The philosopher Michel Foucault postulates that modern medicine began when doctors stopped asking patients, “What is the matter with you?” a question that invited a complex personal response, and began asking, “Where does it hurt?” instead, a question that focuses solely on biology.

What happens when we study the Vidui, the Yom Kippur Confession as a response to these two question?

If the Vidui is in response to “What is the matter with you?”, we offer a long list of all the things that are wrong with the way we behave, a personal response describing symptoms. We will beat our chests, perhaps even cry, and hopefully, promise to change.

However, if our confession is in response to, “Where does it hurt?” we are crying to God as the Ultimate Healer, listing the places within that pain us. We are describing our frustration with internal limitations and illnesses that prevent us from becoming the people we dream of being.

The first response is a psychotherapy session. We will literally “get it off our chests.” The latter is an appointment with a great diagnostician and healer. Such a Vidui is the opening round in a search for a cure.

Before 1882, when the tuberculosis bacterium was identified, consumptives were suspected to struggle with evil spirits, vampirism, vapors, a struggle between body and soul, or even a curse. The disease was personal. “What’s the matter with you?” was literal. It would be half a century before the cure, antibiotics, would appear, but the question changed. The patient could view himself without the crushing burden of personal responsibility for his illness.

We recite the Vidui as a community. We are not the consumptive coughing blood as we hide in a nineteenth century mountain sanatorium. We do not list our responses to “What is the matter with you?”, as if the problems are our own. We are the consumptives who know that the bacterium exists and present the illness to the Healer, requesting a diagnosis and cure. “This is where it hurts!” we declare. This is how we have been infected by dangerous bacteria.

The Vidui does not begin as a personal description of our faults. It is a reading of the diagnostic manual of illnesses and symptoms. It is a pathological report. It is a cry for healing.

We follow the Ashamnu-Bagadnu with the Al-Cheit, as a description of what we must change to be freed of the illnesses described in the opening Vidui. We suffer these diseases because we make ourselves vulnerable when we act with a stubborn heart, or without thinking.

We accept responsibility for making ourselves vulnerable. We acknowledge that our actions make us susceptible to the diseases listed in Ashamnu-Bagadnu, and then ask God as Healer, to cure the disease.

“Where does it hurt?” asks God. “It hurts here, and here, and here. It hurts that we cannot connect with You because of our diseases. It hurts that we are so ill that it is difficult to change the behaviors that make us susceptible to spiritual illness. Heal us!”

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

What does one do after a hurricane leaves his home without power for six days, ruining all the food, and making it impossible to clean the house? You have really special guests for Shabbat!

We had two of our best friends in the world as guests this Shabbat and the small stuff didn’t matter. It was Shabbat and that was enough to connect and allow us to focus on the important parts of life. It was a life nurturing visit until…

I found out that they are Mitzvah thieves!

Yes; such a concept exists in Halacha. They stole my Mitzvah. They stripped their beds before they left, depriving me of part of my Mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim: Bringing guests into the home. Every detail is part of the Mitzvah, even cleaning up after they leave. But did they care? No! Such good friends and yet they didn’t leave anything for me to clean up after they left!

I’m considering taking them to Bet Din – Jewish Court – to collect my pieces of silver. I can claim that I never strip my bed after visiting them. I always ask, “Shall I strip the bed?” I always leave a huge mess behind in my unbelievable commitment to help them have a bigger Mitzvah cleaning up after me. Do they show the same sensitivity to me? …the same concern for my Mitzvah?

Debbie, righteous woman she is, argues their case: They saw that my back was hurting and didn’t want me to bend. They have too much respect for me as their rebbi to allow me to strip their beds? Poor arguments: I insist on washing the linen for company and preparing the beds because Debbie takes care of everything else and I want my part of the Mitzvah.

Debbie argues right back: “You are focusing on how you want to personalize the Mitzvah! That is Chassidut; not the Mitzvah itself! They don’t have to pay you for stealing your Chassidut!”

