Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: Chizuk for the 4th of Tishrei
The Gemara notes that since the destruction of the Holy Temple, an iron wall of sin separates us from Hashem. However, as the Rokeach explains, on the Sabbath all spiritual fog and accusers clear away. The worlds ascend, allowing prayer and Torah study to shine a thousand times brighter. Because the Sabbath represents the King's palace, desecrating it is akin to rebelling against the King inside His own home. If this is true of the Sabbath, it is doubly true of Yom Kippur—the "Sabbath of Sabbaths"—which resembles the World to Come. The Kabbalists and the Ari teach that a supreme light begins descending upon the world even on Erev Yom Kippur.
Preparing for the Days of Atonement
We are actively preparing ourselves for the High Holy Days, remembering that repentance, prayer, and charity avert the evil decree. We plead, "Return us, Our Father, to Your Torah; draw us near, Our King, to Your service; and bring us back in complete repentance before You." As the Rokeach wrote—and as Rabbi Yosef Chaim brought down in Pele Yoetz as a wonder of wonders—a great light of repentance shines during these days. The difference between these holy days and ordinary weekdays is like the difference between light and darkness. Who would be so foolish as not to utilize these holy days when, in an instant, the gates of heaven are open, the Holy One, blessed be He, is with us, and the Divine Presence (Shechinah) descends below?
Standing Before the Gallows: The Status of the Intermediate
The Gemara teaches that during the Ten Days of Repentance, the intermediate individuals (Beinonim) hang in the balance (Tluyim v'Omdim). The masters of Mussar explain this through a vivid image: Imagine a person who has been sentenced to execution. His hands and eyes are bound, the rope is wrapped around his neck, and he is standing on the gallows, moments away from the trapdoor dropping. Suddenly, a Heavenly Voice (Bat Kol) proclaims, "Stop! A merit has been found in his defense; wait for him."
They leave him standing right there on the platform. That is what it means to be "hanging in the balance." The King is watching him closely. The Heavenly Court places a watchful eye on him, examining whether he is truly returning in repentance and regretting his past actions. If they see him shed tears, express true regret, and resolve to change, the decree is issued: "Release him and give him another year to see what happens." But if he remains indifferent, the decree stands. Therefore, one must utilize the present moment immediately.
The Plague and the Car: Awakening to Action
To understand the urgency of this hour, consider a town struck by a severe plague. Everyone lay bedridden and immobilized, except for one infected man who desperately packed his bags. The others asked him, "You have no strength; where are you going?" He replied, "I am running to find a doctor in another town who can heal me!" They urged him, "Why bother? Look around—everyone is lying down. Just lie in bed!" He shouted, "Are you crazy? I want to save my life!" When a person awakens to repentance, he realizes he must act immediately to save himself rather than remain passive.
Similarly, consider a poor man walking down a muddy road in the pouring rain, struggling under a heavy pack. A wealthy gentleman in a magnificent carriage took pity on him, pulled him inside, wrapped him in warmth, and offered him food and drink. Intimidated and overwhelmed, the poor man remained silent and withdrawn the entire ride. When they reached town and the poor man stepped down, bystanders asked him, "Did you speak with the gentleman?" He answered, "No." They exclaimed, "Do you not realize that was the Emperor himself? You were in the King's carriage! You could have asked for anything to transform your life, yet you said nothing?" We are currently riding in the carriage of the Holy One, blessed be He. We must do everything in our power right now to secure our lives, for no one knows what tomorrow brings—just as a person can be taken in an instant on a motorcycle only days before Rosh Hashanah.
The Holiness of Yom Kippur and the Light of the Sabbath
It is written, "Days were fashioned, and one among them was His." Out of all the days created, Hashem chose specific times to sanctify. Regarding Yom Kippur, the Torah states, "It shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest (Sabbath of Sabbaths) unto you." The phrasing implies a double Sabbath. Tanna DeBei Eliyahu explains that just as Hashem chose the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath, He established Yom Kippur as the ultimate spiritual rest.
The Ben Ish Chai, referencing Parashat Shemot, notes that one hour of Torah study on the Sabbath is equivalent to 1,000 hours on a weekday. The Rashash considers it worth far more, while the Rabbi of Kisse Rachamim states that an hour of Sabbath study equals a year, and studying Zohar on the Sabbath equals 70 years of weekday study.
Rabbi Eliyahu HaKohen of Izmir, author of Shevet Mussar, provides insight into why time functions differently on holy days. He relates an event in Izmir where he was called to exorcise a dybbuk from a possessed man. Through holy unifications (Yichudim), the Rabbi discovered the spirit belonged to a wicked man undergoing intense torments in the Kaf HaKela (the spiritual slingshot). As the spirit spoke through the victim, the onlookers wept because they recognized the deceased man, who publicly exposed their past sins. The Rabbi ordered the doors locked to contain the spirit and eventually offered to perform a rectification (Tikkun) for the soul if it agreed to leave the host body.
Before driving the spirit out, Rabbi Eliyahu asked, "As a spirit unconfined by a physical body, how do you see this world?" The spirit answered, "This entire world is filled with darkness, burning coals, sulfur, fog, and smoke. Human sins and futile pleasures create heavy barriers that separate people from their Father in Heaven."
