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Dear Parents and NCSYers,
As we learned in camp, Yom Kippur is a special day. It is a serious day, but it is also a time that we let go of sanctifying the physical world and only focusing on the spiritual. Just in case you don't remember everything we learned about Yom Kippur in camp, you can access the Yom Kippur packet by clicking here. It would be a good idea to take the packet with you to shul on Yom Kippur. I know that I will be taking it with me.
Due to technical difficulties, I was unable to send out the camp e-mail and the Rosh Hashana packet last week. You can still access the Rosh Hashana packet by clicking here.
Here is a special Yom Kippur dvar torah by Rabbi Fried:
As we are about to go into Yom Kippur, a thought comes into my mind that I would like to share with everyone in the Camp Sports family. Yom Kippur is one of the greatest opportunities that we have. Imagine that a person made a terrible mistake; for example: sent a message on Facebook that really hurt someone or even themselves in a moment of anger, and now regrets it and deletes it. It really does not matter, the damage is done and it can not be changed. We do sins against Hashem that we regret, but because of Hashem's great love of his children, He lets us take it back. Not only that, but with complete Teshuva we can make it like it never happened.
If that is not great enough for you, Teshuva is even bigger than that! The Rambam explains in Hilchot Teshuva that doing Teshuva makes that same sin into a mitzvah, and instead of it being used against the person, it now becomes a merit to his credit. Can you believe that! Taking a mistake and not just correcting it, but actually making it into a good thing!
With this in mind, we can now understand the Gemara in the fifth perek Brachos on daf 35b that says: in the place where a baal teshuva stands, a pure tzadik can not stand. Which simply understood means that the level of a baal teshuva, someone who repents, is greater than that of a pure tzadik. How can that be? Using what we have said before, we can now understand that the baal teshuvah has the extra mitzvah of Teshuva that a pure tzadik does not. It makes a lot of sense now. The baal teshuva took all of his sins and mistakes and has transformed them into mitzvos, far outnumbering the mitzvos of the pure tzadik who never sinned.
Let us take complete advantage of this great opportunity and have a gmar chasima tova and a good gebenchted yohr!
Have an inspiring Yom Kippur!
P.S. Don't forget about the camp reunion! It will take place on Tuesday September 24th at Rabbi Fried's house, 646 Seagirt Boulevard Far Rockaway, NY. It will be from 3:30 pm to 8:45 pm. We will play sports, have a barbecue, and finish off with some special learning for Hoshana Rabbah. Please RSVP by emailing rabbifried@gmail.com. Looking forward to seeing you there! |
