Teshuvah on Rosh Hashanah: Ki Karov Eilecha

Topics

• Teshuvah on Rosh Hashanah
• The Pasuk in Devarim
• Teshuvah and the Meaning of "Lo Bashamayim Hi"
• The Question on the Pesukim
• Reb Chaim Volozhiner's Answer
• רחוקה היא? כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד
• Teshuvah Is Not Far Away
• Ki Karov Eilecha Hadavar Me’od
• Rabbeinu Yonah and Yiras Shamayim
• Two Inyanim in the Tefillah of Teshuvah
• Tefillah for Mechilah and for Help in Teshuvah
• The Meaning of “Harotzeh B’teshuvah”
• Dirshu Hashem b'himatzo
• Shir HaShirim and the time of hester
• Teshuvah of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah
• Kabbalah and the beginning of hiskarvus
• The Ramban on Veshavta
• The Chiddush of “Lo Bashamayim Hi”
• The Radzitzer Shofar in Yad Vashem
• Making a Shofar in the Camp
• Tekias Shofar in the Barracks
• The Shofar in Yad Vashem
• “Karov Eilecha Hadavar Me’od”

Transcript

# Teshuvah on Rosh Hashanah

As we approach Rosh Hashanah, it is very important to discuss the teshuvah that is required of us on Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah; the ten days of teshuvah begin on Rosh Hashanah and end with Yom Kippur. So Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.

What teshuvah are we supposed to do on Rosh Hashanah? Lemaaseh, the Rambam gives a detailed account of all the halachos of teshuvah in Hilchos Teshuvah, yet it cannot be done on Rosh Hashanah. Vidui is the tachlis, the ikkar of teshuvah. According to the Rambam, that is the mitzvah of teshuvah: vidui. But you cannot do vidui on Rosh Hashanah, rabosai.

The Beis Yosef brings it down clearly: we do not mention our chata’im. We do not even eat eggs, because eggs have the gematria of chet. So how do you expect to do teshuvah? If we are not mentioning chata’im, where and how are we doing teshuvah on Rosh Hashanah? And if Rosh Hashanah becomes the beginning of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, then there must be a shaychus to teshuvah.

Al korchacha, rabosai, one must understand the chiyuv teshuvah that applies before Rosh Hashanah. What is the teshuvah we are looking for?

# The Pasuk in Devarim

In this week’s parsha, according to some Rishonim, we have the mitzvah of teshuvah. The pasuk says: “Ki hamitzvah hazos asher anochi metzavcha hayom, lo nifleis hi mimcha v’lo rechokah hi. Lo bashamayim hi... v’lo me’ever layam hi... ki karov eilecha hadavar me’od, beficha uvilvavcha la’asoso” (Devarim 30:11–14).

Rashi learns that the mitzvah hazos refers to Talmud Torah, the mitzvah of Torah learning. No. The context of the pesukim already shows that it is not talking about Torah alone. “Lo bashamayim hi” means you do not have to go to heaven to get the Torah. The Torah is not in heaven. The malachim also wanted Torah, but “lo bashamayim hi” — the Ribbono Shel Olam gave it to us, before man, for man. “Lo me’ever layam hi” — you do not have to cross the sea for it. All the necessities of going to heaven and crossing the sea were already done for you at Har Sinai.

“Picha uvilvavcha la’asoso” — it is already accessible. “Karov eilecha,” as the Rambam says, “kol mi sherotze yavo v’yitol.”

Torah is accessible. We do not even realize how fortunate we are in this. There was a time and a place when people did not have the opportunities in Torah that we have today. Today there is even the internet, a computer, fifty thousand sefarim in one shot, nonstop. You think it helps?

# Teshuvah and the Meaning of "Lo Bashamayim Hi"

Accessibility makes it more common. I can give you as much spoon-feeding Torah as you want, but that is not going to make it. It is easy to call, to write. Good.

Ramban learns that **"ki hamitzvah hazos"** is referring to the mitzvah of teshuvah, going back on **"v'shavta ad Hashem Elokecha."** This mitzvah that we are being told, **"v'shavta ad Hashem Elokecha... beficha uvilvavcha,"** says the Ramban, is very good: **"beficha"** refers to vidui, and **"uvilvavcha"** to charatah. It goes on teshuvah. **"Beficha uvilvavcha la'asoso teshuvah."**

# The Question on the Pesukim

How do we understand the beginning of the pesukim: **"Lo bashamayim hi, v'lo me'ever layam, lo rechokah hi"**? There was a hava amina that teshuvah is bashamayim. What is meant by **"bashamayim"**? What is meant by **"me'ever layam"**? What is the pasuk trying to tell us, that teshuvah is not bashamayim? It is interesting, as if the pasuk is mashma that there is a hava amina.

