition
of inebriation). If so, even if a person would honestly believe he can pray more openly and
sincerely to God only after the loosening effects of a little wine, we do not permit it. Prayers
are not a time to “level” with God and speak to Him in free, unbridled openness. We are still
God’s submissive servants, standing in awed trepidation before Him. And as much as we must
openly admit to our faults and communicate with our God, we may never lose site of our
absolute nothingness before His grand and glorious Presence.

Rav Moshe Taragin writes:14

Yom Kippur, a day unique in many aspects, concludes with a singular tefilla (prayer): that of

ne'ilat she'arim, the metaphorical "closing of the gates," symbolizing the end of this holiest

day in the Jewish calendar. Ne’ilah, as it is commonly known, is thus a desperate last-minute

14
https://www.etzion.org.il/en/halakha/orach-chaim/holidays/neila-nature-singular-prayer

22
attempt to petition God for a successful and fulfilling year. Yet, ne'ila's precise nature is a

matter of some contention, as we will soon discover.

THE FORMULA OF NE'ILA

The most basic issue of ne'ila's identity debated in the gemara concerns the format of this

tefilla. Yoma 87b cites an argument between Rav and Shemuel. According to the former,

Ne’ilah actually entails an additional "amida," the basic formula of praise, request, and

thanksgiving, which is at the core of all tefillot of the year. The latter, however, holds that only

an extra confessional section is recited, without actually adding a new prayer to the day's

program. Evidently, Rav and Shemuel are debating the essence of tefillat Ne’ilah: do we view

it as a completely new and independent prayer, or merely as an extension and broadening of

the original and routine prayer schedule? Shemuel apparently believes that the idea of Ne’ilah

suggests merely an expansion of the existing framework; therefore, introducing one additional

paragraph of confession is sufficient. Rav, however, claims that the concept of Ne’ilah

mandates an entirely new and independent prayer, and therefore a new amida must be recited.

To emphasize his point, Rav claims that under certain conditions, e.g. if one recited Ne’ilah

immediately after nightfall, rather than preceding it, that individual might be exempt from the

ensuing ma'ariv. Essentially, Ne’ilah, as a self-contained unit of prayer utilizing the standard

formula, becomes the evening prayer.

NE'ILA AND ALIYOT

23
The gemara in Megilla 22a also highlights this question of ne'ila's character. The amount of

"olim" called to the Torah during a public reading follows a particular hierarchy. The base unit

of three is added to in correspondence with the unique degree of holiness which a particular

day enjoys. For example, an extra "aliya" is provided on Rosh Chodesh, the first of the month,

to reflect the extra "mussaf" sacrifice absent on a regular day. A yom tov enjoys two extra

aliyot, for a total of five, to reflect both its mussaf sacrifice as well as the prohibition of most

types of work. Shabbat sits atop this highly structured system with seven aliyot. The gemara

ponders the amount of aliyot on a "ta'anit tzibbur," a communal fast day (which, in talmudic

times, as per the model of Yom Kippur, mandated its own tefillat Ne’ilah). In some respects,

the gemara admits, there is little sanction for adding an aliya, since no mussaf sacrifice was

offered on a ta'anit (and in this respect a ta'anit falls short of the Rosh Chodesh model).

However, the gemara wonders whether the "tefillat mussaf" (which according to the Ramban

refers to the "extra prayer" of Ne’ilah recited on a ta'anit) might be sufficient to mandate an

extra aliya. We might explain the gemara as addressing the basic nature of tefillat Ne’ilah. If

we view it as merely a broadening of the daily tefilla diet, we would not be inclined to add a

corresponding aliya. A ta'anit is not fundamentally different from a regular day: each enjoys

three basic tefillot; a ta'anit merely calls for an expanding of the standard size of tefillot. A

ta'anit, being no different from a regular day, should not deviate from the standard three aliyot.

By contrast, if we view Ne’ilah as the introduction of an entirely new and independent prayer,

we would certainly notice the difference between a ta'anit and a regular day and accordingly

add an extra aliya during the Torah recitation.

