LEV179 Yom Kippur is the preeminent Jewish fast, and the only one indicated in the Torah. Leviticus 16: 29 states, “In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall practice self-denial.” Throughout the ages, scholars, interpreters and the Jewish people have considered “self-denial” to mean abstaining from food and water, in part because of its use with the more widely used root tzadi-vav-mem in Psalm 35:13 and Isaiah 58:3-5. Both terms, which appear throughout the Tanach, refer to both communal and individual expressions of petition and penance. A communal fast has great power to both create and sustain community. Just as sharing food is an essential tool for bringing people together, a sense of shared intention in eschewing food can forge connections between people. Eating together brings individuals to a shared table, and once together, not only food, but also ideas are shared. This dynamic is enhanced and extended in a communal fast. When individuals commit themselves to a shared fast, there are three clear opportunities for connection: gathering for a shared meal to prepare for the fast, gathering for mutual support and perhaps commiseration during the course of the fast, and coming together once again to conclude or break the fast. Yom Kippur offers an excellent and the most familiar example of communal fasting. Most who fast gather with others for a meal that precedes the Kol Nidrei prayers, and many who fast find community in synagogue, where the fast is mentioned in the liturgy and is often referenced in non-liturgical comments, messages, d’rashot, or sermons. Yom Kippur also affords a unique opportunity for worshippers to stay for extended hours in synagogue and a distance themselves from socializing and from food. Finally, the break fast is an essential aspect of any fast, whether communal or individual. The fact that many synagogues hold communal break fasts, offering either small or substantial meals, or arrange for congregants to gather in one another's homes reflects the importance of ritualizing not only the beginning but also the conclusion of this major fast in the Jewish year. The Yom Kippur fast has been the most consistently observed throughout Jewish history by observant and nonobservant Jews alike, in part because it provides an opportunity for individuals to claim connection with tradition and community by engaging in a powerful yet time bound spiritual act. (By Sue Levi Elwell, "Tzom: Fasting as a Religiolus/Spiritual Practice")

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LEV180 Now we will clarify fully what pertains to the various categories of atonement. Our Sages, z"l, (Yoma 86a): Rabbi Masya ben Charash asked Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah in Rome, "Have you heard about the four categories of atonement upon which Rabbi Yishmael expounded?" He answered, "There are three, and repentance accompanies each one of them. If a person transgressed a positive commandment and repented – – before he can move, he is immediately forgiven, as the pasuk says (Yirmeyahu 3:22), 'Return, rebellious sons, and I will [immediately] heal your rebelliousness.' If he has transgressed a negative commandment and has repented – repentance suspends (I.e. suspends atonement until Yom Kippur) and Yom Kippur atones, as the pasuk says [this verse]. If he has transgressed prohibitions that incur excision or capital punishment administered by beis din, and has repented--repentance together with Yom Kippur suspend, and suffering purges [and completes the atonement], as the pasuk says (Tehillim 89:33), 'Then I will punish their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with plagues.' However, one who is guilty of the transgression of desecrating Hashem's Name--repentance does not have the power to suspend, nor Yom Kippur to atone, nor suffering to purge. Rather, they all suspend [the atonement] and death purges, as the pasuk Pacific says (Yeshayahu 22:14), '[I promise] that this sin will never atone for you until you die.'" (Thus, the three categories of atonement are Yom Kippur, suffering, and death. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah does not consider repentance as a unique category because it is always necessary for atonement (Rashi). Our Sages, z "l, said (Yoma 36a) that a burnt-offering atones for the transgression of a positive commandment after one has repented. For although his sin is [immediately] atoned for through repentance, nonetheless the burnt-offering will enhance the atonement and will bring one to find even greater favor before Hashem.

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LEV181 This concept (I.e. that repentance alone is not enough for atonement] is further clarified in the Torah, for [this verse]. We see that after repentance there [still] is a need for the atonement of Yom Kippur (since the main atonement of Yom Kippur is effected by repentance) [Yom Kippur cannot atone without repentance Yoma 85b; see Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Teshuvah 1:3, with Kesef Mishneh). Perforce there must be repentance; still, it is not enough.]

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LEV182 When our Sages, z"l, said (Yoma 86a) that for transgressions that incur excision or capital punishment administered by beis din, repentance together with Yom Kippur suspend, and suffering purges [and completes the atonement]--the question that arises is: doesn't the pasuk state [this verse], "[For on this day…] you shall be purified of all your sins before Hashem"? (I.e., this pasuk is referring to the day of Yom Kippur, and implies that Yom Kippur atones for everything, and does not just suspend.) The answer is as follows: When the pasuk says "you shall be purified [of all your sins] before Hashem," this is a positive commandment to repent, I.e., to examine and analyze our ways, and return to Hashem on Yom Kippur (It is not a statement that Yom Kippur atones for everything, but a commandment to do what we need to in order to achieve atonement, I.e., "shall" is understood as "must." See the Second Gate, paragraph 14.) Although we are required to [purify ourselves of sin] at all times, there is a greater obligation to do so on Yom Kippur, and the purification [process] that is at our disposal for doing so is repentance and the righting of deeds. On the other hand, that which the [beginning of the] pasuk [this verse], says "For on this day [the Kohen Gadol] will make atonement for you to purify you"--referring to Hashem's purifying us from transgression and granting us complete atonement on Yom Kippur, without the need for suffering--this was in reference to the negative Commandments (I.e., this actually does state that Yom Kippur atones fully, but only for the transgression of negative commandments that do not incur excision or capital punishment. See paragraph six.). But for transgressions that incur excision or capital punishment administered by beis din, repentance together with Yom Kippur suspend and suffering purges.