Because Rashi learns that the Torah is simply narishkeit, and the **"lo bashamayim"** is the pshat of the pasuk. That is how Rashi learns the pashut pshat of the pasuk. It was not in Shamayim, but rather right there in Shamayim. But that is Rashi's pshat. Rashi's pshat in Talmud Torah is that **"lo baShamayim hi"** means the Torah was not in Shamayim; you would have had to climb up there, and the ba'alei mussar say that you would have the kochos to do it. Now, if one can, one can. That is how it is learned in the pshat of Rashi, good?

That is regarding Talmud Torah. That is if **"ki hamitzvah hazos"** means Torah. But if **"ki hamitzvah hazos"** means teshuvah, what is the hava amina that one would have to climb up there? What does one want? That is the kasha, rabosai. It is not my kasha. Chaim Volozhiner asks this kasha in his drashos of Yom Kippur. Chaim Volozhiner.

# Reb Chaim Volozhiner's Answer

He says, the... tells from Chaim Volozhiner, tell them what you are missing, rabosai. Reb Chaim Volozhiner says: **"Lo bashamayim."** Teshuvah has to be mesaken in that place, in that situation. You understand that when you do an aveirah, you are pogem in Shamayim. The churban that you make in Shamayim, and the churban that you make in the world, **"me'ever layam"**—you think, ah, an aveirah, I did an aveirah, that's all. No. It is a little bit against the seder. The outcome, the result of our maasim, was in Shamayim, a problem in Shamayim, and also **"me'ever layam,"** the whole world.

Yidden do not realize. You do not realize. You think... The teretz is: **"Lo bashamayim, lo me'ever layam, ki karov eilecha hadavar me'od, beficha uvilvavcha la'asoso."** And you are there. Two. Good. Reb Chaim... Rebbi...

# רחוקה היא? כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד

וואס איז דער הוה אמינא, רחוקה היא? לא, אינה רחוקה, כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד. וואָס איז דער טייטש אין דעם מרחק, דער הוה אמינא? איך האָב געמיינט אַז עס וועט זיין רחוק, אָבער די תורה זאָגט: ניין, כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד. איר האָט די קושיא, רבosai. איך פרעג אַ שאלה, גוט?

דער בשמים מבארץ, דער אליהו רב חיים וואָלאָזשינער זאָגט אַ פשט. אָבער וויפֿל שטייט צווישן דער רחוק און דער קרוב? רבosai, וואָס איז דער טייטש בפיך ובלבבך? זאָגט דער רמב״ן: בפיך מיינט וידוי, בלבבך מיינט חרטה און קבלה. דער סדר איז אַ ביסל נישט דיכטיג. עס וואָלט געדאַרפט שטיין דווקא בלבבך ובפיך. פֿאַר וואָס שטייט בפיך ובלבבך?

ערשט דאַרף מען מאַכן די קבלה מיט דער חרטה, און דער רמב״ם זאָגט אַז וידוי איז אויסרעדן מיטן מויל דעם קבלה מיט דער חרטה. קוק אין רמב״ם, הלכות תשובה; עס איז קלאָר. וידוי אַליין מיינט, איך זאָג אַרויס די אַנינוס־דברים, וואָס איך האָב אויסגעאַרבעט אין האַרצן, איך זאָג עס אַרויס. אַזוי ווי קען עס זיין בפיך ובלבבך? אַ גוטע קשיא.

דאָס איז אַ פשט פון רב שפס, זכרונו לברכה. איך ווייס נישט צי דער עולם געדענקט רב שפס, אַ תלמיד פון ... רב שפס ... זאָגט ער, אַז די תורה וויל זאָגן: אַז זה קרוב אליך הדבר, אפילו אויב דו ביסט נאָך נישט האַלטנדיק דערביי. כעין בפיך ובלבבך, אָבער מיר נעמען אָן אפילו בפיך ובלבבך. אפילו מען האָט פאַרלוירן שלאָף, אַזוי לאַנג ווי דו האָסט עס געזאָגט. שיינע זאַך. צלילות ישרים, חיצוניות מעוררת פנימיות — ער ברענגט עס נישט, אָבער דאָס איז וואָס ער מיינט.