24
THE SOURCE OF TEFILLAT NE'ILA

We might further define our question by studying the source for tefillat Ne’ilah. The

Yerushalmi in Berakhot (4:1) searches for a source and bases it on two verses, Yeshayahu

1:15 and Shemuel I 1:12, each of which discusses the virtues of "ribui tefilla," increasing

prayers and pushing beyond the standard limits. We might suggest an alternative source for

tefillat Ne’ilah. Many are familiar with the famous argument between the Rambam, who rules

that prayer once a day is biblically ordained, and the Ramban, who claims that all tefilla stems

from rabbinical decree. (See Rambam's Sefer Ha-mitzvot positive commandment #5) The

Ramban suggests that if there were indeed to be a type of prayer which stems from a biblical

source, it might be prayer on a fast-day in response to a national crisis. Indeed the

Torah (Bemidbar 10:9) does address a specific form of prayer spurred by such a threat. The

Ramban does not discuss in depth the expression of this unique and intriguing obligation, but

he does maintain that prayer on this type of day is different from standard prayer both in its

source (biblical versus rabbinical) as well as its motivation (extraordinary circumstances versus

daily communication). Based upon this position, we might suggest that to accentuate the unique

obligation of fast-day prayer, we recite a novel and distinct prayer, namely Ne’ilah.

These two sources suggest very different views of Ne’ilah. The verses quoted by the

Yerushalmi do not suggest a new unit of prayer; instead it casts Ne’ilah in the role of

manifesting added or extended prayer. To highlight the need for prayer on a ta'anit, we do not

maintain the daily boundaries of prayer, but instead we extend our standard prayer by adding

to it. Ne’ilah thus creates a "ribui tefilla" precisely by stretching the existing prayers. By

contrast, if we base Ne’ilah upon the verse in Bemidbar, we would certainly view this tefilla

25
as an independent and distinct unit of prayer, just as the obligation to pray on this day of

national crisis is fundamentally different from the daily obligation.

NE'ILA RECITED DURING THE NIGHT AFTER YOM KIPPUR

We may now examine another technical question regarding Ne’ilah: for what time of day is

Ne’ilah scheduled? The aforementioned Yerushalmi in Berakhot suggests two opinions:

according to Shmuel it is recited when the gates of the Temple are closed--namely pelag

hamincha, 9.5 hours after sunrise; according to Rav the prayer is to begin during sunset, when

the gates of heaven are closed. The more startling position clearly belongs to Rav, who

schedules Ne’ilah immediately prior to nightfall, so that most of this prayer is actually recited

after the ta'anit has concluded. To consider the validity of this position we might return to our

original query. If Ne’ilah entails an additional prayer meant to evince the unique obligation of

prayer on a ta'anit, we would be hard-pressed to justify reciting this prayer the night after the

ta'anit. On the other hand, if we define Ne’ilah as an attempt to add to the standard structure

and boundaries of daily tefilla, we might better justify starting Ne’ilah prior to sunset, even

though it only concludes afterwards. The very idea of continuing to pray after we would

normally cease establishes an environment of extra and desperate tefilla and concluding the

day while still in the midst of a prayer would be acceptable - or perhaps even optimal.

THE PARADOXICAL OPINION OF RAV

Though this analysis might seem logical, it should be noted that it poses no consistent

explanation for Rav's view. On the one hand, he defines Ne’ilah as an extra independent prayer

and even suggests that it may exempt ma'ariv. Inversely, he schedules Ne’ilah on the edge of

nightfall, suggesting that it should be viewed not as an additional ta'anit prayer, but rather a

26
ta'anit's customary broadening of the extant prayers. To fully develop R's position, we would

have to rethink our understanding of his approach.

We have thus examined the status of tefillat Ne’ilah - particularly whether it was fashioned as

an independent self-contained tefilla or as an addendum. We have inspected this issue in the

source of the tefilla as well as specific questions regarding its formula and timing. May the

greater understanding of this once-a-year occurrence lead us to a more fulfilling experience in

all the prayers of Yom Kippur.

