Preperation of Ellul

starts with idea from Rabbi Bernstein from Ireland - Great speaker, said the following - verse after Shema - baruch shem kavod malchuto leolam vaed - that doesnt appear in the Torah - the origin is according to the Midrash, when Moshe went up to Sinai he heard the angels say that blessing,, and he said thats a nice blessing and brought it to the Jewish people and said we are going to say this, since its an angelic blessing and were not on that level and its not appropriate that we say that - we say it quietly - using a thief Mashal.

When it comes to Yom Kippur - we are like angels, we dont eat or drink - we are praying all the day - were like angels - so we feel justified to say it out loud - Rabbi Bernstein finds a problem - when are you more like and angel - the first maariv of Yom Kippur or the last Maariv of Yom Kippur? The Maariv of the first service you say Baruch Shem Kavod Malchuto out loud - the start of the Yom Kippur Maariv is only 45 minutes into Yom Kippur - you just ate - so not very angelic at that point! At the end of Yom Kippur - then your angelic! Youve had 25 hours of fating and prayer, so much closer to angels than beginning so why is it that at the first time of Shema we say it out loud and then in the end of Yom Kippur we say it quietly?

Rabbi Bernstein quotes the maharal - that when Yaakov had his dream of his ladder he see the angels going up the ladder - all the commentaries ask what do you mean going up and down? angels should only be going up! Why up and Down? Rashi said because the angels of Israel that accamponied him to the land of Israel - those angels left him and he got the diaspra agels - not quite as good - coming to accampony him! The Maharal asks, he wasnt leaving Israel - he was in Israel - In Jerusalem - he didnt leave yet!why are the angels of Israel leaving him?

The Maharal says a beautiful idea - ones spiritual level isnt determined where you are - its determined by where you are going. Yaakov was leaving Israel! Since he intended to leave - its as if he left - no Rabbi Bernstein uses Maharals principle to explain the custom - at the start of Yom Kippur we are headed up - towards Yom Kippur - so we could immediatly say Baruch Shem Kavod Malchuto - at the end of Yom Kippur we are headed to thinking out of the 'day' - so are level then will be way below angelic. When heading towards Rosh Hashana - we are heading for the highest.

upto 4.45 mins