Yom Kippur

224. Come and see, on that day OF ROSH HASHANAH the moon is gathered, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and does not shine until the tenth day of the month, when all of Yisrael return in complete repentance and supernal Ima, BINAH, again shines upon it. On that day, YOM KIPPUR, MALCHUT receives the illuminations of Ima, BINAH, and joy abounds everywhere. Hence it is written, "for it is a day of atonement (Heb. YOM KIPPUR)" (Vayikra 23:28). It should have said 'Yom Kippur' in the singular; what is the meaning of Yom Kippurim IN THE PLURAL? This is because AT THAT TIME two lights shine together: the supernal luminary, BINAH, shines upon the lower luminary, MALCHUT. On that day, MALCHUT shines with supernal light, WHICH IS BINAH, instead of from the light of the sun, ZEIR ANPIN. Hence it is written, "at the full moon (also: 'the covering') on our feast day" (Tehilim 81:4), BECAUSE MALCHUT DOES NOT SHINE UNTIL YOM KIPPUR.

225. Rabbi Aba sent a question to Rabbi Shimon, saying, When does the union of the Congregation of Yisrael, MALCHUT, with the Holy King, ZEIR ANPIN occur? He sent to him, "And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife" (Beresheet 20:12). Rabbi Aba trembled and raised his voice in crying. He said, Rabbi, Rabbi, holy luminary, woe, woe to the world when you shall depart from it. Woe to that generation, which will be in the world when you shall leave them and they shall be orphaned from you. Rabbi Chiya said to Rabbi Aba, What does this VERSE he sent you mean?

226. RABBI ABA said TO HIM, Surely the King does not unite with the Matron, NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN WITH MALCHUT, save when she shines from supernal Aba, WHEN CHOCHMAH OF IMA IS CLOTHED IN CHASSADIM OF ABA. When she shines from him, she is called holiness, since she receives it from the abode of SUPERNAL Aba, AS ABA IS THE SECRET OF HOLINESS. Then MALE AND FEMALE mate together. For the King is called holiness, as it is written, "Yisrael is holiness to Hashem" (Yirmeyah 2:3), receiving from the place called holiness. Then ZEIR ANPIN SAYS, "my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother," because that name, HOLINESS, is from Aba's house, and not from my mother's house, NOT FROM BINAH. Therefore, "And she became my wife," to unite as one during that time but on no other time, THAT IS, when she receives from the house of Aba, but not when she receives from the house of Ima. Yom Kippur proves that, as intercourse is forbidden on it, since then there is no mating OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, as on YOM KIPPUR she receives from the house of Ima and not from the house of Aba. Rabbi Chiya said, Indeed. Happy is the generation amongst whom dwells Rabbi Shimon. Happy are those who daily stand before him.

227. (A) Rabbi Aba said, Adam was created on Rosh Hashanah and stood on trial before his Master FOR EATING OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. He repented and the Holy One, blessed be He, accepted him. He said to him, 'Adam, you shall serve as a symbol for your descendants for generations, who are sentenced on that day. If they shall repent, I shall accept them, rise from the throne of Judgment and sit on the throne of Mercy and have pity on them.' David used to say, "I love Hashem who hears my voice and my supplications" (Tehilim 116:1). Hence it is written, "But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared" (Tehilim 130:4), and, "For with You is the fountain of life. In Your light we see light" (Tehilim 36:10).

(B) Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). It is a commandment to be afflicted on Yom Kippur, to subjugate body and soul by means of the five afflictions, the five grades of Yom Kippur, WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD, for the prosecutor comes to impart their sins as we learned. And they are all, ALL OF YISRAEL, repenting wholly before their Father, as we learned in different places. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).

228. "Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement (Heb. Yom Kippur); it shall be a holy gathering to you" (Vayikra 23:27). Rabbi Chiya opened with, "Of David. A maskil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered" (Tehilim 32:1). We learned that the book of Tehilim is recited by ten kinds of songs: by the chief musician, by Maskil (Eng. 'understanding'), by Michtam (Eng. 'poem'), by a psalm, by a song, by "Blessed," by prayer, by acknowledgment, by Halleluyah. The highest is Halleluyah, as we already explained.

