A Midrashic Narrative of Divine Softness for the Season

I found the following Midrash while preparing for a lesson, and while I don’t personally vibe with the idea of “accounting” with regard to sins and rewards, I think it does a good job of creating a narrative for the time between Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot. I particularly enjoy the softness of Hashem at the end of the story culminating in the first day of Sukkot. Enjoy and may we all feel that softness when we reach Sukkot!

“And you shall take them for yourselves on the first day, etc.” (Vayikra 23:40) Is it the first day [of the month]? Is it not the 15th day [of the month], and you (the Torah) say on the first day? Rather, it’s the first for the accounting of iniquities. Rabbi Mani and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sakhnin [taught] in the name of Rabbi Levi, who said, “To what thing is this similar? To a city who owed taxes to the king, and the king sent to collect it and they wouldn’t pay it because it was such a large bill. Thus, when he sent to collect it the first time and then the second time, they wouldn’t pay it.

וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן. וְכִי רִאשׁוֹן הוּא, וַהֲלֹא יוֹם חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר הוּא, וְאַתְּ אָמַרְתְּ בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן. אֶלָּא רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן עֲוֹנוֹת. רַבִּי מַנִּי וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסַכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה. לִמְדִינָה שֶׁהָיְתָה חַיֶּבֶת לִיפַס לַמֶּלֶךְ, וְהָיָה הַמֶּלֶךְ מְשַׁלֵּחַ לִגְבּוֹתָהּ, וְלֹא הָיְתָה נוֹתֶנֶת, שֶׁהָיָה שְׁטָר גָּדוֹל. כָּךְ פַּעַם הָרִאשׁוֹן. וּפַעַם שֵׁנִי הָיָה מְשַׁלֵּחַ לִגְבּוֹתָהּ, וְלֹא הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין.

What did the king do? He said to his court, ‘Stand and we will march upon them.’ They went about 10 miles and the residents of the city heard. What did they do? The greats of the city started going out to receive the king. 

מֶה עָשָׂה הַמֶּלֶךְ. אָמַר לִבְנֵי פַּלְטְרִין שֶׁלּוֹ, עִמְדוּ וְנֵלֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם. עַד שֶׁהֵן הוֹלְכִין כְּמוֹ עֶשֶׂר מִילִין, שָׁמְעוּ בְּנֵי הַמְּדִינָה. מֶה עָשׂוּ. הִתְחִילוּ גְּדוֹלֵי הַמְּדִינָה יוֹצְאִין לְאַפַּנְטֵי שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ. 

He said to them, ‘Who are y’all?’

אָמַר לָהֶם: מִי אַתֶּם. 

They said to him, ‘We are citizens of the city of Anytown, which you sent to collect on.’

אָמְרוּ לוֹ: בְּנֵי מְדִינָה פְּלוֹנִית אָנוּ שֶׁשָּׁלַחְתָּ לִגְבּוֹתֵינוּ. 

He said to them, ‘And what do y’all want?’

אָמַר לָהֶם: וּמָה אַתֶּם מְבַקְּשִׁין. 

They said to him, ‘We ask of you that you act with kindness towards us, because we don’t have what to give.’

אָמְרוּ לוֹ: בְּבַקָּשָׁה מִמְּךָ עֲשֵׂה עִמָּנוּ חֶסֶד, שֶׁאֵין לָנוּ מַה לִּתֵּן. 

He said to them, ‘Because of y’all, I’ll waive half [of what you owe].’

אָמַר לָהֶם: בִּשְׁבִילְכֶם אֲנִי מַנִּיחַ לָכֶם מֶחֱצָה. 

When he came, the guards of the city came out, even they met him about five miles away.

עַד שֶׁהוּא בָּא, יָצְאוּ בִּרְיוֹנֵי הַמְּדִינָה, אַף הֵן קִדְּמוּ אוֹתוֹ כְּמוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה מִילִין. 

He said to them, ‘Who are y’all?’

אָמַר לָהֶם: וּמִי אַתֶּם. 

They said to him, ‘We are citizens of Anytown, that you sent to collect from. We don’t have the ability to pay our debt, rather we request from you that you have mercy upon us.’

אָמְרוּ לוֹ: בְּנֵי הַמְּדִינָה פְּלוֹנִית שֶׁשָּׁלַחְתָּ לִגְבּוֹת וְאֵין לָנוּ כֹּחַ לַעֲמֹד, אֶלָּא בְּבַקָּשָׁה מִמְּךָ שֶׁתְּרַחֵם עָלֵינוּ. 

He said to them, ‘I already waived half of what is owed, and because of y’all I’ll waive half of that half.’

אָמַר לָהֶם: כְּבָר הִנַּחְתִּי מֶחֱצָה, וּבִשְׁבִילְכֶם אֲנִי מַנִּיחַ מֶחֱצָה עַל מֶחֱצָה. 

When he proceeded, all the citizens of the city came out to him, the big and the small.

עַד שֶׁהוּא מְהַלֵּךְ, יָצְאוּ כָּל בְּנֵי הַמְּדִינָה אֵלָיו גְּדוֹלִים וּקְטַנִּים. 

He said to them, ‘What do y’all want?’

אָמַר לָהֶם: מָה אַתֶּם מְבַקְּשִׁים. 

