Balancing Ritual and Righteousness

By David Goldberg
York University

The haftarot that we read from the Shabbat following the 17th of Tammuz through Yom Kippur are fascinating. We begin with the Telata de-Puranta, the warnings of Divine punishment that begin on the 17th of Tammuz and lead to the 9th of Av. After Tisha B’av, we read seven haftarot of consolation, Shivata de-Nehemta. These 10 haftarot acclimate us to the mood of the Yamim Noraim, the High Holy Days.

We read very powerful messages in these haftarot, climaxing in that of Yom Kippur. Isaiah Chapter 58 verse 5 reads: "Is such the fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?"

How can this be one of the central lines of the haftarah on Yom Kippur? Is fasting not the most important part of the day?

This haftarah is specifically placed on Yom Kippur to remind us that while we must be careful in ensuring that we observe the ritual aspects of Yom Kippur, like fasting, we cannot neglect the moral implications of the day. We must reflect on the previous year and how we intend on improving our own actions. We must consider the latter part of the haftarah: "Is not this rather the fast that I have chosen... Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring the poor, who are cast out, to your house...?"

Professor A.J. Heschel comments in his book, The Prophets: "Amos and the prophets who followed him not only stressed the primacy of morality over sacrifice, but even proclaimed that the worth of worship, far from being absolute, is contingent upon moral living, and that when immorality prevails, worship is detestable" (195). He mentions further: "Of course, the prophets did not condemn the practice of sacrifice in itself... the practice of prayer. The prophets disparaged the cult when it became a substitute for righteousness." (196)

We must take Jewish ritual incredibly seriously, while simultaneously ensuring that we are acting as moral people; they exist hand-in-hand. We are bombarded with the idea of sitting in a synagogue for hours on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We are overwhelmed that we must seek forgiveness from all those whom we have hurt in the past year. And in between all of this, we reflect, wondering how we can act as better children, siblings, friends, etc. We have to fulfill our ritual obligations, but we must not neglect our fellow person. During the High Holidays, we meet some difficult tensions, and we must find the appropriate balance.

Shanah Tovah U’metukah.

David Goldberg is in his second year at York University, pursuing a B.A. in Religious Studies and B.Ed., specifically in Jewish Education. He attended Nativ before that, spending half a year at the Conservative Yeshiva and the other half on Kibbutz Sa'ad.

[Posted 9/29/05]