Approaching Without Shame Saying "Barukh Shem..." on Yom Kippur

(1) On the twenty-fourth day of this month, the Israelites assembled, fasting, in sackcloth, and with earth upon them. (2) Those of the stock of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. (3) Standing in their places, they read from the scroll of the Teaching of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day, and for another fourth they confessed and prostrated themselves before the LORD their God. (4) On the raised platform of the Levites stood Jeshua and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried in a loud voice to the LORD their God. (5) The Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, “Rise, bless the LORD your God who is from eternity to eternity: ‘May Your glorious name be blessed, exalted though it is above every blessing and praise!’ (6) “You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, the highest heavens, and all their host, the earth and everything upon it, the seas and everything in them. You keep them all alive, and the host of heaven prostrate themselves before You.

In the temple they would say: Blessed HVYH god of Israel, from all eternity to all eternity (lit. world). They did not respond "Amen" in the temple. From where do we know that they did respond "Amen in the temple? Because it Says - "Rise and Bless HVYH your God" [followed by: "and they bless your glorious name"] How do we know this was the response to each and every blessing and praise? Because the verse continues "exalted over every blessing and praise". Each and every blessing, and each and every praise.

[The leader] ended the first blessing with "Blessed HVYH the god of Israel, from all eternity to all eternity, blessed is the redeemer of Israel". The people responded: Barukh shem kevod, etc."

(2) The Yom Kippur service continues: The High Priest comes over to the scapegoat, places both his hands upon it, and confesses. And he would say as follows: Please, God, Your people, the house of Israel, have sinned, and done wrong, and rebelled before You. Please, God, grant atonement, please, for the sins, and for the wrongs, and for the rebellions that they have sinned, and done wrong, and rebelled before You, Your people, the house of Israel, as it is written in the Torah of Moses Your servant, saying: “For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you of all your sins; before the Lord you shall be purified” (Leviticus 16:30). And the priests and the people standing in the Temple courtyard, when they would hear the Explicit Name emerging from the mouth of the High Priest, when the High Priest did not use one of the substitute names for God, they would kneel and prostrate themselves and fall on their faces, and say: Blessed is the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.

What is the reason that we recite that passage: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever? We recite it in accordance with that which Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish interpreted homiletically. As Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said that it is written: “And Jacob called his sons and said, Gather around and I will tell you what will occur to you in the end of days” (Genesis 49:1). Jacob wanted to reveal to his sons the end of days, but the Divine Presence abandoned him. He said: Perhaps Heaven forfend, one of my descendants is unfit, as was the case with my grandfather Abraham, from whom Ishmael emerged, and my father Isaac, from whom Esau emerged. His sons said to him: Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. They said: Just as there is only one in your heart, so too, there is only one in our hearts. At that moment Jacob our father said: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever. The Rabbis said: What should we do? Shall we recite this verse? But Moses our teacher did not say it. Shall we not recite it? But Jacob said it. They established that this passage should be recited surreptitiously. Rabbi Yitzḥak said that the school of Rabbi Ami said: This is analogous to the daughter of a king who smelled (and desired) the crispy bottom of the pot. What can she do? If she tells her servants to give it to her, she will be disgraced. However, if she does not say, she will suffer. Her servants began to bring them to her surreptitiously.

(36) Another matter: “Hear, Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4) – the Rabbis said: When Moses ascended on high, he heard the ministering angels, who were saying to the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever,’ and he took it down to Israel. Why does Israel not recite it for all to hear?76It is customary to recite this sentence in a whisper after reciting the verse: “Hear, Israel…” Rabbi Asi said: To what is the matter comparable? To one who stole jewelry from a king’s palace. He gave it to his wife and said to her: ‘Do not adorn yourself with these in public, but only in the house.’ But on Yom Kippur, when they are as pure as ministering angels, they recite it for all to hear: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever.

R Shimeon said: But this is the time of desire, and I wish to enter the world that is coming without shame. Holy words that I have not revealed until now, I want to reveal in the presence of Shekhinah, that it not be said that my departure from this world was deficient. I kept them in my heart for this moment, to enter the world that is coming with them.

Come, envision: During the six days of the week, when the time of the afternoon prayer arrives, harsh judgment reigns and the forces of judgement arise. But on the day of Shabbat when the time of the afternoon prayer arrives the longing at the core of all longing is present, Atika Kaddisha reveals their longing and all judgement is subdued, desire and joy are present everywhere.

Moshe, the holy loyal prophet, left the world into this longing. So we recognize that he did not die into judgement. His soul left him at that time of Atika Kaddisha's longing, and he was hidden in that longing. That is why it says - "no one knew his place of burial".

Just like Atika Kaddisha is hidden beyond hiding and not known by the supernal or the lower beings, So also a soul hidden in the longing that is revealed at the time of the afternoon prayers on Shabbat "no one kows his place of burial" hidden beyond hiding, beyond the control of judgement. How fortunate is Moshe.