Saturday, September 29, 2012

Are We Judged Individually Or As A Unit?


The mishna in Rosh Hashana says bi-arba prakim haolam nidon – during four periods the world is judged. On Pesach for the grain, on Shavuos for the fruits of the trees but then, instead of simply saying that people are judged on Rosh Hashana, it says "kol bnei haolam ovrim lifanav kivnei marom". We note the change in language with respect to Rosh Hashana. Also, at the end of the mishna with respect to Succos it says "nidonin al haayim" – We are judged [in the plural form] on the water. Why is Succos in the plural form while the other judgements are framed in the singular form ["haolam nidon"]?

 

We must say that it is a continuation of  the previous sentence "Bi-Rosh Hashana kol bnei haolam" etc. referring to the masses, so it continues talking about Succos in the plural.

 

On Rosh Hashana we are judged "kivnei maron" meaning as many individuals [see the gemara] and on Sukkos as well we are judged not communally [which is how we are judged on Pesach and Shavuos, as indicated by the word "nidon" – everybody together] but individually [as indicated by the word "nidonin"]. That is the seder of the mishna.

 

This is a source for our minhag to continue saying "Lidovid Hashem" until Shmini Atzeres, as the judgement of Rosh Hashana continues on the individuals through Sukkos. [Rav Hutner explained the mayim is called "mayim chaim" so we see that the Succos judgement on mayim is bound up with the Rosh Hashana judgement on chaim.]
עפ"י הספר מרבה טובה על מס' ביצה פרק שני ממו"ר הרה"ג ר' יעקב דוד המניק