Well, with all due respect, the Chafetz Chaim disagrees with Debbie! A guest was embarrassed when the great Tzaddik wanted to make his bed, and said, “Please allow me to make the bed.” He had the same concerns of respect for a rebbi and concern for the sage’s old age. The Chafetz Chaim responded, “Do you want to put on Tefillin for me too? This is MY mitzvah, and I must do it!”

Debbie is concerned that, by taking them to Bet Din, I will be sending them a message that I am using their visit as an opportunity for a Mitzvah rather than caring for them as the beloved friends they are.

Perhaps. However, friends allow each other to maximize their growth and Mitzvah opportunities. Surely they enjoy the fact that I treasure the time I spend with them because God is even more present when they visit.

They can breathe a sigh of relief. I will not take them to Bet Din; my back hurts too much from doing the laundry, which Debbie believes is a sign that I was not focused on the Mitzvah while doing the laundry.

“Gazalnu,” “We have stolen,” is included in the Vidui, the Confession. It includes being a Mitzvah thief. I don’t want my friends to feel guilty. I want them to so treasure the Mitzvah they afford me when they visit that they will be careful to stop stealing the slightest part of my Mitzvah. They can turn their “sin” into a learning opportunity. That will be a superb Vidui.

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We approach God on Rosh Hashanah on many levels. One approach is that of a subject participating in the coronation of his King, and relating as a subject to a King. This series, “King and Subject,” will focus on verses that describe the relationship between a King and His subjects.

“God, deliver us! The King will answer us on the day we call (Psalms 20:10).” What is the deliverance we seek? What do we want that must happen immediately, “on the day we call”? We look to God, the King, as using Is power to empower us with the intellect and perception to know how to properly address Him. We turn to the King and say, “We need You, as King, to teach us how to speak to You as King.” (Ohr haMeir, Miketz)

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One of the ways we approach God on the Day of Judgment is as a child approaching a parent. This series, Father and Child, will focus on versus that describe the relationship between a parent and a child.

“I will tell of the decree: God said to me, ‘ You are My son, I have this day given birth to you’ (Psalms 2:7).” “I will tell of the decree,” the following is to me a decree, without reason or rationale, for what am I, what is the meaning of my life, what is my importance, that God would say, “you are my son.”? I do not deserve this unless I hear the stress on the word “this day,” “Hayom,” that God is telling me, “Today I am looking at you the way a parent looks at a child in the 1st moments of the child’s life when everything is perfect and beautiful. This is the way I see you on Rosh Hashanah. Turn to Me and share in the beauty that I see in you.” (Yeitiv Lev, Re’ei)

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From Michael Linetsky: “I am come [back] into My Gardens, My sister, My bride (Song 5:1). . . The Torah teaches one good manners, as that a groom is not allowd to enter the bridal bower until his bride gives him leave (Pesikta de-Rav Kahana 1:1).”

In the Scriptures God urges the Jewish People to return to Him, but in fact it is God who actively desires to join the community of His People.

God cannot join the community of the Jewish People without their consent; perhaps consent is the reciprocation which He seeks in the Scriptures.

http://pesikta-derav-kahana.blogspot.com/2011/09/god-seeks-out-jewish-people.html

The 9th of Elul is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin: According to the Talmud love is symbolized by “man,” and fear by “woman.” Man indicates the bestowing of divine abundance, and woman it’s passive receipt. The Association of fear with the female is that fear is one’s state upon recognition of a lack, i.e., of the Shefa, the Divine Abundance, it is yet to receive. Therefore, man’s 1st effort following the recognition of a void must be directed toward fear, not love; the latter will then surely followed the former (Tzidkat haTzaddik #212).

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One of the important verses that is used to describe our service of God during the month of Elul and on Rosh Hashanah is, “Serve God with fear, and rejoice with trembling (Psalms 2:11).” We are encouraged to be happy on Rosh Hashanah despite the fact that we tremble on the Day of Judgment because the verse instructs us to, “Rejoice with trembling.” This series, Joyous Trembling, will focus on both the idea of finding joy and on the idea of trembling.

