Rabbi Frand's Teshuva Derasha 5787/2026 - Part I

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand in his annual Teshuva Derasha which was broadcast live from Baltimore on the TCN network this evening. I have attempted to summarize the first part of the derasha in this post and iyh will do an additional post over the weekend. This was a very powerful derasha and my attempt to summarize should not be viewed as an exact transcript as it is based on my notes. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand began the derasha by noting that Yom Kippur is unlike any other day on the Jewish calendar as it is the sole fast day mentioned in the Torah. Our basic physical comforts are mandated by the Torah, including the shoes we wear and we will spend the day in shul. R' Frand quoted a pasuk in Tehillim 139:16 which has a different meaning when read and written. The pasuk states  יָמִ֥ים יֻצָּ֑רוּ (ולא) [וְל֖וֹ] אֶחָ֣ד בָּהֶֽם. R' Frand translated this as Hashem has created the days and one of them is unto Him - there is a day Hashem has singled out to be different and special to Him. R' Frand quoted R' Yehoshua in Medrash Tanchuma which states that this is Yom Kippur - it belongs to Him. But if read as the way that it is written - there is a day that is different from all other days. This is Yom Kippur, the day that the Kohain Gadol goes into the Kodesh Kodashim - a place that even Moshe Rabbeinu could not enter. R' Frand said l'havdil - its a clean room, a room of absolute purity.

R' Frand also quoted Chazal that the location is Lifnai V'Lifnim - the innermost of the innermost. The vast majority of people will not enter this location and even the vast majority of Kohanim will not enter. But R' Emanuel Bernstein suggests that every single person possesses an internal Kodesh Kodashim because each person has a pure untainted soul which has a will to solely serve Hashem. We reference this in the prayer said in the morning Elokai, Netzur.

R' Frand utilized a Mashal of a diamond which has fallen in mud. It is filthy, but one only needs to wash it off and then it will be beautiful. The mud is sin and the diamond is your Neshama. The process of Teshuva is washing off the Neshama. R' Frand said that on Yom Kippur we enter that Kodesh Kodashim and wash off the mud of sin. When we evaluate our acts at that moment, we realize that our sins don't define us.

R' Frand quoted the Pasuk in Tehillim 32:1  אַשְׁרֵ֥י נְֽשׂוּי־פֶּ֗שַׁע כְּס֣וּי חֲטָאָֽה - praiseworthy is one whose sin is forgiven. R' Frand said that the word  נְֽשׂוּי means above - a person who is above his sin. When we say the Al Cheit, we need to realize that we are better than this and we are not rolling in the mud. We are better than that.

R' Frand quoted R' Yosef Lev Bluch (sp?) from Telshe Yeshiva who explains that if one has erred, as long as he realizes that he is above those mistakes and is better than that, he can jettison his sins. Indeed the Rambam writes that the essence of Teshuva is to abandon his sins and put them aside from his mind and say - I will not do this again. If he does, the Yodeah Taalumos will know that he won't do this again. Some translate this as saying that Hashem will say - this person will not sin again in the future. But if that is standard, we will not be capable of reaching it as we certainly will sin in the future.  But Taalumos does not mean the future, its the secrets. Hashem knows your secrets - that you are sincere and do not want to sin again.

However, there is a prerequisite for Teshuva. The Torah states in Devarim 30:1 - וְהָיָה֩ כִֽי־יָבֹ֨אוּ עָלֶ֜יךָ כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה הַבְּרָכָה֙ וְהַקְּלָלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ֙ אֶל־לְבָבֶ֔ךָ . Eventually when a person experiences these things, he will do Teshuva. But the Seforno says - examine your life and see what is true and what is false and where am I - are there contradictions in my life? Once you can distinguish truth from false, we can do Teshuva.

But this is only if we don't wear masks - as we need to honest in our review of our actions. Only after confronting and dismantling our contradictions can we do Teshuva as Hashem's signet ring is Emes - Truth and we must be honest.

I hope to complete the summary of the Derasha on Motzei Shabbos, IYH.

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Thursday's Thoughts on Rosh Hashanah

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand this evening. [As this Shabbos is Rosh Hashanah, R' Frand spoke about the upcoming Yom Tov rather than about the parsha]. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand began by quoting the story of the Isha HaShunamis and Elisha and the offer made by Elisha and her response in Melachim II 4:13 - מֶ֚ה לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת לָ֔ךְ הֲיֵ֤שׁ לְדַבֶּר־לָךְ֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ א֖וֹ אֶל־שַׂ֣ר הַצָּבָ֑א וַתֹּ֕אמֶר בְּת֥וֹךְ עַמִּ֖י אָנֹכִ֥י יֹשָֽׁבֶת . R' Frand quoted the Zohar which teaches that this conversation took place on Yom Kippur and that Elisha's offer to speak to the "king" was a reference to speaking to the "King of Kings." [R' Frand said as an aside - if R' Chaim Kanievsky ZTL had offered to daven for you, would you have turned him down?] Yet, she refused the offer and said that she wanted to sit among her nation.

