Shnayim Yomi - Acharei Mot - Kedoshim - Sheni - #2 - Rabbi Reuvein Brand - The Gift of Yom Kippur

Parshas Acharei Mos Kedoshim, the second aliya. This double aliya continues with the avodas Yom Kippur, the service of the Cohen Gadol on Yom Kippur. And we have several pesukim here which are highlighted that we recognize from our davening on Yom Kippurim. Ki va yom ha zeh yechaper aleichem letare eschem mikol chatoseichem lifnei Hashem tit'haru. This is perek tes ayin pasuk lamed in this aliya. For through this day, Hashem will yechaper, atone for us, letare eschem, to purify us from all of our sins, lifnei Hashem tit'haru. And then we describe Yom Kippur as Shabbos Shabbason. It's the double Shabbos. Ve'inisaem es nafshoseichem. We have the special restrictions of the five inuyim, the five things that we do not do on Yom Kippurim, which is alluded to, not expressed, but alluded to in this pasuk. And then after we conclude the description of Yom Kippurim, the second part of this aliya, which is revi'i, when it would reread ordinarily, is the requirement for bringing all of your korbanos, not to allow shchutei chutz, not to have shor o chesev o es bamachana, not to slaughter any kodshim outside. We have to bring all of our korbanos to the Beis Hamikdash because the Beis Hamikdash is the central, it's the unifying force for all Jewish people in their service of Hashem. And that's true for davening. facing Eretz Yisrael, facing Yerushalayim, facing Beis Hamikdash because it draws our kavana to that one place. It's true that certain periods during history, people could make backyard bamos, backyard altars for sacrifices, but that was only temporary and that's not ideal. One interesting insight from this pasuk, Ki va yom ha zeh yechaper aleichem letare eschem mikol chatoseichem lifnei Hashem tit'haru. We are purified before Hashem. We have an expression in the Gemara Yoma, "Itzumo shel yom." The essence of the day, just existing on Yom Kippurim, that provides kapara. Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, Rabbi Soloveitchik was once walking as a child outside on Yom Kippurim in the afternoon and he saw with his grandfather, Rabbi Chaim, Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, that the sun was slowly drifting down. And Rabbi Chaim said, "You see that sun? That sunset, that indicates kapara, atonement, purity for all the Jewish people. But But at the same time, the holy Rebbe said, "Aleichem letireschem, we have to show up. It's on us. Not just us to exist on Yom Kippur, not just to exist as Hashem, not just to be, which is important cuz just is with us to recognize that Hashem gives us the kapara for just being, but it's aleichem. We have to embrace we have to lean in to the process of mitzvah to fully engage and to fully appreciate and merit that tower of process.