Community Atonement | Yom Kippur 5784
Source Sheet by Nisan ChavkinLeviticus16
(21)Aaronshalllaybothhishandsupontheheadofthelivegoatandconfessover italltheiniquitiesandtransgressionsoftheIsraelites,whatevertheirsins,putting themontheheadofthegoat;anditshallbesentofftothewildernessthrougha designatedagent.(22)Thusthegoatshallcarryonitalltheiriniquitiestoan inaccessibleregion;andthegoatshallbesetfreeinthewilderness.
(29)Andthisshallbetoyoualawforalltime:Intheseventhmonth,onthetenth dayofthemonth,youshallpracticeself-denial;andyoushalldonomannerof work,neitherthecitizennorthealienwhoresidesamongyou.(30)Foronthisday atonementshallbemadeforyoutopurifyyouofallyoursins;youshallbepure beforeYHVH(31)Itshallbeasabbathofcompleterestforyou,andyoushall practiceself-denial;itisalawforalltime.
(11)Surely,thisInstructionwhichIenjoinuponyouthisdayisnottoobafflingfor you,norisitbeyondreach.(12)Itisnotintheheavens,thatyoushouldsay,“Who amonguscangouptotheheavensandgetitforusandimpartittous,thatwemay observeit?”(13)Neitherisitbeyondthesea,thatyoushouldsay,“Whoamongus cancrosstotheothersideoftheseaandgetitforusandimpartittous,thatwe mayobserveit?”(14)No,thethingisveryclosetoyou,inyourmouthandinyour heart,toobserveit.(15)See,Isetbeforeyouthisdaylifeandprosperity,deathand adversity.(16)ForIcommandyouthisday,toloveyourG-dYHVH,towalkin G-d’sways,andtokeepG-d’scommandments,G-d’slaws,andG-d’srules,that youmaythriveandincrease,andthatyourG-dYHVHmayblessyouintheland thatyouareabouttoenterandpossess.
(19)Icallheavenandearthtowitnessagainstyouthisday:Ihaveputbeforeyou lifeanddeath,blessingandcurse.Chooselife ifyouandyouroffspringwould live (20)bylovingyourG-dYHVH,heedingG-d’scommands,andholdingfast to[G-d].Fortherebyyoushallhavelifeandshalllongendureuponthesoilthat YHVHsworetoyourfathersAbraham,Isaac,andJacob,togivetothem.
Isaiah58
(5)IssuchthefastIdesire,adayforpeopletostarvetheirbodies?Isitbowingthe headlikeabulrushandlyinginsackclothandashes?Doyoucallthatafast,aday whenYHVHisfavorable?(6)No,thisisthefastIdesire:Tounlockfettersof wickedness,anduntiethecordsoftheyoketolettheoppressedgofree;tobreak offeveryyoke.(7)Itistoshareyourbreadwiththehungry,andtotakethe wretchedpoorintoyourhome;whenyouseethenaked,toclothethem,andnotto ignoreyourownkin.(8)Thenshallyourlightburstthroughlikethedawnandyour healingspringupquickly;YourVindicatorshallmarchbeforeyou,thePresenceof YHVHshallbeyourrearguard.(9)Then,whenyoucall,YHVHwillanswer; Whenyoucry,[G-d]willsay:HereIam.Ifyoubanishtheyokefromyourmidst, themenacinghand,andevilspeech,(10)Andyouofferyourcompassiontothe hungryandsatisfythefamishedcreature Thenshallyourlightshineindarkness, andyourgloomshallbelikenoonday.(11)YHVHwillguideyoualways Slaking yourthirstinparchedplacesandgivingstrengthtoyourbones.Youshallbelikea wateredgarden,likeaspringwhosewatersdonotfail.(12)Somefromyourmidst shallrebuildancientruins,Youshallrestorefoundationslaidlongago.Andyou shallbecalled“Repaireroffallenwalls,Restoreroflanesforhabitation.”(13)If yourefrainfromtramplingthesabbath,frompursuingyouraffairsonMyholy day;Ifyoucallthesabbath“delight,”YHVH’sholyday“honored”;Andifyou honoritandgonotyourwaysnorlooktoyouraffairs,norstrikebargains (14) ThenyoucanseekYHVH’sfavor.Iwillsetyouastridetheheightsoftheearth, andletyouenjoytheheritageofyourfatherJacob ForYHVH’smouthhas spoken.