As we transition from Yoma to Succah it might be appropriate to review Rabbi Klein’s thoughts

below on the connection between the two festivals.

The Happiness of Yom Kippur and Succos

Reuven Chaim Klein writes:15

The Mishnah[1] teaches that the days of Tu B’Av (the 15th of Av) and Yom Kippur are the two
happiest days of the Jewish calendar. The Talmud[2] explains that Yom Kippur is a happy day
because it is a day of forgiveness and atonement, and because it is the day on which the second
pair of tablets containing the Decalogue was delivered to the Jewish nation on Mount Sinai. Tu
B’Av was historically a happy day for various reasons as discussed elsewhere.

Rabbi Yom Tov ben Avrohom Asevilli (1250–1330), also known as Ritva, asks[3] why the
Mishnah says that Tu B’Av and Yom Kippur are the happiest days if another Mishnah
states:[4] “he who has not witnessed the Simchas Beis HaShoeivah (“The Rejoicing of the
Water Drawing”) has not witnessed happiness in his life.” This latter source implies that the

15
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-happiness-of-yom-kippur-and-succos/

27
Water Libations ceremony in the Holy Temple on the holiday of Succos is the happiest
occasion in the Jewish calendar—not Yom Kippur.

The Ritva himself answers that Tu B’Av and Yom Kippur were only happy days for
the women of the Jewish people, because on those days they met their future spouses; however,
the Simchas Beis HaShoeivah was a happy occasion for all righteous Jews, whether male or
female.

Nevertheless, the Ritva’s answer still requires further examination, because the reason for the
happiness on Yom Kippur can be apply to men just as to the women, for if the women met
their prospective spouses on that day, then, per force, so did the men. Furthermore, of the
Talmud’s many reasons for the holiday of Tu B’Av, only one applies specifically to the
women.[5] The other reasons given by the Talmud are not limited to the Jewish women to the
exclusion of the men. Additionally, Ritva’s answer leaves a gaping ambiguity: according to
Ritva, what is the happiest time of the year for the average simple Jew, who is neither righteous
nor necessarily female? The Ritva only wrote that the Water Libations ceremony on Succos is
a joyous occasion for the righteous Jews, but not for the common man, and Tu B’Av is only
joyous for the women, not the men. So what does that leave for the average Jew?

Perhaps one can answer the apparent contradiction between the two Mishnah by explaining
that both Yom Kippur and Succos are the happiest time of the year! We may argue that in some
ways, Yom Kippur and Succos can be considered one long period, and the superlative
happiness extends throughout this entire period.

The Talmud says[6] that on Erev Yom Kippur, there is a commandment to have a special feast.
[7]
Rabbeinu Yonah of Girondi (1180–1263) explains that this feast is to express one’s
happiness for the holiday of Yom Kippur, because there is no greater happiness than being
absolved from all of one’s sins.[8] However, since HaShem decreed that we abstain from food
on Yom Kippur, then the happiness of Yom Kippur must be expressed on the day before.
Nonetheless, the upshot of this explanation is that Yom Kippur itself is to be considered an
especially happy day.

28
In many communities, Kiddush Levana (a special blessing recited over the newly visible moon)
is postponed until Motzei Yom Kippur, so that it can be recited in a happy mood.[9] In a similar
vein, HaShem commands that one must “be [nothing] but happy”[10] on Succos. In fact, the
numerical value of the Hebrew word selicha (‫סליחה‬, forgiveness), equals the value for the
word Simcha (‫שמחה‬, happiness).[11] This shows that the greatest catalyst for happiness is
complete and total forgiveness/atonement. There is no greater happiness than fully knowing
that one is completely free from sin. In essence, the theme of Yom Kippur—forgiveness and
atonement—is the same as that of Succos—happiness.

