Welcome back to another episode of NachDaily with Nechemiah, chapter 9.

[May this segment be a merit for the aliyas neshamos of Raizel bas Moshe, Avraham Aharon ben Yisroel Yitzchok, and Refael ben Yehoshua Falek.]

Nechemiah had Ezra read the Torah en masse to the people as a way to bring them back to Hashem. The plan worked. Their hearts were moved, they became aware of their shortcomings, and began doing teshuva. The main theme recorded in this chapter is the viduy, confession and tefilah of the nation.

After the nation celebrated Sukkos, the Jews assembled dressed in sackcloth and were fasting. The Ramad Walli points out that the sackcloth was to atone for their chitzoniyus – external sins, while the fasting was to fix their penemiyus – internal sins.

Those who had originally married non-Jews, but had by now separated from them, began to confess their sins by saying viduy out loud. They read the Torah and prostrated themselves before God.

The Leviim stood on the steps of the Beis Hamkidash, while several other important leaders were by their sides to encourage people in their teshuvah process.

Rebbe Nachman explains in Sefer Lekutey Maharan that when a person does an aveira, transgression, the letters of the words of that specific act become engraved into that person’s bones, which is why an aveira affects one so deeply. However, a person confessing their sins out loud with their own words has the power to scramble the letters of the sin which are engraved into the person’s bones, and ultimately remove them.

In modern day terms, this means that committing a sin is like getting a tattoo of it on your body. Doing teshuvah and confessing your sins with your own words in front of God can remove the tattoo completely. It’s so important that we use our own words to do

teshuvah in front of Hashem, not only on the Yomim Noraim, but every day.

The nation’s intermarriage undoubtedly caused great spiritual blemishes, but they confessed their sins and wiped the slate clean.

The rest of the perek records the tefilah that the Leviim had instructed the people to say. It essentially covers the history of the Jewish nation and how Hashem saved us through it all:

· Hashem is the Master of the World on high, Who gives life to everything.

· Hashem chose Avraham and promised him Eretz Yisrael.

· Hashem heard our cry in Egypt and saved us by the splitting of the sea.

· He protected us with ananei hakavod, clouds of glory in the desert.

· He spoke to us at Har Sinai, gave us Shabbos and the Torah.

· He gave us the mann in the desert.

· Even though we sinned with the cheit ha’egel, You took us back.

· You sustained us in the desert for 40 years, taking care of our every need.

· You made us great in the times of Yehoshua by allowing us to conquer our enemies and Eretz Yisrael.

· You’ve given us so much good even when we sinned.

· Despite our shortcomings, and the times you’ve punished us, You’ve always taken us back.

· Whenever we’ve done teshuva, no matter how severe the sin, you’ve taken us back.

· Now, after so many years, we’re still in exile from our land due to our many transgressions, but in Your amazing kindness You allow us to return! Despite the fact that we still have many difficulties and are full of avieros, You still give us food to eat and protect us!

Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily.

Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day.