Maghen Abraham - Thoughts From Mayer Sasson

Extorting and stealing

"You shall not extort that which is due to your neighbor neither steal from him…." (19,13)

Many wonder why specifically at the loftiest time of the year, on Yom Kippur when we say the Neila prayer, we pray "so that we cease extorting with our hands".

We have countless sins that we should stop, why do we ask specifically about this sin?

To explain the MAHARAM Shiff brings the Gemara that the decree was only made for the generation of the Deluge because of stealing.

We can therefore understand that it is specifically at the time of Neila when our judgment is being inscribed – that is the time to pray about stealing, lest we, G-d forbid, be judged negatively because of that.

We can also understand this according to what the Chafetz Chaim said in his sermon on Yom Kippur 5677 before the Neila prayer:

"We are standing at the last moments before our judgment is inscribed. For sins against G-d we have certainly all repented and taken upon ourselves not to return to our folly. For sins against our fellow man, we have also confessed in the Zaka prayer and we have forgiven one another.

The only thing left is about the sin of stealing – those small debts that are forgotten because of our not knowing or our disparaging attitude.

For these sins Yom Kippur cannot atone and I therefore advise you that when you say amidst the Vidui "so that we cease extorting with our hands" – we take upon ourselves to set aside a time in the next few days to think carefully to remember those small debts in order to return them, and to forgive each other for their debts to us."

SHABBAT SHALOM!!