{"id":50442,"date":"2020-11-05T17:26:05","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T17:26:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/?p=50442"},"modified":"2020-11-05T17:28:18","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T17:28:18","slug":"time-to-get-serious-really","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/time-to-get-serious-really\/","title":{"rendered":"Time to Get Serious \u2013 Really!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Always, a<\/em><\/strong> person should see oneself as half guilty and half meritorious.\u00a0 Perform one mitzvah and he should rejoice!\u00a0 He has tipped his scale to the side of merit.\u00a0 Perform one sin, woe to him!\u00a0 He has tipped his scale to guilt.\u00a0 [This is] as it says: And one sinner destroys much good.\u00a0 [This means that] because of a single sin much good is lost to him.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ribbi Eleazar, the son of Ribbi Shimon, said: Because the world is judged according to its majority and the individual is judged according to his majority, [if] one does one mitzvah he should rejoice!\u00a0 He has tipped his scale and the scale of the world to the side of merit.\u00a0 He commits one sin, woe to him! For he has tipped his scale and the scale of the world to guilt.\u00a0 [This is] as it says: And one sinner destroys much good.\u00a0 [This means that] because of a single sin that this person performed, much good is lost from him and from the entire world.\u00a0 (Mesechet Kedushim 40a)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I. The process of judgment<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the above text, the Sages of the Talmud discuss the Divine judgment of the individual and the community.\u00a0 They explain that the individual is judged by one\u2019s actions. If most of one\u2019s actions are good, one receives a positive judgment.\u00a0 If most of one\u2019s actions are wicked, one receives a negative judgment.[1]<\/a>\u00a0 They add that a person should view one\u2019s actions as equally divided \u2013 merits in perfect balance with wicked actions or liabilities.\u00a0 One mitzvah<\/em> will tip the scale and secure a positive judgment and one sin will result in a negative judgment.<\/p>\n

The Sages add that the entire world is judged on the same basis.\u00a0 Therefore, a single mitzvah<\/em> or sin can tip the scale for oneself and for the entire world.<\/p>\n

A person whose iniquities are greater than his merits immediately [is condemned]<\/em><\/strong>[2]<\/em><\/strong><\/a> to death in his wickedness\u2026 Similarly, a country whose sins are greater [than its merits] is immediately [condemned to] annihilation\u2026 Similarly, the whole world, in its entirety, if their sins are greater [than their merits], they are immediately [condemned to] destruction.\u00a0 ( <\/em><\/strong>Rabbaynu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam \/ Maimonides) Mishne Torah,<\/em><\/strong> Hilchot Teshuvah 3:<\/em><\/strong>2<\/em><\/strong>)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

II. The aggregated actions of the community<\/strong><\/p>\n

The commentaries disagree over the meaning of the Talmud\u2019s last statement.\u00a0 Rambam \u2013 Maimonides \u2013 position is presented above.\u00a0 He explains that like the individual, every country, and the entire world is judged based upon the cumulative actions of its members.\u00a0 When a community is judged \u2013 whether a country or the entire human community \u2013 the actions of all its members are aggregated and evaluated.\u00a0 The judgment of the community is determined by whether the aggregate is composed of mostly merits or mostly sins.<\/p>\n

Based on this position, Rambam explains the Talmud very literally.\u00a0 A single action by a single individual can change the balance and determine the judgment that will be passed on the community.<\/p>\n

III.\u00a0 A community of individuals<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rabbaynu Nissim presents an alternative interpretation of the Talmud\u2019s last statement.\u00a0 The community is judged based on its members.\u00a0 If most of its members are righteous, then the community receives a positive judgment.\u00a0 If most are wicked, then the community receives a negative judgment.\u00a0 One person, whose behaviors are perfectly balanced, can determine Hashem\u2019s judgment.\u00a0 If this person commits a sin and tips his scale toward guilt, he adds himself to the community\u2019s wicked and condemns the community.\u00a0 His mitzvah<\/em> adds him to the community\u2019s righteous and saves the community.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

To illustrate the difference between these two interpretations, consider this situation.\u00a0 A community\u2019s judgment is in balance.\u00a0 A person who is among the righteous performs an additional mitzvah<\/em> or a person among the wicked commits another sin.\u00a0 Will this mitzvah<\/em> or sin impact the verdict on the community?\u00a0 According to Rambam, it will.\u00a0 It adds to the aggregate mitzvot<\/em> or sins of the community and it shifts the scales.\u00a0 According to RaN, the number of righteous or wicked members of the community has not changed.\u00a0 Hashem\u2019s judgment of the community is not impacted.<\/p>\n

IV. The community serves its members<\/strong><\/p>\n

These two interpretations reflect different understandings of the relationship between the community and the individual.\u00a0 According to RaN, a community \u2013 a nation, or the entire world \u2013 is treated as a collection of individuals.\u00a0 The righteousness or wickedness of a community is determined by the character of its individual members.\u00a0 The community that promotes and nurtures righteous individuals has value.\u00a0 A community that harbors and encourages wicked individuals is worthless and its existence has no purpose.<\/p>\n