אַ מענטש קען זאָגן: איך זאָג עס, איך מיינ עס נישט; איך פיל עס נישט. דאָס איז אויך גוט. בפיך — עס קומט צו בלבבך לעשות. אפילו דאָס ווערט אָנגענומען. דאָס איז קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד. די תורה וויל עס מאַכן אַזוי גרינג און צוטריטלעך. זאָג, מאַך אַ תשובה. זאָג נאָר די ווערטער: איך בין מצטער. זאָג נאָר די ווערטער. איר האָט אַ מאָל געזען ווי אַ מנהל זאָגט דעם קינד: זאָג איך בין מצטער, אָבער איך מיין עס נישט. זאָג נאָר. זאָג נאָר די ווערטער — בפיך.

אָן דעם משל, אין מסילת ישרים, אויב מען קוקט אין דעם ספר, זעט מען אַז ער זאָגט דעם פשט. אויב דו מאַכסט וידוי פֿאַר חרטה, איז עס אויך מועיל. אין אַ אַנדערער צייט און אַן אַנדער אָרט קען בפיך זיין פֿאַר בלבבך. דער הרגש איז בפיך ובלבבך.

איר קוקט אין דעם מרז״ו, דאָס איז דער פירוש אויף אונטן פֿון מדרש. מפתיש איז דער בפיך. עס גייט נישט דווקא אויף וידוי. בפיך מיינט תפילה. כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד, בפיך ובלבבך. וואָס מיינט בפיך? וואָס מיינט דער מרז״ו? תפילה — דאַווענען אויף תשובה. זאָג תשובה, בעט דעם רבונו של עולם. בפיך ובלבבך, אַז מען וויל מיטן האַרץ, אַז דו ווילסט. וועלן, און דאַווענען אויף תשובה שיין — כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד, און דאָס איז שיין, וועסטו האָבן די תשובה. דאָס איז איין מיינונג אין דעם מרז״ו, רבosai.

דאַווענען. דאַווענען, רבosai. וואָס איז דער טייטש? בפיך — מען דאַרף זאָגן אַרויס פֿון מויל: רבונו של עולם, איך וויל. ובלבבך — אין האַרצן ווילסטו. כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד.

איר ווייסט, רבosai, עס זענען דאָ צוויי ענינים אין תשובה. תשובה איז דער עכטער זיך נאָענט מאַכן צום בורא עולם. אזירינו...

# Teshuvah Is Not Far Away

Teshuvah u’fonecha, v’nenta tzu beira olam. Aveirus meikas what? Pay attention to the word: **rachok**. Remember I asked you, what is the loshon? *Chaykehi mimenu, ki karov eilecha, tachas harainu bapeicha.*

The richuk could be a man just right from teshuvah, not holding there. Look in the Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah, from pratim. You read, you read. Who’s holding there? Rishonim Yom Kippur. Who’s? Avada we should be holding there, but what happens to a mensh? The chazei fun pratim. It’s a gantze leben machen teshuvah. Rachok — the man just right from the teshuvah.

# Ki Karov Eilecha Hadavar Me’od

The Torah tells us, *ki karov eilecha hadavar me’od*, that you daven to the Eibishter as du vilst, *uvilvavcha* — azchalah fun teshuvah. Dehava amina, *lo bashamayim hi*. Ich vil tracht oyb teshuvah mein, dafke krichen in himmel af dem. The mitzvah hazos — what’s *ha-mitzvah hazos*? Not the maaseh mitzvah. The pasuk says, what is teshuvah? The Ramban says it’s going back on the *v’shafta ad Hashem Elokecha*.

V’hanantzela, Rabbeinu Shloilam, tach tagid, vikum irzain. Ken, nachamah mishapashte, vas, vikum apashtig. The Torah says, *lo ba-shamayim hi*. Un vos iz da vulem *eiver layam*? Efsher dafke mekayem zayn lechter acharei bamidbar, *b’eretz lo zeruah*. *Me’eiver layam* — yiveis, Klal Yisroel, they went long distances to become close to Rabbeinu Shloilam. So *chati lo chesed, nurai chavas klilosayich, lechtei acharei bamidbar*.

