But Yom Kippur is different in every way; it has no equal anywhere in human civilization or history. There is no other day on the calendar that so strongly grasps the attention of Jews to the relationship between the God of Israel and His people, as does the day of Yom Kippur. This day is a gift from God to the people of Israel. Throughout all the millennia of its existence it has remained an exclusively Jewish concept and holiday.
The concept of forgiveness per se is itself a novel and even surprising one. After all, whatever a person has done has a finality to it. There are always consequences that are derived and emanate from human behavior. It is almost illogical to think that there is any way in which the past can be undone, that wrongs can be righted, foolishness and sin being erased as though they never happened. These propositions are indeed true in human terms.
Humans have the power to forgive, but never the power to retract or correct what was done before. But Heaven is operating in a manner that is far beyond our understanding and our ability to judge. The unlimited power of the Almighty seems to include the retroactive ability to erase what happened before, and, the capacity to change those consequences, ordained by our previous behavior, which were deemed to be immutable.
This idea is the expression of the will and mercy of Heaven, extended to us as put forth in the words of that great prophet, Yechezkel: “The Lord does not wish for the death of human beings due to their sins, but rather wishes that they repent of their evil ways and thereby live.” The Lord is the master of second chances. This is a rare and uniquely Jewish idea: it opens the way for regrets and rehabilitation, restoration, and accomplishment. Without such ideas, and without such an understanding of the Creator, we would truly be bereft of hope and confidence in our future and in our very lives.
But this great gift must be earned. The Torah does not offer us a free lunch under any circumstances. Yom Kippur comes with a list of requirements—not just for the day, such as abstaining from food and drink and so forth, but also requiring a complete change of heart and attitude, and true regret on our part for the missteps of our past, and certainly for those of the past year.
We have all been sorely tested in this past year, with unexpected plagues and tragedies, and a complete change in our societal lives and even our economic fortunes. The events of the past year should certainly have humbled us, making us think twice before we again boast of our abilities and achievements. It hopefully has made us less arrogant and dampened our egos. And that should be viewed as a good thing, for the beginning of repentance is always the feeling of humility and a certain degree of helplessness. We are, after all, but flesh and blood—mortal and frightened, alone and powerless before forces over whom we exert no influence or power.
We can only ask the Lord that mercy and patience should be extended to us, and that we will try in this coming year to live up to the great challenges and demands that Jewish life imposes upon us. Additionally, we should seek to view these challenges and demands as opportunities, and not as negative trials.
Shabbat shalom and an easy fast to everyone, Rabbi Berel Wein
