Happy Yom Kippur

At the beginning of Yom Kippur, we recite the blessing of Shehecheyanu in shul, thanking G-d “who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.” The Talmud in Eruvin (40b) teaches that the basis for the blessing of Shehecheyanu on all holidays is the experience of joy. Yom Kippur is not your typical joyous occasion. There is no eating and drinking. We spend all day in shul. The mood is rather somber and serious. And yet we recite Shehecheyanu- just like every other Yom Tov. Moreover, the Talmud elsewhere (Taanit 26) teaches that not only is Yom Kippur a Holiday, it is the most joyous of them all:

“There are no happier days on the Jewish calendar than the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur.”

As we find ourselves now at the beginning of Yom Kippur, it is worthwhile to appreciate why Yom Kippur is a day of such immense joy.

Towards the beginning of the creation story in Breishit the verse says,

“It was morning and it was evening, one day”

The Midrash notes that to be consistent with subsequent days of creation, the term should have been “Yom Rishon”, the first day. The Midrash states “Yom Echad- Zeh Yom Hakippurim”. Echad refers to a unique day, unlike any other day. This is an appropriate designation for Yom Kippur. Why is it appropriate to identify Yom Kippur as Echad, singularly unique?

Today is unique from all other days because today the rules of time and causality are superseded. In addition to Yom Hakippurim, the Torah calls today Shabbat Shabaton, which can be translated as a day of complete rest. The Torah is hinting at a relationship between Yom Kippur and Shabbat. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik suggests that Yom Kippur symbolizes an idea that challenges the meaning of Shabbat. Shabbat is a testament to G-d’s creation of the physical world. The physical world is bound by rules. It is a world where cause and effect occur in a dependable way. It is also a world in which the progression of time cannot be stopped nor reversed.

In our world, if you break something, the best you can do is fix it. And if it’s something fragile, like a glass or a mirror, chances are you will not even be able to fix it. It is impossible to un-break something. Nevertheless, the idea of un-doing is the foundation of Teshuva. By exercising our free will and approaching G-d in sincere repentance we can transcend time and undo the spiritual blemish that had been caused by sin. The Gemara in Nedarim (39) states that Teshuva is one of the concepts that G-d created prior to the world’s creation. Hashem had to create the notion of repentance first, because it challenges the natural order. It doesn’t make sense- and yet it works. Yom Kippur is a day especially set aside for teshuva. And for that we are happy.         

And today is unique from all other days because G-d comes to us in order to encourage and facilitate our teshuva. The rest of the year, we must be the ones to seek out G-d in order to repent. On Yom Kippur there is no need to find G-d. As the pasuk says, “Lifnei Hashem- Titharu.” Today we are already Lifnei Hashem, before G-d. All that we need to do is reach out and call Him. Today it’s not even a long-distance call; on Yom Kippur all calls to Hashem are local. We should remember that G-d is close by, cheering us on. He wants us to succeed. At the beginning of Kol Nidrei we said, “Al Daat HaMakom”. We refered to G-d as Makom, the Omnipresent. It is a subtle reminder that even as we come to terms with our deficiencies and how distant we have made ourselves from Hashem, He is still HaMakom, always right by our sides.

Let us cherish this unique day that is Yom Kippur. Let us celebrate the opportunities that this day affords us and let us maximize the lasting impact that it can have on our lives.