{
    "title": "Sichot Avodat Levi",
    "language": "en",
    "versionTitle": "merged",
    "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org/Sichot_Avodat_Levi",
    "text": {
        "Introduction": [],
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            [
                "<b>ESSAY 78 - FOR REJOICING IN THE LORD IS THE SOURCE OF YOUR STRENGTH</b>",
                "<b>A) Whey did the people weep when they heard the Torah reading of Rosh Hashanah?</b>",
                "It is written in the book of Nehemiah 8:2-3, \"On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Torah before the congregation, men and women and all who could listen with understanding. He read from it, facing the square before the Water Gate, etc.\" And it is clear from this verse that Ezra was reading from the Torah in front of the people on Rosh Hashanah. For behold, it is written in the verse that this was on the first day of the seventh month, which is Rosh Hashanah.",
                "And there the verse[s] continue (Nehemiah 8:9-10), \"Nehemiah the Tirshatha, Ezra the priest and scribe and the Levites who were explaining to the people said to all the people, 'This day is holy to the Lord, your God; you must not mourn or weep,' for all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the Torah. He said to them, 'Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad, for rejoicing in the Lord is the source of your strength.'\"",
                "And we learn from this that the Torah reading of Rosh Hashanah brought the people to weeping, whereas Ezra and Nehemiah told them that it was not correct to weep on this day. Just the opposite, they should rejoice on this day. ",
                "And this requires explanation. What is written in the Torah reading of Rosh Hashanah that made them cry so much? Moreover, it should be asked that since Rosh Hashanah is the day of judgement, how could they then say to them that Rosh Hashanah is a happy day? And is it not true that since it is the day of judgement - how is it possible to rejoice on Rosh Hashanah?",
                "<b>We learned from the Torah reading of Rosh Hashanah that the trait of kindness does not stand when there are sins.</b>",
                "And it appears that [the following] can be said about this: Behold it is written in the Torah reading of Rosh Hashanah (Genesis 21:9-14), \"Sarah saw that the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, whom she had born to Avraham, was jesting. She said to Avraham, 'Expel this slave-woman and her son, for the son of this slave-woman will not inherit with my son, with Yitzchak.' This thing was very wrong in the eyes of Avraham, on account of his son. And God said to Avraham, 'Do not consider this wrong in your eyes on account of the boy and your slave-woman. Regarding all that Sarah tells you, listen to her voice, etc.' Avraham got up early in the morning, and he took bread and a skin (pouch) of water, and gave it to Hagar; he placed it on her shoulder with the lad, and sent her away, etc.\"",
                "And it is elucidated from these verses that Yishmael was \"jesting\" (and it is explained in [the works of] the Sages, may their memory be blessed, that he was involved with evil things, see Rashi there). And it is because of this that our father Avraham expelled him with [only] a little bread and water. But behold our father Avraham was a pillar of kindness - as is well-known - and we also depend on his merit on Rosh Hashanah. (As is explained in Rosh Hashanah 16a, \"Blow a ram's shofar before Me, so that I will remember for you the binding of Yitzchak the son of Avraham.\" Note that we mention our father Yitzchak together with our father Avraham.) And nevertheless, he suppressed his trait of kindness and he became like someone cruel to his son. Form this it can be learned that the trait of kindness is not effective for someone who has committed sins, in the same way that it was not effective for Yishmael. ",
                "From this we can easily understand why the people cried when they heard the Torah reading of Rosh Hashanah. As they gave up on meriting God's trait of kindness because of the sins they had with them.  ",
                "However according to this, we can wonder: If their weeping was fitting for the day of judgement of Rosh Hashanah, why did Ezra and Nehemiah tell them that they should not weep, but rather just the opposite, that they should eat, drink and rejoice?"
            ]
        ]
    },
    "versions": [
        [
            "Sefaria Community Translation",
            "https://www.sefaria.org"
        ]
    ],
    "heTitle": "שיחות עבודת לוי",
    "categories": [
        "Musar",
        "Modern"
    ],
    "schema": {
        "heTitle": "שיחות עבודת לוי",
        "enTitle": "Sichot Avodat Levi",
        "key": "Sichot Avodat Levi",
        "nodes": [
            {
                "heTitle": "הקדמה",
                "enTitle": "Introduction"
            },
            {
                "heTitle": "",
                "enTitle": ""
            }
        ]
    }
}