The Gemara notes that since the destruction of the Holy Temple, an iron wall of sin separates us from Hashem. However, as the Rokeach explains, on the Sabbath all spiritual fog and accusers clear away. The worlds ascend, allowing prayer and Torah study to shine a thousand times brighter. Because the Sabbath represents the King's palace, desecrating it is akin to rebelling against the King inside His own home. If this is true of the Sabbath, it is doubly true of Yom Kippur—the "Sabbath of Sabbaths"—which resembles the World to Come. The Kabbalists and the Ari teach that a supreme light begins descending upon the world even on Erev Yom Kippur.
Atonement, Refining the Body, and the Angels
Yom Kippur provides a level of spiritual purification that reaches the highest realms. Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer, quoting Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, observed that if a person were to fast all year, sit in ice, roll in snow, and whip himself with thorns, he still could not achieve the atonement that Yom Kippur provides in a single day. The essence of the day itself polishes the soul clean.
On Yom Kippur, the human body is refined to resemble an angel. The Gemara discusses how if a pregnant woman smells food on Yom Kippur, people whisper to her that today is Yom Kippur; if her mind is settled by the reminder, she refrains from eating. The Chatam Sofer asks why whispering works on Yom Kippur when it would not curb a craving on a normal weekday. He explains that a fetus in the womb is taught the entire Torah and exists in extreme holiness, but the physical body of the mother acts as a barrier. On Yom Kippur, the physical body becomes so refined that the fetus can absorb the spiritual reality of the day when whispered to.
On this day, the Nation of Israel stands like ministering angels, clothed in white and reciting "Baruch Shem" out loud. While angels normally surround the Holy One, blessed be He, on Yom Kippur Hashem descends among Israel, and Israel surrounds Him. At the conclusion of the day, we recite seven times, "Hashem, He is the L-rd!" to escort the Shechinah back upward. We walk barefoot just as the priests served in the Holy Temple, honoring the command to "remove your shoes from off your feet."
Hashem informed Adam that Yom Kippur would serve as an eternal day of atonement: "For on this day He shall atone for you, to cleanse you." The word Yechaper ("He shall atone") begins with the letter Yod, symbolizing the highest level of Divine closeness. Furthermore, the numerical value of HaSatan (The Satan) is 364—one short of the 365 days of the solar year. On this one day, Yom Kippur, the accuser has no power or permission to prosecute. Rabbi Yisrael Salanter remarked that even if Yom Kippur occurred only once every 70 years, we would still need to celebrate; how much more so when we are granted it every year! Wanting to sleep through such a day is like a groom sleeping through his own wedding to play soccer. It is a day of supreme joy and reconciliation.
The Elevator Analogy and the Nature of Divine Forgiveness
Consider a man suffering from a rare disease who travels abroad to consult a world-renowned specialist on the 40th floor of a hospital. Arriving for his appointment, he finds the elevators out of service. Desperate to be healed, he slowly climbs the stairs floor by floor. He reaches the 39th floor, right outside the doctor's office, but suddenly grows lazy, slowing down to examine the paintings on the wall. It would be foolish to stall on the 39th floor after climbing so far. Similarly, as we reach the threshold of Yom Kippur, we must not grow sluggish; we must pour all our strength into repentance and good deeds.
The Kli Yakar explains that on Yom Kippur, Israel rises above the limits of standard time. The verse states, "He shall not enter at all times," indicating that normal temporal boundaries do not apply. The Throne of Glory is lowered into this world, allowing every Jew to stand directly before Hashem like a ministering angel.
A penitent (ba'al teshuvah) once approached Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin, overwhelmed by his numerous sins, and asked how his prayers could possibly be accepted. The Rabbi directed him to the liturgy: "For You are a Pardoner (Salchan) to Israel, and a Forgiver to the tribes of Yeshurun." The text uses the term Salchan (one who habitually pardons) rather than Soleach (one who pardons).
In Jewish law, if you see an enemy's donkey collapsing under its burden, you are obligated to help unburden it. However, if the donkey is a habitual croucher (ravtzan) that constantly lies down laziness every time it sees people, you are not obligated to assist it. Human beings might refuse to help a habitual offender, but the Holy One, blessed be He, does not act like a human being. Hashem is a Salchan—endlessly and habitually forgiving. Even if a person sins a thousand times and returns, Hashem grants forgiveness every single time.
A great light descends from the higher understanding (Binah) on this day to cleanse and wash the individual, prompting thoughts of repentance and inviting him to open a new page.
Hashem forgives us because He relates to us as a father to a son. A father provides his son with capital to build a business, wanting him to succeed and bring joy. If the son squanders the money on luxuries and aids his father's enemies, the father becomes angry. But if the son realizes his foolishness, falls at his father's feet, and begs for forgiveness, the father's love overcomes his anger and he pardons him. Hashem desires our good; when we return to Him and make sincere commitments, He listens and forgives.
This truth is reflected in the parable of young Rabbi Yonatan Eybeschutz. As a child, he saw beautiful apples set aside for the Sabbath and asked his mother for one. When she refused, he waited a short while, walked up to her, and loudly recited the blessing: "Blessed are You, Hashem our L-rd, King of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the tree!" His mother was forced to let him eat the apple so that his blessing would not be made in vain. In the same way, when we recite the blessing declaring Hashem as the "King who pardons and forgives," Hashem forgives us so that His holy Name and blessing are fulfilled.