The Ramchal (Derech Hashem) on Yom Kippur
Posted on | September 24, 2012 | By Mark Frankel | 4 Comments
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato (Ramchal) From Derech Hashem.
The significance of Yom Kippur is that God set aside one day for Israel, when their repentance is readily accepted and their aveiros (sins) can easily be erased.
Kapora actually erases aveiros, which is way beyond waht Selicha (forgiveness) and Mechila (pardon) acommplish. Yom Kippur is the one day set aside for this Kapora and the Ramchal points out that they can easily be erased on this day.
This rectifies all the spiritual damage caused by these aveiros, and removes the darkness that strengthened itself as a result of them.
Every time we do an aveira (sin) much spiritual damage is caused and darkness (which includes the concealment of G-d) is strengthened. But the Kapora of Yom Kippur corrects the spiritual damage and removes the resulting darkness resulting from our sins.
Individuals who do teshuva (repent) on this day can therefore return to the levels of holiness and closeness to God from which they were cast as a result of their sins, for it is on this day that a Light shines forth that can complete this entire concept.
To accomplish this erasing of Aveiros we need to do teshuva. Yom Kippur has a special Light (spiritual energy) which enables us to return to the level we were at before we did our Aveiros.
Rabbi Dessler points out that the Teshuva of Yom Kippur is of a different nature and is much more achievable than the Teshuva of any other day. In the Rambam’s Hichos Teshuva, the formulation for Teshuva for Yom Kippur is noticeably different from the formulation for every other day besides Yom Kippur. Perhaps the Ramchal is alluding to this difference when he said above that our aveiros “can easily be erased on this day”.
In order to receive this Light, Israel must keep all the commandments associated with this day.
To access this spiritual cleansing we need to do the mitzvos of the day.
This is particularly true of the fast, since this causes each individual to be greatly divorced from the physical and elevated, to some degree, toward the aspect of the melachim (angels).
The fast is a Torah level mitzvot as opposed to a Rabbinic enactment. By abstaining from our main daily physical activity, eating, our spiritual side is more pronounced and this increase in spiritual character moves us in the direction of the purer spiritual creations, like the melachim (angels).
Other details of this day depend on the particulars of this rectification.
It’s a good day to try really hard to follow all the mitzvos to the best degree possible.
It really is an awesome, wonderful day and I hope all our readers take full advantage of it.
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September 24th, 2012 @ 2:30 pm
what are the rambam’s formulations that the Ramchal is referring to? can you cite them? thanks and g’mar chasima tova
September 24th, 2012 @ 2:30 pm
sorry, it looks like Rav Dessler referred to them, but either way, can you cite? thanks
September 24th, 2012 @ 3:57 pm
In the description of the viduy and the process on Yom Kippur there is no mention of regret and commitment to the future. Many achronim and Roshei Yeshiva including the Minchas Chinuch comment on this.
Hilchos Teshuva – Chapter 2
6) Even though repentance and pleading for forgiveness are always appropriate, they are even more appropriate in the ten days between New Year and the Day of Atonement, when they are accepted immediately, as it is written, “Seek out the Lord while He may be found”. This is referring to the repentance of an individual, but sincere communal repentance is always accepted, as it is written, “…as the Lord our God is in all things that we call him for?”.
7) The Day of Atonement is a time of repentance for all, whether individually or with the community, and completes the pardoning and forgiving of Israel. Therefore, one is obligated to confess and repent on the Day of Atonement. It is also a mitzvah to recite a confession on the day before the Day of Atonement before eating the last meal before the fast, in case one chokes to death during the meal, so that one won’t die without having confessed. Even though one may have confessed before this meal, one still confesses again at each of the five prayers – the evening prayer, the morning prayer, Musaf, the afternoon prayer, and Ne’ilah – on the Day of Atonement. An individual confesses after his prayer, whereas the Cantor confesses in the middle of the fourth blessing of his prayer.
8) The confession which all Jews recite starts, `For we have sinned, et cetera’. This is the core of confession. Any sins which one may have committed on the Day of Atonement one repents for on the following day of Atonement, even though one is repenting at the time, for it is written, “For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me”.
September 24th, 2012 @ 6:16 pm
Tanna DeBei Eliyahu Raba, Chapter 1, Paragraph 5:
The Holy One Blessed Be He gave Yom Kippur with great love and with joy.