The Great Embrace

Although Sukkot is the great embrace of Hashem, wrapped in the warm embrace of the Sukkah, there is a different type of embrace that precedes that holiday.

Yom Kippur!

On Yom Kippur Hashem embraces us as we are with our shortcomings and faults.  You may have noticed that although on Rosh Hashanah we ask for a good year, we don’t mention our sins or atonement at all in the prayers.  That is because on Rosh Hashanah we access a dimension of our souls that transcends our human experience.  We call to G-d on a soul level as it stands holier and higher than the body.

I imagine this like the love of parents to a new born child.  It’s pure and transcendent.

On Yom Kippur we are embraced in the totality of who we are, with our shortcomings and faults.  On Yom Kippur Hashem says, I love you, I love all of you! And that’s why I forgive you for your shortcomings because you, as you are, are all part of my love.

I imagine this like the love of a parent to a child who hasn’t exactly evolved in the image that the parents may have imagined or dreamed.  The love of a healthy parent embraces the child with all their shortcomings.

If we meditate on this a little, we’ll find that although the soul connection on Rosh Hashanah seems to be very holy and lofty, the embrace of Yom Kippur is actually much more profound.  The Rosh Hashanah connection says, “I accept you as a spiritual transcendent being”.  The Yom Kippur connection says, “I accept the totality of who you are with all your shortcomings”. 

It is for this reason that the day of Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year.  It liberates us from carrying the burden, shame and guilt of our shortcomings knowing that G-d embraces the totality of who we are.  And at the same time it empowers us to want to validate that love by resolving to bring happiness to our

Beloved by living more in harmony with the Torah’s instruction.

May it be an amazing year, an easy fast and a year filled with love!

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