V. The community as an organism<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rambam adopts a different view.\u00a0 His view is more difficult for us to recognize and accept because of the extraordinary importance we place upon the individual.\u00a0 But Rambam posits that the community is as significant as the individual.\u00a0 It is treated and judged as a single body.\u00a0 It is more than a collection of individuals.\u00a0 It is an entity of significance.<\/p>\n

Rambam argues that a community is not judged based upon its individuals.\u00a0 It is judged as a unique organism.\u00a0 Does this community do good or evil?\u00a0 This is determined by the aggregated actions of its members.<\/p>\n

Just as one\u2019s iniquities and merits are weighed at the moment of one\u2019s death, so too, each and every year, the iniquities and merits of every human being are weighed on the festival of Rosh HaShanah.\u00a0 One who is found righteous receives a verdict of life and one who is found wicked receives a verdict of death.\u00a0 Those who are between [righteous and wicked] are suspended until Yom Kippur.\u00a0 If one performs teshuvah, one receives a verdict of life.\u00a0 If not, one receives a verdict of death.\u00a0 (Rabbaynu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam \/ Maimonides) Mishne Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah 3:3)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

VI. The urgency of Yom Kippur<\/strong><\/p>\n

The process of judgment is underway.\u00a0 Our individual destinies, and the destinies of our community and humanity are being decided in the coming days.\u00a0 This process took place a year ago.\u00a0 Many individuals were condemned to death or suffering.\u00a0 Nations were sentenced to devastation \u2013 economies are shattered, and political systems are stressed to the breaking point.\u00a0 The United States and Israel have not been spared.\u00a0 Hundreds of thousands have died, and we cannot yet measure the economic and political damage.\u00a0 Now, we are being judged again.\u00a0 We have an opportunity to earn salvation for ourselves, for our communities, perhaps, even for humanity.\u00a0 What greater motivation can there be for repentance!<\/p>\n

Sins can be divided into two general categories.\u00a0 There are things we do that are wrong.\u00a0 But we do not realize that we are acting improperly.\u00a0 Every group or community can identify behaviors in other groups that deserve scrutiny and assessment.\u00a0 The more religious will point to the less scrupulous observance of those they deem less religious.\u00a0 Those who view themselves as members of more moderate religious movements will condemn the fanaticism of others.\u00a0 Each group is suspected of unknowingly acting improperly.\u00a0 Perhaps, the criticisms have some validity.\u00a0 However, because the sin is unknown to the sinner, he cannot repent from it.\u00a0 This type of analysis is not the most productive.\u00a0 It is not the starting point in teshuvah<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The starting point is to give our attention to the other category of sin.\u00a0 We need to look inward, and to seek out our own actions and behaviors that we know are sinful.\u00a0 Each of us can easily identify ways in which we can be more observant, and better people.\u00a0 These are obvious areas to focus upon.\u00a0 This is where a teshuvah<\/em> movement must begin.\u00a0 It is time to become serious.\u00a0 We need things to become better and not to further degenerate.\u00a0 In the coming days, we have our best opportunity to end our suffering and the misery of so many.\u00a0 Please, let us seize the opportunity.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Rambam explains, \u201cThis assessment is not according to the number of merits and iniquities but according to their greatness.\u00a0 A merit may count against many iniquities\u2026 There is a sin that may count against many merits\u2026\u201d\u00a0 (Rambam, Hilchot Teshuvah 3:2)\u00a0 In other words, the number of sins and merits of a person does not determine one\u2019s judgment.\u00a0 The judgment process considers also, the seriousness of the sins and the greatness of one\u2019s meritorious deeds.\u00a0 Some sins and good deeds have lesser significance than others.\u00a0 Some have great significance and more impact on the verdict.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Rambam writes that he dies immediately.\u00a0 However, this conflicts with many of his other statements.\u00a0 For example, Hilchot Teshuvah 7:6-7.\u00a0 There, Rambam describes the power of repentance to restore the sinner\u2019s relationship with Hashem.\u00a0 The sinner he describes is completely alienated from Hashem.\u00a0 Yet, he is given the opportunity to repent and restore his relationship with Hashem.\u00a0 To resolve this conflict, the words \u201cis condemned\u201d are added.\u00a0 The person is condemned to death but may earn reprieve through repentance.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Rabbaynu Nissim ben Reuven, (RaN) Notes to Commentary of Rabbaynu Yitzchak Alfasi<\/em>, Mesechet Rosh HaShanna 3a.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Always, a person should see oneself as half guilty and half meritorious.\u00a0 Perform one mitzvah and he should rejoice!\u00a0 He has tipped his scale to the side of merit.\u00a0 Perform one sin, woe to him!\u00a0 He has tipped his scale to guilt.\u00a0 [This is] as it says: And one sinner destroys much good.\u00a0 [This means […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":843,"featured_media":50445,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[339],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-yom-kippur"],"yoast_head":"\nTime to Get Serious \u2013 Really! - Jewish Holidays<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/time-to-get-serious-really\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Time to Get Serious \u2013 Really! 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