Efsher a mensch darf zayn in himmel, oder a mensch darf geyn. K’dai to go after, *v’achareicha narutza*. You know what Shir HaShirim is? *V’achareicha narutza*. I ran to the midbar, amol. Efsher haynt darf ich noch vayter geloyfen in midbar. In the Torah, *lo rechoke hi, lo me’eiver layam*. Tafs kein plats nish leyfen. Vu du bist, vu du halts, Rabbeinu Shloilam is *karov eilecha hadavar*.

That’s the pshat: *ki karov eilecha hadavar me’od*. Nit nor hadavar, me’od. Torah is madgish me’od. You don’t even understand how close it is to you. *Ki karov eilecha hadavar me’od* — *vos beficho*, hedarois hamenut ich vil. *Bilvavcha*, in hartsvel vilstu. Tefillah, vos zogt der mazav. Tsu meile, *lo bashamayim*, *v’lo me’eiver layam*, *lo rechayka*. Du bist vayt fun teshuvah, chas v’shalom, du az a Yid iz vayt fun teshuvah. *Ki karov eilecha hadavar me’od, beficha uvilvavcha laasoso*.

# Rabbeinu Yonah and Yiras Shamayim

Farvanen hob beisig der yesod. Habeis, az der mefaresh, Rabbeinu Yonah. The world doesn’t realize the bracha the Klal Yisrael had because of Rabbeinu Yonah. I’m going to say something which I believe in my heart of hearts: what kept us throughout the doros, to have yiras Shamayim, was Rabbeinu Yonah. I don’t know if we would have the yiras Shamayim today if we didn’t have a Rabbeinu Yonah, the matanah. Because k’raf lechzag in the Chovos HaLevavos is the greatest matanah to Klal Yisrael.

My rebbi, Rav Pam, once told me the Chovos HaLevavos is for big Yidden; us simple Yidden, that’s what he told me. Us simple Yidden, Chovos HaLevavos is deep. We should have simple bitachon, simple emunah. That’s what I heard from the rebbi of Pam.

Rabbeinu Yonah, Rabbeinu... yiras Shamayim. He says it clearly.

# Two Inyanim in the Tefillah of Teshuvah

Mem Aleph. Ha’ikar ha’chamishah asar, ha’tefillah: “Yispalel el Hashem, veyevakesh rachamim lechaper es kol avonosav.” First, one has to daven to the Ribono Shel Olam for mechilah on the aveiros.

Later on, in Os Mem Gimel, and again in Shaar HaTeshuvah, Shaar Rishon, Os Mem Gimel, he says the same yesod: “Ve’od, yispalel baal ha’teshuvah el Hashem tamid she’yazreihu el ha’teshuvah,” that the Ribono Shel Olam should help him do teshuvah, as it says, “Hashiveinu v’nashuvah, chadesh yameinu kekedem.”

There are not two separate inyanim in the tefillah of teshuvah. One inyan is to daven to the Ribono Shel Olam that He should take away one’s aveiros. The second inyan is to daven to the Ribono Shel Olam to help him in teshuvah. The mashal in Berachos, daf yud-beis, is that if someone davens for teshuvah, that is begeder “ba l’taher mesayein oso.” What is “ba l’taher”? Davka through tefillah. Better the Ribono Shel Olam helping him in teshuvah.

# Tefillah for Mechilah and for Help in Teshuvah

So there are two inyanim of tefillah. There is one inyan: daven to the Ribono Shel Olam for mechilas aveiros. That is good, that is klar. Noch an inyan is to daven to the Ribono Shel Olam for help in the process of teshuvah, chaz v’shalom. Teshuvah is a shever; “she’azreihu HaKadosh Baruch Hu.” Baal teshuvah, from Shaarei Teshuvah, that is from the chasadim, from the Eibishter of teshuvah, “שהקב״ה עוזר לשבים שאין ידם משגת.”

A poshut Yid says, “V’shavta ad Hashem Elokecha.” What is teshuvah? “Lo bashamayim hi, v’lo me’ever layam.” Why? Because the Ribono Shel Olam helps. And מידב דבינן, and this is in the tefillah, rabosai. Every day we daven this. In the first brachah: “Hashiveinu Avinu l’Sorasecha, v’karveinu Malkeinu la’avodasecha, v’hachazireinu b’teshuvah sheleimah lefanecha.” Then immediately afterwards: “S’lach lanu Avinu.”

