Yom Kippur is quite properly viewed as a somber day of introspection. The Torah reinforces this perspective when declaring that on the Day of Atonement, we are to “afflict [te’anu] our souls” (Leviticus 16:29). We do so by practicing self-denial (i.e., refraining from eating and drinking, among other prohibitions).
But the biblical term for self-denial – inui – has another meaning. It is similar to the word anita, used to describe what the farmer said when joyously bringing his first fruits to Jerusalem, beginning on the Shavuot holiday (Deuteronomy 26:5). His expression moved beyond words; it was a song, a melody. Similarly, matzah on Passover is called lechem oni, as it was consumed by Jewish slaves in Egypt. In the Haggadah, however, lechem oni is used to mean “bread over which answers to questions are given” (onin, similar to anita, Pesachim 115b). At our Seders, these answers are interwoven with heartwarming song.
Rounding out the three major festivals, Sukkot is connected to ananei kavod (clouds of glory), representing God’s protection of Am Yisrael (Sukkah 11a). Here again, as with Passover and Shavuot, ananei, which sounds like anita, could homiletically refer to our joyfully singing in the sukkah, celebrating God’s loving support.
From this perspective, te’anu on Yom Kippur is upbeat, reminding us that Yom Kippur is also a holiday, a day of joy. This position is found in rabbinic and halachic sources:
• “Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said: There were never such joyous festivals for Israel as the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur” (Mishnah, Ta’anit 4:8).
• Shivah (the seven-day mourning period for a close relative) is curtailed by major holidays of joy (i.e., Passover, Sukkot, and Shavuot), including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
• While fast days are never held on Shabbat, Yom Kippur is an exception. Being a day of great joy, it is aligned with the spirit of Shabbat.
Even understanding inui on Yom Kippur as self-denial can be positive. To be sure, self-denial on Yom Kippur involves abstaining from all life energy – not only from eating and drinking but from washing, anointing ourselves, using cosmetics, wearing leather shoes and cohabitation. More deeply, however, it has been suggested that these prohibitions are meant to simulate death – yes, inui is nothing less than a brush with death, through which one can better appreciate life.
Similarly, the kittel, the white robe reminiscent of burial shrouds worn on Yom Kippur, can be viewed optimistically. To paraphrase a rabbinic teaching: if one is about to be judged in court, one wears black, unsure of the verdict. As the Book of Life and Death is open, one wraps in white, believing and knowing the outcome will be good (Jerusalem Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 1:3).
Note, as well, that the final meal before Yom Kippur is preceded by the afternoon Minchah service, in which we include the Al Chet confessional prayer. This, the rabbis suggest, ensures that we have received atonement in case we choke to death during the final meal (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance 2:7). In contrast, Rabbenu Yonah says that the final meal should be viewed as a festival meal. Since we don’t eat on Yom Kippur, we move the meal up to the eve of Yom Kippur (Sha’arei Teshuvah 4:8–10).
In the same vein, the vidui, too, the confession said on Yom Kippur, which lists serious misdeeds, is sung in an upbeat, major key, as we are convinced that we will be given another chance; God will intervene and inscribe us for a good year.
This approach has informed our services on Yom Kippur Day. The tears we shed are interspersed with buoyant song and even dance. After all, it’s not always that one is given a second, a third, and – through the years – umpteen chances to reshape one’s life and deeds. Thus, while Yom Kippur is a deeply solemn day, it is also a hopeful, optimistic day of renewal and joy.
Candle lighting:
Yom Kippur
October 11th at 6:39 p.m.