The parallel between Succos and Yom Kippur is quite clear. The Talmud says[12] that on
Succos, the world is judged concerning its yearly quota of water. In fact, the day after Succos
is over, on the holiday of Shemini Atzeres, Jews begin mentioning HaShem’s power to bring
rain in their daily prayers. This parallels Yom Kippur on which every Jew’s fate for the year is
sealed, and it is one’s final time to repent for sins. The nexus of these judgement is on the last
day of Sukkos is known as Hoshana Rabbah (“the Great Salvation”). Extra prayers of
repentance and requests for forgiveness are added to the Hoshana Rabbah liturgy, as if to
suggest that one’s fate is not completely sealed on Yom Kippur, but rather on Hoshana
Rabbah. This is because the motif of Yom Kippur actually continues throughout the festival of
Succos, until Hoshana Rabbah.

There are four days in the Jewish calendar, which are known as the Yomim Nor`aim (“Days of
Awesomeness”). Namely, they are the two days of Rosh HaShannah, Yom Kippur, and
Hoshana Rabbah.[13] Only these four days is the word “awesome” added to the formula, “Our
God is One, great is Our Lord, [and] holy is His name” recited by the Chazzan when removing
the Torah Scrolls from the Ark. Now, the two days of Rosh HaShannah are considered like one
long day (Yoma arichta[14]). To maintain the parallelism, one must say that Yom Kippur and
Hoshana Rabbah are also to be considered one long period spanning twelve days. This period
commences with Yom Kippur and continues through the entire Succos. In fact, immediately
after Yom Kippur, one starts preparations for Succos by starting to build

29
the Succah,[15] and Tachanun is not recited in the days between Yom Kippur and Succos, to
show that all those days are bridged together by the theme of happiness.[16]

Furthermore, the Hassidic masters teach that each of the seven liquids (enumerated in the
Mishnah[17]) that cause a foodstuff to become susceptible to ritual impurity corresponds to one
of the seven holidays. According to this model, Dew corresponds to Yom Kippur and Water
corresponds to Succos.[18] In essence, dew and water are chemically the same, except that dew
is a specific type of water, which falls early in the morning. Similarly, Yom Kippur and Succos
are in essence the same, only that Succos is the time for general happiness, while Yom Kippur
is the time for the specific happiness stemming from the pardoning of sin.

Rabbi Avrohom Schorr writes[19] that Succos is a time when one is able to “do battle” with
HaShem, and harness the power of true repentance to achieve absolution of sin—even in
circumstances in which He does not typically grant forgiveness.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev (1740–1810) writes[20] that the repentance during the Ten
Days of Repentance from Rosh HaShannah to Yom Kippur is a repentance out of fear (fear
from Heavenly punishment and HaShem’s awesomeness), while the repentance achieved
during the holiday of Succos is a repentance from love. The difference between the two types
of repentance is that repentance from fear only erases one’s sins, while repentance from love
transforms one’s sins into fulfillments of positive commandments. It morphs a blot on one’s
record into a merit.[21] Thus, Yom Kippur and Succos are simply two means to achieve the
same end: the cleansing from sin.

A Jew is commanded to make the pilgrimage to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem three times a
year—Pesach, Shavuos, and Succos.[22]When a person enters that holy space, one has a chance
to draw from the Holy Spirit, which rested there. However, on the holiest day of the year, Yom
Kippur, a Jew is not commanded to ascend the Temple Mount; rather, he is supposed to stay
in his own town and pray wherever he might be. It seems counterintuitive to separate
the place that epitomizes holiness (i.e. the Temple) from the time that epitomize such sanctity
(that is, Yom Kippur). Why should this be?

