Yom Kippur

By Rabbi Shlomo Zargari:

Shana Tova to all. At the end of our parasha HaShem shows Moshe Rabenu a very bleak picture of what we know as הסתר אסתיר, meaning a time when we have moved away from being connected to HaShem very much and he, in turn, so to speak, hides his face from us. This means that many things will happen where we can’t find hashgaha of HaShem because he has hidden himself from our view.

The חפץ חיים understands the command to write a Sefer Torah as being connected with the “hiding of the face.” It’s teaching us that even under such terrible conditions, the Torah has such power that it could protect us and save us. Even during a time like ours which is a time of darkness, the light of Torah breaks through and spreads the light. The Talmud In Sota 21 teaches us the pasuk “כי נר מצוה ותורה אור “ just as the light protects the world, so too the Torah shields the world.

Says the חפץ חיים that the message is extremely true now, where there’s so many dangers lurking in every corner; the more we strengthen our Torah stud,y the more we bring light not only to ourselves but to the whole world!

Shabbat Shalom and Hatima Tova