"This horse can win any race, as long as you shout 'Baruch Shem!' when you approach each jump," the trainer tells the new jockey. Ignoring the advice, the rider starts the race. Then the horse crashes right through the first two hurdles. On the third jump, the jockey whispers an embarrassed "boruch shem." Again the horse doesn't jump.
Afraid of losing, the jockey finally yells "Boruch Shem!" just before the fourth hurdle, and the horse sails over it. Relieved, the jockey keeps yelling and wins.
"What happened?" the trainer asks. "You had me scared for a minute."
"It's the darn horse. He must be deaf."
"He's not deaf," the trainer says. "Blind, yes, but not deaf."
Before Yom Kippur, my uncles and I sit down to prepare some speeches. As always, we brainstormed and swapped sermons, stories, and jokes. One year[1], we had a real treat. My uncle, Rabbi Sholom Ben Hecht, took out some notes from his archives - cryptic notes by my late Grandfather Rabbi Jacob J. Hecht, O.B.M, on the topic of Yom Kippur. We studied them and tried to decipher their meaning. I am not sure if we grasped every detail. However, we came up with this.
In the Yom Kippur liturgy, one prayer stands out ringing in our ears. The prayer of "Boruch shem kvod malchuso l'olam va'ed," which means, "blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever."
Throughout the year, it is recited at least three or four times daily immediately following the recitation of the first passage of the Shema. However, it is done in an undertone, in contrast to Yom Kippur, when it is said aloud. Also, at the end of yom Kippur, it is recited aloud three times consecutively, immediately before the shofar blowing.
A few questions come to mind.
1) Why do we recite Boruch Shem immediately after the Shema,
and in an undertone?
2) Why do we say it aloud on Yom Kippur, and
3) Why three times at its conclusion?
JACOB
There are three historical reasons for its recital. First, cited
in the Code of Jewish Law[2] is
that by his passing, the Patriarch Jacob assembled all of his
children before him on his death bed. He wanted to reveal the
time of Moshiach's arrival. However, something strange happened.
The Schechina disappeared. This was enough for Jacob to ask: perhaps
someone among you is a non-believer. They all answered in unison,
"Hear, O' Israel," i.e., listen, cur father, Israel
(Jacob was also known as Israel), "G-d is our G-d, G-d is
one." i.e., just as you have only one G-d in your heart,
we too have only one G-d. Jacob affirmed this unity of G-d by
saying, "boruch shem..."
Since, however, this term of 'boruch shem' was not included in the written Torah, we do not say it aloud, but in an undertone. Why, then, on Yom Kippur, do we say it aloud?
ANGELS
The second reason cited[3] is that
when Moses went up to heaven, he heard the angels saying the prayer,
"Boruch Shem," and brought down this prayer and
then gave it to the Jews. He commanded them to say it quietly.
This can be understood through the following parable: A man stole
a precious jewel from the king's palace. He gave it to his wife.
He told her she could wear it anytime she wanted, however, with
one condition - she may only wear it at home in secrecy. Therefore,
all year round, one recites "Boruch Shem" in
an undertone, besides on Yom Kippur. Since on Yom Kippur, we are
all compared to the angels by not eating or drinking and wearing
white clothing, we, then, are to declare it loudly and openly.
However, it seems too easy-simply because we fast and wear white clothing, we have a right to sing the praises of the angels. Doesn't it demand some work and conditioning?
MOSES
There is also a third reason: when Moses was standing on Sinai,
G-d called out to the Jews "Shema Yisroel" (Hear
O' Israelites - Jews). When the people heard this, they declared
"G-d is our G-d, G-d is one."
Moses, seeing his disciples - the entire nation - responding with this resounding response, was moved to acknowledge "boruch shem."
A general rule in Torah is that all interpretations on one verse or topic, not only cannot contradict each other, but rather they must compliment one another. We can appreciate how all these interpretations weave into one single thread by further elaboration of the above question.
On Yom Kippur, we are told to say the "Boruch Shem" aloud since we are likened to angels. However, we know we are not angels. We are flesh-and-blood human beings. How, then, do we have the right to sing the praises of the angels.
To answer this, we are told that there must be two prerequisites:
1) We must emulate Jacob: we must teach our children about the
unity of G-d, how G-d exists, and how He is everywhere, how G-d
takes each and every one of us out of our personal Egypt and exile,
and so, too, G-d will take us, as a nation, out of this Egypt
and exile. Our children should be able to pronounce, at any given
moment, the "Shma Yisroel."
2) We must emulate Moses: we should not suffice with teaching our own children (as Jacob did). We must also teach our friends and neighbors. They, too, must know about "Shma Yisroel" and how G-d loves each and every one of us, how He feels our pains and joys, and how He can bring about redemption with the blink of an eye.
THREE TIMES
When both our children and neighbors know "Shma Yisroel,"
then, and only then, can we call out as angels, "boruch
shem k'vod malchuso l'olam vaed."
This perhaps is the reason that the "Boruch Shem" is recited three times at the conclusion of Yom Kippur. It is a confirmation that one will adhere to the three meanings of boruch shem: 1) I aspire to be an angel (by not eating or drinking, and wearing white), 2) by teaching my children the meaning of Shema Yisroel, and 3) by teaching my neighbors, as well.
ATONEMENT
In my grandfather's notes, he says atonement is made up of three
words—at-one-ment, which my uncle, Rabbi Shimon Hecht, translated
as follows: Yom Kippur reminds us that it is never too late to
change our ways, for "at one (mo)ment", we can do teshuva
and return for good.
If this is truly our resolve, then "L'shana haba biyirushalayem", i.e., in Jerusalem we will be now, and next year, on Yom Kippur, we will see the entire avodah-procedure of the High Priest, fulfilling his service in the Holy of Holies.
STORY
Before the holidays, my grandmother Rebbetzin Chava Hecht saw
my uncles and I sitting and discussing different Torah themes.
She began to cry. She said it was really wonderful to see her
children and grandchildren sitting together in harmony, studying
their father's teachings.
At that moment, I realized this is truly the meaning of Yom Kippur: On Yom Kippur, G-d's children, Jews from all from different backgrounds, with different political opinions and cultural preferences, come together in harmony, praying, singing and listening to teachings from the Torah of their Father in Heaven. No doubt G-d is crying tears of joy - showering down with it blessings for all of us for a sweet and blessed new year.
My grandmother concluded, "don't wait until next Yom Kippur. Please do it more often."