30
Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (1910–2012) explains[23] that this is because sometimes one is
supposed to draw spiritual nourishment from a place, and sometimes, from a time. During the
festivals of the pilgrimages, one is expected to draw spiritual nourishment from the place of
the Holy Temple,[24] but on Yom Kippur, the spiritual nourishment comes from the day itself.
When one sins, even if it is a small sin, that sin accompanies him and draws him to continuing
sinning.[25] One sin causes another,[26] and when one sins, other sins appear to become
permitted for him.[27] Therefore, even if a person sinned once in his life, he has been initiated
into a vicious cycle of sinning, and it is almost inevitable that he will sin again. Therefore, the
Day of Yom Kippur itself must come to cleanse one of all sins[28], so that one can stay pure and
clean without being subject to the pull of previous sins. This explains why the Talmud
says[29] that there is no better day for the Jewish nation than Yom Kippur; it is a day of complete
forgiveness and atonement. Only after achieving such a deep cleansing can one be ready to
draw from the sanctity of the location of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem by attending the
pilgrimage on Succos. In this way, Yom Kippur simply paves the path towards Succos…
Each of the holidays has an additional appellation by which it is described in the Torah and/or
in certain liturgical prayers. Rosh HaShannah is also known as Zichron Terua (“A
Remembrance of the Shofar Blasts”)[30] because it is the day that the Shofar is blown, Pesach
(Passover) is also known as Zman Chayrusaynu (“A Time of Our Freedom”) because it
signifies the Jewish exodus from Egypt. In that way, Succos is called Zman Simchasaynu—”A
Time of Our Happiness”. What is the source of this special happiness that typifies Succos and
no other holiday? On each holiday, there is a commandment to rejoice,[31] so why is only
Succos described specifically as a time of happiness?

Rabbi Dovid Povarsky (1902–1999) explains[32] that the happiness on Succos stems from the
assurance that the judgment passed on Rosh HaShannah concluded with a favorable verdict.
Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher Ba’al HaTurim (1270–1340) similarly writes [33] that is the meaning
of the verse, “Go eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine in good heartedness because
God has approved of your deeds.” [34] HaShem absolving our sins is the greatest reason for
happiness.

31
Indeed, the Midrash explains [35] that the Holy Temple is described as the “happiest [place] in
the entire world” (sorry Disneyland), because as long as the Holy Temple stood, no Jew was
ever despondent. This was because when a Jew would simply enter the Holy Temple in a state
of sinfulness, he would then offer sacrifices and be forgiven of his sins. The Midrash concludes
that there is no greater happiness than one who was pronounced innocent in judgment, and this
is why the Holy Temple is called “the happiest place on earth.”

Perhaps one can add, as Rabbi Elyashiv insinuated above, that Succos is a happy day squarely
because of its location (because people are in a Sukkah, or in Jerusalem, or in their Synagogue),
while Yom Kippur does not signify happiness of place, but happiness of time (because
the day of Yom Kippur itself creates happiness by bringing forgiveness). It is perhaps for this
reason why there is a custom amongst many Jews to sing and dance immediately following
the Ne’ilah services at the conclusion of Yom Kippur.

Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Braun (d. 1994) offers another twist on this idea. He writes,[36] based
on Rashi,[37] that when one’s sins are atoned, one is especially joyous. This is the basis for the
words of the above-cited Midrash [38] that applies the verse “Go eat your bread in happiness”
[39] to the night after Yom Kippur. Throughout the entire day of Yom Kippur, the Jews fast
and ask for His forgiveness. After that pardon is granted, a heavenly voice calls out to the Jews,
“Go eat your bread in happiness.” This explains the opinion of Tosafos [40] who write that on
the night after Yom Kippur, there is a special commandment to eat a festive meal. This
obligation stems from the fact that after Yom Kippur, there is an extra special sense of
happiness stemming from the forgiveness of sins.[41]

The happiness on Yom Kippur is a sort of controlled happiness. The rejoicing on Yom Kippur
should be a rejoicing while shaking in fear of what His judgment might entail. About this, the
Psalmist writes, “…And rejoice with trembling.” [42]

Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv says that the verse customarily said before Kol Nidrei on Yom
Kippur Eve is a prime example of this type of rejoicing. That verse reads: “The light is sown
for the righteous, and for those of an upright heart, happiness.” [43] The happiness in this verse

32
refers to the happiness on Yom Kippur that comes from the atonement of sin, hence it is
associated with the “righteous” and “upright.” In fact, The Mishnah in the end of the
Tractate Yoma (which deals with the laws of Yom Kippur and the Temple services on that day)
says that just a Mikvah purifies the impure; so does HaShem purify Israel from their sins. This
is the happiness of Yom Kippur.

