|  Yom
Kippur is all about love and forgiveness. It's about
how we are always inseparably one with G-d. On Yom
Kippur we get a glimpse of ourselves, our choices
and our relationship to G-d from another perspective
— G-d's perspective. This is the transformational
power that makes it into a Day of Atonement and forgiveness.
There
is a cryptic verse in the Book of Psalms (139:16),
which, the Sages say, refers to Yom Kippur:
The
days were formed, and one of them is His.
Everyday
of the year we see the world from our perspective
but, on Yom Kippur we get a glimpse of the way the
world looks from G-d's perspective and everything
changes in light of that perspective. We see it all
from the perspective of the World to Come where you
get to see the whole picture.
The
Talmud teaches that in this world when something good
happens to us, we praise G-d — "Blessed is He Who
is good and does good." When something bad happens
we must say — "Blessed is He Who is a true Judge."
However, in the future we will say - "Blessed is He
Who is good and does good," even about the misfortunes
in our lives.
In
other words, when we will look back and see the whole
picture, we will realize that every bad event that
happened to us contributed to G-d's plan to bring
upon us ultimate goodness. This is also true about
every bad act we that we did.
According
to Jewish Mysticism, although we have the free choice
to do other than G-d's will, G-d is always in control.
In other words, even when we can do other than G-d's
will we cannot oppose His will or undermine
His plan.
Therefore,
when we have done wrong and are sorry for that, we
must realize that no matter what we have done, it
can all be recycled back into G-d's plan and contribute
to the ultimate good of the world. Of course this
does not mean that we can just go ahead and do wrong.
The path of transgression removes us from G-d. This
distance causes us feelings of alienation and spiritual
anguish which may become manifest as physical ailment.
However,
if you sincerely regret your wrongdoings and resolve
never to do them again then you are forgiven and your
past will be recycled and put towards future good.
Yom
Kippur is an amazing day of transformation where your
darkest deeds from the past turn into light. This
is because the light of the World to Come, so to speak,
is shining into our world on this day. You can receive
this light and be transformed by it if you plug yourself
into the expanded consciousness of Yom Kippur through
the proper acts, prayers and thoughts prescribed for
the day.
THE
DAY OF AT-ONE-MENT
The
joyous truth of G-d's oneness is shining bright and
clear on Yom Kippur. Torah teaches that G-d is not
just the one and only ruling power and there are no
other G-ds, but that G-d is absolutely the one and
only reality — there is nothing but G-d and we exist
within G-d. That does not mean that you and I are
the Almighty G-d. However, we are souls — sparks,
aspects and expressions of G-d. We do not exist apart
from Him but rather within Him.
In
other words, as it is explained in Jewish Mysticism,
G-d created a space within Himself, so to speak, and
created beings other than Himself. This self-imposed
limitation is called Tzimtzum — the restriction
or the withdrawal of divinity. G-d withdraws and limits
His endless presence to create a space and a place
for beings other than Himself — free beings who can
do other than His will.
We
exist within G-d similar to the existence of an idea
within the mind of its thinker. The difference, however,
is that an idea has no free choice. We, however, have
free choice but mysteriously any choice we make still
remains within the context of G-d and the confines
of G-d's will. Therefore, we are free and yet, ironically,
G-d is still absolutely in control. We are free to
disobey and do other than G-d's will, but we are not
able to oppose G-d's will or undermine His plan. This,
of course, is a paradox that cannot be comprehended
by our rational minds.
What
difference, then, do our choices make?
Our
real choice is whether to become a conscious partner
to G-d in the making of history or an unconscious
tool for G-d. We can choose to do G-d's will and contribute
to His plan in an active and conscious way, and thereby,
experience the ecstasy of the unchangeable truth that
G-d is one and we are one with G-d. Or, we can choose
to oppose G-d's will and ironically, through our own
choices, fulfill G-d's plan without even knowing it.
When we do this, however, we deny ourselves the joyous
knowledge of our inseparable connection to G-d and
instead painfully suffer feelings of alienation and
separation from G-d.
We
only choose to disobey G-d's will when we mistakenly
think that we exist separate and independent from
G-d. When we do that, we support and nurture these
illusions about ourselves. In essence our wrongdoings
are actually our own punishment. They make us feel
disconnected, alienated and isolated from G-d, who
is actually the ground, context and essence of our
very existence.
In
other words, our choices create our own heaven or
hell.
