This week’s Parsha, Parshat Ha’azinu, is a beautiful song told by Moshe to the Jewish People on the last day of his life. This song is a testament to the eternal bond between Hashem and the Jewish People, and is always read either on the Shabbat right before, or immediately after, Yom Kippur. I believe this Parsha is intrinsically connected to Yom Kippur, and the essence of the day. 
 

Let’s take a look at a verse from the song of Ha’azinu:
 

“זכר ימות עולם בינו שנות דור ודור”

“Remember the days of eternity, understand the years of each generation.” (Devarim 32:7)
 

The Chiddushei HaRim of Gerrer comments on this passuk and teaches that there are two different kinds of Torah. There is the Torah that is eternal, an objective, infinite Torah. This Torah does not change or evolve. This is the Torah of the “days of eternity.”
 

And then there is the Torah of “the years of each generation.” This is the Torah that is specifically relevant to a particular generation in a specific place and time. It is the Torah that is meant to guide this specific generation on their unique journey, uplift and carry them on their mission. Neither the previous generation or the next generation can understand and relate to this Torah!

With this idea in mind, we have to recognize that each one of us has our own personal, individualized path in Torah! Our mission is to find it! If not now, when? However, the key here is to constantly remind ourselves that we also have a Torah that transcends our subjective ideologies! The goal is to find the balance between the two – between the Torah of the past, the eternal Torah, and my personal Torah unique to this time and place.

We see this same theme – our relationship with the past and the present at the same time within the essence of Yom Kippur! 
 

‏We begin our Yom Kippur davening with a unique prayer. “With G-d’s permission…we allow ourselves to pray with “העבריינים/ the avrayinim”. Simply understood, this is a reference to those who transgressed (were עובר) HaShem’s word.
 

‏Rebbe Nachman asks, who are these avrayinim, transgressors, that we pray with?
 

‏Rebbe Nachman understands the term “עבריינים” as those individuals that are in the עבר, the individuals that are stuck in the past. To pray with these people, that are always stuck in the past, we need special permission. We must ask ourselves why though? Why would we need permission to pray with these people? The answer lies in the essence and foundation of the day of Yom Kippur. The essence of Yom Kippur is to move beyond our past, beyond who we used to be and move forward into the new year, ascend to greater heights! 

When an individual chooses to do teshuva, in an instant you become a complete tzaddik. Teshuva is the act of saying: “My actions are in the past, they do not define me. I am choosing to let go and move towards a greater future.” How long will this individual continue to be a complete tzaddik (having done teshuva)? It can be five minutes, an hour, a week, or a lifetime. The span of time is not what is necessarily important, what is important is that in the moment of Teshuva an individual chooses a new trajectory, and leaves the old one behind. 

The path of Teshuva is a path where I leave my own past behind, however, the past of my forefathers, the Torah of eternity IS what guides me and inspires me towards a greater future, towards the best version of myself, and towards my own personal path of Torah! 

As we enter into the new year, let us not forget this balance – between the Torah that is objective and infinite, and the Torah that is mine, unique and personal to me and my generation!

I give us all a bracha to hold onto the infinite Torah, find the wisdom and guiding light within it, and from there set out on a search to find the Torah that is unique to us. 

Wishing everyone a beautiful and uplifting Shabbat!