# The Meaning of “Harotzeh B’teshuvah”

So you see clearly, rabosai, the sha’ar ha’teshuvah. First one has to ask the Ribono Shel Olam, “Hashiveinu,” Ribono Shel Olam, help me. I can’t begin the teshuvah without the help of the Ribono Shel Olam. “Karveinu,” “hachazireinu.” The pshat in “Baruch Atah Hashem, harotzeh b’teshuvah” is: what does “harotzeh” mean? B’teshuvah.

When somebody really wants something and sees that the job is not getting done, what does he do? He leigt tzu a hant on and helps make sure that it gets done. That is “harotzeh.” The Ribono Shel Olam wants so much the teshuvah. And when He sees that we are shvachlach, and we cannot get the job done, Hashem is mesayeia. That is the derech of the two brachos: “Hashiveinu Avinu l’Sorasecha.” Afterwards, “S’lach lanu, mechal lanu, mechilah.” That is the tefillah, the second inyan, for mechilas avonos.

So we mamash say this every single day. Every day we say the inyan of tefillah for help in teshuvah, and the tefillah of kaparas avonos — the two inyanim. Yetz, rabosai...

# Dirshu Hashem b'himatzo

למיפשטין דבששנה, דל תשובה וההשנה. שטייט אין פסוק: “דִּרְשׁוּ ה' בְּהִמָּצְאוֹ, קְרָאֻהוּ בִּהְיוֹתוֹ קָרוֹב.” What is “Dirshu Hashem b'himatzo”? Du vilst doch matan teshuvah, rachok, du bist doch weit. Says the Ribono Shel Olam: a haftachah, “ki karov eilecha hadavar,” v'lichum tzutz dikah. “Dirshu es Hashem b'himatzo”—darfst nisht krichen. Melech basad al sefarim, mashgiach zich ein levrach vedregen ben dem keseder.

“B'himatzo” — the Ribono Shel Olam makes it accessible. The Ribono Shel Olam makes it accessible of di tag. And that's the pshat: “Dirshu es Hashem b'doresh, es Hashem b'himatzo, karov eilecha hadavar.” The Ribono Shel Olam is maftiach you: I'm making it easy for you. I'm making it easy for you. All you need is what? “Kera'uhu bihyoso karov.”

# Shir HaShirim and the time of hester

Shir HaShirim keseder talks about vifel miruft, when the Ribono Shel Olam is not here, and therefore He doesn't answer. It says, “Patachti ani l'dodi, v'dodi chamak avar; nafshi yatzah bedabro, bikashtihu v'lo anani.” Why? It's zman hester. The Ribono Shel Olam zogt in galus, it's karasi v... “Ve'einoina v'lo yanani.”

So there is a special, special zman: “Yiftiru shos Hashem bimotzoi.” I'm giving myself a special place and a special tzugelazenkeit. Here, the nusach habeis, a tzugelazenkeit. A special time where it's “Dirshu Hashem bimotzoi.” That's “ani l'dodi v'dodi li,” that if you taka ask, you'll get the dodi li. “Ki ra'uhu,” piyosei kach.

# Teshuvah of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah

Avodah of Rosh Hashanah, rabosai, is a different union of teshuvah. Avadeh there's teshuvah on the chata'im. That's going to be slichos; we'll have to say slichos, and then we'll have to have Yom Kippur davening and the slichah, the mechilah, and the kaparah. But the hakdamah is an Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, Rosh Hashanah, and “v'karveinu Malkeinu.”

“Ani l'dodi v'dodi li” ends up that it taka velt a hiskarvus. “V'karveinu Malkeinu” — that the Ribbono Shel Olam is misdakek mekarvus. The teshuvah is that we can become close to the Ribbono Shel Olam, and that starts the haschalah of the teshuvah of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.

# Kabbalah and the beginning of hiskarvus

Before you even become, you must be “b'lvavcha, la'asoso, mekabel zayin.” It is clear in the Rishonim: what are you supposed to do? Mekabel zayin, mekabel zayin. What lies in the kabbalah? Pashut, in the kabbalah lies a musar sefarim zogen shein, but the kabbalah hot in shein the machshavah. Mir darft zach—the kabbalah is der ענין d'me beficha uvilvavcha.

The hiskarvus already begins, beficha uvilvavcha. There are many raayos of this. A person can become a tzaddik in ein sekunda. What's the pshat, “karov eilecha,” azoi pashut? ... azoi pashut, ton teshuvah. ... You don't mean the teshuvah, the slicha, the kaparah, the mechilah. We don't mean all that. We mean the inyan of hiskarvus to the Ribono Shel Olam, the kreivus to the Eibishter. That's “beficha uvilvavcha.” Az mevil, the Ribono Shel Olam git dir ... azoi faint zich on teshuvah.

