There is no
question that the highlight of our family's week is Shabbat. The house is cleaned;
the kitchen smells of my wife's delicious cooking. When our children return
from school, there are showers to take, clothes to put away, a table to set and
lights to be programmed. With so much to do, what do our children do? They take
of their shoes, grab a snack, and sit down to watch TV. With so much to do,
they actually have the chutzpah to watch TV acting as if they have so much
leisure time? Eventually everyone is ready for Shabbat. Candles are lit,
blessings are made, and food is served, and eaten. Songs are sung Birkat
Hamazon is said, and the table is cleared. Kids go up to bed. My wife reads, I
study the weekly Torah portion read and then go to sleep. On Shabbat, again the
combination of the physical and the spiritual occur. We go to Shul, I have a
L'chayim or two of single malt scotch, enjoy a piece of shmaltz herring, and
then go home to lunch. We eat, we sing songs, and we say Birkat HaMazon. If the
weather is nice, we take a walk and visit friends, if not, the kids play
quietly in the basement and I close my eyes for a few minutes. I then go back
to Shul for Mincha and Maariv. Shabbat is very unique day in which the
physical and the spiritual combine in a perfect symmetry and create the opportunity
for a truly wonderful day. Ever mindful of our physical existence, Shabbat is
the day where our physical existence is infused with spirituality. Shabbat is
the day where we bring Olam Habah, and Gan Eden down to us and our physical
existence.
This Shabbat, Jews throughout the world will be celebrating Yom Kippur –The Day of Atonement. The name of the day does sound rather solemn. For most Jews, Yom Kippur is considered a rather somber sort of day and a day in which we are supposed to “afflict” ourselves. In Masechet Yoma (the Talmudic tractate that focus on Yom Kippur), five afflictions are mentioned as part of Yom Kippur. These five afflictions are: fasting (no food or drink from sunset to sunset); washing; anointing; wearing of leather, and marital relations. While Shabbat is the day we do not afflict ourselves, when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, Yom Kippur supersedes the laws of Shabbat. Only Yom Kippur supersedes Shabbat in terms of importance. It is known as Shabbat Shabbaton – the Sabbath of all Sabbaths. How can a day in which we physical afflict ourselves supersede the one day of the week where we miraculously bring the spiritual world down to our physical world?
Maybe we need to re-examine
those afflictions as well as what the objective on Yom Kippur is. The Midrash
explains that Yom Kippur is the day that Moshe Rabeinu re-ascended the mountain and received the
second set of the Aseret Dibrot, the second set of commandments. Remember, the
first set was destroyed when Moshe saw Bnai Yisroel worshipping the Eigel
Zahav, the Golden calf. In his anger, Moshe smashed the first set of stone
tablets. During this second revelation,
this more private sort of revelation, Moshe had begged God to be permitted to
see God’s face. While God rejected Moshe’s request, God did in fact allow Moshe
to see God’s back as God passed (Exodus Chapter 33). During these 40 days and nights, (beginning
on Elul 1 and concluding on Yom Kippur), Moshe fasted. On the one hand, he experienced a physical
affliction due to the lack of food. On the other hand, he had the opportunity
to be as near God as was humanly possible. In that moment he had become more
spiritual than physical. Yes we afflict
ourselves. However, the “afflictions” are base on the desire to be more
spiritual than physical. The “afflictions” are based upon our desire to be as
close to God as humanly possible. Our “afflictions” are based upon our desire
to experience God from the exalted position of the Angels without care or concern
to our physical existence. The Atonement therefore is not the sole purpose of
the day. The ultimate purpose of the day is to be as close to God as possible.
How can we be close to God if we are ensconced in the physical realm? How can
we be close to God if we need to atone for our spiritual shortcomings (our
Chetaim –sins)? Our spiritual shortcomings are just that, short of God.
Atonement allows us to be closer. Closer to God is a good thing. Closeness to
God is the main objective of Yom Kippur. When we achieve this, we should be
totally happy, at ease in utterly in awed just like Moshe was when he descended
the mountain the second time with the second set of tablet. God’s spiritual light emanated from Moshe.
Who wouldn’t be happy if that happened to each and every one of us?
Rather than thinking of Yom Kippur as so somber and serious, it is the
one day of the year where we purposefully supersede Shabbat. Rather than
bringing HaKadosh Baruch Hu down to us, Yom Kippur is the day that we elevate
our souls towards the Kadosh Baruch Hu. The experience should be much more “awe”
as in “awesome” instead of somber. That experience ought to fill us with awe,
joy, and leave us radiating light.
Gmar Chatima Tov -May we all be sealed
in the Book of Life
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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