The Awesome Holiness of Yom Kippur

This special edition of Yitzi's Parsha Preview is dedicated in Memory of my mother's Yartzeit Ramo Bat Avraham may her neshama have an aliyah and her memory act as a blessing to us all.

The Torah States in Parsha Acharei in the book of Vayikra 16:29

“This shall remain for you an eternal decree: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves, and you shall not do any work, neither the native nor the convert who dwells among you.”

“For on this day He shall provide atonement for you to cleanse you; from all your sins before Hashem shall you be cleansed.”

The Sefer HaChinuch (Rabbi Aharon HaLevi of Barcelona 1235-c. 1290), mitzvah 185 writes;

“The basis of this mitzvah is due to God’s kindness towards the Jewish people He established one day a year upon which they can atone for their sins by the teshuvah they do. If there sins would accumulate each year, their limit would be reached within a few years and the world would have to be destroyed. Therefore, in order for the world to exist, God, in His wisdom, established one day a year to enable those who repent to receive atonement for their sins.”

In order to understand the deeper meaning of atonement we must look at the concept of sin (averot) and Repentance (Teshuva). Averot can be classified into two sub categories broken down as follows:

Mitzvot Bien Adam L’chavero –Laws between Man and his friend. Speaking Lashon Hara loosely translated as speaking ill of others is an example of this category.

Mitzvot Bein Adam L’Makom- Laws between Man and G-d. Hanging a mezuzah is an example of this category.

So how does Hashem forgive us I won’t go into specific detail. For a deeper understanding of how to achieve atonement please see http://parshapreview.blogspot.com/2010/09/rosh-hashanah-why-does-it-take-so-long.html listed is a breakdown of how to do Teshuvah.

Hashem forgives us as follows:

When we transgress a Mitzvah Bein Adam L’chavero we need to seek out the person we wronged and ask their forgivness.

There are very specific Halachot (Jewish Law) regarding the asking of forgiveness:

The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 606:1) writes:

“One does not earn atonement on Yom Kippur for offenses committed against other people unless he receives their forgiveness. Therefore, it is imperative for a person to approach those people whom he has wronged during the year to ask them forgiveness before Yom Kippur. This applies to both financial and verbal offenses. In the case of a financial offense, of course, one must also return the funds in question.”

“If the victim does not grant forgiveness when the offender first approaches him, the offender should return to him, as many as three times. He then earns atonement even if the victim still refuses to forgive.”

As the Be’ur Halacha (commentary by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933) notes, it appears from the Shulhan Aruch’s presentation of this Halacha that a person should approach the victim accompanied by three people. Even when he approaches the victim for the first time, according to the Shulhan Aruch, he should bring three people along with him. The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, 1135-1204), however, on the basis of the Talmud Yerushalmi, maintains that when the offender approaches the victim for the first time he does not have to bring three people with him. If the victim refuses to forgive, then he should return as many as three times together with three other people. The Kaf Ha’haim (Rabbi Yaakov Haim Sofer, 1870-1939) writes that the accepted practice follows the Rambam’s view, and thus one is not required to bring three people the first time he approaches his fellow to request forgiveness.

The importance of requesting forgiveness from one’s fellow before Yom Kippur cannot be overstated. According to some opinions, one cannot even earn atonement for sins committed against God if he does not receive forgiveness from the people whom he had wronged. Furthermore, the Kaf Ha’haim writes that if a person does not seek his friend’s forgiveness before Yom Kippur, then the prosecuting angel comes before God and argues against this person. The angel contends that the person is not concerned about his sins, as evidenced by his unwillingness to ask for his fellow’s forgiveness, and therefore should not be granted atonement on Yom Kippur. One must therefore make every effort before Yom Kippur to make amends with all those whom he had wronged over the course of the year.

Finally, the Sages also emphasize the importance of granting forgiveness to others. The Rabbis teach that one should not be “cruel” by refusing to grant forgiveness to somebody who offended him. A person who willingly grants forgiveness to others will earn God’s forgiveness for whatever sins he may have committed.

Once transgressions are forgiven by man can we proceed to the next level of forgiveness from Hashem.

So this whole process commences with Rosh Chodesh Elul. A great example of this would be a summons to court. An individual summoned to court does not wait till the day of their trial to commence the defense.

Many months prior to the court date a solid defence is planned till the day they face their judge.
So too the process of Teshuvah begins. The month of Elul is set aside to begin our preparation for repentance. We find a remez (hint) in the name of the month. "Elul" has been interpreted as an acronym, with its Hebrew letters "Aleph," "Lamed," "Vav," "Lamed" representing the words "Ani L'Dodi V'Dodi Li" (Song of Songs: 6,3). The words mean "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine," where my "Beloved" is G-d, and "I" am the Jewish People.

Of course Teshuvah can begin at any time, however, Rosh Chodesh Elul is considered a very auspicious time. In our quest for forgiveness we move onto the next level.

It is written in the Talmud, in the tractate on Rosh Hashanah that three books of account are opened on Rosh ha-Shanah, wherein the fate of the wicked, the righteous, and those of an intermediate class are recorded. The names of the righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life, and they are sealed "to live." The middle class are allowed a respite of ten days till Yom Kippur, to repent and become righteous ; the wicked are "blotted out of the book of the living" .

Rabbi Nehorai said, "Why were ten days of Divine Compassion granted the Jewish People? It was compensation for the Ten Tests that 'Avraham Avinu' "took" and passed, as it were, with "flying colors;" therefore, HaShem gave his descendants the Ten Days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom HaKippurim.

And corresponding to the Ten Commandments that the Jewish People accepted wholeheartedly, did HaShem promise that if the Jewish People would do "Teshuvah" during the Ten Days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom HaKippurim, that He would accept it wholeheartedly!
(Tana Devei Eliyahu Zuta; Chapter 22)

Finally, the awesome holiness of Yom Kippur the addition of the Neil’a service is recited. The literal translation of the name Neil’a means “closing”. This alludes to the fact that that the holy Day of atonement is drawing to a close, at which time the gates of Heavenly Mercy wiil be closed. In this prayer, the standard Yom Kippur Amidah are recited, but the Vidduy concludes with a paragraph that speaks of Hashem’s wish that man repent rather than suffer punishment. It inspires one to seize the opportunity during the closing minutes of the day to achieve true and sincere repentance.

May this year bring much Bracha, Hatzlacha for all of Knesset Yisrael and that we merit the return of The Beit Hamikdash and the true atonement that Yom Kippur service brings.

Gmar Chatimah Tovah!!