Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement

MISHNA: On Yom Kippur, it is prohibited to engage in eating and in drinking, and in bathing, and in smearing oil, and in wearing shoes, and in conjugal relations. However, the king and a bride [within thirty days of her marriage] may wash their faces on Yom Kippur. A woman after childbirth may wear shoes. This is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. The Rabbis prohibit [these activities].

(1) All commandments of the Torah, whether they be positive or negative, if a person violates any one of them, either deliberately or accidentally, when he does repentance and turns back from his sin, he is obliged to confess before God, blessed is He! as it is said: "When a man or woman shall commit [any sin..]… Then they shall confess their sin which they have done (Num. 5.6–7), which is a confession of words. Such confession is a positive commandment. How does one confess? The sinner says thus: "I beseech Thee, O Great Name! I have sinned; I have been obstinate; I have committed profanity against Thee, and I did thus and such. Now, behold! I have repented and am ashamed of my actions; never will I return to this thing again." This is the essence of confession; but whosoever elaborates in confessing and extends this subject is, indeed, praise-worthy....

(9) Neither repentance nor the Day of Atonement atone for any save for sins committed between humans and God, for instance, one who ate forbidden food, or had forbidden intercourse and the like; but sins between human and one's fellow, for instance, one injures his neighbor, or curses his neighbor or plunders him, or offends him in like matters, is ever not absolved unless he makes restitution of what he owes and begs the forgiveness of his neighbor. And, although he make restitution of the monetary debt, he is obliged to pacify him and to beg his forgiveness. Even he offended not his neighbor in aught save in words, he is obliged to appease him and implore him till he be forgiven by him. If his neighbor refuses a committee of three friends to forgive him, he should bring to implore and beg of him; if he still refuses he should bring a second, even a third committee, and if he remains obstinate, he may leave him to himself and pass on, for the sin then rests upon him who refuses forgiveness. ...

§ The verse states: “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed” (Exodus 34:6). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Were it not explicitly written in the verse, it would be impossible to say this. It teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, wrapped Himself in a prayer shawl like a prayer leader and showed Moses the order of the prayer. He said to him: Whenever the Israel sins, let them act before Me in accordance with this order and I will forgive them.

(2) It is true that You are the One who judges, and reproves, who knows all, and bears witness, who inscribes, and seals, who counts and reckons. You remember all that is forgotten. You open the book of records, and from it, all shall be read. In it is each person's seal by hand.

(4) ... It is, therefore, necessary for every person to behold himself throughout the whole year in a light of being evenly balanced between innocence and guilt, and look upon the entire world as if evenly balanced between innocence and guilt; thus, if he commit one sin, he will overbalance himself and the whole world to the side of guilt, and be a cause of its destruction; but if he perform one duty, behold, he will overbalance himself and the whole world to the side of virtue, and bring about his own and their salvation and escape, even as it is said: "But the righteous is an everlasting foundation" (Prov. 10. 25), it is he, by whose righteousness he overbalanced the whole world to virtue and saved it. And, because of this matter, it became the custom of the whole house of Israel to excel in alms-giving, in good conduct and in the performance of duties during the intervening days of Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom ha-Kippurim above what they do during the whole year. It also became a universal custom to rise early during those ten days, to deliver in the synagogues prayers of supplication and ardor till the dawn of the day.⁵Kiddushin, 39b–40a. C.

(3) And with a great shofar it is sounded, and a thin silent voice shall be heard. And the angels shall make haste, and dread and trembling shall seize them as they say: Here is the Day of Judgment on which the hosts of heaven shall be brought forward for judgment, for they too shall not be found innocent in Your eyes. And all that have entered the world shall parade before You like a herd of sheep. As a shepherd herds his flock, passing his sheep under his staff, so do You pass, count, reckon, and bring forward the souls of all living, and hew a limit for each creature, and inscribe their decree of judgment.

(4) On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed - how many shall pass away and how many shall be born, who shall live and who shall die, who at his appointed time, and who not at his appointed time, who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by wild beast, who by famine and who by thirst, who by earthquake and who by plague, who by strangulation and who by stoning, who shall have rest and who wander, who shall be at peace and who pursued, who shall be given serenity and who given suffering, who shall become impoverished and who wealthy, who shall be reduced, and who uplifted. But repentance, prayer and righteousness avert the evil of the decree.

...R. Simon in the name of R. Yehoshu'a said: For what reason does the High Priest not enter [the Holy of Holies] in garments of gold? Rather, the accuser cannot be made into the defender. [This is done] so that there will be no opening for the Satan to accuse [Israel] and say: Yesterday they made a god of gold for themselves and today they ask to serve in garments of gold! R. Yehoshu'a of Sichnin said in the name of R. Levi: In order to take pity upon the money of Israel. R. Levi said: Because of haughtiness, on account of [the proverb]: Do not glorify yourself before the king. (Mishlei 25:6)

(36) Another idea: "Hear O Israel" The rabbis said: When Moshe went up to the heavens, he heard the ministering angels saying to the Holy Blessed One, "Blessed is the name of the glory of God's sovereignty for all time" and brought it down to Israel. And why doesn't Israel say it in public (aloud)? Rabbi Asi said: To what is it similar? To one who stole jewelry from the King's palace and gave it to his wife and said to her, "Don't adorn yourself with it in public, rather (wear it) in your house." However, on Yom Kippur when they are as innocent as the ministering angels, they say it publicly, "Blessed is the name of the glory of God's sovereignty for all time."

Rabbi Chana bar Bizna said in the name of Rabbi Shimon Chasida, Any fast that doesn't include the sinners of Israel is not a true fast. For behold galbanum has a foul smell and yet the Scripture counts it among the ingredients of incense. Abaye said it from here,"...And founded his consortium on the earth..."(Amos 9:6)