229. The location of Maskil is known AS YESOD OF BINAH. What is that THAT IS CALLED Maskil? It is that water which makes wise those who drink from it, NAMELY, IT BESTOWS CHOCHMAH. The place called Maskil is as in, "He who considers (Heb. maskil) his words shall find good" (Mishlei 16:20). IF MASKIL BESTOWS ON SOMETHING, THERE WILL BE GOOD IN IT, WHICH IS THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH CLOTHED IN CHASSADIM. Since it is so called, forgiveness and the greatest freedom come from it, SINCE FORGIVENESS AND FREEDOM ARE BESTOWED FROM CHOCHMAH IN BINAH. This is the secret of, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered," SINCE HIS TRANSGRESSION IS FORGIVEN BY THE PLENTY OF CHOCHMAH.

230. HE ASKS, What is MEANT BY, "whose sin is covered," AND HE ANSWERS, It was explained that the sin he committed before the Holy One, blessed be He, is covered from people, and he confessed it before the Holy One, blessed be He. Yet come and see, when a man sins, sinning once, twice and thrice, and does not repent, his sins become public, BECAUSE they are made known above and made known below. Criers walk before him and announce, Get away from around so and so. He is chided by his Master, chided above and chided below. Woe to him for blemishing his Master's image. Woe to him, who has no fear for his Master's glory. The Holy One, blessed be He, reveals his iniquity above. This is the meaning of, "The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him" (Iyov 20:27). When a man walks the path of his Master and busies himself with His service, and happens to sin, everyone covers it, the higher and lower beings. This is called, "whose sin is covered."

231. Rabbi Aba said to him, You have not yet reached the crux of the matter. You spoke well, and whatever the friends said IS fine. But if this is so, it should have said, 'covered sin.' Why does it say, "whose sin is covered (or: 'covering')?"

232. RABBI ABA ANSWERS, There are two matters of wisdom here, IN THE VERSE, "SIN COVERING," as follows. The one, as we learned that from the good deeds man performs in this world a costly garment is made in that world for him to wear. When man does good deeds, yet the evil deeds overpower him, and the Holy One, blessed be He, sees that his evil deeds are more numerous THAN HIS GOOD DEEDS, THEN he is evil, because he is guilty before his Master, SINCE THERE ARE MORE MISDEEDS THAN GOOD DEEDS. He repines and regrets the good deeds he already performed. Then he is entirely lost, from this world and the World to Come. HE ASKS, What does the Holy One, blessed be He, do from the good deeds the sinner accomplished before?

233. HE ANSWERS, Even though the wicked man is lost the good deeds and merits he committed are not lost. For there is a righteous man who walks the ways of the supernal King and has made garments from his GOOD deeds, but before completing HIS GARMENTS he departed FROM THE WORLD. The Holy One, blessed be He, completes him HIS GARMENTS from the GOOD deeds the evil sinner has committed and perfects his garment for him to put in that world. This is the meaning of, THE EVIL "may prepare it, but the just shall put it on" (Iyov 27:17). The evil man made it and the righteous man covers himself with what he made. This is the meaning of, "whose sin is a covering;" THE COVERING, NAMELY HIS GARMENT, COMES FROM THE SINNER. Hence it is not written that it is covered, but that is it a covering, BECAUSE IT REFERS TO A GARMENT.

234. The second MEANING is that the sin that a worthy MAN has committed is covered inside what is called the depths of the sea. For whatever fell into the depths of the sea is never found, since the water covers it. This is the meaning of, "And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" (Michah 7:19). What are the depths of the sea? HE ANSWERS, This is a precious mystery, which Rabbi Shimon explained. He said, All those coming from the harsh side and holding on to evil species and the lower Sfirot, like Azazel on Yom Kippur is considered the depths of the sea. This is called the depths of the sea, like the oars of silver refined by fire. This is meant by, "Take away the dross from the silver" (Mishlei 25:4).