In a similar vein, we find that the happiness of Succos is also related to the cleansing from sin.
The Talmud says [44] that at the Simchas Beis HaShoeivah on Succos, the pious men would
dance and declare how happy they are that they did not sin in their youth, because it would
embarrass them in their old age. Meanwhile, the penitents would dance singing that they are
happy that their older years serve as atonement for the sins of their younger years. Both groups
of men would join for the refrain, mutually agreeing that “happy is one who did not sin.” This
shows that even the happiness of Succos comes from being free of sin—a direct result of the
atonement achieved on Yom Kippur.

In describing the commandment of Lulav and Esrog on Succos, the Torah says, “And you shall
take for yourselves, on the first day, the fruit of a citron tree, branches of date palms, twigs of
plaited [myrtle] trees, and brook willows, and you shall be happy in front of HaShem, your
God, for seven days.” [45]

The other holidays listed in the same passage are referred to by their date in the month. This
leads the Midrash to ask [46] why the Torah calls the first day of Succos “the first day,” if it is
actually the 15th day of the month, not the first. The Midrash answers that Succos is called “the
first day” because it is “the first day” since the accounting of sins. This means that one’s slate
is cleared on Yom Kippur, and he begins anew on Succos. During the days between Yom
Kippur and Succos, no one can possibly sin because everyone is so busy preparing for
upcoming holiday; but once the holiday arrives, the new accounting of sins for the year can
begin.[47] (Rabbi Elyashiv asks whether this reasoning applies in present times, for who is to
say that they remained completely free of sin between Yom Kippur and Succos.)

33
Rabbi Elyashiv reiterates the point that the entire happiness on Succos is a result of the
atonement of sins from Yom Kippur, five days earlier. This explains why in the Talmud’s
description of the Simchas Bais HaShoeivah that all the songs sung concerned repentance and
freedom from sin.

The Torah relates an episode in which the Jews in the desert demanded from Moses that he
provide them with meat (after having eaten only manna until then). When HaShem told Moses
about the fatty birds that He intended to feed the Jewish People, He said, “Not for one day shall
you eat it, nor for two days, nor for five days, not for ten days, not for twenty days, [rather] a
month.” [48]

The Tosafists explain the significance of these various intervals of days that HaShem
specified.[49] They explain HaShem meant to stress that He will not send the fatty birds for a
certain interval of time for which there is already a precedent of happiness and celebration but
will instead send the birds for a hitherto unexperienced interval of thirty days. The Tosafists
then explain how each of the numbers stated represent a significant set of days on the Jewish
Calendar: “one day” refers to Yom Kippur, “two days” refers Rosh HaShannah or Shavous,
“five days” refers to the five days from Yom Kippur to Succos, “ten days” refers to the Ten
Days of Repentance between Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur, and “twenty days” refers to
the 21 days on which the entire Hallel is recited.[50] From the Tosafists’ explanation one sees
that the five-day period spanning from Yom Kippur to Succos is considered one long
continuation of happiness.

We see this in another context as well: The Talmud [51] writes that the word “the Satan” equals
in gematria 364, alluding to the fact that the Satan only maintains his accusatory powers for
364 days a year, but for one day a year he remains powerless: Yom Kippur.

Rabbi Chanoch Zundel of Bialystock (d. 1867) asks in the name of Rabbi Yehonasan
Eyebschitz (1690–1764) the following question:[52] While the numerical value of “the Satan”
equals 364, the Satan’s name is not “the Satan,” as the word “the” is not part of his name; it is
simply the definite article and serves a grammatical function. Rather, his name is “Satan” which

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only equals three hundred and fifty-nine, so how does this jive with the Talmud’s exegesis
concerning the number of days on which the Satan has permission to prosecute?

