Yom Kippur (יום כפור) — the Day of Atonement

Core definition

Yom Kippur is the culmination of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah: the day of pardon and forgiveness in which teshuvah reaches its essence — "the very essence of the day atones" — and the supernal level of Atik (רדל״א) is drawn to the souls below [58849/maamar_004 :: Overview; 58846/maamar_002 :: Overview]. The second luchos were given on Yom Kippur, when Yisrael were baalei teshuvah (Moshe's forty days from Rosh Chodesh Elul) — hence their superiority, "kiflayim l'tushiyah" (double in sound wisdom), the Torah of baalei teshuvah [58849/maamar_004 :: Overview].

How the Rebbeim develop it

Atik's revelation. "Yom Kippur = Atik — רדל״א." Hence on Yom Kippur there is no eating and drinking — "in the future's image: they will not receive their vitality from eating and drinking — but 'ונחי׳ לפניו': living in the ohr Ein Sof's essential vitality — in such an image on Yom Kippur too" [58846/maamar_002 :: Overview]. The day's movement is ascent: on Yom Kippur "in an ascent — ascending in the essence — as known in the Neilah's ascent: Malchus ascending in her root in רדל״א to her root's first root in the ohr Ein Sof's essence" [58846/maamar_002 :: Overview]. "הסליחה מופקדת אצלך מר״ה עד יוה״כ — on Yom Kippur the forgiveness drawn" — the main drawing is above on Yom Kippur, while its revelation below comes on Sukkos (as makif) and Shemini Atzeres (in inwardness) [58846/maamar_002 :: Overview].

The second luchos. At Mattan Torah they were tzaddikim — "zuhama ceased, the essence of the soul shone" — and the first luchos came with thunder, for "tzaddikim walk in revelation." The second luchos came in secrecy, "for the baal teshuvah walks 'hatznei'a leches'" [58849/maamar_004 :: Overview]. "Yom Kippur is pardon and forgiveness — the inner drawing-down through teshuvah; hence 'kiflayim l'tushiyah.' Intentional sins become merits ('they draw him with greater force'), in the manner of ohr chozer: the tzaddik's mitzvos are ohr yashar (revelation of the supernal will), the baal teshuvah's are darkness transformed into light" [58849/maamar_004 :: Overview]. The chiddush: the second luchos' "kiflayim l'tushiyah" is "the revelation of ta'alumos chochmah (both Torah's chochmah and creation's chochmah) that enables all the world's birurim, fulfilling 'dirah ba'tachtonim'" [58849/maamar_004 :: Overview].

Teshuvah's order. "The teshuvah of Yom Kippur (regret at Minchah and the pre-Yom Kippur confession; acceptance for the future on Yom Kippur itself — 'the very essence of the day atones')" [58849/maamar_004 :: Overview]. Then Ne'ilah's revelation of "the point of Jewishness": "'Shema Yisrael' — actual mesirus nefesh; 'Havayah hu ha'Elokim' — complete yichud, seven times" — "bring the great essential joy — like the son delighting in the father's very essence" [58849/maamar_004 :: Overview].

The prince parable. The day's dynamic is illustrated by the prince: "absence of bitul leads to inattention, transgression, captivity; the prince's essential strength returns him in utter regret, arousing the father's essence to pardon and reconciliation — mutual essential joy. 'All Yisrael are princes'... the king is essential exaltation revealed through the crown of kingship; coronation is the people's bitul; sons are from the essence of the father's brain — their deeds touch in essence" [58849/maamar_004 :: Overview].

Customs. The likut minhagim records: the kittel worn only on Yom Kippur; the Rebbe's house candles ("teshuvah licht," "lebendige licht," the neshama-candle); kreplach on Erev Yom Kippur; the Yom Kippur-night and Ne'ilah customs; the morrow of Yom Kippur called "Gots nomen" (with the Baal Shem Tov's explanation — no particular Name, neither Havayah nor Adni) [15720/maamar_010 :: Overview].

Key distinctions

Related concepts

Sources