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Simanim:

The Antidote to Despair

Rabbi Zvi Elon

sheknazim, Sephardim and Jews characteristics, he is permitted to keep the to improve and excel. Despair is the
from all over the world carefully object for himself (“ֹו ּ ל ֶ ׁש ּו ּ ל ֵא י ֵר ֲה”). This hala- greatest danger. Giving up is simply not
observe the mystical custom cha, however, presents a moral challenge. an option. For as Tosfot explain, when a
Aof “simanim,” “signs,” on Rosh person gives up and falls into despair, he
Hashanah. Rabbi Yosef Karo writes that Take, for example, a man who found a $50 abandons himself, G-d forbid.
it is customary to take different types of bill on the street. The bill is unidentifiable, On Rosh Hashanah, we come before
and so the finder need not declare it to
vegetables and pray accordingly for the Hashem and say to Him: “G-d Almighty,
New Year. Most famously, we dip an apple the world; the money cannot be returned
in honey and pray for a good and sweet to anyone, since no one can prove that last year I asked for Your forgiveness, and
also two years ago, and the truth is that
new year. it is his. The question, however, is why
the finder can keep the money for himself. this year I also have some things that I
Why do the Jewish people become kab- After all, he never owned this banknote! need to fix. People who see me might think
balistic mystics on Rosh Hashanah? The Ethically, why is he allowed to keep this that I am lost, that I am unidentifiable;
Gemara itself asks: “ן ַנ ָּ ב ַר רּומ ֲא ַד א ָת ְּ ל ִמ א ָה א ַנ ְמ money for himself? Should he not be they think that there is no way for me
ָ
אּוה א ָת ְּ ל ִמ א ָנ ָמי ִס,” “How do we know that required to dedicate the money he found to do teshuva. But Hashem, look at what
simanim are indeed influential?” on the street to charity or to a public fund? I brought tonight! I brought You an apple
dipped in honey, a date and pomegran-
Every year before Rosh Hashanah, we Tosfot explain that since the object has ate, I brought simanim! I have an identity,
read in Parashat Ki Teitzei about the mitz- no identifiable sign, we can assume that Hashem – I have identification! And just
vah of hashavat aveida, that one who finds the owner of the object has given up on like a lost object, if there is a siman, if there
an object must not ignore the item but finding it. When an owner despairs of find- is identification, then there is no despair!
must return the object to its owner. ing an object, the object becomes hefker, I know that You will not give up on me
Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar explains that this ownerless. Since the object now has no Hashem, just as one does not give up on
is true not only for lost objects, but also owner, the first person to find it becomes his lost object. If You believe in me, then
for people. If you see a person that is lost, the rightful owner. If a person gives up, I will believe in You. I believe in teshuva!”
there is an obligation to help him return the outcome is hefker. Gevald! Hashavat aveida, returning what is lost, is
him to the right place.
Rav Kook zt”l explains that the most won- the root of teshuva!
The Mishnah in “Eilu Metziot” explains derful thing about teshuva is that it fills the I pray that we enter this new year filled
that when one finds objects with iden- entire world with hope – hope for every with hope and belief in teshuva! May we
tifiable characteristics, he is obligated individual and hope for the existence of never stop hoping to return to Hashem, to
to declare to the world that he has the world as whole. Therefore, the most return to ourselves, and to return to one
found the object. However, if the object dangerous thing and the antithesis of another with a new sign of hope and love.
found does not have any recognizable teshuva is despair. As a society that believes
in teshuva, we must never let any Shana Tova U’metuka!
individual fall into despair.
The whole idea of Elul,
as well as Rosh Hasha-
nah, Yom Kippur, and
Sukkot, is that it
is always pos-
sible to do
teshuva,

Rabbi Zvi Elon
is the Mazkal of World Bnei Akiva.

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