Unesaneh Tokef 5766: Emphasizing the Intense Kedusha of the Day
                   By, Moshe Burt

 
A great contemporary Talmud Chacham wrote in a Sefer, a compendium of his various writings, that he has spent many a day in his life wrestling with this disturbing question:  "What happened, over the course of time, to cause such a warping and corrupting change in true Judaism, in that which we call Torah Judaism?"  He then comments that "...it is abundantly clear that there has been a dangerous and fundamental change, one that has caused us to lose sight of the ... Jewish idea which has led us astray to an extent that we have, in great measure, lost our very way." [1]

Later in this same Sefer, in a different writing, this Great Chacham either knowingly or unknowingly provides an answer.  He quotes Zachariah 14 from Tanach; "And Judah, too, shall  fight against Jerusalem ..."  He comments here that this is "The briefest of hints, but a chilling one: that in the end of days, Judah, Jews, will join the gentile enemy in war against Jerusalem.   And, ... we see it in our days.  The self-hating  Jewish anti-semite.  The Jew who fights his own people, who joins with the enemy of Jerusalem in battle against Jerusalem." [2]

By way of introduction, I use these two quotes as I explain that tears came to my eyes as we approached the chanting of the Unesaneh Tokef tefillah.  The first few words of the tefillah indicate it's theme, to speak of the intense holiness of the day.  The tefillah is said in Mussaf both days of Rosh Hashana as well as in Mussaf on Yom Kippur.

But to understand the story behind Unesaneh Tokef is to understand why my tears, and why the one thousand year old story of R' Amnon of Mainz, Germany is at least as meaningful in our days as it was when it occurred a thousand years ago.

R' Amnon is being accosted, pressured and perhaps threatened by the bishop of Mainz to an effort to force him (R' Amnon) to convert to Christianity.  The Artscroll Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Machzorim indicate that "in order to buy time, R' Amnon asked for three days ... to mediate upon the question.  Upon returning home, he was distraught at having given the impression that he even considered betraying his G'd."

Rabbi Amnon's three days were spent in solitude, consumed in prayer  his sin and fasting for forgiveness of his sin.  He did not return to the bishop. 

The bishop finally had Rabbi Amnon brought before him and demanded an answer.  "R'Amnon replied that his tongue should be cut out for the sin of saying that he would consider the matter."  In a fury, the bishop responded that the sin was not in what he (R'Amnon) said, but  in his legs for not coming as he had promised.  The bishop ordered that R' Amnon's feet be chopped off as well as his arms.  After each limb was amputated, he was asked if he would convert and R' Amnon refused each time.  The bishop then ordered that R'Amnon be carried home accompanied by the amputated parts.

A few days later, on Rosh Hashana, R'Amnon asked to be carried to the Aron HaKodesh to sanctify Hashem's name, as he had previously done before the bishop of Mainz.  There he recited Kedushah including the Unesaneh Tokef and then he died. [3]

So what bearing do a couple of quotes and the story of a Rabbi from Mainz, Germany have on today's "warping and corrupting change in true Judaism?"

I spent Shabbos Parsha Ki Tavo in Chevron with many from my Shul.  It was our third annual Shabbos Tefillah.  It was an extremely meaningful and particularly poignant Shabbos for me.  I also marked a reunion with three of the families formerly from Shi-rat HaYam in what is now Yudenrein Gush Katif.

But some discussions which took place and events that occured over that Shabbos chrystalized a lot of thoughts and feelings within me with which I have been struggling  to reduce to written words.

This was the first time since before the expulsion that I was in proximaty to large numbers of Chayalim (Israeli soldiers).  I commented to friends how, heretofore, I had viewed the sodiers with a degree of pride and as on a pedestal.

But now, I just couldn't help viewing each  soldier -- religious or non-observant with a jaundiced eye, with the emotion of "did he or didn't he."  And with this comment to friends, I found that I was not alone with these feelings.

And as the conversations with friends continued and as I recalled the conversations which I had with soldiers on buses to and from Gush Katif, I recalled the top three reasons given by chayalim as to why they would expel the residents of Gush Katif.

They spoke about the "demographics factor," since proven bogus and proven by authoritative sources to be grossly overstated by at least one third.   And they spoke of how President Bush, Cordelizza Rice, the EU and the whole world is watching to see if the Israeli Army is capable enough to do a simple action like removing some Jews from Gush Katif.   To that, I said "Give me a break."  Sharon went running to the President for cover (and to satisfy his blackmailers -- Peres and company), as his predecessors did in the Oslo era.  For President Bush would have never thought of "disengagement" from Gush Katif on his own any more than Clinton would have thought up Oslo.  Bush first told Sharon that he was crazy for what he was about to do.  But seeing how Sharon keep selling and selling, far be it for the President of the United States to be more Zionist than the Prime Minister of Israel.  So therefore, expulsion from Gush Katif and much more is now expected.  Pandora's box is opened."