R' Frand noted that R' Finkel from the Mirrer Yeshiva would not daven on the Mizrach side [R' Frand was not clear if it was all year or only during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur] because he too wanted to sit among his nation.

But the question is why would she turn down Elisha's offer? R' Frand answered that from her response we learn a Segulah for the Yamim Noraim. If a person wants a Segulah to succeed, he needs to be among his nation so that he has their Zechus. How does one accomplish this? By being someone who strengthens the Tzibur and/or who performs tasks that are essential for the Tzibur. R' Frand said that even being the person who cleans up after the Shalosh Seudos each Shabbos can be enough to earn this title.

R' Frand gave an alternate view that davening with the Tzibur can qualify as sitting among the nation. R' Frand linked this to a Gemara in Rosh Hashanah which cites a pasuk about those who sail on a boat. The Gemara says that if they pray before the decree has been made it can help, but not after the decree has been issued. The Gemara then asks - but aren't they a Tzibur? The Gemara answers that they are not a Tzibur. As explained by the Shem M'Shmuel - this is because each person is praying for themselves. They are not praying the boat will be saved, they are praying that they will be saved.

R' Frand said that we see from this Gemara that if you want to sit among the nation, your prayers should not be about yourself, it should be about wanting to be servants of Hashem. And after that you should pray for the welfare of the Jewish nation at large. R' Frand referenced Iran and its stated desire to wipe out Israel, but he also referenced Britain, France and Canada's decision to ban trade with the West Bank. He evoked a comparison with South Africa of the early 1990s which became a pariah nation that no one could book flights to.

R' Frand then tied this to the Shemoneh Esreh for Yamim Noraim where after saying Atah Kadosh, we do not immediately say the Beracha. Instead, three times we say the introductory statement "U'Vchain" and then pray for certain recognitions to occur. R' Frand quoted the Abudraham who links this to Esther's statement in Esther 4:14 - וּבְכֵ֞ן אָב֤וֹא אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־כַדָּ֔ת. What is the connection between Esther and the Tefillos on the Yamim Noraim? R' Frand quoted the Sefer Bina L'Itim who explains that Esther tells Mordechai וְצ֣וּמוּ עָ֠לַ֠י וְאַל־תֹּאכְל֨וּ וְאַל־תִּשְׁתּ֜וּ שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ לַ֣יְלָה וָי֔וֹם גַּם־אֲנִ֥י וְנַעֲרֹתַ֖י אָצ֣וּם כֵּ֑ן. Esther tells Mordechai - the Jews should fast for me, and I and my maidens will do so as well. The message of the U'Vchain is to think about the Tzibur.

R' Frand then said that if the thought crosses your mind - who am I to daven for the Tzibur, or to daven for Galus or Yerushalaim, the Mesilas Yesharim teaches that the answer is there. A person was created as an individual so that he can say - the world was created for me. And by praying for the Tzibur, it gives Hashem Nachas, even if this is not the time for a Yeshua. This is also the meaning of the Passuk that Tziyon needs Derisha - it needs people to search for it and seek it out. 

R' Frand said that he will try to keep this in mind when he davens during Rosh Hashanah. If we keep this in mind, Hashem will bless us with what we really want.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshios Netzavim-Vayelech

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parshios this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Devarim 29:9-10, the Torah describes the people who were standing before Moshe - stating רָאשֵׁיכֶ֣ם שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם זִקְנֵיכֶם֙ וְשֹׁ֣טְרֵיכֶ֔ם כֹּ֖ל אִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל. טַפְּכֶ֣ם נְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם  וְגֵ֣רְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַחֲנֶ֑יךָ מֵחֹטֵ֣ב עֵצֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד שֹׁאֵ֥ב מֵימֶֽיךָ. On a simple level these are people on the social ladder from the heads of the tribes to the water carriers and wood cutters. However, Rashi does not provide the literal interpretation. Instead he explains that the wood cutters and water carriers refer to Akum who came to convert because they saw the Jews succeeding, but these people were rebuffed by Moshe as their conversion was not sincerely motivated. Rather than being turned away, they were allowed to join the camp, but were given these menial jobs. Rashi notes that this occurred with the Givonim in the time of Yehoshua as well.