THE
JOY OF REGRET
Unlike
Rosh Hashanah, on Yom Kippur I can confess all my
sins to G-d with the realization that they too can
contribute to His plan. On Yom Kippur, when G-d's
oneness is so manifest, the mention of our sins can
be a source of greater light. This is not so for Rosh
Hashanah — the day of judgment. On Rosh Hashanah I
already feel so far away from G-d because of my wrongdoings;
I wouldn't want to even mention a sin and add to my
feelings of distance. But on Yom Kippur when G-d's
oneness is so revealed and the light of His eternal
love for us is shining, don't be afraid. Confess your
transgressions even a million times. In fact, be as
clear and precise as you can because on Yom Kippur
you actually experience greater love precisely from
every single wrong you regret you did. Moments of
love are the best time to remember the times we wronged
each other because when we feel so at one with each
other we are able to appreciate how all the conflict
of the past, in the end, actually served to enhance
our unity. In a funny way conflicts are great for
relationships. Once the storm calms and we stop yelling
at each other, we suddenly feel so foolish, we then
uncontrollably embrace and profusely apology. In the
back of our minds, however, there is this very strange
sense of satisfaction and appreciation that this was
a great fight. The conflict, alienation and separation
that it created actually contributed to a heightened
awareness of our true love and eternal oneness. The
best time to remember your mistakes and wrongdoings
and ask forgiveness of your beloved is in moments
of love. The contrast between the bad times that were
and the good time that is happening right now generates
even greater feelings of love and appreciation. Therefore,
the dark conflicts of the past when viewed in the
present light of love actually serve to intensify
the brilliance and warmth of the moment. Yom Kippur
reveals the truth that G-d's love forever shines upon
us. It is only our foolish attitudes and wrongdoings
that have blocked out the light creating the dark
shadows in our life. As the prophet Isaiah said in
the name of G-d, "It is only your wrongdoings that
separates you and Me." On Yom Kippur, the timeless
truth of G-d's oneness and our oneness with G-d is
bright and clear. So on Yom Kippur let it rip. Remember
every dumb and wrong thing you ever did that seemed
to separate you from G-d because on Yom Kippur it
only adds to the ecstasy of love and the joy of forgiveness.
G-d allows us to make mistakes and do wrong because
He knows that eventually the painful feelings of alienation
will increase and enhance the ecstasy of our love.
FEELING
ONE-DERFUL
The
purpose of a mitzvah is to promote G-d's oneness and
our oneness with G-d. Sins, on the other hand, promote
separateness and create feelings of conflict and alienation.
But when the separateness is recycled to promote the
oneness, then really what you have is a mitzvah. Therefore,
your sins can be converted into the value of mitzvot.
This can happen only when your penitence is motivated
by your love for G-d and your desire to experience
G-d's oneness and your oneness with G-d.
Penitence
motivated by fear of punishment does not accomplish
this transformation. Penitence out of fear is based
on the perspective that I exist separate and independent
of G-d, I am here on earth and G-d is over there in
heaven and I should not act against G-d's will for
fear of punishment. Penitence from fear cancels out
the negative effects of sins but it cannot transform
them into the positive force of mitzvos.
THE
FAST TRACK TO ONENESS
The
Talmud teaches that in the World to Come we do not
eat or drink, we are simply satiated by our feelings
of closeness to G-d. On Yom Kippur, because we are
basking in the light of the World to Come we too are
satiated by our intimate experience with G-d. When
the light of G-d's oneness is shining we do not want
our bodies to create shadows. It is the body that
promotes the illusion that we exist independent and
separate from G-d.
Our
bodies suggest that we exist in this sack of skin
separate from the rest of existence. Therefore we
fast, we do not feed our bodies, nor do we even relate
to our bodies on Yom Kippur. We abstain not only from
eating and drinking but also from all bodily pleasures
— sexual relations, washing and anointing ourselves
with any types of skin cream.
We
also don't wear leather shoes on this day because
they represent the body, which we do not want to relate
to on Yom Kippur.
When
Moses approached the burning bush G-d told him to
take off his shoes, which also metaphorically meant
to take off his body. The shoe to the body is like
the body to the soul. Not wearing leather shoes on
Yom Kippur is an external act that reflects an internal
state of being.
On
Yom Kippur I disassociate myself, for one day, from
my body so that my body does not separate me from
immersing into the mikvah of G-d's oneness.
In this way I acknowledge the truth of how I exist
within G-d. I am one with Him and I am loved by Him
with the very love that He loves Himself because I
am an aspect of His very Self. Yom Kippur offers the
perfect ambiance to return to G-d in love, redeem
your dark past and turn it into light. On Yom Kippur
we realize that only love is real; everything else
is illusion.
Rabbi
David Aaron
Author of Endless Light, Seeing G-d, The Secret Life
of G-d, Inviting G-d In and Living a Joyous
Life |