But the third reason is the most telling and for it, I cry by the tefillah of Unesaneh Tokef.  A particular soldier, sporting a Kippa S'ruga told me; "the minute that I  refuse to carry out orders regarding the 'hitnatkut,' I will be expelled from my training course."  It doesn't take a genius, an oracle to understand what he meant, to understand about socialization in Israel.  Between the lines, if he's expelled from the training course, he losses his network -- his "old boy network", the means by which he secures his "ins", secures a job after his active duty ends and insures his protexia.

And he is bolstered by his Rabbonim who, on the government payroll under threat of loss of Rabbinic position, give him the p'sak he wants to hear.

In short, any concern for the well-being of his fellow Jews is secondary to his own welfare and well-being.   And so, for this self-centered, self-interested soldier, following immoral, anti-Torah orders is not a problem.  V'Ahafta L'rei'echa Komocha doesn't exist. 

Why do I cry before Unesaneh Tokef?  It seems clear that R' Amnon was in dread fear for his life and/or the lives of his Kehilla.  By comparison, what was the penalty for refusing the order to expel one's fellow Jews?  Jail?  Loss of network of connections?   Is there a comparison?

While in Chevron, R' Simcha Hochbaum spoke to us about the dagger of the gezeira rah -- Expulsion, now aimed squarely at the Shalchevet neighborhood in Chevron for immediately after the Chaggim. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Shalchevet neighborhood or where it is;  it is the former Arab Shuk that the IDF shut down in the 1990s after daily attacks by Arabs in the Shuk upon Jews.  The vacant buildings then gradually became occupied by young Jewish families and this neighborhood was later named for Shalchevet Pass, the baby gunned downed down by Arab snippers. 

As Seudah Sh'lish't time came, Two soldiers attempted to disrupt and disperse a group of Chevron residents whom I joined with for Seudah Sh'lish't, in the plaza outside the Ma'arat HaMachpela, to honor the 3 families from Shi-Rat HaYam.  After heaps of scorn were thrown upon them by the residents and myself, the soldiers departed, not to be heard from again.  But the hidden message was driven home -- that the Army perceives that we are only in Chevron at the pleasure of the government and the army.

Will those attempting to impose expulsion upon their fellow Jews in the Shalchevet neighborhood of Chevron be from among the very soldiers I passed while in Chevron?  From the same two soldiers harrassing the group at Seudah Sh'lish't?

As I further contemplate the story of R' Amnon and the Unesaneh Tokef tefillah, two other things occur to me.   I feel compelled to say the following even though some may feel that what is written below might be overly harsh.   For I am still shaken, nearly 2 months later, that a Jew can robotically
follow orders and do what has been done to another Jew without remorse, without conscience and with the rationale of preserving himself, his network, his job and protexia as he brings upon his fellow Jew  pain, loss and destitution and desecration of Hashem's name.  

I wrote prior to the Expulsion that "We felt betrayed when we were attacked at the Munich Olympics, and on the Holy day of Yom Kippur, and in the Air France plane hijacked to Entebbe. Don't dare feel betrayed again because, for the Secular Israeli who Chas V'Chalila supports expulsion of his Jewish brothers, perhaps nothing Jewish could ever be sacred again."  I now follow the above statement with this one;  Not one of you who expelled your brethren have any right  ever again to feel hypocritically indignant as a "Jewish victim" when sneak attacked by the avowed enemy seeking nothing less than our utter destruction..

And may our displaced, refugee brethren, who now live day-to-day at the mercy of the governing Crime Family and their SELA as well as selfish, sneaky, compassionless hotels, at least be able with the help of all real, caring Jews B'Ezrat Hashem  to be yotzei the Mitzvot of Succah and Arba Minim.  

As the Yom Kippur approaches and we hear the Unesaneh Tokef for the final time until next year, our brethren -- the refugee families from Gush Katif as well as our dear brother, Jonathan Pollard are central in our thoughts, prayers, chassadim and actions.

B'Ezrat Hashem, may we soon know the day when Torah is the law of the land, when we pray thanks to Hashem for the Ge’ula Shlaima and for the restoration of our Brethren, expelled by the evil regime from Gush Katif and the Shomron towns to bigger and more beautiful homes and neighborhoods, Bati Knesset, Yeshivot in Gush Katif and the Shomron and only happiness and success for all time.  May this abominable period of history called hitnatkut be as a bad dream. And may we soon see freedom and long life in Eretz Yisrael for Jonathan Pollard.

May we see the “Yom Hashem Al Kol HaGoyim,” Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol.
 
May we be zocha the Moshiach, the Ge'ula Shlaima, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v'yameinu -- speedily, in our time", -- Achshav, Chik Chuk, Meiyad, Etmol!!!


Sources;


[1] Rabbi Meir Kahane, On Jews and Judaism, Selected articles 1961-1990, "What Happened to Tanach?" 18 March, 1983, pg. 109-111.

[2] Rabbi Meir Kahane, On Jews and Judaism, Selected articles 1961-1990, "WhaBeards Carry no Immunity" 10 November, 1989, pg. 148-151.

[3] Artscroll Rosh Hashana Machzor, Unesaneh Tokef prayer, pg. 476-479.

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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of the Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.