In his conclusion, Rabbi Chanoch Zundel ultimately concurs with the basic premise of the
question, and instead readjusts what the Talmud says. Essentially, he asserts that the Satan
remains powerless for an additional five less days not mentioned in the Talmud: the five days
between Yom Kippur and Succos. This again shows us that the period between Yom Kippur
and Succos is viewed as one long continuation, spanning all the days in between the two
holidays as well. This can be understood based on the abovementioned principle that the
happiness of Succos is attributable to the exoneration and absolution of sin as introduced by
Yom Kippur.

I would like to suggest that perhaps we can take this discussion in another direction. Perhaps
we can argue that the happiness on Succos directly results from the sealing of one’s fate on
Yom Kippur. A popular Hebrew dictum states, “There is no happiness like the answering of a
doubt.” [53] Indeed, the feeling of doubt is potentially the most negative and destructive
emotion possible. Uncertainty can cause one to resort to drastic measures as a means of
achieving closure.

In fact, a famous Hassidic lesson related in the name of the Ba’al Shem Tov, Rabbi Yisroel
ben Eliezer (1698–1760) illustrates this very point. He explains that the numerical value of the
Hebrew word for “doubt” (‫ספק‬, safek) equals that of the word “Amalek” (‫)עמלק‬, because just
as Esau’s grandson Amalek can attack a person and adversely affect one’s sanity through his
venom of cloudiness, so does a doubt hit at the core of a person’s functionality to destroy him
from the inside. Accordingly, it serves to reason that there can be no greater feeling than the
feeling of relief in answering a doubt.[54]

The Talmud [55] states that on Rosh HaShannah those who are completely righteous are
written and sealed with a favorable judgment, and the those who are completely wicked, the
opposite. But everyone in between completely righteous and completely wicked remains in a
state of limbo until Yom Kippur—at which time they are judged according to their actions and

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are finally written and sealed. This state of limbo which representation the Divine indecision
about one’s fate is surely the worst situation in which one can be. With this in mind, we can
now appreciate the happiness of Yom Kippur. When all of one’s sins are forgiven, one can
finally rest-assured that HaShem’s judgment concluding favorably and can now revel in the
happiness of knowing that his destiny has been finalized. This finality serves as the underlying
reason for the happiness of Yom Kippur and the subsequent days including Succos.

In the beginning of this essay, we cited the Ritva’s question who notes that the Mishnah seems
to contradict itself concerning the happiest time of the year. Is the happiest time of the year
Yom Kippur/Tu B’Av, or is it Yom Kippur? In light of the above, the entire question is moot.
We now understand that the happiness of Succos and Yom Kippur are indeed one and the same,
and indeed they are the same as Tu B’Av.

The joy of Tu B’Av originated in the fortieth year of the Jews’ travels in the desert, when every
year on Tisha B’Av, all the Jews slept in a grave and a segment of that population would not
wake up the next morning. However, in the fortieth year, every person woke up on Tisha B’Av
morning; no one died that year. The Jews assumed that they must have miscalculated the date,
and they performed the same rite the next day. Yet, even the next night, no one died. They
again assumed that they erred in calculating the date, and this continued until they saw the full
moon on the fifteenth of the month at which point, they know with certainty that Tisha B’Av
had passed a no one died. This was the main cause for celebration on Tu B’Av.

This explanation also conveys the idea of rejoicing at the resolution of an uncertainty, for each
night until Tu B’Av every man who slept in his grave was uncertain whether the next day he
would wake up or not. But from Tu B’Av and onwards, he knew that he would survive.
Therefore, the root of the happiness on Yom Kippur and Succos, which is based on the finality
of HaShem’s judgement and the clearing away of uncertainty, matches the underlying basis for
the happiness of Tu B’Av.

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May HaShem forgive His nation from all of their sins so that we may merit the rebuilding of
the Holy Temple, speedily and in our days and we should be able to appear before Him
pure,[56] and continue the thrice-yearly pilgrimages to Jerusalem: Amen.[57]

FOOTNOTES:

[1] In the end of Tractate Taanis.

[2] Taanis 30b.

