Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld's
Weekly
Parasha-Page

This week's issue of Parasha-Page has been dedicated to the memory of Reb Ephraim Fishel (ben Dovid Tevel) Hammer, Z"L, by his wife: Mrs. Clara (Chaya) Hammer, and his children: Rabbi and Mrs. Yaakov Homnick, Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem Raab, and Aviva Wanderer. His Yahrzeit is the 11th of Tishrei.

Yom Kippur 5756

INSCRIBED AND SEALED FOR LIFE

Inscribed for 10 days?

Rebbi Yishmael taught... all of Mankind is judged on Rosh Hashanah, and what is decreed is signed (or "sealed") on Yom Kippur. (Rosh Hashanah 16a)

The Gemara teaches us that the judgment of mankind comes in two steps. The judgment is initially issued on Rosh Hashanah, but it is not finally sealed until ten days later, on Yom Kippur. The initial decision of Rosh Hashanah is apparently just "written," but not yet sealed. This is the source for the familiar concept, reiterated throughout the High Holiday liturgy, that "On Rosh Hashanah they are inscribed and on Yom Kippur they are sealed... how many people will pass on and how many will be brought to life, who will live and who will die..." (from the U'netanneh Tokef prayer). Similarly, on Rosh Hashanah we beseech Hashem during and following the Amidah prayers to *inscribe* us for a good life, while at the end of Yom Kippur we substitute in these same prayers an appeal that He *seal* us for a good life.

It is not only on Rosh Hashanah, however, that we pray for a favorable inscription in God's books. Throughout the duration of the ten days of Teshuva, from after Rosh Hashanah up until the end of Yom Kippur, the same requests for a favorable inscription are repeated. If the Gemara tells us -- and the liturgy also mentions -- that the inscription takes place on Rosh Hashanah, why do we continue to pray to be inscribed for life even *after* Rosh Hashanah?

The answer to this question may be learned from a statement made in the Zohar (Vayechi 220a). The Zohar asks, why is it that there is a ten day interval between the writing of man's judgment and its sealing? Why is it not signed immediately? The Zohar answers that when a judgment is only *written*, it may still be "torn up," and rewritten. (In fact, we ask Hashem numerous times in the liturgy to "tear up" any evil decrees against us.) However, after a Divine decree is sealed, it is very hard to rescind it. This is why there are ten days intervening between the "writing" and the "sealing". The days enable people to make one last effort to repent and beseech Hashem to "rip up" any unfavorable decree that may have been passed against them, to be replaced with a more favorable decision. (See also Bi'ur HaGra, end of O.C. #582.)

II

Two different patterns of judgment

However, there is another statement in the Gemara that would seem to contradict the one that we started with.

Rav Kruspedai said in the name of Rebbi Yochanan: There are three ledgers that are opened up in Heaven on Rosh Hashanah -- one for the completely righteous, one for the completely wicked, and one for the intermediate people. The completely righteous are inscribed and sealed for life immediately; the completely wicked are inscribed and sealed for death immediately; and the fate of the intermediate people is suspended until Yom Kippur. If they merit it through repentance, they are inscribed for life. If they do not, they are inscribed for death.
(Rosh Hashanah 16b)

The first piece that we quoted above (Rosh Hashanah 16a), intimated that *everyone's* fate is inscribed on Rosh Hashanah. Yet this second passage (RH 16b) tells us that intermediate people are not even inscribed until Yom Kippur. The dates of sealing do not correspond either. According to the first Gemara it seems that the fates of *all* people are not sealed until Yom Kippur, whereas the second Gemara says that the completely righteous or wicked are already sealed ten days earlier, on Rosh Hashanah. Besides these questions we may ask, just who is it that is inscribed on Rosh Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur? The wicked and righteous are inscribed *and* sealed on Rosh Hashanah, and the other are not even inscribed until later!

The Vilna Gaon (Bi'ur HaGra, end of O.C. #582, Likutei HaGra with Be'er Yitzchak, p. 350) suggests that the answer to these questions may lie in a comment made by Tosafot on the above Gemara (16b, s.v. V'nechtamim).

A very practical question may be asked on the Gemara's assertion that the righteous are always sealed for life on Rosh Hashanah and the wicked for death. Don't we ourselves see countless examples which seem to contradict this assertion? There are numerous righteous people who suffer greatly year after year, or who die, and there are many wicked people who are granted life and prosperity year after year. (See Berachot 6a, where the Gemara says that Moshe Rabbenu asked Hashem Himself how He justifies this situation.)

Tosafot explains that when the Gemara (RH 16b) speaks of three ledgers and a yearly judgment, it is cannot be referring to a person's fortunes or well-being in this world. Rather, each man is being judged as to his status in the World to Come, where the righteous and wicked alike will be given what they have earned during their worldly lives. Every year on Rosh Hashanah the righteous are inscribed for "life" -- meaning *eternal* life in the World to Come, and the wicked are inscribed for "death" -- eternal damnation.

Does Tosafot mean to say that the fates of our physical lives are not decided at all on Rosh Hashanah? This contradicts a very common theme throughout the liturgy -- "Who will live and who will die... who [will perish] by water and who by fire..." (U'netanneh Tokef); "Concerning the fates of the countries of the world, it is decided on this day which will have war and which will have peace..." (Zichronot prayer of Rosh Hashanah Musaf). The Vilna Gaon explains that it is not Tosafot's intention to reject the idea of a yearly judgment for man's physical fate during the coming year. Rather, he means to say that there are *two* separate judgments that take place on Rosh Hashanah. One is to decide people's physical fate in This World for the new year, and the other to decide his spiritual fate in the Next World.