# The Ramban on Veshavta

You look at the Ramban, rabosai. I'm looking at the clock, but you should look at the Ramban. The Ramban says, “Veshavta ad Hashem Elokecha,” b'kabbalah. Look at the Ramban on those words. The kabbalah, that you're mekabel, “Veshavta ad Hashem Elokecha,” and “u'mal Hashem Elokecha es levavcha v'es levav zar'echa” — the Ribono Shel Olam leitzu, “d'mal Hashem Elokecha es levavcha.” In the kabbalah lies the “veshavta ad Hashem.”

# The Chiddush of “Lo Bashamayim Hi”

U’minei lei, the chiddush is: “loy bashamayim hi, loy rechokah hi, afilu b’ficha uvilvavcha.” It brings the raayah, the yesod. What lies in Rosh Hashanah is the chiyuv of “b’ficha uvilvavcha ki karov eilecha.”

# The Radzitzer Shofar in Yad Vashem

There is a shofar in the Yad Vashem museum. I do not know whether the oilam went to visit there or not, but there is a very special shofar on display there. It is listed under the heading of the Radzitzer shofar. Is anyone acquainted with it? It speaks to me: Rosh Hashanah, shofar, a shofar shel Rosh Hashanah. You want to hear the shofar—what is this shofar?

In one of the concentration camps there was a Rebbe, Reb Yitzchak Radzitzer. You will not know much about Radzitz, the Rebbe, or his chassidim, because none of them, including the family, survived the war. One daughter survived, and one chassid. That chassid married the daughter, and you will soon see an interesting story around the shofar.

# Making a Shofar in the Camp

Before the Yamim Noraim, the Radzitzer Rebbe wanted a shofar. So he went to people there who knew him, who had been with him in the concentration camp. “Let us put together the groshens that we can find. Tzalen a palak”—he should go and cut off the head of a beheima and bring it to us, and we will take the beheima’s head with the horn and make a shofar from it. Then palak, and then another palak. He did not understand the instructions. He went and bought him a cup from a cow. That is probably the easiest thing to get. But the halacha is that the shofar of a cow is pasul; it is keren, lo yikarei shofar.

So they sent him again. You know what it is to make a shofar, rabosai? It is not what people think, that you just take off the horn and blow. You have to create a shofar. It is not an easy thing to do. Ask the children in cheder, although they always have someone to teach them how to make a shofar.

Moshe Chaititchka was his name. He was a blacksmith. The Rebbe was pleased and said, “Take this and make a shofar out of it.” He said, “Rebbe, I am a blacksmith. Nisht odem, chatn mir. If they catch me—do you know the sakana? Is it worth putting myself in sakana for? Acher, nispat is nispatu.” The Rebbe said, “Emtzuges. Just stand. Live through this, get ahead. You will survive the Gehenim here.” He went and made a shevuah, and he brought it to the Rebbe.

# Tekias Shofar in the Barracks

The barracks were full of tekias shofar. The barracks were full of tekias shofar. Now you go there, and they give you the history of the shofar. You hear that there was a Yid, Reb Avraham Altman, who said over that he was there. He was there. He said that the Rebbe—every one of them felt that they were sitting by Matan Har Sinai and listening to the kol shofar of Matan Har Sinai, with the Ribbono Shel Olam.

The maiseh is that the Rebbe never survived the war. He had one daughter who survived the war, and who married this daughter? This Yid, Moshe Chaitivsky, survived the war.

# The Shofar in Yad Vashem

After Rabbi survived the war, he married the daughter, and he brought the shofar to Yad Vashem. The shofar is now in Yad Vashem.

# “Karov Eilecha Hadavar Me’od”

“Karov b’Yosei karov.” You know what that means? “L’rachokaya.” There is no such thing as sivat. The Kol Shofar tells us: Ribono Shel Olam, yigal zain nisht kein teshuvah, yigal zain amcha, ki anu amcha ve’atah malkeinu.

There is no such thing as “lo bashamayim hi,” and “lo me’eiver la’yam,” because “karov eilecha hadavar me’od, b’ficha.” If it is mi mamash. My man is takke vil, takke, takke, mit gantzen eretz vil. So the Ribono Shel Olam promises: “Karov eilecha hadavar me’od, b’ficha uvilvavcha la’asoso.”

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