Between Atonement and Pleasure: Purim and Yom Kippur

1. Pahad Yitzhak: Purim 8

The Vilna Ga-on wrote: The practice of any holiday or festival is half for God's sake and half for your sake. Two occasions are exceptions to this rule. Yom Kippur is all for the sake of God and Purim is all for your sake. However, the truth of the matter is that these aren't actually an exception because Yom Kippurim is a day (yom) like (ke) Purim. Meaning, the two together constitute in this regard one holiday. In that one holiday, that encompasses Purim and Yom Kippur together, the idea of "half for God and half for you" is completely fulfilled.

2. Tikkunei Zohar 57:2

This is Yom Kippur, when [the High Priest] would dress in beautiful clothes, clothes of atonement, which are called his head plate (tzitz), and his turban (mitznefet), and his sash (avnet), and which are included in the four white garments of the right side and four gold garments of the left side. At the very moment that he wore these garments of atonement, it was said of him, "Esther dressed in royalty" and in them he entered lifnai velifnim ("before and within" - an expression for the Holy of Holies), as is written, "And she [Esther] stood in the inner court of the king's palace" and in them [the priestly garments] "found favor in his sight"...

3. Leviticus 16:2

Hashem said to Moshe, "Tell your brother Aharon that he is not to come at will (lit. at any moment) into the Shrine (Kodesh, "Holy") behind the curtain, in front of the cover that is upon the ark, so that he not die, for I appear in the cloud over the cover.

4. Mishnah Yoma 5:1

(Regarding the High Priest, when exiting from the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur.)

... He came out by the way he entered and in the Outer House he uttered a short prayer. He did not make the prayer long so as not to frighten Israel.

From the Rambam's commentary:

"So as not to frighten Israel" - Meaning, so as not to scare them, because if he were late they would be scared that he had met his death. For many high priests used to die in the Holy of Holies if they were unfit or if something was wrong with the incense. Behold you see [in the text of the Torah] that the Exalted One said to Aharon, "so that he not die, for I appear in the cloud over the cover."

5. Mishnah Yoma 7:4

(After Yom Kippur, the High Priest would make a feast for his loved ones.)

... They then brought his personal garments and he got dressed. They would go with him to his home and he would make a feast for his loved ones for having exited the Holy [of Holies] in peace.

6. Esther 4:10-11

Esther told Hatach to send order back to Mordekhai: “All the king’s courtiers and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any person, man or woman, enters the king’s presence in the Inner Court without having been summoned, there is but one law for him: that he be put to death. Only if the king extends the golden scepter to him may he live. Now I have not been summoned to visit the king for the last thirty days.”

7. Esther 5:1-5

(1) On the third day, Esther dressed in royalty and stood in the Inner Court of the king’s palace, facing the king’s palace, while the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room facing the entrance of the palace. (2) As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight. The king extended to Esther the golden scepter which he had in his hand, and Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. (3) The king said to her, “What troubles you, Queen Esther and what is your request? Even [ask] up to half the kingdom, and it will be given to you.” (4) Esther said, “If it please the King, may the King and Haman come today to the feast that I have prepared for him.” (5) The king said [to his servants], “Tell Haman to hurry and do what Esther said.” So the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared.

8. Esther 5:2

As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight...

From the Malbim's commentary:

The word vayehi ("as soon as" or "as it was") tells us that, out of the king's love for Esther, he never even considered that this decree that no one enter the king's inner court without permission would also include Esther, for her coming before him, even into his private palace, was so pleasant and dear to him that he didn't at all think that she would need to stand in the court and wait for him to extend his scepter.

9. Tikkunei Zohar 57:2

Purim is named after Yom haKippurim, on which we will one day take pleasure, and change the day from one of affliction to pleasure...And pleasure, happiness, and all types of good things are intended for it. It will be a time of salvation , may it arrive soon.