Mychiel Balshine Presents… Up the Call-Ups

‘ki shem Hashem ekra ha’vu godel lay’lo’kaynu’   (Chapter 32 Verse 3)

This familiar verse from our Parsha begins our intimate conversation with G-d, the Amida. It refers to someone who proclaims the greatness of G-d; an idea found throughout Jewish life, for example the recitation of Kaddish.

Commentator R’ Chaim Azuli [d. 1806] suggests that the mitzvah of being called up to the Torah, whose blessing ‘borechu es Hashem ha’me’voroch’ clearly declares the greatness of G-d, is specifically alluded to by this verse on two accounts;

Firstly, he notes that it contains seven words (1 ki 2 shem 3 Hashem 4 ekra 5 ha’vu 6 godel 7 lay’lo’kaynu) which is the number of days in which the Torah is read; Monday, Thursday, Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, Chol Hamo’ed, Yom Tov and Yom Kippur.

Secondly the verse contains a total of 25 letters which matches exactly with the combination of all the different requirements for alliyos; 3 on a normal weekday and Shabbos Mincha, 4 on Rosh Chodesh, 5 on Yom Tov, 6 on Yom Kippur and 7 on Shabbat, 3+4+5+6+7=25!

Looking at the above list, there appears to be a hierarchy of more call ups being required the holier a day is. The exception however seems to be Yom Kippur which has fewer call ups than Shabbat. Surely Yom Kippur, the most G-d centric day of the year, should have the most?

To understand the answer we must view Yom Kippur and Shabbat from a new perspective. It is true that Yom Kippur appears to be the holiest day, and in many ways it is. Firstly it overrides the festivities and comforts of Shabbat when they coincide. Secondly it is a day of abstinence, of total focus on G-d. However in truth, this form of worship is not the ultimate Jewish goal. Judaism teaches that better than becoming monk-like and not enjoying the world, is to take the mundane and make it holy. On Shabbat we eat, sing and spend time with others, which if undertaken with a spiritual focus, makes these seemingly non sacred acts holy. This is the best form of worship, greater than that of Yom Kippur. It is perhaps for this reason that Shabbat has seven call ups while Yom Kippur has less.

Finally, the sources note that the full name for Yom Kippur (Yom Ha’kippurim) relates this very idea. There is no day on the Jewish calendar in which fun and feasting is promoted more than Purim. The word kippurim can be split into two words, Ki which means ‘almost like’ and Purim. The very name suggests that Yom Kippur is almost as great as Purim, but not quite as sacred. Ridiculous! How can this be? A day of celebration is more special than a day of fasting? However in light of our earlier words all is understood. Yom Kippur style worship is very productive for short spurts of spiritual growth, however it falls short of the ultimate Jewish worship, taking the mundane and making it holy.

Good Shabbos and good Yom Tov – Mychiel