Symbolically, the tefillah of Kol Nidrei as hataras nedarim presents a powerful model that sets the tone for a meaningful day of teshuvah on Yom Kippur.  The mechanism through which hataras nedarim works is that we retroactively annul our vows due to the overwhelming regret we have for having made these vows initially.  Meaning, had we properly understood the impact of these vows, we would have never done so.  By acknowledging this, we are able to undo the initial vow.  Rav Soloveitchik זצ”ל suggests that this formula is what we are expressing regarding all of our sins.  We miscalculated when we sinned, failing to realize the impact and magnitude of what we did wrong and what we could have done better in this situation.  Just as we do in regards to hatteras nedarim at kol nidrei, we ask Hashem to wipe away our sins, annulling them retroactively and allowing us to move forward with a clean seat, not bound by our past mistakes.

Achieving this level of clarity and ensuring that it is implemented into our actions moving forward is a challenging commitment.  The process of undoing our past mistakes, and the attached commitment to better decisions moving forward requires support and reinforcement.  This support is provided by a sense of achdus, camaraderie, symbolized by the chazzan being flanked on both sides by community leaders.  Rav Soloveitchik points out that this set up is reminiscent of the leadership of Moshe Rabbeinu when Bnei Yisrael fought against Amalek.  Moshe put his hands up to the sky, reminding us that our actions, our battles, are determined by Hashem.  In this pivotal moment, delivering this fundamental message, Moshe was accompanied by Aharon and Chur.

As we prepare for Yom Kippur, we do so with the strength of community.  We reflect on the challenges and the successes of this past year, the instances in which in hindsight we could have done better, as well as the points of pride in which we remember the greatness we each embody.  Most importantly, we look forward as an alumni community and take strength in knowing that we move forward together, with a commitment to continued growth.

Best wishes for a גמר חתימה טובה – a year in which הקדוש ברוך הוא should shower us with His abundant blessings. 

But what precisely are we asking for? The concluding words of the פסוק say we want חדש ימינו כקדם, for “our days to be renewed as old.” What are the “good old days” that we wish to have back? This is subject to a three-way מחלוקת found in מדרש איכה. The first approach suggests that קדם is a reference to the description of אדם הראשון’s initial exile from גן עדן – there the פסוק says וישכן מקדם לגן עדן, that ה’ stationed כרובים to the east of גן עדן preventing אדם’s return. The second opinion in the מדרש posits that קדם is an allusion to days of שלמה המלך, as the פסוק in מלאכי describes the return of the עבודה to ירושלים as כימי עולם וכשנים קדמנית, like the years of old and days of yore. Finally, the third option suggested is that of רבי, that קדם refers to הבל – who offered the first קרבן to ה’ prior to the introduction of any עבודה זרה to the world.

 

The first two interpretations of the מדרש fit very nicely into how we normally view this פסוק. As mentioned above, we use it as a vehicle to ask for the return of the בית המקדש, to its complete and magnificent glory as the day it was inaugurated by שלמה המלך. Alternatively, we use it as a vehicle to ask for our return to our pre-חטא existence, as אדם and חוה lived in גן עדן before consuming from the עץ הדעת. But what are we to make of רבי’s interpretation? Why would we want to return to the days of הבל? It is not often looked upon as the “good old days” that we dream about.

 

The תורה תמימה offers an important insight to help explain this perplexing מדרש. הבל’s motivation for bringing his קרבן to ה’ was from complete love and devotion to ה’. He was not responding to any sort of obligation, nor was he trying to rectify a mistake. He just wanted to be close to ה’ and express his passion for עבודת ה’. It is this pristine form of worshipping ה’ that we are asking for ה’’s help to return to – not just for divine assistance in mending our mistakes or for the ultimate return to ירושלים, as important and powerful as those requests might be. We are striving to recapture this truest drive to seek closeness to ה’ for the sake of being close to ה’.

