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A few post Yom Kippur thoughts:

Here is a question I heard from Rav Mordechai Elon, in the name of the Hi”da, about the nature of Teshuva. Fasten your seat belts because it is quite a difficult question. Hopefully, some of you will have some good answers. I plan on posting my own answer during Chol Hamoed Sukkot. The answer I have bring an incredible understanding to our holidays and to the concept of Teshuva. Still, enjoy this post - the question is as sweet as the answer, and I can’t wait to read your answers as well.

There is a concept in Halacha called “Lav Hanitek Leasseh”. This concept, a very technical legal concept, is defined as follows: If there is a Lav, a negative commandment, which is then connected to an asseh, a positive commandment, then it is a Lav Hanitek LeAsseh. For example, if you steal (going against a negative commandment), you then need to give back what you have stolen (a positive commandment related to this negative commandment). Therefore, the commandment not to steal is a Lav Hanitek LeAsseh.

On the other hand, if you have a negative commandment which is NOT related to a positive commandment , it is NOT called a Lav Hanitek LeAsseh. Any negative commandment which is not followed by a positive commandment related to it DOES NOT fall in this category.

This differentiation has a practical difference (Nafka Minah) in Jewish Law - We get Malkout (flagellation) for going against any negative commandment except for a Lav Hanitek LeAsseh . (There are other exception to this rule but they are not relevant to this question: A Lav She-ein Bo Maaseh and a Lav Sheyesh Bo Mitat Beit Din.) Again: if it is a regular negative commadment, you get Malkout for going against it. If it is a Lav Hanitek LeAsseh, you don’t.

Now comes the most incredible part of the question. There is a Mahloket between the Rambam and the Ramban. The Rambam holds that Teshuvah is not a mitzvah from the torah. If you sin, you sin, and then you need to do teshuva but its not a Mitzvah from the torah to do Teshuvah. We won’t deal with his opinion right now.

On the other hand, the Ramban says that Teshuvah is a Mitzvah Min Hatorah, a positive commandment from the torah.

Now, lets formulate this Ramban in the way it is usually understood: If someone sins, then he has the positive obligation of doing teshuva. How does this apply to a negative commandment? If someone goes against a negative commandment, then he has the obligation to do teshuva. This applies to ANY negative commandment!

Rav Elon quotes the Hidah which asks an absolutely incredible question. The Hi”dah asks: If the opinion of the Ramban is right, then all the negative commandments in the torah are Lav Hanitek LeAsseh! Think about it: If someone goes against any negative commandment, then he has the obligation to do teshuva. This is the very definition of a Lav Hanitek LeAsseh! But we have a problem! If this is the case, then, the punishment of Malkout (flagellation) can NEVER apply, since it only applies on negative commandments which are NOT Lav Hanitek LeAsseh! However, Malkout is a form of punishment from the Torah! How can it be possible that it would never apply? How can it be possible that we can’t even think, conceptually, of a time when this punishment can apply? This is impossible!

We all know the Ramban did not make stupid mistakes so the Hidah asks: What did the Ramban mean when he said Teshuva was a Mitzvat Asseh? We cannot just understand it through its simple literal meaning because, as we have seen, it would make absolutely no sense and would not be coherent with the rest of Torah!

I would love to read all of your answers as I prepare for the best way to formulate my own!

I am moved. I just heard an astounding Israeli radio broadcast, which has seriously shaken some of my prejudices and assumptions about Israeli society and about Jews.

It’s almost Yom Kippur, and I’ve had a difficult time personally with the ‘Yamim Nora’im’ - Days of Awe, the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. I find the enormity of the fear that is so often emphasized, and the deep realization of personal responsibility for the past, to stress me emotionally, and, while I have been trying to engage in the emotional seriousness of the season, it has been difficult to make it personally meaningful and very positive.

I connected to a popular secular Israeli radio channel on web streaming a few minutes ago, and heard the talk show host chatting to the head of ‘Or Yarok’ (’Green Light’), a traffic safety organization in Israel… (more…)

I was in a Falafel shop this evening, when an old man walked in. He didn’t look very different from most old Sfardi Israeli men, but he was, as it turned out, most remarkable. And he inspired me more than most of what I’ve experienced in Israel since I made Aliyah not long ago. What did he do?
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One of the awesome things about being in Israel is the saladness: there is such a variety of different people. Depending on where you walk, you’ll hear any of tens of languages spoken, in varying levels of adeptness. And just to look at people’s faces, you can see their variety of origin, custom, and mentality…

One of my neighbours is a cool-looking dark-skinned French Oleh, who has this massive afro, wears Bob Marley shirts, always wears a kippa, and who led the tfilot in fluent Nusach Sfarad the other day.

Another person I’ve met recently is a very sweet man who just made Aliyah from Georgia. He speaks a basic Hebrew, so we can communicate a bit.

My room-mate is an American Israeli, who often goes off to a yeshiva to learn, and who’s big into online gaming.

The security guards at the Central Bus Station in Yerushalayim are Ethiopian Israelis, who chat to each other in Hebrew, and who have the coolest hairstyles (seriously).

I had an in-depth conversation on Jewish philosophy, education, and politics a few days ago with a Torah-observant guy from Germany…

I’ve made friends with some wonderful kids from Iran, and with an earnest, pleasant man from South America.

I saw a French Israeli woman selecting a French Parasha-sheet from a stand, and we shared some remarks about finding Torah sheets in your own language…

I was sitting next to a young man on a bus a few weeks back. He was poring intensely over a Gemara he had with him. I asked him what he was learning, and we launched into a discussion about the sugya he was currently involved in, and the distinction between the opinions there of Rashi and Tosafot. This also led to another general discussion about life and philosophies…

It’s such a pleasure to be exposed to, and to interact with, Jews from such different backgrounds, Jews with such different souls, but Jews who are all a part of this wonderful nation; here, in this wonderful Land.

Have any examples of some different Jews you’ve encountered here in Israel? Or a story about an encounter? Share it in the comments section!

On 20 Aug 2008, I represented Tzipiyah at the first-ever international Jewish Bloggers’ Conference, organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh. NBN flew in some prominent Jewish bloggers from USA, and provided a light deli buffet, drinks and snacks (free!), and an altogether entertaining and informative evening. In truth, I expected about 20 people to show up. Over 200 people attended the conference in Yerushalayim — Israelis and visitors with NBN — and I’m told over 1000 people watched the live webcast over the internet. Wow!