Yom Kippur Handout

This moment of atonement, when a bad decision in the past was left behind and a new path forward made clear, set the precedent for what Yom Kippur is all about.

How might this understanding of Yom Kippur influence our experience of the holiday?

Why might it matter that both Purim and Yom Kippur celebrate a second chance at accepting the Torah?

Think of a time when you had a second chance to make something right. How was it different from the first time? What did you learn in the process?

שבועות י״ג א:א׳

בעומד במרדו ורבי היא דתניא רבי אומר על כל עבירות שבתורה בין עשה תשובה בין לא עשה תשובה יום הכפורים מכפר חוץ מפורק עול ומגלה פנים בתורה ומפר ברית בבשר שאם עשה תשובה יום הכפורים מכפר ואם לאו אין יום הכפורים מכפר

Shevuot 13a:1

The mishna is referring to a case where the person did not repent and persists in his rebellion, and it is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, that even for such a case Yom Kippur and the scapegoat will atone. As it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: For all transgressions that are stated in the Torah, whether one repented, or whether one did not repent, Yom Kippur atones, except for one who divests himself of the yoke of Heaven, by denying God’s existence, and one who reveals facets of the Torah that differ from its true meaning, and one who nullifies the covenant of circumcision of the flesh. For these, if one repented, Yom Kippur atones, and if not, Yom Kippur does not atone.

משנה תורה, הלכות תשובה א׳:ג׳

...עַצְמוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר לַשָּׁבִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא טז:ל) "כִּי בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם"...

Mishneh Torah, Repentance 1:3

...Yom Kippur itself atones for those who return, as it says (Lev. 16:30), “For with this day you will atone on yourselves…”.

ויקרא ט״ז:ט״ז

וְכִפֶּר עַל הַקֹּדֶשׁ מִטֻּמְאֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִפִּשְׁעֵיהֶם לְכָל חַטֹּאתָם וְכֵן יַעֲשֶׂה לְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד הַשֹּׁכֵן אִתָּם בְּתוֹךְ טֻמְאֹתָם.

Leviticus 16:16

And he will atone over the holies from the impurities of the Children of Israel and their iniquities, for all their mistakes, and so shall he do for the Tent of Meeting which dwells with you amongst your impurity.

תענית ל׳ ב:ח׳

אָמַר רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל: לֹא הָיוּ יָמִים טוֹבִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּאָב וּכְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים. בִּשְׁלָמָא יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים — מִשּׁוּם דְּאִית בֵּיהּ סְלִיחָה וּמְחִילָה, יוֹם שֶׁנִּיתְּנוּ בּוֹ לוּחוֹת הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת.

Taanit 30b:8

§ The mishna taught that Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: There were no days as happy for the Jewish people as the fifteenth of Av and as Yom Kippur. The Gemara asks: Granted, Yom Kippur is a day of joy because it has the elements of pardon and forgiveness, and moreover, it is the day on which the last pair of tablets were given.

יומא פ״ה ב:י״א

מִיתָה וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפְּרִין עִם הַתְּשׁוּבָה. עִם הַתְּשׁוּבָה — אִין, בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן — לָא. נֵימָא דְּלָא כְּרַבִּי. דְּתַנְיָא, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: עַל כׇּל עֲבֵירוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, בֵּין עָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה בֵּין לֹא עָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה — יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר, חוּץ (מִפּוֹרֵק עוֹל), וּמְגַלֶּה פָּנִים בַּתּוֹרָה, וּמֵיפֵר בְּרִית בָּשָׂר, שֶׁאִם עָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה — יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר, וְאִם לֹא עָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה — אֵין יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר.

