The Most Beautiful Day

When you think of the “Day of Love,” naturally you think about Tu B’Av. Indeed, the Gemara tells us at on Tu B’Av, the young maidens would dress in white and dance in the orchards, and people would make matches between the men and women looking to get married. But remarkably, this happened on another day of the year as well – Yom Kippur. Indeed, the Mishnah Taanit tells us that, “No days were as festive for the Jewish people as Tu B’Av and Yom Kippur.” 

Wait a minute! Yom Kippur is supposed to be a day of fasting, praying all day, and being extremely serious. You are begging for your life from the King of Kings! How does this day become “festive” and even an equivalent “Day of Love” to Tu B’Av?! 

The answer stems from the same topic I have been discussing without end recently: G-d is our loving Father in Heaven! Avinu Malkeinu – G-d is definitely our King, but first and foremost, he is our Father! Daddy! Abba! Who loves us, only wants us to have every good, and shares in our sorrow and pain! 

In fact, I take it one step further: If you don’t believe in G-d, Hashem, Who loves you like an only child – then you don’t truly believe in G-d! Instead, you believe in a figment of your imagination – not the true Hashem. 

[Editor’s Note: Growing up in the Western world, we are taught the image of god as some big, strong man in a cloud, ready to hit us with a lightning bolt whenever we do something wrong – and sometimes even saying to ourselves that what we did must not be so bad if that lightning bolt didn’t strike – but that image is Zeus, idolatry, and has nothing to do with Judaism and the true attributes of Hashem.]

So, out of Hashem’s great love for us, G-d calls us to Him to come close to Him, to clean the slate, to start anew. G-d created a day for forgiveness in the merit of Moshe Rabbeinu, for on this day G-d said to Moses “I have forgiven as you have said” and atonement was given to the Jewish people for the sin of the golden calf. This day is the most beautiful day,of love and closeness between G-d and the Jewish people, when we reveal our true selves – not as physical beings, but as spiritual beings that are on a level even higher than angels! It’s so wonderful, that we wish that it wouldn’t have to end! 

Therefore we do not act like humans on this day – we don’t eat or drink, we do not shower or wear leather shoes, the men wear their Tallit even at the Maariv evening prayers and we call out in a loud voice like the angels (instead of the usual hush): “Blessed is the Name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever!” after Shema. These laws are not meant to afflict us – rather, they are here to remind us of our exalted state on this holy day. 

What about all those Confessions we recite the entire day, over and over? And not only do we repeat the Confession many times, but it goes into the greatest detail – for this sin, and for that sin, and also this sin and and and… I read an incredible explanation of this practice from Rabbi Natan of Breslev, the primary student of Rebbe Nachman who so completely grasped the teachings of Rebbe Nachman to such an extent, that his own teachings are just extensions of Rebbe Nachman’s teachings.  

Rebbe Natan explains that oftentimes when we hurt someone, we don’t know how to appease them. We’re afraid that if we try to apologize we could make it worse, or that they will be angry and insult us, etc. etc. Now imagine that person said, “Today, I am forgiving everyone happily! Just come tell me what you did, and you’re forgiven.” How would you run to tell them everything! And not just in general, but you would go into great detail, “Oh, I did this, and two years ago I did that to you, and when I was a kid you didn’t know but…” 

This is Yom Kippur! Our loving Father in Heaven gives us the incredible opportunity to come to Him with everything, to wipe the slate totally clean, to have no separations, no anger, no sins, no mistakes clouding up our relationship with Him.  

This is why the wedding day is considered to be a mini Yom Kippur for the bride and groom, when they also fast and recite the Confession during the Mincha afternoon prayers before the chuppah. Because on Yom Kippur, we come back together in love and togetherness with G-d, with no old baggage in between. It’s the greatest day of love that there ever could be – between man and His Creator! 

Therefore, prepare yourself! Start now to write a list for all the things that you want to be forgiven for, and everything you wish that you could make right – from the past year, and your entire life.  

On Yom Kippur, have these things in mind when you are saying the Confession, and spend your entire hour of personal prayer on this holy day praying for forgiveness for these things, and asking Hashem to help you in the future. And especially, fill yourself with desire to serve Hashem properly and truly, and to forge and strengthen your personal relationship with G-d. 

If all that wasn’t enough, there is a wonderful cherry on top to this already rosy picture. Yom Kippur is the best day to bring down incredible salvation, solve your problems, and end your suffering! 

It’s simple. G-d loves us and He never wants us to suffer, and He never punishes. But when we sin, we inevitably create breakages and blockages, which cause us to suffer. As I explain in The Garden of Emuna – there is no suffering without sin. Therefore, whatever suffering you have, has a root cause, a root sin. The root of every sin is always a lack of emuna, but oftentimes there are other sins that are also included in whatever mistake we made. 

But wait, we just said that Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement! When all the sins get wiped away and we start anew! Therefore, this is the day to pour yourself into praying for Hashem to forgive you for whatever sin you did that caused your suffering! Again, pray at length over each problem you have, asking Hashem to understand what you did wrong, to forgive you and help you do better in the future. Once there is no sin remaining – then there is no suffering!!! 

I hope you use this opportunity to fill yourself with love of Hashem, and truly feel Hashem’s love for you. May you all be sealed for good and long life, amen!