• Can you recollect one or two experiences that would give readers a feel for the essence of your YUHSB experience?
  One experience that comes to mind is that in 12th grade, a mischievous classmate of mine was wandering the halls during a free period when he grabbed a fire extinguisher just to play around with it. Dr. Taylor, who I believe was the English principal at the time, happened to pass by my classmate.  Instead of disciplining the student, he told him something like, “you should put that back before another teacher sees you and gets you in trouble.” That story typifies MTA to me – Dr. Taylor knew this student well enough to appreciate the student’s sense of humor and exploration, and his chief concern was that another teacher might not be as understanding.  As a general rule, the MTA faculty look to nurture the strongest qualities of every student, rather than trying to conform students to some idea of a “model student”.

• In what way(s) did your YUHSB experience influence the choices you made in your life?
  From its rebbeim to its teachers and students, MTA provided me with a solid grounding in right and wrong.

• Where did you go to Yeshiva/College/Graduate School?
  I went to Yeshiva University for undergrad, and Columbia University for law school.

• What is your profession and did your YUHSB education help you when choosing a career path?
  I am an attorney.  The core education I received at MTA enabled me to succeed in college and pursue any degrees I wanted to earn.  In addition, MTA’s mock trial team allowed me to explore the most exciting aspects of being an attorney.

• Do you maintain any friendships or working relationships with YUHSB alumni and if so, how?
  Definitely. I have several friends from MTA that I try to keep in touch with on a regular basis. Some live as far as Israel, and others live right next door. The friends I made at MTA are some of the closest friends I have.

• What are the names of your spouse and children (if you have children) and your hobbies and other interests?
  My wife’s name is Chloe, and I have a daughter, Kelly, and a son, Yosef.

• Who is your role model?
  Dovie Quint – he was the coach of the MTA hockey team when I was a student.

His Book is now available on Amazon. “The Tree of Life and Prosperity: 21st Century Business Principles from the Book of Genesis”

• Where did you grow up?
  Manhattan. Upper West Side. HOME IS ISRAEL.
• Why did you choose to attend YUHSB? Did any of your family members attend YUHSB?
  My father and grandfather did. Candidly, I did not consider anywhere else and many schools today were just not around then.
• Can you recollect one or two experiences that would give readers a feel for the essence of your YUHSB experience?
  Spending a lot of time in the gym with Mr. Fenner. Running across Washington Heights to the A train when you left school early. It was not such a great neighborhood. Rabbi Michael Hecht’s amazing shiur and push to go to the Gush and Miss Mayefsky, the world’s best English teacher who taught me how to write. And, of course, Grandma’s Cookies.
• In what way(s) did your YUHSB experience influence the choices you made in your life?
  As I mentioned above, Rabbi Hecht really pushed me to attend the Gush and that mattered a lot. I also learned from Rabbi Yitzchak Cohen that “there is no better English expression than “killing time because once it passes it is dead forever” and of course I learned from him that every day is Mother’s Day so you better be in shiur on the Sunday of Mother’s Day.
• Where did you go to Yeshiva/College/Graduate School?
  Yeshiva College. No grad school.
• What is your profession and did your YUHSB education help you when choosing a career path?
  Venture Capitalist. I guess if going to Washington Heights every day to MTA was taking a lot of risk then you can say MTA influenced my career path.
• Do you maintain any friendships or working relationships with YUHSB alumni and if so, how?
  Sure. Some of my closest friends were in my class and shiur in MTA.
• What are the names of your spouse and children (if you have children) and your hobbies and other interests?
  I am married to Yaffa and BH we have 8 children. High school students should already decide they will get married young and have children. I love to learn Torah, ski and drink Israeli wine. I write seforim as a hobby.
• What is one book you read, or sefer you learned, in the past year that you would recommend to YUHSB alumni?
  Two. Red Notice by Bill Browder and Range by David Esptein. By His Light by Rav Aharon Lichtenstien.
• Who is your role model?
  My wife and parents and grandparents.
• Anything else you want us to know?
  Make Aliyah. What are you still doing there?