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The Next

Generation

Rabbi Yaakov Glasser

ן ֶה ָל הָי ָה אל ְו ,ה ָרי ִ ּ ד תי ֵּ ב ן ֶה ָל הָי ָה ֶ ׁש ׁש ָ ּ ד ְק ִמ ְּ ב ּוי ָה were deeply concerned that people not
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יא ַמ .ה ָת ְי ָה ה ָרי ֵז ְּג ןי ִר ְד ֶה ְר ַּ פ ת ַּ כ ְ ׁש ִל א ָּ ל ֶא .ה ָזּוז ְמ characterize a religious experience of
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ׁשּוב ָח לֹוד ָּג ן ֵהֹ ּ כ :ּור ְמאי א ּ ֶ ׁש ...ה ָדּוהְי י ִּ ב ַר ְ ּ ד א ָמ ְע ַט meaning and purpose as a confining
ֹל
.ןי ִרּוס ֲא ָה תי ֵב ְּ ב
ירשת “Our rabbis taught: all of the chambers suppression of opportunity and free-
dom. Therefore, they mandated a
שאר in the Temple did not have a mezuzah mezuzah to be placed upon the door of
this chamber, proclaiming to all the
שאר
X X X הנשה except for the Parhedrin chamber, eternal message of ahavat Hashem, love
הנשה
X X X X
םוי which served as living quarters for the
רופיכ of G-d, as the defining character of the
Kohen Gadol. Rabbi Yehuda said: Weren’t religious experience.
there other living quarters in the
Temple that did not have a mezuzah? We find ourselves raising and teaching
Rather, this was a specific institution a generation that increasingly views
for the Parhedrin chamber. What is the the lifestyle of Torah and mitzvot as
reason for Rabbi Yehuda? ... so that they a “beit ha’asurim” – a restrictive envi-
should not say that the Kohen Gadol is ronment comprised mostly of expec-
locked in prison.” (Yoma 10a–10b) tations and demands that undermine
our natural ambition for individuality
What is the nature of Rabbi Yehuda’s and freedom. It is our responsibility to
concern? Why would anyone assume affix mezuzot on the doorways of our
the Kohen Gadol is incarcerated, and
even days preceding Yom how does placing a mezuzah on the door religious experience and inspire our
Kippur, we separate the children to recognize the deep mean-
Kohen Gadol from his mitigate this concern? ing and purpose that Torah and mitzvot
“Sfamily, and sequester The answer to this question reveals provide to our lives.
him in the Parhedrin Chamber” (Yoma how the entire Yom Kippur experience The month of Tishrei is a unique
2). truly strikes at the heart of our funda- opportunity in this regard. One can
mental challenge in perpetuating our view these weeks as a “beit ha’asurim,”
The Lishkat Parhedrin becomes the Torah values to the next generation.
home of the Kohen Gadol for the week with an endless set of expectations
preceding his service on Yom Kippur. It To the outsider, uninitiated and unfa- and demands. Alternatively, one can
is in this chamber that he will prepare miliar with Kohen Gadol’s preparatory view the month as one of opportunity.
journey, the sequestering of this great
himself intellectually, emotionally, The chance to project the “veahavta et
and spiritually to represent the Jewish leader indeed appears as a form of Hashem Elokecha” dimension to our reli-
incarceration. Cut off from his family
people on Yom Kippur. One can only and friends, he is constrained and gious life. To recognize how the Yamim
Nora’im, and chagim which follow, are
imagine the mixed emotions of appre-
hension and anticipation as the reality forced to function exclusively within an eternal gift that provide our lives
with reflection, transformation, and
the narrow parameters of the Parhe-
of his awesome responsibility set in
throughout the Aseret Yemei Teshuva. drin chamber. celebration.
However, in reality, this environment
The Gemara relates an interesting hala-
chic anomaly regarding this chamber provides the Kohen Gadol with the foun- Rabbi Yaakov Glasser is the David Mitzner
dation to encounter the most profound
relative to the other rooms of the Beit moment of Divine connection imagin- Dean of the Center for the Jewish Future and
HaMikdash: University Life at Yeshiva University. He also
able. One who is intimately familiar serves as the Rav of the Young Israel of Pas-
ן ֶה ָל ּוי ָה אל ׁש ָ ּ ד ְק ִמ ְּ ב ּוי ָה ֶ ׁש תֹוכ ָ ׁש ְּ ל ַה לׇ ּ כ ,ן ַנ ָּ ב ַר ּונ ָּ ת with the inner workings of the Temple saic-Clifton. Rabbi Glasser is renowned for
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ה ָרי ִ ּ ד תי ֵּ ב ּ ה ָּ ב הָי ָה ֶ ׁש ,ןי ִר ְד ֶה ְר ַּ פ ת ַּ כ ְ ׁש ִּ ל ִמ ץּוח ,ה ָזּוז ְמ world can appreciate the solemnity combining humor, scholarship and an upbeat
תֹוכ ָ ׁש ְל ה ָּ מ ַּ כ אל ֲה ַו :ה ָדּוהְי י ִּ ב ַר ר ַמ ָא .לֹוד ָּג ן ֵהֹכ ְל and sanctity of the experience. Chazal message into his teaching.
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