They said to him, ‘Our lord the king, we don’t have the ability to give what we owe to you.’

אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אֲדוֹנֵנוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ, אֵין לָנוּ כֹּחַ לִתֵּן מַה שֶּׁאָנוּ חַיָּבִים לְךָ. 

He said to them, ‘I already waived half of what is owed and a half of that half, and because of y’all I’ll waive it all. Rather, from here on out will be the beginning of the account.’

אָמַר לָהֶם: כְּבָר הִנַּחְתִּי מֶחֱצָה וּמֶחֱצָה עַל מֶחֱצָה, וּבִשְׁבִילְכֶם אֲנִי מַנִּיחַ הַכֹּל, אֶלָּא מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ רֹאשׁ חֶשְׁבּוֹן הוּא. 

The king is the King of Kings, the Holy Blessed One, may he be blessed and his name be blessed. The citizens, they were B’nei Yisrael, because they accumulate iniquities all the days of the year. 

הַמֶּלֶךְ, זֶה מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִתְבָּרֵךְ וְיִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ. בְּנֵי הַמְּדִינָה, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהֵם מְסַגְּלִין עֲוֹנוֹת כָּל יְמוֹת הַשָּׁנָה.  

What does the Holy Blessed One do? He says to them, ‘Do teshuvah from the first of the year.’ 

מַה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹשֶׂה. אוֹמֵר לָהֶם, עֲשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה מֵרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה. 

And they come and enter into Yom Kippur and afflict themselves and do teshuvah and the Holy Blessed One forgives them.

וְהֵם נִכְנָסִין וּבָאִין בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים וּמִתְעַנִּין בּוֹ וְעוֹשִׂין תְּשׁוּבָה, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מוֹחֵל לָהֶם.

And what do they do? Erev Rosh Hashanah, the greatest of the generation afflict themselves and the Holy Blessed One pardons a third of their iniquities. And from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, individuals afflict themselves and the Holy Blessed One pardons a third of their iniquities. And on Yom Kippur all of Yisrael afflicts themselves and requests mercy, men, women and children, and the Holy Blessed One pardons everything. As it’s written, ‘For on that day he shall atone on account of them, etc.’ (Vayikra 16:30)

וּמַה הֵם עוֹשִׂין. עֶרֶב רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה גְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר מִתְעַנִּין, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְוַתֵּר לָהֶם שְׁלִישׁ מֵעֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם. וּמֵרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, יְחִידִים מִתְעַנִּים, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְוַתֵּר שְׁלִישׁ מֵעֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם. וּבְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְעַנִּין וּמְבַקְּשִׁין רַחֲמִים אֲנָשִׁים וְנָשִׁים וָטַף, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְוַתֵּר לָהֶם אֶת הַכֹּל, דִּכְתִיב: כִּי בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם וְגוֹ' (ויקרא טז, ל). 

What does Yisrael do? They take their lulavs on the first day of Shavuot and give praise and worship before the Holy Blessed One, and the Holy Blessed One lovingly longs for them and forgives them and says to them, ‘Behold, I have pardoned all of your original iniquities for you, but from here on out is the beginning of the account of iniquities.

מַה יִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂין. נוֹטְלִין לוּלָבֵיהֶן בְּיוֹם טוֹב רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל חַג וּמְהַלְּלִים וּמְקַלְּסִים לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִתְרַצֶּה לָהֶם וּמוֹחֵל לָהֶם, וְאוֹמֵר לָהֶם, הֲרֵי וִתַּרְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת כָּל עֲוֹנוֹתֵיכֶם הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת, אֲבָל מֵעַכְשָׁו הוּא רֹאשׁ חֶשְׁבּוֹן. 

Therefore it is written, ‘And y’all shall take them for yourselves on the first day…’ The first day of the accounting of iniquities.

לְכָךְ כְּתִיב: וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן, רִאשׁוֹן לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן עֲוֹנוֹת. 

The Holy Blessed One said to them, to Yisrael, ‘In this world, I said to y’all to build a sukkah to repay all the rewards/recompense that I did for y’all, as is said, ‘In the sukkot y’all shall dwell for seven days so that your descendents will know that in sukkot I made dwell…’ (Vayikra 23:42-43) And I ascend upon y’all as if y’all are my benefactors before me. But in the future to come, I will shine forth in my sovereignty and I will protect y’all like a sukkah. As it is said, ‘And it shall be a sukkah for shade during the heat of the day.’ (Isaiah 4:5)”

אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אָמַרְתִּי לָכֶם שֶׁתַּעֲשׂוּ סֻכָּה, לְשַׁלֵּם לִי אֶת גְּמוּלִי שֶׁגָּמַלְתִּי עִמָּכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בַּסֻּכּוֹת תֵּשְׁבוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, לְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ דּוֹרוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי בַּסֻּכּוֹת הוֹשַׁבְתִּי וְגוֹ', וַאֲנִי מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיכֶם כְּאִלּוּ אַתֶּם גּוֹמְלִים לְפָנַי. אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, אֲנִי אוֹפִיעַ בְּמַלְכוּתִי וַאֲנִי מָגֵן עֲלֵיכֶם כְּסֻכָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְסֻכָּה תִּהְיֶה לְצֵל יוֹמָם מֵחֹרֶב (ישעיה ד, ו).