Friday, October 7, 2011

Friday's Final Pre Yom Kippur Chizuk

Thursday Night our local shul played the R' Frand Teshuva Derasha which was recorded on Tuesday night in Brooklyn. I have attempted to summarize the beginning of the derasha in a late night post last evening and will post a little more of the derasha here. Same rules as usual apply - I have attempted to reproduce the derasha to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand next stated that this year we had two yom kippurs. Because if Yom Kippur is about bringing everyone together, then Laiby Kletzky brought a Yom Kippur by bringing everyone together.

R' Frand then asked - is this what it takes to bring us together? Do we only come together when there is a tragedy? R' Frand opined that is this is what it takes to bring everyone together then it is a sad commentary on the state of our people. Because after 3000 years we still have not learned how to disagree without being disagreeable.

R' Frand cautioned that this does not mean that everyone's position is correct or that we must accept other people's positions who are wrong. But it also does not mean that we should rudely call out and show disrespect for other people merely because we think they are wrong.

R' Frand next discussed the cherubs which sat on top of the aron in the kodesh hakadashim. The Torah writes that the cherubs faced each other and also that they faced the kapores. R' Nosson Adler asked - which one is it - did they face each other or the kapores? R' Adler answered that they represent talmidei chachamim who were trying to learn the truth, so they faced the aron. However, even when trying to learn the truth they did not show disrespect by turning their back on one and other.

R' Frand digressed to talk about how boys in beis medrash may yell at each other and argue about their learning, but they don't hate each other. People who are outsiders may not understand that they are yelling while they search for truth, but they still deeply respect one another.

R' Frand repeated a story told over by R' Noach Weinberg about a ba'al teshuva whose mother walked into the beis medrash and saw the boys vociferously arguing in Torah. She asked why do they hate each other - but they did not - they argued but still deeply respected one another.

I hope I'YH to complete the summary of the derasha after Yom Kippur.

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