“Rejoice with trembling,” it is only after a person has achieved true fear of God, that he can feel safe and confident in being joyous with God, without that sense of joy leading him to behave inappropriately. (Bet Yaakov Ishbitz; Acharei Mot 32)

The Ishbitzer views Joyous Trembling as an opportunity to be completely joyous with out fear of losing perspective. Our goal is to be happy in our service of God. We take advantage of the natural fear of approaching the Day of Judgment to feel secure enough to be happy when facing the King of Kings.

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

Years ago I read a book by Anthony Storr, “Churchill’s Blackdog and Kafka’s Mice,” an exploration of how mental illness plays a role in creativity and achievement.

Dr. Storr describes how Churchill’s battle with depression empowered him to assume the role of prime minister in the darkest time in Britain’s history. Young Winston decided to name his depression, “Blackdog,” enabling him to treat his dark thoughts as something outside of himself. Once he was able to interact with his depression as an “Other,” he was able to fight it.

I decided to use a similar approach to my Yetzer Harah, or, Evil Inclination: I name it “Rembrandt,” because the artist was able to express so much even in black, the darkest color. I practiced interacting with my Yetzer Harah as an external enemy: When Yetzer Harah begins to speak, I immediately address it as Rembrandt, someone else, and find that I am better equipped to listen to his arguments and argue back.

“When you will go out to war against your enemies, and God, your Lord, will deliver him into your hand, and you will capture his captivity: And you will see among its captivity a woman who is beautiful of form, and you will desire her, you may take her to yourself for a wife.” (Deuteronomy 21:10-11) “The Torah spoke only in response to the Evil Inclination.” (Sifre)

The Torah takes the Evil Inclination seriously. It does not demand that we ignore his seductions, or simply stand up to him. There are times when we lack the power to meet him face to face in battle. We need to strategize against him, even to the point of allowing him some small victories now and again. (See Zohar at the beginning of Bo that describes Job’s battle with his Evil Inclination.)

So, “Rembrandt,” “Blackdog,” or whichever name you may choose, we are ready to fight you for what you are; an external enemy. “When you go out to war,” the first step is to realize that the battle is external, and can be fought there. We don’t have to allow him to enter.

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

This series, Voices, will focus on verses that describe different voices, whether the voice of God speaking to us, the voice of the prophets, or our voices addressing God. I hope to use each voice as a practical strategy for listening to the voice of the shofar during Elul, and on Rosh Hashanah.

“My voice is raised to the Lord and I cry aloud, my voice is raised it to the Lord and He gives year to me (Psalms 77:2).” The Seforno explains the repetition of, “My voice is raised to the Lord,” as underlying the dual aspect of Israel’s prayers; we beseech to save us from the direct persecution of the enemy and to alleviate the in direct suffering of the exile, caused by economic and social problems.

There is a separate voice for each suffering. There is a separate voice for each aspect of the suffering; each of its direct and in direct consequences for us. We do not need to cry out to God only in general terms. We sound the shofar over and over as if 2 point out each detail of our suffering. We use the shofar as an expression of each and every emotion we feel in our relationship with God. There are so many soundings of the shofar between Elul and Rosh Hashanah because there are so many different voices deep inside of us waiting to be expressed. All the different voices of the shofar are to encourage us to express all the voices of all our different emotions and experiences as we approach the coronation of the King on Rosh Hashanah.

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

We approach God during Elul and on Rosh Hashanah as a servant approaches his master. This series, “Master and Servant,” will focus on this aspect of our relationship with God.

“It is insufficient that you be a servant for Me, only to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the ruins of Israel; I will make you a light for the nations, so that My salvation may extend to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 49:6).” When God addresses Isaiah and Israel as His servants, He wants them to do more than raise up the Jewish people; He wants us, as His servants, to serve as a light for the nations.

When we at dressed God during this time of the year as servants approaching their Master, we approach as servants committed to their highest mission; to leave in such a way that we truly become a light for the nations.

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.