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. With teenage children in the house,
there is an expectation that they contribute to the Shabbat preparations. They
are expected to have their rooms picked up, shower, set the table, and help in
any of the last minute cooking or baking preparations and the ensuing clean up.
Inevitably, one of them is on the phone, or the computer slacking off. After a
gentle reminder or three, and sometimes a less gentle reminder, the
preparations resume with everyone contributing. When we finally sit down to our
meal, we all take a deep breath as we are ever mindful of the physical
preparation that was required in order to appreciate such a spiritually
powerful moment. So as we sing “Shalom Aleichem”, bless our children, and chant
Eishet Chayil, and I see the Shabbat Candles burning; our home has achieved a
level of spirituality that is very different from the weekday. 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?
The Midrash explains that Yom
Kippur is the day that Moshe 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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