Jonah3
(4)Jonahstartedoutandmadehiswayintothecitythedistanceofoneday’swalk, andproclaimed:“Fortydaysmore,andNinevehshallbeoverthrown!”(5)The peopleofNinevehbelievedG-d.Theyproclaimedafast,andgreatandsmallalike putonsackcloth.(6)WhenthenewsreachedthekingofNineveh,herosefromhis throne,tookoffhisrobe,putonsackcloth,andsatinashes.(7)Andhehadthe wordcriedthroughNineveh:“Bydecreeofthekingandhisnobles:Nohumanor animal offlockorherd shalltasteanything!Theyshallnotgraze,andthey shallnotdrinkwater!(8)Theyshallbecoveredwithsackcloth humanand animal andshallcrymightilytoG-d.Leteveryoneturnbackfromtheirownevil waysandfromtheinjusticeofwhichtheyareguilty.(9)WhoknowsbutthatG-d mayturnandrelent?[G-d]mayturnbackfromwrathfulness,sothatwedonot perish.”(10)G-dsawwhattheydid,howtheywereturningbackfromtheirevil ways.AndG-drenouncedthepunishmentthathadbeenplannedforthem,anddid notcarryitout.
הנשמ ,הרות הבושתתוכלה
היהו"םרטוּארקי ינאו."הנעאהשׂוֹעותוֹצמןילבּקמוּןתוֹאתחנבּהחמשׂו(זטתלהק)רמאנּשׁיכּ"רבכהצר
Maimonides,MishnehTorah,LawsofRepentance
1:3Atpresent,whentheTempledoesnotexistandthereisnoaltarofatonement,thereremains nothingelseasidefromTeshuvah.Teshuvahatonesforallsins.Evenapersonwhowaswicked hiswholelifeandrepentedinhisfinalmomentswillnotberemindedofanyaspectofhis wickednessas[Ezekiel33:12]states"thewickednessoftheevilonewillnotcausehimto stumbleonthedayherepentshiswickedness."TheessenceofYomKippuratonesforthosewho repentas[Leviticus16:30]states:"Thisdaywillatoneforyou."
7:5Alltheprophetscommanded[thepeople]torepent.Israelwillonlyberedeemedthrough Teshuvah.TheTorahhasalreadypromisedthat,ultimately,Israelwillrepenttowardstheendof herexileand,immediately,shewillberedeemedas[Deuteronomy30:1-3]states:“Thereshall comeatimewhen[youwillexperience]allthesethings...andyouwillreturntoG-d,your Lord....G-d,yourLord,willbringbackyour[captivity].”
7:7HowexaltedisthelevelofTeshuvah!Previously,the[transgressor]wasseparatefromG-d, theLordofIsrael,as[Isaiah59:2]states:"YoursinsseparatebetweenyouandyourG-d."He wouldcallout[toG-d]withoutbeingansweredas[Isaiah1:15]states:"Evenifyoupraymany times,Iwillnothear."Hewouldfulfillmitzvot,onlytohavethemcrushedbeforehimas[Isaiah 1:12]states:"Whoaskedthisfromyou,totrampleinMycourts,"and[Malachi1:10]states:"`O werethereoneamongyouwhowouldshutthedoorsthatyoumightnotkindlefireonMyaltar fornoreason!Ihavenopleasureinyou,'saystheG-dofHosts,`norwillIacceptanoffering fromyourhand.'”Now,heisclingingtothe Shechinah as[Deuteronomy4:4]states:"Andyou whoclingtoG-d,yourLord."Hecallsout[toG-d]andisansweredimmediatelyas[Isaiah 65:24]states:"Before,youwillcallout,Iwillanswer."Hefulfillsmitzvotandtheyareaccepted withpleasureandjoyas[Ecclesiastes9:7]states,"G-dhasalreadyacceptedyourworks," moreover,[G d]desiresthem,as[Malachi3:4]states:"Then,shalltheofferingofJudahand JerusalembepleasingtoG-dasindaysofoldandasintheformeryears."