235. Thus, this AZAZEL is from the depths of the sea and is called the depths of the sea, THAT IS, the depths of that holy sea. The depths REFER TO the filth of silver. Hence all the sins of Yisrael rest in it, it receives them and they are drawn into it. The reason is that AZAZEL is called sin. Sin MEANS lessening. Hence it lessens everything, reducing body and soul and receiving the bodily filth, which is the sins done by the Evil Inclination that is called filthy and ugly.

236. Rabbi Yosi said, we learned, "And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats" (Vayikra 16:8). If this is so, it is an honor to Azazel, for have you ever seen a servant casting lots ON EQUAL FOOTING with his master? According to the custom a servant receives only what his master gives him. AND HE ANSWERS, Since Samael is ready to speak evil OF YISRAEL and in order not to give him any excuse, he is given a portion.

237. The lot reaches it on its own accord, as Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak: I found a celestial matter in that lot. It is written of the lot of Joshua, "According to (lit. 'by the mouth of') the lot" (Bemidbar 26:56). Surely the lot said, this is the portion of Judah, this is the portion of Benjamin, etc. Here too, once the priests put his hands, the lots were jumping and climbing the hand of the priest and come to their places. This is the meaning of, "But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel" (Vayikra 16:10), surely it "fell for Azazel," ON ITS OWN ACCORD.

238. Not only that, but as long as the prosecutor is ready and has permission, something should be put before him to be occupied with and leave Yisrael. On that day OF YOM KIPPUR, the prosecutor is ready to spy out the land, as it is written, "And Hashem said to the adversary, From where do you come?" (Iyov 1:7). We learned that "From going to and fro in the earth" (Ibid.), for this is the great prosecutor that denounces Yisrael.

239. The friends remarked that when Yisrael were ready to cross the sea and take revenge on the Egyptians, THE PROSECUTOR said, I have passed the Holy Land and I see that these are not worthy of entering it. If You mete out punishment, their punishment here IS LIKE the Egyptians. What is the difference between them? Either they will all die together or they will all return to Egypt. Was it not You, who said, "And shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years" (Beresheet 15:13), but from the reckoning only 210 years have passed, no more.

240. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'What shall I do? This calls for occupation. Something is needed to bring here and draw near him. I shall give him something to be occupied with, so he will leave My children. Let us find someone for him to be busy with.' Forthwith He said, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on earth?" (Iyov 1:8). He interrupted the prosecutor with words. "Then the adversary answered Hashem, and said, Does Job fear Elohim for naught?" (Ibid. 9).

241. THIS IS LIKENED to a shepherd who wanted to pass his flock across a river. A wolf passed by and afflicted his flock. The wise shepherd said, What shall I do? He might destroy the flock while I move the lambs across. He raised his eyes and saw a wild goat, big and strong. He said, I shall throw him before the wolf. While they do battle with each other, I shall remove all the flock and they shall be saved from him.

242. So does the Holy One, blessed be He, do. He said, 'I shall certainly throw a great, powerful and forceful goat in his way, NAMELY JOB. While he will be occupied with it, My children shall cross THE SEA, without a prosecutor over them.' Immediately, "And Hashem said to the adversary, Have you considered." Eventually, the Holy One, blessed be He, joined them together, as it is written, "Behold, he is in your hand" (Iyov 2:6). While he was busy with him, he left Yisrael alone, and uttered no denouncement on them.

243. Similarly, on that day OF YOM KIPPUR, the Satan is ready to spy out the land, and we should send something before him with which to be busy. While he is busy with it, he will leave Yisrael alone. There is an allegory about the lowliest in the king's house - give him a little wine, and he will praise you before the king, otherwise he will speak evil words ABOUT YOU before the king. Sometimes the superiors in the king's house receive THAT EVIL speech and the king punishes that man.