We may now resolve the contradiction pointed out earlier -- namely, that one Gemara says that all men receive preliminary judgment on Rosh Hashanah and final judgment on Yom Kippur, while the other says that some men are judged finally on Rosh Hashanah and others are not judged at all until Yom Kippur. The Gemara's two statements are referring to two different judgments. Man's fate for the *Next World* is decided in one step -- for the completely wicked and completely righteous on Rosh Hashanah, and for the intermediate people on Yom Kippur. When it comes to man's physical fate in This World, *everyone's* fate is inscribed on the same day -- Rosh Hashanah. Hashem then has mercy and gives *all* of mankind until Yom Kippur to "appeal," through penitence, whatever evil decrees may have been decided against us on Rosh Hashanah.

III

Yearly judgment for the World to Come

The words of Tosafot seem to be very difficult, however, as the Rashba (ad loc.) points out. Why should Hashem make a decision on every Rosh Hashanah as to whether an individual is destined for a blissful or dismal future in the *Next World*? A person's status is likely to change from day to day and from year to year. One who is not worthy today may well be worthy by the time he passes away, or vice versa! Since the rewards and punishments of the Next World are not relevant as long as a person is alive, what possible purpose could there be in making a yearly calculation of his theoretical standing in the World to Come before a person actually dies?

Tosfot HaRosh (ad loc.) explains what Tosafot meant to say. The Torah (Devarim 7:10) tells us that Hashem "repays evildoers to their faces, to destroy them." The Targum and Rashi (ad loc.) explain that this means that if a wicked person happens to be deserving of reward because of some good deed that he may have done, Hashem makes sure to repay him in This World. This is done in order to "destroy them" -- i.e., so that they will not have any merits left over that must be rewarded in the World to Come. Similarly, in Kiddushin (39b) we learn that a righteous person is punished for whatever misdeeds he may have committed during his lifetime so that he may have a "clean slate" when he receives his portion in the Next World. (This is, in fact, a common theme in the words of Chazal -- see Ta'anit 11a, Pirkei Avot 4:15, Semachot Ch. 8, Eruvin 22a and Rashi s.v. Appayim.)

Accordingly, says the Tosfot HaRosh, a person's ultimate status vis-a-vis the Next World is indeed relevant to his physical fate in This World. If a person is designated as righteous as far as the World to Come is concerned, then he is punished in This World for his sins, as explained above. If he is designated as wicked, then he is rewarded for his good deeds in This World. When a person's future in this world is decided, it is thus important for Hashem to evaluate whether he is destined to end up in Gan Eden (Paradise) or Gehinnom. This evaluation, says Tosafot, also takes place on Rosh Hashanah, when man's fortunes for life during the coming year are being planned.

IV

Differences between judgment for this world and for the World to Come

Perhaps the reasoning of Tosfot HaRosh can be used to explain the reasoning of the Vilna Gaon (quoted above). The Gaon explained that there are two differences between the Next-Worldly judgment and the This-Worldly judgment. First, the Next-Worldly judgment is a one-step process (for some people on Rosh Hashanah, for others on Yom Kippur), while the This-Worldly judgment consists of two stages -- an inscription on Rosh Hashanah and a sealing on Yom Kippur. Also, in the judgment for This World, all people are dealt with at the same time. Even the completely righteous aren't sealed for a good year until the others are also sealed. However, in the judgment for the World to Come, different people are judged at different times. Why should there be this inconsistency between the two systems?

The answer is that the Next-Worldly judgment is a purely operational decision, and does not irreversibly affect a person's yearly allotments. In that judgment, a person is not judged for what he is *now*, but for what he is likely to be upon his death, based on past experience. His status is evaluated on Rosh Hashanah based on his performance during the previous year, and that status is used as a working assumption to presume what the person's ultimate status will be when he passes away. Since the actual judgment for the coming year is not concluded with the Next-Worldly judgment, it is not necessary for Hashem to afford us a grace period to change the judgment. Not only that, but a grace period for the wicked doesn't serve any purpose. It cannot offer any statistical evidence for use in deciding what their status will be at the time that they ultimately pass from this world. A grace period therefore cannot allow them to change their status in this regard. It is only the intermediate group, whose statistical likelihood to be destined for Gan Eden cannot be determined from previous actions, that requires the extra ten-day period to reach a decision. Since they are "borderline cases," if they repent now they are showing that ultimately, they will probably repent. If they don't, they'll probably be drawn into the web of the wicked sooner than becoming righteous.

The This-Worldly judgment, however, which is a direct decision about what a person's physical life will be like for the coming year, comes in two stages, to afford an opportunity for man to repent and appeal for a favorable judgment.

As for our second question, why mankind is split into three groups for the Next-Worldly judgment but not for the This-Worldly judgment, it may be suggested that in the Next-Worldly judgment, one person's judgment does not affect the outcome of any other person's. Therefore, different people can be judged at different times. However, the judgment of each person for *this world*, affects many other people also. When one person is granted reward, it often may be at the expense of others (see also Parasha-Page Re'eh, 5755). Therefore, all of mankind must be judged in one great judgment, with every individual being judged for his actions at the same time. This is why *all* people are inscribed on Rosh Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur, in *this* world's judgment!

MAY ALL OF ISRAEL BE SIGNED FOR A YEAR OF BLESSING AND PROSPERITY!

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