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LEV183 R. Elazar b. Azaryah expounded: "of all of your sins; before the Lord you shall be clean" -- from here it is derived that transgressions between man and God Yom Kippur atones for, but transgressions between man and his neighbor Yom Kippur does not atone for until he conciliates his neighbor (Yoma 85b).

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LEV184 See [[LEV58]] Leviticus 5:24 repay GATES 481-3

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LEV185 When the Ten Days of Repentance arrive, every man must arouse his heart and tremble before the Day of Judgment, reflecting that all of his deeds are inscribed in a book and that during that period God brings into judgment every deed and every hidden thing, good or evil. For a man is judged on Rosh Hashanah and his judgment is sealed on Yom Kippur (Rosh Hashanah 16a). When a man is brought before a judge of flesh and blood does he not begin trembling greatly and start devising defenses for himself, and does he think of anything else but finding some merit to rescue himself from judgment? How foolish and simple, then, are those who, unaware of their judgment, occupy themselves with matters other than that of repentance, to the end of finding favor before the Great Judge! Therefore, it befits every God-fearing man to minimize his affairs and humble his thoughts and set aside times in the daytime and in the evening to be alone in his rooms to seek out and examine his ways, and to rise before the morning watches to occupy himself in the ways of repentance. We should not be as those who fast and arise early to pray, but do not wage battle against their sins to eradicate all ugliness from their deeds. For every man who prays and fasts and confesses, but still clings to his former deeds, is not pursuing the path of repentance. A man should rouse himself to complete repentance, for the Ten Days of Repentance are a time of favor (Yeshayahu 49:8): "In a time of favor I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you." And our Sages of blessed memory have said (Rosh Hashanah 18a): "'Seek Hashem while He may be found (Yeshayahu 55:6) -- these are the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur." And our Rabbis of blessed memory have said (Yoma 85b) that Yom Kippur atones in conjunction with repentance. Scripture therefore exhorts us to repent and purify ourselves before the Blessed One through our repentance, as it is written [this verse]: "From all of your sins shall you be clean before Hashem." And He will grant us atonement on this day and cause us to be clean.

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LEV186 See [[LEV178]] Leviticus 16:29 day WESOR 320-1

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LEV187 The fifth way [of repentance] is [as follows]: During the Ten Days of Repentance, one who fears Hashem will be filled with trepidation, knowing that all his deeds are "inscribed in the book" (Avos 2:1), and that at that time He will bring him to judgment for all his actions, for all that is hidden, whether good or bad [Koheles 12:14] This refers to even slight sins (Chagigah 5a) -- for man is judged on Rosh Hashanah and his sentence is sealed on Yom Kippur. When one knows that his judgment will be brought before a king of flesh and blood, he is seized with great trembling, takes counsel with himself, and will assiduously hasten to find a way to save himself [Tehillim 55:9]. It will never enter his mind to turn right or left and be occupied with his other [mundane] concerns. He will disregard [the need] to develop and till his plot of land and to tend to his vineyards [Iyov 24:18]. When troubled times befall him, he will not relax from his readiness to rescue himself, like a deer from the [trapper's] hand (Mishlei 6:5]. As such, how foolish are those who go out to work and to their laborers until evening [Tehillim 104:23] during the Days of Awe [I.e., the Ten Days of Repentance], the days of justice and judgment, not knowing what their judgment will be. Indeed, their hearts should be dwelling on what to answer on the day when their sentence will be rendered, as the pasuk says (Shir haShirim 8:8), "What shall we do for our sister, on the day she is spoken of?" (I.e., a reference to the neshamah, on the Day of Judgment). It is befitting for every God-fearing individual to limit his [mundane] affairs and fill his thoughts with trepidation. He should set aside times, both day and night, to be alone in his chambers, to examine his ways and to analyze them. He should arise during the [latter part of the] night (I.e., the "latter watch of the night (Berachos 3b), when he can more readily find favor in Hashem's eyes (Zeh Hasha'ar), and occupy himself with the pathways of repentance and with improving his deeds. He should pour forth in supplication, offer prayer and psalm, and plead for clemency--for this time is one of finding favor, when prayer is heard, as the pasuk says (Yeshayahu 49:8), "At the time of favor I have answered you, and on a day of salvation I have assisted you." Our Sages, z"l, said (Rosh Hashanah 18a): "'Seek Hashem when he is to be found' (Yeshayahu 55:6)--these are the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur." It is a positive commandment of the Torah that one arouse his spirit to repentance on Yom Kippur, as the pasuk says: [this verse]. Therefore, the pasuk exhorts us to purify ourselves before Hashem by repenting, that he may grant us atonement on this day, which will lead to our [complete] purification.

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LEV188 Offerings shall not be slaughtered outside of the courtyard of the Beis HaMikdash. Hashem fixed one place where His nation would bring offerings and have their hearts particularly stirred to serve Him with devotion. Once designated, this place’s holiness and importance would inspire great fear of Heaven, so that more than anywhere else, people who would enter there would be influenced to the good. When bringing offerings there, people’s hard hearts would be softened and humbled to the Divine Will. There would be readiness to fully accept the Kingdom of Heaven, and for these reasons those who sinned would be able to gain complete atonement there. If someone brings an offering elsewhere, “it is considered as if he shed blood.” Hashem does not allow mankind to slaughter animals except for the sake of atonement for sin, or for the sake of food, medicinal purposes or other essential needs. On the other hand, to kill an animal for no reason is sinful destruction. Someone who does so is guilty of “shedding blood.” The same applies to someone who slaughters an offering outside of the courtyard of the Beis HaMikdash. His act serves no constructive purpose and his punishment is kares, “cutting off” of the soul.

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