244. Rabbi Yitzchak said, THIS IS LIKENED to a fool who is in the king's presence. Give him a little wine and then tell him and show him all the abominable things you have done and all the evil, yet he will praise you and say there is none in the world like you. Here too, the prosecutor is constantly in the King's presence. Yisrael give him this offering OF THE GOAT TO AZAZEL. In this offering there is a note WHERE ALL IS WRITTEN DOWN of the evil things, the abominable things and the iniquities Yisrael did. Yet he comes and praises Yisrael and becomes their defender. And the Holy One, blessed be He, returns everything upon the heads of the wicked of his people, since it is written, "for you shall heap coals of fire upon his head" (Mishlei 25:22).

245. Rabbi Yosi said, Woe to the people of Esau, when that goat is sent to that slanderer who is appointed over them, NAMELY SAMAEL, THE MINISTER OF ESAU that comes to praise Yisrael for its sake. The Holy One, blessed be He, returns all those iniquities on the head of his people, because, it is written, "he that tells lies shall not remain in my sight" (Tehilim 101:7). Rabbi Yehuda said, If the idolaters knew of the goat, they would not let Yisrael live one day in the world.

246. Come and see, all that day he busies himself with that goat. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, forgives Yisrael and cleanses them in every respect, and there is no prosecutor in His presence. He then comes and praises Yisrael. THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, then asks him, as it is written, "And Hashem said to the adversary, From where do you come?" and he answers by praising Yisrael. The prosecutor turns into a defender and goes his way.

247. The Holy One, blessed be He, then says to the seventy ministers that surround HIS throne, THE SECRET OF THE CELESTIAL COURTHOUSE, 'Have you seen this slanderer, how he is always about TO SLANDER My children? Behold, there is a goat by him, with a note with all their iniquities, all their abominable acts and all that they sinned and transgressed before Me. But he accepted them UPON HIMSELF.' They all agree then that these iniquities go back on his people.

248. Rabbi Aba said, All the iniquities and sins FIRST are attached to him, as it is written, "And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" (Michah 7:19). Then they return upon the heads of his people, as it is written, "and the goat shall bear upon it all their iniquities to a barren land" (Vayikra 16:22). On that day, the priest is adorned with lofty crowns and is situated between the higher and lower. He atones for him, for his household, for the priests, the Temple and the whole of Yisrael.

249. We learned that when THE PRIEST entered with the bullock's blood, he meditated on the top of Faith, NAMELY THE FIRST THREE SFIROT, KETER, CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, and sprinkled it with his finger, as it is written, "and sprinkle it upon the covering, and before the covering" (Vayikra 16:15), THAT IS, ONE ABOVE AND SEVEN BELOW. How did he do that? He dipped the fingertip in blood and sprinkled the drops as if swinging a whip at the side of the Ark covering. HE DID NOT LET THE DROPS FALL ON THE COVERING ITSELF BUT AT ITS SIDE, AND THE DROPS FELL ON THE GROUND. He sprinkled and concentrated and started counting, 'one,' which includes everything, one which is the most valuable, one to which everything turns, one that is at the top, NAMELY THE SFIRAH OF KETER. Next is 'one and one,' WHICH ARE CHOCHMAH AND BINAH that dwell together willingly, in brotherhood, and never separate FROM EACH OTHER.

250. Upon reaching 'and one,' which is the mother of everything, NAMELY BINAH, he starts counting from here, FROM BINAH, by joining, counting and saying, 'one and two,' NAMELY JOINING BINAH WITH TWO, CHESED AND GVURAH, 'one and three,' JOINING BINAH TO CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, 'one and four,' JOINING BINAH TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND NETZACH, 'one and five,' JOINING BINAH TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD, 'one and six,' JOINING BINAH TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, 'one and seven,' JOINING BINAH TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT, in order to draw and guide the one, which is supernal Ima, NAMELY BINAH, through specific grades MENTIONED ABOVE, to the Keter of lower Ima, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and draw the deep rivers, THE LIGHTS OF BINAH from their place upon the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT. Therefore, on that day, two lights shine together, WHICH ARE supernal Ima that illuminates lower Ima, BINAH TO MALCHUT. Hence it is written Yom Kippur IN THE PLURAL as we said.