R' Frand asked - why did Rashi need to give this interpretation, rather than simply explaining that these people were on different social scales? R' Frand quoted the Sefer - Arzei HaParsha who connected this with a story involving the Beis HaLevi. When the Beis HaLevi was travelling he encountered a former Talmid and asked him - what are you doing? The student responded - I am in the sugar business. The Beis HaLevi asked again - what are you doing? The student responded with a more detailed description of the sugar business. The Beis HaLevi asked a third time - what are you doing, and explained - I don't want to know about your business. What you do for a living is what Hashem provides for you as a means to support yourself. I want to know what you are doing - are you having Sedarim, where are your children going to Yeshiva, where do you Daven and where are you holding with your Yahadus. A Jew is not defined by his profession or business - that's how you make a living, not who you are. Rashi needed to make this explanation because the Torah would not refer to someone by his profession. Instead, it is an explanation of why the jobs are mentioned - because they are Akum who are defined by their jobs.

R' Frand said that the Arzei HaParsha actually quoted a story that he (R' Frand) had told years earlier in connection with a journalist for the Baltimore Sun. The journalist said that he did not want to go to cocktail parties, because people would invariably ask what do you do for a living. He devised a plan to end the conversation at that point by telling people - I am an IRS agent.

R' Frand then linked this to the story of Yonah and specifically Yonah 1:8 when the people on the boat asked him מַה־מְּלַאכְתְּךָ֙ וּמֵאַ֣יִן תָּב֔וֹא מָ֣ה אַרְצֶ֔ךָ וְאֵֽי־מִזֶּ֥ה עַ֖ם אָֽתָּה - what is your job and where did you come from, what is your land and which nation are you from. Yonah responded by saying  עִבְרִ֣י אָנֹ֑כִי. He does not give his profession - I am a prophet. Instead he said - I am a Jew, that's what defines me.

R' Frand said that the Arzei HaParsha observes that being an Ivri comes from Avraham where the term is used once, when Og comes to tell him about Lot. Chazal explain that being an Ivri means that he is an iconoclast and he stands up against the world. Why does this come up now? Because Og is telling him about Lot so that Avraham would go to war and die and he could marry Sarah. Avraham is called an Ivri because he is out of his mind to go to war against the kings to try to rescue Lot. 

There is one other person called an Ivri - Yosef. Why does he have that title? Because he is a 17 year old boy who is out of his environment and he resists the wife of Potiphar when she tries to seduce him. Because he is an Ivri and he stands against the world.

The second vort that R' Frand told related to the word אַתֶּ֨ם which is the beginning of the first pasuk in the parhsa. The Ba'al Haturim states that there are three other Pesukim which begin with אַתֶּ֨ם: 

(1) Shemos 5:11 אַתֶּ֗ם לְכ֨וּ קְח֤וּ לָכֶם֙ תֶּ֔בֶן מֵאֲשֶׁ֖ר תִּמְצָ֑אוּ - Pharaoh tells the Jews they must go and find straw on their own to make bricks; (2) Shemos 19:4 where Hashem tells the Jews אַתֶּ֣ם רְאִיתֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתִי לְמִצְרָ֑יִם - you have seen what I did to Egypt and a pasuk in Isaiah (I don' t have the cite) - you are My witnesses (Atem eidai n'eum Hashem).

But what is the connection between the pesukim? Rabbi Frand answered by making reference to a vort from the Reisha Rav (grandfather of noted constitutional lawyer - Nat Lewin) who wrote in his sefer Hadrash V'Haiyun that the Jews noticed a change - in the beginning in Egypt they saw public miracles. They saw that Pharaoh wanted to break them and that Hashem saved them. However, later in Jewish history the miracles appeared to be hidden or even non existent. The Reisha Rav said that this perception is incorrect - the miracle of today is even greater - the fact that there still is a Jewish people is a great open miracle - this is אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ כֻּלְּכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם and this is Atem Edai - you, the Jews bear witness that I am continuing to make miracles as you are still around.

Rabbi Frand then quoted R Chatzkhel Levenstein who said that the saving of the Mirrer Yeshiva students and their transport to Shanghai during the Holocaust was a greater miracle than the story of Esther. He also quoted R' Yaakov Emden (the Ya'avetz) who said that if we think about the fact that there are Jews today, despite the generations and generations where people rose up and tried to wipe out the Jews, we would understand that the continuation of the Jewish people is a greater miracle than leaving Egypt.

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