The Prosecuting Angel
Leviticus 16:33
And he shall make atonement for the most holy place, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar; and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.
驻专拽讬 讚专讘讬 讗诇讬注讝专 驻专拽 诪讜
讗诪专 住诪讗诇 诇驻谞讬 讛拽讘”讛 专讘讜谉 讻诇 讛注讜诇诪讬诐 注诇 讻诇 讗讜诪讜转 讛注讜诇诐 谞转转 诇讬 专砖讜转 讜注诇 讬砖专讗诇 讗讬谉 讗转讛 谞讜转谉 诇讬, 讗诪专 诇讜 讛专讬 讬砖 诇讱 专砖讜转 注诇讬讛诐 讘讬讜诐 讛讻驻讜专讬诐 讗诐 讬砖 诇讛诐 讞讟讗, 讜讗诐 诇讗讜 讗讬谉 诇讱 专砖讜转 注诇讬讛诐,… 专讗讛 住诪讗诇 砖诇讗 谞诪爪讗 讘讛诐 讘讬讜诐 讛讻驻讜专讬诐 讞讟讗 讗诪’ 诇驻谞讬讜 专讘讜谉 讻诇 讛注讜诇诪讬诐 讬砖 诇讱 注诐 讗讞讚 讻诪诇讗讻讬 讛砖专转 砖讘砖诪讬诐 诪讛 诪诇讗讻讬 讛砖专转 讗讬谉 讘讛诐 讗讻讬诇讛 讜砖转讬讛 讻讱 讬砖专讗诇 讗讬谉 诇讛诐 讗讻讬诇讛 讜砖转讬讛 讘讬讜诐 讛讻驻讜专讬诐… 诪讛 诪诇讗讻讬 讛砖专转 讗讬谉 诇讛诐 拽驻讬爪讛 讻讱 讬砖专讗诇 注讜诪讚讬诐 注诇 专讙诇讬讛诐 讘讬讜诐 讛讻驻讜专讬诐, 诪讛 诪诇讗讻讬 讛砖专转 砖诇讜诐 讘讬谞讬讛诐 讻讱 讬砖专讗诇 砖诇讜诐 讘讬谞讬讛诐 讘讬讜诐 讛讻驻讜专讬诐, 诪讛 诪诇讗讻讬 讛砖专转 谞拽讬讬诐 诪讻诇 讞讟讗 讻讱 讬砖专讗诇 谞拽讬讬诐 诪讻诇 讞讟讗 讘讬讜诐 讛讻驻讜专讬诐. 讜讛拽讘”讛 砖讜诪注 注转讬专转谉 砖诇 讬砖专讗诇 诪谉 讛拽讟讬讙讜专 砖诇讛诐 讜诪讻驻专 注诇 讛诪讝讘讞 讜注诇 讛诪拽讜诐 讜注诇 讛讻讛谞讬诐 讜注诇 讻诇 讛拽讛诇 拽讟讜谉 讜注讚 讙讚讜诇 讜注诇 讻诇 注讜谞讜转讬讛诐 砖诇 讬砖专讗诇 讜注诇 讻诇 讛注诐.
Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer Chapter 46
Samael (the prosecuting angel) said before the Holy One, 鈥淪overeign of the Universe! You have given me power over all of the nations of the world, but over Israel you have not given me power.鈥� God answered him saying: 鈥淏ehold you have power over them on Yom Kippur, if they have any sin, but if they do not, you have no power over them鈥� . . . Samael saw that there was no sin to be found among them on Yom Kippur. Samael said, 鈥淪overeign of the Universe! You have one people that are like the ministering angels in the heavens. Just as the angels don鈥檛 eat or drink, so Israel does not eat or drink on Yom Kippur. Just as angels have no joints (here referring to the knees), so too Israel stands on their feet on Yom Kippur. Just as the angels have peace among them, so too Israel has peace among them on Yom Kippur. Just as the angels are innocent of all sin, so too Israel is innocent of all sins on Yom Kippur.鈥� And the Holy One Blessed Be He hears the entreaty of Israel from their accuser and makes atonement for the altar, and over the place, and the priests and all the assembly from the small to the great, and all the sins of Israel and over the entire nation.
I find this midrash to be both comforting and instructive on Yom Kippur. The comfort comes from knowing that, despite the language of harsh decrees and judgment on Yom Kippur, God is depicted here as wanting us to succeed. After all, God鈥檚 concession to Samael is offered only on a day when God can count on us to be on our best behavior. This not only disarms Samael in his pursuit of leading Israel astray, but also turns our greatest prosecutor into our defense counsel. So much so that it is based on Samael鈥檚 testimony that we are granted atonement.
What seems instructive is this very change in Samael. The midrash suggests that we can quiet even our most ardent critics by displaying exemplary behavior. It is true that there will be those who pursue us simply out of baseless hatred or jealousy, but we should not supply them with ammunition. By acting on our best impulses, we have the power to soften the hearts of those who would view us critically, and can change our adversaries into our advocates.