251. Rabbi Yitzchak said, A chain was tied to the feet of the High Priest, when he entered THE HOLY OF HOLIES, so that if he dies there they will take him out, SINCE IT IS FORBIDDEN TO ENTER THERE. How did they know WHETHER HE WAS ALIVE OR NOT? By a crimson colored strap. If its color did not turn WHITE, it was known at that time that the priest was there in sin. And if he came out in peace, it was known and recognized by the crimson strap that turned white. Then there is joy among the higher and lower beings. If not, they were all in sorrow and all knew that their prayer was not accepted.

252. Rabbi Yehuda said, Once he entered, he closed his eyes so as not to look where he shouldn't. When he heard the sound of the wings of the Cherubs singing and praising, the priest would know that everything is in joy and went out in peace. With all that, through his prayer he would know, since the words came out of his mouth in joy, and were properly accepted and blessed. Then joy abounded among the higher and lower beings.

253. Rabbi Elazar asked Rabbi Shimon his father, Why does this day OF YOM KIPPUR originate in that place, BINAH, AS MALCHUT, THE SECRET OF THE LEFT, ASCENDS TO BINAH, instead of from another place? It would have been appropriate for it to be of the grade where the King dwells the most, NAMELY, THAT SHE WOULD UNITE WITH HER HUSBAND ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF THE RIGHT. Rabbi Shimon said to him, My son Elazar, surely it is so, THAT IT SHOULD COME FROM BINAH, and you have asked well.

254. HE ANSWERS, Come and see, the Holy King left His temple and house in the hand of the Matron, MALCHUT, and left His children with her, in order for her to guide them, strike them and dwell among them. If they are worthy, the Matron enters joyfully and honorably to the King. If they are not worthy, she and they are returned into exile. We already explained this, as it is written, "A son of scandalous and shameful ways shall ruin his father, and drive his mother away" (Mishlei 19:26), CHASING HER INTO EXILE, and, "for your transgressions was your mother put away" (Yeshayah 50:1).

255. Therefore there is one day in the year, to look at them and observe THEIR DEEDS. When that day comes, supernal Ima, BINAH, has in her hands all kinds of freedom, NAMELY THE MOCHIN OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH CLOTHED IN CHASSADIM, THE SECRET OF FREEDOM. THEY SUBJUGATE ALL THE KLIPOT AND CAUSE THEM TO FLEE. She comes towards it, THAT DAY, to observe Yisrael, NAMELY TO BESTOW PLENTY UPON THEM, and Yisrael hasten on that day with many kinds of worship and prayers, and many afflictions, all of them meritorious. Then freedom comes upon them from the place where all freedom exists in the hand of the Matron, MALCHUT. THIS MEANS THAT MALCHUT RISES TO BINAH, AND RECEIVES ALL FREEDOM FROM BINAH. The King's children, YISRAEL BELOW, her children, who were trusted in her hands, are all meritorious without sins or iniquities. She then joins the King in light, joy, perfection and goodwill, because she raised proper children to the King, THAT IS, SHE CLEAVES TO THE RIGHT. BEFORE YISRAEL RECEIVE PURITY AND FREEDOM FROM BINAH, MALCHUT CANNOT UNITE WITH ZEIR ANPIN AND RECEIVE THE RIGHT FROM HIM. THIS SETTLES THE QUESTION OF HIS SON RABBI ELAZAR.

256. When that day is not proper, woe to them, TO YISRAEL, woe to their messenger, THE HIGH PRIEST, woe to the Matron who is distanced from the King; supernal Ima, BINAH, is gone and no freedom comes from her to the worlds. Happy are Yisrael, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, taught His ways so as to be saved from Judgment and to be meritorious before Him. This is the meaning of, "for on that day will He forgive you, to cleanse you" (Vayikra 16:30), and, "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean. From all your uncleannesses..." (Yechezkel 36:25).