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Rabbi Dov Lipman

WELCOMING

THE SINNERS

t’s one of the most dramatic considered part of their city. When every single Jew, including those we
experiences in the Jewish we are judged by G-d as individuals, see as sinners.
Icalendar. we have no chance of a passing
grade, since every person sins and This is a critical message as we
Jews all over the world flock to the approach the Yamim Noraim with
synagogue for Kol Nidrei. Before we has significant failings. However, the hope of achieving spiritual
begin the actual service, we pause the moment we are judged as a cleansing both as individuals and as
and make a declaration: םי ִ רי ִּ ת ַ מ ּונ ָ א collective, and G-d sees us as part a nation. We live in an increasingly
of the Jewish nation, we gain the
םיִנָי ְ ר ַ ב ֲ ע ָ ה ם ִ ע ל ֵּ ל ַּ פ ְ ת ִ ה ְ ל, “We permit to merits of our entire people and have polarized world, especially when
pray together with the sinners.” it comes to politics and elections.
a chance to earn G-d’s compassion
Is this the best we can do to start and mercy. In Israel, the Right view the Left
as anti-Israel and anti-Zionist.
the somber Day of Atonement? As we approach Yom Kippur, none The Left view the Right as fascists
Who are we calling sinners?
of us can ask for G-d’s mercy and and anti-democratic. The extreme
To answer this, let us explore the forgiveness as individuals. We secular camp labels the religious as
unusual mitzvah of Eglah Arufa. must do so as part of the Jewish “dark” and “taking us back to the
The Torah teaches that if a corpse is community, to earn the merits of Middle Ages” while the extreme
found between two cities, the elders our people as a whole. This is why religious question the Jewishness
of the nearest city must declare that our confessions and all our prayers of those who are more secular. We
“our hands didn’t shed this blood.” are expressed in the plural. We are see the same thing in the United
Do we actually suspect the elders of focusing on the entire nation and States and in other countries as
the city of having killed this person? not only on ourselves, enabling well. We have lost the ability to
Why do they have to proclaim their G-d to see us as part of our broader recognize that we can all disagree
innocence? nation with all its wondrous about ideology and theology while
collective merits. remaining part of the same family.
The Talmud (Sotah 48) explains
that we don’t suspect them of Nevertheless, we cannot come Let us remember that we have no
having murdered anyone. Rather, before G-d as part of the entire chance of achieving atonement and
their declaration means that they nation if we view other Jews as being spiritual cleansing if we separate
fulfilled their responsibility to “outside the camp.” The Jewish ourselves from the merit of the
escort the person out of their city. nation is incomplete if any part of it entirety of the nation by viewing
is missing. any Jew as being a sinner or “outside
So what? How does their escorting the fold.” We must feel love and
him a few meters from the city have Just like a symphony orchestra unity with all fellow Jews regardless
anything to do with “not shedding needs every instrument to complete of our disagreements on ideological,
his blood”? the harmony, and just like the theological and political issues, and
incense in the Temple included the only then can we hope for a year
The Maharal explains that while foul-smelling chelbona spice and filled with G-d’s grace and blessings.
it’s true that escorting the person was invalid without it, the Jewish
from the city does not provide people are incomplete if those we
him with physical protection for view as sinners are excluded. Thus Rabbi Dov Lipman is the author of seven
his entire trip, it does give him at the very start of Yom Kippur, the books about Judaism and Israel. He also
spiritual protection. Because he is holiest day of the year, we invite writes for various news outlets

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