Judging God's sins: Forgiving grievances against the Almighty on the High Holy Days

In 1933, Rabbi Yisrael Bekmeister (1877-1954) published a 20-page collection of hassidic tales, Sipurei Nifla’ot Migedolei Yisrael. The collection included a fascinating tale that speaks to assessing the past year, as we approach the High Holy Days.

Bekmeister’s slender booklet included 15 tales and was designed as the first part in a series. The author was a rabbi and educator, but he liked to refer to himself as a maggid (preacher). In the introduction, Beckmeister wrote that he had already collected some 250 tales. The title page of the first edition promised, “The other parts will appear soon.” Alas, Bekmeister did not publish subsequent volumes. 

Beckmeister also promised to include “many pictures.” In this first installment, only one image was included – that of the Baal Shem of London, Hayim Samuel Jacob Falk (1708-1782), an image often mistakenly identified as the Besht. Regrettably, Bekmeister made this same mistake. 

Also on the title page, Bekmeister identified himself as the author of several works: Kedushat Yisrael – on the Torah; Mo’adei Yisrael – on the festivals; Bar Yochai; and more. Only Bar Yochai (Tel Aviv 1931) was printed in the author’s lifetime – a 16-page pamphlet dedicated to Lag Ba’omer that includes customs relevant to that day and stories about Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Other volumes were published posthumously.

Following a brief introduction, Bekmeister warned others not to print this book “in any language whatsoever and in any place at all.” To bolster his admonition, Bekmeister referred to both Jewish law and state law. Despite the clear warning, the booklet was reissued in 1968, 1984, and 1987. In these printings, the warning was erased, but perhaps permission to reprint had been procured from Bekmeister’s descendants.

In 1969, Bekmeister’s son, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Bekmeister (1906-2007), reprinted the original collection together with another 302 tales that his father had left behind in manuscript. A second edition of this full work was printed in 1975, which included Bekmeister’s biography.

Following its appearance in 1933, Bekmeister’s tale of preparation for the High Holy Days quickly became a classic.

A classic tale of Yom Kippur preparation

ONE YOM Kippur eve, Rabbi Elimelech of Lezajsk (1717-1787) said to his students: “If you want to know how to do kapparot, you should go to the tailor who lives at the edge of the city.”

Kapparot, meaning “atonements,” refers to the ritual traditionally performed before Yom Kippur. It involves waving an item over a person’s head while reciting biblical verses (Psalms 107:10, 14, 17-21; Job 33:23-24), and then declaring that the item takes the place of the person: “This is my exchange, this is my substitute, this is my atonement.” 

Two items are commonly used: either a chicken that is then ritually slaughtered and donated to the needy, or money which is donated to the needy. In both variants, the charity serves as an atonement. As for the person who performed the ritual: “I will enter and proceed to a good long life and to peace.”

Rabbi Elimelech’s disciples would have expected to see one form of this pre-Yom Kippur ritual at the tailor’s home. Before dawn on the morning before Yom Kippur, the students went to the tailor’s home and stood at the window. They peered inside and saw that the tailor and his children prayed with simplicity, just like all the tailors. There were no noticeably Kabbalistic practices, ecstatic prayer, deep meditative states, or unique rituals. 

After they finished praying, they all dressed in Sabbath finery, lit candles, and set the table with all manner of delicacies. The family then sat down at the table with great joy. The tailor opened a cupboard and took out a book that listed all the sins that he had done since last Yom Kippur.

“Master of the universe,” said the tailor, “the time has arrived today to make an accounting between us for the sins we have done because it is the time of atonement for all Israel.” The tailor then began to detail each sin that he had committed during the year, as they were inscribed in that book.

After he concluded, he took out of the cupboard a book that was bigger and heavier than the first book, and he said: “Master of the universe, first I considered the sins that I committed, and now I will enumerate the sins that You committed.” 

The tailor then began to detail all the pain and suffering, tragedy and grief, and the sickness and financial loss that happened to him and to his family over the whole year. When the tailor finished listing God’s sins, he said: “Master of the universe, if we truly and honestly do the calculation, You owe me more than I owe You. But I don’t want to get into the details of the calculation with You because today is the eve of Yom Kippur and everyone must make peace with his fellow. 

“And therefore, we will forgive You for the sins You have committed against us, and You, too, will forgive us for the sins we have committed against You.”

The tailor then poured a glass of vodka, recited the blessing, and declared in a loud voice: “Le’chaim, to life! Master of the universe, behold we forgive each other for all that we have sinned against each other. And all the sins – whether they are our sins or whether they are Your sins – are canceled and nullified as if they never existed.”

The narrator then described the scene – “And then they ate and drank with great joy” – before turning back to Rabbi Elimelech’s disciples who were crouching outside the house and following what was going on.

The students returned to Rabbi Elimelech and told him all that they had seen and heard, and they said that the words of the tailor were – in their estimation – very harsh and extremely impertinent toward heaven. 

The holy Rabbi Elimelech of Lezajsk responded: “You should know that the Holy One, blessed be He – He Himself, together with His heavenly entourage, comes to hear the words of the tailor which are said with great simplicity. 

“And from the tailor’s truthful words” – referring to the fact that God’s sins against us are more heinous than our sins against God – “it becomes [a time of divine] will and rejoicing and great joy in all the mystical spheres.”■

The writer is a senior faculty member at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and a rabbi in Tzur Hadassah.