To join the thousands of recipients and receive these insights free on a weekly email, obtain previous articles, feedback, comments, suggestions (on how to spread the insights of this publication further, make it more appealing or anything else), to support or dedicate this publication which has been in six continents and over thirty-five countries, or if you know anyone who is interested in receiving these insights weekly, please contact the author, Rabbi Yehoshua Alt, at [email protected]. Thank you.    

לעילוי נשמת שמואל אביגדור בן יצחק מאיר

Archives: https://parshasheets.com/?s=Rabbi+Yehoshua+Alt

Please feel free to print some copies of this publication and distribute it in your local Shul for the public, having a hand in spreading Torah.

Penetrating Tears

                Hashem is appeased through our tears as we say in Selichos מלך מתרצה בדמעות; a King who is appeased with tears.[1] In fact, R’ Yehonasan Eibshitz points out that if we rearrange the letters of the word עמדה- which refers to the Shemoneh Esrei- we get דמעה; tears, as this is ideally how one should daven.[2]

                Chazal tells us that although the heavenly gates of Tefila are locked, the heavenly gates of tears are not locked- שערי דמעות לא ננעלו.[3] R’ Dessler explains that Hashem never locks the gates of heaven. The Gemara refers to the gates and locks that are on one's heart which prevents us from pouring our heart out to Hashem. With tears one can always daven properly. Now we can comprehend why the first letters ofבשמך יגילון כל היום[4]; in your name they rejoice all day, spell בכיה since through tears one gets close to Hashem, bringing him joy.

With this we can grasp why כי ביום הזה יכפר[5]; on this day he shall provide atonement, which is written in regard to Yom Kippur, contain the initials בכיה since וידוי should be recited with tears. This extinguishes the fire of the sins committed.

Rabbi Alt merited to learn under the tutelage of R’ Mordechai Friedlander Ztz”l for close to five years. He received Semicha from R’ Zalman Nechemia Goldberg. Rabbi Alt has written on numerous topics for various websites and publications. He lives with his wife and family in a suburb of Yerushalayim where he studies, writes and teaches. The author is passionate about teaching Jews of all levels of observance.