Page 18 - HaMizrachi Australia Rosh HaShana Yom Kippur 5781

GLOBAL RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Rabbi Hershel Schachter

Hakarat

HaCheit

he first step in the teshuva pro- offer a Korban Chattat does not exist unaware of until this point, for which
cess is hakarat haCheit (recog- prior to yediat haCheit, just as there he is now able to do teshuva.
Tnition of the sin). The natural is no chiyuv teshuva without hakarat
state of the Jewish neshama is that haCheit and yedi’at haCheit. The Rav suggested a parallel halacha
it seeks to be close to G-d. It is con- that illustrates this additional require-
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sidered an aberration for a person to Rabbeinu Yonah writes that there is ment. In discussing the destruction of
desire to sin. Thus, hakarat haCheit a special mitzvah of teshuva on Yom avodah zarah specifically in Eretz Yis-
stems from the sinner’s feeling that Kippur, beyond the constant obliga- rael, the Torah commands:
he is distant from G-d. He wants to tion to repent every day. He bases ם ָ ׁש־ּוד ְ בָֽ ע ר ֶ ׁש ֲ א תֹומֹק ְּ מ ַ ה ל ָּ כ ת ֶֽ א ןּוד ְּ ב ַ א ְּ ת ד ֵּ ב ַ א
return because of the sense of loneli- himself on the passuk, ּור ָ ה ְ ט ִּ ת 'ה יֵנ ְ פ ִ ל – ן ִ מ ם ָ מ ְ ׁש ת ֶ א ם ֶּ ת ְ ד ַּ ב ִ א ְ ו ...ם ֶ הי ֵ הֽלֹ ֱ א ת ֶ א ...םִיֹוּג ַ ה
ness he experiences. “before Hashem shall you be cleansed” .אּוה ַ ה םֹוק ָּ מ ַ ה
(Vayikra 16:30), which he understands
The pasuk says, ֹותא ָּ ט ַ ח וי ָ ל ֵ א ע ַ דֹוה ֹוא as a directive to cleanse ourselves on “You shall utterly destroy all the places
א ָ ט ָ ח ר ׁ ֶ ש ֲ א – “If his sin that he commit- this day. The Rav pointed out a simi- where the nations worshipped… their
ted becomes known to him” (Vay- lar statement of the Rambam (Hilchot gods… and you shall obliterate their
ikra 4:23, 28), to teach that yediat Teshuva 2:7): names from that place” (Devarim
haCheit (definite knowledge of the 12:2-3).
sin) is a necessary prerequisite to ה ָ חי ִ ל ְ סּו ה ָ לי ִ ח ְ מ ץ ֵ ק ...אּוה םי ִ רּו ּ פ ִּ כ ַ ה םֹוי
ְ
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bringing a Korban Chattat. Tosafot ה ָ בּו ׁש ְּ ת תֹוׂש ֲ ע ַ ל ל ּ כ ַ ה םי ִ בָּי ַ ח ך ָ כי ִ פ ְ ל .ל ֵ א ָ ר ְ ׂשִי ְ ל Based on this, the Rambam (Hilchot
questions why the Torah had to spec- .םי ִ רּו ּ פ ִּ כ ַ ה םֹוי ְּ ב תֹו ּ ד ַ ו ְ ת ִ ה ְ לּו Avodat Kochavim 7:1) rules, ץ ֶ ר ֶ א ְּ ב
ify that yediat haCheit is necessary ּ ה ָ תֹוא ד ֵּ ב ַ אְּנ ֶ ׁש ד ַ ע ָ הי ֶ ר ֲ ח ַ א ףֹ ּ ד ְ ר ִ ל ה ָ ו ְ צ ִ מ ל ֵ א ָ ר ְ ׂשִי
prior to offering a Korban Chattat. “Yom Kippur is… a specific time of ּונ ֵ צ ְ ר ַ א ל ָּ כ ִ מ, “In Eretz Yisrael, there is
This should have been understood pardoning and forgiveness; therefore, a mitzvah to chase after [avodah
from the fact that a Korban Chattat all people are obligated to do teshuva zarah] until we destroy it from our
may not be offered voluntarily. This and to confess their aveirot on Yom entire Land.” In chutz laAretz, no such
korban may only be offered for a cheit Kippur.” requirement exists; the chiyuv only
one knows he has committed, and so Rav Soloveitchik suggested the nature applies to avodah zarah we know
it should be obvious the sinner must of the obligation may be different on about in an area we occupy. The
know he sinned before bringing the Yom Kippur than during the rest of additional teshuva obligation on Yom
korban. Kippur is thus similar to the increased
the year, specifically in regard to the obligation to destroy avodah zarah in
Tosafot explains the passuk comes to requirement of yediat haCheit. In Eretz Yisrael. 3
exclude a case in which the individual general, if a person becomes aware of
merely suspects he may have sinned an aveirah he committed and thus has Adapted from Rav Schachter on the Moadim.
accidentally and therefore is mafrish yediat haCheit, he has an obligation
(sets aside) an animal to be used as a to do teshuva. The unique obligation 1 Shavuot 4b, s.v. vene’elam; see Kovetz
potential korban once he ascertains on Yom Kippur is for one to search He’arot, Yevamot, 63:4.
he did, in fact, commit an aveirah. through all of his actions. In review- 2 Sha’arei Teshuva 4:17.
The passuk teaches that even if he ing all his actions, including those he 3 See MiPninei HaRav, 2001 ed., p. 320.
subsequently comes to the realization believed to be permissible in the past,
he did sin, he would not be able to use he may well come to the realization Rabbi Hershel Schachter is Rosh
that animal, because it was sanctified he had been committing an aveirah Yeshiva and Rosh Kollel at Rabbi Isaac
as a korban prior to definite knowl- all along that he did not recognize. Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva
edge that he sinned. The obligation to He may find a yediat haCheit he was University.

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