Yoma 85b:11

§ It was taught in the mishna that death and Yom Kippur atone for sins when accompanied by repentance. The Gemara analyzes this: With repentance, yes, they do atone for sins; but by themselves, without repentance, they do not. Let us say that the mishna is not in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, as it was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says that for all transgressions in the Torah, whether one repented or did not repent, Yom Kippur atones, with the exception of rejecting the yoke of Torah and mitzvot; and denying the Holy One, Blessed be He; and interpreting the Torah falsely; and violating the covenant of the flesh, i.e., circumcision. In these cases, if one repents Yom Kippur atones for his sin, and if one does not repent Yom Kippur does not atone for his sin.

בראשית ל״ב:כ״א

וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם גַּ֗ם הִנֵּ֛ה עַבְדְּךָ֥ יַעֲקֹ֖ב אַחֲרֵ֑ינוּ כִּֽי־אָמַ֞ר אֲכַפְּרָ֣ה פָנָ֗יו בַּמִּנְחָה֙ הַהֹלֶ֣כֶת לְפָנָ֔י וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵן֙ אֶרְאֶ֣ה פָנָ֔יו אוּלַ֖י יִשָּׂ֥א פָנָֽי׃

Genesis 32:21

And you shall add, ‘And your servant Jacob himself is right behind us.’” For he reasoned, “If I propitiate him with presents in advance, and then face him, perhaps he will show me favor.”

רש"י על בראשית ל״ב:כ״א:א׳

אכפרה פניו. אֲבַטֵּל רָגְזוֹ; וְכֵן וְכֻפַּר בְּרִיתְכֶם אֶת מָוֶת (ישעיהו כ"ח), לֹא תוּכְלִי כַּפְּרָהּ (שם מ"ז). וְנִרְאֶה בְעֵינַי שֶׁכָּל כַּפָּרָה שֶׁאֵצֶל עָוֹן וְחֵטְא וְאֵצֶל פָּנִים כֻּלָּן לְשׁוֹן קִנּוּחַ וְהַעֲבָרָה הֵן, וְלָשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי הוּא, וְהַרְבֵּה בַּתַּלְמוּד וְכַפֵּר יְדֵיהּ, בָּעֵי לְכַפּוּרֵי יְדֵי בְּהַהוּא גַבְרָא, וְגַם בִּלְשׁוֹן הַמִּקְרָא נִקְרָאִים הַמִּזְרָקִים שֶׁל קֹדֶשׁ כְּפוֹרֵי זָהָב (עזרא א'), עַל שֵׁם שֶׁהַכֹּהֵן מְקַנֵּחַ יָדָיו בָּהֶן בִּשְׂפַת הַמִּזְרָק:

Rashi on Genesis 32:21:1

אכפרה פניו I WILL APPEASE HIM — I will remove his anger. Similarly, (Isaiah 28:18) "and your covenant with death shall be annulled (וכפר)”;Thou shalt not be able to put it away (וכפרה”. I am of the opinion that wherever the verb כפר is used in association with iniquity and sin and in association with anger (פנים), it always signifies wiping away, removing. It is an Aramaic expression occurring frequently in the Talmud: “He wiped his hand off (כפר ידיה)”, and (Gittin 56a) ‘‘he wants to wipe (לכפורי) his hands off on this man” . In Biblical Hebrew, also, the bowls of the Sanctuary are called, (Ezra 1:10) "כפורי of gold” — and they are so called because the priest wiped his hands on them — on the rim of the bowl (Zevachim 93b).

ויקרא ט״ז:י״ז

וְכׇל־אָדָ֞ם לֹא־יִהְיֶ֣ה ׀ בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֗ד בְּבֹא֛וֹ לְכַפֵּ֥ר בַּקֹּ֖דֶשׁ עַד־צֵאת֑וֹ וְכִפֶּ֤ר בַּעֲדוֹ֙ וּבְעַ֣ד בֵּית֔וֹ וּבְעַ֖ד כׇּל־קְהַ֥ל יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Leviticus 16:17

When he goes in to make expiation in the Shrine, nobody else shall be in the Tent of Meeting until he comes out. When he has made expiation for himself and his household, and for the whole congregation of Israel,