[3] Chiddushei HaRitva to Bava Basra 121a.

[4] Sukkah 51a.

[5] That is, according to the reason that Tu B’Av is a joyous day because it allowed women who inherited real property to

marry men from tribes other than their father’s tribe (see Pnei Shlomo to Bava Basra 121a).

[6] Rosh HaShannah 9a.

[7] Sha’arei Teshuvah 4:8-9.

[8] He also explains that the feast is in order to make easier the next day’s fast. See responsa Maharit (vol. 2, Orach

Chaim, §8) who writes the exact opposite, i.e. that the feast is in order to make the next day’s fast more difficult. See

also Chiddushei HaRitva (to Rosh HaShannah 9a) who mentions another explanation in the name of Rabbeinu Yonah of

Girona.

[9] See Rema to Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim §602:1).

[10] Deuteronomy 16:15.

[11] Assuming that the letters sin and samech are interchangeable because they make the same sound.

[12] Taanis 2a.

[13] Although, according to Rabbeinu Yonah (Sha’arei Teshuvah 2:5) all Ten Days of Repentance from Rosh HaShannah to

Yom Kippur are considered Yomim Nor`aim.

[14] See Beitzah 30b.

[15] Rema to Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, end of §624.

[16] Rema to Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim §624:5.

[17] Machshirin 6:4

[18] The other five liquids are: Oil (Chanukah), Wine (Purim), Blood (Pesach), Milk (Shavuos), Honey (Rosh HaShannah).

[19] HaLekav V’HaLibuv.

[20] Kedushas Levi.

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[21] See Yoma 86b.

[22] Deuteronomy 16:16.

[23] Divrei Aggadah.

[24] Tosafos to Succah 50b says that the Simchas Beis HaShoeivah is called so because one “draws” holiness in spirituality

from HaShem’s presence, which rested at Holy Temple.

[25] Sotah 3b.

[26] Avos 4:2.

[27] Yoma 86b.

[28] Leviticus 16:30.

[29] Taanis 30b.

[30] Leviticus 23:24.

[31] E.g. see Deuteronomy 16:11.

[32] Yishmiru Da’as, Chol HaMoed Succos 5756.

[33] Tur, Orach Chaim §624.

[34] Ecclesiastes 9:7.

[35] Exodus Rabbah 36:1.

[36] Shearim Mitzuyanim B’Halacha to Bava Basra 48a.

[37] To Menachos 20a.

[38] Ecclesiastes Rabbah.

[39] Ecclesiastes 9:7.

[40] To Yoma 87b.

[41] Throughout Rabbinic literature, Succos is referred to as simply HaChag (“the holiday”). The numerical value of the

Hebrew word “Chag” is eleven. Perhaps one may conjecture that the significance of the number eleven in this context is that

it is the number immediately after ten. Ten is the day of the month of Tishrei on which Yom Kippur is observed. The fact

that Succos is associated with the number eleven reveals a connection that Succos has with Yom Kippur which immediately

precedes it.

[42] Psalms 2:10.

[43] Psalms 97:11.

[44] Sukkah 53a.

[45] Leviticus 23:40.

[46] Tanchuma, Emor §22.

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[47] Yalkut Shimoni, Torah §651, see also Tur, Orach Chaim §581.

[48] Numbers 11:19.

[49] Da’as Zekanim to Numbers 11:19.

[50] That is, eight days of Chanukah, the first two days of Pesach, the first seven days of Succos, the two days of Shavous,

the two days of Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah.

[51] Nedarim 32a.

[52] Eitz Yosef to Yoma 20a.

[53] See Metzudas Dovid to Proverbs 15:30.

[54] Maharam Schiff in Drashos Nechmados (back of Chullin, Pashas Nitzavim) writes that the fact that Deuteronomy’s

rebuke consists of 98 revealed curses and two unknown curses bothered the Jewish People so much because the possible

effects of those two unknown curses scared them to their wits.

[55] Rosh HaShannah 16b.

[56] Leviticus 16:30.

[57] Deuteronomy 16:16.

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