Sunday, October 09, 2005

Singles and Yom Kippur...is there a connection?

I heard from a friend a great piece on the connection between Yom Kippur and matchmaking. This was given over by Rabbi Kelemer: There is a Gemara (Talmud) in Taanis that states "there is no yom tov like the 15th of AV and Yom Kippur". (This, he said is where we get the idea to say good yom tov on Yom Kippur, which isn't really one of the 3 regalim and therefore isn't really a yom tov). On Yom Kippur the s would go to the vineyard dressed in white ( so no one could tell them apart as to who was wealthier etc.). The s would say to the potential match" look at my family"etc. (yichus) it then quotes the famous posuk from mishlei: "Sheker Hachain v'hevel hayofi".(Charm is deceptive and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears God shall be praised.)The question is why after Yom Kippur is considered a good time for matchmaking. The Rabbi does not quote the obvious answer " you are on a higher level" etc.. Throughout Yom Kippur we are asking G-d" Mavir Ashmosainu","Mchaper Avon": to cover over our aviros and not pay attention to them. The Ramabam I believe says the root for Kaporah comes from the pasuk in parshas Noach. When Noah built the Taivah it says he built it using a layer of tar(kofer). Meaning we want G-d to "cover" over our misdeeds so we don't sink and fall apart. The same way we don't want G-d to look closely at our inequities so too said the Rabbi we should not be asking questions about a potential shidduch. Questions such as "where do they go on vacation"? Or did his mother and grandmother use the mikvah (taharos hamishipacha). The same way in which we want G-d to not probe deeply is the same way we should approach a potential match.
Technorati tag:,,,

No comments: