Yom Kippur - Soul Prep

(3) Elders from the court would come to the High Priest and would read before him [throughout the seven days before Yom Kippur] from the description of the day in the Torah. And they say to him, “Sir, high priest, you read it yourself with your own mouth, lest you have forgotten or lest you have never learned.” On the eve of Yom HaKippurim in the morning they place him at the eastern gate and pass before him oxen, rams and sheep, so that he may recognize and become familiar with the service.

(4) All seven days they did not withhold food or drink from him. But on the eve of Yom HaKippurim near nightfall they would not let him eat much because food brings about sleep.

(5) The elders of the court handed him over to the elders of the priesthood and they took him up to the upper chamber of the house of Avtinas. They made him swear and then left. And they said to him [when leaving]: “Sir, high priest, we are messengers of the court and you are our messenger and the messenger of the court. We adjure you by the One that caused His name to dwell in this house that you do not change anything of what we said to you.” He turned aside and wept and they turned aside and wept.

(6) If he was a sage he would explain the Torah [doresh], and if not, the disciples of the sages would explain to him. If he was familiar with reading the Tanach, he would read, but if not they would read to him. From what would they read before him? From Job, Ezra and Chronicles. Zechariah ben Kv’utal says: I have often read before him from Daniel.

MISHNA: With regard to a pregnant woman who smelled food and was overcome by a craving to eat it, one feeds her until she recovers. If a person is ill and requires food due to potential danger, one feeds him according to the words of medical experts. And if there are no experts there, one feeds him according to his own instructions, until he says that he has eaten enough.

Rabbi Yannai said: If an ill person says he needs to eat, and a doctor says he does not need to eat, one listens to the ill person.What is the reason for this halakha? It is because the verse states: “The heart knows the bitterness of its soul” (Proverbs 14:10).

(It is obvious that people know themselves better than anyone else does. Why does this need to be stated explicitly? It is lest you say that the doctor is more certain of their opinion. Therefore, the verse teaches us that even so, it is the ill person who knows their own suffering better than anyone else.)

However, in the opposite case, if a doctor says that the ill person needs food, but the ill person says they do not need to eat, one listens to the doctor. What is the reason for this halakha? It is because confusion [tunba] has taken hold of the ill person.

Mar bar Rav Ashi said: Any instance where an ill person says: I need to eat, even if there are one hundred expert doctors who say that they do not need to eat, we listen to the person's own opinion and feed them, as it is stated: “The heart knows the bitterness of its soul” (Proverbs 14:10).

It is the custom of the penitent (those who have made teshuva) to be exceedingly lowly and humble. If fools insult them by reminding them of their former actions, saying: "But yesterday you did thus and such; yesterday you said thus and such", it is best to have no feelings against them, rather be happy, for this very insult is for the good of the penitent.

Indeed, as long as they feel the shame of their past conduct, and the reproach thereof, their virtue increases and their degree grows.

But it is, nevertheless, a grievous sin to say to the penitent: "Remember your previous conduct", or to remind them in the penitent person's presence so as to put them to shame, or to mention similar things and subjects so as to remind them of what they did.

All such is forbidden, and comes under the general law of deceiving one with words, concerning which the Torah did give warning, even as it is said: "And ye shall not deceive one another" (Lev. 25.17).