R’ Nachman writes (Likutei Mohara”n 157) that if one cleaves to the words of Torah spoken by a tzadik, he is amazed if one can still have any tolerance or desire for this world.
If truly appreciating the Torah of a tzadik radically alters one’s life perspective so that the trivialities of this world become intolerable, is it not a kal v’chomer that if one appreciates the experience of “lifnei Hashem titahru”, what Yom Kippur means, then waking up the next morning to return to the same job by the same desk is almost an intolerable burden?
As R’ Tzadok haKohein (Pri Tzadik, Motzei Y”K, #11) asks, how can we make a seudas melaveh malkah at the close of Shabbos or a seudas mitzva at the close of Yom Kippur – leaving Shabbos or leaving the day of Y"K is a fall from “igra ramah l’beira amikta”, from the greatest heights to the deepest depths, so how can one eat b’simcha at this time?! I am still more bothered by the kashe than satisfied by any of the teirutzim offered.
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Reb Chaim,
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing a Chizkuni (or is the Rabbeinu Bachaye as HaTorah) on Parashas Ki Tzeitzei. He states that "simchoh" is mentioned 3X by Succos, in comparison to Pesach (1X) and Shavuos (2X,) because by the time Chag HaSuccos rolls around, we have undergone a number of "judgments", including YK. So maybe the seudas mitzveh motzei-YK serves as an outlet for the feeling that one has just undergone another (important) judgment and test. Just a thought.
See my essay entitled Simchas Yom Kippur: http://rchaimqoton.blogspot.com/2006/10/simchas-yom-kippur.html
ReplyDeleteLJ - it is R'Bechaye but I believe there it is tied to the din of RH based on the mishnah in the first perek of RH. I guess, though, that if the din of RH extends through YK, your sevara would still be true. In fact, isnt that exactly what Tosfos says in the name of the medresh why it is a mitzvah to eat on motzaei YK, due to our simcha/bitachon that the din went well? It is also said about the Chasam Sofer that between YK and Sukkos he was so overwhelm with simcha that he was me'maet in his learning to write shiros and tishbachos to Hashem (in a bentcher I have at home, there is one zemer attributed to the C'S which was written during this time).
ReplyDeleteI think Chaim's question, though, (and Chaim I apologize if I am putting words in your mouth) is that all of that notwithstanding the closeness to Hashem that one can achieve and feel on a YK is something that is hard to replace. Even today as I was sitting on a call discussing the tax implications of something I am working on, I noticed the time and was thinking that yesterday this time, we were davenning mincha on YK.
To echo Anon1, there are teirutzim that appeal to the head, and teirutzim that appeal to the heart. I understand the hesbeirim about the inyan of seudah (and even those hesbeirim don't help you get back into the swing of things at work), but those are only good for the head - the heart is still holding by the sugya of ashreichim yisrael lifnei mi atem m'taharim.
ReplyDeleteperhaps the seudas is a buffer or transition. To go directly from the simcha of Shabbat or Yom Kippur to the everyday would be too drastic, so the seudas serves as a means of safely passing from one to the other--the level of simcha is lowered more gradually. It would be like stepping off a ledge that's two feet from the ground--one stands a good chance of injuring one's leg. But break the two feet into steps of one foot each, and the chance of injury is seriously diminished.
ReplyDeleteAnother way of looking at is is the seudas is an affirmation of the simcha in the Olam haBah. We are not actually allowing ourselves a final taste of the Shabbat or Yom Kippur that is ending; we are allowing ourselves a preliminary taste of the simcha of the Shabbat of the End of Days, the Shabbat that will not end.